I’m not surprised by the negative comment at the governor’s tent. Today is Democrats Day and it would be interesting to see if there are any anti-gov protestors out in mass. Unfortunately, I can’t attend. If you get any more reports from friends, please post them here if you get a chance.

Thanks for commenting,
Dan

BLT

Regarding Blago, I’m a state employee who likely isn’t going to be paid on the 15th but I don’t blame him entirely. Its the legislators fault as much as it is his. They don’t want to play nice with each other and don’t care who knows it. Now its going to be the state employees and the clients of those services we provide that will suffer. I think its disgustingly amusing how convenient blaming the other side in the media has become for the elected officials in this state. Then again, why would I think IL would be above that?!

There’s certainly a downstate versus Chicago thing going on here. Locally, there’s a great deal of spin from people with a dagger to sharpen.

If times were good, and the state’s coffers full none of this would have ever come up. So I’d first look at the root causes, and ask why is it that the State can’t tackle big issues which most people wish it could – without significantly increasing the tax burden?

Maybe we’re asking to much of government? I doubt that is the case. So perhaps we should blame the population’s unwillingness to support tax increases to pay for more entitlements.

In some cases it can be shown that by spending a bit more we actually save far more. Send a kid to college and keep him out of expensive prisons. Pay for preventative health care, and reduce the cost of reimbursing hospitals for expensive emergency room treatment of those without insurance. Maintain our roads, and save drivers the cost of paying more for new tires, and suspension work. Pay for home care for the elderly and keep them out of expensive state subsidized nursing homes. I could go on, and on, and on.

The problem is that everyone, including ideologues know that good government can work, especially at a local level, but the political process is so corrupted by special interest and politics itself that what good could be done is delayed until it becomes an emergency, or altogether ignored.

I can’t blame Blago for being loyal to his Chi town supporters, he needs his base of support.

Is it that he lacks the ability to sell his goals, his agenda, or is it just more difficult to come up with enough pork to pay enough people off to get his proposals through?

In Springfield we now see Republicans who just can’t stand a upstate Democrat in the governor’s mansion (oops), downstate Democrats who feel he never did enough to help them – especially in compensation for all the lean years, mixed with the upstate vs. downstate thing, and the frightened currently employed but always wary state workers. This mix makes it very hard to actually gage what anyone’s booing about.

He’s taken state jobs to Chicago, and laid off folk in Springfield – Boo!

We’re worried we won’t get our paychecks on time – Boo!

He’s a damned Democrat, and I got my state job during the Republican hey day – Boo!

He’s from Chicago, and he won’t even live in Springfield – Boo!

I’ve tried to get a job with the State when the Republicans were in charge, but never could, and now when the Democrats are in charge they’re not hiring – Boo!

My father was laid off at the State – Boo!

My uncle had to retire early from the State – Boo!

What in God’s name does any of that have to do with Blago? I don’t know. With the money tight, and his desire not to be blamed for increasing taxes there’s not much he can do – it’s just not like it was in Springfield in the 80’s, and 90’s – and it may never be again no matter how much booing we do.

JP

The line about Blago’s kids not having the testicular fortitude to keep up with him was very good.

This is a very interesting blog in that I despise the Gov to an extreme that is hard to describe. However, to boo the man is just not in my make up. He is after all the Governor and a human being. He is a disgustingly poor politician, not a crack-head burglar and thus deserves at least a crumb of respect.

I had no problem yelling to him during his first or second fair, “welcome to Springfield!” believing that I was original. (What a fool I was) But to boo is just too much. I will boo him at the polls at the next election and pray that others come to their senses and follow suit. Besides, booing him may inflame the Chicago crowd into voting him into a third term.

But I suppose that if I were a State employee who was not getting paid I might have other ideas.

He is the one true politician who doesnt act like a politician. I guess we could ruin that by voting him into the governors mansion. But would he use it. Thats a whole other story.

Maybe you can PhotoShop my kids in later. Since none of the bands ever play at our vantage point, the Jesse White Tumblers are the only thing worth seeing anyway.

Jerome,

I don’t blame Blago entirely for the budget mess. But considering that he proposed a budget that was grander in scale than anything he hinted about in his campaign and then did nothing for the next few months to build support among the legislature, then yes I think a good deal of the blame for the overtime has to fall in his lap. Vindictiveness from many other participants is also gumming up the works, but even that is largely the result of Blago’s coarse style and lack of negotiating skills. His disregard for deadlines and other lawful rules of engagement in such matters also isn’t helping things.

They should just hand the keys to the mansion over to Dan Hynes right now.

And what do you think?

Thanks for commenting,
Dan

JP