1. - Macbeth - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 10:17 am:

   I’m deeply troubled by the governor’s “pride” in all of this.

   There is nothing for anyone in Illinois to be proud about here. The government has a moral responsibility to work on behalf of the people — and thus far, the work has been a failure.

   This is, I think, the same as Blagojevich saying that, yeah, “basically it’s been an up day” when his GRT failed resoundingly.

   I’m surprised — and saddened, actually — that more in the press haven’t zeroed in on Blagojevich’s comments about being “proud” of the overtime and a possible shutdown.




2. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 10:17 am:

   I don’t see a problem with a long legislative session if it results in a well-crafted budget with elimination of waste, clearly established priorities and attention to the priority needs of middle class citizens. The rich and the poor ride free in Illinois, the rich through a very unprogressive tax system which allows them to hang on to disproportionate amounts of their wealth. The poor get free or almost-free medical care, housing, food, schooling, welfare cash. The middle class pays for everybody else, and talk of an income tax suggests that the middle class is about to get hit again by our wealthy guv and mostly wealthy legislators.

   The legislators are paid to work for us. By and large, they don’t do a very good job for us. The only concern I have is that the longer they stay there, the more time they have to raise our taxes. It’s the easy way out. And they are lazy.




3. - FED UP - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 10:25 am:

   Blago sounds more and more like a spoiled child who hasnt gotten his way. “If they override a veto I will keep them in special session”. Maybe impeachment talk wasnt as silly as first thought. All or nothing will get you nothing blago




4. - BlueByrd - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 10:30 am:

   Five people in a room deciding the state of affairs in Illinois…yea, the system isn’t screwed up…please. This State is an absolute joke.




5. - Drowning Quicksand - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 10:43 am:

   Our governor is a truly delusional individual. All the governor’s talk about the people this, the people that, is all a huge smoke screen.
   Governor Blagojevich uses “the people” to further his personal agenda of greed and corruption. The last thing he has on his mind are “the people”.
   When are the legislatures and the people of this state going to wake up.
   The problem is and alway has been Blagojevich.




6. - Grasshopper - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 10:50 am:

   To avoid a shutdown, can we implement a “lock-down?” Meaning that within two weeks of the end of a fiscal year, the so called leaders and the governor are required to be locked in a room for a half a day each day until they can reach a compromise on a budget that can be passed by the House and Senate? Just a thought on how to prevent embarrassment for future years.




7. - Bill - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 10:52 am:

   Drowning,
   I guess that we all can’t be as smart and all knowing as you. The people elected the Governor and unlike GHW Bush and Jim Edgar and Jim Thompson and Richard Ogilve he promised not to raise their sales tax and income tax and he, so far, has kept his promise.
   He should be proud of keeping his pledge. There has been untold pressures from all directions and he has stood his ground and said no.
   If the people don’t appreciate this stance than they will show their displaesure in 2010. In the meantime, every day is an up day for Rod.




8. - amy - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 10:58 am:

   ah, Illinois, we can be so proud. ready to
   export our way of life to the nation’s capitol via
   one senator, running for president, and doing not
   much else, since 2004, and the other who
   oops talks and calls his junior Osama. what a
   state! wait until the national media finally covers our dismal fiscal state. just think, our
   kind of leadership could go nationwide.




9. - Anonymoose - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 11:00 am:

   Only a man who wears his hair like Blago could be proud of this process.




10. - Little Egypt - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 11:02 am:

    “We’re going to break a record in terms of having the longest overtime session here in Illinois and I take pride in that…”

    Insanity - extreme folly or unreasonableness; something utterly foolish or unreasonable.

    Only Blago would take pride in being the governor during the two longest OT sessions in Illinois history - ‘04 and ‘07. I can understand wanting to put a positive spin on things, but Elvis, your world is an unreasonable world - the absence of reason or sanity. At this point in time, most of what you say makes you look very stupid and drags the rest of your staff down with you.

    Govern - to rule without sovereign power and usually WITHOUT having the authority to determine basic policy.

    Rich, I don’t think you should be so hard on those of us who think impeachment may be a good idea. What world is this guy living in?




11. - Dollar USA - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 11:55 am:

    Words of wisdom by JFK: “It is not what the country and do for you but what you can do for your country.” Or something like that.




12. - downhereforyears - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 12:15 pm:

    I think back to the days before the House was downsized ( thanks Pat Quinn) when the leaders didn’t have nearly as much power over the members and actually had a say in he process.Ah sweet memories.




13. - steve schnorf - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 12:41 pm:

    Excuse mr,Bill, but when did Edgar raise the income tax, and what campaign pledge did he break?




14. - Gregor - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 12:42 pm:

    I just don’t see how any of this is positive for the governor. He makes himself the target for all the negatives by his behavior, and the longer he pushes this, the greater the chance he’ll be overridden and pushed into irrelevancy. He’s playing chicken with a train, to quote Cowboy Troy.




15. - Bill - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 12:51 pm:

    Steve,
    I’m not an historian but didn’t Jim agree to make a temporary surcharge a permanent income tax after promising not to.




16. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 12:53 pm:

    Bill, Edgar campaigned to make the surcharge permanent. Hartigan campaigned against it.




17. - Bill - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 12:54 pm:

    …and then there was the campaign where he slammed poor Dawn every chance he got for her tax swap plan and then, six weeks after the election, introduced pretty much the same plan. He was thwarted by his own Repub Pres of the Senate, the great man of the people James Phillip.
    If Im getting my republicans mixed up I apologize in advance.




18. - Captain America - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 12:57 pm:

    Bill,

    Many of the CF bloggers appear to be convinced that Patrick Fitzgerald will oust our Governor. I don’t know. My best guess would be that these commnentators are correct because a million dollars of legal fees in a year suggest potentially serious legal problems.

    I like the Governor personally. I even support his vision for addressing the problems of the uninsured. I hope his scaled-back plan passes.

    But his performance as Governor this session has been abysmal. His intransigence and unwillingness to consider reasonable compromises and alternatioe approaches to funding the State’s needs has been remarkable.

    In terms of his posture as Governor No, I can only note that “consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.” He was ill-advsed to make his no sales or income tax pledge the first time he ran. The second time he made this campaign promise reflected genuine political stupidity.

    If the draconian RTA-PACE-CTA service cuts and fare increases become a reality because of the Governor’s refusal to allow a 1/4 % sales tax increase in the metropolitan Chicago area, then I plan to join the indictment cheering squad.

    The Governor has completely squandered his political capital after his reelection victory, and really has no credibilty left. He’s already functionally a lame duck Governor as far as I can tell

    I am really looking forward to the 2010 Democratic primary. Even if the Governor is not indicted, he will not be renominated by the Democratic Party. I am cofident about the people’s ultimate verdict. If he were to be renominated,it’s highly likely that I would vote for a moderate Republican or vote Green if the
    Republican candidate were too conservative for my taste. Although I split my ticket occasionally at the Cook County level of governemant as a protest vote, I have never voted for a Republican gubernatorial or presidential candidate.




19. - Drowning Quicksand - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 1:05 pm:

    Bill - You’ve given the impression to everyone that you are “all knowing” many times. But, I’m sure you’ll be the first to apologize, once your boss is finally outed.




20. - Jaded - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 1:21 pm:

    I know we’re suppose to refrain from calling the Governor names, but statements like this are why everbody thinks the guy is an egomaniac. It is his constitutional right to veto any bill he disagrees with, and it is the constitutional right of the legislature to override that veto. It is a system that has worked pretty well in this country for roughly 320 years. Only an egomaniac would say “if the GA disagrees with me on an issue and they exercise their constiutional right to disagree with me, I will keep them in Springfield until they agree”.

    That is yet another ignorant thing to say by a guy who day in and day out says a lot if ignorant things. His football shouldn’t be a hairbrush, it should be a muzzle.




21. - Bill - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 1:23 pm:

    Drowning,
    I’ve never claimed to be all knowing and just express my opinions here like everybody else. I’m not an insider or a gubenatorial confidant. I don’t work in the capitol.I’m just a voter who appreciates the fact that ,so far, Governor Blagojevich has kept his pledge to the voters of this state,unlike some others. I think that they will remember that in 2010. As far as his being “outed” I assume that you mean to imply that he is somehow corrupt. I trust that he is not. If future events prove me wrong, which I don’t think will happen, I will be the first to admit that I was wrong about him, just like millions of others were.
    Captain, I sincerely respect your opinoins and I truly hope that you are wrong about the Governor’s integrity. As far as his political methods and his style of governing are concerned; while they are probably not the way I would handle things, I’m willing to wait until this is over to judge by the results.
    One thing I have learned is to never underestimate Rod Blagojevich. I would never count him out.




22. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 1:30 pm:

    Of course the guv will be renominated. And he’ll win. Get used to it. It is very difficult to oust an incumbent, especially two-term incumbent and if he isn’t indicted directly, he can deal with any indictments of staff/subordinates by throwing them to the wolves. All pols do it. SOP.

    Meanwhile, zippy new blog notwithstanding, the Illinois GOP is barely clinging to life. This will get worse after the presidential election. Republicans seem intent on helping Hillary or Barack win in 2008, given their leading candidates’ unrelenting support of President Bush’s Iraq war (half a trillion and counting at $10 billion a month). It’ll be a rout. And the Dem majorities in Illinois will rise.

    It’ll be smooth sailing for our Blago in 2010. Unless they give him a cabinet job, it’ll be on to 2014, 2018…




23. - Jaded - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 1:34 pm:

    Bill,
    If Blagojevich had kept every pledge he made, then I might cut you some slack on this one, but he has broken many of his pledges, so lets not fall back on that “he kept his pledge to the voters” crap.

    Sometimes politicians make promises they should keep and don’t, and sometimes politicians make promises they should break and don’t. Throughout our history, the greatest statesmen have always known the difference between the two. That is why there are two names the Governor will never have to worry about being called: great and/or statesman!




24. - Bill - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 1:38 pm:

    Cassie,
    from your lips to the intelligent designer’s ear.




25. - Squideshi - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 1:42 pm:

    “‘I’ll veto anything that they pass along those lines, and if they were to somehow override a veto, I’d keep them in special session to undo that,’ Blagojevich said.”

    I think that Illinois legislators need to pass some legislation, limiting the circumstances under which the Governor can call a special session.




26. - Squideshi - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 1:42 pm:

    Of course, they would need to override that veto.




27. - Bill - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 1:44 pm:

    Jaded,
    What pledge did he not keep?
    He certainly has changed “business as usual” and he is trying to make state gov’t work for the people instead of the other way around.
    Education funding…yes
    more money into pension funds than any other gov…yes
    Minimum wage…yes
    hold the line on taxes (income and sales)…yes
    support rate freeze…yes
    support mass transit funding…yes
    cut the number of state employees significantly…yes
    plays well with others…well no but I guess he just can’t help it




28. - Jaded - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 2:46 pm:

    Bill,
    I started to attack your whole list, but when you start it off with “he has changed business as usual,” I just laugh and chalk this one up to another argument I don’t have the energy to try and win. You are certainly a wonderful advocate for his highness.




29. - Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 2:54 pm:

    Let’s pull the cord on the Bill doll and see what comes out next.




30. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 2:58 pm:

    LOL. What y’all are missing is that Bill lives for this stuff.




31. - Little Egypt - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 3:08 pm:

    When Blago promised “no more business as usual”, I thought that meant he was going to be a “clean” politician (stop laughing), really have a heart for the job, possibly make a real difference in this State in 4 years or 8 years and get out with a wonderful reputation as a mover and a shaker. What Blago is acting like is an autocrat who believes he has unlimited authority, undisputed influence and power. However, we have an Illinois constitution that does not give him the power he wishes to have. I dare the GA to pass a veto-proof budget, override Blago’s veto and let this State carry on. I suspect if Blago tried to bring them back into yet another SS to give him what he wants, there would be some high powered attorneys very knowledgeable in constitutional law ready to jump into the fracas.




32. - Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 4:24 pm:

    Bill, your guy is looking about as good as Lindsay Lohan with this latest gaffe.

    Maybe there is some truth to the old wives’ tale about hairspray causing brain damage.




33. - Bruno - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 4:43 pm:

    Bill -
    1. The most investigated governor in Illinois history.
    2. “No More Business As Usual” - Brought to new heights.
    3. Federal Subpoenas
    4. Rezko
    5. Kelly
    6. Levine
    7. Celini
    The list goes on and on Bill.
    The good people of Illinois will prevail when Governor Blagojevich is no longer the Governor of Illinois.




34. - Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 4:48 pm:

    LOL. What y’all are missing is that Bill lives for this stuff.

    Oh, some of us know…Bill’s reflexive talking points are as predictable as Cassandra’s gratuitous state employee bashing, and most if not all of it is meant to get a rise out of folks here. I personally am amused and entertained by most of the banter.

    However, Bill occasionally goes out of character and gets upset with the governor. It’s as if there’s 100 positive talking points and 1 negative rant built into the Bill doll, and every so often you’ll get the rant among the plethora of talking points. It’s like finding an off-color M&M in the package, or a $5 bill on the sidewalk, and it always makes you smile.




35. - e V i L T - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 7:05 pm:

    Promises the governor has not kept—-

    Re-open Zeller mental hospital in Peoria
    Re-open the Hanna City work camp

    These are but 2 of the promises he has broken…




36. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 8:07 pm:

    I take exception to “gratuitous state employee bashing.”

    My point has always been the same…we have a large, overly expensive civil service, riddled with patronage workers, and short on accountability and quality.

    If we have to pay for a state civil service, the employees should be highly qualified, paid according to quality of work, not rigid union or civil service pay scales, and they should get their jobs based on truly competitive examinations and formal professional credentials, not political connections, race, or luck. And they should not have lavish pension and health benefits unavailable to a large percentage of the Illinoisians who are paying for those benefits. Nor should they have ironclad job security unknown in the private sector.

    We, as taxpayers and residents, are the employers
    of state civil servants. We deserve no less.




37. - Disgusted - Wednesday, Jul 25, 07 @ 9:00 pm:

    For your information, Ms. Cassie, I am one of those who got the job by having those qualifications. I show up every day and do the work of two people as one of our group was fired (a patronage employee and yes, they do get fired, too). Since it seems to be the trend now that they do not fill vacancies but just give the salary back to the state coffers, most staff are now doing the jobs of two and sometimes 3 people.

    Add to that the demands of the gov’s administration - arrogant twits who think that they can have things yesterday, even when it has to go to an outside vender to be obtained. In other words, the WHOLE state should stop everything for them. Then there are the layers and layers of new administrators supplied by the governor, who don’t show up 3/4 of the time and when they do, they have no idea what’s going on.
    Another agency that I am familiar with has a bureau chief who hasn’t been seen in months and who spends most of his time at the agency headquarters, smoozing or riding around in the police car he drives, courtesy of his other job.

    It’s not the rank and file you need to be angry with, we’re just trying to earn a living and pay our bills. We aren’t getting gifts or charter flights or dinners at Maldener’s or Saputo’s.
    And we can’t vote ourselves a raise or show up for 20 minutes and get paid. We can’t leave work to play around and not have it charged against vacation. We have to account for every minute. So save your wrath (and instigations) for people who deserve it. And 99% of them live AND WORK in Chicago.

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