by Adam Andrzejewski
In November of 2002, on the night of his gubernatorial victory, Rod Blagojevich echoed Elvis by saying, “… I’m all shook up!” As we start 2008, it is reasonability that has left the building and it is the state that is “…all shook up.” Unfortunately, our Elvis governor is still at the podium of power.
The Blagojevich antics have become headlines. The Governor was commuting from Chicago to Springfield to Chicago on a state airplane costing taxpayers $5,800 per day. Blagojevich covertly manipulated the budget by executive order imposing $10 million to fund a human cloning experimental project which had previously been rejected by the General Assembly. As of January 1st, Illinois is in arrears of $1.7 million of state bills. Undeterred, the Governor gives away free mammograms, free health care, free preschool, and free transit rides; Illinois mud wrestles with a $106 billion state debt.
Respect of the citizen has left the building.
Consider the second most powerful man in Illinois government, Senate President Emil Jones. His stepson has contracted with the state for more than $700,000 in computer work. The third most powerful man in Illinois government, Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, runs a law practice in Chicago whose focus is property tax challenges. He will not recues himself when property tax legislation comes before the House. When asked by the state’s Property Tax Appeal Board to render an opinion on her father’s behavior, the Attorney General of Illinois Lisa Madigan remains silent.
The spirit of public service has left the building.
Passed this fall, Illinois Democrats criminalized employers who use E-Verify to check the legal status of an employee. Over this issue, Homeland Security sued Illinois on national security grounds. In 2004 on constitutional grounds, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce sued the state of Illinois challenging the excessive, discriminatory, special purpose fees paid by companies. Late last fall, Governor Blagojevich sued Speaker Madigan over not convening the called for special session in the House; the ‘session’, convened a hundred times and lasted until December 31st!
The rule of law and proper lawmaking has left the building.
Last summer, the state legislature asked the State Auditor General to request of the state agencies a count of the number of state programs. In November, in writing his report, the Auditor concluded that the responses of the agencies were inaccurate. Illinois agencies can not even quantify the number of programs within their own purview.
Efficient and productive government has left the building.
Illinois trails the country in job growth, population growth and in educating our kids, while we lead or top the nation in state debt, public corruption, juvenile violent crime and in highly compensated lawmaker pay.
REASONABILITY NEEDS TO MAKE A RETURN.
FOR THE GOOD OF ILLINOIS
Cross-posted at ForTheGoodofIllinois.org
