Someone said the Governor had not started campagning yet.WHAT?
Ho Ho Ho
· 3 years ago
He is not campaigning. He is coming out of the sky bringing presents for the residents of Illinois that have been good this year. He's kind of like a late Santa Claus.
Watch the skies! Maybe he'll visit your town!
Can't blame him, though. If I were governor, I'd do the same thing...create a class of people/industries/bureaucracies that were dependent on getting free money...those people will ALWAYS have to support you, and will give you the support you need when it comes crunch time.
Rele Tahrd
· 3 years ago
How in the hell did they get $50.7 million in the Build Illinois Bond Fund? I thought they swept all the money from all the funds. Is this a new fund that B established?
I cannot possibly believe B would cold-heartedly hold onto that amount of money just to make a big splash come election time. Scary.
VETERANS FOR EISENDRATH !!!
anon
· 3 years ago
WHAT A JOKE!!!
Why doesn't he use the $3 billion to pay all the unpaid bills sitting around the various agencies and comptrolers office?
It wouldn't be enough but it would be a good start.
Tessa
· 3 years ago
Of course he's not campaigning, he's just spreading the word about how much he's done for the good citizens of Illinois. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
He can say what he wants, but he's still campaigning on our dollars. It's sad that more people don't see through this. He's becoming more of a joke by the day. (Oh, I'm sue to be flamed by that one, Blago lovers.)
This little pittance that he's shelling out right now isn't going to do much good in the long run. Not when the Eigerlab has been waiting for over 2 years for the money that is suddenly "supposed" to show up today.
Forgive me for not felling so warm and fuzzy about the man I supported just 4 years ago. He's let way too many people down and is making a mockery of everything he does. But, it's just my opinion.
Shallow Pharnyx
· 3 years ago
People have short memories. He'll gain some feel-good votes for this latest campaign move.
zatoichi
· 3 years ago
Isn't the important phrase from sentence one "promote his $3 billion borrowing plan". Thought the word "borrowing" meant you have to pay it back. I gonna give you a gift using money someone else gave me and that someone else will have to pay back, but I am giving you a gift / grant / allocation. How about working within the existing budget and keep the debt level down? Wish I had the Gov's credit card.
SouthernILRepub
· 3 years ago
Blago is hardly visiting downstate! He is barely making it into Central IL. Again Blago wants to have government by credit card.
the Patriot
· 3 years ago
Pay attention downstaters: 1. How much of the 3 Billion will go South of I 80 or West of I 39.
2. It has been a consistent tactic of this governor to throw downstaters a bone now and again to shore up support at key moments. I'll raid billions from the coffers for downstate and have a dog and pony show when I give back a mil or two here and there.
jimbo
· 3 years ago
Looks like the drunkin sailors are back. Where is all this money suddenly coming from?
Bluefish
· 3 years ago
Blago certainly seems to be throwing money around lately. He was on TV while the embers of Pilgrim Baptist were still smoldering and promising state funds to rebuild. On Sunday, he offered at least $1 million for the rebuilding (plus $1,000 from his family, despite the fact he vetoed his own pay raise). I just wonder...if my suburban Catholic church burns down will he be there with the bucks to rebuild? Even if it's not an election year?
Not to say that the Pilgrim Baptist rebuilding is not an worthy project, but this seems to be a questionable precendent to be setting.
DOWNSTATE
· 3 years ago
Bluefish the church is an Africa-American Chicago based church.Get it? Shore up a little support there.To begin with the roofing company probably had insurance which will cover it.The other thing how many churchs have burnt since he has been governor.One was in East St.Louis area and he did not run his wheel barrow full of cash to them.
Truthful James
· 3 years ago
The money comes from budgetary tricks. Last spring the Madigan (Mike Branch) Flying Budget Circus went around the State telling everybody there was no money for anything. They proved this by projecting no increase in State income from Sales and/or Income taxes. All the other states were projecting an 11% increase because of the hated Bush Tax Cuts. Madigan knew that too. Then, as usual, the legislature created nooks and crannies in which to stash money. Lo, the money came in and, lo again, Blago can look like your rich uncle.
In the meantime, Capital projecte funds approved in the Budget have been sequestered. Grants for school construction have been held back, even though the State had promised they were on the way. Districts used their Bonding (non referendum, by the way)to build the project. The State money is still missing. I guess we will se Blago, like some mad May queen dancing around and throwing that money on a subsequent trip.
Additional point: The Blago pledge to the baptist Church people was $1 Million to rebuild the school and the administrative offices, at least according to the ChiTrib.
"...On Monday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich pledged up to $1 million in state funds to help cover the cost of rebuilding the South Side church's school and administrative offices. Blagojevich, who also pledged $1,000 of his own money, said the state funds would not directly go to the church in order to maintain the constitutional separation between church and state..."
How this funding of a private school comports with the anti-Choice policy of the State, enslaved by the teachers union, I would not know.
Bluefish
· 3 years ago
Downstate - I get it. My wife gets it. Even my kids who have no interest in politics get it (my oldest, who will be voting for the first time this year, when asked if she would support Blago laughed and gave me the old 'how dumb are you dad' look).
Unfortunately, a lot of people who don't get it are thanking our great Governor in their prayers for this action.
ron
· 3 years ago
blago is at it again. spend, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, borrow, collect, collect, collect campaign contributions from contractors. this guy is suppose to be a leader.
Obama Overrated
· 3 years ago
Blagoevich is wasting his time Downstate, just like his National ambitions. He is politically despised for not living in Springfield. His Deputy, Bradley Tusk, has dropped the ball by letting Rod live in Chicago. New York arrogance or ignorance, I guess.
Obama Overrated
· 3 years ago
Coming this Easter the DICK DEVINE BACKBONE HUNT. Watch him hide at the mention of City Hall Scandals!! Watch him speak as Richie Daley pulls the strings on his back!! Where are you Mr. Prosecutor??? Maybe you can give evasive lessons to Tom Dart with the Cook County Prisons.
Truthful James
· 3 years ago
Don't think so, O.O.
As the Ginsu knife saleman says. "But wait, there's more..."
Taylorville gets theirs
GOV. BLAGOJEVICH ANNOUNCES $5 MILLION INVESTMENT FOR NEW COAL GASIFICATION PROJECT AT TAYLORVILLE ENERGY CENTER Cutting-Edge Development Would Create Several Hundred Permanent Jobs
CHICAGO - Furthering his pledge to revitalize the Illinois coal industry and create hundreds of more jobs for working families, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today announced $5 million in public-private support for the $1.1 billion Taylorville Energy Center, where Illinois coal from a new nearby mine will be converted through clean coal technology to a synthetic gas that can be sold or burned to generate electric power.
The ERORA Group, the coal gasification project’s developer, will receive $2.5 million for front-end engineering and design work from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and another $2.5 million from the public-private Illinois Clean Coal Review Board.
Wonder who ERORA's Illinois beard is, and who the Investment banker will be.
Truthful James
· 3 years ago
O.O. --
The direct monet to the developer is small but the baksheesh from the various fee paid professionals working on the financing of the project and joyfully psid to the Blago campaign will fill the humps of two million camels -- one million if bactrians.
vinron
· 3 years ago
Just curious. Does anyone know the procedure for recalling the governor of Illinois? I am assuming one exists. A woman has taken the initiative in Louisiana to get Governor Blanco recalled.
Anon
· 3 years ago
3 billion campaign fund WOW. No we can not recall in ILLINOIS, or we would have done George Ryan first.
Anonymous
· 3 years ago
If you guys would be nice he would probably give you one of those pens he signs those credit slips with.Wouldn't that be a great momento.Just wait he is also going to give you a massage tax increase seeing as he has backed off from stating there would be no tax increase if re-elected.
Truthful James
· 3 years ago
Don't laugh. He has to win in November 2006 in order that he can build up for a VP effort on the Hillary ticket in 2008. The LG will be an important choice this year.
vinron
· 3 years ago
Thanks 3:47. You're right about Ryan. But as I remember it, people didn't really get PO'd at George until late in his administration. I can't believe we can't recall Hairdo. Can he be impeached?
LAC
· 3 years ago
Attention IDOT Employees:
Can anyone elaborate on what's going on at IDOT? (see today's State Journal Register's article about "IDOT Abolishing External Affairs". That Division was newly created with all Blagojevich campaign workers/contributors the month after IDOT laid off 60 people (all republicans) and 17 of them were from traffic safety, so how is it if I'm reading correctly that their positions are being abolished and they are finding them new positions in traffic safety? Why didm't they ask Matt Vanover why they didn't find other positions for the laid off people in 2004? Is it because they were republicans?
Anon
· 3 years ago
Was just going to mention that most of the announcements missed the "for hard working families in Illinois" and "for the Children". Someone must have been falling down on the job ...
Paul Powell
· 3 years ago
Vinron:
I believe the provision to recall was eliminated from Illinois law by the 1970 constitutional convention in Illinois. Was the Speaker involved way back then? I'm told he came up with that idea but don't know that for a fact.
6 Degrees of Separation
· 3 years ago
External Affairs was basically a background P.R. Agency that was not really needed (Matt V's CMS unit does all the media relations from Chi. and Spfld.) There are probably greater needs in TS, esp. with the renewed push in getting traffic deaths under 1000. Expect a big push in Enforcement & Education to combat traffic fatalities, aided by the new TS staff. A good thing overall, I think, if it's done right.
Goodbye Napoleon
· 3 years ago
Show me the way to go home. I'm tired and I want to go to bed. [Quint joins] I had a little drink about an hour ago and it's gone right to my head. Wherever I may roam, by land or sea or foam. You can always hear me singin' this song, show me the way to go home, bome bome bome. Show me the way to go home. Bome bome bome. I'm tired and I want to go to bed. [Brody joins] I had a little drink about an hour ago and it's gone right to my head. Wherever I may roam, by land or sea or foam.
All Comments
Watch the skies! Maybe he'll visit your town!
Can't blame him, though. If I were governor, I'd do the same thing...create a class of people/industries/bureaucracies that were dependent on getting free money...those people will ALWAYS have to support you, and will give you the support you need when it comes crunch time.
I cannot possibly believe B would cold-heartedly hold onto that amount of money just to make a big splash come election time. Scary.
VETERANS FOR EISENDRATH !!!
Why doesn't he use the $3 billion to pay all the unpaid bills sitting around the various agencies and comptrolers office?
It wouldn't be enough but it would be a good start.
He can say what he wants, but he's still campaigning on our dollars. It's sad that more people don't see through this. He's becoming more of a joke by the day. (Oh, I'm sue to be flamed by that one, Blago lovers.)
This little pittance that he's shelling out right now isn't going to do much good in the long run. Not when the Eigerlab has been waiting for over 2 years for the money that is suddenly "supposed" to show up today.
Forgive me for not felling so warm and fuzzy about the man I supported just 4 years ago. He's let way too many people down and is making a mockery of everything he does. But, it's just my opinion.
1. How much of the 3 Billion will go South of I 80 or West of I 39.
2. It has been a consistent tactic of this governor to throw downstaters a bone now and again to shore up support at key moments. I'll raid billions from the coffers for downstate and have a dog and pony show when I give back a mil or two here and there.
Not to say that the Pilgrim Baptist rebuilding is not an worthy project, but this seems to be a questionable precendent to be setting.
In the meantime, Capital projecte funds approved in the Budget have been sequestered. Grants for school construction have been held back, even though the State had promised they were on the way. Districts used their Bonding (non referendum, by the way)to build the project. The State money is still missing. I guess we will se Blago, like some mad May queen dancing around and throwing that money on a subsequent trip.
Additional point: The Blago pledge to the baptist Church people was $1 Million to rebuild the school and the administrative offices, at least according to the ChiTrib.
"...On Monday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich pledged up to $1 million in state funds to help cover the cost of rebuilding the South Side church's school and administrative offices. Blagojevich, who also pledged $1,000 of his own money, said the state funds would not directly go to the church in order to maintain the constitutional separation between church and state..."
How this funding of a private school comports with the anti-Choice policy of the State, enslaved by the teachers union, I would not know.
Unfortunately, a lot of people who don't get it are thanking our great Governor in their prayers for this action.
As the Ginsu knife saleman says. "But wait, there's more..."
Taylorville gets theirs
GOV. BLAGOJEVICH ANNOUNCES $5 MILLION INVESTMENT FOR NEW COAL GASIFICATION PROJECT AT TAYLORVILLE ENERGY CENTER
Cutting-Edge Development Would Create Several Hundred Permanent Jobs
CHICAGO - Furthering his pledge to revitalize the Illinois coal industry and create hundreds of more jobs for working families, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today announced $5 million in public-private support for the $1.1 billion Taylorville Energy Center, where Illinois coal from a new nearby mine will be converted through clean coal technology to a synthetic gas that can be sold or burned to generate electric power.
The ERORA Group, the coal gasification project’s developer, will receive $2.5 million for front-end engineering and design work from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and another $2.5 million from the public-private Illinois Clean Coal Review Board.
Wonder who ERORA's Illinois beard is, and who the Investment banker will be.
The direct monet to the developer is small but the baksheesh from the various fee paid professionals working on the financing of the project and joyfully psid to the Blago campaign will fill the humps of two million camels -- one million if bactrians.
Can anyone elaborate on what's going on at IDOT? (see today's State Journal Register's article about "IDOT Abolishing External Affairs". That Division was newly created with all Blagojevich campaign workers/contributors the month after IDOT laid off 60 people (all republicans) and 17 of them were from traffic safety, so how is it if I'm reading correctly that their positions are being abolished and they are finding them new positions in traffic safety? Why didm't they ask Matt Vanover why they didn't find other positions for the laid off people in 2004? Is it because they were republicans?
I believe the provision to recall was eliminated from Illinois law by the 1970 constitutional convention in Illinois. Was the Speaker involved way back then? I'm told he came up with that idea but don't know that for a fact.