CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in Question of the day

Re: Question of the day

Mr. Luxury Yacht — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 15:24:37 -0000

...but it's pronounced "Throat Wobbler Mangrove."

One above said that Townships provide "Social ServicesÃ¢â‚¬â€œagain, counties and the State have similar programs in place."

Complete bias - I AM a Township Trustee. But I ran for it only after investigating this very issue. Turns out, compact little Township governments are WAY more efficient at delivering social services to the same populations than the larger, consolidated governments. Why? Because since there isn't as much - nearly as much - in it for those who get elected to Township boards, the people that you get to run...actually want to make government work. We do it because we care - it certainly ain't for the money.

Mongo is right, too - "some types of local government also exist because they provide services that are not city priorities." True dat. The Chicago Park District, for example. There have been regular moves but Dis Mayor and his predecessors to turn the CPD into the City Parks Department. If that had succeeded, Chicago's Aldermen and Mayors would have sold off the park land to stopgap their budgets decades ago. As a stand-alone, even if the Board is appointed by Da Mayor, the CPD has been able to keep the wolves away from the door.

Townships do indeed do things the larger units either aren't interested in or aren't a main priority. And we generally do it at far lower cost.

Re: Question of the day

Mongo — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 07:27:52 -0000

Redbyrd, Jake, GOP and even VanillaMan make good points...some types of local government also exist because they provide services that are not city priorities. Libraries, for example. Library services are never gonna rate higher than new squad cars or a new hook-and-ladder or street resurfacing. So by being a separate elected board, addressing only library issues with a limited tax authority, the community gets what it wants (if it didn't want it, the library district could be eliminated).

I imagine some patronage occurs at library districts, school districts, and park districts, but not much at all compared to townships and cities.

Mosquito abatement ought to be able to be handled by a county, right? And drainage districts, right? And townships...right?

Re: Question of the day

Marie C. — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 01:20:17 -0000

The boundaries for the City of Springfield and Capital Township are the same. As such, all your government services are provided by the city. As far as I know, the only service provided by Capital Township is financial assistance. And, that is very specific in very limited circumstances.

Re: Question of the day

grand old partisan — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 19:47:18 -0000

skeeter, I didn't yell and scream. I lived in wards that weren't critical to the city's economic vitality or the mayor's public image. That's why my aldermen were never able to help me the way Natarus apparently has been able to help you. Take a drive through Englewood and tell me if you think the residents there are getting the same service as you.

Re: Question of the day

Farmer Brown — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 19:20:18 -0000

Skeeter Ã¢â‚¬â€œ I fled Chicago 15 years ago. I lived there and I didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t like it. Please try to avoid the name called. It is unbecoming a Ã¢â‚¬Å“gentlemanÃ¢â‚¬Â of your education and stature in society.

For those of us who live outside the beltway known as I-355, out among the corn and WIDE-open spaces, township government has been pretty good.

LaSalle County did not have a countywide zoning ordnance for many years. Over the past few years, bitter battles have been fought opposing such a law. Unfortunately, our fair county is being invaded from the north as Yorkville other such ilk sprawl into the cornfields. It has been the townships that have provided the necessary zoning to try to limit the invasion.

In the course of my work, I have dealt with many county highway engineers, mostly because my projects were impacting their roads. Many of them don't want the narrow (18' wide) tar and chip roads that provide the mobility for farmers and other people who live among the weeds. The county or city engineers don't have the time or the money to take over the jurisdiction and maintenance of these lower volume (100 cars per day) roads.

The township highway departments take care of the roads and plow the snow.

Once a township road hits the city line, it becomes the cityÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s problem. A county road can go through a city, and often does out here in the sticks.

Get rid of townships? Give their operations to the cities and counties? If you think that it will cut the bureaucracy, please think again. The agencies taking over the duties will have to take on new employees to deal with the added work.

Drainage districts provide a necessary function. There are areas south of Kankakee in Ford and Iroquois Counties that are nearly as flat and level as a tabletop. The drainage districts provide the local knowledge and ability to keep the storm water flowing down stream.

I will take a small unit of government that is dedicated to local issues any day. The people I have met in the counties, townships and the drainage districts are knowledgeable and down to earth people who genuinely feel that they are providing a public service.

Re: Question of the day

Skeeter — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 17:33:10 -0000

GOP,

I don't have a clue why your calls never got anything done. Maybe you should have tried to be polite. That works for me. Treat the staff well and they treat me well. It is interesting how that works. I hear they blow off people who yell and scream at them. You may know that better than I do.

My calls are returned and the job gets done. They did when I lived in the 42nd, and when I lived in the 43rrd. It has never been a problem.

The RTA? It gets me where I need to go. If we could stop sending money to fund suburbanites coming in we could do better.

Rats? Are you too serious? Welcome to life in a city. Chicago has done an outstanding job in getting rid of them. I hear Naperville has rats. I've been to Rockford too. Name one area that doesn't have rats.

Potholes? Seriously, you need to have a better argument than that. I've driven through Du Page. I've driven through Will County. I've driven through Winnebago County. I will take Chicago roads any day. If you live in Du Page and think you have good roads then you should seek medical attention. You clearly have some sort of brain injury.

Schools? Not great, but improving. The new high schools are actually starting to take students from the elite high schools. When you have chronic poverty like Chicago has, it is going to be reflected in school performance.

Re: Question of the day

Skeeter — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 17:23:50 -0000

Conservative Republican:

You might want to visit Chicago before commenting. You look like a fool.

Re: Question of the day

grand old partisan — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 17:19:55 -0000

Skeeter, youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve made this comment many times before, on this and other threads. But you have to remember that your Ã¢â‚¬Å“results may not be typical,Ã¢â‚¬Â as the disclaimers always say.

I lived in Chicago for 24 years. During that time, I lived in 3 different Wards. In none of them was I ever able to get something done just by calling the aldermanÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s office. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d get the run around Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Ã¢â‚¬Å“call Streets & Sans,Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬Å“the ClerkÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s office handles that,Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬Å“let me take down your name (so that I can verify your voting records and campaign donations, of course) and weÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll get back to you.Ã¢â‚¬Â

See, not everyoneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Ward doubles as the cityÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s main business and tourism district. Natarus may be a stand-up guy, but letÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not kid ourselves here: His office gets things done because it is in the best interest of the Mayor and the cityÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s economy that things get done there. The same cannot be said of, say, Englewood, can it?

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Conservative RepublicanÃ¢â‚¬Â is dead on. The CTA is constantly broke despite fare hikes and record rider-ship. CPS schools are failing despite a series of maximum property tax increases and the Ã¢â‚¬Å“accountableÃ¢â‚¬Â leadership of da Mayor. Those are not the results of a government that Ã¢â‚¬Å“has it together,Ã¢â‚¬Â if you ask me.

Re: Question of the day

HoosierDaddy — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:57:00 -0000

Steve-- Goog point. Exactly why this would have to be dealt with at a con-con.

Leroy-- Sounds like a Huey Long quote. Anyway, I got a chuckle.

BTW "I don't hate babies. I'm all for them. In fact, I have one."

Re: Question of the day

Dan Vock — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:54:03 -0000

Getting the number to less than 1,000 units of local gov't would be pretty hard, considering there are more than 900 school districts

Re: Question of the day

steve schnorf — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:28:19 -0000

Most legislators aren't very interested in taking this issue on, and one of the big reasons is that they understand that people who you do something to have longer memories that people you do something for.

Re: Question of the day

Bluefish — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:04:00 -0000

Last year the General Assembly passed House Bill 62 establishing a local government consolidation commission. The commission was created "to study the organization and function of local governments within the State and to make recommendations to reduce the number of local governments and to increase their efficiency and economy". The Governor signed the bill on 7/19/05. A report is to be issued by December 31, 2006.

Is anyone aware of any activity with this commision?

Re: Question of the day

Wumpus — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:40:44 -0000

These are nice ways for aspiring politicians to ge ttheir names in the public's memory and pocket a few dollars....eiminate what can be eliminated!

Re: Question of the day

prahabukowski — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:34:05 -0000

Whenever you have an efficient government you have a dictatorship.
--Harry S Truman

Re: Question of the day

Conservative Republican — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:13:03 -0000

Skeeter

Chicago: "basic services in an effective manner"?

How about: mass transportation (under the control of the Chicago Transit Authority, separate from city government, and continually in reliance on federal and state funding)

education (under the authority of the Chicago Board of Education, technically separate from the city administration, but, under Daley, brought more gradually under mayoral direction (perhaps lost if Daley exits) and reliant on state and federal funding.) Education in Chicago is continually, and rightly criticized, as deficient and decrepit. Does your family have a kid in the system that isn't in a magnet or charter school?

Sanitation: The first one on this list under direct city administration. No recycling, sporadic refuse pick up, chronic rat problems.

Roads: Chronic street problems: pot holes.

Skeeter, enjoy your blindered-day at Millenium Park, smelling the roses....

Re: Question of the day

Silas Dewgood — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:11:38 -0000

Randall Sherman right! Con Con 2010!

Re: Question of the day

Skeeter — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 13:07:25 -0000

Jake raises an interesting point. However, why should I have to determine which of several different government entities I need to call? Why should I have to determine whether a road is county road or a state road or something else? Is the issue a city issue or a park district issue? Why should I have to make several calls to solve a simple problem?

That is the beauty of the Chicago system. If the problem is in the 42nd, I call Alderman Natarus. I let that office sort it out.

It is easy to rip Chicago, but when it comes to providing basic services in an effective manner we have it far better than most of the rest of Illinois.

Re: Question of the day

anon — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 13:05:22 -0000

Leroy,
Nice of you to take some time off from the Blagojevich campaign to weigh in on local gov't consolidation.

Re: Question of the day

Jake from Elwood — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 12:51:26 -0000

Here are the primary duties of townships:
Road maintenance--could be taken over by municipalities and counties. They have the equipment.
Assessment of property-could be taken over by counties--they assess property anyway.
Social Services--again, counties and the State have similar programs in place.\
Township zoning could be undertaken by the counties.

I would argue that park districts, fire districts and library districts serve necessary purposes because they provide services to folks living in unincorporated areas that municipalities fail to serve. In my mind, they are different than townships in that regard.

Re: Question of the day

So IL Gal — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 12:07:14 -0000

Sounds like the logic of the "20somethings".
But a point about the absurd life of politics...
We want our precinct committeemen, aldermen, and council members to care about us, to hear us, to help. If that committeeman, alderman, or council member has "clout", they will get things done. If not, it takes time.

But now "CLOUT" is a bad thing. How will the common person ever get anything done?

And I have to say that Mayor Daley is the best Mayor ever! Love him, love him, love him!

Re: Question of the day

So IL Gal — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 12:07:14 -0000

But now "CLOUT" is a bad thing. How will the common person ever get anything done?

And I have to say that Mayor Daley is the best Mayor ever! Love him, love him, love him!

Re: Question of the day

Fully Support — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:48:45 -0000

Many years ago there was a concerted effort to consolidate the township forms of government. That ran into a huge battle in the General Assembly - too many local elected officials who lobbied to keep their positions. It is time to consolidate the 8,400 different units of local government. Keeping things with general purpose units like municipalities and counties would be a step in the right direction.

Re: Question of the day

Where's Pat Quinn? — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:41:39 -0000

A much better and more effective cutback amendment would be to have this referendum on the ballot:

"Shall the Illinois Constitution be amended as follows: "Notwithstanding any other constitutional provision, no funds shall be raised or appropriated to fund any more than 1,000 units of government. The General Assembly shall pass legislation, subject to approval by the Governor, to reduce the number of governments from 8,500 to 1,000 or less. Such legislation shall be passed no later than 180 days after ratification of this amendment. No funds shall be spent for the General Assembly or the Governor after 180 days until such legislation is enacted."

Re: Question of the day

Leroy — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:32:22 -0000

Remember, reducing the size of government puts people out of work. These people have families. With babies. And babies need blankets. So if you propose reducing the size of government, you are proposing to steal blankets from babies.

So to all of you people proposing getting rid of government, I say to you "Why do you hate babies so much?"

Re: Question of the day

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:16:36 -0000

This is excellent. I've been saying this is the biggest waste. I would eliminate the townships and get rid of other b.s. forms of government.