CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

To Rose...... — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:12:42 -0000

I would get a group of your co-workers together and look into filing a class action suit against the Governor, the Secretary of IDOT and the Director of Traffic Safety. Be sure to go through the appropriate grievance processes first and any good attorney would tell you to do so even though they won't accomplish anything. Otherwise, any Judge will throw your case out on the grounds that you didn't take any/all measures afforded to you before beginning litigation. It would be interesting to see the written and Email communications between the aforementioned parties as they fumbled to justify just such a politically charged move.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

Dan S, a voter and Cubs Fan — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:12:31 -0000

There is one more peice to the puzzle. By law, IDOT still has to explain in writing to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability the economic and human impact of the relocation. Will Blagoof be able to get past that hurdle?

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

Bookworm — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:56:37 -0000

Yes, Wordslinger, it's easy to forget all the resources, natural and human, we have as a state. Without Chicago, we'd be Iowa; without downstate, we'd be New Jersey. Without either, Rich would be a lot poorer :)

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

rose — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:11:48 -0000

I happen to be one of the employees that is being forced to move or lose. Some people think its pretty funny to watch as I lose my home and everything i have aquired because of some idiot that thinks hes god. I have never wished harm on anyone or ill will,remember the golden rule? (do unto others as you would have them do unto you) be careful what you wish for people because guaranteed it will happen to you. None of the dems in the upper management will be relocating, yes the lowly supervisors are also moving. The only ones not making the move are the people that blago put in and they make 3 to 4x times what us peons make. I have worked for the state for 23 yrs. and this is the worst governor in my lifetime. Do you people really think that phelps or the gov gives a rats butt about any of you? Its all politics!!! Take if from the people who see it everyday. Wouldn't it be more feasable to bring in a manufacturing plant or some other type of company that can provide hundreds of jobs instead of moving a small amount? How is that helping the economy down there? Well you know the old saying ( It happened to me and you can believe it will happen to you.)

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

InquiringMind — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:10:11 -0000

As a former Assistant Chief Counsel at IDOT who handled Traffic Safety matters, I cannot begin to describe how deplorable this move is.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

wordslinger — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:37:58 -0000

Do the Phelps Brothers still sing?

What a state. At the top, farther north than Boston, at the bottom, farther south than Richmond. Every ethnic, racial, cultural, ideological, economic and religious interest in between. What a combustible stew we are. I love it.

I wonder if old Pere Marquette knew what was coming when he was paddling his canoe across Lake Michigan and portaging all those rivers till he got to Big Muddy and made it down to the Missouri and the Ohio. Can you imagine how beautiful the Prairie State was when it really was an ocean of prairie?

Odds are this summer I'll find myself where the adventurous French priest met his maker at the mouth of the Sable River on Lake Michigan at Ludington. I'll tip a Bud and give him an update.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

enrico depressario — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:22:45 -0000

do we really need a division of traffic safety? if you want to make our trashed-out roadways safer put some shovels in those folks' hands and send 'em out in an orange truck to effect some repairs. That'll do more for safety than anything they do now in that office.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

reddbyrd — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:12:36 -0000

let's review who needs to wonder if anyone really trusts this guy?
hope the new SI workers get short term leases in case GRod gets mad

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

I'm A Little Teapot Short and. — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:55:14 -0000

Apparently the Director of Traffic Safety has told all non-AFSCME employees in Traffic Safety that they will be required to interview for their current job positions if they decide to move to Harrisburg. Just another way to make sure that any non-supportive voters (Republicans for the most part) are put on the unemployment line for sure. Believe me the interview process would be skewed for sure.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

Little Egypt — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:47:49 -0000

Nothing is close to Harrisburg? How about the Ohio River and just a little south is a boat at Metropolis. The Shawnee National Forest, Garden of the Gods, Dixon Springs, Ponds Hollow, Marion and the new ballpark which is home to the Southern Illinois Miners, a whole bunch of eating joints in Marion including the best pizza place on earth (Walt's), and 15 miles further west is Carbondale with a great mall, SIU Salukis football and basketball, Cobden for apples in the fall, Murphysboro Apple Festival in the fall, a truckload of antique shops in Benton, and a much much slower pace of life with all of the amenities you would find in Springfield (just have to look a little harder). That is my home territory; however, I really hate to see this move come about because 1) it's retribution/retalliation on Blago's part and 2) it won't be permanent. This is going to uproot families either by the entire family moving or just the IDOT worker and him/her commuting back and forth. I've been there/done that. Lived in Springfield during the week and never missed going home on a Friday afternoon and coming back up on a Monday morning - 4 nights here, 3 nights there. It was the best of both worlds (when I was single and had no family here). I would really hate to be doing it now. But I'm betting, as suggested in an earlier post, that there will be a lot of workers carpooling together, driving back and forth, and flopping together in apartments. So where's the economic gain for Harrisburg? These people will be so angry over the move and the "economic impact", they will do everything they can to spend as little money as possible in Harrisburg.

I simply can't believe it will happen without a lot of kicking and screaming from employees, the union, and possibly a lawsuit or two. My guess is it will happen around the holidays. Merry Christmas.

And Blago - way to go Guvna. You the man - NOT. You're sure leaving a legacy but not one to be very proud of. And there's really no hope for you at this point. All you can really do is sit your can in a chair and sign bills. No one really gives a rip about you anymore. Can you say Governor Ineffective???

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

gray wolf — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:38:41 -0000

the people to be moved are not the highly paid-just the rank and file[that's just what a clerical employee has advised]-not verified but it seems reasonable with this irrational circus leadership- put bigshots in a walmart?

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

Anon — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:17:30 -0000

Bookworm- the point is for no one to move including the managers and then more jobs in So Ill. Yes that includes the local Dems everyone is getting moved. That is the message to Sangamon County as it is in all state relocations. This is not brain surgery everyone its politics.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

Bookworm — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:11:11 -0000

Yes, I have heard of video conferencing and e-mail and all that, but sometimes it helps to talk to people in person. It especially helps to be able to talk to your supervisors in person... and tell me again, where the supervisors are going to be?

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

It's Hammer Time — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:02:47 -0000

Nail -

The Blago crowd craves driving their cars to out-of-town meetings. At the $.485 mileage reimbursement rate, they get in the neighborhood of $200 in tax free dollars to visit their subordinates in Springfield. On July 1 the rate goes up.

From Harrisburg, nothing is close. Just an extra money grab for a few select Rodites. You know, a new way of doing business.

Better stay away from the casinos, Nail. Your bets are horribly inaccurate.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

Anon — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:43:07 -0000

The buiding was already owned by the State and had been easily converted. Therefore, no need for overly complicated move.
As for the Traffic Safety managers they all will move or leave Traffic Safety more likely then not. This appears to be an equal opportunity move just that very few Dems have been hired so very few impacted for once the lack of hiring helps out the local Dems.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

The Nail — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:37:14 -0000

Now I KNOW its southern Illinois, but people complaining that they'll have to drive 3 hours for a mtg are living in the stone age.

Ever heard of video conf, email, conf calls?

Id bet IDOT spends less in one year for the new building than they spent in rent for one year in Springfield.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

Obvious — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:26:33 -0000

Check this Rezko story out in the Suntimes...
http://www.suntimes.com/new...
ojevich/1027092,rezkoblago062608.article

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

I.D.O.T. Bleachers — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:20:42 -0000

Taj Mahal - Central
Sell the Illinois Tollway Central Administration Building
2700 Ogden Avenue
Downers Grove, Illinois 60560
Another broken promise. Blagojevich's Magic Money Machine!

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

Pot calling kettle — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:16:00 -0000

And, since quite a few employees will balk at moving to Harrisburg, add the cost of training new employees.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

Proud Illinoisian — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:10:08 -0000

A few IDOTers had been talking about sharing an apartment in the land of banishment, wherever it turned out to be. Go home on weekends. You know, like legislators and Blago managers who occasionally sneak into their Springfield offices, except no per diem for these lowly IDOT public servants. Rent can't be too bad down there split two or three ways.

I thought the state was broke. How many million taxdollars will spent on this vendetta?

Springfield Mayor Davlin: He's my guy! referring to Blago. With job cuts, cancelled events and such, how many millions of dollars has Blago and the Democrats cost Springfield, Tim? Tim? Yo, Tim!

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

Ghost — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:01:45 -0000

hmmm so locally they foubnd free space with no rent for these folks to use in several State owned buidlings.

We are moving them to a building in S IL where we will have to pay rent. BUT the managment folks will be in springfield so that the workers are not overly supervised.

good plan, maximize debt with a new lease, the cost of moving and increasing performance by removing supervision.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

The Nail — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:28:39 -0000

I think you are right on target with Harrisburg getting the jobs over Benton due to John Bradley.

I never heard g-rod or any other spin sister say it was going to Benton... The only person I heard say Benton was the Springfield rumor mill via Sam Madonia. Looks like they only had it half right.

Glad to someone actually being proactive and doing something for our friends in southern Illinois.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

nieva — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:28:07 -0000

The building is owned by the local jr college.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

nieva — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:27:30 -0000

The water cut the building off from highway 45 but no water in it.

Re: This just in… Blagojevich to announce jobs move

Larry Mulholland — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:25:00 -0000

Who owns the proposed building and are they a contributor?

Are there jobs available down there for the spouses of those 110 employees? How many children are being ripped out of there schools and activities and their friends for the political move of IDOT. Is it 50 kids 100? Is this what he really means by ALL KIDS. All kids pack your stuff mommy is a pawn Blago's sad world.

Springfield just hit its highest unemployment rate in 18 years? How many directors/ deputy and staff have had their jobs at the agencies now live in Chicago? There is a significant impact to the SPI area and their familiesâ€¦sad and shameful. When is enough enough?

Rich, duplicate here.