Do You Want To Be Governor For A Day?

Well, the Illinois Republican Party passed out raffle tickets in front of the Thompson Center today, according to CBS2's Mike Flannery. The winner will dine at a fine restaurant and attend a Chicago Blackhawks hockey game, as Blago did while the Illinois House was discussing the RTA bailout.

It must be easy to be governor. Attend hockey games, eat fine food. Sounds more like Nero than a governor.
Governor Nero.

Blago's Budget Busting

Blago is running into trouble with his attempts to get a bailout budget together for the RTA (CTA, Pace, and Metra). He called the General Assembly into session earlier in the week, and decided that instead of staying in Springfield to help with the effort, he'd treat himself to a Blackhawks game.

He was ridiculed in the House, where Rep. Ed Sullivan (R-Mundelein) brought a hockey stick to the House floor to make a point.

"If he's truly up there working on commerce, that's one thing. But this is him going to a hockey game to enjoy himself at the expense of the people of the state of Illinois. You can't get any more plain than that," said Sullivan, who called on the governor to cut a check to the taxpayers for his airfare.

Shame on you, Mr. Governor. It's your budget you want pushed through, and you feel as though you don't even need to attend the budget battle? Shame, shame, shame.

Now, there's no resolution in sight, at least not til after the first of the year.

When Democrats Fight

Amazing how we seem to have only one party in this state right now. One would think they'd agree on almost everything. They don't. In fact, they can't even agree how best to ding us with taxes. Being Democrats, you'd think they could at least to that together. Maybe we should be thankful they disagree so much. Here's a case in point over the RTA with King Richard II vs. Blago from the Chicago Tribune.

Even ex-governor Jim Edgar sees it, and notices that it's gotten personal (from the Trib's Clout Street).

Edgar said he was “flabbergasted” by Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s decision to move ahead with a health-care expansion after it was rejected by a bipartisan legislative panel—a panel Edgar helped create while serving as a legislator in 1978.

So What About Raiding The Public Pensions, is CTA Pension Next, Mr. Governor?

King Richard II is calling on Blago to find money for the CTA health care and pension plans.

He said workers have done everything they can. Now it's up to the state to fund their pension and health care deal.
-NBC 5, Chicago

Do we really want Blago's hand in any pension plans? He raided the state's pension plan to fund his pet projects and make it appear liek he was balancing the budget. Not that I'm in favor of using more taxes for the CTA, but we don't need the governor's hands in yet another pension plan.

Mass Transit Meeting "Unproductive Shouting"

From the Springfield Journal-Register, House Speaker Michael Madigan left a meeting about funding Chicagoland's mass transit, declaring it to be little more than "unproductive shouting". King Richard II, by contrast, felt "optimistic". The meeting was between Daley, Madigan, and Blagojevich, and other legislative leaders in Chicago.

I, for the record, support cleaning house in each of the RTA's agencies first, then raising fares so they can support themselves without any band-aid fixes or more taxes.

Daley and a Permanent CTA Fix

This is from the Chicago SunTimes.

"This has nothing to do with 2016. ... This has nothing to do with the issues of the CTA and the federal government. Besides, the federal government doesn't even balance their budget. They print money."

Daley claims the fixes for the CTA are not about the 2016 Olypmics. I call it a bunch of baloney. The 2016 Olympics are his very legacy as he is very unlikely to be mayor when they are pu on. As for the "publically owned" casino in Chicago...stop feeding us as if we were mushrooms, Mr. Mayor. We know exactly where the money will end up. And fixing the CTA ain't it.

Casino Gambling? Will This Save The RTA?

The General Assembly is meeting with Blago to solve the crisis facing Pace, Metra, and most especially, the CTA. They propose using new casinos and more slot machines to fund mass transit in the Chicago area. Never mind tha business as usual will go on, as will the graft and corrpution within the CTA. Maybe the CTA needs to clean house first, then look at raising fares and asking for more money. Sigh, but that's not the Chicago way, now, is it?