Suburban Political Recount

Update
Just got the governor's schedule for the day. At 6 p.m. he's presiding over the State Fair's auctioning of the grand champion rabbit, chicken, lamb, pig and steer. So that leaves three hours to get school funding fixed.

Update 2
I'm clearing out old files from my digital recorder to make room for upcoming interviews and came across this Blagojevich gem from last year's budget stalemate.

"You can't have give and take if one side isn't willing to propose something they're for or against."

That was in the context of his budget standoff (last year) with Speaker Michael Madigan. Of course today the governor has ordered lawmakers back to the Capitol to address school funding even though he's offered them no plan.

At 3:47 p.m. on Saturday, the following statement went out to media outlets:

Statement from Governor Rod R. Blagojevich
On death of Chicago Southside native, Bernie Mac

Bernie Mac was a native of Illinois and a favorite son. Whether he's in the movies, or on TV, or in Hollywood, Bernie Mac always called Chicago "home". And he never forgot that he was a kid who grew up on Chicago's South Side. Because of his Chicago roots, we picked Bernie Mac to be the face of the state lottery - his passion, enthusiasm and humor helped make that one of our most successful, and funniest, campaigns. My wife Patty and I extend our condolences to his wife Rhonda McCullough, their daughter, Je'Niece, and granddaughter, Jasmine. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

State Rep. Fred Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, recently sent out news releases touting how he’ll give away his pay raise if the Senate doesn’t block salary increases. The House, with Crespo’s support, already voted to reject the nearly 12 percent boosts that would have lawmakers making $73,000 to $100,000 next year. All eyes are now on the Senate to see if they’ll do the same. My advice: Be wary of these salary donation stories for several reasons. First, campaign season is around the corner and just about any news release from an incumbent this time of year is generally designed to boost their image via the resources available to their office.

The Spotlight comment:

A dailyherald.com poster going by "POV" suggested this fix for school funding:
"It is time to limit the number of kids each family can put into the public school system based only on taxes. Impact fees for every child past one per family needs to be accessed. It is not fair that my neighbor with the same house as mine pays the same taxes but gets to put 4 kids through the system and I only put one through. We are subsidizing his irresponsible procreation habits.
The truth we do not want to face in this country is that we need to control the population by encouraging small families and discouraging large families. Every birth impacts our society and our environment. Limit the tax deduction for dependents to 1.5."

Quotes and notes from Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s ribbon-cutting appearance at the Illinois State Fair:

First off, he was only 10 minutes late, which for him is practically early.

The big news:

Here's the latest from the governor's spokesman:

Just FYI - The Governor will not be at the Twilight Parade tonight in Springfield. This afternoon he had a press conference regarding a major public safety initiative and is currently working with the legislative leaders regarding the upcoming special session and the revised Capital Bill. Finding a way to get the Capital Bill passed - and the 400,000 jobs it would create - is a top priority for the Governor and he is working with the other leaders to pass the measure. The Governor will be at the ribbon cutting tomorrow morning and will take part in a number of parade activities throughout the week.

Can't really blame him. Imagine walking a parade route lined with thousands of people who despise your very existence.

During a Chicago appearance Wednesday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich repeatedly took aim at his political enemy (albeit fellow Democrat) House Speaker Michael Madigan.

At one point, Blagojevich said his crew had been doing some research and found that many of the things Madigan says today in blocking things the governor wants, sound a lot like things Madigan said backing the 1980s and 1990s when he blocked things Jim Edgar and Jim Thompson wanted when they were governors.

Well, I’ve done my own research and thought I’d share the rest of the story.

Thompson wanted a tax increase back in 1988. Madigan blocked it repeatedly.
The deep irony is that Blagojevich now claims Madigan wants a tax increase and the governor vows to veto it should it ever emerge.

This spring, lawmakers sent Gov. Rod Blagojevich a proposed law that would require insurance companies to keep covering college students via their parents coverage if those students leave school or drop below full-time status because of medical problems. The House approved it 105-3. The Senate vote was 56-1. Blagojevich has made health care his top priority. Seems like a slam-dunk. Nope. Not in the current political climate where Democratic leaders are at each others’ throats and use just about every opportunity to try to embarrass each other, no matter who ends up victimized.

A spokesman for Gov. Rod Blagojevich recently said that a memo containing a swear word from House Speaker Michael Madigan to labor leaders shows that Madigan is angry and isolated.
“… it just shows how he's just isolated and a coalition of one," Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero told Daily Herald reporter Nick Shields.

Here’s a link to the full story from last week:
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=225204

Blagojevich is upset because Madigan seems to be standing in the way of the governor’s plans to expand gambling and lease out the lottery to finance billions in state-sponsored construction.
OK, time to hop in the way-back machine, back to the summer of 1988.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich fancies himself as similar to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in many ways. If that’s the case, the developments below don’t bode well for anyone that works for the state here.

Of note, the reporter – Don Thompson – left the Daily Herald’s Springfield bureau to work for the Associated Press in Sacramento. I’m sure the winters are warmer, but it looks like the news is pretty much the same.

State workers lose jobs amid Calif. budget crisis
By DON THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer

Thousands of state workers were told to stay home Friday under an order by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger aimed at cutting expenses for California's cash-strapped government, but a lawsuit filed by a union claims the governor is overstepping his authority.