Not happy
The Herald & Review edit board members are not happy with the governor.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's Opportunity Returns program for Central Illinois has become more like "I'll never return."
The governor was scheduled to announce his economic development program for the 10-county area that includes Decatur on Feb. 7. That trip was canceled because of bad weather. [...]
At the time the Feb. 7 event was canceled, the governor's staff said it would be rescheduled in a couple of weeks.
We're approaching four months, and the governor hasn't been back. He told our State Capital Bureau reporter Matt Adrian recently he hasn't had time to reschedule the Decatur visit because he's been too busy. "It's an issue of timing," Blagojevich said.
Oh, please.
Read the whole thing. Entertainment level: 7.4 out of 10.
posted by Rich Miller @ 5/29/2005 03:22:00 AM
13 comments
13 Comments...
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Hypocrovich is too busy to reschedule? Rodiculous...
The Governor will have more time now that he has passed a balanced budget without raising taxes on working people who now can spend the money we get to keep at local business.
While he is in Decatur he can also let business owners know about the comprehensive workmans comp reform that he and the Democrats have passed, that will help all business owners who have employees.
He can also talk about Med Mal reform that will help the business medical community.
I think the governor does not care about people with disabilities. He is cuting the money for the teachers and now he wants us to help him. will be he is not the guy we want in this country. He made my mom's organizaton money away becuae of the stupid war and the brown vs Borad of education. he needs to stop
To Southern Illinois Business Owner: The Gov's state employee pension "holiday" is going to cost you plenty down the road.
Southern Illinois Business Owner: The state employee pension fund "holiday" will cost you plenty down the road.
Why doesn't the Herald read its own paper! The Repubs, led by their Senator Frank Watson, have opposed funding for Opportunity Returns and any capitol project bill for three years. Where do they think the money would come from for Decatur? They should point their inky finger at the persons responsible, Watson and the Repubs, not the Gov.
To Stella:
You call it a pension holiday, I call it pension reform.
Your statement is very general.
Could you explain to me in detail, that I and other tax payers in the private sector can understand, why it will cost ME "plenty down the road."
I keep seeing the year 2045. That will make me eightynine years old.
Is that when it will cost me plenty?
To SI Biz Owner/Gov's Press Office Staffer........ Reform? They just increased the underfund load without reducing the obligation. It's a payday loan, more than a reform.
Between Blago & Bush, the costs of all these "non-tax-increases" will be a life time of debt for your kids and mine.
"Why doesn't the Herald read its own paper! The Repubs, led by their Senator Frank Watson, have opposed funding for Opportunity Returns and any capitol project bill for three years. Where do they think the money would come from for Decatur? They should point their inky finger at the persons responsible, Watson and the Repubs, not the Gov."
The OR program is the governor's to put together and announce, and the legislature's to fund as they see fit. There are OR projects that have been announced for over a year (such as the I-55 reconstruction in Normal) that have not been funded yet.
I'd say it's a combination of the governor and his staff's inability to work with the legislature and locals and sell the projects, the legislature's inability or lack of political will to come up with a reasonable funding package, and the general state of the economy in IL, that has stymied the OR program so far. More than halfway into his term, the Gov has yet to announce any projects in 3 of the regions, including the one he lives in.
A few weeks ago, there was a post and comments about the Governor's penchant for taking mid-day runs on working days. A few people commented that it seemed like nit-picking.
In fact, it was nitpicking. But contrast Rod's mid-day schedule with the statement that "he's too busy" to reschedule a visit to Central Illinois. All of a sudden, it's a lot more relevant how this Governor chooses to schedule his workday.
On a different note, how much more manufactured can Southern Illinois Business Owner's comments sounds? Look, if you're for real, you better re-consider posting. Your original post sounds like it was written by Baghdad Bob or the Soviet propaganda machine. Real people don't talk like that.
On the other hand, if this is a ham-handed attempt at spin in favor of the Governor, you've failed. Read the paragraph above.
To the Other Anon 1:20 P.M.:
I do not work for the Governor or the Illinois goverment or any other government. What I do is work a twelve hour work day or night (swing shift) I don't get holidays off, I'll work twelve hours on memorial day and christmas and thanks giving and on and on.
I have not responded sooner because I have today, my day off, been out working in my private business, by the way this is Sunday. I am not unlike alot of people in in Illinois who work at more than one job and who are thankful that this Governor has not raised our income taxes.
You say that real people don't talk like this. Well if I were more primitive I would call you an idiot but I won't. You are just wrong, and an idiot.
Opportunity Returns was to nr an opportunity for David Wilhelm.
So.IL.Bus Owner: Payment for the "holiday" is down the road, bec/the obligations remain without corresponding payments to the fund for two years. Putting off the payments is a little like a "payday" loan -- when the time comes to pay up, you pay plenty.
The Gov himself, in his Feb budget address, called it a formula for bankruptcy. He's flip-flopped and embraced it now to avoid the embarrassment of a lengthy overtime session (no Dem convention this year) -- and without many of the reforms he touted.
As a hardworking business owner, you should be more worried than most. These financial shenanigans can eventually have a negative affect on the state's bond rating and they can discourage new businesses, as well as business relocation and growth.
The fact that your personal income taxes haven't been raised has nothing to do with the very likely outcome that your future personal income will be diminished by this Governor's term in office.
Having recently retired from a management position in a large state agency, I can say with plenty of conviction that Opportunity Returns is a complete fraud. How the Guv's people put together a program works something like this: All of the agencies involved in any type of capital programs report all pending activities to the governor's office, which under this administration micro-manages everything and must approve every action, even for routine awards of federal grants or loans. If they are trying to put together a "program" for an Opportunity returns region in which Blago has not yet made a splash, everything gets held up until they have cobbled together enough goodies to make for a good press conference. If there simply aren't enough good things happening in an area or if the presumption is that the Guv may be greeted by an angry mob, the thing simply gets put on ice until a better set of circumstances presents itself. We went through this process over and over. Whatever else there is or isn't, there most definitely isn't anything resembling an intelligent "plan". The whole objective of the kids in the Opportunity Returns office is to pile together enough unrelated instances of government largess to make for good press. After 4 years of Ryan and a couple years of Blago, I am still at a loss as to which is/was the biggest phony.
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