Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2005

Monday, Apr 4, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller

Looks like some people got all upset over nothing:

Mushroom hunters can breathe easier. Despite the rumors, the state of Illinois isn’t charging fees and regulating the hobby this spring.

The Natural Resources Department tried to assure hunters Wednesday they do not have to get a state license and pay a $16.75 fee to hunt mushrooms.

Department spokeswoman Gayle Simpson said the agency received dozens of calls last week complaining about the purported change. She said the department discovered someone had taken a press release from the Internet and used it to craft a fake announcement of the new license and fee.

The hoax urged hunters to visit vendors that sell hunting and fishing licenses to get a mushroom license and said the proceeds would benefit biological and archaeological research in Illinois, Simpson said.

She said the agency doesn’t know when the hoax was sent or by whom, but e-mails and faxes have spread it “like wildfire'’ through central and southern Illinois and the agency is investigating.

Not trying to blame the victim here, but when you hike as many fees as the governor has, this stuff becomes believable.

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Friendly wager

Monday, Apr 4, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller

From a press release:

SPRINGFIELD â€“ Gov. Rod Blagojevich today made a bet with North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley, as their state universities prepare to go head-to-head in the NCAA basketball National Championship game.

If the University of Illinois Fighting Illini prevail tonight, Gov. Easley will provide dinner from Lexington BBQ and The Barbeque Joint in Chapel Hill, as well as a six-pack of Cheerwine, a cherry flavored soft drink invented in North Carolina.

If the University of North Carolina Tar Heels win the game, Gov. Blagojevich will send a Champaign-favorite, Papa Delâ€™s deep dish pizza, and a six-pack of Orange Crush to Raleigh.

â€œThe Illini have played all year with talent, experience, unselfishness, and most importantly â€“ heart,â€ said Gov. Blagojevich. â€œI expect to celebrate with tens of thousands of Illini faithful tonight in St. Louis, and to toast the success of the team soon with Cheerwine.â€

Second year head coach Bruce Weber has led the Illini to a 37-1 record over the course of this season. All five starters, four of which are Illinois natives, have double digit scoring averages. The team has broken many other school and conference records this season, including their historic 29 game winning streak and having four different players named Big Ten Player of the Week over the course of the season.

Gov. Blagojevich will attend tonightâ€™s game in St. Louis. Tipoff is at 8:21 p.m. CST.

10 Comments

No comparison

Monday, Apr 4, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller

It’s no wonder why Governor Blagojevich refused to fill the EFAB for so many months. Reports like this don’t do much for his image as the “education governor.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — An education funding panel on Monday called for a 29 percent increase in the state’s basic level of spending for each Illinois student, a move that would cost $2.3 billion a year.

The Education Funding Advisory Board recommended a per-pupil spending level of $6,405, up from $4,964. The board said it followed funding mechanisms worked out by predecessors on the board to determine the amount the state should spend on each student.

Board member Art Berman, a former state senator, called the action “proper, courageous and necessary.” […]

Gov. Rod Blagojevich earlier this year proposed only a $140 million increase for education because of a tight budget. But last week he announced that he would favor increasing gambling in the state to provide $300 million more.

His plan would boost the per-pupil “foundation level” — the guaranteed minimum state spending on each student — by $240, to $5,204, still well below the board’s recommendation.

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