JBT joins chorus of questioners
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
From Topinka’s campaign:
GOP nominee for Governor Judy Baar Topinka today called on Gov. Rod Blagojevich to answer a simple question he has been ducking for more than a week — “Governor, how many days have you been in Springfield since you announced your budget on Feb. 15th?â€
Newspaper reporters have questioned the Governor’s staff for more than one week, but the Blagojevich Administration is stonewalling the media and the public on that question.
“Now that the legislative session has gone into overtime because there is no budget resolution, the Governor should simply tell the media and the taxpayers what they want to know,’ said GOP nominee for Governor Judy Baar Topinka.
“Answer the question, Governor. How many days have you been in Springfield since you announced your budget proposal on February 15th?â€
Members of the Illinois House and Senate have been working in Springfield, but the “Absentee Governor’ has been missing in action.
Now the overtime session costs taxpayers $21,000 per day in per diem expenses.
As I said in this morning’s Capitol Fax, since so many regular session days were canceled there is no additional overtime cost to taxpayers right now.
- anon - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 10:49 am:
He can conduct business from Crawford, Texas too.
- ghost payroller - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 11:02 am:
The real question is how many times has the governor been in Springfield actually working, meeting with the leaders, members, etc. JBT should really harp on this and so should everyone else. My impression of the governor is that he is essentially a ghost payroller - someone who puts on a suit, shows up to an event, gives a speech, and then goes back home. A real hands-off governor whose staff does all the real work.
- mathematician - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 11:37 am:
Well, they set a deadline, and had they met it, these costs would not be incurred. When they cancelled session ealier, they didn’t move the goalposts. Rich is too in love with his own logic to see the other side.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 12:07 pm:
Mathematician, I’m not too in love with anything, but thanks for the advice. I’ll always cherish it. Tell CC I said hi.
- Bubs - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 12:16 pm:
If Blago won’t answer the question, JBT should have some fun by putting out “MISSING” posters with Blago’s puss on them. Put on them “Last seen near television studio”, etc.
- wndycty - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 12:27 pm:
Rich thanks for noting the cancelled session days and how there is currently no additional cost to the taxpayers. I have a question, doesn’t state law provide for the legislature to be in session until May 31? Is it fair for any session days held prior to or on May 31 to be considered “overtime?” Also when the legislature sets its budget isn’t it set-up with the May 31st date in mind? The fact that they had planned to adjourn on April 7 is irrelevant to this discussion of “overtime” session days. So while political opportunists want to criticize Rod for causing “overtime” and costing the taxpayers $21,000 a day isn’t the truth that ending the session anytime before May 31 a savings to taxpayers? I know some on this blog don’t like the truth to get in the way of bashing Rod, but lets be fair. Thanks for your comment at the end of your post Rich, hopefully OTHER MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA will call Judy on this fact.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 12:30 pm:
Overtime is overtime. Stop the nonsense, please.
If a ballgame is scheduled for nine innings and it goes ten, that’s overtime. If session is scheduled to adjourn April 7th and it lasts beyond that, that’s also overtime. I’ve had about enough of this goofiness here.
- DOWNSTATE - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 12:38 pm:
Rich you might as well give up.Some of these partisans are not going to admit it is overtime to do that there might be some of the blame go the Gov.’s way.
- Anon - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 1:18 pm:
How about instead of saying “overtime” we start saying “additionally scheduled days.”
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 1:19 pm:
How about go to hell? lol
- anon - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 2:12 pm:
C’mon. When a fake deadline isn’t met it deserve some phony criticism.
- Reddbyrd - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 3:56 pm:
Rich thanks for exposing the fuzziness of Judy Math. She should have put out a press release praising Jones and madigan for saving IL $150K+
Speaking of working, can anybody tell us what AccodianGal actually does? Has anyone seen her at a drive up window with a deposit slip? Asking for state id’s at the 2nd floor tellers window? Counting out the 20s so the workforce can head for bargain bucket nite?
let’s get some details on this hard worker
- NIEVA - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 7:20 pm:
If they need a couple of weeks to brow beat the few republicans left into voting for the guvs spending plan then so be it. When will these people come to the understanding that the rod is always right.He is a all seeing all knowing rod. So unless they want the rath of rod to come down on them,O sorry I got rod and god mixed up. Never mind.
- Zimmerman - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 8:57 pm:
How many days must a Governor stay,
before he can learn to do his job?
How many ways can his spokesladies spin,
that all of have not been robbed?
How many lies will it take till the feds,
come in with subpoenas for him?
The answer, my friend, is Rod is near the end,
the answer is Rod is near the end.
- Deadlines - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 11:26 pm:
- anon - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 2:12 pm:
C’mon. When a fake deadline isn’t met it deserve some phony criticism.
How about real deadlines? Has the Governor met many of them? Remind me, when exactly did he get his cabinet before the Senate as required by law both initially and the mandatory mid term re-up? How many of his statutorily required reports are late? How many of his commissions, such as the hate crimes, have issued no reports at all because he let them languish?