Hardhats required?
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Finke…
Access to the north entrance of the state Capitol is being restricted after concerns were raised about the structural integrity of brickwork supporting the entryway.
Secretary of State spokesman Henry Haupt said workers recently noticed some flaking underneath the brickwork supporting the north entryway.
“We had a structural engineer look at that brickwork beneath the entrance way and he determined it needed to be shored up and fortified,” Haupt said. “He’s putting together a plan to proceed. In the meantime, he recommended to err on the side of caution, that large groups of individuals, particularly just standing on that north porch, was not a good idea.”
Haupt said the office was told there isn’t a danger of collapse, but was advised that large groups of people should not be allowed to stand on the north porch.
Consequently, the north entrance will be limited to lawmakers, staffers, lobbyists and others who are issued ID badges by the secretary of state’s office. They are allowed to enter the building without passing through metal detectors.
There’s gotta be a good joke in there somewhere. I’ll leave it to you…
- Abe the Babe - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 12:47 pm:
“Just one more threat Rauner has placed over the heads of lawmakers”
- A Jack - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 12:50 pm:
While the governor will continue to use his direct entrance from Hades in the basement.
- anonin' - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 12:52 pm:
Is this the same porch Blagoofian staff used as a smokin’ lounge? Perhaps they weakened the structure and caused the current plight. Or maybe the 200 years of bird c*(*(* did it in.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 12:52 pm:
“Wrigley Field; Safer Than The Capitol”
- A guy - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 12:58 pm:
If you’re directed to enter through the north entrance, your funding request will probably not be met. Don’t linger.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:05 pm:
Really changes the meaning of having a brick on you.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:07 pm:
“Don’t tell me. The masons are a Union…”
- Langhorne - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:07 pm:
Where is the architect of the Capitol on this. You can’t just call a guy out of the yellow pages.
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:10 pm:
60 days in office and everything is falling apart.
- Stones - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:11 pm:
They need to implement a Wrigley-like fix for the problem. Put up nets to catch the bricks before they fall on peoples heads.
- Stones - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:12 pm:
Maybe you can exercise a little leverage on the repair cost if you use the same contractor for both the Governor’s Mansion & Capitol? (Non Union of course)
- Norseman - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:14 pm:
The north entrance is so bad, the pigeons have abandoned it.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:16 pm:
Oh, it’s flaking. I thought you meant a bunch of flakes have been entering the north entrance.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:18 pm:
Rauner intern: All this time on the balcony and I’ve missed every Dem legislator. The boss won’t be happy.
- Juvenal - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:19 pm:
Expert: State government collapsing under Rauner
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:20 pm:
“To: Secretary of State Employees, Capitol Building
From: Insurace Protocol - Facilities
Priority: High
Re: Evelyn Sanguinetti
Please be advised the Insurace Protocol Unit for the Illinois State Facilities has deemed the following;
The facility known publicly as ‘Capitol Building’ and the entrance of said facility know publicly as ‘North Entrance’ has been deemed a ‘Liability Exceeding Coverage’ for the Employee(s) listed below;
Sanguinetti, Evelyn - Office of the Lt. Governor
We have notified other appropriate agencies and office of this Memorandum.
The Employee must stay 500 feet from said area, in said facility until further written notice from this Office.
Thank you.
cc: Illinois State Police - Protection Details
Office of the Governor
Office of the Lt. Governor
Secretary of State - appropriate sub-departments
- Casual Observer - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:21 pm:
If they put up a sign that says “do not enter, legislators only” how many legislators will turn around and go home?
- The Captain - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:22 pm:
That’s a shame, that north porch used to be a good beverage spot.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:27 pm:
Shared sacrifice. (It’s not just the Mansion.)
- Skeptic - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:31 pm:
Are those bricks or pidgeon droppings?
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:36 pm:
Perhaps the gov should stop swinging the sledgehammer.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:38 pm:
Press Release:
Henceforth, all objectors to Rauner policies should use the north entrance to the Capitol.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:39 pm:
See what happens when you do all the movein’ and shakin’ in Springfield?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:40 pm:
When the crowd surrounds the building your going to need a way in.
- Former Titan - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:51 pm:
Will prevailin’ wage rules be applyin’ to the repairin’?
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:53 pm:
So if you don’t have a lobbyist badge, where are we supposed to enter? North is the main entrance.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:56 pm:
== where are we supposed to enter? ==
There are 3 other entrances plus a couple of tunnels …
- Wensicia - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 1:58 pm:
Just stand under the north entrance, Governor, and wait while I run to get my camera…
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 2:04 pm:
“The entrance was fine and all until Ron Sandack would hang out with these owls…yeah, owls… Sandack woukd get out there, talk to the Owls, ‘who, who, who” and Sandack woukd come down, vote, speak, go to caucus, ten up he’d go…yeah, he asked for a phone to be connected up there for him…why? Didn’t want to leave to owls… That’s just what I’m guessing, but when Rep. Sandack found out he couldn’t go hang out with the owls, he started molting….’molting’…yeah, I know, right?..,”
- jazzy - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 2:10 pm:
So I hear there are flakes under the north entrance. So who enters there and what are you saying about them?
- Pink E. Kent - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 2:13 pm:
The Governor’s Office had issued a statement.
The Governor is not anti-NorthPortico and is working hard for you to set up right to ingress and egress zones for any and all who willingly forfeit all civil liberties.
- Jeff Trigg - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 2:13 pm:
Shoulda used brass.
- SAP - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 2:15 pm:
Can the brass doors on the west entrance be repurposed as a temporary shield from falling debris?
- D.P.Gumby - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 2:28 pm:
“Leave the bricks, take the brass doors.”
- aufjunk - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 2:52 pm:
Check out the theme song of the IL legislature on Internet Archive - Bill Broonzy’s “WPA Blues”. “…I heared a mighty rumblin’, and bricks come tumblin’ down on my head.”
https://ia700608.us.archive.org/21/items/BillBroonzy-01-75/BillBroonzy-W.p.a.Blues1936.mp3
- The Unknown Poster - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 3:08 pm:
Capitol Crax
- AFSCME Steward - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 3:09 pm:
Dear Union Activist
Please meet with me under the north entrance to the State Capitol Building. Please wait until I get there. I may be delayed, but just wait until I arrive.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
- Vendizz - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 3:11 pm:
Maybe Blago will volunteer to catch the falling bricks until a permanent repair can be made to the building?
- Vendizz - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 3:13 pm:
The next time someone claims that the “sky is falling” maybe you should not be so quick to dismiss them?
- Diogenes in DuPage - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 3:14 pm:
Oswego Willy at 1:20 — TOO funny. (Though, in reality, probably necessary.)
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 3:17 pm:
==concerns were raised about the structural integrity of brickwork supporting the entryway==
Disregard the problems with our ==structural integrity== and instead enjoy our fine chandeliers, maidens and bronzed doors. Sounds right.
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 3:32 pm:
Illinois: Even our Capitol has a structural deficit.
- zatoichi - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 3:41 pm:
Will Gov Rauner sign a souvenir flake?
- 618er - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 3:55 pm:
Starting in 1869 it took 20 years and 4.5 million dollars to construct. Just think how many more brick, how much more mortar, and how much solid gold could’ve been used if they didn’t have to pay those dang union wages… Stupid Unions….
- logic not emotion - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 4:00 pm:
“north entrance will be limited to lawmakers, staffers, lobbyists and others who are issued ID badges by the secretary of state’s office.”
So… Are they classifying those people as more expendable in case of collapse?
- stoney - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 4:04 pm:
Maybe they can hire some Free Masons.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 4:13 pm:
Maybe if things get bad, they all can go Old State Capitol(?)
(Tips cap to - Diogenes in DuPage -)
- A guy - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 4:23 pm:
Illinois Government: Don’t judge it from the outside.
- Angry Chicagoan - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 4:34 pm:
How different political cultures deal with dissent when the budget axes are out and about –
Wisconsin: Send the cops and the National Guard in to rough up the demonstrators in the Capitol and kick them out.
Illinois: One of the following two options
– a) “Discover” so much “structural damage” that it is deemed “too risky” to let the demonstrators into the Capitol to start with
– b) Let things go so far to seed that there really is nowhere safe for demonstrators to congregate.
- AC - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 4:59 pm:
Now that Bill Cellini is out of prison, maybe we can sell him the building and lease it back saving the state millions.
- AC - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 5:01 pm:
Yet another corrupt bargain crushing taxpayers, literally.
- Rapscallion - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 5:27 pm:
= Haupt said workers recently noticed some flaking underneath the brickwork supporting the north entryway=
And I thought all the flakes were seated in the General Assembly!
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 5:56 pm:
And the Big Bad Bruce said,”I’m gonna huff, and I’m gonna puff, and I’m gonna blow yer house down.”
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 6:29 pm:
Rauner statements on the issue:
1.The unions are to blame and declares the entrance to be a right to work zone.
2. The pension obligations caused this.
3. I’m leasing it as a movie set to some Chicago company.
4. I needed some bricks for the mansion.
- Cave in rocker - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 8:24 pm:
Dang, I was gonna’ hang my brown coat on the handle bar and start parkin’ my Harley there for anti union photo ops
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 8:50 pm:
The turn around agenda just turn around
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 8:52 pm:
Lt governors new office.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Mar 25, 15 @ 9:25 pm:
This Gov can’t get anything straight. Instead of shaking up Springfield, he shook up the Elgin area.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-lake-in-the-hills-earthquake-20150325-story.html