Pot, meet kettle
Monday, Oct 26, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Erickson…
The lack of a state budget hasn’t stopped Illinois lawmakers from ordering up thousands of taxpayer-paid copies of coloring books, brochures and other print-based promotional perks in recent months. […]
The list of the 141 lawmakers participating in the program crosses party lines and includes many of the same Republicans who have been calling for cuts to state programs to help balance the budget.
State Rep. Jeanne Ives, for example, ordered 500 activity books and 13,000 cards to distribute in her suburban Chicago district.
The material ordered by the Wheaton Republican came after she proposed ending special stipends given to lawmakers for their service on committees and on leadership teams.
“It is time for legislators to share the burden. The state needs to make budget cuts, and $1 million is a great start,” she said of the stipends at the time.
Oops.
- Juice - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 8:52 am:
Hey Rich, why does kettle seem so angry all the time?
- Ahoy! - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 8:57 am:
Take it out of your campaign fund!
- Wordslinger - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 8:57 am:
Are we sure those coloring books weren’t for Rep. Ives personal use?
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:01 am:
The state has no business offering this to begin with.
- Anon221 - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:09 am:
From Jan 2014:
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/some-lawmakers-still-self-promote-on-coloring-books/article_3af35d21-55de-53de-8722-a1a30cba5470.html
Interested in what can be ordered up? http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lpu/LPU%20catalog/Print.html
- morningstar - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:13 am:
How interesting/infuriating. Contrast this with the State permits of its grantee organizations. Every agreement for a project supported with funds from the State of Illinois includes the following among the terms of the agreement:
Grantee and any approved subgrantees shall not expend any Grant Funds paid from State of
Illinois Funds for promotional items unless the Department’s grant manager has given written
permission to do so. Promotional items include but are not limited to: calendars, pens, buttons, pins, magnets, gift cards, posters, and stationery.
- GOP - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:15 am:
But Proft recently called Ives ‘productively outspoken’…if this were not her wasting tax dollars I’m sure she be her regular ‘productively outspoken’ self. Hypocrite.
- too obvious - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:15 am:
Come on, if kids can’t have their taxpayers paid coloring books which are actually thinly veiled campaign promotions, the terrorists win.
- Lincoln Lad - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:18 am:
Can’t make this stuff up.
- A guy - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:22 am:
Not often in a position to defend Rep. Ives, but in this case, maybe it’s legit. She visits a lot of schools and children’s programs in her outreach there. She gives back a lot of her office allotment at the end of the year each year too. On balance, she walks the walk on this stuff. Frankly, I wish she’d be a lot less acerbic, but this one might be out of bounds for her. If 141 ordered them, citing only her seems a bit too angry. On balance, she’s a spendthrift.
- Anon221 - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:28 am:
This material is already in a pdf format (or some such downloadable form). Why not make it accessible to the general public for them to print off? If that is already being done, I apologize for the post. But, at least on the LPU site, you can’t preview any of the material.
- Century Club - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:31 am:
Suddenly, a 9% approval rating seems high for this bunch.
- Dome Gnome - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:32 am:
Coloring books are nothing if not excellent substitutes for childcare subsidies.
- Wordslinger - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:35 am:
– On balance, she’s a spendthrift.–
Kind of contradicts everything else you wrote, doesn’t it?
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:38 am:
No wonder this state is in such great shape after so many years.
Coloring books for me, taxes for thee.
- Lincoln Lad - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:38 am:
It’s insignificant in cost, but speaks volumes in how you represent yourself publicly versus what you’re actually doing when no one is watching.
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:39 am:
And coloring books are just the “small stuff”.
- train111 - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:45 am:
They would give Ives coloring books–she can’t be trusted with something as sharp as a pen!!
- Anon221 - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:45 am:
“You can have the coloring books, but not the crayons.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNcVYE8eubY
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:51 am:
“Coloring Books?! Where?!” - Fake Jason Plummer…
- A guy - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:53 am:
====Wordslinger - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:35 am:
– On balance, she’s a spendthrift.–
Kind of contradicts everything else you wrote, doesn’t it?====
No.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 10:02 am:
Ives wants the coloring books to show pictures of all the things needy children want, but won’t have, thanks to her politics.
You know, pictures of food, houses, happy parents, safe neighborhoods, clothes.
- Wordslinger - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 10:07 am:
Websters:
Spendthrift, noun, a person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible way.
- Curious - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 10:10 am:
A classic “do as I say not as I do” example.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 10:12 am:
- Wordslinger -, lol.
Words matter, their meanings really matter.
- A Guy -, wasn’t advertising and marketing your background? You told us so I think.
“That word… I don’t think that words means what you think it means…”
- Norseman - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 10:34 am:
Printing coloring books meets my view of government waste. Printing coloring books when there are folks losing services meets my view of malfeasance.
- A guy - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:04 am:
I guess you missed the subtlety of it fellas. So, to confirm your literal take…she’s not. She’s a miser.
- Same as it ever was - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:19 am:
A guy,
Some here are more intent on cheap laughs and ridiculing than contributing constructively. Arguing with self-aggrandizing zealots and online narcissists is not the best use of your time. Many readers see them as they are, particularly when surrounded by so many other thought provoking and intelligent comments.
- Daniel Plainview - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:22 am:
- I guess you missed the subtlety of it fellas. -
I didn’t say mud, I said, crud.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:23 am:
- Same as it ever was -,
lol, thanks for soaking for the…
“Silent Majority”
- A Guy -, I’ve never seen irony delivered that way - “gullible with a hint of musing vocabulary purposefully”
That’s a new one on me.
- forwhatitsworth - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:30 am:
Not surprised about Ives. I live in her district and she won’t even acknowledge my existence in any way, shape or form!
- Jake From Elwood - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:42 am:
I learned new something today thanks to Word.
I am one of many people who have used this word incorrectly. Guy is not alone.
New column: “Word’s word of the day”
Perhaps in time we could design a coloring book to go with this concept and see if the State will pay for it.
- Jake From Elwood - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:43 am:
Ouch.. “something new”…apparently I didn’t learn grammar either.
- HaroldJones - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:22 pm:
As a show of solidarity it would be nice to see the press pay for their FREE OFFICE’S in the Capitol. Just saying what’s good for goose is good for the gander.
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:27 pm:
==- A guy - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 9:22 am:==
She was cited because of her rank hypocrisy.
- Stay at home mom - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:47 pm:
IDOT sends out free promotional materials anywhere in the state.Shipping is free too..order something and check it out. Although, these are all educational brochures and materials..that could just as easily be available in a pdf for printing by the person ordering. http://www.buckleupillinois.org/pieshopping/htdocs/managecart.aspx#alcohol
- A guy - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 1:44 pm:
===She was cited because of her rank hypocrisy.===
Not here to defend her. There’s a lot more hypocrisy here than hers. She probably should be cited for operating among the most inexpensive offices in the region- rent costs more in Dupage than many parts of the state. I’m not sure that doing that is in the best interest either. But, she’s being whacked personally for being 1 of 141. She’s cheap, but she bought some coloring books.
- @MisterJayEm - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:14 pm:
“She’s cheap, but she bought some coloring books.”
See also she’s tall, but she’s short.
– MrJM
- Anon221 - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:25 pm:
Stay at home mom- It looks like if you click on the brochure/sticker, it will open in another window and you could print from there.
- walker - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:49 pm:
cheap shot!
- A guy - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 4:00 pm:
Walk, yep.
- Wheaton 411 - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 8:01 pm:
Jeanne loves these attacks, because it shows that the Demicans and Republicrats are ganging up on her because she is one of the few to be telling the truth down in Springfield. Jeanne is not afraid. If this is the best you got, bring it on!
- Rich Miller - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 8:06 pm:
===Jeanne loves these attacks… Jeanne is not afraid.===
Don’t mess with the Zohan!
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 8:15 pm:
===…the Demicans and Republicrats…===
Please, just call it “The Combine”, make some beer can chicken, wish for a hurricane and pretend that Jeanne Ives being continually ignored and dismissed isn’t because she’s the beacon of bright light, but dim as to what makes a good legislator.
But… I do have a Jeanne Ives Yard sign, and I cherish it.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 8:21 pm:
“… and pretend that Jeanne Ives being continually ignored and dismissed is because she’s the beacon of bright light, not because she’s dim as to what makes a good legislator.”
I got a dim phone. It’s not User Error or anything…