Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Question of the day

Posted in:

Illinois

If you support Gov. Rod Blagojevich, name five reasons why others should vote for him. Same for you Judy Baar Topinka supporters.

Please, if you can’t name five reasons, don’t post. Your answers should not be about ridiculing others. Stick to your five points, and elaborate as much as you want.

UPDATE: Oops. Forgot to include Green Party candidate Rich Whitney. Sorry about that.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 7:42 am

Comments

The priority he has placed on healthcare and prescription drugs.

The pressure he has kept on pharmacist to protect women’s access to affordable birth control.

The fact that he has a diverse administration (the number of African Americans, Hispanics and women in leadership positions).

While I don’t agree with his pledge not to raise income taxes and I believe his education funding plan has its flaws I support his efforts to look for new ways to generate revenues for the state.

The fact that he cut the state payroll.

Go ahead, haters call this part of a coordinated campaign.

Comment by wndycty Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 7:52 am
Vote for JBT has 2 very important words.Fiscal responsibilty.No more smoke and mirrors with these hidden defecits.

Comment by DOWNSTATE Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 8:06 am
Rich, did you just watch High Fidelity???
Top 5 reasons I support JBT
5. While Pro-choice, she is against partial-birth abortion.
4. I don’t feel like I am being lied to when she talks.
3. Rod has failed to make the budget balanced. He has even made it worse. I believe Judy would do better.
2. She won’t take guns away from law-abiding people.
1. She seems to be just an average person with personality and candor who would credibly search for solutions to the problems of government instead of being in a mode constant campaigning.

Comment by Lovie's Leather Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 8:09 am
- His emergency order for pharmacies to provide birth control

- Daycare, healthcare, drug importation and the progressive nature of his policies (even if the intent is cynically political and the results don’t met expectations)

- open road tolling (the signs are an eyesore, but the roads are great)

- he’s a Democrat and can help encourage pro-Democratic redistricting in 2010 which will help Democrats nationwide.

- his efforts to slowly reduce wasteful state government spending…

Btw. I voted for Edwin in the primary and am not thrilled about voting for Blago. But, there’s no way that one can honestly say JBT presents a more ethical administration or tolerable policies for Democrats.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 8:10 am
For Blago:

1. Pre-School program

2. Not raising my state income tax

3. Smoking ban law changing the clean indoor air act that now enables communities to decide if they want to enact smoking bans.

4. Prescription Drug programs

5. All Kids

Comment by 105th Blues Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 8:20 am
Rich, sorry I can’t name 5 reasons why I would vote for either one, but I will be voting for Judy Barr because her administration will not govern a state that is 45th in the nation in job growth. We need employers to come back to Illinois to give working class families their incomes back.

Comment by moderate - half way between crazy and crazy. Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 8:24 am
Blago:

No general tax increase

Reduction of state employees

Attempts to improve public education without buying in to wacky 750 type plans

Overall better social policies which do not favor the elite (anti-loan shark, health safety nets, etc.)

Best attempt in years to get public universities under control

(Bonus information for Rod’s campaign) -

Worst incident in first four years - signing tort reform

Number 1 piece of advice - staff is good at policy and campaign strategy, but need to be a bit more open, accessible, and humble

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 8:37 am
JBT

5. Fiscal Responsibility
4. She doesn’t want to move government to Chicago
3. No Federal Investigations (this admin makes Ryans look like angels)
2. She will make decisions for the FUTURE of Illinois, not just when she is governor
1. She is not a smoke and mirrors type of person

Comment by Wheres the leadership??? Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 8:48 am
For Judy:

1. She’s not promising anybody anything.

2. She has a refreshing candor that is sadly lacking in the current Governor.

3. She will instill maturity in the office.

4. She says her aganda is to hold the line on spending, pay down the debts, and make state government live within its means.

5. She won’t take guns away from law abiding citizens.

6. She can play the accordion better than Rod.

7. I agree with her positions on some issues, don’t on others, but think the first five above are more important than my agreement on other issues.

Comment by Ron Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 8:49 am
Blago is the guy because,
1.Fiscal responsibility
2.Diversity in State Goverment
3.His ability to find the best people to run the State offices, such as Martinez, Fox and others,
3.All Kids
4.Honest and Integrity
5.Is trying to make state goverment work for the people after 26 years of republican cronyism.
6.Great looking Wife!

Comment by CUBAN Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 9:08 am
I hold my nose and choose Judy because:

– Judy’s not as much of a two-face as Rod
– Rod is hyprocrite who operates business as usual but won’t admit it
– Judy hasn’t taken the no-tax increase pledge and hobbled our state with debt for years to come
– Judy will balance out the fight for Democratic power in the state capitol
– Judy would never be mistaken for Rod.

Did I mention that Rod is a hypocrite?

Comment by Hobson's Choice Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 9:14 am
5 reasons to vote for JBT:

1. Rod Blagojevich
2. Lon Monk
3. Tony Rezko
4. Bradly Tusk
5. Jay Hoffman

Comment by Link Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 9:14 am
I’ll go one better I’ll go 10 reasons or at least try…

JBT

10. Prospects for fiscal responsibility
9. More suited for compromise
8. Has a better outlook for the state (in all terms).
7. less likely to have national ambitions
6. presently free from investigations I’m sure that someone will correct me if she/her office is being investigated.
5. Ability to speak to ALL of Illinois instead of the Northern third
4. She seems to be more committed to the 2nd Amendment
3. So far consistent with her beliefs that she has talked about since being head of the party 2 years ago.
2. ability to lead the state from the middle not the left or dare I say the right
1. She throws a better party than Andy KcKenna and besides if we wanted another four years with Elvis Jr. lets get a hold of the Japanese P.M. he has a better sense of humor!

Comment by SouthernILRepub Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 9:19 am
Rich,

Due to the civility that you wish to keep on this thread, could you open a thread discussing the university system. Would love to respond to Anon 8:37.

Comment by SouthernILRepub Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 9:25 am
I could list 50 reasons to vote for Rich Whitney, Green candidate for Gov. I’m sure those at yesterday’s press conference at the state capitol or other’s that follow the Illinois Green Party or Rich Whitney as a candidate could as well.
I can’t think of any reason to vote for Rod or Judy.

Comment by Centralia Green Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 9:35 am
For the governor,

1. He has increased state funding for education more than any governor in history.
2. He has supported legislation to provide low or no cost health insurance to seniors, veterans, and children.
3. He unequivocally supports a woman’s right to reproductive choice and has forced pharmicists to not discriminate against women desiring birth control.
4. He has tackled the impossible fiscal situation that he inherited without raising sales or income taxes.
5. He is not afraid to offer innovative ideas like leasing the toll roads, selling the lottery, keno etc.. up for public discussion regardless of the political risks involved.
6. He is a democrat in a blue state from the area of the state with the largest population and the most tax revenue, by far.
7. He has made excellent high level apointments and shook up agencies that were stagnant with repub lifers in leadership positions and has cut the size of state gov’t while improving services and efficiencies.
There are many more reasons but I don’t want to wear out my welcome again.

Comment by Bill from self-exile Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 9:48 am
5 reasons to vote for hot rod.
1. He has increased our longterm debt to 11 billion.
2. He signs a promise contract within his own party.
3. He gives out jobs for cash.
4. He manipulates the people of illinois for his agenda.
5. He has the greatest ethics test among all 50 states.

This is why we should support our G-Rod

Comment by ironman Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 9:56 am
Elections are about choices between candidates, not just an up or down vote on the incumbent. So if I have to make the choice, I choose Rod for these reasons:

1) His spending and social priorities are more in line with my own
2) He will never be beholden to Karl Rove, George Bush and the radical right for his election
3) Universal Preschool
4) All-kids
5) Stem-cell research support

But since this is really an ambivalent choice, here are two against:

1) No tax pledge means another four years without dealing with school funding
2) Failure to change business as usual on ethics and hiring

Comment by ChicagoCynic Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 10:25 am
1. JBT is not making deceptive campaign promises (no new taxes while I raise the heck out of fees)
2. She is not an extremist by any thinking,
3.She has experience as treasurer, what we really need
4. She is not as unethical as Roddy
5. There has been no letter from Fitzie re: her
6. She has not come up with any ridiculous plans that are unsustainable, heck no plans at all
I am really not as energized about her, but I support her.
4.

Comment by Rico Shakman aka Wumpus Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 10:29 am
Top 5 reasons why I am voting for Rich Whitney/Green Party 2006:
1) Whitney is the only candidate who supports H.R. 750 to completely revamp our atrocious public school system and improve our deplorable state tax structure.
2) Whitney/Green Party refuses to accept corporate campaign contributions. He is the only candidate in the race who has not been linked to corruption. I think its time to improve the reputation of IL politics.
3) The planet doesn’t have to be on fire and the sea level shouldn’t have to rise 15 ft. for us to realize we need to employ sensible environmental policy. Whitney will be a responsible steward for the environment.
4) The price of gas! Our incestous involvement with the Middle East! Whitney has a future-focused SUSTAINABLE energy plan that will help Illinois capitalize on technology and innovation.
5) I know Whitney personally. He is a truthful and dedicated person who is committed to social justice. He is well researched and articulate. Definately the BEST candidate in this race, which is WHY he meeting such fierce opposition for ballot access and participating in the debates.

Generally, I think the voters of Illinois have an opportunity to show the world that we are in front of the learning curve by ushering out the joke of a GOP and embracing the next major political party of this nation. The Green Party is already the most widely supported political party throughout the world, and Greens win 1/4 of the elections we participate in DESPITE being outspent on average 20/1. Afterall, this IS the Land of Lincoln and Lincoln himself was a third party candidate.

Shout out to Greens in Centralia!

Comment by It is easy being Green Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 10:40 am
Whi I dont like either Rod or Judy, at this time I plan to hold my nose and swallow hard and vote for Rod. My 5 reasons:

1. His support for stem cell research
2. His ability to help with redistricting
3. The decreased number of state employees
4. His concern and efforts in regards to healthcare and prescrptions.
5. This one is not really a point for Rod but I dont see a great ethical difference between him and JBT. And, as the saying goes, “better my crook than your crook”.

By the way, I also voted for Edwin in the primary and dont feel like Blago has done much for southern illinois. But, like I said, JBT in my mind also has ethics issues and so far has shown me little with her solutions to state problems.

Comment by Southern Illinois Democrat Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 11:08 am
Five Reason to Vote for GRod
1. Health Care Reform
2. Lower the headcount
3. Put some very bright people at the agencies
4. Did not jump when the Universities barked
5. Is Not Brickhead the Executioner

.

Comment by Reddbyrd Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 11:09 am
JBT all the way!!!!

1. Ethics
2. No more MOU’s
3. She will live in Springfield (and actually work)
4. Fiscal responsibility
5. She won’t waste money planting wild flowers along our roads
6. She won’t increase our long term debt from $7 BILLION to nearly $21 BILLION
7. She will pay our Medicaid bills instead of creating new programs
8. She will STOP raiding the pensions
9. She won’t allow special fund sweeps
10. She won’t raid the road fund by another $1.7 BILLION and then blame the republican for not passing a capitol budget - to guess what, build roads
11. She will take care of our veterans
12. She won’t tell moopy jokes about little African American girls not knowing who the Governor is
13. She won’t power wash salt domes or install $1.2 million heated driveways
14. She will work with the General Assembly and stop issuing Executive Orders that create new laws
15. She will mow our road ditches
16. She won’t need to hire pathetic spokespersons who have to sell their souls to protect their boss
17. More prison guards
18. No more fee increases for truckers
19. No more NPDES fees for our small towns
20. The secret service needs a break from always being responsible for knowing - where the hairbrush is
21. She won’t sell the lottery
22. She won’t sell the tollways
23. She won’t install Keno machines
24. Won’t waste money buying illegal flu shots and then let them expire
25. Won’t allow a sales tax on farm imputs
26. Fund higher education
27. Actually work with the unions instead of against them
28. BALANCE OF POWER !!!
29. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
30. She realizes there IS more to the state than just Chicago

Sorry Rich, did you say just 5 reasons?

Comment by Been Taking Notes Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 11:21 am
Red,
There appears to be some resentment towards our state’s fine institutions of higher learning. Could it be because their numerous and sundry chancellors, presidents, and head coaches make more individually than the president of the US and Gov of Illinois combined?

Comment by Bill from self-exile Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 11:24 am
Here’s SEVEN from a life-long Republican with family GOP roots dating to Lincoln.

He hasn’t raised my taxes!

He’s done pretty well budget-wise considering the incredible mess George Ryan left him.

Unlike JBT he doesn’t admire George Bush and he doesn’t admire George Ryan and will never be the servant of the people currently in possession of the Republican Party.

Significant support for stem cell research.

He heads a state government with fewer state employees than he inherited.

His stand on prescription medicine - I’m always for anybody that will allow me to buy what I want to buy from whom I wish to buy it from.

AND - he isn’t the running mate of a prosecutor that knowingly tried to execute innocent people while refusing to prosecute the confessed murderer.

Comment by blue Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 11:30 am
1. Respects and obeys the law.
2. A centrist with common sense.
3. Fiscally responsible.
4. Socially moderate.
5. Pro business.
6. Down to earth - speaks plainly, even on tough issues.
7. Doesnâ€™t lie, doesnâ€™t half-truth.
8. Ready to govern, not just campaign.
9. Widely respected in Illinois government.
10. Wonâ€™t promise the moon to get elected, won’t simply tell you what you want to hear, but keeps her promises.

Plus,

1000. If the Family Taxpayer Network hates her, she must must be doing something right.

Comment by Bubs Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 11:40 am
Five Reasons I’m voting for Rich Whitney.

1) The only candidate who hasn’t been investigated for corruption while in office.

2) The only downstater running who can bring regional balance to state government.

3) Universal Health Care

4) He’ll bring Illinois Guard troops home from Iraq.

5) He’s the only candidate who will fix the way we fund education in Illinois.

Comment by SangoDem Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 12:00 pm
Resons to vote for G-Rod

1. All Kids - while we cant pay our medical professionals now, why not add another program for their payements to get further backlogged in

2. Less state employees, who cares that our prisons are so understaffed they can hardly operate, we are sending less criminals to jail, becase we dotn have the staff to handle them

3. Federal investiagtions, those just have to be the result of George Ryan

4. Education Funding, yes lets sell yet another state property just to lease it back (Thompson Center)

5. State jobs only cost $100,000.00 Contributions to G-Rod

Support Rod, please. I love how some people STILL fall for his empty promises and so called reforms.

GO JUDY GO

Comment by Illinois Observer Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 12:11 pm
JBT

1. A woman of her word. No more MOU’s.
2. If Judy makes a wrong decision she will admit she was wrong and fix it.
3. Job creation
4. Pension reform
5. Judy’s personality is very colorful. She brings humor in her comments.
6. She understands the financial system of Illinois.

Comment by Anon. Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 12:23 pm
1. Rich Whitney & the Green Party won’t steal from retirement accounts to fund state budget
2. Rich Whitney & the Green Party have a plan to Put Illinois OUTFRONT nationally as an alternative energy leader
3. Rich Whitney & the Green Party plan to restructure school funding to make schools more equal in resources they receive
4. Rich Whitney & the Green Party will stand up and take action to end corrupt government & dirty elections
5. Rich Whitney & the Green Party have a REAL & WORKABLE plan to deliver health care to all Illinoisans!!!!!!!
6. Rich Whitney & the Green Party CAN win, Be OPTIMISTIC Illinois, VOTE GREEN!!!!!
Opps, That was 6

Comment by Whitney Voter, Go GREENS Go Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 12:32 pm
Why I support Rich Whitney (Green):

1. If voters don’t vote for anyone who isn’t a Dem or a Republican those will be the only choices we get. The more successful non-D, non-R candidates are, the stronger independent and minor party candidates that will be attracted to the process.
2. I want to believe that we are making progress toward making Illinois less of a cesspool of kickbacks and conflicts-of-interest. The Dems and GOP have shown their contempt for the people of Illinois by nominating their candidates. If the Greens get enough votes, it will force the Dems and GOP to court these pro-change voters.
3. I support removing the structural barriers to independent and minor party candidates.
4. If Whitney were elected, I expect he’d do a decent job managing the state. It’s not like we’ve had great management from Dems or Republicans lately.
5. If Whitney wins, I expect it will pressure the Dems and Republicans to nominate better quality candidates in the future.
6a. I’d like to see how the Greens do once the party achieves major party status.
6b. Getting over 5% of the vote will mean the Greens will have a presidential primary in Illinois. Hopefully, this will include a serious debate of issues neglected by the Dems and Republicans.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 12:34 pm
Blago vs JBT: I still don’t know.

1) While you wonder how Blago can keep a straight face when he talks, you can’t help but wonder if JBT knows what she is talking about. (The commercials are not only effective but right on target.)

2) You know where Blago stands - for himself and himself only - but JBT fidgets around too much on the issues to be sure of anything about her.

3) Blago took a meat ax to the bureaucracy, removing thousands of Republican job holders, only to get caught trying to hire a few Democrats. I still don’t think we’ve seen the last of that. But do you honestly believe it will be better under JBT? She shares a long lineage of pinstripe patronage bosses: Thompson, Edgar & Ryan.

4) On the positive side for JBT, you can be sure JBT won’t borrow against any funds because there won’t be any surplus money left after Blago finishes robbing Peter to pay Paul.

5) Neither one of them really cares about the rest of Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area. Brickhead brings a lot of balance to JBT’s ticket, hah! On the other hand, if anyone would actually listen to Quinn, he might be able to help Blago.

I really don’t want to vote for Blago but unless or until JBT gets her act together - doubtful at best - I’m afraid that is where I may be headed - assuming I actually cast a vote in the gubernatorial race.

Why not the Green candidate? That “kamikaze” act has already been done - World War II - and it didn’t work then either.

Comment by Anon sequitur Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 1:54 pm
Anon 810am, the next census-driven congressional reapportionment will fall to the Governor elected in 2010 because the census numbers don’t come out until 2011 for the 2012 elections. Of course, the Supreme Court said we could redistrict now — why wait?

Comment by 302p Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 3:02 pm
JBT

1. Rod has increased the state’s debt to $40 billion - more per capita that any state in the nation.

2. 12 federal investigations.

3. The ability to tell the truth (i.e. job numbers, gun issues, actual state debt).

4. $1 million in taxes and fees on the business community.

5. Cheating veteran’s preference.

This is TOOOO easy…..

Hurry up with the indictments, Patrick!

Comment by 4% Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 3:35 pm
10 reasons to vote for Judy Baar Topinka
1. Rod Blagojevich
2. Lon Monk
3. Timothy W. Martin
4. Tony Rezko
5. John Mitola
6. Jack Hartman
7. Brian McPartlin
8. Jeff Dailey
9. Bradly Tusk
10. Jay Hoffman
11. Christopher Kelly
12. This list is only going to get larger in the coming weeks and months……

Comment by Timbuktu Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 4:07 pm
Top five reasons to vote for Rod,

1. Great respect for family elders.

2. Loyal as a starving pit bull.

3. Heroic effort to wean out his fraudulent hires.

4. His uncanny ability to get his face in the background of all the news cameras that were reporting on the Katrina victims coming to Illinois.

And the Number one reason to vote for Rod.

5. When he is indicted Quinn will be the Governor.

Comment by Garp Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 4:23 pm
Yeah, I only voted for Bush hoping he would get indicted and then Cheney would be president….

Comment by Lovie's Leather Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 4:36 pm
I can only give you one reason to NOT vote for Blogo - DICK MELL. When you have a father-in-law as influential as Mell thinks he is, who absolutely hates Fearless Fighter, you have to wonder what’s up.

Judy has my voate.

Comment by Little Egypt Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 5:43 pm
Five reasons to vote for Rich Whitney:

1. He will work to reform the electoral system in Illinois, using Instant Ruoff Voting to completely eliminate the spoiler effect.

2. He has voluntarily refused to accept any campaign contributions from corporations, so he only answers to the people of Illinois.

3. He will work to reduce our reliance on property taxes, moving Illinois toward a truly progressive system of taxation and fixing the structural budget defecit we’re now facing.

4. He has pledged to veto any further mobilization of the Illinois National Guard for the illegal and immoral war in Iraq.

5. He will work to implement single-payor universal healthcare in Illinois.

Rich Whitney is a Green. That means that he’s part of a larger, international movement that includes elected officials throughout the world. It also means that his campaign is guided by the Ten Key Values of the Green Party. Neither Rod nor Judy is running a values based campaign!

Comment by Squideshi Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 6:19 pm
I support Judy because:
1. I think she will look at the financial issues of this state like an adult.
2. Iâ€™m sick of the pay-to-play politics (I believe this will be looked at very closely from now on, no matter who is in the Governors seat).
3. I originally supported Rod and he lied, lied, lied.
4. I donâ€™t like all the inexperienced, uneducated bullies that have been hired and we are still on a â€˜hiring freezeâ€™.
5. I like the idea of the Governor living and working in Springfield.

Comment by state worker #1 Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 7:00 pm
5. Topinka will not name overt racists to the Human Rights Commision;
4. Topinka will not hire out-of-staters to handle long-range for Illinois;
3. Topinka will protect Veterans rights to employment with the State of Illinois;
2. Topinka is not a POA;

The NUMBER ONE reason I will vote for Topinka:
1. Topinka has better hair.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 7:20 pm
anon sequitor at 1:54 summarizes much of how I feel regarding this election. I absolutely refuse to vote for Blago given his track record. By the way, reading through these lists, I love how many of the same issues are spun one way if you like him, and the other (correct, IMO) way if you don’t. Anyway, I’m finding it extremely difficult to get behind either major candidate, but I cannot support a socialist green party candidate, either. My vote would LOVE to go to a constitutional party candidate, but the way the elections are stacked in this state that doesn’t look likely. Unfortunately, the least of all evils is JBT. Therefore, my five reasons:
1) She’s not Blago, and does not share his vision
2) She’s not Whitney, and does not share his vision
3) She has true budget and accounting experience
4) She supports my right to bare arms
5) She’s acted as the most adult candidate, for the most part, during the primaries and beyond of any candidate (Whitney excluded, but I haven’t heard much about him personally; I just don’t agree with his policies, but to each their own).

Comment by schroedk Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 9:42 pm
1. he didn’t raise taxes
2. he doesn’t like bureacracy
3. he gave more people health care
4. he has contempt for the press
5. he’s not judy

Comment by tiny dancer Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 10:45 pm
Vote for Whitney, schroedk, and those ballot access barriers will come crashing down. You can then vote Libertarian, Constitution, or however you want. Also, in case you weren’t aware, the Socialist Party and the Green Party are different political parties.

Comment by Squideshi Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 11:06 pm
Squideshi, I would love the ballot access barriers to come crashing down as much as you. And I also know that Whitney wouldn’t be able to do too much damage given the democrat stranglehold on the legislature in this state, but I still can’t vote for him. I realize that technically there is a Socialist Party and a Green Party (separate), but if you look at their platforms, the Greens are socialists that claim to care deeply about the environment and want to please Mother Earth at the exclusion of almost anything else, including common sense; whereas a pure socialist does not necessarily have to care about the environment. At least that’s how I see it.

Comment by schroedk Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 11:25 pm
Schroedk, the Greens are not socialists, and the party takes a comprehensive view of society (not just about the environment, as you say). Do a little reading, k?

So here are my reasons for supporting Whitney:

1) He speaks intelligently and truthfully…I don’t get that anxious feeling of “oh god, what lie is coming next” when he opens his mouth

2) He’s the most hard-working … he’s done more work JUST TO GET ON THE BALLOT than Topinka or Blagojevich

3) He’s fiscally responsible…his campaign has little money, yet accomplished an enourmous feat. Blagojevich, by contrast, accomplishes small feats on enoumous budgets (yeah, I’m talking about All Kids!)

4) Is not part of any political machine

5) Is the only one talking about issues that will improve our state’s economy, health, environment and education.

Comment by M.V. Thursday, Jul 13, 06 @ 12:23 am
Red,
“There appears to be some resentment towards our stateâ€™s fine institutions of higher learning. Could it be because their numerous and sundry chancellors, presidents, and head coaches make more individually than the president of the US and Gov of Illinois combined?”

You are brilliant. That is exactly what Rod is trying to do - reign in spending for higher ed because administrators make too much….right.

Rod does not care about public higher education. He could care less if UI, SIU, ISU, etc competes with their peers - because it is impossible to compete with them when other schools are paying their people the same or more. The fact is that he could care less if those schools continue to compete. He went to Northwestern….screw the publics.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Jul 13, 06 @ 1:53 am
Anon 1:53 am,
You really should try to get some sleep. The governor has stated over and over again that there is administrative bloat at state universities due to their lack of accountability and their ability to price fix and raise tuition. They are still open after cuts that were made in 03, aren’t they? Would tuition have been cheaper? No!! They just would have hired more employees who never even see a student.Do you think students noticed any difference?
The people who attend those institutions probably don’t care if they compete with their peers in wasteful spending. Don’t try to blame their poor management on the governor.

Comment by Bill from self-exile Thursday, Jul 13, 06 @ 7:17 am
1. JBT is fiscally responsible. No more of Rod’s long term borrowing and “smoke and mirrors” budget gimmicks. And above all- no more new programs like All Kids which comes out of the General Fund and are a fiscal time bomb.

2. Rod raided the teachers pension. He should be punished for that.

3. JBT understands business and will bring back a good business climate again in Illinois. We all know about Rod’s tax policies and fees that are hostile to business and drove them out of state.

4. Wanna talk about health care and prescriptions ? Blago signed this stupid law about non-prescription OTC cold medications now having to be sold directly from behind the pharmacy counter. Why? Because some dirtbags are using it to make crystal meth. So now the rest of us law-abiding citizens have to be inconvenienced. If you need some Sudafed and the pharmacy is closed, you are out of luck. Thanks to Nimrod.

5. JBT has vast experience in state government. She is intelligent and she has the depth to understand issues and the complexities of the budgeting process. By contrast, Rod Blagojevich lacks experience and he always did. He is still shallow and scripted and simply lacks substance.

Comment by Fearless Freep Thursday, Jul 13, 06 @ 11:39 am
Schroedk, the Green Party platform is VERY different from that of the various Socialist parties. The Greens call for a mixture of public AND private enterprise–no Socialist would ever do that. Greens are less concerned with the old “who owns it” debate than they are about the “how big is it going to be, how responsive is it going to be, and how does it affect the community” issue.

Comment by Squideshi Thursday, Jul 13, 06 @ 3:19 pm
I’ll try to write up five reasons for Whitney in between doing data entry and recruiting volunteers for binder check…ah, thanks Dem bureaucrats for supporting a campaign on the issues….

Schroedk, I support everyone’s right to vote for the candidate she wants and for that candidate to actually have access to the ballot and mass media..(well, short of fascists, anyway…)

Thanks to the Green supporters on the list who’ve wrote in, I’m likin’ what you wrote, and am behind that…

Now, re the are Greens socialists question: The majority of the Green Party is left populist, I would say. Like Ralph Nader, Evo Morales and the Bolivian Gov’t, the Venezuelan gov’t, Obrador in Mexico, etc. That is, most Greens are working for regulation of capitalism, not abolition of it.

There is a Left, Red/Black current in the GP, The Green Alliance USA, of which I’m a member. For more info, see _Enemy of Nature_, by Joel Kovel, a Green from NY. Also _Ecology Versus Capitalism_ by John Bellamy Foster. Basically, we are members of and support the Greens because we see the movement to regulate the corporations and break from the two parties as the start of a process that can lead to a more just, rational, democratic and ecological world.

Those of us who are consciously Left inside and outside of the GP think that based on the overall evidence of global ecological catastrophe bearing down on the planet, that the rule of one half of one percent over what’s produced, how much is produced and how it’s distributed is killing us all.

To really slow down and reverse this damage (and we have somewhere between 10 and 25 years to do it), we need a world where the majority of the population decides on the questions of production and distribution.

Otherwise, our grandchildren are going to be living with a climate that the planet hasn’t seen since the age of the dinosaurs.

Now, the Republican Party was born out of the civil war which decided that merchants and manufacturers were going to run the country and that chattel slavery was going to be abolished.

I would say that faced with extinction, we’re going to have to have at least one more Party being born to start the process of real democracy, whether you call that Green, populist, good government, democracy, socialism or anarchism.

Comment by Ben Briscoe Friday, Jul 14, 06 @ 11:51 am