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Lots more of that “reform and renewal” stuff

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Illinois

They’re really taking this “get his name out there” schtick way too far.

As Scott Frillman flipped through the stack of stuff his third-grade son brought home from the start of the school year, one item in particular caught his attention.

“Governor Blagojevich’s All Kids Program,” appeared on one side of a bookmark Frillman pulled from his boy’s book bag. The flip side featured “Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor, state of Illinois.”

He was not happy.

“It’s campaign information. My kids carry his information home in their backpacks. I just disagree with that totally,” said Frillman, whose sons attend school in Antioch Elementary District 34. “I resent my kids being the foot soldiers.” […]

A state spokeswoman said every school district in Illinois was offered materials. Ultimately, items like the bookmark were distributed at more than 1,600 schools, 600 libraries and 140 hospitals at a cost of $90,000 to taxpayers. The promotion is part of a nearly $3 million, three-year All Kids marketing contract the state awarded to GMMB, the issues advertising and campaign arm of public relations industry giant Fleishman-Hillard.

And Eric Krol takes a whack at the guv in his column today. After telling readers that Blagojevich has long proclaimed himself to be a “friend of the working class,” Krol writes…

His actions in office donâ€™t seem to be exactly endearing him to his target audience lately.

In the past couple weeks, working-class voters have found out Blagojevich took a $1,500 check written to his daughter as a birthday gift just a couple weeks after he gave the check-writerâ€™s wife a $46,800-a-year state job.

And theyâ€™ve found out Blagojevich appointed his daughtersâ€™ baby-sitter to a $21,000-a-year job on a state panel.

Those are the kinds of moves that drive working-class folks â€” not to mention those in the non-working class â€” absolutely up the wall. Their children arenâ€™t getting $1,500 birthday gifts. And they sure as heck canâ€™t give their child-care provider such big-bonus perks.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 8:31 am

Comments

What about those rulers that say â€œIllinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinkaâ€ her office hands out at schools to promote her Bank-At-School program? Isnâ€™t that a violation of the ethics act?

Considering that Topinkaâ€™s rulers are obviously more expensive than a paper bookmark, I would image the cost to the state would be significantly more.

Comment by RealClear Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 9:32 am
Who are we trying to kid here?

“A state spokeswoman said every school district in Illinois was offered materials. Ultimately, items like the bookmark were distributed at more than 1,600 schools, 600 libraries and 140 hospitals at a cost of $90,000 to taxpayers. The promotion is part of a nearly $3 million, three-year All Kids marketing contract the state awarded to GMMB, the issues advertising and campaign arm of public relations industry giant Fleishman-Hillard.”

In an election year this almost borders on absurd. All it is missing is the “For Governor” part. It looks more and more like the AllKids non-program is just a tool to get Blago’s name out to more people for this election and at that taxpayer’s expense to top it off.

BTW. Has AllKids been funded yet? I mean “Officially funded”. Not the voodoo funding mechanism that has been proposed.

Comment by Buck Flagojevich Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 9:43 am
Just a perspective here from one of Krol’s working class families.

If these reporters were to go into Chicago’s ethnic working class communities and ask people about close family gifts, I am sure you would find many who received gifts valued between $500-$2000 in their life from close family and friends. When they go into the WASP-y collar counties, they won’t find many people who have received those kinds of gifts.

From my experience, there are strong cultural differences that influence perspectives on money. I am not saying this is what happened, but it might give a clue into real working class people’s perspectives on the issue.(Please don’t think I am trying to stereotype, or that this is the case for everyone in these groups - this is a summary in the interest of brevity.)

Comment by JohnR Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 9:59 am
The only working class the governor is helping are the friends and pals who work for him.

Comment by Walking Wounded Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 9:59 am
John R, you make a very good observation. Yet at the same time it is those same ethnic neighborhoods that have for decades been the fuel to feed the Chicago political machine. For generations they’ve known that cash here or a check there speeds up this or that government request or is a way to get a job.

You’re right and it’s wrong at the same time.

I won’t say it doesn’t happen out in WASPville, but it’s not part of the culture.

Comment by anon Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 10:05 am
Mr. Krol I am one of those working class people you write about. I work in the private sector and have all of my life. I got home this morning after a 12 hour night shift and a one hour drive.

I have not heard one person at my work place say a word about the check or the jobs you speak of, not one person.

What they have been talking about on the 12:00 AM lunch break and the 3:00 AM break is the Iraq war, many have sons and daughters over there, the need for affordable health care, schooling for their children (pre-school), how low the minimum wage is, not wanting their taxes to go up the achievements of their kids, the picnic they went on last weekend or the one they are planning this weekend, the Cardinal games, fishing, hunting season, and on and on, but not one mention of the check or the jobs.

You must be talking to a different working class than the people that I work with every night.

You think these working class folks are going to stay home on election day. I think they will be out in mass supporting candidates that believe in what they believe in and that would be Democrat Candidates.

Comment by (618) Democrat Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 11:35 am
The real is isn’t that they put out stuff about All Kids, it’s that it’s always referred to as “Gov. Blagojevich’s All Kids Program”. If he wants to take credit for it, let him pay for it.

Jesse stopped doing it. JBT stopped doing it. Rod does it more than before.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 12:11 pm
The real ‘issue’

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 12:11 pm
Buck,
If the Governor’s office was not advertising AllKids, you and the other geniuses would be criticizing him for that. Why shouldn’t his name be on the bookmarks? He’s governor and it is his program.
As far as Krol is concerned,he is even more off base than usual. The Governor just this past week picked up endorsements from FOP,IFT,SEIU and he had already been endorsed by IL.AFL-CIO. Who do these unions represent?..Working people!
OOOOhhhh…yeah that’s right. The leaders are out of touch and corrupt and the rank and file are all repubs. Why, then, do they continue to get re-elected?
The only working person Kroll speaks for is himself….if you can call what he does work.

Comment by Bill Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 12:36 pm
Bill,

I really despise responding to your inane comments. This time I have to. It is an election year. OK. People at 2,340 public and private institutions are receiving what amounts to a piece of campaign literature for the Gov. One that is produced at the taxpayers expense. Are you happy that Rod is spending your money in this manner? This is part of the reason we currently are running a $5 billion deficit in this state. There is no money for Rod to keep spending, but he does.

To make it real simple for you… He should leave his f***ing name off the bookmarks. Plain and simple. Just like his name is left off the rejection letters sent to people who don’t qualify for AllKids.

Although it will look funny to see his name on all of these promo pieces when he gets indicted.

Comment by Buck Flagojevich Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 2:41 pm
Bill these unions always endorse democrats.If they wanted to do it right they would hold an election and then endorse the winner now that would mean something.Instead you have lifetime Democrats endorsining Democrats.

Comment by DOWNSTATE Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 2:57 pm
All I can say is State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, 5 ILCS 430 (5 ILCS 430/5â€‘20)

Maybe Mr. Blagojevich and his staff needs to re-read (if they’ve even read) the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act and retake the Ethics Test

Comment by One Man Can Make A Difference Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 5:13 pm
Bill - The FOP leadership made the endorsement and it was not supported by the rank and file.

Comment by Huh? Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 5:27 pm
DId I understand right,she was mad at Rod because she did not get a promotion in a job she bought to start with? Hopefully someone in Rods fam. will have a birthday real soon and they can cut another check> Happy Birthday!!!

Comment by NIEVA Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 6:02 pm
Yes, there are cultural differences regarding money. However, if you’re a politician, the culture of politics should be foremost in your mind. (maybe it was?) After all, he graduated from Northwestern University in 1979 and earned a law degree from Pepperdine University in 1983. He was also an assistant Cook County state’s attorney, prosecuting criminal cases. I don’t think he’s just some dumb victim of a misperception of cultural traditions and he didn’t know any better. If he even studied his own ethics test he would have known that activities that are not illegal but give the appearance of being unethical should be avoided.

Comment by NoGiftsPlease Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 7:54 pm