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Just stop it, already

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Illinois

The state spent $559,845 to hire 250 National Guard troops and another $75,370 to rent armored trucks and military equipment to patrol the Capitol Complex and surrounding historic landmarks during the days leading up to President Joe Biden’s inauguration, according to records filed by the Illinois Department of Military Affairs.

Governor J.B. Pritzker gave the order to activate the guard to secure the perimeter around the statehouse after the January 6th riots at the U.S. Capitol. The deployment ended without incident.

The FBI issued a bulletin warning about the potential for armed protests at all 50 state capital cities. However, a spokesperson for the Illinois State Police said they never received any evidence of a specific threat in Springfield.

“The Illinois National Guard is only used in emergencies after civilian first responder resources are exhausted,” Lieutenant Colonel Brad Leighton said. “We are proud to work with our law enforcement and emergency response partners in ensuring our State Capital is secure against domestic terrorism.”

Unlike the National Guard troops who were deployed to protect the U.S. Capitol grounds during the inauguration, the deployment to Springfield was considered state active duty and will not be reimbursed by the federal government. The bulk of the expenses went toward salaries for the soldiers who had to leave their regular jobs to activate for the mission.

* WTVO TV…

The FBI warned about the potential for heavily armed protests at all 50 state capitols, but some critics say the deployment was nothing more than a PR stunt.

“We’ve never had a Trump protest or gathering in Springfield. It’s done anything, but be peaceful and pick up after itself,” said Rep. Dan Caulkins. “I don’t believe that it represents anything going on in Illinois other than a political agenda.”

Yes, because the FBI was all-in on a political stunt. Right. If the deployments hadn’t been ordered and something bad did happen on par with what went down at the US Capitol, there woulda been heck to pay, not just money.

I learned when covering Kosovo and then Iraq that threat assessments are made by people with a whole lot more information than I have. The assessment this time was off, perhaps because potential insurgents saw the reaction to their insurrection in DC. Rep. Caulkins might want to consider what his public denialism is doing to his country.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:10 am

Comments

This was a “February Sweep” story from WCIA after the Super Bowl to drum up hype. Disappointed in Maxwell for not being balanced and going more into the threats from the FBI in the story but instead focused just on the expenditures and how nothing happened.

Comment by FinanceCity Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:17 am
“Rep. Caulkins might want to consider what his public denialism is doing to his country.”

People like him only care about what happens during the next election cycle.

Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:18 am
Representative Caulkins. Always complaining. No ideas. No contributions. Nuf said

Comment by Stormsw7706 Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:20 am
Guarantee you that Caulkins is all about deterrence when it comes to Black and brown people.

Comment by Precinct Captain Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:22 am
eastern bloc will never consider anything rationally. they are part of the same deluded populace who believe in crazy conspiracy theories. completely disconnected.

Comment by blue line Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:28 am
Up until January 6th of this year, I always presumed that people acting as the seditious mob mob of loyal Trump supporters did by storming the Capitol and in an effort to impede our Government and kidnap and harm our elected officials would have resulted in a lot of dead rioters.

People who run this kind of story should be forced to speculate on air what would have occurred if this mob of seditious traitors had been able to locate Representative Ocasio-Cortez or Speaker Pelosi before they question the necessity of public spending to confront domestic terrorism by white nationalists so disloyal they sought to prevent the transition of power by killing or kidnapping members of congress.

Present in that building that day were the Vice President, Speaker of the House, Senate Majority Leader, and Vice President elect.

We were attacked by a violent mob planned and orchestrated with the assistance of the former President, his campaign, and funding from undisclosed sources and we as a nation got so lucky that day.

Not a dime of that money would have needed to be spent if the GOP had not spent the last several years caudleling and encouraging terrorists and advancing Trump’s big lie.

This isn’t just bad journalism, it’s part of a narrative to change the topic to something that conservatives can easily ridicule by pretending that our response to the necessity of securing our National Capitol was fiscally irresponsible.

Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:28 am
When WICS tells you there is a tornado warning for your area, and to take cover, you take cover even if the tornado doesn’t hit your house. Right? The governor was told by top officials to take cover because a riot was coming to the state capitols so he put safety first by boarding up the state capitol. The cost would have been much more had a riot hit our state capitol and it was not properly secured. WICS’s news has Sinclair’s political hack all over it.

Comment by M Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:30 am
@M - Agree with the Sinclair take but both WTVO and WCIA are owned by Nextstar

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:35 am
The Federal Bureau of Investigation or Dan Caulkins…pick one?

Caulkins is treading on the road between embarrassing and dangerous.

Comment by Dotnonymous Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:36 am
-Candy Dogood
On point and well said. We’ve got 44 Senators in Washington wanting to change the story even after it happened and is captured on tape and film, why wouldn’t the same happen here?

Comment by Lincoln Lad Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:36 am
“Caulkins might want to consider what his public denial-ism is doing to his country.”

Caulkins only cares about his power and money.

Trump’s people including Caulkins don’t appear to understand what will happen to them - to all of us - if we lose our republic, liberty and freedoms.

Comment by M Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:41 am
I can guarantee you that if they Governor had done nothing and there had been an attack. Rep. Dan Caulkins would be complaining that the Governor didn’t do anything to prevent the attack. It seems all these Republicans can do is complain with nothing to offer to fix things.

Comment by Club J Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:42 am
Who are you going to believe?…Dan Caulkins or The F.B.I.?…or your own lyin’ eyes.

Comment by Dotnonymous Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:43 am
==The assessment this time was off,==

Was it? Or did the rapid mobilization of guard troops to DC, the publicizing of the FBI threat assessment and the callup of guard troops to state capitals disincentivize people from showing up lest they end up in prison?

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:43 am
This is a common response to effective preventative measures. “Why did we spend money on that? Nothing happened.” The presence of the Guard and the publicity around their deployment very likely discouraged people from showing up. Prevention works. Money and time well spent.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:47 am
Cool Papa Bell -thank you. I thought Sinclair owned most of the local TV stations in IL. You said Nextstar owns WCIA, Who owns WAND and/or WICS?

Comment by M Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:49 am
Caulkin’s attempt to minimize the lethal nature of this failed coup is memorably damning…he should know it’s never too late to turn back.

Comment by Dotnonymous Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:56 am
==Who owns WAND and/or WICS?==
WICS is Sinclair WAND is Block Communiations.

Comment by FinanceCity Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:58 am
WICS is owned by Sinclair.

Comment by Anyone Remember Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:59 am
Serious Question: ==$75,370 to rent armored trucks and military equipment.==

Where do we “rent” armored trucks and military equipment? Why does our NG units not have these already?

Comment by GlenEd Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 12:01 pm
Sometimes those assessments are made by someone with a political point to make.

Comment by Captain Obvious Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 12:01 pm
I am not nor will I ever endorse violence BUT when government officials are afraid of the people then it is time for those officials to take a look at what policies they espouse that lead people to go to take up arms against there own government. Perhaps it is the officials are out of the mainstream.

Comment by The Old Man Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 12:13 pm
I still can’t believe what happened 01/06/21. I’d rather we be safe vs sorry based on info provided. If it cost couple dollars, so be it.

Comment by BTO2 Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 12:22 pm
From a law enforcement and security standpoint, the best thing to have happen is NOTHING. Prevention beats response every time. And if ordering out the Guard and other measures worked to deter foolish or violent people, then it worked perfectly. You may never know what was prevented.

Comment by thisjustinagain Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 12:25 pm
To The Old Man, =Perhaps it is the officials are out of the mainstream.=

Marijuana reform, legalized sports betting, Same sex marriage. Yes officials were out of the mainstream on these issues.

Seeing no problem with sedition and violence in an attempt to stop the peaceful transfer of power. It’s you, The Old Man, who is “out of the mainstream”.

Comment by don the legend Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 12:37 pm
Interesting that Susan Allen Block a board member of Block corporation which owns WAND has social media posts supporting the January 6th riot. Oh my, what will the FCC do? Crickets.

Comment by Al Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 12:54 pm
@Candy Dogood -

= I always presumed that people acting as the seditious mob mob of loyal Trump supporters did by storming the Capitol and in an effort to impede our Government and kidnap and harm our elected officials would have resulted in a lot of dead rioters. =

Had they been Black, your presumption would have been correct.

Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 1:12 pm
Watch 10 minutes of WICS Springfield TV and 10 minutes of WCIA Champaign, and 10 minutes of WAND opening segments. Will tell you everything you need to know about station ownership ( and “ news “ quality ). BTW Mark Maxwell is really good at what he does

Comment by Stormsw7706 Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 2:04 pm
A show of force was much better than a use of force. Complaining about the cost is signaling irresponsibility and being unready to govern.

The Founding Fathers would have been amazed by the restraint shown in DC. The city was laid out so that cannon with grapeshot could be posted at the circles to “control” crowds.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 2:40 pm
=Watch 10 minutes of WICS Springfield TV and 10 minutes of WCIA Champaign, and 10 minutes of WAND opening segments.=

You can also add reading the 20 pages or less daily which the daily SJ-R has dwindled too. And maybe you might get 40 pages on Sunday. With news from 2 days ago on the front page. Brought to you by Gannett.

Comment by Chatham Resident Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 3:27 pm
Surprised at Old Man. When an out of the mainstream policy is adopted, debate it. Vote against its proponents. Taking up arms is not the right approach.

Comment by Mongo Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 4:13 pm
==it is time for those officials to take a look at what policies they espouse==

Yeah, and Ike wouldn’t have hit Tina if she had only listened.

Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 4:46 pm
==it is time for those officials to take a look at what policies they espouse that lead people to go to take up arms ==

You mean a government leader telling the people to “march to the capitol” and “fight like hell” to “take our country back”? Those policies that incited violence on 1/6/2021?

Comment by Steve Polite Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 5:11 pm
I would like to point out to those who say (more) rioters at the Capitol would have been shot if they were Black that the Capitol Police are highly trained and experienced at handling protesters and rioters, more so than any department in the country.

Crowd control is what they do day in and day out. Despite the seditious rioting we saw, no one is better at crowd control than the Capitol Police.

All law enforcement could learn from how most of the individual officers handled themselves and the rioters.

The public doesn’t understand that crowd control is not something most law enforcement agencies are trained in. Most police departments aren’t trained and don’t have any real experience. That can’t be said about the Capitol Police.

Comment by Occasionally Moderated Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 7:39 pm
Capitol Police might be trained in crowd control, but for orderly crowds. They were not trained or prepared for traitors breaching the Capitol.

Comment by West Side the Best Side Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 8:02 pm
I agree that no one saw that coming. I didn’t.

I don’t agree that they only deal with orderly crowds. That has never been completely true and it’s especially not true since the social media field extremism of the past couple years.

Part of what is different is the idea that the crowds can be directed by social media. Another part is the previous planning and execution of the violent mayhem that seems to be increasing in effectiveness.

I don’t know any capitol police officers but I bet they would tell you that same and more.

Comment by Occasionally Moderated Thursday, Feb 11, 21 @ 7:22 am
“Fueled” not “field”.

Comment by Occasionally Moderated Thursday, Feb 11, 21 @ 7:23 am
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Comment by Tena Rowan Thursday, Feb 25, 21 @ 7:04 pm