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Question of the day

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Illinois

Suppose, for the moment, that Illinois constructs its own Mt. Rushmore.

What would the mountain be made of and who would be on it?

Please, answer both questions, in order. Thanks. Snark encouraged, of course.

[Derived from suggestions on yesterday’s QOTD.]

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:38 am

Comments

Pat Marcy, Richie Daley and Todd Stroger

Comment by Anon Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:41 am
It would be made out of trash and other non-recyclable waste materials. We have plenty of big landfills, but not really any mountains.

Richard M. Daley and Richard J. Daley. You got a problem with that?

Comment by carbon deforestation Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:43 am
I envision something like a Cahokia Mound. Maybe a group of 4 mounds with the likeness of the people mowed into the face. That way once someone becomes just another disgraced Illinois politician, we can let the grass grow and replace said person with someone else. That, or maybe something built over a covered landfill - art imitating life…

In all seriousness, I’d go with Lincoln, Simon, Obama, Stevenson.

Comment by Bill S. Preston, Esq. Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:45 am
If it was made from granite, then I’d suggest Lincoln, Stevenson II, Dirksen and Simon.

If it was made from cow dung, then I’d suggest Blagojevich, Big Bill Thompson, Len Small and Paul Powell.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:45 am
I don’t think we could pull off a “Mount”. Don’t have the terrain for that.

Maybe it could be one of those images people make in cornfields that you can only see from up above.

Comment by George Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:46 am
Burris, Burris, Burris and Burris.

The mountain would be made of helium and balloons.

Comment by IrishPirate Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:47 am
Reagan, Lincoln, Stephenson, Dirksen

Provided you can find a mountain in Illinois.

Comment by Pale Rider Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:48 am
Made of someting golden, with Blago, Ryan, Walker and Kerner.

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:48 am
Answer both questions, please.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:48 am
Or we can just make them out of tall buildings. I hear the Sears Tower is thinking about a facelift.

A true “rushmore” would be Abraham Lincoln, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, and Al Capone.

Comment by George Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:49 am
It should be made of coal (since that is what Santa leaves bad children), look like an Illinois licence complete with the faces of all our former governers who did time. It should include the inscription “Illinois, where our governors make our licence plates.”

Comment by Did you say that Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:50 am
Our State’s most well-known Native Sons:

- John Stroger’s son
- Richard M. Daley’s son

Any recycled material would do, but I’d suggest tires from Hired Trucks.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:50 am
How about made out of butter.

We could put a corn cob, a cow, and Blago’s face on it!

Comment by wow Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 11:52 am
Carve it from one of those old pinkish-gray coal slag heaps that dot central and northern Illinois(they look kinda like mountains).

Who should be on it? Since the real Mt. Rushmore is all presidents, then ours should be all presidents too: Lincoln, Grant, Reagan and Obama.

Comment by Secret Square Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:00 pm
The mountain would consist of all our unpaid bills. The images on it would be the “See no evil, Hear no evil, and Say no evil”, with Emil Jones, Rod Blagojevich and Michael Madigan.

Viewing this monument would cost each Illinoian $5000, payable in Yen.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:00 pm
Instead of a Mount Rushmore-like figure, I’d like to suggest an eternal flame for all the money that has been “wasted” by corruption and outright theft of public resources by the many pols in Illinois — too numerous, of course, to place on any one structure.

You could put it right outside Chicago’s City Hall, as a reminder. It might not be the right kind of reminder, but it could serve that function nonetheless…

Comment by bored now Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:02 pm
It should be made of paiper-mache with dollar bills as the “paiper”. Then glazed to preserve it, with a glaze strong enough to withstand 100 years of people rubbing the noses for good luck.

Daley Sr. and Jr., Kerner, Walker, Ryan, Blago, Paul Powell, Len Small and Big Bill Thompson would be leading candidates. Maybe Burris and Triple J to give the monument diversity.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:05 pm
One more.

How about The People Who Still Don’t Get It:

Deb Mell, voted against impeachment;

Burris, accepted an appointment from Blago;

Fritchey, cut off a line of questioning regaridng Burris and Blago;

Barbara Flynn Curie: Sat on the new Burris affidavit.

It would have to be made of lead, since these people, at least in this context, have shown themselves to be amazingly dense.

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:09 pm
The mountain would be made of the crushed bones of people crossed the speaker through the years of course. Lincoln Reagan Grant and Obama

Comment by G-hack Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:12 pm
I’ll repeat my comments yesterday that it should be McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters), Abe Lincoln, Nelson Algren, and Barack Obama and it would be made of old car bumpers. It would be magestic!

Comment by Ahem Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:16 pm
Im sure that should we do something like this we should make it out of smoke and mirrors so we can send our saviour of the day and flash them out as quick as we put them up.

Comment by anon58 Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:17 pm
It would be inset via hologram into the bean in Millenium Park and would display the mugs of Lincoln, Stevenson, Simon and Jesse Jackson.

Comment by Obamarama Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:22 pm
First of all, where in the world would we find enough horse manure?

Secondly…. Blago, George Ryan,and Roland Burris. Make it a wide-angle, mesa-type mound, with room for add-ons later.

Comment by SpfldJimbo Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:22 pm
A mountain of manure of course. Rather than actual people, I would put categories of people on it… The ward hack, the corrupt politician, the rich contractor and leave a blank space for the ghost payroller.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:24 pm
Abe, Stevenson, Simon, BHO - on the side of the cliffs on the southern edge of the state. It would be spectacular to see from KY and MO.

But isn’t the 21st C version of a Mount Rushmore the Crown Fountain in Chicago’s Millennium Park? We could have the pics of the good guys on one side and the baddies on the other - spewing water at each other.

Comment by Redbright Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:29 pm
Lincoln, Daley Sr., Jesse White, Obama

Made from Steel from scraps left behind at the deserted Steel Mills, and also on that site.

Comment by thirdgenerationchicagonative Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:29 pm
Tommy guns, bombs and booze bottles, cases & kegs.
The three Shelton Brothers, Carl, Bernie & Earl, and Charlie Birger.

Comment by enrico depressario Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:30 pm
Carve it out of the hills in Montgomery County; they need a tourist attraction downstate. It should include: Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, Everett Dirkson, Daley Sr., and Obama.

Comment by Paul, Just This Guy, You Know? Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:44 pm
Made from paper. Because all the paper used to get certain politicians out of office.

Burris, Blago, and Ryan. and we dye the paper orange representing the orange suites they are or soon to be wearing.

Comment by Weeders Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:47 pm
Some of the sandstone bluffs in the Illinois Valley are impressive. I’d put Lincoln, Grant, Reagan, and Obama on it.

Or…

The large landfill outside of Pontiac could have Blago, Burris, Kerner, Walker, and Ryan etched into it somehow. Who knows, Burris and Blago might think it was a compliment.

Comment by HoBoSkillet Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:50 pm
Carol Moseley Braun. First African-American woman elected to the US Senate.

Jane Byrne. First female mayor of Chicago.

Harold Washington. First African American Mayor of Chicago.

Betty Loren-Maltese. She’s gotta be the first female mayor to wear an orange jumpsuit.

Comment by The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 12:54 pm
HoBo, if it’s gonna be in Pontiac, then use one of the outer walls of the prison. Solicit some kids who are great “tagging” artists and spray paint the faces of all governors who have done time. Make sure the wall is big enough to add to because in this State, it isn’t gonna end with Blago. Illinois never learns so there will be more corrupt governors down the line. Mt. Shamemore.

Comment by Little Egypt Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:04 pm
The mountain would be made out of pork rinds.

On it would be:

Otto Kerner
Dan Walker
George Ryan
Rod Blagojevich

Comment by Jechislo Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:14 pm
HoBoSkillet hit it out of the park!
Lincoln, Grant, Reagan, and Obama.
Come to think of this, this is a great idea.

Comment by Who Id It? Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:14 pm
John Fritchey, James J. Banks, William V. P. Banks, Samuel V. Banks

pulped certified mail receipts from notifications of public hearings on zoning changes

Comment by BannedForLife Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:16 pm
Ernie Banks, Walter Payton, Michael Jordan and Nellie Fox. They’ve done more for Illinois than anyone elected.

Comment by tired Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:19 pm
Made of clay.

Any four sets of feet would do because no one knows what politicians’ feet look like.

Comment by Cal Skinner Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:27 pm
Limestone: Lincoln, Paul Douglas, Adlai II, Paul Simon, Obama.

Bundles of cash: Big Bill Thompson, Paul Powell, Fast Eddie, Rod Blagojevich.

Asphalt: Daley Sr, Daley Jr, Rostenkowski, Jim Thompson.

Figments of their own imagination: Blagojevich, Burris, Peracia, Keyes.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:28 pm
Are we going to celebrate what we ought to be aiming for or what we do aim for?

Mt. Oughtta — some outcropping or other, probably have to be Jo Daviess County or way south, with Lincoln, maybe Stevenson, Dirksen,and I suppose we’d have to do Grant. (we need to avoid anyone too contemporary for something like this).

Mt. Reality — papier mache made from all the state’s IOUs, sealed with some kind of substance that’s “guaranteed” by the contracter (i.e. breaks down under sunlight and leaks water within a few years, making the whole sculpture develop hideous mold spots), depicting the visages of Blago, Paul Powell, “Blotto” Otto Kerner and George Ryan.

Comment by Angry Chicagoan Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:28 pm
Dan Hynes (the elder), The orgianl Mayor Daley, John Stroger, Mike Madigan..made from Flech and Blood

Comment by Wumpus Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:38 pm
Jechislo-

If pork rinds are used, gotta include Ken Gray, Bill Lipinski and Denny Hastert.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:41 pm
Mountain made of old shredded money:

on it would be

Carol Moseley Braun
Cellini
Geore Ryan
Rod Blagojevich

Comment by Ghost Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:46 pm
wait, why do we need a new monument, can’t we just use Burrises?

Comment by Ghost Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:47 pm
Ghost: LoL That’s a great idea.

Comment by HoBoSkillet Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:51 pm
The mountain would be made of gold,Illinois taxpayers aren’t very tax conscious.The construction project would be Davis-Bacon wages with 100% union workers.Who’d be on the mountain? The first Mayor Daley,Pat Marcy,Alderman Roti,and Alderman Burke.Alderman Burke can also handle the legal work if someone needs a property tax cut on the land.

Comment by Steve Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:57 pm
It would be made out of the molehills that generate so much unnecessary legislation.

But my picks from yesterday still stand, Simon with bowtie, Dirksen, J. Addams, and Altgeld. If we were to have five faces, add Muddy Waters.

Comment by Captain Flume Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 1:57 pm
I would make the mountain out of the landfill on I-55/70 near Cahokia Mounds, which dwarfs the ones built by the Cahokians and is still growing with Missouri trash.

Despite the material, I would consider it in honor of role models Abraham Lincoln, Jane Addams, Elliott Ness and Paul Simon.

Comment by Vote Quimby! Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 2:08 pm
It would be made out of smoke and mirrors. No one would ever be on it because of massive cost overruns and construction holdups.

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 2:08 pm
Oops! I goofed that one up. Let me try again:

“It would be made out of smoke and mirrors. No one nobody sent would ever be on it because of massive cost overruns and constructions holdups.”

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 2:11 pm
It’s hard to choose across the ages. The State Library has 50 Illinois authors around its rim, rather than pick the top seven or eight for the front.

So for this idea today, we need projections across the Thompson Center on all three sides (not four sides, due to its slope):

Let’s put the poses of Illinois figures from prior to 1920 such as Lincoln, Altgelt and Joe Cannon on one side,

1920s to 1970 such as Da Mayor, Everett Dirkson
and Adlai Stevenson II on the next,

and 1970 to the present with Reagan, Obama, Simon, and maybe Hastert or Jim Edgar.

Simon could slip to the earlier era, if need be, due to space limitations.

Comment by Capitol View Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 2:13 pm
The monument would be carved from the purest canary-yellow sulphur. Its pungent odor cmay be smelled for tens of miles away. Carved on Mt. Flushmore are four of Illinois’ most shameful politicians and faithless stewards of taxpayer monies. They are: Otto Kerner, Rod Blagojevich, Dan Rostenkowski and of course, George Ryan. Roland Burris is depicted on the adjacent “Crazy Burris” monument which is still under construction.

Comment by Jake from Elwood Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 2:13 pm
Classic buildings that were demolished, like Chicago Stadium.

Illinois greats:

DuSable, Lincoln, Richard J. Daley and ???

Obama’s not dead yet.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 2:21 pm
It would be made out of garbage.

Faces would include Blago, Dan Rostenkowski, Mel Reynolds and George Ryan with the words “Taking out the Trash” under their corrupt mugs.

Comment by Pickles!! Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 2:27 pm
I like the idea about mowing the faces in grass. I propose we put the faces of all Illinois politicians that have gone to jail. I know it would have to be a mighty big hill, but we could set the head count to something reasonable like 20 or so. When a new politician goes to jail the last one on the list gets mowed over. That way we won’t run out of monument land. We will have lots of room for Blago, Vrdolyak, Daily, maybe even Obama (Doubtful, he would just have his VEEP pardon him). Hell we could even open it up to civilians who participated on political corruption like Rezko, Celini, etc.

Comment by solo Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 2:40 pm
I’d make it out of granite and put the faces of Ned Locke, Frazier Thomas, Bob Bell and Ray Raynor…real clowns who were honest as the day is long.

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 2:47 pm
Make it out of crushed beer cans, and put Royko, Terkel, Miller and Carl Marin on it.

Comment by Muskrat Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 3:20 pm
Carl?

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 3:21 pm
It would be made out of court papers: indictments, jury instructions, and motions to stay the term of incarceration pending appeal. For a bit of added texture, we could add copies of “good-government” legislative proposals.

Carved into it would be a list of the names of disgraced public figures. Rcent additions include Vrdolyak, Blagojevich, Ryan, Troutman, and on and on.

Just leave space for names to be added in 2016, when the multi-billion dollar Olympic slush goes up for grabs.

Comment by TomD Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 3:22 pm
Mississippi Limestone: Lincoln, Grant, Reagan, Jane Addams

Greased Palms: Big Bill Thompson, Len Small, Anthony “Big Tuna” Accardo, Richard M. Daley

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 3:25 pm
Carol!

Comment by Muskrat Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 3:35 pm
Ok, so lets add good reporters, Rich Miller, Steve Neal, Dick Kay, Bob Crawford, all steel sculptures made out of Steel Scrap left at the abdoned Steel mills in the 7th Ward (Far Southeast side Chicago, on the lake) and then it could be turned into the new sculpture park, kindof the South Side Milleneum Park. Along with the Rushmore SS sculpture of course.

Comment by thirdgenerationchicagonative Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 4:29 pm
Instead of faces, it ought to depict posteriors.

Comment by krome Friday, Feb 27, 09 @ 8:42 pm