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* I tried restraining myself, but I just gotta say, this is probably the most stupid reaction to the “Statehouse doors” controversy I’ve yet seen. From Rep. Dwight Kay’s website…
Do you think the Illinois State Capitol should have copper doors valued at $670,000? Illinois State Representative Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) thinks they should be sold. Rep. Kay recently introduced legislation to auction off the outlandish doors to the highest bidder and use the revenue to pay unpaid bills or reinvest in education. […]
Rep. Kay’s resolution (HJR48) orders that the new copper doors be removed from the capitol building’s west side entrance to be auctioned off or sold to the highest bidder. Rep. Kay added, “we can have beautiful doors appropriate for the capitol for an amount less than what was spent on copper doors by the administration.”
The resolution actually goes further than that…
RESOLVED, That we urge the Architect of the Capitol to direct the revenue from the sale of the copper doors towards Illinois’ public education system or to pay down unpaid bills;
So, who might be in the market for custom, made-to-fit, copper-plated doors? Maybe scrap dealers. And then we take the few bucks we get, put it toward schools or bills and then spend even more money to put up some doors on the western entrance?
Got it.
Great.
* Meanwhile, from a Chicago Tribune editorial…
The General Assembly “skipped the requirement of justifying why the investment was a higher priority than the needed improvements to our water, roads, public transit and education systems,” says the Civic Federation’s Laurence Msall.
From Msall’s official bio…
Msall was the Senior Advisor for Economic Development for Illinois Governor George H. Ryan. Msall was responsible for the oversight of eleven of the state’s economic development and infrastructure-related agencies including the Departments of Commerce and Community Affairs, Revenue, Transportation, and the state’s housing and other development authorities
Yes,. and there was no waste at all in George Ryan’s Illinois FIRST capital plan. Nope. None. Not even the stained glass windows in a suburban parking garage.
The architect in charge of a $50 million renovation project at the Illinois Capitol is defending his work in the wake of criticism from Gov. Pat Quinn, saying Friday that the governor was “completely out of line.”
J. Richard Alsop III has come under fire for portions of the project Quinn has deemed “excessive,” including three sets of copper-plated doors that cost nearly $700,000, as well as expensive chandeliers and light fixtures of robed maidens. Earlier this week Quinn said Alsop needed to be “reined in” by the board that oversees the architect’s office, a comment Alsop said was “unwarranted.”
“It’s completely unfair,” Alsop said Friday. “We were given a direction. The scope was agreed to long before I got here, money was appropriated long before I got here. We did the best job we could with the resources that we had.” […]
Both Alsop and the board also sought to place some of the responsibility back on Quinn, saying all contracts were vetted and approved by the Capital Development Board, an agency that reports to the governor’s office.
“I think there is a misunderstanding about the way the process works here,” Alsop said after the meeting. “This office isn’t solely responsible for the project that happened in the complex and I think it’s important that people realize that’s the case.”
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 2:18 pm
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Yes, Illinois First. I thought tennis courts for Rochester was ‘in your face’ bad government…..but the stained glass deal….wow
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 2:34 pm
Thanks for stepping up, Rep. Kay. Some Mushrooms never cease to amuse.
–“It’s completely unfair,” Alsop said Friday. “We were given a direction. The scope was agreed to long before I got here, money was appropriated long before I got here. We did the best job we could with the resources that we had.” […]
Both Alsop and the board also sought to place some of the responsibility back on Quinn, saying all contracts were vetted and approved by the Capital Development Board, an agency that reports to the governor’s office. –
No, that can’t be true. The GA and executive can’t possibly be responsible for anything, or exercise oversight over anything, that might turn out to be controversial.
Obviously, we have a rogue architect. That’s the only reasonable explanation.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 2:39 pm
State of Illinois Building in Chicago - enough said
Comment by Anon2 Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 2:42 pm
This is what happens when populism is the governing philosophy. Since folks in Illinois seem to have embraced this view (see election/re-election of Rod Blagojevich) it is understanding when others jump on the band wagon. How else does one get heard amongst all the noise that passes for political discourse in this state?
I checked ebay, it hasn’t been listed yet but I’m watching. I need a new door to my garden shed.
Comment by dupage dan Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 2:55 pm
“…recently introduced legislation to auction off the…”
How about this?
“…recently introduced legislation to auction off the legislature itself: a few/some/many/all…”
Comment by sal-says Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 2:55 pm
Install them to the main entrance to the Illinois Tollway’s central administration building in Downers Grove, IL.
Everything is golden there a little copper couldn’t hurt.
Comment by Just Saying Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 2:59 pm
Use of the word dumb by rich is highly offensive. Can we ban rich for say a couple of weeks?
Comment by rahm in cheek Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 2:59 pm
Too bad there was already a QOTD. This would have made perfect fodder for a Friday afternoon.
“What else can we auction off to pay Illinois’ bills?”
Comment by ChrisB Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:00 pm
If anyone should be qualified to comment on the issue, Msall is. He understands the process, regardless of prior spending.
As to Alsop? No doubt the man is being thrown under the bus. This should be one of his crowning achievements and it is becoming an absolute nightmare. He deserves some flack for being absolutely tone-deaf, but does not the brunt of the weight.
The focus of outrage should be on those public officials, from the governor on down, who came up with the brilliant idea of passing a spending plan with extra budgeting room for maidens, chandeliers and gilded doors during the worst economy since the Great Depression.
There were, and are, a million other things that could have used the money they spent on doors, chandeliers, maidens and who knows what else.
At minimum, those sorts of purchases for the “palace” should be made when our economy is back on track - not when we’re cutting vital services for the “subjects” and neglecting other “crown jewels” like the Governor’s mansion.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:01 pm
Surprised Laurence took the bait on that one. Pretty stupid comment from a pretty smart guy.
Comment by Jaded Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:01 pm
“We got these doors and they’re effing copper.”
Comment by Jake From Elwood Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:18 pm
I always thinks its cute when Mushrooms do something like Dwight Kay is doing.
Yay!
Woop, woop, woop!
That is genius, just pure genius.
What is most enjoyable about the “Kay Solution” is that doors need to go up at smoe point, of after we pay for that “cheaper” set of CUSTOM doors, and the auction to get the money and figure out all the math …Man, that is really getting it done for the People while in Springfield.
I don’t get it, how did Kay get out-manuvered for Minority Leader?
Mushrooms are cute at THIS stage of their careers, aren’t they?
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:18 pm
After reading a lot of these ‘door’ stories, they all rant on ‘how expensive’, ‘poor timing’, ‘point a finger’, and/or ‘poor choice’ the doors are. None of those stories had an alternative. No one mentioned a specific company where the doors could be made for 1/3 the price. None said drop the importance of the historical stuff. None said what an acceptable price might be. I did not read/recall any suggestion to put the old doors back up. Of course no other state building/road/bridge ever went over their budget. These doors were in the budget, on the blue prints, and in the plan that was reviewed and approved by all the groups who needed to approve a $50M project. Forty years from now those doors will be opening a million times a year and the complainers will be long gone or onto their latest easy outrage. Move on.
Comment by zatoichi Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:20 pm
Can Kay be serious?
Comment by Ray del Camino Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:21 pm
He’ll probably never get another state job, but that is really no loss. I’m sure I know a lot of the headaches he had just to get anything dome. Have a friend with extensive historic restoration credentials and credits who got involved in a remodeling a historic home for government. He was smart enough to insist on a ‘cost plus’ contract but still had nothing but problems with governement tryign to tell him how to do his job. After that experience, he swore he would NEVER take another government job … and he’s keep that vow.
So I have a pretty good idea how Alsop feels about being undeservedly thrown under the bus …
Comment by RNUG Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:21 pm
The money is spent. Its gone. Selling them will not get it back… BUT then again these are politicians and spending/wasting other peoples money comes naturally to them.
Comment by RonOglesby Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:23 pm
Kay is starting to give the name rube a bad name…same for Ryan hack Msall
Comment by circular firing squad Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:29 pm
Alsop did nothing more than what architects do, which is to design around available resources. The objective is to achieve the best possible product within the limits of the cost constraint. Any with doubts should tour a Frank Lloyd Wright building. Unfortunately, in this instance, the architect finds himself in the middle of a protracted election cycle featuring Quinn and Daley, and later, the winner versus someone else.
Comment by Keyser Soze Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:45 pm
Rep. Kay is the Mr. Magoo of the general assembly. Like the state would even recoup the total money it paid for the doors in the first place if it auctioned them off. Rep. Kay, we all know that you are a business man, you preempt your floor debates with that more Drury reminding us all that he’s a former US attorney. Go back to VPing that mom and pop transportation company full time, because if DPI drops even a few thousand in your race this time, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing.
The state has much bigger problems than the $700K it spent for doors. Children our getting killed every day in Chicago, focus on the true issues.
Comment by Dirt Diver Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:46 pm
Just so you know, circular firing squad, Msall was a Thompson hack before he was a Ryan hack, so he is a “hack from way back.”
Comment by Jaded Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:47 pm
Poor Alsop just doesn’t understand that in simplistic Quinnworld the bus can only drive over one person at a time.
Comment by Sir Reel Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:48 pm
Is the architect saying there was $700k set aside for new doors long before he got there? How did they know how much the doors would cost before someone priced them.
Who decided the renovation would cost 50 mil if it wasn’t the guys in charge of the renovation?
Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:49 pm
Damn it Rich, Naperville needs that window…
Comment by OneMan Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 3:56 pm
Trying to think of a worse idea for the doors than Rep. Kay’s idea.
What if the state contract with an outside vendor to build them for free, and use all the money freed up for whatever. Put a sensor on the door. Every time any body walks through the door, starting next fiscal year, for the next 99 years, the state pays the vendor $100.
Comment by Robert the Bruce Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 4:00 pm
Kay’s ’solution’ is the exact type of thinking that has put our finances and discourse in the sewer. Great job, Bonzo
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 4:01 pm
=We did the best job we could with the resources that we had=
Isn’t that the point……maybe you should’ve stretched those resources a little further, rather than buying doors that cost about $100K per set & settled for the $25K doors?
Alsop is too busy blaming Quinn to understand the gripe.
Comment by TCB Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 4:09 pm
This whole door thing is just insanity. And for those of you griping, find something else to gripe about instead of this non issue. Let it go people.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 4:19 pm
mr./ms jaded
jrt never gave msall much to do
ryan let him be the architect of his building plan
but hack from way back has a ring!
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 5:02 pm
This Dwight Kay guy is a bonehead. He has done absolutely nothing since the day he was narrowly elected except to make stupid comments how about would quickly solve all the states problems. He tries to talk a good game but has done nothing. Hopefully he will gone in a year or so.
Comment by Really Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 10:40 pm
Kay obviously isn’t serious, except in trying to fool the voting public.
Comment by walkinfool Saturday, Sep 14, 13 @ 10:54 am