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The governor makes a last-minute decision to give a pal’s business an extra million taxpayer bucks and the home crowd cheers wildly.
After years of planning and waiting baseball fans in Southern Illinois will finally get to sit at their own ballpark and take in a ball game.The official announcement came during a new conference on Wednesday afternoon. And fans who’ve waited for years to hear the crack of the bat couldn’t be happier.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch story wasn’t as gushing.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich brushed aside criticism Wednesday over millions of state dollars benefiting a new minor league ballpark owned by a Metro East political patron, and made a surprise announcement of another $1 million to help the baseball stadium.His announcement coincided with word that an independent minor league expansion team would suit up at the stadium next year.
The new state funds, like the previous $3 million, will go to the city of Marion for infrastructure improvements to aid the project and the surrounding area. The park is the brainchild of prominent Metro East lawyer John Simmons, who along with his law firm has donated more than $1 million mostly to Democratic causes in recent years.
It’s even better than that.
What follows is an e-mail I received early this morning from a reporter who was at the event. [Emphasis added]
[The governor] claimed — at least twice, because I asked the question afterwards — that he just decided to do it while sitting at the groundbreaking.That’s all well and good, but it jogged my memory of the story last week where two Republican lawmakers filed a FOIA request to get budget details. Weren’t they worried that he would start doling out $50,000,000 on the campaign trail? And…didn’t he basically start doing that yesterday?
Not quite. But one can’t help but wonder which budget line he plans to raid to get that million dollars.
This last-minute money decision does have precedent in southern Illinois. A while back he was roundly booed when he was introduced before an SIU Carbondale basketball game.
During the game, people who were there tell me, the governor asked around to see what he could do to cheer up the fans because he was scheduled to go onto the court at halftime. When he was told that his office was sitting on a grant for the school’s marching band, he decided to release the cash. One of his top aides reportedly suggested that he run the decision by his budget director first, but the governor testily brushed off the suggestion and made the grant announcment himself at midcourt, before spinning a ball on his finger.
The man is a natural campaigner. No doubt about that.
UPDATE: Check out the comments for a funny story from the aforementioned reporter.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 7:17 am
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Did he yell “because it’s the right thing to dooooo”
when he announced this?
Comment by Gregor Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 7:31 am
Here’s the transcript:
Me: “Governor, the extra million dollars…that was a surprise to everybody.”
Gov: “Yeah” (he interrupted, FWIW)
Me: “Where did that idea come from?”
Gov: “Came from me just sitting here, and feeling kind of emotional about this special day. And you know, once in awhile, you gotta, sometimes, indulge your heart and make decisions sometimes with that. Now, when my budget director hears this, he’s not going to be too happy about it. But you know, it’s just a great thing we’re doing here.”
He then gushed about Marion baseball again, and referred to Andy McKenna as a “silk-stocking dilettante” for about the 25th time that day.
Comment by The Reporter In Question Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 7:50 am
No $$ to fund IL pensions for 2 years, no $$ for squad cars or state building maintenance but we find $$ for Puerto Rican Day parade, stem cell research grants, a Chicago south side Baptist church roof, Open Road Tolling signs and a $million for a ball park?? Is the general fund a private piggy bank to be used at the whim of our Governor?
Comment by North of I-80 Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 7:56 am
I-80 has it right, this guy thinks taxpayer money is his to hand out to anyone (by anyone, of course, meaning Dem donors).
Yes, yes, yes, of course, previous Governors have provided $$$ for projects either by “member initiative” or some other instrument in the budget. This guy, however, is not only “governing” by press conference/release, he is also governing by executive whim.
“Silk-stocking dillatante” from a man who treats his hair better than his Lt. Governor. This guy is just jealous that no matter where he gets to sit at Wrigley, McKenna always has better seats…
Comment by SangamoGOP Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 8:04 am
So the state has given Marion, and in effect, Simmons, $4 million. Anyone know how much more money the city of Marion will be responsible for with this stadium? Is the city the owner of the stadium for which Simmons reaps the profits?
Comment by diane Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 8:22 am
Maybe he really isn’t the crooked, evil person he’s been made out to be. Maybe it’s time we seriously question his sanity and consider proceedings to remove him from office.
Comment by just another Blago scapegoat Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 8:28 am
Rich,
Is this the link you meant to use for the Dispatch article? (sorry, if it is not hyper) [link deleted by moderator cuz it was screwing up the page layout, but yes, that was the link I meant and the story is updated]
Comment by CrunchyCon Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 8:43 am
Does this mean if I invite the Gov to a meeting in our town, he will suddenly (as he is sitting there) decide to finally release the DECCA money he froze several years ago just so he will get applause? It’s only $100,000. Apparently it is now affordable.
Comment by zatoichi Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 8:47 am
As I’ve been saying, there is plenty of money in the state budget. Whenever the governor has a whim, that is, a spending whim, money is instantly available. To my mind, this means there is plenty of money available to implement a tax rebate, the permanent lowering of the income tax, universal health insurance for Illinoisians, and so on. It’s all a matter of allocation, but right now, the allocations are largely going to the rich in exchange of campaign contributions, despite the Dems’ claims to represent regular folks.
And, as I have also been saying, Illinois has been selling itself cheap. Mr. Simmons puts in $1,000,000 and gets back $4.000,000 in taxpayer dollars. Blago gets the $1,000,000 to add to a campaign chest he can never fully spend, but can live on (legally) luxuriously for the rest of his life. Why couldn’t we just sell the stadium outright with the money going to state coffers instead of to Blago.
The Dems’ Sell Illinois project should at least benefit us, all the taxpayers, not just the Dems and in particular, not the already uber-rich Blago.
Comment by Cassandra Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 8:49 am
The heck with inviting the goverNOT to my town. I want him over to my house for dinner. Hello Blogo. Bye bye mortgage.
Comment by Little Egypt Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 8:56 am
Could you be a bit more specific on the supposed grant to the marching band and the date of the supposed occurence at the basketball game? I realize that Rich Miller specializes in unsupported assertions against Illinois Democrats, but at least you could try.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 9:50 am
I didn’t make the assertion, Rich did, but just so you know:
http://www.jobscoalition.org/news/contentview.asp?c=140525
January 20, 2005. Scroll halfway down to find:
“Blagojevich was announced during the second radio/television timeout and was received with a mixture of applause and boos.
During the halftime break, it was announced the state would donate $800,000 to the university for musical equipment and pianos for recently renovated Altgeld Hall.”
So yeah, Rich was wrong. It wasn’t the ‘Marching’ band, it was the concert band. How dare he make unfounded allegations against democrats.
Comment by RickG Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 10:09 am
Oh, and the next sentence:
“Blagojevich then competed in a ball-spinning (on your finger) contest with fans Joseph Vandre, Brad Fisher, Sydney Dillard and Mike Samuel. The governor placed second in the contest.”
Comment by RickG Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 10:11 am
You guys just don’t get it. I said it twice, I’ll say it again.
The powers what be (Blago, Lisa’s dad, and Emil) pass a budget based on last year’s revenue. No money for the any supplicant. Then in the nooks and crannies, the bowels of the Revenue Department, revenue rolls in (AS WAS EXPECTED) well above the prior year. Each and very state knew that Sales and Income taxes were going up double digits because of the (HATED) GWB tax cuts.
So go read the Appopriation legislation to find the nooks and crannies there. How about the budgeted items that were paid instead by issuing debt.
This is a mutual aid society. Don’t just blame Blago, this free money was built in. Some may have been left in the Build Illinois Bond funds, but the remainder the schemers knew was going to be there all along.
Comment by Truthful James Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 10:23 am
And by the way, we don’t see Lisa’s dad and Emil shouting out against these fundings. Only Cheshire Cat smiles
Comment by Truthful James Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 10:25 am
There were more than a few funny incidents at yesterday’s announcement.
First he was only 49 minutes late, which is interesting because the news conference was originally advertised as starting at noon before being moved to 1 p.m.
(Did they change the time knowing the governor would be nearly two hours late as usual, but didn’t tell his staff?)
The “silk stocking dilettante” phrase was used quite a bit, though Marion Mayor Bob Butler when he either got it mixed up or was referring to something else when he repeatedly used the phrase “silk-stocking district dilettante”.
Butler, who reamed McKenna when he came to Marion two years ago to attack the stadium deal, repeated his phrase that he thought McKenna was a “jackass” and “he could go to Hell.”
That brought the following riparte between Butler standing at the lecturn and Rod sitting beside him.
Butler: “Jackass…”
Rod: “Don’t use that term, it’s the symbol of my party.”
Butler: “Well, you can have him [referring to McKenna].”
Rod: “We don’t want him.”
Butler, by the way, is Marion’s Republican mayor who was first elected in 1963. His opening remarks at Lincoln Day events and the Pre-World Trotting Derby Dinner held each year in Marion are hilarious and scathing.
At one point yesterday he commented on the fact that he liked what the governor said about him being the “great mayor” and all.
“Now,” Butler said as he turned to Rod, “If you would just find another three or four million for Marion, you could be called a ‘great governor’ to.”
You see, originally, the stadium proposal asked for $7 million in state funding.
Comment by Marion Witness Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 11:09 am
I really hope that Southern Illinoisans see thru this phony. $1 mil is a drop in the bucket in what he and his minions have sucked out of the budget for Chicago. Pure BS and if we go for it, then we deserve what we will get the next 4 years which is NOTHING.
Comment by Save a Horse Ride a Harley Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 4:21 pm
now we know why Blago hires amateurs. It begins and ends with him. if that is how he governs that is seriously scarry to this lifelong Democrat.
Comment by Minion Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 4:59 pm
Maybe I missed it but who was the reporter and who does he work for?
Is he from Southern Illinois? From what I see here it appears that he is against the million extra dollars that will go the the City of Marion for infrasturcture improvements.
Most of us who live in Southern Illinois welcome any thing that will create jobs and help the citizens in this part of the state.
Comment by (618) Democrat Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 5:23 pm
618, are you kidding? Yes, I’m from southern Illinois. I’m absolutely for the extra money. And at my place of work, I’m just about the only person who’s been thoroughly convinced since day one — all the way back with Dr. Hays, who has been totally thrown out of this process (unfairly) — that this project would work in every way.
But that doesn’t mean the million dollars was dispensed in the best manner. And it’s my job to care about how the decision was made, to ask questions like where the money was coming from.
Why don’t you call your state Representative, two of whom I talked to in the last 24 hours, and ask them their position on whether the Governor should be able to bypass the legislature and hand out grants?
John Bradley told me he feels the difference is that this is something the legislature would approve, that this isn’t controversial. You’ll remember that John has problems with Stem Cell research funding, under the premise that the Governor should not bypass the legislature on controversial fund opportunities.
Mike Bost told me that even though it’s a good cause, the Governor shouldn’t arbitrarily hand out awards because he feels like it. That’s why, he says, the legislature approves the budget.
Both of those are reasonable positions, wouldn’t you say? I don’t know which of them I agree with, and it doesn’t really matter.
Read the STL Post article if you want someone against the money. That’s not me, and please don’t get the two confused. But I was there, I did ask the question I wanted answered, he answered it to the best of his ability, and I reported that fairly.
If you don’t think that the Governor handing out money is news, if you don’t think it deserves to be covered as such from an objective angle (which does not mean “yay, guv” — it means “cool. Now how and why is this happening”), then you don’t understand the way the industry works and should not be questioning reporters’ motives.
But you seem reasonably intelligent, and as such I would just ask that you listen to what’s been reported and not try and ascertain personal opinions. If someone’s doing their job properly, as I believe I am, you won’t be able to tell what those personal opinions are.
Comment by The Reporter In Question Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 6:11 pm
(618)Democrat-I don’t think anyone is disputing that anything that will create jobs & help citizens in your part of state is not a good thing. It is Blago, and being a resident of the City of Chicago I can say this, he doesn’t give a “Rat’s Behind” about you guys or anyone else outside of the city. Don’t you get it??!! He wants your vote-he hasn’t done anything to get it, but he wants it anyway! Now at re-election time he is willing to say anything/do anything to get yours and other’s votes. If anyone in Marion falls for this and votes for him, and some will because there are alot of lemmings in Illinois, then they will get 4 more years of NOTHING, because at the point he gets re-elected he will think he can move on to better/greater things and in his world he will no longer need you! He is courting you and you don’t know it!
Comment by angry and outraged Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 6:32 pm
As a tax payer I think what the Governor did yesterday was handled in the best manner and was done appropriately. He is the leader of our state and he saw a need and addresed it. That is what good leaders do, even if they have to take some heat for it.
I think we have a difference of opinion,and we are all intitled to our opinion. If its good for Southern Illinois or any of Illinois I am for it. In this case the means justifies the end.
Comment by (618) Democrat Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 6:34 pm
Is anybody surprised that Blago has rewarded one of the Illinois Democratic Party’s biggest contributors with this taxpayer-funded gift? Simmons’ firm has given $250,000 to the party since 2004…and $5,000 to Blagojevich in December 2005.
By the way, Blagojevich is only putting $1 million toward his big “manufacturing” innovation plan.
Comment by Curt Mercadante Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 8:27 pm
4-million for a minor league stadium? At a time when we’re sending frontline state employees out on the road in vehicles that have over 300,000 miles on them it seems to me we have our priorities mixed up. Just remember this next winter when the snow plows don’t show up because they’re broken down and sitting in the shop.
The Frontier League by-the-way is below class A ball. Anyone who thinks that’s a big time boost to your local economy is smoking something funny.
Comment by Roadkill Thursday, Aug 3, 06 @ 9:31 pm
618,
The only problem with what Blago announced Wednesday was the concept of rule of law. Nowhere in our system of laws is a chief executive officer of the state supposed to be empowered with choosing where to spend state money. That’s what the legislature is supposed to do when they pass a budget.
In this case, if the money is from a grant program or a pretty typical pot of money for infrastructure improvements for major developments, then there should at least be some type of application process.
618, we live in democracy. The means don’t justify the ends if we have elected officials going outside the law to get there.
The problem here is not just Blago, it’s every lawmaker who voted for the budget that wasn’t defined and constitutionally suspect.
One of these days there’s going to be enough of them wake up and take a stand for an honest budget.
Of course, pigs may be flying overhead that day as well.
Comment by Marion Witness Friday, Aug 4, 06 @ 1:00 am