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* Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D-Orland Park), says he has suggested to Gov. Blagojevich that he more fully explain and/or pare down his ambitious plans. For instance, the guv’s state lottery sale idea wasn’t properly marketed to legislators and the public, McCarthy says, and his health insurance plan should have started out as a pilot program…
“I feel like he listens to me, but then when I leave, he listens more to his ‘yes’ men,” McCarthy says. “They tell him to go for the whole Cadillac when he should be buying the Chevy.”
That’s the biggest problem for everyone who thinks they’re having some sort of impact on the governor’s thinking. And I mean everyone.
Blagojevich listens only to himself and to those who agree with him. McCarthy, after all these years, ought to know better. He was a mostly reliable vote for Blagojevich last year. Maybe that will change, but don’t hold your breath.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 20, 08 @ 8:13 am
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Kevin is one of the most respectable members of the GA. He cares about his constituents and he cares about veterans. That tells me that he follows his conscience, regardless of the politics, which I fully respect.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Feb 20, 08 @ 9:00 am
Even though I have consistently supported many of the guv’s initiatives, including expanding access to affordable health care and imposing a GRT, to name a couple, I must say that I am running out of patience with his continuing inability to implement change. We hired him, after all, to do something, not just talk. And while we would expect considerable resistance among greedy legislators and conservatives of both parties to expanding state help for middle and working class families, his failure to significantly implement change speaks to his inability to do what a pol is supposed to do….find a way, whatever it takes.
It’s more than five years out. Where’s the beef?
Blago also inherited a large state bureaucracy which is crumbling badly under his watch. DHS, Public Health, DCFS, Corrections….all have become patronage farms in hock to expensive, politically connected contractors. When these agencies fail, real people get hurt or are placed at significant risk. It’s going to take a long time and a lot of money to clean this mess up,
and we, the taxpayers, are going to pay.
What to do? We’re stuck with him and his liberal Democratic pals and greedy hangers-on for the better part of three more years. Many believe more. Obama has already won Illinois. Maybe we, and by we I especially mean our state’s Democratic majority, need to turn some of that desire for change energy that Obama has engendered on our Blago. Write letters. Demand that our legislators
DO something other than collect a salary. Demand
top to bottom (starting at the top) change in the state agencies. It may not work. But the alternative is further deterioration and a higher taxpayer bill when Blago finally leaves, three or seven, or eleven years from now, to take a lucrative no-work job provided by the Democratic
leadership for the remainder of his days.
Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Feb 20, 08 @ 9:04 am
You think the big agencies are crumbling?
Ermph.
Take a look at the smaller agencies across the state. They’re the mess — and the nitty nuts in the gov’s office have done little to fix the mess.
Chaos is an understatement.
Comment by Macbeth Wednesday, Feb 20, 08 @ 10:01 am
Cassandra: Weren’t you the one who was touting firing all the state workers for months and months after the governor got elected? Well, he’s practically done that. He has caused a brain drain at the state that is irreplaceable and has the staff that are left doing two and three peoples’ work while filling the ranks of administration with his hangers-on. Now you say the bureaucracy ins crumbing badly. Too bad we didn’t keep all those experienced workers who were invited to retire or were replaced by his political hacks. Be careful what you wish for!
Comment by Disgusted Wednesday, Feb 20, 08 @ 4:16 pm
i just want to know who going to lead the impeachment charge? grounds, “job abadonment”
Comment by dem's Wednesday, Feb 20, 08 @ 4:27 pm