Your Doubting Thomas

Illinois doesn’t face many of the challenges that typify “states in peril.” Unlike California, Illinois cannot blame its budget woes on a particularly volatile revenue system or on outsize exposure to the housing bubble. Illinois’s crisis is unique in that it is purely a creature of mismanagement by elected officials.

I’d like us to vote everyone out, that is not be practical. However, by voting out one man, we will decrease the power of another more powerful man in Springfield. A vote against Pat Quinn is a vote against Michael Madigan– and will restore some power back to us.

Earlier this week I blasted Illinois Democrats for voting against a bill providing a $3,700.00 voucher– opportunity– to 30,000 school children in the worst elementary schools in the city of Chicago. Today, Dennis Byrne blasted Illinois Republicans. Mr. Byrne not only dressed Republicans down, he named Republicans who voted no and provided the amount each received in donations from teachers unions over the years.

Art Turner and Monique Davis don’t care about the children in their districts. They care about getting reelected– and getting monies from teachers unions to assist in that endeavor– that’s why vouchers were defeated last week.

Now that Scott Lee Cohen’s running for governor, why did he quit the race after winning the nomination as a democrat for lieutenant governor? He won the primary election fairly; there were no allegations of impropriety after his February 2010 primary win. But Cohen caved to Michael Madigan. Sounds like Pat Quinn. On second though, maybe Scott Lee Cohen could make a good governor.

Governor Pat Quinn is unable to make a tough decision.

Apply to run for Lieutenant Governor with Pat Quinn! Seriously! Do you want a job with great benefits even though the company can’t afford to pay them? This job is for you! Do you want a job where you get paid to do literally nothing? This job– like many other state jobs– is for you!

Dan Hynes could have used another method to communicate his message that Pat Quinn is not a good leader. The Washington commercial might have cost Hynes the primary election– considering the backlash after the ad aired. Bringing up memories of the 1980s where the politics of race were played out in the open on the nightly news definitely put and bad taste in a lot of mouths– especially the mouths of the people Hynes used that commercial to reach.

Because nobody did their job, Scott Lee Cohen has agreed to drop out for the “good of the party.” If he were any other democratic politician, he would have to be dragged away from the general election kicking and screaming. See: Rod Blagojevich, Roland Burris, Todd Stroger. Scott Lee Cohen did the right thing– the ticket would have been unable to win with him on it. But now that he’s off where do the democrats go?

If you didn’t vote– as many did not (only 26% in Chicago)– then don’t complain about the results. Voting in elections is more important than voting in American Idol. You’re a citizen of this great nation, do your duty, educate yourself and get out and vote.