Mayor’s Row…………by Ned Mitchell
No matter where I go people comment on this column, some good and some bad. There are also a lot of folks from near and far that email comments. They are all appreciated, both good and bad, for this column is merely my opinion about a variety of subjects as I see them. You cannot believe the “good democrats” that compare the comments in this column to President Harry S. Truman. “You tell it like it is” is a comment often said, or you “give em hell” is another one. The truth is that while I enjoy those comments and value them, I merely say in this column what it appears to me the vast majority of people that I run across every week truly believe. I consider myself a “good democrat” but don’t think for a minute that I’ll back up and sit silently by while mistakes are being made by elected officials in either party. Does that mean that I have never made a mistake or won’t? Absolutely not, as I have made some dandies in my 30 plus years of politics. But we must learn from those and when we get knocked down by some stupid move we’ve made, we simply must get up, shake the dust off, and go again in another direction, we don’t quit. We must work together to continue to make this city, this county, this state, and this country the best there is and I’ll do my part. And you?
One thing about democrat reformer/unreformer Governor Blagojevich, he gives newspaper columnists a lot to talk about. I’ve been contacted in the past couple of weeks by some fairly influential “good democrats” asking me to ease up on this guy. Folks, as we say in Sesser “it ain’t gonna happen”! Not until this governor starts acting like a governor and quits acting like some flim flam politician. He did not run on that platform and he was not elected on that platform. Its time for the Governor to get his show back on the right track. Being a politician makes me think, talk, act, and write like a politician so lets’ just do simply that. Lets’ talk politics, specifically democrat politics. When governor Blagojevich was elected in 2002 he defeated Attorney General Jim Ryan. In Franklin County, where we are being vastly ignored by this governor, Blagojevich received 8,566 votes as compared to Ryan’s 5,872. Stay tuned now, just south of us in Williamson County Jim Ryan stomped Blagojevich 11,054 to 9627. My good friend, Mayor Bob Butler of Marion is unabashedly a huge republican and supported Jim Ryan. I, on the other hand am unabashedly a democrat as are most of the other mayors in Franklin County and we supported Blagojevich.
So lets’ look at the record here. Where have all the high paying political jobs, and that’s all they are, political jobs gone? They are, for the most part in Williamson County. The state and Williamson County folks are going to spend at least 55 million (that’s million) dollars on a 6 lane highway from Marion to Carterville that will serve basically local people and will bottle neck when it gets to Crab Orchard Lake. Now, Franklin County residents, have you driven up North Main (Route 37) lately? This is a state highway and one simply needs a tank to navigate the road!
Lets’ keep looking. Williamson County and Marion specifically is one of the hottest development spots in southern Illinois. New factories are being built, there are lots of jobs and retail shopping centers, new houses, in short they are booming. What about Franklin County? We have lay off after lay off, businesses closing, very few homes being built, roads like North Main Street and this governor now wants to spend 3 or 4 million dollars in my tax money as a gift to a wealthy trial attorney for a baseball field. Governor, what about us? For heaven’s sake cannot any of you “good democrats” who are elected see this? You surely can’t be that stupid! This Opportunity Returns program of the reformer/unreformer governor is a shell game at best, but what ever it is we thus far have not been able to get anywhere.
There is a scandal a week in this administration. Out in South Dakota at Mt. Rushmore, that national landmark, a German manufacturing company is pressure cleaning the entire monument as a gift to Americans. In Illinois we hire a political donor of the governors to pressure clean new buildings that don’t even need it and pay them in excess of $500,000.00. You bet I’m upset, and everyday folks that I run across throughout southern Illinois are upset. If you are not upset you need to get that way. There will be a pink snow laying all over Franklin County when the state helps us lay some real meaningful economic development instead of a few crumbs brushed our way for tourism that in a few months will be over with until next year. But, out of all the millions of dollars spent in state money that goes to everyone but Franklin County, we did get state law changed so we could whack a couple of board members at the Rend Lake Conservancy District. There is an Opportunity Returns program if I ever seen one! Opportunity will return at Rend Lake, I’m just not sure who it will benefit. Me back off this governor? Not a chance and until he starts dancing with those that brought him to the dance. We in this county need to let our elected officials know our feelings. We can do better than this and we deserve better than this. Remember the election, Blagojevich 8,566 and Ryan 5,872. We’re being jilted folks, and it needs to come to a screeching halt! But if you are content with having nothing, then so be it, but count me out.
Congratulations to Mandi Page and Bill Whitlow who were married over the weekend. These two are some of our finest young people and we at city hall are real happy for them!
In sick bay this week is Clara Kislewski. Clara is in skilled care at Pinckneyville Hospital.. Also Deb Kost of the Franklin County Circuit Clerk’s office, (she lives in Royalton) and Mary Jo Snider of the Franklin County Clerk’s election office (she lives in Zeigler) are under the weather, having tests run and such. All these and others I have missed need our prayers and would appreciate a card I am sure.
We also remember former resident Mary Ann (Muir) Baker and her family in the loss of her husband Howard Baker.
We now have a new pharmacy service in Sesser that will deliver your medications right to your door in person at no additional charge for delivery. The Medicine Shoppe and owner Richard Black of Mt. Vernon have joined our chamber of commerce and offer this new service. They have a toll free number 1-866-360-8618. Give them a call and see how they can help you fill your prescriptions and never leave the house.
The Billy Grammer tribute is August 27th. In last week’s column that day was wrong so make note of that. Tickets, including dinner, are $15.00 and may be reserved by calling 625-6066, 625-3611, or 625-5322. These are very limited and will be sold on a first come first served basis. The dinner and show will be held at Valente’s Terrace in beautiful downtown Sesser. We hope you can join us as we honor one of our own!
Don’t forget this weekend the huge retired coal miners celebration held Sunday at city park beginning in the early afternoon. There will be free entertainment, some special guest speaking and a fish fry dinner that will be sold by the Sesser Police Department.
Agree or disagree, we like to hear from you about how things are. I can be reached at 625-3611 (city hall) 625-5322 (business) 625-5788 (home) email nedmitchell@verizon.net or visit our web page www.sesser.org Together we can make a difference. We at city hall hope you have a terrific week and invite you to visit us soon!
| |
|
