Mayor’s Row……by Ned Mitchell
Things around the Mitchell household have changed dramatically with the birth last week of our daughter. Carrigan Aleta Mitchell weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces, was 21 inches long and came into this world at 2:51 am on Friday, September 30, 2005. She has a brother, Justin Jon Mitchell, a sister, Jonna June L. (Mitchell) Rolla, grandparents Amos and Rose Mary Mitchell, Kim Kern, Richard and Becky Goessman, great grandparents, Kay Kern, Dean and Margaret Goessman, and great great grandmother Josephine Goessman. There will be a more complete birth announcement forthcoming complete with picture. We are thankful for a healthy daughter and mother and appreciate all the prayers and expressions of kindness from a lot of people. We look forward to the challenges before us and believe me I’m going to have to shift gears on this one!
I’m sure democrats all over Illinois breathed a sigh of relief when former Governor Jim Edgar announced he was not going to run again for governor. Despite the reformer/unreformers political hacks saying “bring it on”, that’s the last thing they wanted. Almost every democrat I talked to thought that Edgar would win that race and every poll taken said the same thing. Edgar had problems of his own with a major scandal in his administration so it was not likely that he was going to run and have to face that music again. In case you had not noticed, no one party in Illinois has a hedge on corruption, democrats and republicans share that arena in this state. Some folks refer to that as a political combine, where the elected officials in both parties and their supporters reap financial harvests from the taxpayers. It’s not what is illegal in Illinois politics that bothers me, it is what is legal! Let me say that again, it’s not what is illegal in Illinois politics that bothers me, it is what is legal! The reformer/unreformer took a bold step earlier this year in announcing sweeping campaign contribution reforms, only problem is he has not abided by his own rules. On the other hand Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Secretary of State Jesse White, Comptroller Dan Hynes, all democrats and Treasurer Judy Barr Topinka, republican, set up their own reforms and have followed them religiously.
There is a scandal a week going on in the reformer/unreformer’s office and today is no exception. I pick up the Chicago Tribune and right on the front page is a DCFS deputy director who facing accusations of stealing money, abruptly resigns and now investigators have found thousands of dollars in a personal bank account. Now picture this, the accused, whom has not been charged criminally yet, is a close friend and campaing worker of the reformer/unreformer. I know and understand that you cannot directly tie this to the governor. He is going to claim innocence in not knowing this was going on. Much like Chicago Mayor Daley has no idea about how people get jobs in his administration or who hires them. In case you were wondering almost all of the time a deputy director is a job created to reward an individual for political work. Usually this person draws a hefty salary for doing nothing and both political parties in Illinois are experts at this system. So every week we have a new scandal in the governor’s office and all of them without exception can be traced by campaign contributions right back to the reformer/unreformers door step. My wise mother used to say and would still do so today, when I was running with the “wrong” crowd, “birds of a feather flock together.” I would protest that I was not doing the same things the “wrong” crowd was doing, but her theory was that if you run the “wrong” crowd people will associate you with what they are doing. Another saying I’ve heard many times “if you lay down with the dogs, you’ll get up with the fleas.” So while the reformer/unreformer has not been charged with any crimes yet, from my view it looks to me like he might have a flea infested administration!
I was extremely disappointed to see Illinois Senator Barack Obama vote against the appointment of John Roberts and Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. I expected no less out of Senator Dick Durbin, that bastion of main stream American thinking. In all there were 22 democrats who voted no and without exception all were pushing a liberal point of view that according to every poll I’ve read is way to the left of main stream America. I read this week where a minister by the name of Joe Wright offered the opening prayer for the Kansas State Legislature. Illinois legislative sessions open each day with a prayer. We open all city council meetings with a prayer in Sesser. You don’t have to pray, but if you want to you can. Pastor Wright’s prayer is as follows;
“Heavenly Father. We come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know your word says “Woe to those who call evil good”, but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn children and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, O God, and know our hearts today. Cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen.”
That was pastor Wright’s prayer and the response was immediate, a number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest, but the prayer has been printed world wide to millions of folks who do agree. Those who walked out in protest are the same group of liberal and very un-tolerant folks that expect us to tolerate them and their warped views on life in America.
Sesser area folks have lost 4 very good people to death in the past few days. Volunteer fireman Larry Spann, retired miners Carl Spann and Bill Earnheart, and housewife Goldie Stockton have all died. Larry Spann was good to all of us in Sesser. He was a hard worker and volunteered thousands of hours in his short life to our community. Carl Spann worked every day and served his church and community, never complaining. He was a real role model for all of us. Bill Earnheart also was a hard worker and a master gardener. Bill was a big part in the sewer plant construction Sesser took on many years ago and due to his diligence and several with him, we have a new plant that is paid for at a greatly reduced monthly fee for all of us. I grew up playing in the neighborhood that Goldie Stockton lived in. She was always kind to us kids, was involved in her church and not one time ever asked for anything from city hall. We often sent workers down to rake her leaves, and she thanked us and tried to pay them, but she never complained about anything. Our condolences to their families and I urge all of us to take time to stop and realize that even though these people were not all in one family, they were all a part of our family here in Sesser and have lived a life that we can learn from. We owe it to their memory!
Don’t forget this weekend is the Sesser Ocktoberfest and all events will be held in city park on Saturday. There will be a huge craft fair, flea market, backyard bar b que cook off contest, car show, lots food, free games for children and a whole host of other events. Saturday night the Red Hatters will have a show at the historic Sesser Opera House We hope to see you in Sesser! If you need us, drop in, give us a call at 625-3611, 625-5322, or 625-5788 or email nedmitchell@verizon.net or www.sesser.org
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