Mayor’s Row………by Ned Mitchell
Free health care for children, free pre-school for children at age 3, free water and sewer service plus free garbage collection in Sesser. If you live in the Land of Lincoln it is all free. Free this and free that, just come get it! What a bunch of bogus political spin from our elected officials in Springfield. Let’s examine the concept. Just for the fun of it, suppose we were to offer free water and sewer service in Sesser and throw in the garbage collection for boot. All of us in this area have been raised to believe there is no such thing as a free lunch. How can those we elect and send to Springfield expect us to buy into the concept that health care and pre-school are free services? I hate to be the bearer of bad news here folks, but someone has to pay for all of this. Of course the reformer/unreformer is quick to paint anyone who questions these programs as being against children which completely clouds the whole issue. Illinois does not adequately fund the education system right now and here we are starting a new program. Illinois is 2 billion, yes billion, dollars in arrears on payments to doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, dentists, and eye doctors, and here we go starting a new program. These are all wonderful programs and ones that should be looked at but let’s be honest with each other, they cost money. Who is going to pay for these? Well, never mind that question, how are we going to raise the money to pay for them?
The capital spending bill that is being promoted by everyone from school superintendents foaming at the mouth over a new school to grandmotherly type figures in the kitchen is all the rage now. I’ve looked at that bill many times and I will admit there are many worthwhile projects in it. Some schools need to be replaced, although some have been ignored of basic maintenance just so those particular school officials could point to the ceilings that are falling in hopes they will get that new school during their tenure. It’s a fact folks, if you don’t keep the roof from leaking the ceilings are eventually going to fall. A little preventative maintenance would go a long way. Anyhow, I’m sure that everything in this bill, other than the 6 lane highway from Marion to Carterville, has a lot of merit. The problem with all of this election year posturing is that thus far nobody and I mean nobody has said “this is how we are going to pay for these projects”. So far all we have heard is we will borrow the 3.2 billion dollars. Okay, so we borrow 3.2 billion dollars. How are we going to pay that back? Where is the beef? Illinois was in debt 7 billion dollars just three years ago. Right now, today, we are just short of being 21 billion dollars in debt. Now anybody can look at that and say we are borrowing money at a record pace. If we borrow another 3 billion we will be 24 billion dollars in debt. And, get this, that 21 billion dollars does not include the huge debt to the pension fund. If you or I were doing this we would have to file bankruptcy! Unless this state and specifically its government can identify a steady revenue source to pay back all of this money our children and grandchildren are facing a bleak future. To you in Springfield, do something besides run for re-election. We all would like to pat you on the back when you get us a new school, but for Pete’s sake, just tell us where the money to pay for all of this is going to come from. It is the least you can do!
Concerning the capital spending bill I noticed an interesting story about a former colleague of mine in the state senate, republican Senator Wendell Jones. Senator Jones is a very nice man, friendly, intelligent, interesting, the only thing I know bad about him is he is a republican. Funny, he used to say the same thing about me, only I was a democrat! Senator Jones is retiring after this term so the vultures are circling, the democrat vultures I mean.
When I was in the state senate the democrats were in the minority. The only time our votes mattered or we were even spoken to was when the republicans wanted to pass a bill that required three fifths majority of the senate. The minority party then became almost the majority party and knuckleheads like me became statesmen. I’ll never forget then Governor George Ryan and his republican pals were trying to pass some sort of gun control bill. I had opposed the bill simply because my thinking is we have enough gun laws on the books already, why don’t we prosecute the violators of those first and lock them up before passing any new ones? The governor always has a person working the floor of the senate trying to keep votes in line for any given bill and to round up new ones as needed. My seat was on the aisle, so I was easy prey for the vote liner upper. Here he came and his question to me was “Senator, what projects do you have in your district that need funded that I could get approved if you vote with us one this bill?” Shocked I was, to the point that I stuttered and said something like “you don’t have enough money” or “I don’t do business that way.” The staffer said thanks and went right up the aisle and the very next democrat senator explained what he needed, the staffer agreed, and the bill passed without my vote. I was in awe at how fast the whole thing went down. I also went home that evening disappointed that a colleague of mine sold his soul, his vote, for a project or two. Sadly that was business as usual then and it is business as usual today.
So it was interesting to read where the reformer/unreformer who needs 4 republican votes in the senate to pass his capital spending, bankrupt us all bill, had his floor arm twister stop by Senator Jones’ desk and ask “what projects do you have that I could get money for in exchange for your vote on the capital spending bill?” I remember a guy running for governor 3 years ago promising to “end business as usual”. Sadly my friends, you and I are bought and sold on a daily basis in Springfield. You and I are at fault though because we allow it to continue. It won’t stop until we step up and stop it!
I received an interesting email from someone in my office last week. Directed at me it said “we have recently received credible evidence of 7 terrorists working among us. Six of the 7 have been detained. They are Bin Sleepin, Bin Loafin, Bin Goofin, Bin Lunchin, Bin Drinkin, and Bin Complainin. At this time we are looking for the 7th, Bin Workin.” They went on to tell me “you are obviously not a suspect as being Bin Workin, so keep doing what you Bin Doin and if you spot Bin Workin, be sure and call us.”
To those faithful readers I must confess that I did put on the roller skates at the grandchildren’s birthday party last week! The folks at Emery Brothers skating rink in Benton did their job and looked the other way before laughing. I scooted around the wall, holding on before falling a couple of times. I looked like the proverbial hog on ice when trying to get up but get up I did and keep trying. Finally the ability to skate came back somewhat and I was able to maneuver around the floor. After skating for quite some time I thought it best I quit and not press my luck. On the last lap I decided to try the toe stops or brakes on the skates and much to my surprise my feet went straight up in the air in front of me and I crashed down hard on my behind. It hurt, to say the least, but not as bad as it did the next morning. The pictures of me on skates are interesting!
Special birthdays this week are my dad, one of the greatest generation who turned 87 on Saturday and my grandson Christian Rolla who turned 3 (he says he is 6) on Tuesday. We hope that you have had a great week and that you are happy!
If you need us, give us a call at 625-3611 or 625-5322. You can write to us at nedmitchell@verizon.net or www.sesser.org or come and visit in person.
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