Mayor’s Row…………by Ned Mitchell
I guess being wrong part of the time is better than being wrong all of the time. Just about the time I think I have the system in Springfield figured out the top three democrats, Madigan, Jones, and Blagojevich pull another fast one on each other and here we go again. I had predicted a few columns back that we would have relief on the utility issue and a budget by the end of May. I could not have been more wrong it turns out. Not only are we still paying outlandish power bills, we still don’t have a budget for the state.
That great reformer/unreformer has just witnessed another one of his cronies indicted for alleged crimes. It seems the unlucky gentleman was a contributor to the Governor who then was appointed to a lucrative board and well, you know the drill, cough up some cash, get a job, then get indicted. It has been going on here in Illinois under both political parties for decades. So the Governor cannot be found by the media and he has been sending out his two watch dogs Sheila Nix and Abby Ottenhoff to deal with the press. I have said before I don’t know what these two gals are paid but I am sure it is not enough!
First of all Sheila Nix blasted Speaker Madigan by saying the House of Representatives should be in Springfield more than three days a week. It was ironic in that her boss, the Governor, could not make it to Springfield that day either, so he sent Nix out to question the work ethic of the House members. Then along comes Ottenhoff who points out to all of us that “everyone in America works five days a week and is expected to put in full time in order to complete their jobs.” This all coming from a Governor who is rarely in Springfield and almost never stays over night but rather chooses to run the state plane back and forth to Chicago 4 times in order for him to come to the Capitol for a few hours on any given day.
My theory here is that if you can’t count the pennies you will surely waste the dollars and that is exactly what is going on here. That state plane issue is just that, a huge waste of our money. The plane is based in Springfield so when the Governor calls and wants to come to town the plane leaves Springfield and goes to Chicago to pick up the Governor. They fly back to Springfield and spend a few hours. Since the Governor will not stay overnight in Springfield the plane then flies back to Chicago to drop off the Governor and since it is based in Springfield, has to fly back to Springfield. Count ‘em, that is four trips every time the Governor wants to come south. I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky in that he seldom wants to come to Springfield. It all goes back to if he were paying for that travel out of his own pocket he would make better use of his dollar but since it is our tax dollars at play here nobody seems to care in this administration. When we learn to watch the pennies the dollars will take care of themselves and so far this bunch has failed at every turn and then they wonder why things are in a huge financial mess in this state.
So this week the House of Representatives is beginning their work week on Tuesday and the Senate will not be in town until Thursday. It seems that some Democrat State Senators had a conference in Puerto Rico to attend earlier this week and that prevented them from doing the business of the people. Another way to look at that is since they are out of town they could not do anything to the people instead of for the people!
The only thing more laughable about the Democrat debacle in Springfield is the AWOL Republican party of this state. These folks have sat on the sideline for so long they could not come up with an original idea if their lives depended on it. It is one thing to criticize the party in power and both sides do it, but for Pete’s sake come up with alternative solutions that we can all take a look at. It is no wonder the Republicans in this state are in the minority, they have a huge void in leadership and offer no new ideas.
Will the newly proposed resort to the west of us near Pinckneyville materialize? That question has a lot of politicians scrambling for cover right now. As you know by now a recent proposal surfaced in the dead of the night that would allow a property swap of state owned land in the Pyramid State Park to a private developer who has proposed the construction of a Branson, Missouri type operation there. I immediately questioned the manner in which this idea surfaced in a shroud of secrecy. First of all for a project of this magnitude the public should have been more informed and at least some public hearings held. That could have been done with no problem but now that it was almost rammed through in the middle of the night while nobody was watching along comes several environmental groups with a whole lot of questions.
Now I’ve never been know as some tree hugging wacko who constantly complains about clean air and water but really, these environmental folks do have legitimate concerns. It is good that we have environmentalists who take the time to examine concepts and ideas and while I don’t agree with them a lot of time, at least they should have a seat around the table and be a part of the discussion. Shame on legislators who tried to pull a fast one only to get caught with their proverbial pants down on this idea. On the surface if this idea were on the up and up, everyone one, including environmentalists would have been in on the discussion and a plan could have been presented for all of us to view.
The developer, The Toney Watkins Company out of Glen Carbon, Illinois is a relatively new company and nobody seems to know anything about them. Legislators and news media outlets cannot get anyone to even answer the phone at the company office. Using that great internet on my computer I did find a web page on the company that was about as unprofessional as anything I have ever seen. Now the company through their attorney, Walter Dale of Chicago, has said they are not allowed to answer any questions or provide any information until Governor Blagojevich does it.
There is no doubt this could be a worthwhile project and we do need the jobs that go with such a venture but we also need to be open and above board when we are dealing with the public. This idea needs to be researched and all aspects need to be examined from the developer all the way to the land swap concept. We also are becoming accustomed to pie in the sky snake oil salesmen in our area who promise us everything. Count me as skeptical on this proposal until more is known and all questions have been answered. If this is just another idea for politicians to get free press out of then count me out.
Meanwhile in Sesser we have bigger fish to fry as they say. Our Rend Lake Days celebration is going on right now in the Sesser city park for the 52nd year in a row making it one of the longest running events in Southern Illinois. About the time we think this event could not get any bigger or better it does just that and this year promises to be bigger and better than last.
It all starts Wednesday evening with the carnival in full swing, smoked bar b que sandwiches and other food delights working up to the free concert by local country singing sensation Brittany Clarke at 7:30. You can buy an arm band for the little ones for $12.00 and they can ride anything and everything as often as they like until 9:00 pm.
Thursday evening the roasted corn on the cob is added to the menu and if you want this delicacy you should arrive early as the business is booming for corn on the cob roasted on an open fire. Again the carnival and arm bands are available and the free stage entertainment will feature 50’s and 60’s music sensation “4 On The Floor” rock and roll band. This show begins at 7:30 also.
Friday things start a little earlier with the Robert Lappin Memorial overload horse pulling contest at 5:00 pm and work up to country music performer Ronnie McDowell at 8:00 pm.
Saturday is a full day beginning at 9:00 am with an antique tractor pulling contest and car show. A huge parade takes place on Main Street at 4:00 pm and things heat up in the park at 8:00 pm with T. Graham Brown on stage. The evening ends with the coronation of prince, princess, and queen at 10:00 pm. Don’t forget to buy a raffle ticket from one of the candidates as money raised through this effort pays for the free entertainment and is used to help out with community projects throughout the year. We hope to see you in Sesser!
Shifting gears now we focus on the historic Sesser Opera House on Tuesday, June 19th as the Chicago Chamber Orchestra begins their summer season with us at 7:30 pm. They will perform live on stage and this promises to be a great evening of music. Tickets are on sale now by calling 625-5322 and the cost is $7.00 for adults and $4.00 for students. Make plans to come by early and enjoy a great home cooked meal at the Opera House Café or stay after the concert for dessert and coffee.
One of the most difficult things to write about for me is the sudden loss of a friend and fellow resident of Sesser. Herb Hutson died unexpectedly last week at home. I had visited with Herb on Sunday at the Kenny and Jackie Cockrum estate sale in Sesser. We joked and talked about antiques and by Monday morning he was gone. Herb was a few years ahead of me in school but close enough that we knew each other well. He was a great man who enjoyed his family and in his own way added greatly to the fiber of Sesser that we all weave on a daily basis. My condolences go to his family as I remember my last conversation with Herb at that auction.
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