Mayor’s Row…………by Ned Mitchell

            Fellow democrats surely have to be proud of that famous reformer/umreformer governor of ours.  In case you missed it last week this bastion of good government sued the Clerk of the House of Representatives because he did not log in the governor’s vetoes in a timely manner.  Never mind the fact that good old buddy Emil Jones over in the Senate still has not entered them in the record over there.  That is what I call a bipartisan lawsuit! 

            Does anyone really believe that we can gamble our way into prosperity?  Does anyone believe that even 10 percent of the money taken in by the proposed three new casinos will go to help me and you?  We are witnessing a melt down of historic proportions in Springfield and folks are getting frustrated.  This has already cost me and you over a million dollars in overtime expenses and we still have the three main democrats fighting each other.  It sure makes me proud to be a democrat!

            One thing that bothers politicians is guys like me have a long memory, much longer than the average voter.  Remember old Hot Rod the candidate? He was going to “rock our world” with a vast new ethics law.  The guy does not have a clue when it comes to ethics!  Remember when Republican Judy Barr Topinka campaigned in favor of expanding gambling?  The governor had a high speed come apart and deeply criticized her for even thinking of more gambling.  Now he is out in front pushing more gambling.  Folks; this gambling business is a huge tax on poor people and that is all it is.  I’ll say it again; revenue is not so much a problem in Illinois as the wasteful spending habits of those in Springfield.

            Legislators are first offered the carrot on a stick plan to get them to vote for more gambling to pay for a capital program.  They all have projects that need funded and in order to get cash for their districts they always have to hold their noses and vote for something they really don’t believe in.  If the carrot is not enough incentive, then they are offered a milkshake on a stick and the process goes on and on until enough goodies are piled on the table that even the most righteous of the bunch cannot say no.

            Recipients of this sin tax on poor people are already spending it as if they have it in hand.  SIU Board Chairman Tedrick is just glowing about how much cash President Glenn Poshard has landed for SIU.  They may have a new football stadium and other projects, but at what cost?  The only problem is, and this is a huge one, so far Speaker of the House Mike Madigan has not signed off or even given any indication that he will.  If he stays untouched, the bill will die a natural death and no money will be doled out.  My advice, don’t spend it until you get it and even then make sure the check clears the bank before you start working on your favorite project.

            The bottom line here is that we have a bunch of clowns in Springfield; who either don’t have the strength to make tough decisions and fix what is wrong in this state, or just quit and go home.  Does anyone other than me find it a little bit strange that about the only thing everyone could agree on in Springfield were the two pay raises they just received?  These public servants have ceased doing the public’s business and that is unfortunate for all of us.  They are too busy taking care of themselves and their own families to worry about the rest of us in this state.

            One thing about it, if you are faint of heart in a political sense you don’t need to be reading this column. I enjoy telling it like it is.  You sort out the issues and stick to your own beliefs and be sure to go vote.  If enough of us show up it will make the politicians very nervous.  The last thing they want is for you to go vote!

            I learned a long time ago to never say never and I found myself in that position over the weekend.  I made a short trip to Marion to help the new owners of Black Diamond Harley Davidson in Marion.  Sesser has a strong connection as one of the owners is from here.  Shad and Dana Zimbro have teamed up with Rodney Cavaness and bought the motorcycle dealership in Marion.  While I announced that I doubted that I would ever need a Harley, I did know where to go in case I changed my mind.  We are proud of these young people who have invested in our area and wish them the best of everything in their new venture.

            If you showed up in Sesser last weekend looking for the town wide yard sales, you can blame me.  The event is this coming weekend. (9-29-07)  I apologize for the mistake and hope that you will make time to join us

Special birthday wishes go out to Margaret “Nana” Goessman who celebrated her birthday last week.  Also Ruth Cantrell had a special day recently and I think that is 96 of them!  Happy Birthday!

      Bearpoint Youth Minister Bryant Harris has accepted a full time position as pastor of the Rescue Free Will Baptist Church in the Whittington area.  While Bryant and his family will remain in Sesser they will now have their own congregation.  We are happy for them and wish them the best of everything.

      Franklin County has lost a true public servant with the retirement of Circuit Judge Larry Lewis.  There is not enough room for me to write the good things about Judge Lewis.  I’ll just sum it up by saying that when Melissa Drew was elected Circuit Judge last year my advice at her victory celebration was to watch Judge Lewis and pattern your time on the bench after him.  We wish Judge Lewis and his family the best of everything in their retirement years.

      We’ll end this column on a sad note as we honor the memory of our friend State Trooper Mark Chaplain who passed away last week at a very young 45 years of age.  Trooper Chaplain was a friend to us here in Sesser and helped us on many occasions.  Our condolences go to this family.  Police officers the caliber of Trooper Chaplain don’t come along often.

      If you need us give us a call at 625-3611 or 625-5322 or write nedmitchell@verizon.net or P. O. Box 277, Sesser, Illinois 62884.

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