Mayor’s Row……by Ned Mitchell

The budget has been passed and signed by Governor Quinn and all the legislators have raced out of town and back to their districts to hand out “capital bill” projects. We can look forward to getting slick campaign brochures in the mail as another election cycle is just around the corner.

Nobody seems to want to talk about the budget let alone brag about it and I can see why. The document is awash in red ink as our elected officials have borrowed future generations into a huge financial hole. Tough decisions have been delayed once again and cuts in services are coming fast and furious.

Of course we all want to talk about cuts and to be honest about it there are many areas that could be cut but that would eliminate jobs. We all say we want cuts, its’ just that we want the cuts to happen elsewhere. If a program gets cut that does nothing for us individually; then so what? That seems to be the run of the mill theory these days.

To be sure the ousted and impeached reformer/unreformer Governor loaded up government agencies with political hacks. One does not have to look too far into state government agencies such as Corrections, Transportation, Natural Resources and others to see exactly what I am talking about. The reformer/unreformer loaded the payroll with unqualified and unnecessary bureaucrats. Until we see the new Governor Pat Quinn getting these positions in the fiscal crosshairs he will have a credibility problem

Governor Quinn is doing some serious soul searching right now on this issue and has promised to take action in the near future. Of course the fact that Comptroller Dan Hynes is running for Governor against Quinn will make that job more difficult. I can assure you that the folks in these high paying positions are already in the Hynes camp mainly because they have been told to do so. Quinn must face reality and either eliminate these positions and gain credibility in the process or keep the positions and at least on the surface keep the hacks from working against him in the election. I do not envy his position!

On the opposite side of the coin are the taxpayers and what a motley crew they are. Most of the taxpayers are opposed to any income tax increases and even though I think it will be necessary to get us out of the financial hole we are in, I can see the anti tax crowd’s point.

We have not exactly seen a wise use of our existing tax base. If you doubt me, then refer back to the statement a few paragraphs up that addressed the unnecessary bureaucratic layer of fiscal irresponsibility that we see here in Illinois. Taxpayers are clamoring for action and Governor Quinn has a short window of opportunity to do what needs to be done to right the ship in Illinois and prove to the taxpayers that he is looking out for their best interests. Of course in so doing he will step on toes and we will hear the yelping from deep within the pit of political hack territory about the pain and suffering this will cause.

My advice to Governor Quinn is to seek out a few of the lower paid employees of these state agencies who have been around for a few decades. In so doing the Governor will learn about who has been added to the state payroll and just how unnecessary they are. In my talks with employees I find that management positions have grown by leaps and bounds during the past 10 years. To put it another way Governor there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians. Before anyone gets on their high horse, the comment about chiefs and Indians is not an insult to any one group of citizens and is not said in a derogatory manner.

You know with me there is always a bottom line and here is today’s bottom line. Right now the four legislative leaders in Springfield; Democratic Senate President John Cullerton, his Republican counterpart Sen. Christine Rodagno, Democratic Speaker of the House Mike Madigan and his Republican counterpart Rep. Tom Cross together have a tidy little sum of $5,777,000.00 in campaign cash at their fingertips. What could four people do with over $5.7 million dollars to spend? Why they could control government in Illinois and that is exactly what they do! So about the time you get your thinking cap on and meander around the political world as it is, think long and hard about four people with $5.7 million dollars at their disposal.

Legislative leaders have the opportunity to lead and govern this state along with the Governor and taxpayers have a duty and an obligation to see to it that our needs are met in an efficient manner. We all need to keep our eye on the money and be in conversation with our local Senators and Representatives about how we feel. After all it is our tax money being used to run this state!

Robert “Fuzz” Allen has departed this life and thus ended a successful life as a prominent Sesser businessman. I have always admired folks in this area who started out with nothing and through hard work and wise choices made a success of their business. In talking to family members last night I learned that “Fuzz” in 1948 made his first truck driving trip to Corinth, Mississippi with a load of grain to sell. He drove his dad “Happy” Allen’s truck on the trip. After selling the grain for cash he happened by a lumber mill on his return trip home and spent all of the money he made on lumber to haul back to this area.

Of course when he got home “Happy” was not so happy and chastised his son greatly for blowing their hard earned money. “Fuzz” and “Happy” set out to sell the lumber and surprisingly sold it all at a profit in a short time. “Happy” quickly sent “Fuzz” back south with another load of grain with instructions to bring back another load of lumber and thus Allen Lumber was born. “Fuzz” saw an opportunity in 1948 and took a risk that worked out well for him. I have an immense amount of respect for folks who listen to their heart in making decisions that the rest of us might not understand.

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