First Salvo 2008

Just when you think that you've seen the worst, a political ad like this shows up!

The Question

If I was managing Judy Baar Topinka's past campaign, I would have spent as much money as we had on how the Governor was mismanaging the State of Illinois. A fair question to have asked was why Gov. Blagojevich's campaign was spending millions of dollars soiling Topinka with his 'What's She Thinking?' ads and not touting his record? His record of burying the State in debt, a poor job growth rate, wasting money on unusable flu shots, etc. Ending Fiscal Year 2005 with a $3 billion deficit, one of only three states in the nation with a deficit.

Engaging in a tit-for-tat by associating the Governor with indicted Tony Resko and cronyism surely revved up some loyal Republicans, but did not appeal to the Independents that would be needed to get over the hump. Giving a job to the wife of a friend in close proximity in time of a $1500 gift to the Governor's daughter at best smelled bad, at worst... These were all a reason to think that Gov. Blagojevich shouldn't have a second term, but not why Judy should be Governor. There was not enough money to play tit-for-tat, so the campaign should have been about the Governor slinging mud to the tune of millions of dollars, instead of running on his record.

Recently, more information is coming out to support the notion of mismanagement by the current administration. A Chicago Tribune article on a report by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago estimates the unfunded debt of the State to be about $106 billion. That works out to be about $8800 for each resident in Illinois. In an editorial today, the Trib notes an unnecessary debt brought on by the Governor's insistence of putting his image ahead his job. I am no fan of violent and explicit video games, but outlawing them in a way that violates the First Amendment of the Constitution as the law was written, cost the Citizens of Illinois $510,000 fees awarded by the court to the video game industry. Not paying it in a timely manner has cost us an additional $8800 in interest and has the State in front of the Court on Monday to say how it is going to pay the money due. How is the State going to pay the money that is due? That is the same question that should have been before the voters last November.