Bernard Schoenburg is known for writing columns in excruciating details about local politics including the inworkings of Sangamon County politics. In many ways he’s a pretty technical writer giving everyone the details and summarizing where different people are on an issue or in some race. Good stuff generally and while not the kind of thing to grab the attention of even all political junkies that kind of stuff really allows people to figure out what is going on. Every once in a while he drops a bomb and today is one of them:
Some people think Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH is bluffing when he talks about laying off thousands more state workers, or when stories suggest he’s making plans for how government might function if the budget morass isn’t settled by the beginning of the new fiscal year on July 1.
But having watched this governor since he became a serious candidate for the 2002 election, and having been to many of his Springfield appearances – when he takes the time to come to the capital city – I wouldn’t be surprised at anything he does.
Go read the rest because it is probably one of the single best descriptions of how Blagojevich governs. He doesn’t know too damn much about state operations and he assumes everyone else is lazy.
The problem is, it simply isn’t true. There are problematic state workers and agencies, but when you interview or observe many of them doing their job, they are for the most part incredibly conscientious people who do the best within the budgets and legal framework the elected officials give them. Much of the whining about inefficiencies can be found to have started in law or how money is allocated. In fact, one could argue that is much the case with the problems in the State Board of Education. I can make a good argument for reform of the institution, but that doesn’t mean the people doing it are horrible. Usually they are doing the job they were hired to do.
Blagojevich doesn’t see it that way though, he thinks they are humps. Those humps are people who educate your children, protect your environment, and build your roads and they deserve respect.
http://www.sj-r.com/sections/opinion/stories/26042.asp
is the lnk
Kind of an ironic viewpoint for a guy who has worked for government for a big chunk of the last few years and who has a bunch of family members on the government payroll.
I don’t think it is at all ironic that a hump that got his position through family connections, and that rarely bothers to visit — much less to live in — the city where his job is located, assumes that everyone else that’s on the state payroll is a an unqualified lazy hump.
Blagorgeous probably also presumes that all state workers spend way too much time on fixing their hair.
I find myself agreeing with the so-called mayor someone please hold me…
Well, that certainly explains why Blagojevich thought that he could cut tons of money from the university’s budget and that it’d all go to cutting “administrative waste” instead of reducing the number of TAs, dropping discussion sections of 100-level classes, and increasing class sizes.
I’m seriously disappointed in our governor. I voted for him (after not being of age to vote in that particular primary) since he was a dem, but as soon as he was elected he dumped a bucket of red paint over his head and started acting like a Republican.
Squire,
It pains me to say this, but you might as well learn it early in your voting career: Acting like a horse’s ass is not a characteristic unique to Republicans.
—
Oneman,
Now I’m scared too.