And where is the $150 million coming from? The tooth fairy?
CHICAGO — Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s $150 million plan to curb youth violence after a rash of Chi-cago shootings relies on something the Democrat hasn’t done before: Getting lawmakers to pass a capital bill so he can pay for his proposal.
Blagojevich announced the plan Tuesday amid fanfare at a rally at a West Side youth center, despite a lack of money to finance it.
“You need the beef,” said Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, whose office said prior commitments kept him from attending the governor’s announcement.
Daley has met with civic and religious leaders to talk about how to stop the violence in his city.
Dozens of people have been killed or injured in a spate of shootings in recent weeks.
The governor is well-intentioned, but there’s no money behind his proposal, Daley said. And whether there ever will be is unknown since Blagojevich’s proposal is tied to a political hot potato.
A capital plan — typically to build roads, schools, bridges and other infrastructure work — hasn’t become reality on Blagojevich’s watch partly because of distrust over where the money would come from and how it would be spent.
Lawmakers just a few months ago talked about gambling expansion as a way to come up with new money, but that stalled because of feuding between Blagojevich and some lawmakers. This time, Blagojevich has suggested partially leasing the state lottery to come up with cash for his proposed $11 billion state capital plan.
Blagojevich said the $150 million for his anti-violence initiative, which includes up to 20,000 summer jobs for young people in high-risk communities, isn’t an unreasonable amount of money.
“This is an emergency. Children are being shot and killed. And for lawmakers to say we can’t do it, that’s exactly the reason why there’s so much violence out there today and so we’re just not gonna take no for an answer,” Blagojevich said as he left the youth center surrounded by reporters trying to ask him questions.
Blagojevich’s proposal includes spending $30 million to provide summer jobs statewide. He’s proposing another $20 million to fund grants for after-school programs and other activities to keep kids off the streets. And he wants to invest $100 million to revitalize neighborhoods, support local businesses that create jobs and help police departments buy equipment, according to his office.
But Blagojevich hasn’t had the political muscle to push through a capital plan before, and he’s even weaker now because of the ongoing federal corruption trial of one of his top fundraisers, Antoin “Tony” Rezko. Rezko is accused of trying to squeeze money out of companies that wanted state business.
Blagojevich’s name has figured prominently at the trial, although the governor has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Closing arguments are set to start next week.
At Tuesday’s rally, a boisterous Democratic state Sen. Rickey Hendon urged people to rally legislative support for Blagojevich’s plan by calling House Speaker Michael Madigan, Blagojevich’s nemesis.
“Tell Mike Madigan, tell Mike Madigan we need this money,” Hendon roared.
http://www.sj-r.com/News/stories/29923.asp
Update on the Rezko trial:
U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve gave jurors the rest of the week off, instructing them to return next Monday morning when closing arguments are scheduled. The jury could begin deliberations as early as May 15, St. Eve suggested.
4 comments:
No somethings wrong with this picture. G-Rod wants 150 million but how much will he keep as a kick back and how much will he give to the program? Here's a Governor who gets money in garbage bags as pay offs and now he's talking millions from the taxpayers. Is this 150 million G-Rod's retirement money?
Please one of my friends from Illinois explain this to me like I'm a six year old because I just don't get it. Why a known corrupt Governor would be given a dime as he's all ready committed crimes/stolen money and so much more.
Oh, Jackie, all I can say is that it started with Bush, in that once the top guy starts lying, then everybody does. Then of course they are lying to themselves. Like drug addicts, they are greedy and lazy and keep lying like a rug. People like Cheney admitted that they make their own reality, not the reality that you and I and SP and regular people know, but the kind that if they say the same lie over and over and over, it becomes true, well that people start to believe it in spite of themselves. One of the old ladies I used to clean for, used to say that "THINKING is hard work and that most people avoid it like the plague." And it's true, people look around to see how other people react, then copy the ones with the most "influence" and make the "right noises" to get along in the group they want to be part of.
This happens even before thinking and choosing even happens.
Now Governor Baloneybitch (I laughed out loud when Kitty Bowtie called him that!) wants to ACT AS IF he cares and is actually "Doing Something." He's jumping on the Bandwagon, "trying to make the right noises" to play the role of a concerned governor, who is pretending he is trying to "Do Something."
Everybody-including "Baloneybitch" --knows Illinois is in The Hole financially, but he is trying to ACT AS IF everything's normal. The same way Cheney and Bush keep saying the military overseeing the War in Iraq "is making significant progress." Nobody is saying that emperor has no clothes. Because the media and the press gave him a free ride when he was first elected and even after 9/11. By now in 2008, most of the media is controlled.
Same thing with Baloneybitch. There will always be people who suck up to him, because of the power of the office. He "acts as if" he is sincere, and probably believes--he is sincere, because liars always start believing their own lies.
It is so very, very sad that so many children are being shot in broad daylight or in the early evening hours. My heart is just wrenched every time I turn on the news. The latest was a 3 year old who took it in the neck. He is lucky I think he will make it.
Both his parents were there with waiting at the neighborhood icecream truck. His parents saved his life, the father by ripping off his shirt and staunching the blood flow. A 14 year old from the same neighborhood was the shooter allegedly and was recognized-- he shot into the crowd.
I think the shooter just wanted to scare people, the way he's probably been been scared by others in his life.
The whole damn city should be marching!
I love your comments Jackie. You absolutely nail it
so many times. I hope this helps.
After 9/11, Chris Rock said, people weren't scared of al Qaida as much as they were scared of Al Cracker, aka Bush. Believe me all the phones are already tapped and have been since before 9/11.
I read this wonderful Justice League Blog and so often I don't comment as things are indeed going from bad to worse-people don't have the kind of character they used to. Absolute power does corrupt absolutely. People want to be on the "winning" side. Right and wrong don't matter like the used to. Thinking about it is hard work and a lot of people have tuned out since then. I'm glad I can come here and put in my two cents once in awhile.
Jackie, this guy started with the "All Kids Health care" but his base is the "working class" or is that now the lower class.....ok how or where is the money coming from?? Your guess is as good as mine, he is giving away CTA (Chicago Tranist Authority) rides to seniors and soldiers in uniforms....granted seniors already had half price fairs.....but like I said this is his voters. He is like Robin Hood, he will find some pork somewhere, but Alexi Gianoulious, our very cute and adorable, yet smart State Treasurer might be smart enough, or has found some money.
What I want to know is how in the world G-Rod or a.k.a. Governor Baloneybitch (Mr. Kitty's pet name to the governor) is going to come up with $150 million in a bad economy in Ilnnois when he hasn't passed the budget?
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