The 22 Republicans fired from the state

[ASanders84]

That looks really bad on Blagojevich, he gives Democrats in this state a bad name. He needs to stop this slimeball stuff, what do you think?

[barb162]

1. with knowing almost nothing about it , good for him

for firing them although this is the first I am hearing about this. Where did you see this in case I want to change my mind. After watching the RNC the last few days, basic response: fire all Republicans.

Also, I am a bit miffed he named 88 the Reagan tollway. He went overboard on that.

[ASanders84]

2. http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/34299.asp

He's under fire here in Springfield, I'm not voting for him in 2007 if he runs for re-election. This shit has got to stop.

[barb162]

3. are you saying he is doing things worse than Ryan or Edgar etc

or on a par.

I read the article and I object to anyone from environmental being let go as I think every EPA dept in every state should be beefed up or you never get the damned polluters under control. (But do we know if these are political hacks from Ryan, Edgar who don't know a superfund site from their left ear OR are they really good experienced environmental engineers, etc., who are needed by the State of IL). Remember how Edgar (Mr. Teflon) was tasking all kinds of credit for lowering costs vbut he was doing it by things like closing mental hospitals, screwing the least able in our society to speak out; he left them wandering on the streets or ending up in jail. But people loved him for keeping taxes down and things like that.

Blago inherited a huge deficit that somehow has to be fixed. But is he firing experienced able people or Ryan/Edgar hackjobs making big bucks a year or ?

A friend of mine in the State of IL building, well, the GOP types tried firing him for about ten years as he was a Democrat. The happiest day of his life was when Blago came in and the GOP people who had been trying to fire him got fired by Blago. The GOP was putting in GOP high school grads to adjudicate legal cases and they were trying to fire my friend the Democrat ATTORNEY with experience in this specific area. My friend filed an EEOC type (diwscrimation) lawsuit against Jim Thompson, then Edgar. The crap never ended until Blago got in.

I am going on and on but is Blago doing what 20 years of entrenched GOP governors have been doing all along? Or is there something else going on.

[ASanders84]

5. You are right, Blago is just doing what the GOP

govenors have been doing for the past 26 years, however...he promised this shit would stop and apparently, it isn't. What I'm trying to say is just because they did it doesn't make it right for Blago to do it. It doesn't have to be 'oh it's Illinois politics as usual'.

[ISUGRADIA]

4. What's the big deal?

The news article made it sound like the reasons are not clear at this time. And if they were Repunks hired as cronies who should care if they are fired but Republicans.

No real story here. This is Illinois politics.

[ASanders84]

6. The writing is on the wall my friend

Besides, I care about this and I'm as far left as they come.

[barb162]

7. I see your point

I just don't know if he is firing useless GOP hacks or not. Like if he got rid of Ryan's drunken kids off the government payrolls (the ones who have 30 traffic tickets but never get their licenses taken) am I upset? No I am cheering.

Aare you seeing good experienced people being let go and replaced by people with no experience, no education, in the respective field? I really am keeping an open mind.

[barb162]

8. look I am not asking for names

or specific depts. Like is he firing doctorates in a a dept. and replacing them with GED's?When the job really requires a doctorate?. I know Ryan, Edgar and Thompson did this.

[ASanders84]

10. No, it's odd

he is firing people making $30-$40k a year. I remember reading this in the paper, one woman I think had worked there for 20 years.

[Radical Activist]

12. He ran as a reformer who would clean up after George Ryan

If he's just a fake playing the same old games it would be a big deal. Some of us are tired of Chicago politics as usual.

[ieoeja]

18. He's cutting staff.

You see, a bit less than four years ago this W character was chosen to be the President and implemented policies that tanked the economy. This, combined with W's national security blunders, has resulted in a recession so bad it has come horribly close to a depression. As a result the state's coffers have been emptied.

Blagojevich has been cutting staff in attempts to manage the state's finances responsibly. Since the state has been run almost exclusively by Republicans since the Civil War, this staff is overwhelmingly Republican. If 98% of the employees are Republican then 98% of those being fired turning out to be Republican means nothing.

The article you link states that "Republican lawmakers say" Republican workers are being replaced by Democratic workers. The paper's investigation verifies that most of those fired on a list provided by the Republicans are Republican, but:

a. fails to mention the party affiliation of replacements,
b. fails to mention if replacements even exist, and
c. fails to mention if the paper even asked anyone if the workers had been replaced.

On an unrelated topic, have you ever considered investing in shares on a public bridge? I can sell you some if you'd like. It's a great investment. Or do you only take the word of Republican lawmakers as gospel?

[Southsideirish]

13. Me too, I used to like "88" just the way it was. 'Don't care much

for Blago but there are WAY too many Republicans working for the State. If you fired the first 22 people you ran into - it would be 22 Republicans - especially in the white collar/merit comp ranks.

[barb162]

15. I believe it

the GOP has been running this state for a quarter century and their people are in so thick....

[davsand]

9. They cut back DOT people? Bwa-haaa!

Have you never heard the old joke: What is orange and sleeps four? A Illinois DOT truck...

You have NO idea how over inflated the state payrolls is with GOP deadwood. Those parasites are sucking the life blood out of this state (and have been for quite a while.) My only complaint with Blag in this regard is that he didn't get around to it sooner.

In Blag's case, one of the BIGGEST complaints I have heard here downstate is that he hasn't hired enough Dems to keep the Dem Party chairs happy. The number of jobs available has been very low and the Dems have been pissed off...

Now, before anyone gets all snitty and says, "But Blag's supposed to be different!" let me ask you, did you seriously expect a guy out of the Chicago machine to NOT use patronage in some form or another? Do you seriously think that a guy who grew up in machine politics is gonna not know where to look for the GOP cling-ons that have accumulated over the last 25 years?

If you want an example of the GOP parasites, be sure and shoot me a PM, I can give you several from right here in Champaign county. I'm talking about guys making OVER 50K a year for a jack shit job. Know who a couple of them are? Family members of elected GOPiglets. THEY need to go--and it is high time!

It seems to me that the Dems are one of the worst about this kind of stuff--they were out of power for SO long they have forgotten how to swing an axe to trim off the GOP cling-ons. I see it at county level, I see it in the state, and I saw it when Clinton was in in the WH.

Way to GO Rod! About damn time!

Laura

[Rich Hunt]

11. Ha, thanks

...that sounds like typical Illinois politics. We have the same problems in Cook County - people's family members hogging all the jobs.

[Nexus7]

14. Stop eating your young

Listen, we've got to quit taking the high road on everything. You've got to watch out for your interests because the GOP sure ain't gonna watch out for you. Even if there is corruption as alleged, IMO dem corruption is 10x better than repub. The only place I draw a line is when people get hurt or worse. Everytime something is dug out against Daley or Blago, it's dems who are out there on the front lines wailing and raking mud on them. You know the devastation the GOP can wage when they have power as they do on the national scene, where they've got control of all 3 branches. If nothing else, this is an exercis ein checks and balances. Let's get the state finances in order so we have yet another dem guv'nr who balances a budget; and then we can go about fighting secular corruption.

[barb162]

16. I'd like to see some more news on George Ryan's

corruption charges come out, ummm, right before 11/2, just in case anyone is wavering on local elections.

[laylah]

17. He turns his back

on "slimeball stuff" committed by many in his administration...specifically the DOC...why should he care? He's a liar, as are many under his watch. With the unethical and crooked administration we currently have here, don't expect any changes, anytime soon...we may as well "deal with it"...until '06...at which time, I will campaign for ANYONE but him...:mad:..trust me, I have had first hand experience with these lying bastards...

Jenn