The Pig Pen

“People need to get from point A to point B.” That is the brilliant observation Blagojevich spokeswoman had to say about the Governor’s flip-flopperroo on cutting Amtrak funding. Is this new information that the Governor didn’t have last week when he was threatening to cut the funding? Yes Governor, most people are responsible for getting from Point A to Point B all by themselves without having state government do it for them with planes and SUVs.

Unfortunately for Illinois taxpayers, Amtrak ridership has increased a fair amount. I say unfortunate because every person that rides Amtrak is getting their ticket subsidized by taxpayers since it costs more to move them from point A to point B than they are paying. And when you have even more people using Amtrak being subsidized, you need more of the taxpayers money.

Amtrak should be drastically increasing their prices right now. Demand is higher because of fuel costs and their service is also worth more because of those fuel costs. Absolutely cut their subsidies right now. It would be good for everyone.

If you haven’t found The Pork Report from Americans for Prosperity yet, link them now. A daily dose of Illinois related pork. Some of it is just unreal.

The Aledo School District will use a $6,000 grant this school year to start a bicycling and walking club…

State Pays $2.2 Million for Hotel Litigation Fees - Daily Herald

The “state”, and poor taxpayers, loaned these politically connected and not exactly poor developers money from the public trust in 1982 and they never paid it back. 13 years and $2.2 million in legal fees later, the working poor now own a couple hotels. Who made the decision to loan them that money, we deserve names.

Local library program aims at business development - Star Courier Kewanee

Wow, who thinks up these pork projects anyway? The last paragraph is priceless.

“Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library, a division of the office of the secretary of state, using funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), under the Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).”

Can you say bureaucracy for the sake of bureaucracy?

“Grant funds provided all of the participating rural libraries, including KPLD, with a laptop computer and webcam. The equipment is available for members of the business community, entrepreneurs, and public officials to use in the library.”

Hmmm, a laptop and a webcam, what kind of business could someone start with that? Are libraries getting into the porn business?

“Western Illinois University, the Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs, and the Alliance Library System are collaborating on the $37,248 grant, “Expanding the Entrepreneurial Role for Rural Libraries,” which funds the pilot program. “

Look, even more bureaucracy with a shiny name and the price tag for a laptop and a webcam. Google and Microsoft are shaking in their boots at the competition this pork will create for them. Then again maybe it can create a successful business somewhere. Is LibrariansGoneWild.com taken yet?

Failure of capital bill hurts region - Southern Illinoisan

When we learned that Glenn Poshard was called upon to negotiate the capital bill, we could not have been more pleased. Glenn is a great friend to Southern Illinois, always standing tall and fighting hard on both a state and federal level to ensure that we get our fair share of money.”

The operative phrase being “to ensure that we get our fair share of money. Typical politicians. Whose money? If only they knew how to stand tall and fight hard to ensure poor people that can’t afford health insurance or college tuition or a tank of gas gets to keep their fair share of their own money. Even the few non-government workers in Illinois that can afford to live comfortably need a break from more government spending.

Hey Forby and Phelps, how about instead of bellyaching about not getting “your fair share” to dole out to the rich and politically connected in Illinois, you do your job and eliminate the corruption and the waste to find “your fair share” of our money. You are handing out $10 million pensions to government employees, so don’t come crying to us for more money.

City bid for Reese site expected - Chicago Tribune

But information from other quarters indicates the price is about $80 million for the lion’s share of the 37-acre property on the near South Side.

Not a penny of taxpayers money for the Olympics, right Mayor Daley? Liar!

Money for transit: Feds give, state takes away - Sun-Times

The cuts would include $37 million to the Regional Transportation Authority’s half-fare program for students - and the disabled.”

But seniors, including all them who own 90% of the wealth in this country, still ride for free, right Blagojevich?

The cuts would also gut the $28 million Amtrak Illinois program, cutting runs to Macomb and Quincy and reducing runs to Champaign, Carbondale, Springfield and St. Louis. It also may impact Milwaukee service.

Ridership is up 18 percent to 21 percent on those routes because of road construction and gas prices.

If “ridership” is up 18 to 21 percent, then Amtrak should need 18 to 21 percent LESS in subsidies from poor people that can’t afford to ride it to begin with. If they want more money, they should get the names of the idiots that loaned the hotels money in 1982 and demand it from them. Or maybe they should start opposing all the government money being spent on the Chicago Olympics.