I originally posted this last July of 2008, and I re-posted it back in January to promote a Home Rule Ballot question, but I’m re-posting it just for fun. The a Podcast that gives you an audio version of this post is a bit dated, but when you think about it, the timing is always right because Illinois is still a wonderful example of a Feudal State masquerading as a “constitutional republic.”

Here is the Podcast.

MP3 File

Read on for more…
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Analysis: Democrats self-destructing over ethics

The political mess for the Democratic Party, however, isn’t Burris’ conduct alone; it’s the pattern that has developed so quickly over the past few months.

_The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., is the subject of a House ethics investigation. It’s partly focused on his fundraising practices for a college center in his name, his ownership financing of a resort property in the Dominican Republic and his financial disclosure reports.

_Federal agents raided two Pennsylvania defense contractors that were provided millions of dollars in federal funding by Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.

_Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on federal charges, including allegations he schemed to sell the Senate seat to the highest bidder.

_Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader from South Dakota, abandoned his bid to become health and human services secretary and the administration’s point man on reforming health care; and Nancy Killefer stepped down from a newly created position charged with eliminating inefficient government programs.

Both Daschle and Killefer had tax problems, and Daschle also faced potential conflicts of interest related to working with health care interests.

_Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was confirmed after revealing he had tax troubles.

_Obama’s initial choice for commerce secretary, Bill Richardson, stepped aside due to a grand jury investigation into a state contract awarded to his political donors.

_While the Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm William Lynn as deputy defense secretary, Obama had to waive his ethics regulations to place the former defense lobbyist in charge of day-to-day operations at the Pentagon.

“Pattern that developed so quickly over the last few months.” !!!!?????

What planet does this idiot reporter live on?

Tom Daschle is a tax cheat. He and his wife are at the center of everything corrupt and wrong about Washington DC.

Geithner is a tax cheat.

Richardson dropped out and is under a cloud.

Obama sets strong lobbying rules, and then waives them hire lobbyist William Lynn III for a plum defense post.

By the middle of his term, it will be clear that Obama is at least as “corrupt” as Bush, but only to those who are paying attention.

…But are the citizens ready to try and change it?”

New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey are mentioned, but two of those stories involve sex scandals. That said, notice that where you have powerful Democratic Parties and well known inept and corrupt Republican Parties (NY, CT, NJ, and IL), this is the type of government you get.

The question is whether the citizens of these states are smart enough to change the leadership of both of these parties.

Steve Rauschenberger thinks not. The clip below doesn’t include the portion where he argues that people aren’t “fed up enough” (covered at Capitol Fax). Is he correct? I’m beginning to think that people are at least starting to understand that Blagojevich is merely a symptom of a far larger problem.

Those of you familiar with this website know what the next sentence is. You can’t fund snow removal if you are funding a huge snow removal bureaucracy and it’s perks, pensions, overtime, greed, and corruption.

City To Cut Back On Plowing Snow On Side Streets

Streets & San: Snow On Monday Cost $490,000 To Clear

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Mayor Richard M. Daley said Tuesday that city crews will cut back on plowing side streets this winter in an effort to save money. The mayor said the city will only plow side streets during weekday union business hours this winter, rather than during overtime hours

But as CBS 2’s Derrick Blakley reports if there’s one city service Chicagoans demand, it’s outstanding snow removal.

“I expect for the streets to be cleaned for my tax money,” said Chicago resident Sarah Lockhart.

“That’s the kind of spending we need to maintain,” said Chicago resident Madeline Norris.

And more snow is on the way, and there could be up to five inches by Thursday morning. That will test the patience of Chicago residents.

What ever happened to the notion of hiring people and saying “Your job is snow removal. You are paid to remove it. No overtime during storms.”

But no, in a nation driven to bankruptcy by greedy public employees, their pensions, perks, and feather-bedding, it is the taxpayer who must sit in their homes until spring.

Mayor Daley has $500 million+ in TIF money socked away for which ever private business kowtows to his whims. You think maybe he can’t find enough in that bucket of slush to fund snow removal.

Are the citizens of Chicago too stupid to realize how bad this Mayor is? Or are they just too beaten down and bought off to fight his incompetence?