Green Acres redux
As a follow-up to the conversation here, regardless of what part of the state you are from, what do you think is the biggest misconception that people from other parts of the state have about your area?
For extra credit, what impact do you think that this has on the legislative process and decisions that are made?
For extra credit, what impact do you think that this has on the legislative process and decisions that are made?
posted by Rep. John Fritchey @ 8/19/2005
11 comments
11 Comments:
John, to post links in blogger, highlight the text you want to link and select the little figure eight thing. You can paste the link text there and it will be a permanent link.
In html, type lessthansign a href="http://webaddress.com"greaterthansign highlightedtext lessthansign/a greaterthansign
or just type "html link" in google and teach yourself.
I'm from downstate but now live in the Chicago area.
People downstate would KILL their legislators if their roads were as bumpy as they are in most parts of Cook County. And they have no idea how wealthy and upscale the people who use cta are. they think the only folks who take the bus are poor and black.
The pictures (Green acres) looks like all the Republicans running for governor.
oops....Picture..
Of course, its the misconceptions between Chicago and Downstate legislators...specifically downstate targets.
I think the Chicago Dems sometimes take their majority power for granted. Remember, its your downstate colleagues that give you that majority rule. Its also those same colleagues that are consistenly under attack. Throw 'em a bone sometimes, wouldya?
Also, a remark on the roads comment by the 2nd poster. I grew up in a neighboring state. You Illinois people need to stop b****ing about your roads. The roads are excellent here. Your "bad" roads are considered good roads in most other places. Keep up the good work IDOT. I think you're doin' great!
turnoffthetv said..
"Remember, its your downstate colleagues that give you that majority rule. Its also those same colleagues that are consistenly under attack. Throw 'em a bone sometimes, wouldya?"
Last time I ran the numbers, there are a lot more Chicago dems than downstate dems, so I'm not sure that either could say that they gave the other the majority. It's pretty much a group effort.
As far as throwing them a bone is concerned. What the HELL do you think the med-mal bill was? It sure as heck wasn't Chicago legislators pushing to limit recovery by victims. Rather, it was a Chicago-based Speaker and Senate President, concerned about keeping the majority, that broke ranks with one of their biggest allies in order to move that bill. I'm not sure that you've seen, or will see, a bigger bone than that one.
Med-mal...true. My apologies. It may prove to hurt the Chicago Dems relations with the trial lawyers more than downstaters. But, as for the trial lawyers...what's their alternative? Are they going to begin supporting the GOP and its total tort reform platform? I'd doubt that.
What I mean when I say the downstate Dems keep the majority is that Chicago Dems are pretty safe and fluctuations downstate are what will tip the balance. That said, the collar counties are proving to become major battlegrounds.
Rep. Fritchey said...
"the question that comes to the forefront is what happens when it's downstate dems that advance a traditionally Republican agenda (caps)?"
Ahhh yes, one question that I battle daily. We live in a demographically unique state that forces this scenario.
We also live in a game of GYMO - Get Your Message Out. As for med-mal, the IL GOP beat us to the punch and won the GYMO game. If we could have pushed a campaign touting the ills of profit-maximizing insurance companies and the ISMIE/ISMS conflict-of-interest issue, maybe the tables would have been turned. But, as they say, hindsight is 20/20.
I'm originally from the Rockford area ... went to school and got my first job in central Illinois ... wound up moving to and working in the NW 'burbs ... and now am in Chicago itself. I milked cows and put up hay as a kid on my relatives' farms, and today wear a suit and ride the CTA to work. I've loved every single area of the state I've lived in. And I've learned this: Everything, and everyplace, is relative. So I immensely appreciate the discussion here.
Most folks think that the other two regions of the state are a cesspool of problems. But few truly recognize we all share the same problems, with slight variations (see Rep. Fritchey's earlier comments about crystal meth's sweep across rural Illinois).
To the question, Mr. Speaker: Considering I now live and work in Chicago, I'd say the biggest misconceptions others have about "my" area is that everything Chicago touches is rife with corruption and waste. The headlines for the last few weeks (months? decades?) haven't helped to dispel that. But for every crook and schnook outed in the Scandal of the Day, there are scores more decent people doing the right thing and simply trying to make an honest living, which of course does not make the news.
I say this as a former Chicago-hater. Now, the only people I can't tolerate are those who think that either Chicago or downstate or the suburbs are monolithically evil/wasteful/a drain on Illinois.
For the extra credit part of this question, check all the GOP news releases about spring session 05's end, and their references to Chicago .. and see November 2004 election coverage of Reis/Grunloh and other downstate races. (PS I'm no Repub-hater, but an independent who leans D but also votes R occasionally)
downleft...
I'm gonna guess Sangamon or St Clair.
Turnoffthetv, it sounds like you're NOT from Chicago, which was my point earlier re: roads. IDOT does a very good job, and folks "downstate" are used to it. Chicago roads are significantly worse. My point was that the folks downstate get pretty good service from the state re: transportation, which was your point too -- we agree on that.
It's our area that gets the shaft.
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