Teach a Man to Fish - Updated
You know, I wasn't quite sure about what I originally had up here when I posted it last night. In case you missed it, it was a doctored picture of the President fishing in New Orleans. I thought that it might bring some levity to a really bad situation, but on second thought, it just wasn't appropriate and I'm not sure that any of us are quite ready for levity just yet.Things have been busy the last several days, and I haven't been able to take on some of the substantive issues that I have wanted to address. But I will do my best to get to them in the very near future. In the meantime, please feel free to throw any ideas my way for discussion.
posted by Rep. John Fritchey @ 9/12/2005
11 comments
11 Comments:
Rep. Fritchey -
What's going on with the bonding session in Springfield? You guys going to borrow more money for the roads projects? What are the estimates for how much additional tax revenue will be needed to maintain the improvements that are needed over the next 10-20 years?
How much debt does Illinois have these days? And are tax revenues on the rise or fall?
What about the pension situation? How's the debt levels there these days? Any solution in sight there?
Anyone know what the diaster chain of command in Illinois is?
Suppose Cook County got hit with a hurricane like N.O.
What is the chain of command, and what are their qualifications?
Anyone have any ideas?
Downstate, when you're right, you're right.
To 6:51, as of this writing, I am still unsure how we are going to come up with the matching dollars needed for the federal transportation bill, but hope that we are able to avail ourselves of the opportunity in some responsible manner. I had thought that there would be a special session to deal with this issue, but absent agreement, it appears to have fallen by the wayside.
As far as tax revenues are concerned, they are up, including obviously, gas tax revenues. You just have to hope that the desire to spend them doesn't outstrip the pace of their growth.
And while I plan on doing a more substantive take on the pension issue later, let me just say that I think that a number of people and groups are justifiably concerned about the looming pension liabilities that will be faced by all of us in Illinois.
And they don't come much more to the right than Downstate Pundit :)
Good idea to take it down. Thank you.
Your point that it was to early for levity is well taken. I don't know if, in my opinion, that there will ever be a good time for levity on the misfortune suffered by our fellow Americans.
From a political point of view Democrats should remember the old political adage, when your opponet is headed for a train wreck get out of the way.
>Thanks for not stooping into the mud
>on this topic
Actually, he did stoop into the mud. He only crawled out when someone called him out on it.
"I am not offering the above to kick our country's leader in the wake of a national disaster."
Some of you folks are amazing. Not only does Rep. Fritchey not even need to undertake doing this blog, but he is big enough to say he made a bad judgment call and you still have to pile on.
Rep. Fritchey, I believe that many of us over a wide range of viewpoints respect what you are doing here and hope that you continue this endeavor.
And it also sounds like you made the right decision in revising the post.
I've got no problem with Rep. Fritchey piling on President Bush (not the course of action I personally would take, considering the horrible shape Illinois is in) but the Honorable Rep. can say publicly whatever he wants whenever he wants.
The problem is when he repeatedly states he is not making political hay over a disaster. Then he posts the picture he does. Now I agree that the picture might have been a little funny. And he is free to post it. But for god sakes, at least stop saying you are not making political hay over a disaster. You clearly are. And is doing it almost every day.
I am no Bush lover. I will not defend him. But the hypocrisy with Illinois politicians is out of control. Some of the readers here are actually doing him a favor by pointing this out to Rep. Fritchey, because it seems his closest supporters (who also post here) are blind to it.
How about posting the picture of an org chart for Illinois's or Chicago's disaster chain of command? Maybe we'd actually learn something from that, rather than just bashing politicians from the opposing party. There is enough of that going on, and it would help out alot more than the picture he did post.
This is a great communication medium. I say use it for that.
C'mon, you say he's attacking Republicans 'almost every day'? I just went through a bunch of his old posts (too much time on my hands) and, other than the two recent, arguably legit, posts about Katrina, I don't find any Repub bashing. You may not agree with him, but he is far from a partisan attack dog. I'm a left-leaning independent, but I still appreciate that he is not a Dem that blindly follows the party line, and that he is willing to call them like he sees them, in either direction.
Now back to the issues...
First - I never accused Fritchey of attacking Republicans. Never. Please re-read the posts.
Nor would I. It would be baseless because I have not seem him act in such a partisan manner. Up until now, and now *only* with the President. I am not a partisan and would never make such a claim, anyway. I was actually quite surprised he was going after Bush with such unobjective venom.
But your point is taken...the last three days' postings have been about Katrina and mention Bush (yesterday, Friday, and Thursday) So when I said 'every day' I should have said 'the last three days'.
But I hope you see *my* point.
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