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View Full Version : What's it like to live outside of Illinois?



John Schreiber
12-09-2008, 9:48 AM
Our sitting governor and his chief of staff were just arrested at their Chicago homes. Our last governor is now serving time in prison.

Illinois is a great state ! ? ! ? ! ?




I don't want to talk politics here. I'm just shocked and wanted to express myself. If this is inappropriate, please feel free to remove.

Greg Cole
12-09-2008, 9:54 AM
Hi John,
Here in KC we seem to have an elected official in the mayor who's a bit odd. His wife started a scandal in regards to some inappropriate comments to the staff and caused a huge stink (all documented on video and or audio tape) about getting a parking ticket at the airport for leaving an unattended vehicle. A measy $38 ticket.
The funny part is the mayors wife wasn't part of the office staff, she'd just hang around her hubbies office and be a PITA. Some of the staff complained etc, so the wife wasn't allowed in the office (especially after a lawsuit referred to as "Mammy Gate" was filed about her making a racial comment)...
So....the mayor decides to work from home as his wife isn't allowed in the city offices.:confused:

Matt Meiser
12-09-2008, 10:13 AM
We just have the former mayor of our largest city serving prison time here. Prior to that he was repeatedly defying court orders.

In Toledo, the mayor is regularly involved in scandals. He's calmed down a bit--I don't think he's shoved or punched anyone in a couple years. But last summer or the summer before, his city-owned Jeep (they're made in Toledo, so Toledo has a lot of Jeeps) was found parked in a handicapped spot with his dog inside on a hot day. He was in getting a massage (legitimate massage place.) He said he parked in the handicap spot because it was in the shade. I think he actually paid a fine for that. Toledo's city hall is inside a building owned by the State of Ohio. The mayor was bringing his dog to work which violated a state policy or law. There was a whole scandal about that an in the end he got a special exception on the grounds that he needs the dog for "therapy."

Justin Leiwig
12-09-2008, 10:22 AM
Our sitting governor and his chief of staff were just arrested at their Chicago homes. Our last governor is now serving time in prison.

Illinois is a great state ! ? ! ? ! ?

I don't want to talk politics here. I'm just shocked and wanted to express myself. If this is inappropriate, please feel free to remove.

It's just human beings being human beings. It's not political, it's genetic. If people weren't predispositioned to want to amass power then there would be no American, No Europe, no nations period.

Power corrupts whether it be political, monetarily, or even emotionally. Very few people live their lives without trying to gain power in one form or another.

Brian Effinger
12-09-2008, 10:25 AM
Our former governor liked high priced hookers. And taking them across state lines :D

Mitchell Andrus
12-09-2008, 10:56 AM
Well, NJ had a gov recently that cheated on his wife and it wasn't another woman - NY lost gov Spitzer to hiring hookers and his replacement admits having committed adultery.

Until our pols come from Venus, they're US, just in a position of power.

Ken Fitzgerald
12-09-2008, 11:51 AM
John...I was born in Champaign.....went to high school in Flora...

I've lived in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Illinois, Oregon and now Idaho. Each have their own beauty.


I won't mention our toe-tapping U. S. Senator.....from Idaho...:eek:

Greg Cole
12-09-2008, 12:11 PM
We just have the former mayor of our largest city serving prison time here. Prior to that he was repeatedly defying court orders.
But how many other mayors offer free beer on the Champoinship Parade like Kawamee did for the Red Wings Championship Parade back in June?;)

Robert Parrish
12-09-2008, 12:16 PM
I guess we get the government we deserve since we voted for them!

Richard M. Wolfe
12-09-2008, 12:37 PM
Well, here in Texas we haven't had any really high officials do anything underhanded lately. Read that to say 1) that I know about and 2) that's been caught. We had a governor quite some time back that had a story about wrongdoing come out early in his term and so had to keep a very low profile for the rest of his time in office. It was gratifying to see that the state could function very well without a governor, thank you very much.

Elected officials are two things that lend themselves to corruption. They are people in power, and they are politicians. A politician's craft is in dealing with people, which can be commendable in terms of teamwork, etc, but it also means manipulation more times than it should, whether it be for money, sex or more power. The answer? I guess I'd say keep an eye on them, like the case in point, be it through other politicians (checks and balances) legal organizations or the news media. And to the correct degree, however much that is. :rolleyes:

Montgomery Scott
12-09-2008, 12:42 PM
This is Chicago we're talking about. One of the most corrupt places in the US. I hope you're not surprised at this.

Greg Peterson
12-09-2008, 12:51 PM
It's pretty nice out here. Weather is moderate, scenery is diverse. Ocean is hour and a half west, mountains are an hour and a half east. Chicago is a great town to visit, but Oregon is an even better place to call home. YMMV.

Jeffrey Makiel
12-09-2008, 1:02 PM
95% of mayors are honest. The other 5% are in NJ.
-Jeff :)

Tim Thomas
12-09-2008, 2:19 PM
We've got our problems here in Birmingham, Alabama too. Mayor Larry Langford was arrested just a few days ago and I think it made national news.

http://www.myfoxal.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7976053&version=15&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

Birmingham may soon have to declare the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history as a result of the corrupt and incompetent decisions made regarding the financing of improvements to its sewer system. Hooray! Bad politicians are everywhere!

Clifford Mescher
12-09-2008, 2:21 PM
Our sitting governor and his chief of staff were just arrested at their Chicago homes. Our last governor is now serving time in prison.

Illinois is a great state ! ? ! ? ! ?




I don't want to talk politics here. I'm just shocked and wanted to express myself. If this is inappropriate, please feel free to remove.
Someone said Lincoln was turning in his grave. Clifford

Dar Lounsbury
12-09-2008, 2:38 PM
Mayors become Senators and Senators become Presidents. Perhaps we expect too much from our government given the corrupt beginnings.

Cliff Rohrabacher
12-09-2008, 2:38 PM
Our sitting governor and his chief of staff were just arrested at their Chicago homes. Our last governor is now serving time in prison.

Stupid is as stupid does.


Illinois is a great state ! ? ! ? ! ?

Why not~? After all the people can't have seen all the way to the heart of the man who ran for office.
All too often the politicians we elect end up showing a side of themselves that but for their craftiness would have prevented them from being elected.

Maybe it's all for the best. If he was that dishonest then lord only knows what else he'd have done as time passed.

Jamie Delker
12-09-2008, 3:38 PM
Our former governor liked high priced hookers. And taking them across state lines :D

And we've gotten some great jokes out of it to help make the best of a reprehensible situation. I won't repeat any here. :)

Joe Cunningham
12-09-2008, 4:20 PM
Who knows how many states have governors pulling in lots of graft without anyone throwing the shackles on him/her.

Our previous governor here in CT was in the pokey for a while. Now he is out, working for a local city as an 'economic' advisor. :rolleyes:

Kevin Arceneaux
12-09-2008, 5:34 PM
Politics is almost like watch a car race - just waiting for the wreck.

Here in Louisiana we have/had:
The Long boys
4 or 5 State Insurance Commissioners in a row in prison
"Dollar" Bill Jefferson (just unelected in the run off this past weekend)
"Fast" Eddie Edwards - currently serving time in the Federal Pen and hoping from a pardon from Bush.

Our new Gov seems like a keeper.

John Keeton
12-09-2008, 5:58 PM
Our former governor liked high priced hookers. And taking them across state lines :D
Brian, you have your facts wrong. There are three distinctly different categories of "pleasure servants." The first category would be referred to affectionately (as you did) as hookers/whores. The second are prostitutes - more refined and somewhat more discerning, i.e., require compensation up front and deal only in cash. The third, which would be the category in which your Gov. found himself involved, would be "call girls" - a wholly distinct group characterized by fine cars, nice clothing, a certain celebrity status - and most notably, the ability to demand $4,000 per night for their much sought after services.

You did your Gov. a disservice by referring to his companion as a high price hooker. She was, by any definition, a CALL GIRL! He certainly has fine taste (and more money than brains!)

Gene Howe
12-09-2008, 6:12 PM
Born in Vandalia. Left IL at 17. Never looked back. Really feel sorry for the folks in IL. They have no leader.......how will they ever cope ?

John Schreiber
12-10-2008, 1:16 AM
I keep hearing about how bad your governors and mayors are, but I don't think we can be beat. I just looked it up. Of our last eight governors,

Otto Kerner Jr, 1961
Samuel Shapiro, 1968
Dick Ogilvie, 1969
Dan Walker, 1973
Jim Thompson, 1977
Jim Edgar, 1991
George Ryan, 1999
Rod Blagojevich, 2003

Kerner, Walker and Ryan all served time in federal prison. One more was arrested this morning.

It really is a great state, but . . . . .

Don Eddard
12-10-2008, 2:22 AM
California's governor has killed alien life forms.

Rich Konopka
12-10-2008, 7:00 AM
California's governor has killed alien life forms.


I think your governor is starting to take on an alien life form of himself :eek::eek::D

http://a.abcnews.com/images/Entertainment/BA_schwarzeneg_070927_ssv.jpg

Russ Filtz
12-10-2008, 8:00 AM
Move ANYWHERE else (OK, not WI, CA, HI, or most of the NE) and you can more freely enjoy owning (and carrying) firearms! I moved from Chicago area (the worst of the worst) to the Gunshine State, Florida, and love the freedom. Of course with the wackos down here, you NEED the guns! :eek:

Dan Mages
12-10-2008, 9:02 AM
Illinois... the best politicians money can buy!!

Lets not even start to discuss the corruption in Crook and Flake Counties.

Dan

The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet.
- Mark Twain in Eruption

Ben Franz
12-10-2008, 10:55 AM
We send ours to Washington to serve in the new admin. cabinet. In "The Peter Principal" this is called a "lateral arabesque". Then again, only in NM can so many people accumulate DUI's in double digit numbers.

Curt Harms
12-10-2008, 7:27 PM
There's an influential Pennsylvania state senator Vince Fumo of Philadelphia that's on trial right now for abuse of power and corruption. The former mayor of Philadelphia's brother made Billy Carter look good. Just keeps gettin' better:eek:.

Barry Nelson
12-10-2008, 8:04 PM
Where I am in Australia two local councils have been dismissed,and administrators appointed because of skullduggery.Whats that old saying "power corrupts ,absolute power corrupts absolutely":eek:

Brian Effinger
12-10-2008, 9:53 PM
You did your Gov. a disservice by referring to his companion as a high price hooker. She was, by any definition, a CALL GIRL! He certainly has fine taste (and more money than brains!)
I stand corrected. Of course I didn't say it was a bad thing, just that he was caught. If he wants to blow his personal money on girls, more power to him, and it really shouldn't be anyone's business but his, the girl's and his wife's. Although, it was a little hypocritical of him, because as attorney general, he went after these sort of operations. I guess all he was really doing was getting their number ;)