$452,100, and we’re counting!
This is the estimated cost of keeping lawmakers in Springfield so far. Gov. Rod Blagojevich ordered them to stay in overtime starting July 5 until they can give him a budget deal to his liking. Such things as lawmakers’ meals, housing and mileage cost upward of $42,000 a day.
Posted by EditorJob equivalent
Enough to cover President Bush’s annual salary plus about a quarter of Vice President Cheney’s pay.
-Daily Herald
July 20th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
That’s outrageous!! Love the blog!
July 25th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to expand the size of the state budget to include a massive Health Care program by taxing employers.
I don’t want any Government Body to run a health care system. Government just won’t do the job right. As Jason Fodeman writes in his article “Welcome to the Health Care Buffet” we have excellent health care in this country (USA). He writes in regards to the National Health Care issue “…the uninsured. .. is fifteen percent of the population. …does reform require…throwing the baby out with the bathwater”?
We do have serious health care challenges, but there are other solutions that don’t incude throwing billions of state money into it.
July 26th, 2007 at 5:34 am
We need to balance the budget not add huge un-funded programs. The State Rpresentatives are the peoples voice not their own voice. Hold the line decrease where we can but do not add un- affordable costs that may sound good but will place additional burdons on the taxpayer. Stop the spending, balance the budget. Be responsible Represenatives. Show the democrats for what they are, Tax and spend.
July 26th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
The standard of living for Americans has increased steadily as the costs for food, housing, clothing, and durable goods decrease (relative to wages) steadily, year after year. Taxes, however, increase steadily relative to income - unless politicians actively decrease them. This isn’t a difficult concept - failure to steadily decrease taxation contributes to a lower standard of living. Illinois Republicans need to at least hold the line. Since the Democrats blew it, permitting the overtime session (allowing the Republicans to play), it’s payback time.
July 26th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
That’s absolutely ridiculous. They had this hearing today to see if 16 PACE bus routes were just going to disappear because of the funding shortage, and then you hear stuff like this. I bet this amount could easily keep the bus I use to get to work to pay my bills every day. I hope these people can figure it out.