3/26/10
The Chicago Tribune reported this (i.e., Friday, 3/26) morning that Governor Pat Quinn (no relation) has decided that he would like Sheila Simon as his running mate. Ms. Simon is a law professor at Southern Illinois University. She has no experience in elected office (probably a plus, when one thinks about it), other than holding a city council seat in Carbondale, having lost a race for mayor of that town in 2007. Her only “qualifications” for public office (Yes, I know that being lieutenant governor requires no qualifications; look at the last occupant of that office. But the LG could wind up as governor quickly; again, look at the last occupant of the LG’s office.) are the following:
--She’s from downstate and will run on a ticket that features zero (0) downstaters.
--She is fully onboard with the Governor’s plan to raise the income tax, unlike the apparent runner up, State Senator Susan Garrett of Lake Forest, who actually had the temerity to suggest that further cuts in the state budget ought to be considered before the taxes of our state’s already heavy burdened taxpayers be raised.
--She shares the Governor’s “the only thing that is important is politics” attitude, as reflected in the following quote:
“The number 1 goal is to get the governor elected and get the Democratic ticket elected. I think I’m pretty well suited to help out in that department.”
And, most important…
--She is the daughter of former Senator, presidential candidate, and Lieutenant Governor Paul Simon, a liberal icon in this state and a guy who even someone as hard-nosed and distrustful of government as I liked, despite his “In Government We Trust” approach to politics and government.
The Tribune also reported today that the Illinois Tollway Authority Board, at the prodding of Governor Quinn (no relation) , has named Kristi LaFleur, a trusted Quinn (no relation) aide who holds a doubtless vital, necessary office called “deputy chief of staff for economic development,” to the $180,000 per year post of Chairman of the Illinois Tollway Authority. Ms. LaFleur is 35 years old and has no experience running a transportation agency. She did, however, serve as something called “chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity” (doubtless another vital function of government that we must, according to Governor Quinn (no relation) , pay higher taxes to maintain) under former Governor Rod Blagojevich. Her chief qualifications, according to both her and her boss, Pat Quinn (no relation), is her commitment to the latest all purpose cutesy-pie political catch-word, “transparency” and her ability to get the Governor’s ear.
Isn’t it great to know that our “reform” governor has abandoned such nefarious practices as nepotism and cronyism, practices he made his bones denouncing? One quickly gets the impression that Pat Quinn (no relation) is just another political hack of the type that so thrives in the soil of the Land of Lincoln, but a very clever hack, a hack who got where he was convincing (some of) us he was the very antithesis of what he is. And we, the voters in this state, fell for it…again. As one of my heroes, H.L. Mencken, once said, “The American people get the government they deserve—and they get it good.”
As I’ve said before, put a bowler on his head and a cigar in his mouth, and Pat Quinn (no relation) becomes Paddy “Chicago ain’t ready for reform yet” Bauler, only without Mr. Bauler’s personality, skill, and familiarity with the way the world works…but with much more duplicity.
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4 comments:
Mark--are you related to Rod Blagojevich?
3/26/10
Thanks, Mike. I like your comments and your style!
While I’ve never been to Ireland, I understand their love of beer, whiskey, essentially anything containing alcohol and further understand the consequences that love has had for the often sad history of the land of our ancestors. My point was that, while the Irish are big drinkers (no denying that!), they don’t make a special point of displaying that obsession on the feast day of St. Patrick, as is done here. As I understand it (and, again, never having been there, I could be wrong), the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day is far more dignified in Dublin than, say, in New York or along Western Avenue. And the Irish don’t make heavy drinking a point of national and ethnic pride, as a lot of our fellow Irish Americans do. Rather than glorying in our weaknesses, we ought to emphasize our many strengths, and I think that the Irish are better at that than many of the Irish Americans.
Massa and the Jesuit school…hmm…I’ll have to take that one in stride!
Thanks for reading and commenting Mike; tell your friends about my extraordinarily searing and insightful blog. Meanwhile, I have to raise dough for cousin Rod’s defense fund!
Would you prefer Matthew Simon to Sheila?
3/30/10
Of course I'd prefer our old buddy Matthew Simon to Sheila Simon. But then, I'd prefer Matt Simon to most people...there's nothing like having friends in high places!
But even if we didn't know and like Matt, one could easily make the case that, of these two progeny of famous political names, Matt is the more qualified, with his background in law and government and extensive government contacts. And, while Sheila is said to be very personable, how could she be more likeable than Matt? Is there anyone out there who doesn't like Matt Simon? In my 53 years in this mortal coil, I have yet to find such a person.
Perhaps we should have acted on this sooner and petitioned Pat Quinn to select Matt as his running mate...how could a Fenwick/Ignatius ticket lose?
Thanks for reading and commenting.
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