Illinois Senators Dave Syverson and Brad Burzynski held Breakfast with the Senator this morning. They had done this every couple of weeks last spring and I attended every one of them. I found each one to be informative and exposing of the problems of Illinois Government. They havenÂ’t had one since last May, which I sorely missed. Shadoglare joined me for this one.

The point of the breakfast was to discuss multiple topics including the status of the Capital Plan, Status of the RTA-CTA (Regional Transportation Authority –Chicago Transportation Authority), Blagojevich’s Health Plan, and budget updates. There was also an open question time. While everyone was eating they showed the below clip from the CBS affiliate in Chicago, CBS2, report, “Exposing Blagojevich: Governor’s Style and Obstacle” It’s about 8 minutes long, but it is worth the watch.

The worst part of this clip is the interviews and quotes from not only political players in his own party, but also his own staff! IÂ’ve said for years this man is trying to destroy Illinois, but I never imagined it was this bad. He continually tries to overspend our income. Illinois is already in fiscal trouble due to over spending, bad budgeting and poor money management by our government. If he canÂ’t get the funding through taxes, heÂ’ll sell 25-year bonds, take the money from pension funds or take monies from taxes earmarked to be spent elsewhere. He is trying to push a Health Care plan that covers everyone in Illinois with a household income under $85,000.00, including illegal aliens.

If he gets voted in for a third term, so help me I think that will be the nail in the coffin of any hope I have that this Nanny State will get any better.

Posted by: Contagion at 01:56 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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1 Why are the reporter and news people surprised by this? For that matter, why have they waited until AFTER the election to do this report... it's certain that all of this was going on before the election! Of course, the problem is - the next election is FAR away. So that means they want to be sure that all these things are old news by that time. ARG!!! Bobby-boy will run the state into the ground.

Posted by: Teresa at November 30, 2007 05:39 PM (rVIv9)

2 What's really disheartening is the poll at cbs2chicago.com shows 54% think he's doing a good or excellent job. Everyone I know thinks he stinks, even the democrats. But then, I'm not in Chicago.

Posted by: don at December 01, 2007 01:06 PM (c6Bhn)

3 And you think California's jacked up...

Posted by: That 1 Guy at December 02, 2007 10:27 AM (NJMQg)

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The other day on the radio they were having a political discussions and one of the guests made the statement that he felt that everyone in America should have to do a mandatory 4 years military service before the age of 40. It doesn't necessarily have to be in a combat role, but they have to serve in some capacity. (Clerks, supply, etc)

This topic was debated by the hosts, other guests and callers and made me wonder. I think military service is a good thing. Yet I don't know if I like the idea of mandatory military service as you may get undesirable candidates in the military. It's no secret that I never served. Not that I didn't try, but I was rejected from all branches of the military due to a medical problem... mainly that I had four metal pins in my left leg holding it together. After college I just wanted to get my career started. By this guests plan I would have served, probably as a clerk, but I still would have served.

But would I have gotten the same experience if I had? Part of the reason I was rejected is because they didn't think I would make it through boot with out damaging my leg even worse. So if I don't go through boot, am I not missing out on the opportunities and experience he wants me to have? You know, the discipline, camaraderie and spirit of our fighting men and women.

So what do you think, is mandatory military service a good thing?

Posted by: Contagion at 06:36 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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1 Serving your country in some form or fashion, yes. Mandatory MILITARY service? No. Part of what makes our military great is that those who go in pretty much really want to be there. Having been in the military I remember those who were there who realized they had made the wrong choice, and did nothing but bitch and moan, bringing down the morale of everyone. Having it full of a bunch of whiners like that won't serve anyone's purpose.

Posted by: Mrs. Who at November 20, 2007 09:12 PM (6zbwL)

2 Mrs. Who has a point. Also, I think that those who are wealthy and connected will still get out of it.

Posted by: Bou at November 20, 2007 09:41 PM (DWOkQ)

3 Yeah, that has always been the #1 argument against mandatory service, and I agree with it. If you have soldiers that don't give a shit, they're gonna fight like they don't give a shit.

Posted by: Shadoglare at November 20, 2007 10:19 PM (dei2m)

4 Mandatory military service is a polite and politically correct word for draft. I wouldn't want the juvinile deliquents in my hood being forced into the miliary to "protect" me, it would scare the living hell out of me. And arn't the dictator countries the only other countries that demand a stint in the military?

Posted by: Quality Weenie at November 21, 2007 08:04 AM (ZM3Qb)

5 Free citizenship to anyone willing to serve 4 years in the service.

Posted by: BloodSpite at November 21, 2007 09:48 AM (xUF9P)

6 No mandatory service - that's called a DRAFT. Voluntary Service only. I *would* support mandatory work in a service industry - waiting tables, tending bar, slinging cocktails or doing dishes. Everyone should experience dealing with Joe Public in a service capacity.

Posted by: Richmond at November 21, 2007 03:16 PM (6QRLC)

7 QW- I believe that Taiwan and Israel still require it of their youth.

Posted by: Bou at November 21, 2007 04:25 PM (DWOkQ)

8 QW, there are alot of countries that have mandatory military service... only few of them might be considered dictatorships: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bermuda, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China (PRC), Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Korea, South, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (ROC), Turkey, and Ukraine. While I don't entirely agree with mandatory service, I also don't think it would hurt too much. Most countries that implement it ask for about one to three years... some even less. And not all of them ask for immediate service, they just say that between the ages of "" and "" so much time must be served. It would do some folks good. And it may help to keep dumbasses from running their sucks about shit of which they know nothing, if they had firsthand experience. Some of these countries' peeps are actually proud to do their service. Imagine that... 'Course, as Bou stated, those with money and connections would slide out of it. And there is the point that Shadoglare made. And thanks to our new user friendly military, those idiots cannot be properly dealt with...

Posted by: That 1 Guy at November 21, 2007 06:33 PM (NJMQg)

9 I'm not in favor of peacetime conscription (i.e., mandatory military service). But I would support mandatory military training.

Posted by: Consul-At-Arms at November 22, 2007 01:51 AM (FwGck)

10 So, who pays for this little plan? If you bring in all these people to serve, they you must have facilities for them... It "sounds" like a good idea until you start thinking of the logistics. Everytime I hear one of these plans I give it the Who, What, When, Where, and Why test. Who are you going to pull in, what are you going to do with them, where are you going to put them, and why is this a good idea? Bill and Hill closed many bases - which have now been converted to civilian use - where are you going to put the extra people? Where will they be trained, housed, fed? What military hospital facilities will take care of them when they get sick? Who is going to coordinate this plan? And with our military budget already a source of derision... where is the money going to come from? This is a "millions of extra people" plan - not just a few thousand. Who is going to train them? You'll have to pull in more active duty people into training - which takes them away from the vital jobs they are doing now. Who takes over for those pulled out to train the green recruits that will only stay a short time in the military... about long enough for the training and then they leave. Yet another feel good plan with no thought behind it except that "it would be a good thing". I don't see it. If we had a framework in place to deal with this, I could see it - but this is a MUCH larger country than any of the others that have mandatory service - which makes it far more difficult to implement than any other country. And we have always been a country that considers it essential to give people the option of doing or not doing. We have the worst problems when we have a conscripted Army. This is a short version of all the bad things about the plan. The only good thing... you make people serve for a period of time and maybe they get something out of it. Is this a fair trade off for all the rest?

Posted by: Teresa at November 22, 2007 11:26 AM (rVIv9)

11 how about some form of "service" period - as a teacher, police officer, fire fighter or the guy who picks up trash on the highway. Some kind of volunteerism that connects them to the country and serves the nation. I firmly believe that not everyone should be a soldier/sailor/marine/airman, but I do think that service to the country makes for better citizenry because they earned it.

Posted by: katana at November 23, 2007 12:07 AM (1ZskG)

12 I've linked back to you here: http://consul-at-arms.blogspot.com/2007/11/re-mandatory-service.html

Posted by: Consul-At-Arms at November 23, 2007 12:25 AM (FwGck)

13 The thing about mandatory service schemes for civilian fields is that what you end up with is underpaid involuntary servitude that the rest of the public gets quickly accustomed to. So salaries in all those fields where there is suddenly lots of "free" labor are artificially depressed. How this is supposed to make young people more prone to volunteerism and civic-mindedness continues to escape me.

Posted by: Consul-At-Arms at November 23, 2007 12:30 AM (FwGck)

14 I don't know forcing someone to be a teacher or doing public service is a good idea. The point the guest was trying to make regarding Mandatory Military service was that it was supposed to help support the military, give the citizenry more appreciation of the military and to make people more accountable for what is happening in our country. As ex-law enforcement I can see where you are coming from, but I don't know if we'd want someone to be a teacher that really isn't qualified. As for picking up trash on the side of the highways, I think we have prisons full of that kind of free labor.

Posted by: Contagion at November 23, 2007 08:40 AM (QQZMi)

15 I don't think it's going to make people appreciate the military just because they were forced to be in it. If you don't appreciate something, being forced to do it is going to make you hate it that much more. Take those hippies from the Vietnam error, when forced to be in the miliary (draft) they all tried their dammest to find a way out of going.

Posted by: Quality Weenie at November 23, 2007 06:16 PM (BksWB)

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Friend and long time reader Petey sent me this video clip for his candidate of choice, Mike Huckabee.

I'm in the Fred Thompson boat, but damn that was just too funny.

Posted by: Contagion at 04:57 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 I didn't say Huckabee was my candidate. I am still undecided on which candidate I am throwing my support behind. I like Thompson, but would not be surprised if the republican nominee is Rudy. The video was just way to funny. When Chuck Norris jumps in a lake, Chuck Norris doesn't get wet, the lake gets Chuck Norris.

Posted by: Petey at November 20, 2007 10:59 PM (JhiOW)

2 Huckabee? HUCKABEE?? O. M. G. Don't get me started He's one of the reasons I left Arkansas for Missouri Example of Brilliant Huckabee plan: "We're gonna close all the schools with less than 1,000 kids and bus them to where ever they need to go to school so we don't have to pay for them anymore." Result? 87% of Arkansas schools are now over crowded and oh yea, theres less than 4 counties who were given the monetary funds to build new ones. Then he took the savings and created some anti-obesity program for schools nationwide. Jimmy can't read, but by gawd he can Jog! So much for storing highschool fat to feed ourselves through middle age.

Posted by: BloodSpite at November 20, 2007 11:13 PM (tfPjU)

3 Hahahahahaha!!! That is TOO DAMN FUNNY!!

Posted by: Richmond at November 21, 2007 03:18 PM (6QRLC)

4 Hahahahahahaha!!! Now THAT'S FUNNY! I love it!

Posted by: Richmond at November 21, 2007 03:19 PM (6QRLC)

5 Fluffy is messing with me... Gah...

Posted by: Richmond at November 21, 2007 03:20 PM (6QRLC)

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I know I'm a little late in getting this out, but today, November 19th, is National Ammo day. What is National Ammo Day? Well in their own words:

It is a nationwide BUYcott of ammunition. You buy ammunition. 100 Rounds a person.

The goals of Ammo Day:

The goal of National Ammo Day is to empty the ammunition from the shelves of your local gun store, sporting goods, or hardware store and put that ammunition in the hands of law-abiding citizens. Make your support of the Second Amendment known--by voting with your dollars!

There are an estimated 75 MILLION gun owners in the United States of America. If each gun owner or Second Amendment supporter buys 100 rounds of ammunition, thatÂ’s 7.5 BILLION rounds in the hands of law-abiding citizens!

The gun/ammunition manufacturers have been taking the brunt of all the frivolous lawsuits, trying to put these folks out of business. Well, not if we can help it! And we CAN help it by buying ammunition on November 19!

I actually bought 120 rounds. 100 .45 ACP and 20 7.62X39mm. It's not like its not going to be used, and if it helps send a pro-firearm message, even the better. So if you haven't done it yet, go ahead and do so, even if it is a day late.

Posted by: Contagion at 05:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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