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" This goes out to Political Heretic, you are wrong about your statement about needing Chicago. Look at Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and all those who do not have a major city like Chicago. Without having Chicago we would be just like those other states and it would be perfectly fine with MILLIONS of farmers all across Illinois. Agriculture in this state has always been getting screwed over by governments and its time for that to change. We do not need Chicago in this state. We have plenty of funds from other businesses and industries in this state to where we do not need Chicago. In fact Chicago has presented many other problems throughout this state. It’s created so many useless laws for the people south of I-80, Drug lords and Chicago crimes are spreading throughout the entire state. If you want proof come to Tuscola, see for yourself the loss of officer Tommy Martin with the two drug runners who took his life. It is time that the Illinois government stop looking at the state and Chicago as a whole, and focus more on agriculture. Chicago does very little to help out the Southern 3/4 of the state. "

" Dear Mr. Govenor,
What will you do? When the whole State of Illinois is standing in the unemployment line. When you won't pay me for a job well done, but will pay all my benefits when all the pride I have left is none. You've eliminated my job, my benefits, and pride, but now you're paying for me to live a free ride. You pay my food (Link card), my health (Green card), my heat (LIHEAP), you pay for my children's free school meals. Thank you Mr. Govenor for- helping me see the light. Why on earth would I want to work myself to death for a job I love and had some pride in, when for heaven's sake you are so willing to pay me for doing nothing. Mr. Govenor what will you do? When the well has run dry, there's no food, Dr.'s, hospitals, or nursing homes to be found. No heat, no help, no pride to be seen. What will you do when we have no home, health, no life. Mr. Govenor please let me be the first to ask, Can I come live with you??? "

" Article IV. section 3 of the Constitution will make it difficult to make Chicago a separate state. I recommend supporting the pending "Re-call" legislation. If won't come in time to get rid of this criminal, but we will have tools to deal with the next one. "

" 4-H is more American than apple pie and baseball! If is a truly fanntastic progam for our youth. Our McLean County Fair, held annually at the Interstate Center, is primarily an event for show-casing the hard work that our 4-H'ers have put in on their projects. The McLean County Fair is the Nation's largest county fair when measured in numbers of projects displayed. I know of no other organization that teaches life skills and develops young people as role models as well as 4-H. Funding of extension and 4-H must be preserved and enhanced, not eliminated! "

" The entire state is at the mercy of the Chicago robots who pull the Democrat lever no matter who is running. We can do nothing now to get rid of Blago, but we will never have the ability to vote out his partners (and enemies) in crime, Chicagoans Emil Jones and Michael Madigan, without whom he could not pull off these shenanigans. These three are holding the whole state hostage. I've lived several places, and this is the most openly corrupt state I've ever been in, evidently with the full cooperation and blessings of Chicago residents. "

" Sure hope this won't effect the elderly lady who works in the 4-H office. She is great !! Sure hate to see her have to hobble off into the sunset. "

" I have to agree with N595. I listen to WGN radio and they are as unhapppy with Gov Rod as we are downstate. His ego has got the best of him. I hope they can get the recall passed but I really don't think Emil will let it get voted on in the Senate. I don't care what party you are for this guy has got to go. If the Republicans had put a viable canidate up during the election they might have had a chance but to bring in an out of state guy to run was just plain stupid. I don't know what the solution is to this but something has to be done!!!! "

" To Political Heretic: If we are "welfare queens" it's partly because of the people Chicago exports to downstate, even out-of-state, communities. Sure, we might miss Chicago (the words nearly gag me as I write) for a few years, perhaps MANY years, but we would eventually learn to live without the big bully to the north- and we'd be better off for it. As for governors of both parties spending most of their time away from Springfield, it only becomes a problem when you elect a bumbling incompetent for governor who also happens to be a towering idiot. "

" Blagojevich is equally bad no matter which side of I-80 you live. I live north of I-80, but that doesn't mean that I will not be effected by the cuts to the Illinois Extension program. There are plenty of business in the Chicagoland area the rely despartely on the health of farming in the State of Illinois. I am suprised that Blagojevich has suggested a sales tax increase like that just took effect during the first month of the year to save the inefficiently ran RTA. I wouldn't be surprised if it would come into effect to save these jobs, and at the last minute he tags on that all people over 65 can get Illinois produce for free. Thinking about it, a 1% restraunt tax rate hike wouldn't be bad as there are more restruants per capita south of I-80 than north of it. We are already taxed and tolled to much that we can't afford to go out and eat all the time like when I was downstate. "

" Gov Rod figures that if he cuts money from roads, schools and other such programs that the people will rise up and make the legislators pass his budget so that they can have their money. He is narcisitic to the point that he doesn't see that the people could instead rise up against him. He doesn't understand that the extension does more than "4H" and farmers. In DeWitt County the Nutritionist is part time and does Nutrition classes in the grade schools at no cost to the schools. There are workshops during school breaks that help the kids learn. The summer program is filled with many programs. All these will be gone if funding can't be found. The way the funding has been done in the past is that the state would match the funding that the county brought in thru taxes. So effectively this means the budget will be cut in half. The DeWitt County will have about $100,000 to pay all its bills. Most will lose their jobs. "

" Nice....all of the penalties are imposed on people south of I-80...hmmmm....I wonder why that is? Just a thought...I had to have surgery a year ago, and I was at a hospital in Chicago. Most of the staff did not know that there are active, viable communities beyond Chicago's borders! In their minds, there are nothing but corn and beans "downstate," with a few people here and there. I am not kidding! Some of them recognized the name of Bloomington or Springfield, but most of them gave me a blank look. Interestingly enough, when I mentioned that my town is close to Pontiac, home of the prison, that sparked some recognition. So, now, whenever I go to the hospital and someone asks where I am from, I just mention that my town is "close to the prison." Works like a charm! "

" To Lurg86. You are incorrect on two points. First, while he may have slept occasionally in the governor's mansion, former Illinois Governor Jim Thompson also spent the majority of his time in Chicagoland. Of course, no one criticizes this behavior (or many other behaviors) until a Democrat does it. THEN it's something to get all upset about. Second, if Chicago were to break away from the state, the area south of I-80 would became an impoverished wasteland within 5 years. It is the metro areas that generate the highest concentration of good paying jobs, and the rural areas that suck up the most taxes per capita, especially in the form of agricultural subsidies. Trust me, WE are the welfare queens in this state, and we NEED the Chicago area far more than they need us. "

" I have been having a hard time wrapping my mind around something. In IL, the state government gets 19 cents plus 6.25% sales tax from every gallon of gas you pump. I'm not really a math whiz, but with gas prices being so high for such a long time, there must be a lot of how is this extra revenue that has been generated for the state from this tax. It's hard to believe there is sucha budget shortage. "

" Why dont we just get a new governor?!?!? Think about it, it'd be more cost effective. Let's just save the trouble and put him in prison with Ryan now. It's gonna happen sooner or later. Then all of the money that the state is "saving", will actually go back into state prgrams, instead of his buddies (from the Great State of Chicago) pockets. "

" -To Bob Fider: Well of course penalties are imposed to people south of I-80, what did you expect? The governor does not live in Springfield as all others did before him. He lives in a place where he can hide from the citizens that are not behind him. This governor is a louse and a crook and I just hope all the democrats who support this man; have children interested in farming. However, don't count on it. This Gov. Blowdryer is smart and will not lose support of the Chi-town riff raff that has continually supported him. I hope Chicago files succession papers with the State of Illinois. Then downstate would actually get to spend their own money.
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