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" First......The David Davis mansion brings vacation dollars to B/N?!?!?! Seriously? How many, like $8 a year? Secondly, I think you will find that the appreciation for Abe Lincoln decreases the further North you go in Illinois. I think any Chicago Lincoln sites would have closed long ago for poor attendance. Dispite the "many" vacation dollars they would bring the city. "

" Hey Devil, there are lots of democrats here. "

" You people who think Davis Mansion brings in vacation dollars are living in fantasy land. Even local people can't stand the place. The state should sell it off and if the next person who owns it wants to keep it running let them. If not, then so be it. There is zero historical value there. Who cares if the guy was Lincoln's friend. Think about the fact that our tax dollars are sunk into it. I'd rather see that money go to education or law enforcement. It would be a better use of our tax dollars we work so hard to earn. "

" Beth, read the list there are none on the list from the Chicago area. I hope we can get W. Brady or some other from down state in the govenors seat and let them play heck with the Chicago idiots. Close their state parks, foresty properies, etc. and watch them cry the blues. It is time that our tax dollars were spent in the honest parts of Illinois and let the dump of Chicago support its self. "

" All I can say is this is the first time I've seen my soon-to-be 11 year old son wanting to make a change in his government. He is scathing mad about the closure of Moraine View, and ready to organize marches on the state capital (guess we'd have to drive to CHICAGO to do that wouldn't we??!!!). It would be a very good idea to get the kids in this area involved in some legal protests. How would we find the right "capital" building though, when there isn't one in Chicago?? "

" The Davis Mansion and the other state historic sites that are being closed is a loss of more than just money coming into these communities, it is a loss of an educational resource for 1000s of school children in these areas. Many schools relay upon sites like the Davis Mansion because they are FREE. Without these sites, many children will not be able to go on fieldtrips cause there is less and less money in the schools for those trips- especially with the rising cost of fuel. This is entirely political squabbling betwen our Gov and his republican opponents. And I do think that if these were Chicago sites, they would not be closing cause he protects his interests in the Chicagoland area as well. We need to tell our legislators and representatives to stop this and come together in the interest of the people that elected them which is to save our historical sites and state parks! "

" to Meh wrote on Sep 5, 2008 9:29 AM:

" But hey, at least he didn't raise your taxes! "

I assume that you refer to the State income tax. How can ANY governor raise that tax? It is the LEGISLATURE which sets the tax rate, not the Governor. In your ongoing quest to be smarmy, you have overlooked this important fact [and many others]. "

" Blago has the Chicago politicians where he wants them. He's trying to get the attention of the downstate politicians...so he hits them where it hurts and their constituents will scream until they give Rod what he wants. It's all a political game....who knows who the pawns will be tomorrow. He's the puppeteer and we're the puppets....but what's a body to do? "

" Get over it already. It is a done deal. Maybe we can rely on the "judy Dome" to make up for the huge loss that you say the Davis house brought in. Really now...just how much are we losing...compared to how much it costs to keep this place open? I never see a lot of cars there. I say it was a good thing that they are closing it! "

" Look at the list and then map them, they are all outside of the Chicago area. Chicago, like Baltimore, Detroit, Washington, DC and other urban areas in predominately rural areas are sink holes for tax payer dollars. The only way any of them operate in the black, (if ever), is with an influx of rural money. Even then, they ask for more and more and more. If Chicago is so great at contributing to this State financially, show me the numbers. Not the creative accounting Daley numbers, the real numbers. "

" Beth, they would not close if in Chicago. On Wednesday I received a press release from the state saying $200,000 in new money was being put into a historic site in Chicago that was going to be open by appointment only. This governor's actions are clearly punitive to downstate (non-democrat) residents. "

" But hey, at least he didn't raise your taxes! "