What a criminal! People who spend ridicules money on things and end up failing, should pay a a minimum of 25% I personally would prefer 50% but I will be nice. This should be on the news but I don't they would want to cover something like this.

So we have Illinois using health care money to support their unconstitutionality. We have Louisianna using Katrina money to support their unconstitutionality.

What other states are screwing over their people trying to be unconstitutional and what are they syphoning money from?

All the money Public Health is saving now that it is illegal to smoke in IL, they shouldn't be complaining. Chicago will continue to run the rest of the state as it pleases. Just like it has always done. And when Blagojevich's term is up, he will end up in jail, just like every other governor we've had.

Another crusader taking on the wrong causes, rather than try to solve REAL problems

Hope he gets moderately (but not life threateningly) injured & has to wait in a queue at the hospital because of budget cuts.

@Aliasalpha

Doesn't matter if he gets injured, taxpayers pay his paycheck so he can go to private doctors.

@EZK

pretty much all of them. Most cities, and every major population center, has a legal fund that is held aside to pay for things like lawsuits against the cities, legal fees, etc. States, like Illinois, have a similar fund, but, if I remember correctly, the states fund had been tapped out by several lawsuits involving some state patrol officers, child services, etc.
The rule of thumb is to spread out the damage amongst all the branches of the government, even those who have nothing to do with the issue at hand. 10% here, 10% there, etc. to ease the burden.
However, I fully concur that there should be some sort of personal responsibility. Why was a private firm hired, at a cost greater than what the ESA had to fork over, to fight this?
I am certain there are public defenders willing to get a bit of reprieve from criminal works to try their hand at litigation, and they are already on the payroll (before anyone fires off a salvo, I am aware of the vast differences between civil and criminal law). It would seem sloppy to not have a lawyer on the payroll of the state, that deals with litigation...then again, it also seems sloppy to pass legislation that has been deemed Unconstitutional in several others states.

For those of you who don't live in the Land of Corn and Soybeans, a good portion of Balgojevich's staff is under some kind of federal indictment or another. Also, Illinois has some of the most corrupt politics in the nation. All you have to do is drive on the tollways outside Chicago and you can see his name above them emblazoned like some medieval Pope. The sad thing is, the GOP had a chance to get this guy out of office, and totally dropped the ball by choosing someone EVEN MORE CORRUPT to run against him.

That My friends, is the very definition of FAIL!!

So... while video games are destroying the planet.... Illinois is squandering cash it could be spending on improving poor areas of town, help homeless/jobless find homes and jobs, counseling, health care for poor residents.. etc..

Yep, sounds to me like spending money trying to make laws against video games was a much better way to spend money. It's not like it would have helped the education system in the state or anything.

Tax payer money gets misappropriated, News at 11....

"They recently had to bail out the CTA (Central Transit Authority - They run the trains and buses) to the tune of over 100 million dollars. The CTA operates in Chicago, not out where I am. Of course, Chicago only got a .50% tax hike, whereas we got a .75% tax hike. -_-"

Wow, and here I thought Chicago has the highest sales tax in the country. Does this mean you get a 10.5% rate?

At least the CTA got bailed out before "Doomsday". Paying $3 one-way = teh suck.

Loudspeaker:

Still in committee, last I heard.

Yah know, I wonder how many of the lawyers that worked on this case were friends of the Governor of Illinois? They may be "embarrassed", but they still have the loots.

The more i hear about this Blagojevich guy, the more i hate the guy. He should have had to pay the legal fees out of his own damn pocket for his retarded bill. Using Health care money to pay for his failed pro-censorship, anti-youth bill is disgusting.

@SmashPro1

I'm from downstate(Bloomington), and even the dozen or so Democrats down here(that DON'T go to Illinois State) don't like Blaggy. In fact, since you're from north of I-80, most people down here consider you part of the problem. You seem like a good person, so I'll spread the word at the feed store you're not ALL bad.

Interesting note on the investigations: The chief prosecutor is none other than Republican Patrick Fitzgerald, Barack Obama's predecessor in the Senate.

@Belgarion

Trust me. Even us out in the burbs don't even like Chicago either. They gave us the Stroger gravy train, unnecessary cigarette laws, taxes up the arse, and more kickback waste than you can shake a stick at.

Who're the main players that oppose Blago? From reading the Trib and Sun Times up here, you wouldn't know there's any politicians in Springfield other than Blago, Emil Jones, and Madigan.