Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | D | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)

Checking Blagojevich's word What the governor says about his tenure and what the facts are in his record.

Article Excerpt
Byline: Eric Krol Daily Herald Political Writer

Gov. Rod Blagojevich is in the midst of a fund-raising and public relations blitz as he seeks to boost his image with voters before next year's election.

In public appearances, fund-raising events and communications with his party, he's road-testing his message of accomplishments, aware that, as is nearly always the case with a politician running for re-election, the contest will be a referendum on how well voters think he's done.

But critics say that for every Blagojevich claim, there's another side to the story.

When he talks 300,000 more Illinoisans having health coverage, for example, he neglects to mention he's done so by giving them taxpayer-funded health insurance. When he talks about changing business as usual in state government, he is silent on the appointments and contracts his administration has awarded to campaign donors. And when he talks about balancing the budget without an income or sales tax increase, he doesn't mention that he's increased the state's debt.

"He's not faced up to the state's fiscal situation. He has made it worse," said Mike Lawrence, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale who served as a top aide to Republican Gov. Jim Edgar. "I don't quarrel with the notion of providing more health care. But you need to pay for it. He's paid for it with tomorrow's dollars."

Deputy Gov. Bradley Tusk disputed that notion, saying that outside of...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!