Posted on 08/15/2017 11:07:01 AM PDT by PBRCat
You can see it at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Illinois is falling apart and politicians don’t care.
The Coliseum, the most popular fair attraction, is closed. I noticed how dirty it was inside. No maintenance, not even a power washing of the dirty concrete. Water leaks from the roof during storms.
Last year, there were puddles in the aisles. A steel beam fell last October and the building was closed.
The state had from last October until this August to repair it. It remains closed and could be closed for years until lawmakers decide to come up with the money to fix it.
House Speaker Michael Madigan has money for himself, his friends, and every crooked scheme he can contrive. But no money to fix the fairgrounds.
To accommodate the few horse shows that remain, the state came up with money to enclose the practice pavilion next to the Coliseum. It is dirty, dark, and not one-twentieth the seating capacity of the Coliseum. They put in dirty bleachers with no backs.It cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for this bandage approach.
Practically every building on the fairgrounds is in disrepair. In the Swine Building, pig waste from last year still lines the walkways. The Livestock Activities & Exhibit Building has been closed for years because of disrepair. All over the fairgrounds, paint is peeling, roofs are falling apart, and beams are rusting.
And now, to how the state fairgrounds relates to the rest of the state.
Illinois highways seem to be under continual construction, yet we have the worst roads in the nation. Every bridge is rusting away.
It is the fault of Madigan, who wanted a budget on his terms (huge tax hikes and no reforms) to destroy (Governor) Rauner so he can get a Democrat elected in 2018.
(Excerpt) Read more at cdobs.com ...
Just wait till the ridiculous subsidy for wind power is abolished and thousands of disabled windmills and solar farms are disabled, now that the nation is awash in oil and natural gas. State programs for well-connected cronies are hard to hide when they are abandoned.
And only in Illinois can a State government employee retire and within 10 years be making more than they did working. In addition they get a GUARANTEED 3% increase every year. Since the state can’t file bankruptcy watch for the Democrats in congress to propose a bailout in the not too distant future for poor Illinois. The republican governor made an attempt to reform, but Madigan and the democrats are running the show.
I’m surprised California has held up so well. I’ve got no doubt we are on the Illinois trajectory, but well at least have a shiny new empty high speed chop-choo from Justine to the almond orchards in Shafter.
Oh! We are also going to spend billions more to keep alive Musk’s dream of a Tesla in every millionaire’s garage.
Illinois isn’t taking care of an event that showcases agriculture?
Those damn farmers vote Republican.
They have to be punished.
Tax State pensions of retired State employees to pay for State expenditures.
I wouldn’t be too worried about the state fair when their only “big city” (mayor) claims said city is a sanctuary city. Perhaps they have too much money in the coffers so they want to give it to “illegals” so screw the state fair bldgs.
As I recall, the brick work detail on the horse and cow barns were fabulous. They don’t do work like that anymore on mansions.
All the public employees have the best healthcare and pensions, and that’s all that matters.
When the season ended and I went home to Florida my daughter who worked in a TV station then told me about some town up north where the junior hi had two or three sets of twins or trips in every classroom. I said I just came from there. She said, "Du Quoin?"
CA gets most of its revenue from taxing the rich. When financial markets and the economy hiccup, that causes problems for the budget. They just tax and borrow some more.
Yes, for whatever reason, Illinois operates a secondary state fair in Du Quoin which opens a few days after the main fair in Springfield ends.
If only they had done more to prevent globull warming they wouldn’t be in this mess!
I would guess most of the buildings at the Illinois State Fair are 1930s public works projects. Most of the buildings at the Indiana State Fair are, but they have been significantly renovated over time. Our State Fair Coliseum was a dump a few years ago (and I remember going to Pacers games there back in the George McGinnis ABA days). However, two years ago it was significantly renovated and now it’s pretty nice.
So if Illinois has the same buildings from the same period, they are really in serious need of renovation.
Which brings me to another point; walking around the Indiana State Fair a couple years ago, I made the observation about how most of the buildings were built with public works money under FDR. And then I realized that I have NEVER seen any buildings anywhere built with the trillion dollar Porkulus money 0bama stole from our children. Contrast that with FDR’s public works projects; you can still find the buildings just about everywhere. There is nothing at all to show for his Trillion Dollar Bling Party.
“Tax State pensions of retired State employees to pay for State expenditures.”
Yes and that includes my bed wetting Obama and Hillary voting older sister Anita
Taxing pensions of ONLY state retirees is a great idea BUT would never fly politically or legally. The Dems own the unions and anything that diminishes value of state employee pensions has been ruled unconstitutional by State Supremes. The idiots built that into state constitution.
It’s insane what’s going on here.
Throughout Chicago there are public buildings and bridges constructed by Mayor William Hale Thompson, Jr., some of which predate America’s entry into World War I. Many of these structures were well built and are still serviceable. Routine maintenance kept these public works in good shape.
Chicago Democrats made political hay out of the fact that Thompson, the last Republican mayor, was corrupt because Prohibition occurred during his mayoralty as gangsters battled for booze and gambling profits. After the Democrats seized control of the city in 1931, they were married to the mob.
The word got out...... the last contractor for the Fair Grounds had to sue and still isn’t paid.
Rumor
Illinois was renovating their horse and cattle buildings in the late 80-early 90’s, the last time I was there. That was when they thought they had money. It amazed me then the level of craftsmanship in those buildings. I hadn’t noticed it as a kid in the late 60’s. As a kid, I remember the horses being very large, like Clydesdales. They must have been built earlier when horse farming was the norm. There was a lot of money made then in central Illinois from farming. I have no ideal what the buildings look like now.
Good observation on the Porkulus. Remember shovel ready and green shoots? It would have been one thing if they used it to repair bridges and roads but they used it for kickbacks and funding for political groups, electric cars, and cash for clunkers.
That’s not completely true. Obama gave out more food stamps than any other president in history. And don’t forget those nifty obama phones. Sure, no Hoover Damn, but we don’t want to endanger any more wildlife. I love those fury little creatures.
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