Measure This

OK, I recognize the Chicago-complex Springfieldians have, especially when it comes to the governor preferring to live in the Chicago area as opposed to the Governor’s mansion. But this accounting to the penny of the cost of Rod Blagojevich’s travel between Springfield and Chicago, and the running of the stopwatch to measure to the minute his time on the ground here, is just silly.

Yes, there are good reasons for the guv to stay here while budget negotiations are going on. He should be here while the legislature is trying to craft a state budget. But the $52K or 76K or whatever the figure is, really doesn’t affect anything and is virtually meaningless in the larger picture. I mean, you could come up with offsets to that money from savings realized by the governor NOT living in the mansion, or, say, of the governor not commuting every weekend, etc.

Again, I’m not condoning the seeming lack of attention Blagojevich is giving the budget process, just asking we put down the stopwatch and calculator. It’s really petty.