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Central Illinois Gazette

A dumb idea that's heading to Illinois

Posted by: Tom Kacich

Saturday, November 3, 2007 11:17 AM

This stupid idea, http://www.madison.com/tct/news/254277 which is making headlines in Wisconsin, is just about to bubble to the surface in Illinois, where lawmakers can't seem to do anything about mass transit funding, a capital program, building new schools or anything else ... but they want to help moderate peace talks between cable TV providers and the Big Ten Network.

Bravo to the professor quoted in this story: "It's just a chance for legislators to look like they care about their constituents."

Often, these are the same legislators who gripe about getting government out of the pockets of business. Here's their chance to follow that principle.

If legislators want to watch the Big Ten Network, they can get a satellite TV package, go to a bar or restaurant that has it, or find a friend who's a subscriber. And they should advise their constituents to do the same.

Now, if legislators really want to be useful, they can:
* fix the boilers at Lincoln's Challenge in Rantoul,
* come up with a comprehensive mass transit funding plan for the Chicago area,
* develop a statewide school construction program that also takes care of other capital needs,
* figure out a way to make Illinois schools the best,
* do all they can to fully fund various state pensions,
* clean up state government,
* and all a hundred other more relevant things.