Q the Eye/06.17.11

Dear LakeCountyEye,

Now that the suits from Chicago call the shots at my newspaper they expect us to do some actual reporting. Or at least provide a few columns of original content. Where do they think content comes from, the content-tree? How do you find your stories?

Charles in Charge

Dear Value-Subtracted Reselle,

Quite frankly, your LakeCountyEye plagiarizes other media vendors. Here is a snippet from an unreleased blog-post, waiting galley review:

Did you know a special session will cost taxpayers $50,000 a day???? To put that figure in some perspective, with that kind of money your LakeCountyEye could buy 50,000 things at the Dollar Store!!!!
Well, Isn't That Special?
In Press

Sharpeyed operatives will recognize that this was cribbed nearly word-for-word from the News-Sun:

With Illinois political leaders talking about a special legislative session this summer to take up added spending bills and the statewide construction plan, it will cost taxpayers nearly $50,000 a day to pay salaries for House and Senate members while in Springfield. That could cover nearly two years of tuition, room and board, and fees for one student at the University of Illinois. That would also pay for a well-appointed luxury sedan.¹

Or, according to Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, it could be used to erode the state's 114,530 unpaid bills, dating back to Dec. 29, that sit on her desk.²

Gov. Pat Quinn says he wants a special session so lawmakers can work out a dispute over $430 million in new spending for education and human services that has been linked to the construction program.³
Darts & Laurels

Sure, you're probably thinking: that's not right to take someone else's stuff. Except, where do you suppose the News-Sun got their story -- from the content-tree? Nope, from the Illinois Statehouse News:

¹ With nearly $50,000, a taxpayer could cover nearly two years of tuition, room and board, and fees for one student at the University of Illinois. Or he could buy a new 2011 Cadillac CTS sedan with heated leather seats, GPS and MP3, a sunroof, and four cupholders. Instead, taxpayers will shoulder nearly $50,000 a day, if Gov. Pat Quinn calls lawmakers back to the Capitol for special session.

² Brad Hahn, spokesman for Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, said these daily expenses could be used to whittle away at the 114,530 unpaid bills, dating back to Dec. 29, that sit on Topinka's desk.

³ Quinn has said he wants a special session so lawmakers can work out a dispute over $430 million in new spending for education and human services that has been linked to the statewide construction program.
Special session price tag — $50,000 a day

So, heck, go ahead and "borrow" this LakeCountyEye post, everybody rips-off everybody else anyways. Just one other thing, make sure you rip-off someone who knows what they are talking about. Or at least check the CapitolFaxBlog, before going to press ...

First of all, despite what you may be reading, the session beginning next Wednesday will not cost taxpayers $50,000 a day ...

The median family income for a Freeport family is around $47,000 a year according to the 2010 U.S. Census. That compares to the U.S. median for a family of four at $50,006. One day of special session for the Illinois General Assembly would cost Illinois' beleaguered taxpayers $50,000. Nonetheless, Gov. Pat Quinn this past week said he will call a special session this summer to address Illinois’ $31 billion statewide construction plan.

The governor will not actually be calling a "special session," which would require that members receive their per diem checks. Per diem can't be disbursed for regular session days after the end of May, and that's what next week's session will be. The two chamber leaders are calling their members back to town, so the taxpayers won't be on the hook for that extra cost.
Thoughts on next week's session

Take it from your LakeCountyEye, if your goal is accurate reporting, you can't go wrong plagiarizing FOXNews.

If you are an elected official, or a previously elected official, or just a private citizen under indictment, send your political questions to Q the Eye c/o ... LakeCountyEye@gMail.com