This is interesting:
Governor Rod Blagojevich's office says the building that was the scene of this month's shooting at Northern Illinois University will be demolished and replaced with a new classroom building.
A gunman fatally shot five students attending a lecture inside Cole Hall before turning a gun on himself on Valentine's Day.
Blagojevich plans an afternoon news conference to announce funding that will allow NIU to demolish Cole Hall. A new state-of-the-art general classroom building will be built on the site and named Memorial Hall.
I know the Governor's media pronouncements are next to worthless, and that perhaps questioning such an announcement is in bad taste.
But I couldn't help reading this and thinking: if there are funds for this, what about Lincoln Hall?
Ch.3 last night had a story about the Lincoln Development Center in Lincoln Il. This facility was closed by former Governor and current federal felon George Ryan, Gov. Blagovich said He would reopen the facility after He was elected the first time, it is still closed, the State has spent 8 million dollars to keep the heat on and a skeleton crew working there. How does Blago expect to fund the construction of a new building in De Kalb? and the Illinois State Fair grounds has a major power distribution problem, and yes What about Lincoln Hall at the U of I? I would suspect the State can't find anyone willing to wait 9 or 10 months to get paid for the repairs at the fair grounds.
"How does Blago expect to fund the construction of a new building in De Kalb?"
He doesn't. He just wants the media pop. Which is really pretty shameless, now that I think about it.
Can you say distraction, or do you think this story is big enough of a distraction from his new name as Mr. "A"? My question is why no one told Blago earlier that he was "official A"?
Maybe we will get a new Assembly Hall because the Chief danced there.
John
Why not just hollow Cole Hall out and turn it into a firing range for student/faculty/staff. Seriously! Get some concealed weapons allowances going up there. Speaking of the assembly hall, I wonder if there was ever any intention to paint the old circle Chief Illiniwek logo on the roof given its circular appearance.
Is there something wrong with Cole Hall infrastructure wise. Lincoln hall is falling apart. Talk about priorities. Yes a tragedy happened and I prayed for the victoms, but are we gonna repave roads after fatal car accidents.
" Yes a tragedy happened and I prayed for the victoms, but are we gonna repave roads after fatal car accidents. "
At least there's a possibility that poor roads could have lead to the accident. There's nothing wrong with that building, Rod just thinks he's God, with the power to bestow the blessings of the state at a whim.
This is PR ********, plain and simple.
(EDITED by IP to remove profanity. Sorry.)
Four years from now, none of the current students ( or very few of them) will actually be still at NIU so for them, there will no memory of that awful day.... it will just be a building..... we didnt tear down the Dr. Howard after a librarian was murdered in the school, we didnt tear down Memorial stadium after someone died from falling through the sky light and a worker got murdered there, they did not close the golf course at 4th and Kirby right away after students were murdered there back in the late 60's....
With the budget being so lean, how about just closing the building for 3 yrs and then when the current crop of students leave, reopen it with the new name.
bhss73, when was a librarian murdered at Dr. Howard? Never heard about that one.
It is a sad statement that in our state for the Government to honor its responsibilities someone has to die. If this occurred in Lincoln Hall, would the Governor finally release the funds?
Naomi, issued a press release saying she had the funds for Lincoln Hall during her election campaign against me. Maybe not.
To that end, I am, and shall always remain;
Rex Bradfield
What a crock.
"It is a sad statement that in our state for the Government to honor its responsibilities someone has to die. If this occurred in Lincoln Hall, would the Governor finally release the funds?"
Maybe he'll go for a goat instead? We have a great ag department, I'm sure they could spare a few animals for ritual sacrifice if it's get Amun-Rod to smile upon us.
"Maybe we will get a new Assembly Hall because the Chief danced there."
Post of the Day.
Idiotic publicity stunt. He'll never fund it. But he gets to say he proposed it. Some leader.
1980? She was killed by the janitor. Kid by the last name of Peoples if I recall. She was a substitute for the day......
bhss73, I remember when that happened,
N03782 - PEEPLES, PHILLIP
Parent Institution:
Graham Correctional Center
Inmate Status:
IN CUSTODY
Location:
GRAHAM
Peeples is still in prison.
I have nothing but sympathy for the victims and survivors of this senseless tragedy, but this is quite possibly the dumbest thing I've ever heard. The estimate I heard yesterday for this new building was $40 million. If we want to spend $40 million (money we don't have, incidentally) on a memorial, how about giving $10 million to foundations that help the mentally ill, $10 million to NIU to beef up their campus security, and $20 million to a scholarship fund so that 200 kids a year from struggling families can get an NIU education? Or, hey, we could tear down a perfectly good building. Unbelievable!
I predict "citizen a" will be in custody like the former governor. Maybe this will happen soon enabling the rest of the nation to notice the equality shown by Illinois's political system by having a former governor from both major political parties in prison at the same time.
For those of you who agree with the Governor's fiscally irresponsible decision to appropriate $40 million that this state does not have to demo and rebuild NIU's Cole Hall, please stop reading this now.
For those of you who are as outraged as I am over the Governor's idea...................It's time to stop talking to one another about it and start talking to your state legislators.
If you do not know who your legislators are or how to contact them, you can go to www.ilga.gov and search by either your district # or your address. There is a search link near the bottom of the home page. Once you've found your legislators' names you can click on a name and you will be directed to a page with his/her address, phone number and a link to email.
http://www.altlaw.org/v1/cases/484695.txt
"Maybe this will happen soon enabling the rest of the nation to notice the equality shown by Illinois's political system by having a former governor from both major political parties in prison at the same time."
What if they were cellmates? Wouldn't that be cool?
09:09 AM, Anonymous
Problem is your post is based on rational thinking, you forget you are talking about Illinois. But I like it, nice job.
Lisa,
I know who my representative is, problem is, I am not sure she does.
02:50 PM, Anonymous
Too good, and too cool. I love it.
Food for thought based on 9:09 post;
Remember the State made major cuts in the funding available for the mentally ill. Causing a HUGE number of patients who's stability was very questionable, but not meeting the treatment standard to remain under treatment to be denied additional treatment and kicked out onto the street into the depths of society. Now, recently some of those individuals are surfacing in society, with guns...... West Side Park, NIU, etc.
The next time any of our elected officials cuts funding to those kind of programs that only government can fund and offer, we should have those needing treatment set up refrigerator box on their yard. That should do it.
To that end, I am, and shall always remain;
Rex Bradfield