Don’t wallow in state’s woes

After more than a decade of extreme scandal and gross government mismanagement, far too many Illinoisans seem to be wallowing or even perversely reveling in our state’s embarrassing failures. Just try to point out a positive aspect of this state, and you’ll be shouted down by all sides as a naive homer.  

But accentuating the positive is just what Gov. Pat Quinn tried to do last week, and, man, was he ever hammered for it. 

Putting aside all the resulting uproar for a moment, the governor’s State of the State address was probably the best speech I’ve ever heard Quinn give, at least on a technical basis. It was well-written (his 2010 speech was horribly ad-libbed), well-delivered (he’s given some real snoozers), and, as far as a State of the State speech goes, hit all the right high notes. 

Yes, it was heavily criticized for being way too light on budget specifics, but, hey, this was not a budget speech.

Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka said Quinn was “putting dessert on the table before the vegetables.” Well, yeah. But, the broccoli address will be delivered in just a couple of weeks.

Next year’s budget will be the toughest one Quinn has ever crafted. I can wait a couple of more weeks to see what he’s going to do.

Then there’s this, from Article V, Section 13, of the Illinois Constitution: “The Governor, at the beginning of each annual session of the General Assembly and at the close of his term of office, shall report to the General Assembly on the condition of the State and recommend such measures as he deems desirable.”

The annual State of the State address is not supposed to be about the government. It’s supposed to be about Illinois itself. So, much of the over-the-top hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth about Quinn’s address not being focused enough on the government itself was misplaced.

Yes, I agree that he should have tried harder to steel our collective nerve for the fearsome battles ahead. But, overall, the governor delivered a pretty standard State of the State address as required by the Constitution. Quinn is no Roosevelt or Reagan, but not many are, and Illinoisans knew that when they elected him.