Governor finds it hard to lead from a distance
When absentee landlords neglect their properties, the tenants have problems.
So is it any surprise that Illinois state government, led by an absentee governor, is having so many problems?
Gov. Rod Blagojevich spends most of his working hours in the Chicago area, even when lawmakers are meeting in Springfield. The governor must think he can run the state just fine from his Windy City vantage point more than 200 miles away from the State Capitol.
He thought wrong.
The governor will show up once in awhile, the same as absentee dads or landlords. He'll go before lawmakers to deliver the State of the State message and also the budget message (though this year he combined the speeches so he only had to make one trip). If he has a big initiative planned, he might make an appearance in Springfield for a press conference.
However, the insincerity shows. If he really was interested in positively influencing the legislative process, he'd be there in Springfield, day in, day out, as bills make their way through committees. He'd be there as votes are taken. He'd be there to cajole, praise, listen, make deals and support the process.
He'd be there to lead.
Frustrations with our absentee governor aren't limited to Republicans. Leaders of his own Democratic Party don't like it, either. An impasse among them led to the current overtime session of the Illinois General Assembly.
The latest defector is state Sen. Mike Jacobs, of East Moline, who represents part of the Sauk Valley. Jacobs said Blagojevich threatened him if he didn't support the governor's health care plan. Though the governor's office denied Jacobs' version of events, the confrontation angered Jacobs so much that he vowed to challenge Blagojevich in the next election.
"If the governor wants a fight, I'll give him a fight. The people of Illinois are sick and tired of Rod Blagojevich mismanaging this state, Democrats and Republicans alike," Jacobs told the Associated Press.
It's pretty late in the game for Blagojevich to patch up differences with his party, let alone his opponents, but we urge him to try.
Start spending more time in Springfield. A lot more time. Meet with lawmakers and public interest groups. Listen to their concerns about electric rates, education reform, gambling, fuel prices, health care and the business climate. Be willing to compromise. Take care of the state's current obligations before creating new ones. Calm the fires of conflicting opinions, don't stoke them.
Through his aides, the governor proposed budget talks at a Springfield news conference Monday. However, Blagojevich didn't show up. That's not a promising start.
Absenteeism hurts. Kids and tenants know it. Illinois residents do, too. A commitment to be there by absentee dads and landlords is one step toward repairing the damage. Gov. Blagojevich needs to make the same pledge.
