Knee Deep in The Brook

A monumental chapter was written in the history books of Illinois government on Thursday as members of the Illinois Senate voted unanimously to remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office.

But even after weeks of embarrassment over the allegations against our governor, which thrust Illinois into a national spotlight, it didn't exactly seem like a moment to celebrate.

Yes, Blagojevich is gone, and the Senate also voted that he would never be allowed to hold office again. But it was a sad day that the affairs in our state have come to this: That lawmakers would have to use their impeachment powers to remove a governor accused of widespread corruption.

Blagojevich's impassioned speech was convincing. He made his case as a caring, hard-working son of blue collar parents who had climbed his way to the top and could be accused only of pushing a little too hard to defend other hard-working people.

But his speech was too little and too late for lawmakers. They didn't forget the allegations by federal authorities that he tried to sell a U.S. Senate seat or the taped phonecalls they heard earlier in the week in which Blagojevich tried to orchestrate a large campaign contribution in exchange for his signature on a bill.

And despite begging in the national media for time to explain those tapes, as well as other allegations, Blagojevich didn't offer a full explanation when he had the chance.

Now, new Gov. Pat Quinn, who is known as a political outsider, steps in as the state's new governor. He and Blagojevich were elected on separate tickets, as required by Illinois law, but united as a team in the general election. And so, even though Quinn isn't always taken seriously by the political establishment, that probably makes him the best man for the job at this moment.

Let's hope. With the state's fiscal crisis, he has an enormous task in front of him.

But the bigger question is whether Illinois politicians will do anything to change the culture that brought our highest elected official to this point. It was easy to eliminate Blagojevich for his flaws that were so numbered and so glaring no one could argue. But will they expend as much effort cleaning up campaign finance laws and the underlying culture of corruption among politicians?

What did you think of the Senate hearings? Were you swayed by Blagojevich's words? And will Pat Quinn be able to handle the task set before him?

Comment about it here.

On a personal note, this will be my last blog entry for The Sun. I have enjoyed my time interacting with readers through this blog, but I am moving on to another opportunity.

This will have to go down in history as one of the most surreal weeks in Illinois politics.

Lawmakers gathered in the ornate chambers of the Senate to embark upon one of the most solemn and momentous decisions many will face as elected officials. The upper chamber was filled at times with the sounds of the voice of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, often uttering profanities. Of course, it was a recorded voice taped in conversations that served as key evidence in determining whether he should be removed from office.

But the impeached governor ignored the proceedings in Springfield for most of the week and took his case to New York to the court of public opinion. He smiled for cameras, had his hair mussed by the women on The View and did more name dropping than an episode of Access Hollywood during his whirlwind media blitz to combat allegations of corruption.

The side show provided some amusing TV for the rest of the nation and fodder for network comedians. How will the writers at Saturday Night Live be able to resist at least a few more skits featuring Blagojevich when he provides such great material?

But here in Illinois, it grew more embarrassing by the day to be associated with our highest elected official. If our state's reputation for producing corrupt politicians wasn't bad enough, now we also can claim a governor who suffers from delusions of grandeur.

If Blagojevich could stick to his script, he actually might be able to generate some sympathy.

He contended that he couldn't get a fair trial in the Illinois Senate because he wasn't allowed to provide a defense or call witnesses. He said he boycotted the hearings because he was fighting for the Constitutional rights of all Americans by standing up for "due process".

But then he had to compare himself to "Mr. Smith", the movie hero who is falsely accused but uses his idealism and determination to conquer injustice. He went on to admit that he envisions himself as someone like George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life".

"This is like an old Frank Capra movie," Blagojevich said. "Whether it's Jimmy Stewart or Gary Cooper, I do, I see myself in those movies."

Really? Say no more. Please?

But he did.

He compared himself to highly-regarded figures like Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King and Ghandi, all who suffered persecution for their beliefs. And if that wasn't bad enough, he brought up Mother Teresa and suggested he wanted to appoint Oprah Winfrey to the U.S. Senate.

The Senate most likely will vote to remove Blagojevich from office this week. That move would be devastating for most governors. But Blagojevich will probably only see it as further proof that he is a persecuted idealist struggling for the protection of countless falsely accused political visionaries.

If that were true, then perhaps he could explain what he was really trying to say during the taped phone conversations that were being played in excruciating detail in the Senate chambers. If he were fighting for the rights of Illinois residents, perhaps he could have showed respect for the seriousness and magnitude of the trial by spending as much time in Springfield, as he did with talk show hosts.

It won't be as easy to avoid a criminal trial if federal prosecutors pursue a case against him.

Until then, it looks like Blagojevich will plead his case in the court of public opinion. Even with the charges piled against him, he is still innocent until proven guilty. Most residents will give him that.

But if bringing ridicule and embarrassment to the state were a crime, Blagojevich's case would be closed by now.

With Gov. Rod Blagojevich's impeachment trial set to begin in the Illinois Senate on Monday, one might think he would spend the day in Springfield where lawmakers will be meeting to determine his fate.

But he has a busy day planned. He'll be hitting the talk show circuit from morning to night in a public relations blitz arranged by his new PR firm, the same publicity agency used by Bolingbrook resident Drew Peterson.

Here's a line-up of the governor's TV appearances:

* NBC Today Show (NBC), 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
* Good Morning America (ABC), 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
* The View (ABC), 10 a.m.
* Larry King Live (CNN), 8 p.m.

The governor is traveling to New York for live interviews on all of the shows except the Today Show. In the previously taped segment, Blagojevich compares himself to Martin Luther King, Ghandi and Nelson Mandela.

Statements like that have already brought several public officials, including Mayor Richard Daley, to declare the governor is off his rocker. But this story speculates that he's not necessarily crazy, he might just possess a narcissistic personality disorder.

After days of continuous snowfall, the sun finally came out this week and the roads were clear of ice and snow.

I couldn't believe all of the potholes. All of that freezing and melting, along with the grating of the snowplow blades really took a toll on area roadways. Sections of Boughton Road are marked by holes, cracks and ridges, along with many other major streets around town.

It reminds me of the overall state of life here in The Brook.

Like many towns in America, the economic storm that has blanketed the country has caused some wear and tear on the village. Residents are feeling the pain of lay-offs, store closings and home foreclosures. We've been battered, but definitely not torn apart.

According to Mayor Roger Claar, Bolingbrook fared the storm in 2008 much better than many other areas of the country. The village still attracted new businesses to town, opened the first new hospital in 25 years, and created new jobs, Claar said during his State of the Village address last week. Still, more than 370,000 feet of retail space sits empty, he said.

Claar also said Bolingbrook will be featured on a CNN business segment because of the town's recognition by Money Magazine as the 32nd best place to live in the United States. For those who live here, did it feel like you were living in one of the top cities in the country or have you been hard hit by the challenges facing our nation?

Out on the streets, it's too early for construction crews to fill the potholes. There's still too much cold weather ahead.

But this week, it was bright and sunny, and the sun reflecting off the snow provided a radiant glow around town. Once the snow has melted, we'll see how much repair is necessary. Hopefully, brighter days are on the way.

What do you think? Did Bolingbrook make it through 2008 as well as the mayor says we did? Do you see Bolingbrook as one of the best places in the country to live or as a town in need of repair? What areas show the most need for improvement? Comment about it here.

With his inauguration just one day after the national holiday to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the nation's new president, Barack Obama, is seen by many as the fulfillment of King's "dream".

More than a million people gathered in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 44th president's inauguration where he was treated as much like a rock star as a political figure.

The Obamamania included unprecedented sales of T-shirts, mugs and knick-knacks bearing the image of the new president. Onlookers traveled from across the country to witness the inauguration and struggled to get a glimpse of the man many admire as if he were part political figure, part movie star, part super hero.

He took the oath in the face of what he called "raging storms" in America, including an economic crisis, terrorist threats against our nation, job losses, failing schools and rising health care costs.

Americans, as well as citizens of other nations, are looking to this new president as the leader who can calm the turbulent waters and restore this country to a place of prosperity and peace.

Will Barack Obama be able to live up to those expectations?

Like about 46 percent of Americans, I didn't support Obama during the presidential race. My reasoning had to do with his level of experience in handling the tremendous challenges that face this country.

But now that he is the president -- our president -- it is time for the nation to get behind him. He certainly brings to Americans a quality that is the first step in turning the tide of discontent: His message of hope, which so many people have embraced.

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," Obama said during his inaugural address.

Today was a historic day, whether one believed in Obama or backed another candidate. He is the nation's first African-American president. He brings youth and a change of attitude to the White House. He has united and energized many Americans who look to him not only as a president, but also as a role model.

Will he be able to accomplish all that he has promised? There certainly will be areas where many citizens will disagree on the course of action this new president wants to take.

But if he can create unity, if he can restore a vision of this nation as a world leader, if he can give people back that "American dream", each one of us can only benefit if he does succeed.

If it seems like the village has received more than it's usual share of snow this year, it's not just your imagination. Last winter's snowfall set a record for Bolingbrook, and the skies already have dumped more than half of that on the village so far this season.

But for those who sense the village has been skimping on its snow removal, local officials say it isn't true.

Unlike other cities that have cut back on salt or snow plowing due to economic constraints, Bolingbrook is putting the same effort into snow removal that it has for years, said Michael Drey, director of public works.

"We haven't changed anything," he said. "Has the snow fall changed? Yes."

The 52 inches of snow that fell last winter was a record high. More than 30 inches have fallen so far this winter.

Some Bolingbrook residents say snow plows haven't been keeping up:

"We've lived here since 1999 and the village did a great job, until last year," said one reader who submitted an e-mail comment last week to my blog. "I realize that we've had a lot of snow, and side streets come after main streets. However, it is obvious there's some scrimping going on."

This reader said he recently drove through Naperville and Downers Grove where streets were plowed and salted.

"I got to my sidestreet (Rebecca Lane) and it was like going back in time 12 hours," he wrote.

Drey said the village uses a prioritized method of plowing the streets, focusing on the main roadways first.

Crews start by cleaning main arteries, like Boughton, Briarcliff, Weber, Schmidt and Rockhurst roads, along with Rt. 53, Remington Boulevard, Veterans Parkway and Lily Cache Lane. Next come secondary streets, including Apple Valley Road, Augusta Boulevard, Palmer Drive, Orchard Drive, Cumberland Lane, Lee Lane, Northridge Avenue and Old Chicago Drive, to name a few.

Finally, they tackle the side streets. With each snowfall, crews reverse the order in which they plow the smaller streets, so if one area was first with the previous snow fall, it will be last the next time.

In areas that aren't plowed until later, the snow sometimes is packed by the time village crews are able to work on those streets, Drey said.

The entire village usually can be plowed in about 12 to 13 hours after the snow stops, he said.

Residents can call the village Snow Command phone number at (630) 226-8820 if they have any concerns about snow removal. Residents use the line to report mailboxes hit by plows, streets that haven't been plowed, and other snow-related concerns.

If crews are out on the streets, a receptionist will take the messages and report them to public works crews.

While salt prices have risen in recent years, Drey said the village has actually increased its supply to account for the growing amount of snow. Workers apply salt to all of the streets, but try to use it sparingly on the side streets because of the environmental impact when it melts into area waterways.

The village also mixes a solution of beet juice, calcium chloride and salt brine to coat the streets before the first snowfall. The mixture helps prevent snow and ice from bonding to the road and increases the salt's effectiveness as temperatures drop below 20 degrees, at which point salt will no longer melt the ice.

How do you think the village is doing with snow removal this year? Comment about it on my blog at http://blogs.suburbanchicagonews.com/neal.

Also online, post a comment with your street and I will let you know if your street is considered a main artery, secondary street or side street.

The Illinois House today voted to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, sending the matter to the Senate, which will put the governor on trial to determine whether to remove him from office.

After the historic 114-1 vote, Blagojevich said the move was expected and ignored requests to resign from office.

Illinois has been thrust into the national spotlight since the Dec. 9 arrest of Blagojevich on federal corruption charges, including allegations he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat held by President-elect Barack Obama.

When the Senate convenes next week, it will begin the process of setting up a trial in which the the 59 members of the upper chamber will act as judge and jurors. If removed from office, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn would be named the state's new chief executive.

So, what do you think about all of this? It seems that Blagojevich is taking it all in stride. In fact, a Chicago Tribune photographer snapped a photo of him jogging about the same time the House was debating his fate.

With one former governor in prison on corruption charges and a sitting governor facing federal charges, will Illinois be able to restore its reputation as the home of a more honest forefather who gave us the name the "Land of Lincoln"?

And what about Roland Burris who seems to be finding his way into the U.S. Senate, despite all the promises by Democrats that they wouldn't seat anyone appointed by Blagojevich?

Could Illinois' political situation be in any more turmoil? At least one person is hoping this will all blow over as soon as possible: Obama. He would like to scoot through the inauguration without this dark cloud hanging over his home state.