Huzzah. The Czar took some vacation with his lovely Царица, and took the Цесаревич (who has been learning a lot about Lincoln) and the younger Царевич (who likes trains, a lot) to Springfield, Illinois. Among our many stops, about some of which you will read later this week, was the Capitol building, to see how politics work in Illinois.

Illinois had a moron for a governor. Rod Blagojevich was elected promising massive increases in spending, for all sorts of simple or outlandish programs, while promising not to raise taxes a single cent. Opponents and even legislators in his own party demanded to know how he would pay for any of this. For weeks, Rod refused to answer the question; eventually confronted, he proposed equally nonsensical schemes such as selling off state assets (like tollways) to private contractors, stealing the money from the teachers’s pension fund, using advertising, building casinos, and more. He did none of these things, and as a result the state spent itself into a deep hole. Well, actually, he did steal the money from the pensions, which has yet to be accounted for.

Current governor Pat Quinn has now been given the same problem. Like a saner individual, he suspended almost all of his predecessor’s nutball spending programs, but still has some massive bills to pay. He is also aware that raising taxes in this economy would be suicidal to a guy looking to be elected officially. In this case, he listened to Republican ideas, and elected to consider deep cuts in spending.

One item that the representatives proposed cutting was funding to union-run private health care facilities, basically saying they can run themselves without state money, just as so many non-union ones do. Of course, this implies that to remain profitable, they would need to compete. And anyone who reads ‘Puter here knows that unions are incapable of competing against non-unions for equal work.

As a result, the affected Service Employees International Union (SEIU) told its membership that if the Illinois representatives vote against raising our income taxes, many of them would be out of a job. As a result, hundreds of protestors showed up at the Capitol building on Tuesday (the day of the vote). Here is some footage. The Czar is not in the video (nor did he take it), but was nearby to the sides.

This shows the floor of the building directly under the massive dome. What it does not show was the mass of protestors everywhere, on every stair, every landing, every balcony, in every hallway or public room, all chanting and screaming as you see above. Hundreds, with State Capitol Police doing their damned best to maintain order. Eventually, eight of these folks got arrested for disordely conduct.

Needless to say, the boys were more than a little frightened (literally) by the unruly mob. Older Цесаревич wanted out. Fast. Little Царевич looked up and inquired “Could I ask them to shut up?” Ah, but this is Illinois politics!

And so is this: Quinn vetoed the spending cuts, so the union once again will receive money from the state to do unprofitably what private non-union healthcare facilities do quite profitably. And so the income tax will probably need to go up in this economy. Freaking Democrats.

Know why God hates unions? Because He alone reserves the power to destroy the world.

Note to the SEIU: Look, it’s totally your right to protest. But when your chants include “Hey Hey Ho Ho, Budget Spending Cuts in Healthcare’s Got To Go,” you might want to look into having someone with a three-digit IQ come up with your rhyme scans.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.