Magick:
1. The photo was a joke, see.
2. You are bright enough to know that the feds control much more localized stuff that they rightly should. Power of the pocketbook and all that. Illinois isn't dealing with these people primarily because DC feels the need to collect lots of $$$ and then dole it out as it sees fit - even though DC has little idea of how to rightly spend money in the city of Chicago as opposed to the desert of NEw Mexico as opposed to the plains of Nebraska. And, IMHO, this applies no matter the administration in power.
Moreover, the state of Illinois is very very poor at the moment. Now, that may be due to whatever fiscal woes, but the point is that when we as society face decisions regarding welfare spending, I don't think anyone here can dispute the fact that heat for the poor (note: heat, not VCRs or TVs) is pretty high on the list. And, that point applies whether it is DC, Chicago, Springfield, or Timbuktu spending the $$$$.
[edit:] Come to think of it, I'm still seeing that a$$hole in the question-mark coat running around on late night TV advertising his telephone-book-sized guide to thousands of gov. programs where "you, yes YOU, can get FREE money." Why don't we take some of THAT money and give it to the poor. Truly, do you really want to see your tax dollars send somebody already on WIC and AFDC back to school for plumber training rather than see those dollars provide a little heat for society's most needing members? Elderly members who, in some instances, have likely already spent their time working their tails off only to have some Republican-backed golden-parachute yuppie geek waste their pensions on bad investments and million-dollar lobbying?
3. Hope you had a good turkey-day.
[ 12-02-2002, 10:47 AM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]