Governor's commute costing Illinois taxpayers big!!

"By JOHN O'CONNOR, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 48 minutes ago
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gov. Rod Blagojevich's practice of flying from his Chicago home to the Capitol in Springfield and back for daily budget negotiations is costing Illinois taxpayers more than $5,800 a day — roughly $76,000 since late May and climbing."

What's wrong with Amtrak? The Amtrak Station is only 3 blocks from the Capitol!! Takes 3 hrs each way. Daily train leaves Chicago @ 7am arr Springfield 10:15...lvs SPI either 5pm or 7pm and arrives back in Chicago 3 hrs later. Plenty of time for "a pol's day's work"

Total RT fare........$100 or less!!! In business class!! And don't tell me that getting to/from the airport and flight time is THAT much quicker.....or his time is 'worth' $1425/hour even if he 'saved' two hours each way!!!

Update, it seems WBBM and some other news outlets in Chicago have picked up on this.

ironic that he flys down there daily to "say" the state needs to save and stop wasting money. Obviously he also feels we need to pay more in taxes to cover "his" operating costs.

Blago is a complete idiot (for oh so many reasons). When he won his first term, being such a regular Joe, he said he wouldn't stay in the Governor's mansion. I don't know about you but private flights between Chicago and Springfield on the taxpayers' dime has "salt of the earth" written all over it.
What I don't get is why this is suddenly news. Six years ago, when he declared he wasn't going to live in Springfield, how did everbody think he was going to get to work and back (on the rare occasion he actually shows up), the bus?

Chris

Evidently the S... hit the fan due to the daily flights recently and the HUGE bill on the taxpayers dime.