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Gov. spreads pork in waging re-election bid

By Kurt Erickson, The Southern Springfield Bureau

Saturday, November 4, 2006 7:00 AM CST

SPRINGFIELD - Gov. Rod Blagojevich appears to have ripped a page from his predecessor's playbook as he seeks to seal up support for a second term.

Over the final two months of the campaign season, the Chicago Democrat and his associates have crisscrossed Illinois, distributing state dollars for everything from a wind farm in central Illinois to emergency school funding in Carterville.

An informal tally of the dollars he's handed out indicates Blagojevich has spread an estimated $45 million around the state through a series of high-profile announcements just in time for voters to head to the polls.

The spending on new snowmobile trails and expanded Amtrak service is similar to what convicted former Gov. George Ryan did during his tenure as chief executive, which Blagojevich roundly criticized when he ran for governor in 2002.

Blagojevich campaign spokeswoman Sheila Nix said the governor's announcements are not the same as Ryan's.

"These are all important projects that reflect the Governor's priorities and issues that he has been working on aggressively for the last four years and will continue to work on aggressively if he is re-elected," Nix said.

But the governor's announcements have drawn the attention of his opponent, Republican state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka.

"Rod Blagojevich ran in 2002 promising to change business as usual," said Topinka campaign spokesman John McGovern. "But we find him now, days before the election, doling out money that is most likely from dedicated funds he's raided or from state pensions at a time when the state faces a $3 billion deficit."

In defending the distribution of cash for pork-barrel projects, Blagojevich has argued the financial landscape of the state has changed since Ryan was in office.

Last year, for example, Blagojevich said such spending is OK as long as the state has the money to pay for it.

That comment came just days after the governor approved $194 million in pork-barrel projects left over from the Ryan era. Blagojevich said his previous opposition to pork was only because the state was pinched for dollars.

"The ability to be able to pay for some of these projects is much better today than it was three years ago. The budget is getting better and the fiscal crisis is getting resolved," said Blagojevich in October 2005.

The governor was swept into office in 2002 after campaigning against the funding of projects such as a statue in Waukegan honoring entertainer Jack Benny. He ridiculed taxpayer dollars that were spent on skateboard parks at a time when state coffers were deep with red ink.

In one of his first acts, he froze spending on the so-called "member initiative" program and said each project would undergo a thorough review to determine if it deserved funding.

This week, as Blagojevich enjoys a double-digit lead over Topinka in some public opinion polls, he distributed $1 million for a Holocaust museum and $3 million for a community college in southwestern Illinois.

He also announced $6.8 million in funding to help study Illinois rivers. In mid-October he made a splash by announcing an expanded schedule for Amtrak, which is being bankrolled by $24 million in state funds.

Nix said the spending is on projects and programs that are important to Illinoisans.

"If critics are against the Holocaust Memorial, improving the state's economy, and reducing dependence on foreign oil by focusing in alternative fuels, that is their choice," she said.

University of Illinois-Springfield political scientist Kent Redfield said politicians handing out goodies at election time is a common occurrence. "A smart incumbent uses this to their advantage," he said.

But, in the governor's case, Redfield said it comes after Blagojevich was critical of the practice.

"Rhetoric is fine, but you need to lead by example," Redfield said.

McGovern said Topinka would review pork-barrel spending if she is elected Tuesday.