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Re: Illinois

Posted: May 28 08, 8:16 am
by Popeye_Card
9/10th's of your rant is against Chicago (I'm including Governor Rod and his staff, since they're all Chicago cronies). Leave the rest of the state out of it!

Seriously, I wish they would make Chicago it's own city-state.

Re: Illinois

Posted: May 28 08, 8:29 am
by UK
jim wrote:The most dysfunctional and corrupt money grabbing God forsaken state in the union.

Yesterday we get a bill for missed tolls, something like 10 or so going back to June of 2007. Apparently the fine folks in Springfield couldn't get the computer system up an running and everything got backlogged. Once they finally got the system running it puked out gobs of "missed" tolls, although I'm certain that some of our were not missed at all.

The amount of missed tolls added up to like $12, but they tack on a $20 fine per missed toll. Total bill: $283. After spending over an hour trying to get through on the phone we were finally able to get them to just take it out of our IPASS account, but for about an hour I wanted to go down to Springfield and punch some cartoon faced governor right in the nose.

The kicker is that we have the I-PASS card, but somehow they didn't register it with the other vehicle. Sporadically for whatever reason the cards do not register, and everytime we had this happen in our car that they did not have registered it silently recorded it and collected them for over one year.

I am so sick of this state, I had to jump through hoops to get my fishing license printing out through the crappy Illinois DNR website. Never again will I use that (Wisconsin DNR site by contrast is as slick as a whistle and have used it several years without a hitch).

Here at work, we have had to go through these involuntary unpaid weeks off for which we are eligible for unemployment. You ought to see that joke of a system, they sent a rep out to our place to explain how it worked and he was the rudest person I have ever met in my life. Not only that, he gave us a ton of wrong information and half the people I work with now have claims in the system that have errored out.

For how many years now have I been driving on I90 from Madison to Illinois. Perfect roads, no problems. Then, "Welcome to Illinois" and barrells and tractors and piles of gravel and lane closures. Everything except one key ingredient: WORKERS! I don't know that I've ever seen anyone actually working on those roads. And to add injury to insult, you throw all of your loose change in a basket which causes a huge backup and traffic jam for the privelege of entering this abomination of a state. Or, take your chances through the automated system only to be handed a bill for $20 per trip through almost a full year later.

And, no trout.

I gotta get out of here.



I hate Illinois with a passion.
I had a similar situation except it was for 444.00 dollars and it was deemed a clerical error. This is an awful state as far as the cost of living and just complete mismanagement of funds. There is no reason for this budget crisis except for how they run the state. I will readily admit to the mistake of voting for Blago.

Re: Illinois

Posted: May 28 08, 8:32 am
by Michael
IL is terrible. Good rant, Jim.

Re: Illinois

Posted: May 28 08, 8:34 am
by Popeye_Card
Image

Represent.

Re: Illinois

Posted: May 28 08, 8:35 am
by maddash
jim wrote:
I hate Illinois with a passion.
As an Illinois ex-pat now living in the state of Misery, I'd have to say that the grass isn't alway greener Jim. Try getting your vehicle registered and tested for emissions in the the state of Missouri... oh, and paying property tax on the vehicle.

Re: Illinois

Posted: May 28 08, 8:40 am
by jim
maddash wrote:
jim wrote:
I hate Illinois with a passion.
As an Illinois ex-pat now living in the state of Misery, I'd have to say that the grass isn't alway greener Jim. Try getting your vehicle registered and tested for emissions in the the state of Missouri... oh, and paying property tax on the vehicle.
Your taxes are so much lower that even with the personal property tax is nothing. 10% sales tax is out of hand. We just had to dump a perfectly fine car because it would not pass emissions and it wasn't worth the cost of fixing it. Our governors routinely go straight from the Governors mansion to jail, and I think the one we have in know might be following that path as well.

I've lived in Missouri and have property in Wisconsin, Illinois is worse.

Re: Illinois

Posted: May 28 08, 8:42 am
by Hudler
That emissions junk is only in the St. Louis and KC area I believe. I've never had to have it done here.

Re: Illinois

Posted: May 28 08, 8:44 am
by Michael
Corruption rankings from a random google.

Most Corrupt

1. Mississippi (7.48)
2. North Dakota (7.09)
3. Louisiana (7.05)
4. Alaska (6.06)
5. Illinois (5.26)
6. Montana (4.95)
7. South Dakota (4.86)
8. Kentucky (4.59)
9. Florida (4.58)
10. New York (4.56).


Least Corrupt

1. Nebraska (0.52)
2. Oregon (0.59)
3. New Hampshire (0.86)
4. Iowa (0.95)
5. Colorado (0.97)
6. Utah (1.03)
7. Minnesota (1.11)
8. Arizona (1.22)
9. Arkansas (1.32)
10. Wisconsin (1.47)


http://www.corporatecrimereporter.com/corruptreport.pdf

Re: Illinois

Posted: May 28 08, 8:44 am
by JL21
Hudler wrote:That emissions junk is only in the St. Louis and KC area I believe. I've never had to have it done here.
In Sedalia, you pull up to an emissions testing station and a guy comes out, hooks your exhaust up to a hose, puts the other end of those hose in his mouth, and asks you to start the car. If it "tastes just right", then you're approved.

Re: Illinois

Posted: May 28 08, 8:46 am
by Popeye_Card
Michael wrote:Corruption rankings from a random google.

Most Corrupt

1. Mississippi (7.48)
2. North Dakota (7.09)
3. Louisiana (7.05)
4. Alaska (6.06)
5. Illinois (5.26)
6. Montana (4.95)
7. South Dakota (4.86)
8. Kentucky (4.59)
9. Florida (4.58)
10. New York (4.56).


Least Corrupt

1. Nebraska (0.52)
2. Oregon (0.59)
3. New Hampshire (0.86)
4. Iowa (0.95)
5. Colorado (0.97)
6. Utah (1.03)
7. Minnesota (1.11)
8. Arizona (1.22)
9. Arkansas (1.32)
10. Wisconsin (1.47)


http://www.corporatecrimereporter.com/corruptreport.pdf
Huh. I never thought North Dakota would be so corrupt. Good thing I have no plans of even stepping foot in that state, much less living there.