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| The Fighting Illini and Big Government | | Date Created: Mar 27, 2005, 10:04 AM |
 I've enjoyed many of Paul Jacobs essays under the title of Common Sense. His organization, LimitedGov.org is worth checking out. Here's one that connects my home state's University to Big Government.
The Fighting Illini have some big fans. Former Governor Jim Edgar bought 68 tickets this season to the team's games. George H. Ryan, Jr., son of the previous (and indicted) governor bought 60 tickets. Illinois State Representatives Roger Eddy and Naomi Jakobsson bought over 30 tickets each, while Democratic Senator Deanna Demuzio and Republican Kurt Granberg bought 16 each.
Pretty cool, eh? Nice to see the politicians mingling with the people in a beloved pastime.
Well, no.
You see, these politicians and many others bought their tickets for $30 or less, outside the normal ticketing system, with the help of high muckety-mucks at the University of Illinois. The University sets aside a certain number of tickets to go to its trustees and supporters and special friends. And the politicians who vote for the institution's programs are indeed special friends. Very special.
Most fans, on the other hand, have to wait in line for tickets, pay a lot more, and many even go to scalpers who charge as much as $400 a pop. Many have to watch from home.
Now, this isn't the biggest scandal of our age. But it is a good marker of how Big Government institutions make room for a special class of people -- legislators and even the sons of corrupt politicians -- while seeing the taxpayers who do the actual funding as little more than cash cows.
America's class system is firmly in place.
No cheers from me in my section, about that.
This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob. |
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