Governor declares storm-damaged counties disaster areas

Willya lookit that! Blagojevich has announced that some counties hit by storm Friday are official disaster areas, qualifying for state and federal funds to recover, because they are suffering:

Dozens of trees were damaged or destroyed and roads flooded after the torrential thunderstorms pounded the region. At least one person was killed in the storms, which caused flooding in scattered areas...

Funny thing is, this disaster area is -- wait for it -- Chicago area, and not those of us downstate who have already suffered economic devastation, and have also seen hundreds of trees damaged or destroyed, power out to many homes through Sunday, and at least one person dead.

Damme, it stinks living in Forgottonia, sometimes.


But then again, if we had the attention of those in Springfield, they'd probably just tax us higher, anyway.

It's a good thing we still have plenty of pioneer stock in us, or we'd have been sunk long ago by the Chicago Democrats, much less by a little rocky weather.

Let me offer a refresher course in some of the minor damage to be incurred in Warren County:

This used to be a tall-standing crop of corn.

This used to be the top of a 50-foot maple tree, a telephone pole, a series of power lines, a transformer, and a very nice Nissan pickup truck.

As you can see, the pole has been replaced, the lines are finally up and operating (as of 5 pm Sunday) and the truck ... well, the less said about it, the better.

And we were the lucky ones. Galesburg's hospital staffs were running themselves ragged treating injuries from flying broken glass, flying tree limbs, and other rapid airborne detritus all Friday afternoon & evening. And let us not even discuss the flattened Kirkwood!

Sheesh.