Our (state) house divided against itself cannot stand

If Abraham Lincoln were alive today, what would he say about the state of Illinois?

The 200th birthday of our 16th President will be celebrated in February, although it might be closer to an ice-cream cake office party than something befitting arguably our greatest leader.

That's because one casualty of this year's budget fight was about half of the funding allotted to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, which runs sites including New Salem and which was expected to play a big role in the bicentennial celebration. Gov. Blagojevich, faced with an unbalanced state budget, did not spare the agency as he slashed $1.4 billion in spending.

While the Illinois House voted to override some of the governor's vetoes, the Senate, led by Emil Jones, will probably not take up the matter until the fall veto session, if it does at all.

Also not being taken up by the legislature is the long-delayed capital bill that would've pumped billions of dollars into new construction and maintenance projects. One section of that bill would have provided $55 million to the University to finally renovate Lincoln Hall.

Instead, the bust of Lincoln sitting in the front foyer will go depressingly untouched as no regular classes will be held there this fall. Although some departmental offices will remain in the building, the purpose of the building - teaching the next generation - will have to be fulfilled elsewhere.

Instead, in its dilapidated and patched-up condition, Lincoln Hall will symbolize how far state government has fallen since Honest Abe walked the streets of Springfield.

Every day, it becomes clear that personal differences prevent lawmakers from working toward compromise.

More specifically, a civil war between Blagojevich and House Speaker Mike Madigan is tearing this state apart much as this country was during the Lincoln administration.

Unfortunately, Lincoln has been dead for more than 140 years. And thanks to our petty lawmakers, we cannot properly honor his birthday, his building or the legacy of good government he exemplified.