Well, of course, we live in a nanny state.
And, if I gave it some thought I probably could come up with some examples of Governor Pat Quinn’s showing he is in step with the concept of thinking government is better able
- to handle our money (now that I verbalize that concept, the Democrats’ 67% income tax hike comes to mind–surely Springfield knows how to spend our money better than we do; if you think of other Nanny State laws, please share them in the comment section) and
- directing our behavior than we can
As one who has driven across the state twice while running for State Comptroller on the Republican ticket in 1982 and Governor on the Libertarian ticket in 2002, I can tell you that hardly anyone drives the current 65 miles per hour speed limit.
Just last weekend, we drove to Springfield for the Old Capitol Art Fair and observed the same on Interstates 39 and 55.
So now State Senator Jim Oberwies’ bill to raise the speed limit to 70 MPH has passed and the Chicago Tribune rightly puts the story on its front page.
On its jump page, the Tribune asks,
Is Illinois geared up to go 70 MPH?
The Chicago Tribune asks whether Illinois is ready for a 70 mile per hour speed limit.
The real question is will Governor Quinn, who flies over Interstate highways most of the time, be able to relate to the common folk who have to drive.
Then, again, maybe it won’t matter anymore than Quinn’s veto of the Com Ed/Ameren rate hike bill…which both houses of the Illinois General Assembly overrode this week.
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See House and Senate roll calls here.
I certainly have no problem with a 70MPH speed limit, since drivers are already traveling over 70MPH. Now, enforce it. How about zero-tolerance enforcement?
A few years ago I was driving east on I-90 at about Hwy. 59, in the right-hand lane at the extremely dangerous speed of 55MPH, which happened to be the posted Speed Limit. The “pack” was moving about 72MPH, and I called ISP District 15 to complain. A trooper suggested I ought to “just go with the flow.” I asked him if I was supposed to speed up (and violate the law). Again he said, “Just go with the flow.” Then I asked for his name and if he would go to court with me, if I got a ticket.
I’m not sure what part of my DNA insists that I obey speed limits. Maybe it’s because I wrote a few speeding tickets in Colorado.
I know what WOULD be nice – if ISP troopers obeyed posted speed limits. That would be a good first step to slowing drivers down.
If ISP continues to give drivers 10-15MPH “over” before stopping them, it won’t be long before we are seeing 85MPH on our highways. That’s 124 feet/second, or more than the length of a football field in three seconds. There will be more crashes and more fatalities with the higher speed limit.
In Utah and Nevada they have 80 mph limits and are considering 85.
Illinois at the forefront of not being at the forefront.
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