Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced this week to 14 years in prison, but the real sentence is the one taxpayers will serve many years after. He mastered the art of pairing populist rhetoric with expensive new programs directed toward his core constituencies.

To pursue his highly visible programs and agendas, Blagojevich needed money. He found it by diverting billions from the state’s pension system. By taking “holidays” from required pension system contributions and by nearly doubling Illinois’s debt, he burdened future generations to support favored groups in the present.

Perhaps worst of all, as CEO of Illinois, Blagojevich institutionalized a culture of deficit spending. He accomplished this so effectively that Blagojevich’s successor, Gov. Pat Quinn, and today’s lawmakers feel comfortable perpetuating the ruinous habits of spending and borrowing more than the state can afford. Fiscal ineptitude is the new norm.

The Illinois Policy Institute has a new report out that details Blagojevich’s lasting effect on Illinois’ fiscal condition. Read it at www.illinoispolicy.org/blago. Here’s the “top ten” list:

No. 1: Disregarded obligations to state pensioners

Policy: Blagojevich diverted billions of dollars from the pension funds of future government retirees to pay for his own spending priorities.
Problem: Blagojevich ballooned existing spending programs, ignoring his responsibility to ensure the health of the state’s pension systems. Retirees and taxpayers are on the hook for his political expediency.
Program cost: Excess of $3 billion for future taxpayers

No. 2: A culture of deficits

Policy: Grow spending to appease Blagojevich’s core constituencies.
Problem: While Blagojevich was creating and expanding unaffordable programs, the state’s financial position deteriorated year after year.
Program cost: Worst rating of net assets in the nation.

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Government restricting our constitutional rights in the name of “protecting the children,” is, sadly, nothing new. But when a guy who has made well in excess of $100 million making violent movies seeks to ban the sale of violent video games to minors – that’s individuals under the age of 18 – well, we are being treated to a truly breathtaking display of hypocrisy. As Governor of California, Arnold “the Governator” Schwarzenegger is the lead plaintiff in a case to be argued before the Supreme Court this fall that seeks to uphold a California law banning the sale of violent video games to minors.

I’m a little puzzled as to why SCOTUS even accepted this case. The law in question and similar statutes in other states rightly have been found unconstitutional by 12 different courts, including federal district courts and most recently, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. I’m hoping that the Supremes are simply taking this case to end this foolishness once and for all. But I digress.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ultra-violent Terminator, Predator and Conan series alone have reaped him tens of millions of dollars. And in case you didn’t notice, all of those movies spawned video games which I can only assume brought more money into Arnold’s pockets. And lest we forget, Arnold’s action hero flicks are routinely marketed to kids. Don’t believe me? Forgot about your Terminator action-figure that you left in your parent’s basement when you left for college?

The California ban is beyond legally dubious. It’s downright laughable.

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Attention Santas:

This missive is directed at the guardians of, and donors to, tiny humans. If you fall into that category you likely are already familiar with Build-A-Bear, a world-wide corporation that provides the most innocent of services. They sell customizable stuffed animals. Make your own bear, dog…penguin. Cute concept.

So cute, in fact, that the Build-A-Bear empire sweeps across nearly every state and into 17 other countries. You’ll find their outlets in shopping malls everywhere and even some ballparks. The company also has a website called Build-A-Bearville.com where children can play an interactive video game that, on it’s surface, is unlikely to raise suspicion or sound alarms.

But when your unsuspecting tot logs on and hops a virtual train to the North Pole…you should know that he or she will be informed — by Santa Claus — that Christmas may be canceled this year due to Global Warming. Below is part two of the 3-part video.