Gov. Rod Blagojevich should come to a used car lot near you any time soon.

His budget speech last week reeked of a slick, “everything must go – Sunday, Sunday, Sunday” style of rhetoric.

Look no further than the numbers.

Eastern must now return 2.7 percent of the money from this year’s budget. Sounds more like a great annual percentage rate on a car than a budget cut.

It could’ve been worse.

Blagojevich said he would cut 8 percent across the board from all state universities except for the University of Illinois.

Many university administrators might have rejoiced, or at least wiped some sweat from their brows after the news came that it wasn’t quite a doomsday scenario. Higher education across the state took a $112 million hit.

Blago shouldn’t be lauded for his achievements in finding a way to cut the amount of the cut. The first-term governor should’ve left the state’s education budget alone and neither increase nor decrease the spending.

Spending increased from last year’s budget even though Blago was faced with the worse deficit in state history.

The governor called for people around the state to take a taste for beer over champagne. But this year’s budget could show the state’s palate for wine.

Included in the budget is $500,000 for the state Wine Council. The council helps market and offers advice to 33 wineries at $15,000 a pop, but this isn’t Sonoma Valley, Calif.

For the Effingham office of the Department of Central Management Services, $500,000 would’ve been more than enough to cover the cost of a new roof, which was needed. The department took a $90.2 million cut statewide.

So when April showers come through, workers in the Effingham office might succumb to a flood, but at least they’ll be able to enjoy quality state-funded wine while they bail.

The former Chicago South-Sider’s budget shows more affection for wine and cheese than most Cubs fans. Blago already complained about groups like the Wine Commission during the budget address. But he has the power to change the “special interests budget” he refered to – he can do more than whine.

The budget contains plenty more to be cheesed off about.

The Department of Children and Family Services takes a $48.9 million hit. The Capital Development Board’s funding was slashed $246 million. The Department of Human Services received $73.6 million in cuts. The Department of Transportation took the biggest hit, a $484 million cut, which might actually be a welcome sign for Chicago area drivers seeking relief from construction season.

Blago’s budget berating shows no real vision. Instead he said most cuts were made to cut “inefficiencies.” In the process many jobs are lost, adding to an already high unemployment rate.

Many who backed Blago voted for him because he promised change. He seemed to have vision. But any hope of a new visionary emerging is gone.

Sacrifices must be made, but why sacrifice higher education where the future workforce is cultivated?

Based on the unemployment numbers, the state’s workforce isn’t so hot right now. Why be cool on the source?

While it’s easy for state residents to turn a watery budget into whine, that doesn’t accomplish anything. Illinoisans should write Blago and their state representatives and tell them they shouldn’t stand for Blago’s bigger spending budget at a time when there’s no bling-bling to be had. Don’t hesitate to opine and whine about wine.

If Blago can’t steer the state’s budget in the right direction then state voters should send him to a used car lot where he belongs.