Since former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has been removed from office, several noticeable changes have occurred.

One of the most obvious was the recent removal of Blagojevich’s name from the toll signs across the state.

“First of all, since the governor is not the governor anymore, we don’t want his name above the tollway signs,” said Matthew Streb, associate professor of political science.

After the former governor was removed from office and current Governor Pat Quinn replaced him, the 32 blue signs put up in 2004 had to be changed, according to the Chicago Tribune.

“I think Quinn wants to disassociate himself with anything that Blagojevich had to do with,” Streb said. “It was kind of a symbolic move by Quinn, saying ‘Look, there’s a new administration in town, and we’re going to do things differently here.'”

Some believe, however, Quinn and the Illinois government were trying to send a different message, not of disassociation, but of change.

“I think the message is that we’re not going to be excessive in our spending on frivolous items,” said Kim Nelson, assistant professor of political science. “We know that the public has needs that we need to meet first.”

According the Chicago Tribune, the signs cost just under $500,000 to erect, and it will now cost another $15,000 to change them.

Sophomore accounting major Tony Hall said the signs were erected when the state had the money to spend, but he still thinks they were unnecessary.

“We had money at the time, and when you have money, you’re supposed to spend it,” Hall said. “But it seems such frivolous spending. Those signs were just a $480,000 ego boost for Blagojevich.”

Streb saw the signs not as an ego boost but as the former governor taking responsibility for the new tolling system.

“Most people are going to like that fact that we don’t have to wait in line to pay for tolls anymore and I think [former] governor Blagojevich wanted everyone to see who he thought was responsible as you drove through that,” Streb said. “But I think it fits many people’s perceptions of [former] governor Blagojevich of being a self-promoter.”

In light of these expensive changes, the directors of the Illinois Toll Highway Authority have banned signs with names of images of public officials or candidates for public office, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Some wonder how far this ban will go.

“It’s not just the governor that’s doing this; it’s very common in local governments here that mayors do these sorts of things, so I think it’s tradition in Illinois, and that’s why you see this” Nelson said.

Nelson gave the example of Secretary of State Jesse White including his name on every piece of literature relating to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

“I hope they take Jesse White off the DMV,” Hall said. “People just feel the need to get their name out for politics. This would set a new standard that this kind of thing is not allowed,”

Nelson said attempting to take officials names off all signs, not just the current ban on tollway signs, would send a clear message.

“They would have to try to eliminate all those things and send a clear message that this is inappropriate,” Nelson said.