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Brady: No budget details until after election
Tuesday, Aug 17, 2010 * Sen. Bill Brady said today that he won’t know how he can cut 10 percent out of the state budget until after Auditor General Bill Holland helps him identify specific cuts. But Brady also said he would “demand of every agency that they come back with a budget of 90 percent - show us what your priorities are with that 90 percent.” Asked if he was saying that he wouldn’t talk about details of that 10 percent cut until after he was elected, Brady said, “I think I’m pretty precise. A dime of every dollar is pretty precise.” When it was pointed out that ten percent only gets him maybe about a quarter of the way there, he said, “No it doesn’t.” “I didn’t say it’s going to be easy. And I didn’t say all of it will come from rooting out corruption, fraud waste and mismanagement. Much of it will. Much of it will. Look at the Department of Corrections.” Have a look. I’ve set the video to start at the good stuff… The back and forth continued. “So, you don’t know where you’re going to cut,” a reporter says. “I don’t have the professionals in place to fully analyze the highest priorities,” Brady answered. It kept on like that for a while… Brady held the press conference to talk about his agricultural agenda, which focuses quite a bit on cutting the estate tax… * Related…
- Posted by Rich Miller
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- Adam Smith - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:34 pm:
Brady’s actually being pretty straightforward. He’s always said he wants a 10% cut. When he gets in he will order directors to present a budget request at 90% of their current budgets. Makes sense to have the directors do that. He also can’t exactly lay out all the details until he can discuss with legislative leaders and constitutional officers what the options and priorities are.
If he stood there and said he’s going to cut exactly this and this, he’d be attacked as being rash and simplistic.
He’s actually being more straight with the public than Quinn. Brady admits this is going to be very hard to do and that he’s going to need to work with everyone to get it done.
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:34 pm:
- When it was pointed out that ten percent only gets him maybe about a quarter of the way there, he said, “No it doesn’t.”
“I didn’t say it’s going to be easy. -
I’m laughing so hard at this. I will make 10% get us more than a quarter of the way there. Its called magic folks…
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:35 pm:
- He’s always said he wants a 10% cut. -
Except when he said he never said that. He only came back to it after it was pointed out that there was video evidence.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:38 pm:
I’m sure Holland would let Brady read the shelves and shelves of recent audits he’s performed. In fact, they’re public records. So are all the budgets Brady’s voted on while in the GA.
It’s a heck of a statement when you say you don’t have a clue on how you’re going to accomplish your top priority. But, it seems to be working as a campaign tactic.
- John Bambenek - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:40 pm:
Isn’t just a touch hypocritical to bag on Brady for not specifying line items to cut when the Dems the last two years passed only high-level lump-sum budgets and left the details to agency heads?
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:45 pm:
- Isn’t just a touch hypocritical to bag on Brady for not specifying line items to cut when the Dems the last two years passed only high-level lump-sum budgets and left the details to agency heads? -
Isn’t it a touch hypocritical for Brady to say this election is all about the budget and then say he has no real plans for the budget?
- ok - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:49 pm:
So, when do reporters reach out to Holland and ask him where he thinks would be a good place to cut?
- whatever - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:49 pm:
I just experienced deja vu followed by a moment of complete and utter clarity. But now I’m lost again.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:50 pm:
I give Brady points for being straight forward but subtract a lot for being way to niave about State operations.
We have agenies which generate money, such as the EPA enforcement folks and the Dept. of Revenue.
Cutting them 10% would cost the State far more money then it would save. if I save a 1 mil in salary, but I lose 100 mill in revenue generated by those people then your creating a bigger budget problem then you are solving. n answer that he would make cuts so long as they did not cost he State more money then would bev sa
ed is still an overly simplistic policy statement, bu osunds a lot more realistic.
If you cut DOC guards by 10%, and save 5 million in salaries, but incur 50 million in overtime to cover the missing positions, not a wise move.
If you cut the State police crime labs 10%, who process criminal evidence for most of the State police agncies, so that a number of criminal investigations can not be completed, are we really sving money by keeping criminals free?
Cut a drug treatment program by 10%, but now you end up increasing the number of people in prison, so you need more prison space and guards, and you need more parol agents to track the people outside of programs which also kep an eye on them, and you incur more DOC overtime and release inamtes early to free up beds since we dont have enough prisons, o you build more prisons for a far greater cost then the treatment programs…
This whole idea that cutting 10% mens the State can make due with less is niave dangerously child like for the person in charge. The State is not a mom and pop for profit small business which can just reduce operations with no impact. the vast majority of what the State does has a greater cost or impact if that service is removed or reduced then if it is provided.
Is there waste? absolutley, but just cut it all 10% is such a child like view as to pursuade me that brady has no idea what the State does in the first place.
- GA Watcher - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:50 pm:
I agree with Adam Smith. Senator Brady is being very straightforward. He will cut agency budgets 10 percent across the board, period. Whether someone’s pet program is affected by that depends on how essential it is ultimately deemed to be. The question voters should ask themselves is, do you trust Senator Brady to be the one making these decision?
- ok - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:50 pm:
Brady has been there 20 years and can’t name one thing he would cut?
- ok - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:53 pm:
But the issue is more than the 10 percent. 10 percent doesn’t even get you to where you need to be. You still fall far short.
- Fan of Cap Fax - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 1:59 pm:
It would be nice to hear how Quinn/Brady would bring revenue INTO the state. I’ve not heard any plans, other than grabbing fed $$’s, to use our resources in a new way, improve farmer’s outcome, new technology start-ups ect.
- George - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:10 pm:
Well, there was this Illinois Economic Recovery Plan, and the 42-page plan attached to it.
But… I know what you mean.
- George - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:12 pm:
And there is always pumpkin-powered growth.
- rudy - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:24 pm:
In 1968, Nixon campaigned and won with his “secret plan to end the war”.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:25 pm:
And end it he did. After he left office. lol
- Sueann - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:25 pm:
Here is a way to raise some money. Why do subdivision developers get the same tax breaks that a farmer gets when they are building their developments? Similarly, what about the ’spec house’ exemption they get as well?
However my assumption is if Plummer gets elected, these so called incentives will be cast in stone for a long time
- unspun - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:29 pm:
Brady has failed answer ANY of the hard questions that a governor must face. Forget that he is a candidate for a minute, and pretend that he is the sitting Governor. His vague answers to simple questions about his budget plan would not be tolerated. His arbitrary 10% cut of each agency is as ridiculous as it is impractical as it is inadequate. He conceded that his 10% won’t solve the problem, but offered no solution beyond that. Where’s the beef, Bill?
The point of not “having experts in place” and “no access to information” is pure baloney. He doesn’t have access to the budget and its line-items? He doesn’t have access to COGFA’s revenue projections? he doesn’t have access to the countless other budget analyses that are readily available online? C’mon Bill. As a candidate for Governor, you presumably run for the office so that you can solve problems. At least inform yourself well enough to be able to IDENTIFY the problems, and give more than a vague 10% solution.
No more hiding behind hyperbole and bogeymen. The election is only a few months away. Give us your plan, Bill. Show us the map to recovery that you say you can lead us to, but have yet to provide. We’re waiting, but not holding our breath….
- swede - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:30 pm:
does that include the federal $ -
- Mark Buerhle - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:30 pm:
So if he’s going to rely on Holland are we to infer that he doesn’t abide by Adam A.’s forensic audit that he claim’s will net us $1 billion?
- Mark Buerhle - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:32 pm:
*Adam A. claims-
- Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:38 pm:
Who’s Brady’s opponent again? This race is over folks, let’s concentrate on the Senate race where the real fun is.
- Deep South - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:50 pm:
Corrections spends a million dollars on cable TV?
We owe 4-5 billion dollars to vendors and we don’t know who they are?
I find both hard to believe.
- dave - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:54 pm:
Who’s [Quinn]’s opponent again? This race is [NOT] over folks.
- Niles Township - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 2:57 pm:
Brady wins only by talking about Quinn. If the talk actually drifts to Brady, Quinn wins. Question is who/what people will be talking about.
- Fan of Cap Fax - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:01 pm:
Thanks, George! The press pop was frightening, I hope the report is a better read. Love the pumpkin power…with Oct right around the corner maybe there’s a buck or two in it for IL.
- Louis Howe - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:07 pm:
Like Nixon in 1968, Brady recognizes that there isn’t any plan of action that a plurality of voters will support, so he’ll keep dancing until after the election. When the music stops and the tax-eaters line up for their meager rations Brady will turn to Madigan and find….Madigan handing him the bill.
- Chubs Mahoney - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:14 pm:
Funny that Bambenek goes Silent when STL calls him out, again.
Also, hilarious to watch Senator Brady discuss his budget in light of this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9irm10QRkw
- Chubs Mahoney - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:17 pm:
Real Men of Genius:
Mr. 10-percent-across-the-board Brady!
Can someone do a spoof?
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:21 pm:
Brady is no Nixon.
That said, what did you expect Brady to do? Give you concrete answers regarding the budget? Why would he so foolish to do that?
We are like a bunch of survivors floating in a leaky lifeboat surrounded by sharks, but you think that since the lifeboat’s captain, Quinn is telling you that the sharks are really catfish, you are going to question the rescue boat because you heard they don’t use good tequila in the free margaritas?
Right now, it seems all Brady has to do is show up in another boat without looking like he swam a hundred miles to look more appealing to Pat Quinn’s Captain Bligh.
Keep telling us about the topless native girls, Cap’n Brady!
- Chubs Mahoney - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:24 pm:
If Brady wants to make the budget the central issue of this campaign, he needs more than vapor, VM.
Your rationale is discouraging and odd.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:33 pm:
Brady has a plan: Magic beans!
(It’s a lot like Quinn’s plan, except Brady’s less specific about the type of beans.)
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:33 pm:
As long as it is the central issue and he’s not giving details - he wins because Quinn has to give more details.
This is a case where the first liar doesn’t have a chance. Quinn is governor and has to deal with this mess. Brady doesn’t have to.
Brady can win by claiming he has a Publisher’s Clearinghouse check for 13 billion in his back pocket. Yeah it’s a lie, but what’s Pat got?
- just sayin' - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:37 pm:
Come on, how can Brady possibly give specific answers about what should be cut. He’s only been in Springfield for like 20 years. What can he possibly know? And if you take out all the time he didn’t show up to serve, it’s probably more like only 10 years.
- Will County Woman - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:42 pm:
i meant should NOT below
he should just go off willy-nilly naming things to cut.
- Really - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:43 pm:
Mismanagement? If the Magic Money Fairy came and took over the entire Department of Corrections — poof! and it’s gone from state government — you’d be nowhere near bringing Illinois into the black. You could cut every single state employee for an entire year and get about halfway to solving Illinois’ budget deficit. No, Senator Brady, you don’t need a comprehensive audit to know where the money in state government goes. You may not be able to say every little measly program you want to cut, but the least you could do is lay out priorities.
I’m guessing he could go with something like: “Here are the guiding principals I would use. First, obviously, I’d root out waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement. Then, I will do all in my power to avoid a tax increase — at the state OR local level. From there, I would protect education funding as much as possible, while scaling back the state’s commitments in Medicaid. We need to rethink the state’s role in providing higher education and explore the use of more toll roads — including some downstate — to keep up our infrastructure.”
The problem is Brady’s pablum is no different than Quinn’s vague promises. How can we know what either candidate values if neither will give us anything to go by?
- Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:43 pm:
Chubs,
Nonsense. This is a political campaign, and not a six-month budget reduction commission. All you can do in a campaign is ask for the voters trust you on a top-level idea. Anything else is counter-productive to getting elected.
- Adam Smith - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:54 pm:
Folks, let’s try and think seriously about a serious topic.
Brady said this was going to be hard. If it was easy to solve this problem, the brain trust in the general assembly would have done it.
He wants each state agency to come back with a 10% reduction in its spending. Some individual progams may get cut more, some less. Obviously, the state has to pay set prices for some things, like fuel or existing contracts they are obligated to pay for. Some programs may get cut entirely, some could actually go up.
The point is, (and Brady has stated this time and again) he wants a 10% cut in state spending. He is going to order his directors to find the cuts. They will assess programs and performance and give Brady the new budget request.
Do any of those reporters of Quinn flacks here think he and his team can march into every state agency and perform a detailed audit and get accurate information? The state audits are good but they are not enough on their own to make and entirely new budget recommendation.
The point of the 10% for all agencies is that
1.)Sacrifice must be shared
2.)There is waste and misuse of funds everywhere
3.)Cutting spending is the mandatory first step before any other ideas are considered
- socratic - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:05 pm:
This is sort of like the two men in the woods who encounter a bear. Brady doesn’t have to outrun the bear, just outrun Quinn.
Quinn has offered no plan to balance the budget over some reasonable period of time, say 3 or 4 years (and that won’t be easy if he chooses to try). Brady won’t need to show his unless Quinn shows a plan to which opinion leaders, media etc say “That ain’t bad. We kinda like that”. Then, and only then will Brady have to come up with a real plan as an alternative.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:29 pm:
Guilty on Count 24 for Rod. Hung on rest.
- ShadyBillBrady - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:30 pm:
“Adam Smith” … didn’t even read to see if anyone responded because I was too busy picking myself up off the floor after reading your comment.
“Brady’s actually being pretty straightforward. He’s always said he wants a 10% cut.”
Ummm, no he is not being straightforward. And no, he has NOT always said he wants a 10% cut. In fact he said he wanted 10% across the board cuts, denied it, and got called out on it, with video evidence to prove him wrong.
“He also can’t exactly lay out all the details until he can discuss with legislative leaders and constitutional officers what the options and priorities are.”
Really? He can’t lay out his priorities? I thought you all said he was the second coming of Chris Christie? But now it’s ok for him to wait and see what all the political insiders have to say? You can’t have it both ways.
“If he stood there and said he’s going to cut exactly this and this, he’d be attacked as being rash and simplistic.”
Perhaps. But by not doing so he is guilty of being full of, well, crap.
“He’s actually being more straight with the public than Quinn. Brady admits this is going to be very hard to do and that he’s going to need to work with everyone to get it done.”
No, Quinn, by being honest about the need to increase taxes is the one who has been honest about how hard this is going to be and what REALLY needs to be done to help address the problems and get things turned around. And actually Brady has made it pretty clear how easy and simple he thinks it’s going to be. You cut taxes and all the sudden, POOF, revenue starts pouring in.
Also, out of curiosity, did you read the post yesterday about sockpuppetry? Just wondering.
- BH - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 7:00 pm:
What is this, the Alexi G playbook? I won’t talk until after the election. Won’t say how to balance the budget, which agencies lose the most funding. Of course, Alexi won but I can’t vote for that.
I can’t imagine a worse choice than Brady or Quinn. Okay, Blago.
- kj - Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 7:55 pm:
Boy did Brady pick a great day to have a bad press conference.