37 Comments - Knome Sane - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:24 am: Self inflicted, I must say. - Upon Further Review - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:24 am: You would never guess that the Democrats have a supermajority from this quote. - Almost the Weekend - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:27 am: Another sign that Cullerton is gaining ground in who is the most influential leader in Springfield. - bwana63 - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:27 am: “It’s all about serving the people.” nyuk-nyuk - Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:32 am: That’s as close as I’ve ever seen to him admitting the session didn’t go how he wanted it to. Though it is also reminiscent of the Will Farrell impression of George Bush being president…”It’s hard. It’s really hard.” - Wensicia - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:33 am: The more difficult it gets, the less you actually accomplish? Cop out. - tberry - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:33 am: Yeah, who wouldn’t have thought you couldn’t push through a tax increase in the runup to a tough election? - A guy... - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:37 am: Simple left the station long ago Mr. Speaker. You’re the one who engineered the train. - Anyone Remember - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:38 am: Since Blago left, Edgar’s 1995 pension ramp-up law has eviscerated the State financially. That has spilled into everything. - PolPal56 - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:42 am: I think the phrase “Hoisted by your own petard” fits. - dupage dan - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:42 am: AR - so, are you saying it was Edgar’s fault? Not the pension holiday RB used to hide the problems? Who passed the pension ramp? Edgar? He passed legislation? right, I get it. - BIG R. Ph. - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:46 am: And that’s the way it is and you will like it! - Jose Abreu's next homer - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 11:49 am: We need Terrence Goggin now more than ever. - OneMan - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:06 pm: Well when the adults in Springfield seem to not be able to figure it out anymore, that is the sign we are truly screwed. - PublicServant - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:09 pm: @Dupage Dan - The SEC described the law as the “primary driver” behind a breathtaking $57 billion increase in unfunded pension liabilities between 1995 and 2010. And Edgar, Madigan, Bill Brady, Kurt Dillard, and Dan Rutherford were all promoting it. So were the business groups. The unions said nary a word, because the state was already skipping payments, and this was the only option on the table. So, yeah, it was Edgar’s fault, among others. He pushed it, and signed it. As Willy says, he should “own” it. Then the pension holiday bills started in earnest in 2005. With those spineless laws, the state created the “crisis” that it hopes to solve by ignoring it’s own and the US Constitutions. - Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:12 pm: ==Simple left the station long ago Mr. Speaker. You’re the one who engineered the train.== Yes, I remember when Madigan was simultaneously Senate President & Governor all those years! It was amazing, particularly the part of him being state Dem chair and a GOP Senate leader & governor! - Union Man - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:16 pm: MJM is a difficult situation. - anon - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:21 pm: To MJM—You’ll be fine. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:23 pm: Sounds like you are admitting defeat Mr. Speaker. The reality? The reality is that you’ve been top of the heap politically for so long, you don’t have any excuses for what happened. Everything that has been collapsing has been showing signs of collapse for over a decade. I remember distinctly how difficult it has been to pass a budget ever since 2004. It has been a decade, Mr. Speaker. What is the surprise, and why are you of all people surprised? - CircularFiringSquad - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:30 pm: Perhaps the most difficult task was spending nearly five months working to make it look like the Senate President came out a winner. Exhausting but well worth. Tried to do it several time for EJjr, but he outfoxed Madigan several times. Just kidding….maybe pop quiz…the name of the guy who took the GOPies over for the Rosemont lobo? - Sir Reel - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:37 pm: Today’s General Assembly faces the consequences of yesterday’s General Assemblies unwillingness to deal with problems. Funny how the problems get worse as this dance goes on. California found itself in a somewhat similar situation and under Jerry Brown’s leadership dug itself out. Serious cuts coupled with serious new revenue. We’ll see if Illinois gets serious about its largely self inflicted situation. - Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:41 pm: What would make things easier? Electing even more members of the same party? If you can’t herd the cats as Speaker and Party Chairman with supermajorities in both chambers and control of the mansion, the problem is not a lack of cats in the house. - A guy... - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:50 pm: ==== Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:12 pm: ==Simple left the station long ago Mr. Speaker. You’re the one who engineered the train.== Yes, I remember when Madigan was simultaneously Senate President & Governor all those years! It was amazing, particularly the part of him being state Dem chair and a GOP Senate leader & governor!==== In your snide effort to get a candy apple, you’ve missed the point that he’s been more powerful than all of those people combined over these years. Chew slowly. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:54 pm: ==Since Blago left, Edgar’s 1995 pension ramp-up law has eviscerated the State financially. That has spilled into everything.== During Blago’s term everyone saw it was coming, and instead of fixing it just compounded the problem. If only we could’ve had some mechanism for those in power the last decade + to fix it. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 12:57 pm: ===the problem is not a lack of cats in the house. === The problem is the type of cats he recruits. - Person 8 - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 1:14 pm: ***Over the last few years, nothing seems to be simple; *** Guess things are simple when you create the problems, but solving those problems you created is hard. - MrJM (@MisterJayEm) - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 1:15 pm: ““Over the last few years, nothing seems to be simple; nothing seems to be easy.” That years-long search for “simple” and “easy” solutions to our state’s problems was a tragic waste of precious time. – MrJM - Pepe Silvio - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 1:18 pm: In all my years of paying attention to the Speaker’s course/actions, I’ve never seen as many signs of weakness occuring in such a short window. He is in legacy preserving mode and has shown signs that the public criticism has gotten to him. Cullerton may have gained some ground on the influence chart, but let’s not kid ourselves, Madigan still calls the shots. Cullerton still gets his hat handed to him on all the major isses. Given Madigan’s current state of mind, I am not optimistic that Illinois will strengthen it’s financial status anytime soon. - Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 1:32 pm: It’s your job. It’s supposed to be difficult. - Anon. - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 1:42 pm: ==And Edgar, Madigan, Bill Brady, Kurt Dillard, and Dan Rutherford were all promoting it. So were the business groups. The unions said nary a word, because the state was already skipping payments, and this was the only option on the table. So, yeah, it was Edgar’s fault, among others. He pushed it, and signed it. As Willy says, he should “own” it. Then the pension holiday bills started in earnest in 2005. With those spineless laws, the state created the “crisis” that it hopes to solve by ignoring it’s own and the US Constitutions.== And how far behind in contributions would we be if no schedule had ever been enacted? - PublicServant - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 2:21 pm: ===And how far behind in contributions would we be if no schedule had ever been enacted?=== First, no schedule is better than a sham payment schedule that actually allows the state to continue to “borrow” in the short run, while making the problem worse in the long run. Second, the actuaries, each year, provided an eminently doable, predictable contribution. That’s all the “schedule” that should have been required. - efudd - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 2:46 pm: When Madigan retires, and he will, who will we have to hate then? And how long will it be before people start lamenting his absence as speaker when issues like SSM, concealed carry, etc. don’t come close to being called for a vote? - Ahoy! - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 3:26 pm: –“Over the last few years, nothing seems to be simple; nothing seems to be easy. It’s just one difficult, complicated issue after another.– Yes, that’s what happens when you don’t really deal with issues and do the minimum required to skim by from one budget crisis to another. - Streator Curmudgeon - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 5:15 pm: “Nobody told me work was going to be…work!” - When I'm in the Thompson Center I eat at Arby's - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 6:42 pm: Does Madigan have an heir apparent in the House like Harmon is for Cullerton in the Senate? Isn’t it time to start grooming one, because if Madigan retires without a clear successor, the House will devolve into anarchy, not unlike Yugoslavia after Tito dies. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 6:48 pm: =Does Madigan have an heir apparent in the House like Harmon is for Cullerton in the Senate? Isn’t it time to start grooming one, because if Madigan retires without a clear successor, the House will devolve into anarchy, not unlike Yugoslavia after Tito dies.= That is an excellent question, and also what about the Democratic Party of Illinois? One could argue John Bradley, but then you see the article today about the House on both sides of the coal debate. It is a mess now and won’t clear up any time soon. Battle of Chicago v. Central and Downstate for leadership in the House. Not to mention Lisa Madigan… some people say her step father stepping will be the time she runs. But the way the state is heading I don’t think anybody with the name Madigan will be able to win again in Illinois. - Almost the Weekend - Tuesday, Jun 3, 14 @ 6:49 pm: Apologies previous post was mine Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.