The other side of the debate
Monday, Feb 1, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Last week’s legislative votes on funding MAP grants and other higher ed items was not met with open arms by some editorial boards…
This is how far circumstances have degenerated in the General Assembly. Legislators pass a ghost spending authorization — a promise to spend with no real money to back up the promise — and characterize it as “real action.”
Here’s the problem with the legislation.
Gov. Rauner has promised to veto the bill. But assuming it becomes law, the $721 million that the state is authorizing would go on top of the huge pile of unpaid bills, which last week stood at $7,034,014,415.
One of the lead sponsors of the legislation, state Rep. Kelly Burke, a Chicago-area Democrat, dismissed concerns about the adding to the state’s unpaid bills. She suggested that Comptroller Leslie Munger can deal with an extra $721 million just as she’s dealing with the current $7 billion in unpaid bills.
* Others also weighed in…
Democrats “could have tied in spending reductions or attached a revenue plan (to the bill), but instead they simply made another unfunded political promise that the state can’t actually pay,” [Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford] said in a statement.
The governor is likely to veto this bill, and that sets up the scenario the Democrats wanted. Not only is Rauner against Mom, apple pie and the Fourth of July, he’s pro-ignorance!
So let the printing presses roll. Fire up the websites. Start the negative campaigns now!
What Illinois needs desperately is a budget. We haven’t had one in seven months. Yet there’s no sense of urgency in either party to pass one.
* No argument from me. But there is another way of looking at this…
College students across Illinois may face an academic halt if Gov. Bruce Rauner refuses to pass the education bill that would allow students who rely on state-funded aid to continue their education. Columbia students, along with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, President of the Illinois Senate John J. Cullerton, and Illinois State representatives Ken Dunkin and Mary Flowers, held a press conference Jan. 29 at Rainbow Push, located at 930 E. 50th St., to call for Rauner to pass for a full education budget.
“There are high school counselors in Illinois today telling students don’t go to school in Illinois,’” Cullerton said. “That is not good for our future and that’s not good for business and that’s not business-friendly because there’s uncertainty whether or not universities are going to get their money.”
Cullerton said Rauner could not spend money unless the senate authorizes him to do so. Cullerton also said Rauner has been authorized to spend money on MAP grants and scholarships in the past but he chose to veto it. However, Cullerton said a new education budget bill is in place authorizing Rauner to spend money on these educational issues and he hopes the governor reconsiders his decision.
I talked to Cullerton about this over the weekend. To his mind, these are “allocations.” The General Assembly can’t force the governor to spend any or all the money it appropriates (the courts can, but that’s a different story). So, Cullerton said, by signing the bill, Rauner, in conjunction with the comptroller, could prioritize all spending and only release as much money as the state can afford.
Heckuva way to run a railroad, I know, but it’s an argument that isn’t being heard right now.
- Anon221 - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 9:48 am:
Cullteron also said at the PUSH presser, that the reason the GA didn’t send the bill directly over to the Governor , was to give him some time to think about it (also, not to give him the opportunity to veto it on Friday and get the stranglehold on the news for the weekend, too I’m sure). This is a mini-amendatory veto opportunity for the Governor. Perhaps good practice for Feb 17th. And, all snark aside, one of the legislators on WCIA Capitol Connection made the observation that in Rauner’s original budget plan, $721 million was what he had allocated for MAP. And that, too, was on top of his unbalanced budget.
- Fusion - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 9:50 am:
Kids that get MAP grants need that money for college. Let’s raise taxes, and fund higher education and MAP grants. Don’t just add over $700 million to the state’s pile of unpaid bills. Raise taxes and actually pay for these things, because they’re important.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 9:50 am:
===“There are high school counselors in Illinois today telling students don’t go to school in Illinois,’” Cullerton said.===
I’m of the belief some HS Seniors are talking to their older friends that might be attending Illinois Universities abd telling them Iowa, Missouri, some southern state flagship universities are a better choice.
If that belief, and I believe President Cullerton is speaking to a truth. Counselors know.
- 32nd Ward Roscoe Village - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 9:55 am:
===“There are high school counselors in Illinois today telling students don’t go to school in Illinois,’” Cullerton said.===
I have a junior in high school and believe me it is factoring in to our thinking about where he should go.
- Elo Kiddies - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 10:04 am:
I look forward to hearing all the steps each constitutional officer has taken to manage priorities within the current fiscal situation.
- Sir Reel - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 10:05 am:
While it’s true the $721 million would be authorized but not necessarily spent, the real solution is a budget. It’s telling that neither side is talking specific numbers - spending or revenues.
This piece meal approach makes it easier to let the spending dictate how much revenue is necessary. It could be done the other way.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 10:06 am:
The battle for Illinois students is really interesting to follow.
Take the state of Iowa’s battle amongst themselves…
The University of Iowa has a program to gain residency by allowing “part time” status for a year, to gain full time tesidebcy and save thousands.
Iowa State University counters with benchmark “admittance” criteria that can, relatively easily, find a student paying in-state tuition with the right mix of GPA, Class Rank, and ACT, without even applying for aid.
These are geared for attracting Illinois students.
Or Mizzou’s stringent residency plan for Illinois students that shows the payoff being worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Those are just two. Kentucky has defaul application scholarship too, immediately making the price more competitive.
These aren’t “Adminstrative Costs” being wasted, it’s understanding full dorms, full classrooms generate loads of cash, and swelling student populations help.
- Whatever - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 10:21 am:
==This is how far circumstances have degenerated in the General Assembly. Legislators pass a ghost spending authorization — a promise to spend with no real money to back up the promise — and characterize it as “real action.”==
As pointed out at the end of the post, this is nonsense. The same pot of “real money” that is currently being used to pay items will be available to pay MAP grants if this bill becomes law. There isn’t enough to pay everything, but this bill will allow MAP grants to get something rather than nothing. That is progress.
==Democrats “could have . . . or attached a revenue plan (to the bill), but instead they simply made another unfunded political promise that the state can’t actually pay,” [Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford] said in a statement.==
If it weren’t for that pesky constitution. Article IV, Section 8(d) says, “Appropriation bills shall be limited to the subject of appropriations.”
- SAP - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 10:34 am:
I also have a high school junior and I do not want her to go to an Illinois public university. Besides not being cost competitive, you never know when the budget axe will fall on a class or program that the student wanted to participate in. The uncertainty is just not worth it.
- Honeybear - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 10:57 am:
I’ve got two teen girls. We’ve pinned our whole strategy on Navy ROTC. Both girls are on board with it now but God help me if they decide that the Navy is not for them. We make too much for MAP grants and honestly loans would kill us for retirement. I hate seeing U of I getting battered since it’s both girls backup school. I’d love to see them go there. I just hope they still have STEM majors by the time this is over. I feel so bad for those students and parents who are freaking out right now.
- Judgment Day - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 11:05 am:
“I talked to Cullerton about this over the weekend. To his mind, these are “allocations.” The General Assembly can’t force the governor to spend any or all the money it appropriates (the courts can, but that’s a different story). So, Cullerton said, by signing the bill, Rauner, in conjunction with the comptroller, could prioritize all spending and only release as much money as the state can afford.”
———–
In a prior life, was Sen. Cullerton the CFO for either Enron or Worldcom by any chance? MF Global, perhaps?
That logic is sort of like what some hedge funds are saying about suspending redemptions to investors (giving them back their money).
Counterpoint: If you are going to do this, why don’t we do the same thing with agencies like the Illinois Sports Authority? That way we could redirect all those millions allocated for Jerry Reinsdorf’s new fancy scoreboard into paying down some of our past due bills to any number of our social services agencies?
Let’s get rid of the crony capitalism here in Illinois. There’s plenty of that happening on both sides.
- History Prof - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 11:57 am:
“Not only is Rauner against Mom, apple pie and the Fourth of July, he’s pro-ignorance!”
Umm. . . was that supposed to sound absurd?
- Last Bull Moose - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 12:06 pm:
This is a variant of the “line item veto the budget to make it balance” approach. Deciding who gets paid will be less clear, but the onus will fall on the Governor.
All involved know that more revenue is needed for must have state functions. Nobody wants to move first or alone.
- Last Bull Moose - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 12:14 pm:
Honeybear,
Good luck with NROTC. Other option is junior college for two years and/or lots of AP classes.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 3:00 pm:
I hope Cullerton’s suggestion is not a serious one.
By that logic, we could pass any budget tomorrow, the state could “only release as much money as the state can afford”, and politicians could pretend they had done their jobs rather than passing a fake budget.
That does not help the people who need it, but it does let them all pretend they did their jobs.
- steve schnorf - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 3:11 pm:
No appropriation bill I am aware of ever included a method of paying for it.
- JS Mill - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 7:31 pm:
=I’m of the belief some HS Seniors are talking to their older friends that might be attending Illinois Universities abd telling them Iowa, Missouri, some southern state flagship universities are a better choice.=
It is a fact, this is happening. More people leaving Illinois, now they are leaving for an education.
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Feb 1, 16 @ 7:59 pm:
Honeybear, my son was NROTC at UIUC awhile back. Great program. He’s flying Super Hornets now.
Best of luck to your daughters.