32 Comments - OurMagician - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:28 am: With recent global events, with all the towns in Illinois to use as an example, he picks Paris? - cdog - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:30 am: The GOP is clueless, in so many ways. Where does one even start? - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:32 am: ===OK, but what about all the other budget hostages? That’s fine and dandy?=== UGH! Dear “GOP” GA… “Members”, You can’t call out the Governor’s (please read, “Governor’s”) hostage strategy on ONE point and think you are a hero and ignore the ENTIRE hostage strategy. Sen. Rose, are you even remotely serious? Afterwards, did ya giggle? Hostages or no hostages. That’s the ball game, “GOP” GA… “Members” Understand that, or laugh out loud and mock those you refuse to add as hostages, you know, so everyone is in on the gag. OW - Century Club - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:34 am: One man’s hostage is another man’s ’shared sacrifice.’ - LizPhairTax - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:35 am: No university employees in your district, Chapin? Let’s just look at the ol’ map. Oh. Hang in there. - Moe Berg - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:37 am: The folly of it all is to pretend that somehow CPS is alone in its financial troubles or that poor kids in rural districts are somehow being well-served by the inequitous status quo. Wake up, GOP: the state is burning, your own districts are, too. Blame Chicago is insufficient in that context. The flames will consume you, as well. - Norseman - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:38 am: Great line Century Club. - winners and losers - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:42 am: Back to basics. 59 high wealth school districts receive $218 per student as the Flat Grant part of General State Aid. 77 low wealth school districts receive over $4,000 per student in General State Aid. If you cut these by 10% (proration), the high wealth loses $21.80 per student, and the low wealth loses at least $400.00 per student. So low wealth school districts are helped the most by fully funding General State Aid. - wordslinger - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:43 am: The problem for Rose and others is that there’s really no way to sell what he’s selling that makes any sense. But it still works on some of the people all of the time. - Saluki - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:44 am: you say Po Tay Toe, I say Po Ta Toe. - burbanite - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:45 am: Perhaps Mr. Rose can enlighten me on why it is okay that our kids in Chicago, Charleston, Carbondale, Macomb, Dekalb, etc. are being held hostage to the destruction of their parent’s union jobs? They don’t stop being our kids or needing an education at 18. - ArchPundit - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:47 am: ====On Wednesday morning, the intensity in Springfield is going to get a lot higher,” said House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, Republican of Western Springs. =====“It’s been a rough environment and it won’t get any easier,” Durkin said. “We must win seats. Last year the Democrats proposed a budget deal that was $4 billion in the red, and they play the victims in this. It’s ridiculous. But this is a critical election.” I’m sure having Trump at the head of the ticket will make things much better too. Seriously, this is the worst time for the GOP to pull this. They are already at a disadvantage in Presidential elections and this is likely to be a doosy. - Ole' Nelson - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:51 am: “One man’s hostage is another man’s ’shared sacrifice.’” Well put!! - Abe the Babe - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:52 am: terrorist vs freedom fighter I guess. You think Rose would have been fine with Quinn holding the Ag budget hostage until the GA passed a minimum wage increase? - wordslinger - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:53 am: –Last year the Democrats proposed a budget deal that was $4 billion in the red, and they play the victims in this. – Really, that’s all you’ve got? That’s just sad. Due to actions of the governor and GOP GA members, the comptroller has estimated the FY16 deficit at $6.2 billion, without a dime going to higher ed or contracted social services. Which is worse, from a fiscal and policy standpoint? A proposed budget with a $4 billion deficit, subject to gubernatorial line-item and reduction vetoes, that provides funding for higher ed and social services…. … or an actual, out-of-control de-facto budget with a $6.2 billion deficit that provides no funding for higher ed and social services? Real brain-teaser, there. - Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:54 am: ==Last year the Democrats proposed a budget deal that was $4 billion in the red - Durkin== If I recall, Rauner’s budget was just about as much in the red after one took out his pixie dust money of pension savings and other fantasies. And Rauner’s budget also had a 31% cut to higher ed. Is that what Durkin wants? - Jack Stephens - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:56 am: To Jim Durkin: Please ask Bruce why his budget was billions out of whack? I’d say you could email him, but he has no email. Maybe try SnapChat or Governor Rauner on Facebook. Love, Jack - winners and losers - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 10:57 am: When the Illinois State Senate President Cullerton and his former Chief of Staff (State Senator Andy Manar - Democrat from Bunker Hill) have vowed NOT to fund K-12 education, that ANY new funding using the current school funding formulas is A WASTE OF MONEY, we face a direct win or lose situation. Cullerton/Manar are directly misleading other legislators and the public. They both state (repeatedly) that MORE money can result in less funding for some school districts. Comparing apples to apples, that is utterly false. All four of the factors in General State Aid are reducing it for some school districts: (1) Declining attendance: if you have fewer students, you should get less General State Aid (2) Increasing local taxes: if property values are going up and/or your local property tax rate increases, you get less General State Aid (3) the Corporate Personal Property Replacement tax has resulted lately in less General State Aid (4) the changes in the measurement of poverty as determined by the Illinois Department of Human Services has resulted in less General State Aid. If you increase funding for General State Aid using the CURRENT FORMULAS, who does NOT receive more money? The 59 school districts, the 59 wealthiest school districts in Illinois, who receive the FLAT GRANT of $218 per student. The FLAT GRANT is just that - flat - it does NOT increase if General State Aid increases. If you increase funding for General State Aid using the CURRENT FORMULAS, who DOES receive more money (everything else being equal)? The 77 school districts, the 77 poorest school districts in Illinois, who NOW receive over $4,000 per student. This is not complicated: the $218 per student does NOT increase when Illinois puts more money into General State Aid, while the over $4,000 per student DOES INCREASE. If fact if Illinois funded PK-12 education at about 50 percent of total cost, the CURRENT FORMULAS would work wonderfully to direct money to the poorest school districts. But Illinois has been starving our schools for funding for over 30 years - slowly at first but then dramatically lately. You cannot blame the school funding formulas because you have failed to provide the money to properly fund the formulas. For example, Illinois now pretends that Full Funding for General State Aid is $6,119 per student, when the actual figure should be near $9,000 per student. - Annonin' - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 11:06 am: Chumpie and Jumpin’Jason gonna get spanked when they get back home and Illini see this nonsense - Earnest - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 11:07 am: >It’s amazing to me that GOP House members don’t realize how much power they have right now. They could dictate budget terms to both Rauner and the Dems. Even more amazing to me, it could be done with as few as three House Republicans. They’d be shunned by their counterparts, at least publicly, and buried by Rauner money in the next Republican primary. But, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to influence the course of the state. - Onlooker - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 11:10 am: (2) Increasing local taxes: if property values are going up and/or your local property tax rate increases, you get less General State Aid This is the one that bothers me. If an area is willing to raise its local tax rate via referendum, their State Aid should NOT go down. A willingness to pay more in property taxes for education does not mean an area is ‘wealthier’ or can better afford it. It may just mean they are willing to sacrifice more. Don’t punish people for valuing education. - JS Mill - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 11:22 am: =77 low wealth school districts receive over $4,000 per student in General State Aid. If you cut these by 10% (proration), the high wealth loses $21.80 per student, and the low wealth loses at least $400.00 per student. So low wealth school districts are helped the most by fully funding General State Aid. = Your math is off significantly. Those “poorest” districts may receive $4,000 per pupil in regular GSA but I am guessing you are rounding. Cicero 99 is a “poor” district. They received (based on full entitlement before reduction/proration) $4,500 per student for GSA. Then they receive another $3,000 per pupil (this time on DHS count of 12,698 versus ADA of 11,772) for the poverty grant. That is $7,500 per pupil before reduction. They also receive a supplemental amount that comes from a pool of funds (could have gone into GSA making it 95% for everyone) set aside to soften the blow for “poor” school. They also receive significant funds for ESL, SPED, and big numbers in their federal grants. They also have a low tax rate compared to down state. Yes, proration costs them more per pupil than a flat grant district. BUt they receive a very large number form the state. In fact, they receive more revenue than they spend annually. I do agree that is the GSA formula was properly funded, especially if they set the foundation at the EFAB recommended number, things would be much better for everyone. But, the concept that poor districts, or those that are dependent on GSA, are impacted disproportionately compared to districts less dependent (property wealth) does not always mean what people think. That IS an issue that needs to be addressed. - Chicago 20 - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 11:53 am: - Durkin said. “We must win seats. Last year the Democrats proposed a budget deal that was $4 billion in the red, and they play the victims in this. It’s ridiculous.” According to the Illinois constitution the Governor must send a balanced budget to the general assembly for approval. The Governor has still not sent a balanced budget to the general assembly for the last two fiscal years. The GOP had better realize that if they don’t pass their budget, the public will find others who will. - winners and losers - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 12:00 pm: JS Mill - Yes, my figures are for the current Foundation Level, in State law at $6,119 per student since 2010. The grant for low-income students is not equalized - it is based on the proportion of low-income students in a district. As I think you agree, there is no perfect formula. ANY formula will have winners and losers and some school districts that will receive more or less than an objective person would say they deserve. The Manar proposal is becoming extremely complex as Manar begins to realize how difficult it is to come up with an entirely new formula. - Austin Blvd - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 12:02 pm: People like Rose have made a political career of making Chicago the source of all of our ills. “Wah, Wah, Wah, Chicago” gives you career politician status for downstate republicans. - Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 12:06 pm: Vast majority of GA are weak, spineless. They loiter until they are told how to vote, and then gladly grab their paycheck. But that’s just me - JS Mill - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 12:10 pm: @- winners and losers - My numbers are actual, based on what the example district is getting today. The poverty grant is, in a sense, equalized. It is based on poverty density and then a per pupil dollar amount correlated with the number of low income pupils from the DHS account which, as you noted, has gone down of late. The poverty grant is a huge chunk of the overall funding picture and must be considered for an honest picture of what individual districts receive. I believe it is wrong to leave that funding our of any comparison. The more students in poverty = greater density = more per pupil. There is no such thing as perfect only better and worse. Manar’s plan, so far, has been worse. - hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 12:42 pm: what seats does durkin think he’ll flip to give republicans a majority in november? are republican legislators committed to not passing any budgets during rauner’s entire term? - Demoralized - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 1:01 pm: ==and they play the victims in this== Apparently he hasn’t been paying much attention to the Governor during his time in office thus far. The Governor plays the constant victim. I’m tired of all of the victimhood. Stop whining and do something. What’s ridiculous is that our legislators and Governor can’t get anything done and they don’t seem to care about the problems they are creating. They are too interested in blaming somebody else for it and “winning,” whatever that means. Grow up. - Wensicia - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 3:37 pm: “We’ll take short-term pain for big long-term gain.” - zatoichi - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 4:24 pm: Durkin does not like the Dems budget ideas, so perhaps he should have his caucus present the House Reps truly balanced budgets for FY16 and FY17. If the Gov will not do it and the Dem ideas are no good, please present a package that can start the discussion. Regardless of what happened to it, he can at least say his group tried which is far better than their constant ‘No’ mantra to everything. If they have to cut $4B-$6B to make it work they are elected/getting paid to take the heat. They can at least show their work and say exactly who gets whacked or where taxes need to go to. - PENSIONS ARE OFF LIMITS - Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 7:44 pm: Only 90% of revenue is being spent on court orders, continuing appropriations and consent decrees. The remaining 10% could at least be spent on something. The state is not as broke as some would have you all believe. Revenue might even come in ahead of projections in April, but that won’t be available unless you seek it out. R(r)auner can’t wait to get his hands on the reserve accounts simply to exhaust every last option the state has before his agenda is passed. The only way this will end before collective bargaining is for the donkeys in the house to regain a true veto proof majority. It will happen bigtime. R(r)auner’s only achievement thus far is doing to the rebublican party what he wants to do to unions. Budgets and appropriations bills are also a useful way to cap spending. We would not be in this position if there were a budget in place. Even a budget $4 billion out of whack sounds delightful right now, doesn’t it? Amateurs. The next governor needs to dump these superstars on day one to prevent them from vesting in the pension system with their bloated salaries. What a bunch of lemons. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.