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* If you want a pretty good summation of where the state budget plans are right now, then you must watch this video shot today by my intern Dan Weber of House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie taking questions from the press…
Related coverage…
The House Executive Committee [this morning] approved two versions of borrowing nearly $4 billion to make pension payments next year to state-backed systems. One would be a straight bond sale as Illinois has done in the past. The other is a more controversial plan to split the payment between a bond sale and basically issuing IOUs to the pension systems.
The latter idea would have to be approved by the Internal Revenue Service so the pension systems don’t jeopardize their tax-exempt status. The Quinn administration plans to seek that approval, but said it could take six months.
Republicans on the committee opposed both pension borrowing plans, which could be an ominous sign. At least one Republican vote is needed to approve a borrowing bill in the House. Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, said if Illinois can’t borrow for pensions, another $3.7 billion will have to be found elsewhere to balance the budget. That could result in deeper cuts to programs.
The tax amnesty would allow people who owe back taxes to the state to pay up during a six-week period and avoid penalties and interest. The plan is estimated to raise $250 million. Gov. Pat Quinn last week said he wasn’t inclined to support an amnesty program. Currie said the administration supported the bill Wednesday.
* Republican state Rep. Roger Eddy explained his opposition to the school voucher plan to my intern Barton Lorimor yesterday. Eddy has been getting heat from the Tribune and others for his opposition. Eddy is a school superintendent and has received thousands of dollars in contributions from teachers unions, and that’s being used against him. Barton grilled him politely, but thoroughly. Have a look…
* Gov. Quinn and the Campaign For Better Health Care unveiled the governor’s demand that the General Assembly pass a bill to implement the new federal health insurance law. Background is here. Watch…
* The Paul Simon Institute has released more polling results from their survey of southern Illinoisans. Click the pic for a larger image…
The full results are here. The Southern Illinoisan covered the poll…
Using a question construction that political scientists call a “feeling thermometer,” the poll asked respondents to describe their feelings toward groups or institutions on a 100-point scale, with ratings between zero and 49 representing “cool” feelings, a rating of 50 describing a “neutral” feeling, and ratings between 51 and 100 describing “warm” feelings. […]
“While our results confirm our assumptions that voters in the 18 southernmost counties of Illinois are more Republican and more conservative than voters in the rest of the state, the picture is more complicated than that,” said Charles Leonard, the visiting professor at the institute who supervised the poll.
“For example, the region has a long tradition of union membership in mining, manufacturing and the trades, and four of 10 voters here give warm ratings to unions. The average rating for unions is a relatively warm 53.3, which you might not expect in an electorate in which most partisan identifiers call themselves Republican,” he said.
According to an earlier question in the Southern Illinois Poll, 81 percent feel their area does not get its fair share of state spending. Southern Illinois voters may direct some of this resentment toward “People from Chicago,” as reflected in one question. Only 17 percent gave warm ratings to Chicagoans.
* Other breaking news…
* McPier’s Ochoa quits; top shows balk at proposed reforms, threaten to walk
* MAP college grants run dry, rejections to double
* Bill for Marion development awaits filing in Senate: Senate Bill 2093, sponsored by state Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, and state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, will authorize Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds for the project as an incentive to bring major destination development businesses into the area. The project was announced Saturday, just one day after a similar deal proposed by project developer Holland Construction of Swansea was killed over arguments and disagreements in its establishment.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 11:40 am
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While many people like the idea of gun control, academic research shows it doesn’t reduce crime.
While many people like the idea of charter schools and vouchers, academic research shows they don’t improve test scores.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 11:48 am
In addition to the concern over their tax exempt status, the various pension systems have said that they don’t have the expertise to sell the bonds themselves and would prefer that OMB do it as usual. So I don’t understand the impetus behind this private placement idea or why it would be preferrable. In the video Rep. Currie said that the idea is new to her and she isn’t clear on why it would be preferrable either, she speculates that it would somehow be cheaper. But if the staffs at the pension systems are less experienced and the bond ratings are the same since it’s the same State of Illinois guarantee I’m not clear on where the savings would come from. Hopefully someone can soon explain this more clearly.
Comment by Scooby Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 11:51 am
I find it hillarious that downstate likes people from Chicago more or less that same as members of Congress. More people had warm views of Congress than Chicagoans.
Comment by John Bambenek Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 11:55 am
When we consider how much money is send Downstate from Chicago, and this poll result - it seems that you can’t buy love. Eventually, the money becomes an entitlement, a justification within the minds of the takers.
We see this all the time. People living on hand outs stop being appreciative to those handing it out.
Downstate has had a thing against Chicago since 1836. It doesn’t even matter when Downstate elects the same political party as Chicagoans. There is a cultural difference here.
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 12:01 pm
Vman - Agreed, and I’m a downstater. Every time I hear another downstater say they think we should push Chicago out into Lake Michigan, I can’t help but think about how quickly I’d be moving to the island of Chicago.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 12:05 pm
Why is it that when the State is addressing a problem, the political class digs in their heels to keep the payola coming to their constituents?(McPier in this case)
What blooming numskull would think that a single contractor would improve the situation there? Enough beating up labor as the only source of the excessive costs for conventions. The politically connected contractors are the cause of a large part of the problem.
The business as usual crowd is coming dangerously close to killing the golden goose of the convention business. Who do you think will pay those bonds for the next few decades. Yup, those lucky Illinois residents. Perhaps they can use the surplus in the budget to cover the costs……
Comment by Plutocrat03 Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 12:16 pm
–Only 17 percent gave warm ratings to Chicagoans.–
They always smile when they take my money when I visit down there.
By the way, with the warm spring, this would be a great time to do some hiking in Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. With all the rain down there, the waterfalls must be flowing spectacularly.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 12:18 pm
More pension borrowing…
Has anyone done the math yet when short and long term debt payments will take up the entire budget?
Comment by OneMan Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 12:24 pm
Pluto..I don’t care what you say to deflect attention, the effect of Union labor on the overall cost of doing business with McCormick place is substantial. There is simply no way to argue that point.
Comment by heet101 Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 12:28 pm
heet101, it’s not so much the labor costs, but the huge markup on those costs that is the real problem. Union work rules needed to change, however. And they are.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 12:30 pm
===There is a cultural difference here. ====
Ya think? Maybe it has something do to with Chicago people who view the tax dollars that come into southern Illinois as “handouts.”
Comment by Uppity Southern Illinoisan Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 12:49 pm
Tax dollars that come into Southern Illinois ARE handouts.
Comment by Bill Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 12:57 pm
When a city is known mainly for hot dogs and organized crime, is it any wonder not everyone gushes about it?
When I travel, people laugh at me for living in Illinois. They’re not laughing at Downstate.
Comment by T.J. Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 12:57 pm
===When a city is known mainly for hot dogs and organized crime===
Please.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 1:04 pm
- They’re not laughing at Downstate. -
Hahaha, yeah, because Springfield isn’t downstate. You see a lot of tourists traveling from across the country to visit downstate? I’m from downstate, and I still live downstate, and I know what people are laughing at.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 1:07 pm
===Please====
Right, it’s not hot dogs…it’s pizza.
BTW, Bill. I’m sure you mean all tax dollars…not just those tax dollars that go to Southern Illinois. Right?
Comment by Deep South Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 1:29 pm
Southern Illinois is not typical of downstate and its so tiny . I bet if you add up these counties you barely get Peoria out of them
This looks more like a poll of the south than the Midwest
Comment by Western Illinois Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 1:48 pm
If Mike Madigan needs one Republican vote for a pension borrowing bill he’ll be able to get it, most likely from Rep. McAullife in the Northwest Side 20th District, who doesn’t even have an opponent this fall (thanks to Madigan having the local Democrats roll over and play dead like they were puppy dogs).
Comment by fedup dem Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 2:06 pm
=While many people like the idea of charter schools and vouchers, academic research shows they don’t improve test scores.=
They actually do improve test scores. They also lower costs. However, this doesn’t really please the labor monopoly so onward liberal lions!
Comment by Brennan Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 2:31 pm
I don’t see anything in this poll that suggests Southern Illinois is particularly conservative. People in both parties are unhappy with Congress. Gun control isn’t liberal orthodoxy in rural areas like it is in major cities.
It’s a pro-union, politically populist region. Progressive Democrats could be doing better in the region than conservatives if they made the right appeal. It’s a shame that the party establishment is afraid of supporting liberal populists in rural areas because that’s the most effective message.
Comment by Will Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 2:40 pm
===I bet if you add up these counties you barely get Peoria out of them===
City of Peoria population in 2007 = 113K
2005 population of Jackson, Williamson, Franklin and Perry counties = 186K…..
I didn’t count Saline, Union, Randolph, Jefferson, etc. cause just the four was more than Peoria…
Comment by Deep South Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 3:52 pm
Peoria,Peoria county and East Poria are all “peoria” and well over 250K+
Comment by Ghost Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 4:05 pm
I think south of I-64 it’s at least that. We just don’t live on top of each other, we’re pretty spread out - so it can be deceiving.
Could be the bottom ten or 12 counties are equal to Peoria metro. Or close to it. Our televison market is larger than Peoria.
Comment by Deep South Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 4:09 pm
God help me, I’m pretty sure I own the same jacket as BFC…
Comment by capitol belle Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 6:00 pm
heet101
The labor costs are comparable to Rosemont who is not dealing with an exodus of exhibitors. The majority of the problem comes from the contractors who reap the big bucks while the little guys get the crumbs.
So while labor cost and rules are a part of the problem, they are not the only problem. Time to focus on the big fish.
Comment by Plutocrat03 Wednesday, May 5, 10 @ 6:10 pm