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Best story of the bunch.
Facing criticism that he’s not at the Capitol enough to be effective and instead spends his time campaigning, Gov. Rod Blagojevich dismissed it all as “baloney.â€â€œIt’s a bunch of baloney,†Blagojevich said during a campaign appearance Tuesday a few blocks from the Capitol.
The Chicago Democrat said he’s met with legislative leaders and is visiting places like Rockford and Decatur to pressure Republicans to support his plans.
Exactly when he’s been at the Capitol this year remains unclear. The Daily Herald asked the governor’s office last week for the information and repeated the request this week to no avail.
[Emphasis added.]
The Tribune has more.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich blamed Republican legislative leaders, who have been shut out of budget negotiations, for slowing down the legislative session Tuesday, even though he and fellow Democrats are in charge.Blagojevich contended that rank-and-file Republicans would vote for his $55 billion budget and public works program but GOP leaders have refused to let them vote the way they want.
Despite harsh criticism of Republicans, Blagojevich has been unable to cut a deal with the Chicago Democrats who control the two chambers, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President Emil Jones.
And the Sun-Times has Emil Jones’ reaction.
“We’re moving slowly,” Jones said after four hours of closed-door budget talks ended.“If we can get it done next week or the following week, we’ll do it, but there is no urgent need to rush and get it done,” Jones said.
Also, let’s avoid a debate in comments over what constitutes an “overtime” session. The session was scheduled to conclude April 7th. Period. Any session days after that is an overtime session. Those who are claiming in comments that overtime doesn’t begin until the end of May are just goofy and, more importantly, wrong.
UPDATE: You’re not gonna believe this (OK, you might) but somebody in the governor’s budget office just tried to make this same lame argument that we’re not in overtime until June 1.
These people are obviously not reality based.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 8:00 am
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Thank you Rich.Enough said.
Comment by DOWNSTATE Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 8:19 am
Why bother to hurry with a budget, any serious contenders for House and Senate seats want the incumbents out of the district as long as possible. Thus allow challengers to spend more face time with the public. The longer this takes, the more important Republican votes mean for the process because you will need a supermajority. Rod wants it to go longer so he can use it as a campaign issue against JBT. Madigan and Jones don’t care too much because they will already get what they want for their districts.
Comment by southernilrepub Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 8:28 am
The Gov looks like a FOOL
This guy has never had to work a day in his life and now it is coming back to haunt him. Illinois simply cannot handle four more years of this admin.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 8:30 am
This is just one more example of an absentee Governor who obviously takes campaigning more seriously than contributing to the running of the state during one of its more critical responsibilities.
The he has the nerve to blame it on the other political party when he and the two legislative leaders are the ones holding up the process. Does he really think this will play to the electorate? If it does and this man is re-elected then we deserve no better as a state then another 4 years of mismanagement that has been exhibited these last 3+ years.
Comment by Sound Reasoning Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 8:32 am
The Gov. wants to use that credit card for all kinds of election year freebees.The other two know that they are almost maxed out on credit and state agencies are statring to collapse from under funding and being understaffed.If they go down the tubes and if the state goes belly up the Democrats get the blame with the heavist burden being placed on Madigan and Jones.They are not going to put their careers on the line for this guy.I imagine that is a lot of the hang-up.Plus if he gets what he wants there won’t be that much money left for Chicago pork.
Comment by DOWNSTATE Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 8:45 am
Every time I think he (GRod) could not possibly say anything else that would surprise me, he flies in and trumps the previously silly comment…this is unbelievable and absurd. I cannot believe the legislative dems actually want this guy for another 4 years.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 8:49 am
As long as they are not raising our taxes in there, I don’t care how long it takes. And some tax rebates would be nice.
Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 8:54 am
The governor has abdicated his part in shaping the budget, indeed, in running the government. That leaves the adults, Jones and Madigan, to figure it out. Expect the governor to be further marginalized over time from here on out.
You had a chance, Rod, to really make a difference, and you broke our hearts. We foolishly pinned all our hopes on you to really change things, and you threw it all away on a masturbatory ego trip, one that you seem to want to perpetuate.
Comment by Gregor Samsa Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 9:07 am
Blago is happy to see session go on, this way he can appear to “govern” longer while still campaigning and running TV ads.
Comment by Goodbye Napoleon Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 9:11 am
Cassandra -
And, as long as we can throw this state further into debt, who cares? As long as me, my children, and grandchildren can pick up the tab all for Rod’s political expediency, who cares?
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 9:13 am
What he said!
“The governor has abdicated his part in shaping the budget, indeed, in running the government. That leaves the adults, Jones and Madigan, to figure it out. Expect the governor to be further marginalized over time from here on out.
You had a chance, Rod, to really make a difference, and you broke our hearts. We foolishly pinned all our hopes on you to really change things, and you threw it all away on a masturbatory ego trip, one that you seem to want to perpetuate. “
Comment by Mike's Used Sport's Section Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 9:37 am
This is my major complaint against Blago. He is a Democrat. The legis. is controlled by Dems. The gov. needs either to lead or get out of the way. Stop whining and govern. I am going to vote for him, but only because I don’t think JBT would improve anything and because Birkett is happy to send innocent people to death row.
Comment by Skeeter Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 9:40 am
Doesn’t feel like overtime yet.
Comment by Peoria Gridrion Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 10:18 am
Rich, just had to ask:
What does your ad department consider “overtime session days”?
IMPORTANT UPDATE: We have several ad slot openings for overtime session days and for the post-session (some discounts available).
Comment by anon Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 10:24 am
Overtime session days, according to my “ad department,” are any days after April 7.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 10:28 am
I don’t think that the overtime session is going to play a significant role in state debt.
And the state really doesn’t need to be in debt at all. There is plenty of money to pay it down.
State revenues in Illinois (and across the country) are going up significantly. There is plenty of money for everything if the folks making the decisions apportion the money properly instead of using it for pork projects, featherbedding and patronage hiring in state agencies and other political goodies.
I would point out the in Mass. Mitt Romney’s
path-breaking universal health insurance for Mass residents was achieved without raising taxes. And it’s expensive.
That accomplishment makes anything our elderly legislative leaders and juvenile governor do here look like hardly any challenge at all.
Penny ante stuff.
Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 10:44 am
There’s a really big question mark hanging out there regarding $260 million ($130 mil this year, $130 mil next) in federal assistance to Illinois from the yet-to-be approved hospital tax proposal. The federal thumbs up or down decision is scheduled for sometime in the middle of Spring and if there’s no deal, the Budget has a huge revenue hole (not to mention a big revenue problem for Illinois hospitals). BTW, the Governor’s harsh rhetoric directed toward the federal government his State of the State probably didn’t win him any favors on this.
This could be a big, big obstacle to any budget agreement. To put in into perspective, it would equate to about 10% of new revenue growth.
Comment by Budget Watcher Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 10:57 am
You guys are amazing!
Where were all of you concerned budget watchers 6 years ago when George was running about the state spreading pork? Where was Judy?
How did the state of Illinois get in the financial shape it’s in now?
Comment by B Hicks Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 11:00 am
B Hicks…are you blind??? Partisan for sure, but c’mon man, take off the dust mask and smell the roses. This administration has been cash flowing the state for more than two years. No agency actually has an annual budget, just projections of what’s needed. Hundreds of special funds have been swept repeatedly for hundreds of millions, and the road funds for more than a billion…so get off it by parroting the past whine line about G Ryan…he’s a crook, allegedly, and this guy said he “fixed” the deficit…so, where’s the money? 350 new fees and where’s the money? 2.2 billion in non-pension requirements, and where’s the money? Sure Judy was there under G Ryan, so was Dan Hynes…why aren’t his hands dirty too? Regardless of who gets elected, regardless of which party, taking the current Governor out of the mix, for discussion purposes, will have a real mess to untangle, and it will require some real governing by the legislature and the Governors shop to figure it out.
Comment by Bass Man Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 11:35 am
You’re right, Hynes was there, but unlike Judy, he was extremely critical of Ryan’s spending. At the time, Hynes, like Judy, had little authority as comptroller to block spending, but he stood up and voiced his opinion. He’s been critical of Rod’s spending, too.
My point is: Judy is a hypocrite. Why didn’t the concerned treasurer speak out when George Ryan was handing out the cash?
Dude, you need to take the blinders off.
As far as this year’s budget, it’s done.
Comment by B Hicks Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 12:01 pm
B-Hicks,
Agreed, the pension problem has been ignored by all for a long time, and previous administrations have to assume a big part of that responsibility. However, those who put us on that path are long gone and have left the fiscal mess for the current leaders to figure out. It appears the political will to take on this problem will have to wait at least one more year.
You’re probably unaware, but public healthcare spending, the other big fiscal albatross, was significantly expanded under Ryan, something that was surprising politically; this expansion benefitted primarily the low income elderly, a group whose cost of care is significantly greater than children, although a modest expansion of KidCare happened during the Ryan era.
I will agree that budget problems today are many times created by the legacy of the preceding leaders. That’s why fiscal responsibility and the fiscal priorities of our leaders should be issues that taxpayers consider when pulling a ballot. Certainly not the only issues, but to me, important.
Comment by Budget Watcher Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 12:08 pm
Grayan isn’t the governor once again the partisans want to blame history for this mess.Arod said no more business as usual and all these fiscal problems would be dealt with.Well Medicaid,long term debt,and the unpaid backlog of bills has reached a record high under this governor.I guess he should of finished his pararaph with “i can make them worse”.Good try to take the heat oof Arod.
Comment by DOWNSTATE Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 12:26 pm
Agreed!
But, I think it would take any Governor more than 40 months to fix the problem that Rod inherited.
DOWNS, you’re right, George Ryan aint Governor no more. Can’t get one by you.
Comment by B Hicks Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 12:42 pm
BHicks I notice you did not address the fact that this guy has taken no positive steps to improve the problem i.e. in 40 months all he has done is make it worst.
Comment by DOWNSTATE Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 1:33 pm
Yep, Downs, you got me. It’s worst.
Comment by B Hicks Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 2:09 pm
[…] Our absentee Governor denies that his lack of leadership on the budget has contributed to an impasse. The only positive thing is that the media is really disgusted with Blagojevich’s games, and this is just reinforcing that impression - which is going to make it more difficult (but not impossible) for him to get re-elected. The best part is that Blagojevich is trying to blame Republicans, in the minority in both the House and the Senate, for the lack of progress in passing a budget - even though he and the Democratic leaders have refused to allow the Republicans to participate in the negotiations. Chutzpah is a good word. […]
Pingback by IlliniPundit.com » Blog Archive » Roundup (4/12/06) Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 2:40 pm
The governor has made great strides in reducing the size of state gov’t while increasing vital services to the citizens who need it most, children, seniors, etc..
He needs a second term to continue his mission to make gov’t work for the people instead of people working for the gov’t..
The good fiscal management that the governor exhibited in his first term will continue in his second. Special interests that hid revenue in special earmarked funds will now have no place to hide. It is the taxpayers money and should be used for ALL of the citizens not just a select few.
He has accomplished a lot for working people and will accomplish a lot more in the next 4 years. We have only just begun and the best is yet to come.
Comment by The original Bill Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 4:41 pm
Mr. Rod has certainly told us all about what he has accomplished - but what about the state owned facilities that are slowly deteriorating due to leaking roofs, failing windows, doors at correctional centers that don’t work and the myriad of other maintenance issues that have had no attention since he rode into the Thomson Center.
The taxpayers (the working people as they are called by this admininstration) are being robbed of the infrastructure and assets of the state as they slowly disintegrate into uselessness.
However - there is plenty of money to renovate the senate and house chambers with all new walnut roll-top desks, backlit stained glass ceiling (house chamber), stone vanity tops and toilet partitions. That is certainly something to accomplish for the working people and taxpayers of the state. Go Rod!
Comment by Ethel Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 9:56 pm
Original Bill: If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were a Washington Republican by the way you parrot the party line. Are you sure you’re not “W” in disguise? He can’t speak outside the script either.
Comment by Ex-Newfie Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 10:54 pm
How on earth is Blagojevich pulling any support in the polls? Can we please vote him out now?!
Comment by Andrew Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 11:24 pm