Train wreck
Friday, Jun 1, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Because the session ended so late, some of the latenight antics that I blogged about yesterday happened after most newspaper deadlines. The Sun-Times was able to get some stuff into the bottom of today’s article, however…
The Senate did not take up a bill passed late Wednesday by the House to cap property tax assessments in Cook County.
The Senate did not vote on a proposal the House passed unanimously earlier Thursday to allow telephone companies like AT&T to compete in the state’s cable television marketplace.
And in a test vote, a piece of Blagojevich’s universal health care package did not win backing from a majority of the Senate. There were 29 votes in favor, 28 against and two not voting.
In another test vote, a bid to exempt riverboat casinos from a recently passed statewide smoking ban failed in the Senate.
That disastrous health insurance vote might have led everybody’s stories if it hadn’t been taken at midnight. It’s now gonna be tough, particularly considering Mayor Daley’s newfound opposition to the proposal, to keep this thing on the table. But if you can count on one thing with this governor, it’s his dogged determination to do something about this issue, so even last night’s failure may not succeed in knocking him off his talking points.
* Despite all the failures this year, with the session laying in ruins at their feet, legislators still managed to summon the chutzpah to raise their own pay…
Late Thursday, the Senate approved a massive expansion of gambling the House has yet to consider and a supplemental spending bill that includes money for lawmaker pay raises. The supplemental spending has already passed the House, so it goes to the governor.
Normally, I refuse to comment on pay raises. Lawmakers don’t make nearly enough money for the work they usually do, so I don’t judge them on votes like that. But voting themselves a boost right before the session crashed with a loud thud was not the best message they could have sent the folks back home.
* The Sun-Times reporters were also able to get Senate GOP Leader Frank Watson’s stinging end of the night comments into their piece…
“With a majority of 37, you can’t pass a budget. You can’t do the business of the governor.You can’t get it done,” Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson (R-Greenville) said from the floor. “I think you have to be embarrassed. And I know many of you are.
“To have 37 votes and pound your chest, ‘How great we are.,” Watson continued, before having his microphone cut by the Democrats.
* And this quote indicates that the Senate Democratic leadership still overestimates what it can accomplish during the overtime…
“It [the House-approved budget plan] is a starting point,” said Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, a lead budget negotiator for the Senate Democrats. “We feel there should be more (spending) there because the people of Illinois deserve more.”
They couldn’t pass their own budget plan because they didn’t have the votes, despite holding 37 seats. I’m not sure how they think they can squeeze out more money for their priorities now that the Republicans are at the table.
* More train wreck stories, compiled by Paul…
* Illinois legislature will go into overtime
* State legislature fails to pass budget on time
* Budget up in the air as Dems try to resolve disputes
* State Democrats fail to pass key initiatives
* Illinois Dems may need GOP help with state budget
* Illinoize: Happy June 1st
- Gregor - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 9:52 am:
I love Frank Watson when he tells it like it is. The senate is a sick joke.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 10:07 am:
The pay raise is the latest reason why I have little faith that Illinois can ever truly change. There are many pressing issues on the table - and both chambers drag their collective feet on the budget until the last minute - yet they can find time to close a horse slaughtering plant and give themselves a pay increase. Unless we get some radical legislative leader in place, it’s going to be the same old same old.
This reminds me of running mock committee sessions in middle school. Nobody could agree on anything and things got personal. Kids pouted, pointed fingers and refused to budge. It’s nice to see that a bunch of grown-ups who are well paid and elected to represent us act like kids who are deciding which dj to hire for the end-of-year dance.
- Larry McKeon - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 10:13 am:
Days after the last election media pundits have been touting the so-called “veto-proof majority” in the Illinois senate far out of proportion to the realities of Democratic regional differences in the state of Illinois.
I posted my caution here and on Illinoize. Yet, the hype persists.
The events of the past few months, and certainly yesterday, proved that their is much more to a veto-proof majority than 37 votes.
- Leigh - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 10:14 am:
Is it true that the pay raises were attached to a bill for veteran’s death benefits?
- RAI - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 10:36 am:
You Democrats don’t have to worry the GOP leadership will come to your rescue! Any other political organization would use this situation to stand up for the taxpayer and demand cuts to programs we as a state cannot afford like universal health care. How hard would it be to go back to the last election and use the “WE TOLD YOU SO” line? This will turn out like a cub game with a 6 run lead in the 7th, an apparent no lose situation turned to disastrous loss!
Watch as the GOP leaders sign on to huge tax increases, and huge spending programs as long as they get their cut. They could stand up for conservative principals and demand this boondoggle Kid care and now his universal health care be taken off the table. They will sign on to the tax on businesses, instead of demanding tax relief. Look at the national economy tax cuts make revenues increase, but the combine will work together and stick it to the Illinois taxpayer. Now we will see why there is a huge split in the GOP and why as long as these “moderates” speak for the party it will flounder.
- Cassandra - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 10:41 am:
We aren’t going to get a new legislative leader in place.When voting time comes around, voters will use name recognition and vote for the same old hacks (or their kids), as they always do.
However, the current situation does give the GOP a small but real opportunity to begin recouping their Illinois political fortunes. Instead of braying about 37 votes, yada yada..they (I think this means Tom Cross rather than the bombastic Frank) could adopt the posture of a dignified and helpful yet fiscally conservative minority. They could give upbeat press conferences about living within your means and the evils of gambling. They could humbly offer to help find ways to make state government do more with less. They could refuse to be baited.
Are they up to it? I don’t know…..
- fedup dem - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 12:19 pm:
With all due respect Rich, after reading about the latest antics down in Springfield I am of the opinion that these clowns would be overpaid at the minimum wage!
- i d - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 12:25 pm:
A pox on them all.
- Captain America - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 12:28 pm:
I’m generally in favor of pay raises for judges, elected officials, and civil servants. I don’t like routine pay raises to become political footballs.
But based upon the miserable performance of the legislature, particularly the Senate, this session, I think the pay raises are not deserved.
My apologies to all the hard-working conscientious legislators. But someone has to be accountable for the failure to discharge routine duties like passing a budget. There isn’t even a fiscal crisis this that prevented reasonable compromises and solutions. If legislators were forced to forfeit their pay raises, maybe they’d be more willing to hold their leaders accountable for their failures. What a debacle!
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 1:15 pm:
Cassandra:
I wish that all you said were possible but I just don’t see this group of Republicans stepping up and doing the conservative thing. The corruption, backbiting and childish antics on both sides are just too deep rooted for them to change their ways.
I do agree that unless the Republicans change the way they look at the electorate in this state (i.e. stop pandering to moderates and ignoring conservatives) they are doomed to remain the minority party. Until you give people a clear choice of political ideology and something to believe in they have no vested interest in change.
- steve schnorf - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 1:23 pm:
Stop pandering to the 50% who are moderate and pander to the 15% or fewer who are very conservative?
Stop gay marriage and become king? Highly unlikely I think.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 1:48 pm:
Steve:
You’ll notice I didn’t say ‘very’ conservative. I am not a religious conservative. I don’t think government has any business legislating morality and I don’t believe religion has any place in the government. I am, however, a strong fiscal conservative who thinks that government has a limited role to play. We can debate this (to no gain I suspect) but I don’t see the point in doing so as I don’t believe we will change each others’ minds.
I do not agree with your 50% figure. True Republicans generally believe in limited government, balanced budgets, strong defense and necessary infrastructure. There are neo-cons and the radical religious right that perverts the ideals of the Republican base and tend to make people think that all Republicans are as out of touch as the MoveOn.org wing of the Dems. I maintain that the vast majority of Republicans *whether they are religious or not* believe much as I do. Unfortunately, our state party choses only to cater to those at center-left in a feeble attempt to placate the non-existent Chicago vote. This is a waste of time and resources and it results in candidates such as JBT and Alan Keyes being offered up.
‘Stop Gay Marriage’ and ‘Become King’? The first is a social issue that government has no business in one way or the other. The second is a tired stereotype the calls forth the demon of neo-conservatism.
Not that it is on point but - for the record - I think Karl Rove is a hack and that George Bush is a lousy president. I am not going to go further since this is a state forum and Rich doesn’t approve of these types of arguments.
- Leigh - Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 2:02 pm:
I think you will see the Republicans stick to a no new tax budget, which will be a HUGE relief to those of us sweating the GRT/SB750 and every other mammoth tax increase proposed this session. Things are tight in the economy right now. The private sector is making all kinds of cuts and adaptions to deal with the high cost of fuel/electricity/food etc. Perhaps now the state government can do the same.