Hynes stirs controversy *** Updated x1 ***
Tuesday, Jun 19, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sen. Donne Trotter, who handles the budget for the Senate Democrats, is not pleased with Comptroller Dan Hynes’ warnings of a budget “meltdown” next month if the powers that be don’t get their acts together soon. We discussed the Hynes memo yesterday.
“I think it’s a lot of hyperbole on his part. I think he’s being disingenuous and also irresponsible,” said State Sen. Donne Trotter, (D) Chicago.
The chairman of the senate budget committee says there is plenty of time for a deal.
* And, in the same story, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, who was dissed by the governor last week, explained that Blagojevich’s initial budget plan was so ambitious that it’s tough to reach an agreement that can be acceptable to the guv and a three-fifths majority in both chambers…
“I think that he was really asking the legislature and the public to bite off a whole lot more than we are comfortable chewing,” said State Rep. Barbara Flynn Curie, (D) Chicago.
* Meanwhile, last week the Daily Herald tried to get the comptroller’s office to talk about the possibility of a government shutdown and was flatly rebuffed…
Hynes spokeswoman Carol Knowles wouldn’t say when millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded state payroll are due out in July. For that matter, she wouldn’t provide the dates for when state payroll was mailed in April, May or this month either. She essentially wouldn’t answer any question about when the office does anything.
Instead, Knowles said she’d be “delighted” to discuss the topic – “next week.” Similarly, a message left with Hynes’ communications director Alan Henry wasn’t returned.
* And the State Journal-Register, which got the leaked Hynes memo before anyone else, editorialized on the subject today…
As we enter week three of the legislative overtime session, Comptroller Dan Hynes has sent what should be a sobering memo to the governor and legislative leaders. In that communique, Hynes notes all of the bad things that will happen if the governor and General Assembly continue to fail at their job of getting a budget in order for the state.
That would include not only missed pay checks for state workers, but also the possibility of poor people not being able to find doctors who will treat them because the state can’t pay the doctors, foster care parents not being reimbursed for their important services, schools denied certain funds, even the possibility that certain road projects could come to a halt at the peak of the summer construction season.
Exactly what more encouragement do our “leaders” need to do their job?
*** UPDATE *** Something for you state employees out there. From an e-mail…
Credit Union 1 is gearing up to offer 0% loans to state employees that miss a paycheck due to the budget impasse. Credit Union 1 has used this program during past budget impasses and it has been well-received by their members.
- zatoichi - Tuesday, Jun 19, 07 @ 10:03 am:
Hynes’ office can’t win regardless of how they handle this. If they say nothing about what may happen then “ignorance” is an easy out for any impact. By putting their memo out they are simply saying “here’s what will likely happen”. Just part of the job from the people who cut the checks and who are supposed to track financial performance. Our financial people do it all the time. Seems reasonable to me and consistent with past items in Hynes’ newsletter.
- schroedk - Tuesday, Jun 19, 07 @ 11:26 am:
I agree with zatoichi; it’s nothing that any other responsible person in charge of finances in any home or institution wouldn’t do as well.
When we owned our own business (a medical clinic, which we sold our stake in due to, ironically, late medicaid payments by the state), we had to do the same thing and inform our employees of what would happen if we did not have the money to meet payroll and all expenses.
Given the budget impasse, it would be irresponsible of the comptroller not to inform both government leaders and the general population of what would happen if the delay continues. It’s part of his job.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Jun 19, 07 @ 11:40 am:
Yes, God forbid Mr. Hynes would issue a warning to our budgeteers who can’t seem to come to an agreement after six months of “session”. He is the only Democrat that I voted for last November, and I knew there was a reason for that vote.
- NI80 - Tuesday, Jun 19, 07 @ 12:07 pm:
I’ll switch parties if I get no paycheck…Leadership needs to lose the egos (all of them) and think about the people that actually live and work in this state.
- Cassandra - Tuesday, Jun 19, 07 @ 12:14 pm:
Sen. Trotter is right. It is irresponsible.
Unfortunately for transparency, Mr. Hynes didn’t recommend any possible fixes, such as passing a temporary budget, or any other technical fixes which exist. The money is there, it is just a matter of getting it to the vendors. And early in the fiscal year, a short-term fix should not be a problem, although the scare mongers would have us believe differently.
Some of the scaremongering is likely coming from those who want to rush our elected leaders into giving another gadzillion to the schools or the CTA or union employees or whatever, without giving the taxpayers too much time to reflect on how much it is going to cost them and what they are going to get in return (not much).
- Captain America - Tuesday, Jun 19, 07 @ 3:08 pm:
Senator Donnie Trotter need to hold his Senate
leader, President Emil Jones, accountable for his failures and inadequacies, as well as
Jones’stonewalling on the electricity rate issue,
rather than blaming Comptroller Hynes for anticipating the potential consequences of a continuing impasse.
The Hynes memo was perfectly reasonable and appropriate in terms of contingency planning. Still hoping that the Machiavellian and/or megalomanaical Democratic leaders (Blago, Jones, and Madigan) will be able to craft some reasonable compromises.
- Diego - Wednesday, Jun 20, 07 @ 7:04 am:
Dan Hynes for Governor in 2010!
Combine Treasurer and Comptroller’s offices and make Gianoulias the state’s CFO!