27 Comments - Ghost - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 9:25 am: So now the Guv will of course bring a law suit to force Jones to submit the veto for vote. Afterall, we can’t have one man misexcercising authority to thwart the will of the people and government. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 9:30 am: What’s scary is the welfare mentality of so many of these nonprofit agencies demanding restoration of monies. Many of them no doubt started out saying we’re a worthy cause and we’ll prove it and collect money and run a program and fix whatever the problem is. Then they got onto the public teat. They stopped fundraising. Got an entitlement mentality. Hired extra staff at above-market salaries. Started funding themselves going to fancy conferences and started paying their execs $150,000, $200,000 and up a year with plush benefits. Can’t keep all those goodies without a substantial gift from the taxpayers every year. So they contribute heavily to their local state legislators to keep the flow of welfare monies coming. As to communities who need new fire stations, etc, why can’t they convince their local taxpayers to fund them. And if they can’t, do they really need them. Or are their local leaders too laxy or inept to do the work necessary to convince the locals to pony up. Another welfare effect. Lazy local officials. I hope Emil sticks to his plan, but I’m not optimistic. - Levois - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 9:35 am: “Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago), an ally of the governor, vowed again to block a Senate vote restoring Blagojevich’s cuts.” I don’t understand this statement. How can they restore cuts that haven’t exactly been approved yet? - GettingJonesed - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 9:37 am: Boy is Cassandra dumber than a box of rox or what? Illinois, like most other states, generally does not provide direct services anymore. Without the not for profits all of the care required by law does not get to those entitled. Not providing adequate payments means the NFPs lose qualified staff. Perhaps you can step into this century before your next effort to cover for BlunderBoy Blaggo. BTW Capt. Fax did a great job catching the Blunder on the health care vote. How can this people be trusted with anything when they cannot get their votes right. - Squideshi - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 9:39 am: It’s arrogant for Jones to act as if it is his own personal decision to decide whether to overturn the veto. He doesn’t decide this–all that he can do is act as an obstructionist to democracy and prevent a vote, which of course, he may have a legal right to do; but that doesn’t mean that it’s ethical, moral, or otherwise correct. I can only hope that the voters in Jones’s district someday come to realize that democracy itself is an issue more important than any of the others and judge their elected representative, like Jones, on this. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 9:52 am: If Madigan agrees to hold a vote on the gambling expansion, those veto overrides will pass through the Senate like prunes through a 90 year-old. It really doesn’t matter though. After all of the public hearings on the cuts, Madigan has already won. Besides, Madigan knows very well there’s no sense bargaining with Jones, because Blagojevich will never release the projects anyway. - Balance - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 9:53 am: Getting, Unfortunately, it is true that currently many public services are subcontracted to private entities. However, I would submit that this is not good policy (e.g., Blackwater). I would be willing to bet that at minimum 10% of what the taxpayers pay to private subcontractors finds its way directly back to some candidate’s campaign (see Squidishi, we already do have public campaign financing!). If the public wants a service, let’s set up the public stucture to provide it and stop funneling our public money to elected official’s buddies. - beavis - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 10:02 am: YDD - there’s a ton of money in there that isn’t project money - Emil is hearing an earful from his caucus - he won’t be able to do nothing - Cassandra - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 10:03 am: I may be dumb but I can tell when somebody is picking my pocket. And (rather surprisingly) it’s Madigan, not Jones with respect to the vetoed earmarks. Nonprofits who provide services that the state would otherwise provide are getting paid already to do this. And many of them make a profit which contributes to the big agency kitty, the one that provides those six figure salaries and fancy trips and expensive agency cars. But the nonprofits whining and clamoring in this particular dispute are greedy. They want more. But they don’t want to bother doing fundraising to get it. - Little Egypt - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 10:07 am: YDD, you are 100% correct about the prunes. LOL - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 10:08 am: We have to work with what we have. Anyone living off taxpayer dollars needs to find new sources of funding. Illinoians are tapped out. It doesn’t matter how noble the cause, we are out of money, credit, and it is time to do something besides fight about it. I’m not seeing an economic recovery to pay for all the social spending promised by this governor. Back in ‘02, he bet the bank that an economic rebound would pay for his borrowing, but it never happened. Fact is, the Bush Boom has passed Illinois right by and now it is waning. Illinois has too many problems for most businesses to take a gamble on us. Our governments are in utter disarray, our taxes are too high, our infrastructure hasn’t kept up, and there are other more attractive states to invest in. Even my liberal friends recognize this. Instead of addressing these problems, we have Democrats fighting over who gets the last scrap in the public trough. Their actions speak loudly, doesn’t it? If there were plans circulating within the Statehouse that shows promise, opportunistic pols would be jumping at their chance to save Illinois. Instead of boldly leading, we only see Democrats insult and fingerpoint. Our state leaders are clearly showing us that they don’t know how to fix what is ailing this state in order for it to continue economic growth. Instead of filling in the hole we find ourselves in, they shout at one another over who gets to dig deeper. It will take at least a decade to fix the mess we are in, and I think that is being optimistic. But we cannot begin to fix it with Mr. Blagojevich at the helm. He has no interest in state fiscal issues. He has no interest in long term planning. He has shown no interest in governing Illinois as previous governors have done. But we are stuck with him while Illinois continues to sink. So we have to work with what we have. Hand out the booty, jack up our monstrous debts, bounce checks, delay repayments, and hope against hope. I’m not holding my breath. That said - Debbie Halvorson’s Quest. Debbie is a good old Paul Simon Democrat. One of her challenges will be to find enough voters in Weller’s district to support a female Paul Simon on a ticket headed by another woman named Clinton. There will be ticket splitting, and she has to hope that it splits in her favor. She will be easily stereotyped, which isn’t good. Her opponent will tie Senator Emil Jones around her neck as though they were conjoined twins. She can become the poster child for the state meltdown in this District. As majority leader she didn’t help her Party end the ugly squabbles we are plagued with. This summer will be used against her. Also the situation in Iraq will continue to fade in voter importance. Just as 9/11 has faded, the anti-Bush hysteria will also fade. Bush is not on the ticket and is already history. 2008 will not be 2006. Voters have not made up their minds regarding the proper way to fix health care, so that issue is also a wash for Debbie. Promise all she wants, there won’t be much traction on this issue for her. It is good that she will return to the Senate if she goes unloved by the majority of voters next year. We need Debbie Halvorson here. She will have far more impact on Illinoians at the state level than at a federal one. As a Congressperson, she will not have enough time between campaigns to focus on our state issues. As a high ranking Illinois senator, she will have the time and the power to make the differences she wishes. So, run for the House, spend the DNC and Emily’s money, build up your name recognition and return to Springfield to help us, OK? - MOON - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 10:14 am: Cassandra You are dumb, and thanks for admitting it ! The non-profits constantly have fundraisers. The next time you get a solicitation in the mail from a non-profit, open your checkbook you cheapskate. At least your donation will be tax deductible and you will be furthering a worthy cause. Remember, all of us are not as fortunate and as blessed as you. It must be nice to be so self reliant. - What planet is he from again? - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 10:25 am: I ask this in a non-confrontational, non-rhetorical, “I’m-asking-because-I-want-to-know-the-answer” way. . .I heard a sound bite from Emil yesterday to the effect that “The Senate does not want to restore the cuts.” I know that’s how Emil feels, but what about everyone else? And if support for an override in the Senate is like the 104-4 vote in the House, can Emil still stand in the way? - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 10:34 am: Enough with the personal insults, please. Thanks. - Newie Public - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 10:43 am: VanMan 10:08 Well said, best post yet!!! - Just My Opinion - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 10:47 am: The only reason Jones isn’t picking my pocket is because at the moment he is wearing a pair of golden handcuffs, compliments of Elvis. If there wasn’t something in this for Emil, he would call for an override of this veto in a heartbeat. And he still may because of huge pressure from his own chamber. - Greg - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 11:32 am: There is an outrageous trend here in which multiple commenters attack–without evidence–the financial status and/or generosity of those here who advocate for some kind of fiscal restraint. When you go from criticizing our ideas to labeling us dumb and miserly, you say far more about your own intelligence than ours. - Bill - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 11:45 am: VanMan, ===It will take at least a decade to fix the mess we are in=== I guess that means we will have to wait until 2014 to start if Governor Blagojevich decides not to seek a fourth term unless, of course, some national office presents itself. - Leigh - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 11:55 am: Bill, your sense of humor is so appreciated. - Just My Opinion - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 12:34 pm: Bill, if I were to ask your mother, would she say you have always been a button pusher? - Napoleon Has Left The Building - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 1:56 pm: What planet: The answer is yes, the vote in the Senate would be overwhelmingly in favor of restoring the cuts, but Emil Jones is sticking with the governor to try and force the Speaker to move on the other issues. Emil doesn’t really object to any of the spending in the original budget - this is just a chess move - albeit a bad one. - As A Mom - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 1:58 pm: FYI - Spkr Madigan has filed Motion # 3 and $ to HB 3866. - As A Mom - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 1:59 pm: Motion # 3 and # 4… sorry bout that. Also Hse Committees start immediately after session. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 2:10 pm: You are right as always Bill. I deliberately mentioned a decade, not a year. I cannot begin to predict what or where Mr. Blagojevich will be in the future. Nothing that guys says or does surprises me anymore. - Ghost - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 2:14 pm: It will be interesting to watch how this plays out, if nothing else we “lve in interesting times”. (ancient chinese curse) - DuPage Dave - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 7:28 pm: Some of the commenters above are less than well- informed about not-for-profits in Illinois. There are no more than a dozen that are the big-time, high-value contract agencies, and some of them have very highly paid CEOs. These agencies get millions from DHS and DCFS and tend to be at the front of the line when money is handed out. The vast majority of not-for-profits struggle to make it through the fiscal year. And yes, they all do fundraising because they have to. Many of them could benefit from a business plan that reduces reliance on state funding, but that’s difficult to implement when times are tough financially. The agencies that work with people with disabilities (with the few exceptions noted above) don’t have much of a financial cushion and can use a lot of help. - Zatoichi - Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 10:20 pm: It is pretty easy to get IRS 990s for almost any non-profit. That includes churches, day care, social agencies, clubs, medical clinics as long as the group has tax status as a 501c3 or something similar. The vast majority have the cash to cover less then 6 weeks of operations. A significant number need to get payroll loans that cost interest rates. Some do have budgets of $30M+, most are under $5M with staff who get paid relatively low wages. If you get 80%+ of your funding from the state, you cough whenever the state drifts to slow payments as they are doing right now or rates stay the same as costs rise. All the fund raising you want to do for most groups is insignificant once expenses are paid for. That golf outing that brings in $10,000 may net under $5,000. The $30,000 dinner and show…under $10,000 after expenses. A local group that does $32,000 with pancakes, actually gets $22,000 after paying the bills. There are bucks through United Way and other local funding. The total of all that is usually under 10% of the entire budget. Non-profit is a tax status. It does not mean make no profit. Banks, Ameren, fuel and food suppliers, contractors, and employees need to be paid. No margin=No mission. Are there too many non-profits. Maybe. Are there non-profits that are run poorly? Yeah. And Enron and Worldcom were paragons of great for-profit operations? Sure, let the non-profits go under. Since they cost about 30% less than the state doing the same job, who will pony up the extra costs. I would love to see specific examples of non-profits with fancy trips and expensive agency cars. Not the small number that appear in the newspaper with some political scandal, but the thousands who slog away at the local level with little PR meeting the needs of local people. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.