46 Comments - OneMan - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:06 pm: I was a casino dealer for COACH care at a Las Vegas night a few years back (our company had enough folks volunteer that we manned a huge portion of the fundraiser) They do good work and like most health care providers in this state they don’t deserve to be jerked around like they are. - Nose For News - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:10 pm: Perhaps Bellock could have got some money for these folks while she was signing the casino/MOUs?Don’t remember the House GOPs being worried about late bills back in May and June. - sal-says - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:14 pm: Right on. It’s always fascinating to hear politicians at every level talk about ‘free money’ from the Feds. A grant here; a grant there. Certainly, some are completely necessary, but you NEVER hear them say ‘taxpayer money’ or ‘taxpayer funded’. - Ms Port Belly Mushroom - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:18 pm: If anyone here has ever read the “Scouring of the Shire” chapter of the Return of the King, you’ll know just what awaits Pat Quinn when he does, finally, make it. Utter ruin. - Capitol View - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:23 pm: Tax revenues are the basis for distributing the cost of essential government programs and services across the general population. We need a two year study by the executive and legislative branches combined on what State services should be, and then the revenues should be matched to legitimate needs. Not paying health and human services providers for their authorized services already rendered is both moral and fiscal bankruptcy. Illinois State government is a terrible organization to do business with. Let’s get on with passing the Meeks tax proposal, and do the two year study on what should be included in state governemnt programs and services in time for the 2010 elections. Tax levels can be altered in 2010 to meet the realities of what state government should be doing. In the meantime, pay the bills of the Blago and Bush legacies of shortchanging state government. - The Doc - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:24 pm: The gas tax is a very sound idea. In relatively short order fuel prices will shoot up rapidly due to production cuts, geopolitical issues, lack of investment in alternative sources of energy, and oil fields drying up. A gas tax, by artificially inflating prices at the pump, not only reduces demand (and actually keeps the price of gas down), but produces revenue for investment in roads, mass transit, and perhaps alternative energy sources. All of which IL desperately needs. As an added bonus, a gas tax would be an impetus for the so-called Big Three automakers to produce efficient and environmentally friendlier vehicles, assuming these companies are still in existence. The idea of a tax on services in addition to goods is also good fiscal policy, and should be a priority for the GA. Of course, a meaningful reduction in the sales and property tax rates should simultaneously accompany this legislation, but if instituted properly there would be a significant net gain in revenue. - vole - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:28 pm: Many of us may not be in a position to really care much about the Merry Blues Bros. (Blago and Burris) in a few months. Let’s hope the legislature gets the impeachment and prosecution over quickly enough to address these dire economic needs before more catastrophes happen. Earlier this year we were giving billions and billions of dollars to the oil companies and foreign countries. Now, we can’t contribute a few billion to ourselves in the form of a small increase in gas taxes? We are also giving away much greater amounts in the form of ethanol subsidies for a piddling return on the investment. - The Doc - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:28 pm: Although I do shudder at the thought of Daley and Stroger and their armies of Machinists getting their grubby mitts on more dollars to play with. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:31 pm: Even if Blagojevich was as clean as he claimed in 2002, he made a risky decision when he tethered Illinois to health care commitments that everyone knew would balloon beyond control. Illinois was not in a place in 2003 for the budgets he proposed. We needed conservation of our funds and caution in our expenses and Rod claimed to be a fiscal conservative when he ran, knowing that we knew this. What we experienced was the most amateur and stupid gubernatorial administration in a lifetime. The daily recklessness in face of reality was criminal and frankly impeachable by 2005. Blagojevich was a naked man offering voters empty promises. By 2006, the gig was up. We knew it, yet millions wanted to believe. It is understandable to hope against reality, but you don’t just stand there and support a do-nothing that has been exposed as a do-nothing. You wake up and smell the coffee. Illinois refused to do this. We watched as Emil Jones proposed tax increases and as Blagojevich proposed a GRT tax. There were bad ideas, to be sure, but when the guys in charge are politically willing to risk their political future by raising taxes - something bad is forcing them to make that choice. With each of Blagojevich’s promises a mountain of bills were generated without means to pay for them. This has been the situation since 2003. So we have had five years of playing “chicken” with our state finances. With each year, this game forced us closer to the cliff. After 2006, the Governor and other state leaders were hanging by their hands and claiming that they had strong enough arms to hold on longer. The Illinois Democratic Party bankrupted Illinois in time to face a global economic crisis. Talk about bad timing. What we have gone through since 2003 makes Enron look responsible. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:36 pm: we can’t contribute a few billion to ourselves in the form of a small increase in gas taxes You don’t contribute to yourself by allowing governments to take your money. The most effective way to contribute to citizens is to allow them to keep their money and spend it as they need to spend it. To believe that government knows better than each of us regarding our own money is very foolish. - Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:40 pm: Van Man, Unless we either raise more money or lower the cost of road construction, we will soon be think-tanking about which downstate highways to close, and which ones to maintain. - Phineas J. Whoopee - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:47 pm: Ms Port Belly Mushroom, I can’t agree with your LOTR analogy regarding the Scouring of the Shire. Quinn is more like Mr. Frodo setting things to right after Saruman (Blago) gets pincushioned by the little folk. - IDOT Guy - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:56 pm: If the administration would leave IDOTs money alone there would be a lot more road repairs taking place. The govenors agencies (CMS) charge IDOT rent for buildings IDOT previously owned. Why? So they can launder the Federal gas tax funds that power IDOT and misuse the money in the general fund. Another thing is to stop building new roads (making whatever local GA representative look good), and use the money we have to maintain the roads in existance. - Segatari - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 12:58 pm: >The Reagan/Blagojevich/Bush/Etc. way has been to tell people that they can get lots of neato stuff for nothing. How dare you sully Reagan and Bush’s name by linking Blago to them Rich Miller. That was uncalled for. - Ms Port Belly Mushroom - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 1:01 pm: It was his pal, Wormtongue, who got Sauruman in the end, Phineas. And, so, the Wyma analogy may work here, too. Regardless, I hope Quinn makes quick work of these orc-folk and restores the Shire. I’ll stop with the Middle-Earth stuff, Rich. Sorry - Ghost - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 1:03 pm: Since a number of State employees “expnaded” health care without authority, the State should go after them individually for some of the money that is now owed. This may not regain usmuch, but it sends a clear message for anyone in the future who wishes to spend without authority. I wonder howmuch of what we owe can be tied to the unauthorized exanspansions and sopending by the Gov. Perhaps we should go after the Gov as well, plenty of press release on his expnasion without authority. Has has a few million in the campaign fund and some home equity. - RJW - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 1:05 pm: It’s going to take a statesman-type leader and a legislature willing to negotiate/listen to get Illinois out of this mess. I’m not sure we are in that position even after Blagojevich is out of office. It is going to take many, many hard decisions, including some cuts AND tax increases - yes, I said tax increases. You could shut the government down and we would still not be out of this mess. It is also going to take somebody to shut the door on all of the lobbyists. We need to examine what we really need, and for now, cut out everything else. We then need to assess how much revenue we need to raise to pay for what we need. I personally think you are crazy if you want to be governor or president at this particular time! - I'mTellingYou - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 1:09 pm: Ronald Reagan. Once again your true colors comes through. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 1:25 pm: Unless we either raise more money or lower the cost of road construction, we will soon be think-tanking about which downstate highways to close, and which ones to maintain. Was threatening to cut Metra service in order to get a tax increase through your idea too? Illinoians pay billions. We don’t need to give this corrupted administration and corrupted government another dime. Go ahead and threaten. The past five years clearly indicates that the billions we have taken from us are wasted on political hog troughs, pork barrels, and constituent pay offs. We’re going through fiscal crisis at home too. Sorry, we don’t have extra cash right now for freeloaders who waste what is given them. - Judgment Day Is On The Way - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 1:26 pm: “And it’s gonna get much, much worse. The state is simply running out of money. It may not even be able to make payroll in a couple of months, from what I’m getting. I think if I was Rod Blagojevich I’d resign even if I hadn’t been arrested. The calamaties ahead will be severe and there will be no way on God’s Earth to simply cut our way out of this problem.” Probably true, but to put it bluntly, it’s a Democratic party problem. They control State government, it’s happening on their watch. If they fail, the same thing that happened nationally to the Republicans in 2008 should happen to the Democratic party here in Illinois. Besides, there’s absolutely no evidence out there to show that our current “leadership” in state government will use any new money wisely, so why would anyone think that giving them additional funding from additional state taxes would make things any better? Besides, as taxpayers, we’re tapped out. - Captain Flume - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 1:40 pm: == The state is simply running out of money. It may not even be able to make payroll in a couple of months, from what I’m getting. == Come on! From whom are you getting that? Facts, please, not rumors or unsubstatiated statements. Sure the state is in financial trouble, but a statement like that is needs some reference. - Secret Square - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 1:57 pm: This is a question probably only serious number crunchers can answer, but, how much difference would a one- or two-year moratorium on all member initiatives make? Combined, perhaps, with a one-quarter or one-half percent sales tax or an extension of the current sales tax to services? - Secret Square - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 1:59 pm: Also don’t forget that if Obama’s tax cut/stimulus plan goes through, any increase in state taxes may be at least partly offset or compensated for by a reduction in most people’s payroll taxes. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 2:14 pm: I give Marin points for writing the column, but she’s part of the problem. I saw the Chicago Tonight. Panel. Ninety percent of it was devoted to the Blago/Burris freak show, just 10 percent to the real problems the state is facing. The MSM doesn’t do it’s job. New is entertainment, such as it is. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 2:20 pm: This is a bad time for a tax increase except on the most affluent. I fear those Obama tax cuts will be paid out only to be grabbed away by bloated and badly run state governments, including, of course, very blue Illinois. As to the elimination of state and local match for capital funds, it sounds good but what guarantee do we have that the money saved won’t go out in pork and pay-to-play hires and overpriced contracts. Even after our Blago leaves, if he does, the structure of Illinois goverment–a very strong executive and massive opportunities for corruption, much of it legal, will still be in place. - He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 2:27 pm: Can’t blame this on the Republicans!!! Everyone running (Or RUINING) the state is Democrat!! - trafficmatt - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 2:33 pm: Rich - You can say a LOT of things about Bush that I might agree with. However, to tie in Reagan and Bush to Blagojevich is just absurd. The only comparison between Reagan and Blago is that Reagan probably knew Elvis and Rod is a fan. Past that, the comparison ends. - jerry - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 2:45 pm: RAISE MY TAXES. Our entire society is dependent upon people paying taxes. If you want a society where people don’t pay taxes (to the government, at least), then you should consider Somalia. I’ve heard it’s beautiful this time of year. And it’s a perfect tax-free libertarian paradise. Increase the gas tax. Better still, raise the income tax. - jerry - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 2:50 pm: actually, it’s very clear what Blago has in common with Bush and what he has in common with Reagan. Both Blago and Reagan tried to trick the people into believing you could get government for nothing (though Reagan demonized the very existence of government), cutting taxes in Reagan’s case, holding the line in Blago’s case. Since Reagan ran the Federal government, he just did the modern equivalent of printing money, he borrowed at insane rates, nearly tripling the national debt during his tenure. The biggest Borrow and Spend Republican until George Bush Jr. Unlike Reagan, Blago can’t keep borrowing, so now we’re screwed. George Bush Jr., besides being a big Borrow and Spender, shares Blago’s ability to willfully ignore reality and his desire to deceive and to abuse his authority. Both of them are utterly delusional and disconnected from anything resembling the real world. Birds of a feather. - zatoichi - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 3:06 pm: This is not a Dem or a Repub problem. It has been building a long time, effected by the national economy, and has been basically wishfully ignored by thinking it can simply be put off with small bandaids or shifting existing money while ignoring the future impact. Get on the Comptroller website and read the financial projections for the state. Get the WSJ and read about the impact of the credit card crunch, ARMs coming due, plant/office closings /slowdowns /layoffs, the increase in savings because a public that has finally realized you can no longer earn $100 and spend $117, retail sales poor enough that multiple large national chains are going out of business (along with the paychecks of their employees), the ripple effects for Lehman/GM/lower home values, effect of stock market on retirement plans/investments. All that (and more) crunches into less money being spent –> less tax collection –> less money available for state services. Add the ongoing/increased costs/inflation for existing operations (Martire’s structural deficit concept) and the total becomes unsustainable without major changes. Simple example: There are 100 groups all with great causes and benefits to the state in a wide variety of areas. People want these things. Got money to cover 90% of costs and bucks start at $100. Costs go up 5%, revenue collection goes up 2%. After 5 years costs are $127 and rev is $99. How do you make up that $28 difference? Stop roads/sewers? Schools? Medical? Social Services? Prisons? Rail service? Parks? Any type of money/food aid? Without increased rev which of those 100 groups go out of business or do they all get whacked back 28% which will kill off a large number of them anyhow. Hold off payments for 8-10 months and force mergers with groups who have the resources to make it through? If a group is 90% funded by the state, they are in serious trouble. Very, very tough financial choices are coming regardless of how nice someone wishes to say it. No margin = no mission and that margin is anorexic. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 3:07 pm: Uh, Jerry, our new Prez is planning to borrow a trillion dollars to save our economy–the highest percentage of GDP since after the depression. “Deficits don’t matter–” sound familiar? Dick Cheney. Apparently, Obama agrees with him. That trillion isn’t siting around in savings. It’ll be borrowed…lots of it from the Chinese. I can’t say this isn’t the right thing to do. But when it comes to borrowing huge sums of money to keep govt/the economy/the war in Iraq/whatever afloat…you can’t just blame one party or one pol. It seems to be the only option they can come up with. - Amy - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 3:33 pm: Money woes are at every level of our government, Cook County, City of Chicago, State of Illinois, others. Checking fiscal and performance issues is not just something for the Federal level. If it’s not public safety, and even that, cuts will be the order of the day. enough with furlow days. top government management should take pay cuts at the budgeted level. the argument that the private sector is more lucrative is no longer the case. cutting $10,000 from 6 officials makes a good living for one other staff member. ladies and gentlemen, start your calculators. lower management salaries. - Captain America - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 3:43 pm: Voodoo politics in illinois and voodoo economics at the federal level started our state and federal fiscal meltdown a long long time ago. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 4:17 pm: When we elected Blagojevich we built our fiscal foundation on river bottom. Blagojevich’s solutions were spending money we didn’t have to add more floors to it instead of moving the foundation to higher ground. Bad economies come and hopefully go. But when we allow a political party to build where we allowed Illinois Democrats to build, we can’t point at the fact that it is raining in order to avoid responsibilities that we are under water. - steve schnorf - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 4:59 pm: -The Reagan/Blagojevich/Bush/Etc. way has been to tell people that they can get lots of neato stuff for nothing. Well, them days is over. Somebody has to pay.- Good for you, Rich. Expanding government spending while cutting taxes, or even holding them steady, is the problem. There are at least two ways to deal with that problem. We, on the other hand, chose to run, forgetting that we couldn’t hide. The only thing that irks me is anyone pretending these cash crises are a surprise. Everyone who paid attention has seen this day coming for a long time. - Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 5:15 pm: Was threatening to cut Metra service in order to get a tax increase through your idea too? Nope. What I am saying is that with declining gas tax revenues and increasing costs, something has to give. Yes, there are opportunities to recover some of the gas tax money that is diverted to other agencies. If that is taken back, what plugs the hole in those agencies, or do they cut back their services, too? And we could lower the cost of road construction by methods like using non-union labor and a federal repeal of Davis-Bacon, as well as reducing environmental regulations. Please tell me the desirability or likelihood of that happening any time soon. I am not necessarily an advocate of higher taxes. I am an advocate of deciding what is necessary, and finding a way to pay for it, and deciding what is unnecessary, and stopping paying for it. If we as a society decide we need all these “things” we had better be prepared to pay sooner or later, or decide we can do without some of ‘em. We can only be borrowed out so much. - Bubs - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 5:22 pm: I’m thinking of making Rich Miller’s day by moving out of state before it all caves in. - Sweet Polly Purebred - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 7:04 pm: The gov, through the creation of the “CMS COMBINE” devised a way to rob all the agencies under him. Some of the best examples of this is charging agencies to use equipment ALREADY purchased by the agency, forcing agencies to go through CMS for ALL computer equipment using an aqregiously over priced LEASING program, and my favorite the surplusing of computer equipment through an outside entity known as PREMIER COMPUTER in, I believe, Joliet at exhorbitant rates. The contract for PREMIER and CMS is a sweet one for sure. Agencies are charged to surplus the equipment, PREMIER is supposed to assess the equipment, assemble systems out of usable equipment, sell the systems and split the money with CMS - NOT the agency the equipment belonged to. Problem? No accountability by either CMS or PREMIER. I and others in agency property control areas have repeatedly requested info on just HOW MANY systems of OURS PREMIER has actually “put together” and sold and the prices charged. No one we have contacted at CMS can provide this info and we have never been able to speak to anyone at PREMIER that is “involved” in the project. PREMIER’s contract is begging to be investigated and put under the microscope. - Leatherneck - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 7:49 pm: Revisiting the subject of the proposed gas tax increase–and I’m surprised the SJ-R still hasn’t picked this up in “Breaking News,” considering that oil prices per barrel dropped about 6% today from yesterday: Gas prices in Springfield (at least at the Qik-n-EZ near the Fairhills Mall on the west side) have gone up today to nearly $2 (actually $1.98 for regular, $2.06 for premium). This is on top of a 20 cent increase I noticed here Monday (it was as low as $1.68 Sunday before going up the next day), and probably reflects the sharp rise in crude oil prices earlier this week to nearly $50 per barrel before today’s 6% drop. - keep 'em honest - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 8:23 pm: Does Bellock want to pay the bills badly enough to vote for any tax hike? Even tho that would be GOP heresy? Republicans love to complain about overdue bills, they just don’t want to provide the means for prompt payment. - Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 10:39 pm: Leatherneck- Please realize the state and the feds collect the same motor fuel tax per gallon, whether it sells for $1.50/gallon or $4/gallon. The combined MFT tax load is 37.4c a gallon, fixed. There is also a 6.25% sales tax that goes into the state’s general fund (NOT the road fund) and to municipal distribution where it is collected. The collar counties also pay extra sales tax that goes to RTA. In a severe recession, people buy less gas no matter what the price. When it goes to $4 a gallon, people cut back even in good times. And when drivers switch from SUV’s to compact cars, they are buying less gas no matter the price. All these factors combined to send a declining amount of motor fuel tax collections to the state and feds last year, and this year looks like more of the same. Meanwhile, labor, equipment and materials keep on inflating. Two trends, both going the wrong way for transportation funding. - Bull7 - Wednesday, Jan 7, 09 @ 11:29 pm: Big thank you to Rep Bellock and Carol Marin for giving all of us a reality check, real people are living with real tragedy in our state. Let’s focus on the most important facts at hand concerning this article, that children and families are being deprived of what our state has originally set out to provide. We need to demand leadership from each of our legislators on this issue, and if they can’t come together and clear out this administration including Blago, and the leadership at Healthcare and Family Services starting with Director Barry Maram, and his Chief of Staff Tammy Hoffman then the legislator should get out of office. ALSO WHY IS IT ok THAT Illinois is ranked 51 for providing services for people with disabilities. Illinois use to be number one in the mid 1970’s what a sad decline. Mr. Governor, you claim that you are here for the children but your lack of integrity and responsibility by implementing multiple programs in the Medicaid system that you knew there was zero funding for … Blago you lead the train in bankrupting the Medicaid system in the state of Illinois, this will be your legacy. What does the current House and Senate want their legacy to be? Furthermore maybe we all need to volunteer at one of these not-for-profit organizations and really get involved and make a difference! Not-for-profits positively impact the state’s budget by providing critical services at low costs. Sweet Polly I think every thing the Governor is in charge of needs to be investigated! - Sweet Polly Purebred - Thursday, Jan 8, 09 @ 2:14 am: Bull7 - AMEN! - Sweet Polly Purebred - Thursday, Jan 8, 09 @ 2:20 am: Whatever happened to the VETERAN’s INSURANCE program? You know, the one that was totally underfunded. The one that the vet’s paid premiums into in good faith, expecting to receive much needed coverage? The same one that doctor’s, hospitals etc provided services in good faith - receiving little or no repayment from the state. How much do we owe that group of care givers and policy holders? - For the Kids - Thursday, Jan 8, 09 @ 12:27 pm: I personally have been at The Coach Care Center and have seen the work that is done for these children and the families first hand. I am ashamed that our goverment plays bad politics with the lives of these people. These politions should spend time at these places and then decide who gets what money. There are not enough fundraisers out there to cover the costs. Maybe the government salaries should be cut. We are not taking care of the people who need to be cared for. I suggest a visit to these locations and see the kind of hearts these caregivers have. - Bull7 - Thursday, Jan 8, 09 @ 11:27 pm: Again I need to say every part of the state government needs to be investigated because of this administration. We need the Directors of HFS and DHS removed along with their administrative staff. They are the enablers that let Illinois spiral down to number 51 in serving people with disabilities. We need a true leaders for the people of Illinois and not politicians that are only worried about their rating statis to get re-elected, how sad is that. I am holding out hope for the next young generation that will cast this current pathetic old political system out to pasture. Wake up legislators with the economy tanking the general public will be paying attention to your actions, this is prime time for a new visionary generation to take over. Thankfully this will happen! Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.