* Gov. Quinn started yesterday with a warning that the state budget deficit could reach $9 billion next fiscal year…
Newly installed Illinois Gov. Patrick Quinn met with the state’s chief fiscal officer this morning and got a sobering welcome: Illinois will be looking at a $9 billion deficit by mid-year if nothing changes.
“The bottom has dropped out,” state Comtroller Dan Hynes told reporters in the Statehouse today, restating what he’d earlier told Quinn during their meeting.
Hynes said the latest calculations show Illinois’ current budget deficit is between $4 and $5 billion, and will hit a record $9 billion during the next fiscal year if nothing is done. As much as $3 billion of that could be recouped through the pending federal stimulus package, but even at that, the state will be paying its bills late or not at all without either drastically reduced spending or increased revenue.
* Met with the legislative leaders…
Quinn rejected the often confrontational attitude of his predecessor, Rod Blagojevich, who was removed from office last week amid allegations of corruption and unconstitutional abuse of power. Blagojevich denies any wrongdoing.
“This is a partnership between the executive branch and the legislative branch,” Quinn said.
* Was cheered by Republicans…
Gov. Pat Quinn was hailed by House Republicans for meeting with them Wednesday, but that could change if the Democratic governor decides to back a tax hike.
“We haven’t had a governor come to our caucus since George Ryan,” said state Rep. Shane Cultra, R-Onarga. “Having Quinn there certainly proves he is interested in bipartisanship and getting the problems of the state solved.”
* Later, Quinn signed a supplemental appropriations bill…
Quinn signed legislation Wednesday that will spend additional state money and protect federal wildlife money coming into the state.
Quinn signed legislation directing about $18 million to the offices of attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer. All three offices had their budgets cut last fall and have resorted to furlough days, layoffs, hiring freezes and other techniques to make up the money.
The bill also puts about $9 million back into restricted state accounts that pay for wildlife and conservation programs. Money from the accounts was used to pay other state expenses. However, federal authorities said those accounts contained federal money and threatened Illinois with a $17 million penalty if the money weren’t restored.
* His first signed bill was about the smoking ban…
Gov. Pat Quinn used his first bill signing Wednesday to try to clear the haze surrounding enforcement of Illinois’ year-old statewide smoking ban.
Quinn signed Senate Bill 2757 into law as he met with the four legislative leaders at his Statehouse office. The measure, which takes effect immediately, spells out how violations and violators of the smoking ban in public places should be handled.
Local enforcement efforts have been stymied by confusion over such details, but smoking-ban proponents hope the new measure will change that.
“It seems like the state’s attorneys in the larger counties enforced the law, but the ones in the smaller counties didn’t feel comfortable with enforcement without the rules really spelled out,” said Kathy Drea, public policy director for the American Lung Association of Illinois.
* Quinn continued the task of de-Blagojeviching the state…
Nearly a week after he was removed from office, the process of erasing former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s name from state signs, brochures, Web sites and letterhead is progressing.
On Wednesday, road crews were dispatched to cover up signs featuring Blagojevich’s name on various highways across the state.
That came after the Illinois Toll Highway Authority had already spent about $15,000 covering up Blagojevich’s moniker on toll road signs.
An estimate of how much it will take to erase evidence of Blagojevich’s tenure was not available Wednesday, but a spokesman for new Gov. Pat Quinn said the aim is not to rack up a lot of bills.
“He has told everyone to do it in the most effective and affordable way,” spokesman Bob Reed said.
* Along those lines, he fired Kurt Granberg…
llinois Gov. Pat Quinn dumped the state’s conservation chief Wednesday, just weeks after he started work.
Former state Rep. Kurt Granberg took over the Department of Natural Resources Jan. 22 after former Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed him a week earlier. His ouster could mean he starts collecting a pension of $113,000 a year — $40,000 more than before he started at DNR.
Quinn earlier told The Associated Press that the beleaguered agency should not be headed by a professional in the field, not another in a “parade of political appointments.”
He withdrew Blagojevich’s nomination of Granberg for the post Wednesday, spokesman Bob Reed said. His appointment was subject to confirmation by the Senate, which had not acted.
Quinn will name a replacement “quickly,” Reed said, but he would not elaborate.
* And watched the latest tollway chief resign…
Once again, the Illinois Tollway is without a leader.
The agency’s board will meet Friday to accept the resignation of Acting Executive Director Dawn Catuara and appoint an interim chief. Her departure comes as the agency faces scrutiny over a new construction program tainted by the corruption arrest of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Catuara stepped in after the newly installed executive director Jeff Dailey quit Dec. 17 following a tenure of a few weeks. She had been the tollway’s chief of staff.
* Related…
* Gov’s out, but state’s budget crisis worsens
* $5 billion worse off and U-N-I-T-Y
* Gov. Pat Quinn could face a $9 billion budget deficit
* State Faces Bigger Budget Crisis Than Realized
* Hynes fears ‘unimaginable consequences’ from $9 billion deficit
- From the Sidelines - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 10:51 am:
Sounds like a typical day at the office. No wonder Rod wouldn’t show up to work.
- Concerned Observer - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 10:52 am:
>>“He has told everyone to do it in the most effective and affordable way,” spokesman Bob Reed said.
- Concerned Observer - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 10:53 am:
Sorry, it cut my post off.
>>“He has told everyone to do it in the most effective and affordable way,” spokesman Bob Reed said.
How much DOES a can of black spray paint go for at Wal-Mart these days?
Joking aside, PQ really hasn’t made a bad move yet. I know it’s only been a week, but that’s refreshing.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 10:53 am:
It’s refreshing to see a governor put in a full day’s work and talk with people who might not agree with him. What concept.
Does anyone else get the feeling something really bad is about to happen at the tollway? Is there a file squirreled away in the chief’s desk that once one sees it, they want to bail immediately?
- Anon - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 11:07 am:
I wonder if the $40,000 pension boost was the only real goal. I thought the legislature amended the law to require income averaging or a certain amount of time in the position after the Bobbi Steele fiasco.
- Anon - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 11:09 am:
Quinn earlier told The Associated Press that the beleaguered agency should not be headed by a professional in the field, not another in a “parade of political appointments.”
you mean should be headed by a professional in the field, right?
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 11:10 am:
Another day like this and Governor Quinn will have doubled the amount of work Former Governor Blagojevich accomplished during his entire first term!
- Levois - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 11:21 am:
I get the idea Blagojevich was never a hard worker. I wonder what he actually did on the Alaska pipeline. I get the feeling he wasn’t washing dishes.
- Princess - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 11:24 am:
–”Quinn will name a replacement “quickly,” Reed said, but he would not elaborate”.–
I thought we’re to get the new DNR director announcement this afternoon about 2:30?
- Niles Township - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 11:46 am:
I’d love to see the AG’s office challenge Granberg’s pension increase. He was never confirmed to the position by the senate.
- Ghost - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 12:02 pm:
Can we raise 9 billion in bond sales? Sell 20 billions and use the investment inc from the remainder to help off set the cost; then spread the cost out over the next 10 years. This way we climb out of our hole and spread the impac of the recession out over a period of years. Making large cuts in spending seems like it would fuel the recession.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 12:07 pm:
The tollway churn is understandable, even without sinister motives. 1st guy quits because governor is arrested and he doesn’t want to deal with uncertainty of employment situation. 2nd gal quits because she is in over her head and doesn’t want the job. I expect this situation to stabilize soon with Quinn at the helm.
- DOWNSTATE - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 12:30 pm:
HE fired Granberg but what will he do with the other secret IDNR mess.This is not rumor.An employee of IDNR was busted last summer growing pot by the DEA in his IDNR uniform.His Daddy is high up in IDNR and made sure his son was back on the job.He went to court and was found guilty.Anyone else would of lost their job.Check the court records in Washington County.
- Scooby - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 12:33 pm:
Hynes’ office says that the deficit could be offset by about $3 billion in federal stimulus dollars. I thought it would be closer to at least $5 billion, based on this information from Progress Illinois. According to their data Illinois is in line for about $2.8 billion in Medicaid money and $2.7 billion for budget stabilization. Maybe the Comptroller’s analysis assumes that only $3 billion is coming soon, with the rest down the road, or maybe not all of that can be counted against state budget costs, or something to that effect, but their memo did not go into detail about how they arrived at that $3 billion figure. I’m not questioning their accuracy, I’d just like to learn a little more.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 12:35 pm:
Scooby, dig deeper. Lots of that fed money is going to schools and local governments.
- Anonymous45 - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 1:01 pm:
Everyone at DNR in Springfield take a deep breath please…the nightmare is over…anyone would be better at the helm than the last few “Directors”…
- Scooby - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 1:06 pm:
I understand that. Here’s the list that PI had:
It appears to me that the first two lines should be able to directly offset state budget line items. Maybe I’m wrong in that assumption, but at a minimum the first two line items are worth $5 billion.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 1:09 pm:
And it’s not all in one state fiscal year.
- Ghost - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 1:26 pm:
They need to bring Manning back to DNR.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 1:27 pm:
I’ve seen this Manning thing time and time again in comments.
I like the guy, but how about some fresh blood?
- Anon - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 1:37 pm:
Has Quinn appointed a chief of staff yet?
- Leave a light on George - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 1:44 pm:
Since you deleted my last post I’ll try this one. Brent Manning was a good director in good times. These are not good times. A Director of IDNR is going to have to sell cuts and deep ones to the public. Can Brent do that? I don’t know.
Who ever comes in must identify and rid the agency of the folks that Blago, Flood and Mayville have brought in. They are a cancer.
Right DownState?
- Anon138 - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 1:46 pm:
Brian Anderson of the Natural History Survey would be a great choice for DNR. Intelligent on conservation and biodiversity issues, and politically savvy.
- DOWNSTATE - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 2:01 pm:
True words Leave The Light On.Now Mayville and his pot growers need to go next.
- Princess - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 2:12 pm:
Well, for all the whinning Granberg is doing in the article in the Springfield paper this afternoon, maybe he can start MSM tour along with Rod. Yawn. Fresh blood, a breath of fresh air, we’re moving on.
- Anon - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:14 pm:
SJ-R reports:
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Feb 05, 2009 @ 03:01 PM
Marc Miller, who dealt with environmental issues for the lieutenant governor’s office, was named Thursday the new director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
- hohum - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:34 pm:
Could someone please close that hole which allows pols to boost their pension substantially by just working a very short time in higher paid bureaucracy job? Pension costs are eating us alive, and we need some common sense.
- Sweet Polly Purebred - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 5:16 pm:
I am ever so confused. How is it that Granberg can have his pension boosted? He never worked a day at DNR and was NEVER confirmed. On what planet does this constitute employment, much less a $40,000 bump in his pension? An amount that is greater than the total pension most state workers receive YEARLY after 35 years of service. Wasn’t the embarrassment the Steele and Ronen affairs brought enough to close down this obscene perk?
- In the spirit of Lincoln - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 5:27 pm:
Our Goverment did not come to this deficit alone, all this money went somwhere. It is a unique oppertunity to have a man like Quinn in office.
As citizens of Illinois you hold the power of change.Install a land of Lincoln lottery ticket dedicated to clean up our mess and give this man the support that you desire.In the Illinois spirit of this countries Greatest Leader.
Put the pay to play away with this last gesture… on Lincolns Birthday!
- In the spirit of Lincoln - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 6:59 pm:
With the Fed money AND the above Lincoln lottery monies we could help confront the future with a positive note.The people would have to call for this and the Legislators would need to act.Sell the ticket beginning 2-12-2009 with the payoff on 11-19-2009.
In honour of Lincoln we could SHOW our support with the hopes that those who won would also donate to the cause of the peoples State. (9 billion- Fed monies+An Honest Governor+the peoples voice=A Great State.
Yours truly,
An Illinois Citizen
- In the spirit of Lincoln - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 10:38 pm:
Where are the minute men of today, demand this lottery. Your fellow Illinoisan’s call for aid.
Do this for all you hold dear.What say you?
Yours truly
An Illinois citizen
- gameplan - Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 11:05 pm:
It’s so nice to see people working in Springfield getting things done even if it’s determining how bad the debt is. I would like to offer something up to help students attending higher education. Books at college are ridiculously high plus sales tax. It would really help students and families if the college books were not charged sales tax. It is such a small portion of incoming sales revenue and such a relief to students and families that it should be considered.
Also, a commission should look into the unfair practices of college book stores vs amazon for the same book. College level books should not be the financial underpinning of institutions let along the egregiss buy back system. These students are doing everything they can to get into school let alone go deeply into debt to get a degree. Let’s stop these unfair practices for struggling students and their families.
- Secret Square - Friday, Feb 6, 09 @ 8:48 am:
Polly, correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the law WAS changed some years ago to prohibit these pension bumps to former legislators; trouble was, it didn’t apply to legislators who were already serving before the law took effect. I believe Granberg and Ronen are among the legislators who were “grandfathered” in under the old rules.
- tygovquinn - Friday, Feb 6, 09 @ 1:33 pm:
Will Governor Quinn please hire more correctional officers at all prisons. Blago has not hired in atleast 4 years except this year he hired for Thomson. Our prisons are so understaffed and the assaults on officers is increasing. I think that should be looked at first.