62 Comments - John Bambenek - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 12:26 pm: Are you kidding me? The Democratic legislative leaders sandbagged the Governor? What is this? 2nd grade? - ChicagoMike - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 12:32 pm: Tom Cross is a “class act”. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 12:36 pm: anyone else having probs with the audio? - Mike Murray - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 12:40 pm: what is wrong with the Audio. too low or not working? - Mike Murray - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 12:44 pm: It works just fine on my computer, but if others have a similar problem please let me know. Thx. - Tom Joad - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 12:45 pm: Madigan and Cullerton must have been putting together their game plan prior to the meeting. It seems Cullerton is blaming Tom Cross and calling any tax increase the Cross tax increase. That is dumb and counterproductive. Looks like a long summer. - Easy - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 12:52 pm: Cullerton never lets reality get in the way of his oh so witty banter. - You Go Boy - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 1:13 pm: “Deja Vu all over again” per Cross…let it not be true! But alas, I fear ’tis…. Madigan = the most brilliant man/tactician the world has ever known may find EVERYONE has limits, and sometimes those limits are visited upon the likes of he..and in ways uncontemplated. One day he may be the one dazed/confused wondering “What the hell happened??” - Louis Howe - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 1:27 pm: Perhaps Gov Quinn should think about getting an Federal appointment from Obama and then resign. The Elected Attorney General is next in line which would require Lisa and The Speaker to operate state government with no tax increase and 50% cuts. - wordslinger - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 1:33 pm: –Quinn said he would like to have the issue resolved by July 1st, but he will send out notifications to groups who work on behalf of the state to let them know that they will no longer receive funding as of July 1st. … Quinn said the layoffs would affect thousands of people.– Get those cards and letters going, folks. - Cassandra - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 1:41 pm: These scare tactics could backfire, plus they unnecessarily frighten the people Quinn claims he is trying to help. I think they backfired in California. What is Quinn planning on doing with all the tax money that is pouring into state government as we speak. Take it home? There is plenty of money to run the state over the next few months. Quinn is starting to look even crazier than our Blago. - Linus - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 1:44 pm: Heads-up: Lotta motions to reconsider filed on the big bills from last night: SB1197/budget, HB2424/BIMP, HB313/capital … - Ghost - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 1:44 pm: One of the payments which will stop going out, foster child stipends. So all those kids the State has taken into custody will not be supported. Those kids already have enough stacked against them without adding this blow to their lives. - Cynic - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 1:47 pm: Quinn should veto this BS budget and begin sending notices. Once people see the real effects of not having enough $$, they may stop screwing around. I don’t think the Speaker respects Quinn and I don’t think Quinn has given him enough reason to. Pat’s gotta get tough and hang tough. Think Clinton/Gingrich 1994. Pat has the power to make the Speaker wear the jacket. I don’t know if he has the skill or, as Rod might say, the testicular virility. - How Ironic - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 1:49 pm: @Cassandra Another mindless post I see. They are not “scare tactics”. The budget as passed doesn’t fund those services any longer(or at previous levels). The budget passed (as written SB1197ham2) is a ONE YEAR budget at 50% for all Lump Sums and Grants. Except in your magic world, I guess 50% means 100% funding. Quinn is doing the right thing, and letting these grantees know what is coming. Better to give them 1 month notice before the lights go out. I suggest you start taking your medication, read the bills that passed, and seriously get a clue. The state is out of money. The revenue bills were defeated. If anything, the bills that passed yesterday are even WORSE for the state because we can’t even afford them. - VanillaMan - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 1:51 pm: …and as the convertible went over the cliff at full speed, one of the the arguing occupants were heard to yell towards another, “OH YEAH! Well I quadruple-dog-dare ya!” - Anonymous - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 1:58 pm: What would Lisa do? - Been There - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:02 pm: What Quinn should have done earlier is linked the income tax hike to the capital bill. At least part of the increase. They should probably do that now. Propose to leave the capital spending alone but open up the revenue sources and dump in the income tax. Maybe even get rid of the video poker provisions and let that be voted on by itself. They would probably have to give the GOP some more funding for their projects but in return, the projects that are more dear to the Dems and funded by GRF, can be saved. - Anon - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:09 pm: This is what Quinn gets for not getting rid of Filan and Ostrow. THEY ARE THE PROBLEM!!! - Anonymous45 - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:11 pm: I wonder what planet Cassandra is from…I hope Quinn has the testicular virility to stand his ground for the long haul…I do not understand why he is at odds with Cullerton rather than Madigan, who seems hellbent on making Quinn look ineffectual to the electorate so Lisa can ride into the Governor’s mansion on the White horse…if that happens and MJM is still around, I AM moving to the east coast… - Anon - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:13 pm: Aren’t these the same tactics Blogo used? Deja Vu all over again! So, new Governor, same budget staff. Hmmmmmmm…… - Tom Joad - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:16 pm: What does Cross mean when he says we must “…completely reform the structure of government”..? It sounds like what Cross wants is to eliminate Majority Rule. - How Ironic - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:16 pm: @Anon Not all the “budget staff” are the problem. Just like at your place of employment, if your boss gives you an assignment you do the work. Especially since they are all “at will” there isn’t a lot of room to argue policy. Filan is gone. Give it a rest. - Cassandra - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:19 pm: The problem with the various proposed tax increases is that they balanced the budget on the backs of the lower middle class, who would are struggling in this major recession. Quinn quickly compromised on the increased exemption and he apparently never considered more than a token increase in the corporate tax rate in tandem with the individual increase. And we still don’t know what he has cut, if anything. Meanwhile, state agencies are still hiring and Quinn’s operational budget is higher than it was last year. The man doesn’t know how to negotiate. He keeps talking about vulnerable citizens, but apparently he thinks the burden of caring for them should be felt most by the next (economic) rung up. The notion that foster kids are going to get put out is beyond ridiculous but apparently Quinn has no qualms about scaring those vulnerable citizens he claims to be trying to protect. - RJW - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:30 pm: Cassandra: If the only budget that remains is the grossly underfunded one passed by the GA, then yes a lot of social programs will be severely hurt. They may not get “thrown out” but those that provide for them will get little or no money. For you to have suggested in your original post that everything is still “good” for now reveals how ignorant you are about the budget process. - GA Watcher - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:35 pm: Been There: The Governor did link the income tax hike to the capital bill early on. The summary his Office put out when he did his budget address in March indicated he was going to use the municipal share of the increased income tax to help fund the capital bill. - OneMan - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:38 pm: One big difference with Clinton/Gingrich Newt went out of his way to make himself a public figure, Madigan seems to avoid it at all costs. - Niles Township - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:43 pm: Greg Hinz has the line of the day: “But if the state’s rookie governor can be judged not-quite-ready for prime time, Mr. Madigan bears at least as much blame.” - How Ironic - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:45 pm: Cassandra is indicitive of the problems that the Gov (and some extent) the GA is facing with the tax hike. People don’t belive it is as bad as it is. Here is the funny part. It is worse. And until people start getting laid off, and children are going without services, and addicts cant get help, and the state parks close (again), etc no one belives anyone. The money shortage is real. The state is in a mess. And people are going to lose their jobs. And grant recipients are going to go without. - Anon - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:49 pm: ==Quinn quickly compromised on the increased exemption and he apparently never considered more than a token increase in the corporate tax rate in tandem with the individual increase.== Quinn’s proposal would have increased the corporate rate from 4.8% to 7.2%, which is as high as the constitution allows for an individual rate of 4.5%. If that’s a “token” increase, it’s also all that he could do. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:49 pm: === The notion that foster kids are going to get put out is beyond ridiculous === Um, Cassandra, because that budget line item is not mandated by statute or federal law, it has been gutted. True, someone could go to court and force the state to re-open the orphanages, but no one can force foster parents to care for the state’s wards. Illinois’ current foster parent reimbursement rate is only $422 per month per child, even though the typical cost to foster parents is $703 per month, according to what I’ve found. So basically, foster parents have been providing $47 million a year out of their own pockets to should the state’s responsibility. And, thanks to Republicans, we just gave them The Bird. Now, lord only knows what it’ll cost to put 13,800 kids in orphanages…I’d figure around $20K a kid, or roughly $275 Million. But before we even get there, you can bet it’ll eat up a good portion of the state’s capital budget just to build 140 orphanages at 100 kids each. I’d guess somewhere around $10 million a piece, or $1.4 billion. Republicans now rival Blagojevich for claim to the “Dumbest Budget Cuts Ever.” - mrspeaker - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 2:53 pm: http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=34477 - Easy - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 3:14 pm: YDD– At last count, Democrats control both the Senate and House, so if there was anything cut, please direct your comments to Mssrs. Madigan and Cullerton. And you know better than to launch completely baseless partisan attacks. C’mon. With Kindest Regards, I remain EASY - Ghost - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 3:22 pm: Cassandrs the problem with your argment is you make an unerlying assumption that the middle class will continue to prosper and have jobs if we remove 12 billion in spending from the State economy. Most people currently employed in IL face losing thier jobs if we further pull 12 billion in spending out of the economy. The tax increase will save the middle class from being laid off. - anon - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 3:22 pm: The more I thought about it….Blagojevich is the only winner. For those who want to admire Madigan for putting his family ambitions ahead of the state, there is not much anyone can say about that. For Blago, it is obvious that he was NOT the problem. He may have BECOME a problem when pushed too far by the power hungery Madigan. He may have done some serious things under investigation, but Madigan is the only constant here. He is why we have not had a capitol bill or balanced budget. Quinn’s mistake was trying to be the antithesis of Blago rather than learning from his experiences. I salute the Senate Dems, who stepped up, a handful of House Dems who took tough votes, and the Black Caucus for pushing Cullerton to call Meek’s bill. - Josh - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 3:46 pm: Cullerton filed a motion to reconsider the vote on SB 1197. - VanillaMan - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 3:47 pm: We are not permitted the luxury of irresolution. Others may confine themselves to debate, discussion, and that ultimate luxury–free advice. Our responsibility is one of decision–for to govern is to choose. - JFK, July 4, 1962 For the past eight years, we’ve witnessed a wholesale lack of governing as defined in the quote above by then-President Kennedy. When citizens choose their governmental representatives, it is for the purpose of making decision to guide our communities. Voters have elected a General Assembly with a decidedly Democratic Party tilt. Should Democratic leadership wish to pass legislation, it doesn’t need to reach out to the Republican party. And as we all know by now, when legislation is being crafted in the General Assembly, the GOP is usually excluded during many phases of the procedure. Yet, here we are once again, pass the annual budget deadline, with some Democrats in Illinois claiming that they couldn’t pass their own legislation due to some misunderstanding found within their opposition party. This is utter nonsense and any fool capable of counting recognizes this claim as a lie. Expecting the opposition party who has been locked out of negotiations while bills are written and passed through committees, to support any legislation so clumsily crafted, is a ridiculous claim to make, and easily refuted. Bi-partisan support requires bi-partsianship, which is the actual action of inclusion. Frankly, most everyone knows that respect is not generated for any proposal if disrespect and exclusion is used. Yet, we see PR spin from many democrats and their supporters attempting to sell to the public this ridiculous claim. The GA has painted themselves into a corner and have no interest in reaching a solution for their self-made dilemma. They go so far as to publically deny that they are in a corner. Those that will acknowledge that they are in a corner, will claim that somehow the weak minority party somehow brilliantly overwhelmed them. As Kennedy correctly said to the Nation’s 50 governors and other distinguished guests during that 1962 speech, inaction from a governmental body is not acceptable, nor is the deliberate decision to not decide the big decisions delegated to them by their own acceptance of their political office. Somehow our Illinois Democratic Party has forgotten this martyred-Democratic president’s sage advice. What we are witnessing in Illinois is a governmental meltdown, due to the party in power’s deliberate decision to shun it’s responsibilities and govern. There are no boogeymen or boogeywomen hiding in the General Assembly forcing the Illinois Democratic Party into paralysis - it is their recognition of how poorly they have operated state government since 2003, and how richly they deserve a reputiation in the next election. So, they continue with the games and finger-pointing. - A Citizen - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 3:56 pm: # - Mike Murray - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 12:44 pm: “Mike Murray It works just fine on my computer, but if others have a similar problem please let me know. Thx.” Mike the person asking the questions usually is of acceptable volume, however the answers from Quinn, Madagin etc. are so low on volume as to be useless. Maybe just a feature of the microphone’s proximity to the speaker? It is a REAL problem as I really like these videos and your efforts to bring them to us. - Greg - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 3:57 pm: Ghost, to not appropriate money is not equivalent to “taking it out of the economy.” It’s not as if the govt’s multiplier exceeds the private sector’s. This isn’t to say that some people won’t be hurt (and some benefit) if state govt is halved, but your economic conclusion is baseless. - Ghost - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 4:23 pm: Greg, if that 12 billion covers previous spending and payment for bills, then it is taking it out of the economy. That 12 billion hole is not for new spending, its to pay existing expenses, salaries and programs. In other words, it is money that had been going into Illinois economy. if the Govt places x amount of money into the economy every year by its spending, and you remove x, that pulls the money out of the economy. The beleif that appropriations are lines with no bearing on our econmy is utterly baseless. - Anonymous - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 4:29 pm: “Most people currently employed in IL face losing thier jobs if we further pull 12 billion in spending out of the economy. The tax increase will save the middle class from being laid off” That’s the line I was referring to. Sorry if I wasn’t specific. Of course I agree that there are some repercussions, but I did think that line was inexplicable. - curly - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 4:41 pm: “Are you kidding me? The Democratic legislative leaders sandbagged the Governor? What is this? 2nd grade?” They did sandbag the governor. But he’s taking it well. And he wasn’t expecting a kumbaya– they’ve been waiting 29 years for payback for the cutback. During that same period both parties have played politics and allowed the budget situation to fester. I think Quinn outlined the right priorities from the beginning. Unlike most of them, he showed more concern about the State than his re-election. - Quinn T. Sential - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 4:56 pm: {Cassandra is indicitive of the problems that the Gov (and some extent) the GA is facing with the tax hike. People don’t belive it is as bad as it is.} I am not so sure it is as simple as that. Instead I think there is an overwhelming number of people that derive no direct benefit from state social services; who were fine with those services being provided at their collective expense to those that did need them, so long as they did not feel economical threatened themselves. Now that they do feel economically threatened; it is much more an attitude of “every person for themselves”, and they care less about those needing ongoing help, because they feel as though they have been getting it all along, and now the purveyor wants to raise the price, and the people that feel threatened simply don’t want to pay more. - Mike Murray - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 5:05 pm: ====Mike the person asking the questions usually is of acceptable volume, however the answers from Quinn, Madagin etc. are so low on volume as to be useless. Maybe just a feature of the microphone’s proximity to the speaker?==== Yea we have heard that from people who use I-phones and such to view them or who have stock quality speakers. I boost the audio already and if I do it more back ground noises and echos become a significant problem. The real issue is that we need to invest in a better camera. This was new for Rich and so he did not want to drop a large sum on a camera because it was a test run. We are working on it. I will bring it up to Rich again. Sorry for any frustration and thanks for the input and the compliment. - Cassandra - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 5:23 pm: According to what I read yesterday, the Senate plan contained only a .2 percent corporate increase, and Quinn was willing to go along with that…to his great discredit, in my mind. Who knows where he is now. - A Citizen - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 5:58 pm: - envelop - Ploease don’t hold back! Tell us what you really think and “feel”! - Princess - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 6:17 pm: So what does Cross want on pensions that was not to his liking on the pension bill he told Madigan the HGOP would put no votes on? He’s thumping around today talking about how they must have pension reform before he would consider tax increase, yet he was going to put no votes on the pension reform bill. I must have missed something somewhere? - DuPage Dave - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 6:22 pm: I really doubt that Quinn can pull off anything meaningful before July 1. Nobody seems to want to work together to solve the state’s problems, or even agree on what the problems are. If the stuff really starts to hit the fan in early July, then we will see if there is any leadership to be found in Springfield. - Boxing Cross - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 6:36 pm: Actually Boxed Tom slipped into Quinn’s office about 9:30 to preplan his new role and complain about Cullerton — yawn. He and the SGOP leader had sign the capital bill at the top of their real list, according to insiders,not that reform nonsense. Their request makes sense because cash would be spent, folks would work and — ta da — taxes would be paid. Everyone is working together and as soon as the governor rolls around state with the cut off notices the legislature will scurry back and hike a tax or two. If they can get all balmy about a state park or Lincoln site…it is expected they will help the mentally ill, etc. - A Citizen - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 6:50 pm: - envelop - My cool headed suggestion is to remember high school chemistry class and the recipe for hydrogen sulfide gas and reproduce it in the caucus room. When it permeates the room start pointing at the dems and repubs and loudly state “This %#@^& has got to stop! - Bobs yer - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 7:48 pm: Time for the D’s to stop treating us like dumb little kids. No, we don’t think you’re going to abandon orphans or throw old ladies out in the street, so stop the stupid threats and solve the problem. - Pete Granata - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 8:11 pm: Okay Sen Bomke explain your vote to your many state employee constituents. Also , please provide us with your definition of “pension reform”. And on the Democratic side . Reps Froelich, Lyons, D’Amico don’t bother telling us how you have always stood with labor for the tough votes. - EmptyReddBoxCrew - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 10:19 pm: Box, looks like YOUR guy is a little more boxed than he’s accustomed to, genius. Is it because the mushrooms have had enough of the Napoleonesque leadership, the “indiscretions” of close associates, the realization that Princess Lisa can’t just stroll into the Governor’s Office never breaking a sweat, or the terrible realization that he facilitated the unimaginable-a Governor less competent, less prepared to lead, and less professionally staffed than Rod Blagojevich. If that was my emerging legacy after almost 40 years of hard work, the first thing I would do is fire my PR and press staff and make reputional restoration Job 1. What would you do, Box? - PalosParkBob - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 10:29 pm: I’m glad to see that Cross and Radogno are finally picking up on what I’ve been telling then for months;modify the “structure” to deal with structural deficit and reform the wasteful and mismanaged Medicaid and capital programs in Illinois before considering increasing taxes. A winning strategy would be making this about choices, and Quinn, Madigan, and Cullerton are siding with the rotten “play to pay” unions and contractors against the people of Illinois. I’d phrase it this way for Senator Ragogno, “Governor Quinn, are you ready to look the foster children in the eye and tell them that they’ll be sent back to the orphanage because you want to continue paying 25% above market construction rates to your campaign contributors? I sure couldn’t do that!” Or have Tom Cross say, “Mr Madigan, are you ready to tell veterans we can’t give them proper care because you’re unwilling to go back to fair 185% of poverty level Medicaid income eligilibity?” Or Andy McKenna (choke) could ask, ” Mr Governor, are you willing to tell a family that lost a loved one because of an accident on unsafe roads that they lost them because you took $650 million from road construction for public employee early retirements?” The GOP needs to stand up for the truly needy against the truly greedy if they love this state and want to be relevent again! Maybe, just maybe, GOP leadership is developing a spine! - PalosParkBob - Monday, Jun 1, 09 @ 10:38 pm: Correction. I made the crucial error of identifying Andy McKenna as a Republican and inferring that he had a spine when challenging Democrats. For this error I deeply apologize. Pass SB600! - don't spend on camera - Tuesday, Jun 2, 09 @ 1:15 am: You don’t need a better camera, just a microphone. Or, get closer. The image really doesn’t matter–we are not going to be able to tell the difference. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 2, 09 @ 2:05 am: cam has no mic jack. I’ll be buying a new one soon. - John Doe - Tuesday, Jun 2, 09 @ 8:05 am: Does this mean that the legislature isn’t going to get Lauzen’s SB 600 passed because the budget is everyone’s main concern with the limited time left down in Springfield? Sounds like it is once again doomed to be put away in a Springfield, Illinois broom closet and left to die a quiet natural death. - Rob_N - Tuesday, Jun 2, 09 @ 8:56 am: What’s the Capital Bill’s bill #? - Gameplan - Tuesday, Jun 2, 09 @ 9:31 am: A base line keep the doors open bill was passed. Were there earmarks and what bill was it? - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 2, 09 @ 9:34 am: Illinois doesn’t do earmarks. That’s congress. What’s your question? - Reality Check - Tuesday, Jun 2, 09 @ 9:40 am: When will the House GOP dump Cross as their leader? When they lose more seats in the House, which I think even the Speaker doesn’t want. Cross is a terribly nice guy, but a terrible leader. In large part because he is either incapable or afraid of taking on Madigan they way a leader in his position should be willing to. His go along without trying to upset the apple cart too much is pathetic. If we are going to have a two-party system in Springfield, the House GOP has to elect a leader who has a larger, more varied strategy of engagement against Madigan. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.