88 Comments - Below I-64 - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:29 am: This has got to end. Veto the thing, bring them back and everyone stays there until they pass a budget. It may get long, hot, tired and boring but meeting for a couple of hours a week is ridiculous. Did they not realize in January they had a budget to create and pass? - Three Strikes U R Out - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:35 am: Veto it. This is the third year in a row for this BS. The first two the GA said we would pass a tax increase, but Gov Blago would veto it, so we are not going to pass it. Now they have a Gov that will sign and is promoting a tax increase and they are still trying to kick the can down the road. Enough is enough, man up and do your damm job. - wordslinger - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:39 am: Veto the whole thing and make them stay until they fulfill their duties. All the information is, or should be, in. The options are, or should be, apparent. There’s no reason to delay any longer. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. - Macbeth - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:42 am: Veto it. Hold the GA accountable until it’s done. And then, um, start working on it earlier next year, K? - erstwhilesteve - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:44 am: Veto it and start shutting things down - and set conditions on a acceptable budget, rather than holding out for one particular combination of revenue and expenditure changes. - Macbeth - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:44 am: BTW — if any group of people *deserve* to be voted out of office, it’s this current batch of democrats. You think you’d lose if you supported a tax increase? Dudes (and dudettes) think again. You’re not getting my vote — at all, tax increase or no. - Fan of the Game - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:47 am: Agree wityh all–veto the whole thing and bring everyone in for a marathon session (or until completed). There is no reason a budget cannot be passed in a timely manner. It seems like now all they are doing is positioning themselves to deflect the heat and to determine winners and losers. That could have been done a month ago. - David Ormsby - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:48 am: If the Governor enjoys the GOP rope-a-dope game, he should support the month-to-month plan. Otherwise, veto the sucker. - Steve - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:53 am: No, there shouldn’t be an extension. They need to reach a budget agreement. If Quinn wants to veto a budget , let him do it . - Louis G. Atsaves - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:55 am: How much of a difference would a veto make unless he follows through with calling overtime sessions and keeping everyone there until they reach an agreement? So far Quinn has been all bark and no bite. - Bill - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:58 am: He probably should call the House’s bluff and veto it. My prediction… No veto.Spend the appropriated money at last year’s levels starting July 1 on a month to month basis. Then come back after the filing deadline when the money runs out and threaten another doomsday. Hopefully, there will be enough to last until January when Ayatollah Madigan may let the inevitable happen and they won’t need republican votes. Maybe they can even scrape up enough (i.e. spend 70% of some mythical past year budget) to get past the Feb. primary which would be even better. - watchidoggie - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:58 am: “We wiil remember…come November”…. I consider legislators…state employees…and as employees they did not complete their job responsibilities…the citizens of Illinois hired these folks via their votes….If I performed this poorly at work…I would be fired. The legislators response to all budget inquiries…is that the State needs to be fiscally reponsible and make the necessary cuts. We arrived at the current situation…due to their plundering of the budget for personal benefit..ECT.. The former governor may be guilty…but as they say in sports… a team consists of more than one player. They should return to work…develop a budget for ALL the citzens of Illinois…and they should do so at no cost to taxpayers…. why? Because…THEY need to be fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of Illinois..instead of targeting the states most vulnerable citizens to clean THEIR mess up. If cuts need to be made…lets start with putting an end to paying legislators to complete a budget in overtime sessions. Who knows…maybe it will result in a timely budget. These folks have turned Illinois…into Hellinois…and the citizens of Illinois…are angry…shame on the Governor..shame on legislators….and shame on anyone re-electing these clowns. - dupage dan - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:59 am: The challenge for PQ is that the GA hasn’t yet sent him the budget, so he can’t veto what ain’t been sent to him. I agree, tho with the consensus. Signal that you will veto the bill and won’t agree to any extensions/temporary budgets. I think PQ will look worse if he waffles some more as opposed to the outcry that will be heaped on him if he holds his ground. Rich has pointed out that the blame will be heaped on him and Rich is right. However, it’s time for PQ to dig in and hold this position. Man up! - Frank - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:59 am: Governor Quinn should choose continuing lives not end them. In order to save thousands of lives in Illinois Governor Quinn should instruct his departments to immediately announce the issuance of continuation contracts with no cuts in community MH and ASA funding. This action is easy, can be done quickly and is needed to save lives across the state. The lack of a budget, a typical situation for many years, does not have to result in the loss of lives in our communities. The Governor does not have to decree that cost-cutting in our communities must begin immediately. Continuation contracting is the option used in recent years while the Governor and legislative leaders continue discussions and negotiations. The deiscontinuation of Community care has started and will snowball into an avalanche that buries 160,000 mothers, children and adults in community mental health care and 60,000 receiving community alcohol and substance recovery treatment to be discontinued. Community providers have been informed that they can not do business with the state unless their contracts containing cuts from 25 to 100 percent of community prevention care and treatment are signed and returned on Tuesday. The Governor’s office has other options… the working poor their children and loved ones do not.we don’t. We have no place to refer these clients so receiving this contract has triggered • the closure of community intake • terminating care to Illinois’ most vulnerable children, women, men and families • the lay off of community care staff • advising our community the threat to peoples lives can be avoided if your office directs continuation contracts be issued In order to maintain civil discourse let me close by stating that the draconian contracts were not fair or ethical. If cost cutting needs to be done, I urge the Governor to ensure that whatever “pain” is necessary in terms of cost cutting be shared among all areas of government spending, not for the most vulnerable among us. - WOW - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:05 pm: Veto it. Then bring in your unconfirmed State Police Director and 50 of his best men and LOCK the Capitol down until a budget is passed. No one goes home and no one gets paid until they do. - dupage dan - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:07 pm: Frank is right that people in need, and their families, are being informed that services that they are in dire need of are at risk. It is horrific that the GA (MJM) are playing chicken w/PQ with these people in the middle. The GA is just beginning to get the pressure that should have been applied earlier. I have said before, providers didn’t believe it would come to this but it has. PQ must hold his ground in order to keep the pressure on from his side. If he waffles now he and the state will lose. - Bill - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:07 pm: If Governor Quinn had said all along he would veto the funding bill instead of playing the doomsday budget game we might be in a lot better situation now than we are. He should veto it, but we all should realize that except for police and a few other functions our state governement could be shut down for at least a period of time. Those of us in not for profit sector that do human services contracts for the state need to also realize we will not just get cuts, but cut off totally. Likely this will not last long and most of the providers can operate on credit lines for a week or two. By the way to those that say Quinn’s doomesday budget game really did no harm I will tell you this. There are sitting in several Rehab and Children’s Hospitals numerous children who could now be at home. But they can not go home because the Governor has told his departments to issue cut letters to home services providers. These providers are not opening new cases for services until they know there will be funding. So the doomesday game has hurt people already and those agencies who have supported the Governor in this game are wrong for supporting him. - dupage dan - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:10 pm: Bill is right. PQ has to hold the line, NOW. There will be some pain but likely will be short lived if PQ holds firm. The pain is likely to come with the agencies having to use the short term credit Bill mentions. Tough to do since the state has been late in paying and banks are loathe to lend but it’s gotta be done. - steve schnorf - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:11 pm: Quite frankly, I think it is generally a mistake to have the GA in continuous special session unless votes are going to be taken on important issues fairly regularly. Right now, that isn’t the case. There aren’t going to be piece-meal votes on the special of the week. When the leaders and Governor reach an agreement, then bring the members back to pass it or kill it. If they kill the agreed upon solution, then stay in session every day until something satisfactory is passed. - bluedog demo - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:12 pm: The GOPers want to play this out as long as possible. They believe that the longer this turmoil continues the more they will be seen in a favorable light. As for the Dems their fickleness landed us in this mess. Both sides are pitiful. - Ghost - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:13 pm: Veto it or forever give up the ability to negotiate. Quinna has become a text book example on how not to negotiate. Firts, he backs off of demands to the union and gives away bargaining chips with them and recieves nothing in return. Then he identifies dire consequnces if certain ternms are not met, then backs off of all those consequnces. The stay puff marshmellow man is a more fearsome negotiator. - steve schnorf - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:13 pm: Bill, didn’t he already say earlier that he wouldn’t sign it? - Dirtybird - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:15 pm: Kick it down the road a month or two or past the filing deadline for the primaries…I don’t want to spend all summer here watching these guys clown around. : ( - dupage dan - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:18 pm: bluedog demo, It’s the GOPs fault? Really? The GA has enough majority to have passed whatever they wanted and got it to the Gov prior to 6/1. They failed. And just how is that the fault of the GOP? MJM caused the session to end without a budget passed in the house. He ain’t a republican. - Anonymous45 - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:21 pm: I agree with Wordslinger…keep the GA in Springfield, no special session pay until we have a budget…I still do not entirely blame Quinn for this mess despite the comments posted here…what a bunch of horses’ doopas we have for “leaders” in this state… - northernwatersports - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:23 pm: Veto the whole mess. Demand that the GA do its job, and let the voters see who in Springfield can actually do both their policy thinking, and political thinking with integrity! - steve schnorf - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:29 pm: As to your question; yes, but only in return for a specific list of specific amounts of money of what the Rs want in and out of the budget in return for their votes for an income tax increase. - Quinn's Spine - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:37 pm: Veto it. To quote Governor Edgar: “I don’t see any way Governor Quinn could approve a budget that he knows isn’t going to last for the full year. You just can’t manage. And we’ve had enough mismanagement in Springfield over the past few years. We need to do things right.” If being obliquely compared to Rod Blagojevich doesn’t give Tom Cross and Christine Radogno pause, it should scare the bejesus out of Democrats. Schnorf can correct me, but I think that lawmakers have until July 12th to actually approve a budget. That’s when state payroll goes out. Until then, I don’t think state services would be interrupted. (Although shuttering the state parks in the districts of No votes just in time for 4th of July weekend would make me giggle). It takes less than sixty seconds for the leaders to decide they really want to end this and compromise. It’ll only take a day or two to work out the language, and two more to pass it. So, they’ve got time to do this right if they want to — but Quinn’s got to give them the motivation. - Carl Nyberg - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:45 pm: Is there anything going to change between now and when the short-term budget expires? - Gregor - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:48 pm: Can Quinn take the bad budget and do an amendatory veto on it? Re-write it realistically, wear the jacket for it, then throw that back at the GA to pass or re-do? - Reformer - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:51 pm: I don’t know what delay buys for PQ, unless negotiations are on the verge of success. Louis makes a good point about the Gov. being all bark. Ghost is right on about the Gov’s lackluster negotiating. DuPage Dan: Now that we’re in overtime, your party shares responsibility for what does — and doesn’t — get done. That responsibility isn’t diminished by saying that the other side should’ve done something earlier. - RJW - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:55 pm: As much as it might hurt me personally financially, I would veto the budget if it is sent to him and I would not agree to a temporary budget. As you stated Rich - I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. This crap has to stop. We need a full solution instead of everyone being strung along. A month to month budget and/or signing the current budget just strings everyone along and we will continue to not know what the hell is going to happen. Just get it done already. - RJW - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 12:56 pm: Gregor: You can only reduce line items in a budget or veto line items in a budget. You can’t do any increases. Therefore, there would be no help there. - dupage dan - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:00 pm: Reformer, My party? The GOP can’t do anything but respond/vote. Has anything been presented by the democratic leadership (read MJM) to the GA body since overtime started? The GOP can’t do anything until the party in power places the issue/budget/etc on the floor for a vote. All they can do is opine. Powerless. MJM has held and still holds all the cards. The dem caucus will not act without an ok from MJM. Shared responsibility? They have not been included in any substantive negotiations as far as I can tell - they were shut out of the process. And now they are the problem? Really? - wordslinger - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:03 pm: DD, they could present an alternative, couldn’t they? That’s pretty common for a minority party. Until know, they’ve just kind of spoken in abstractions. - Capitol View - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:03 pm: One or two month budgets don’t cut it. The Comptroller’s Office has to set up accounts and records for all contracts and how they are fundable from annual appropriations. To repeat all that paperwork multiple times is absurd, not to mention the thousands of contracts that have to be signed by directors of state agencies and provider groups. Get ‘er done now - or veto the whole wazoo and do it right in the early days of July. And then let’s sit back and examine how much damage has already been done to the provider sector - how many programs and facilities have already shut down, how many best andc brightest staff have drifted off to more rational and financially secure employment elsewhere, and how many vulnerable seniors, kids, and families are in the lurch - not even on anyone’s waiting list yet. The treatment of human services this past spring has been immoral and unethical. Vulnerable clients and under appreciated and underpaid staff have been made to suffer, in the name of political expediency and gamesmanship. I am personally disgusted and very angry. Elected state officials have lost their way. There is a purpose for state government that has been completely ignored in the current political wars… I don’t believe in term limits, but the large number of legislators with over six years of investment in their role is a problem. They are more interested in protecting themselves politically than doing the job that they were elected to do. - Das Man - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:12 pm: I don’t believe that Quinn should go along with a month to month payment plan on the budget, or accept anything less than something coherent from the General Assembly. It would seem to be the job of the GA to present a budget to the Governor that can be signed for the benefit of the people of Illinois. Considering that there isn’t even a consensus to the nearest billion as to what the budget deficit may be, it would seem logical to keep ‘em working in OT until they can come up with a plan. Quinn needs to show some leadership, as I believe that capitulating to various partisan views in the GA would only weaken his position. - sickofthis - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:16 pm: veto it. make them work and actually earn their pay. this is the biggest bunch of BS i have ever seen. who do these people think they are, playing with people like this? these are real lives and real families. i can’t even believe this goes on year after year. why aren’t we holding their feet to the fire? - Dirt Digger - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:18 pm: Veto it. Satisfy my morbid curiosity as to just how badly a state government can affect its citizens. - Oberon - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:19 pm: The Constitution requires a budget for a full fiscal year, and also requires that no State funds be obligated without an appropriation (see Article VIII.) The Constitution is written to force a budget by posing the unthinkable consequence: a complete shutdown of State government. If the GA sends him any form of “partial” budget, the Governor’s Constitutional duty is to veto it. If the GA sends him no budget whatever, his Constitutional duty, and that of the other Constitutional officers, is to shut it all down and incur no further obligations for which no appropriation has been made. (Purchasing goods and services without the means to pay is a crime, isn’t it?) There is no Constitutional, and therefore no lawful, alternative. The deadline is midnight, June 30. Sadly, as they proved once before, every elected official of this State is prepared to ignore the Constitution and allow work to continue, incurring obligations for which there is no appropriation. Because to do what the Constitution now requires truly is “unthinkable.” Doubtless our Supreme Court is as cowardly as that of Arizona, and would refuse any intervention, but really, who in the other Branches would pay them any attention if they did? Our Constitution means nothing to these men and women unless it is convenient; it is all demagoguery and anything goes. So we won’t see a resolution until after the primary campaign filing deadline. - Will County Woman - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:20 pm: I wish the governor a whole lot of luck! It could be worse. putting things into perspective, i’m sure he would agree that he’d rather be the governor of illinois, than, say, new york or california right now. - Cassandra - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:21 pm: If a month-to-month budget keeps the social service providers fully funded for each month while allowing more time for Quinn to figure out ways of reducing or eliminating the need for this highly regressive personal income tax increase, that’s clearly the most ethical approach. He has already attended to the concerns of social service providers, the corporate sector (reduced tax increase), Blagojevich supporters (kept their $$$$jobs) and the employee unions, whose representatives have swatted him aside like a pesky fly. Now he needs to focus on alternatives to the income tax increase, or at least the size he has proposed. That could take time, but it’s not impossible. Just because middle class workers are the weakest players in Illinois’ special-interest-dominated political world, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an obligation to them as well as to the special interests. - unclesam - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:25 pm: Gregor, According to the IL Constitution, the Governor can only reduce appropriations through his veto authority — he cannot increase appropriations. That would be a major constitutional violation, as it is the GA that appropriates funds. - Reformer - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:26 pm: Quinn is negotiating with the minority party, without whose support nothing can pass. MJM may not bother to call a bill until there’s an agreement since it would be a waste of time. As of June 1, the GOP is also responsible. - Louis Howe - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:30 pm: Unfortunately, Quinn’s Zig-Zag management style has created unrealistic expectations among the various legislative leaders. Unless the republican leadership is willing to support a tax increase and asks for more time to work out the details, Quinn should begin progressively shutting down state government starting next week. - Dan S, a Voter and Cubs Fan - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:30 pm: Veto it, send the GA to overtime and show some leadership bring everyone to the table working together for a sensible resolution. If the parties involved connot do this please resign and we’ll get somebody in there that can do the job. - He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:33 pm: VETO, Shut the state down due to the inability for the Legislators to give him a proper budget. Pin all the blame on the Speaker and Republicans, post Telephone numbers and tell the people they are not getting their checks because of them. The calls would be enormous. It could put Quinn on the offensive and Madigan on the defensive, plus in a Governor’s primary he can tie the Madigan name with the shutdown of state Governmnet. He already called Lisa out and she has not responded. This would also show everyone that Quinn is not a softy and is willing to play hard ball. - Will County Woman - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:37 pm: @Reformer As of June 1 the GOP made its position clear on what it wanted in exchange for its support on a tax increase. As of this past wednesday, three weeks after June 1, the governor has finally started to work with the GOP. STOP blaming the GOP on this. - A Citizen - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:44 pm: Realizing The fact that Quinn doesn’t have the budget bill nor the cap projects bill in hand to veto, I would suggest he simply state his intent to veto as they are inadequate. He should then state he has exhausted all of his negotiating ideas and they are known. The G.A. should be told to work amongst themselves to come up with an adequate solution and send it to him. Then he should announce his intent to go on vacation until then . . . then GO and not come back until they have done their collective freak’n job! - Day Dreaming - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 1:51 pm: What if PQ declared all out war with the Dems? Really…what does he have to loose? He vetoes the budget, then sits down with the GOP - and only the GOP - to devise a new budget. Preferably one with real numbers and involving meaningful cuts without decimating needed services. Then have PQ and the GOP say to the Dems, hey who wants to get re-elected in 2010? Maybe they’d get enough votes to get it done? Could/would the GOP step up and really make the necessary tough decisions? If they did, it would be quite the coup. - dupage dan - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 2:03 pm: Reformer, You are a 1 trick pony. =MJM may not bother to call a bill until there’s an agreement…= Who creates the agreement, Reformer? The GOP? PQ may be working with the GOP now but who else should he work with? MJM? MJM sees blood in the water - PQ looks weak here. MJM has to come out making this look like it is the GOP who is to blame and they are responsible for any tax increase. Blaming this on the GOP ain’t gonna work. You can say it but that doesn’t make it true - just blather. - doc - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 2:09 pm: There is no way that the Democrats (who control every thing in the state) are going to shut down state government. When the first set of welfare payments didn’t get made, their base would lynch the party leadership. - angry - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 2:10 pm: I agree with Frank. Do not shut down the services - incur those costs and hurt those people. I don’t care who’s fault is was - but the people should not have to suffer. I want the posturing to stop. Illinois income tax receipts are in free fall. 40% of the budget is protected in education and medicaid because of the stimulus $. Income will need to be increased. But - no more playing the fiddle while Rome is ready to start burning. Now who will be the grown ups in the capital. - A Citizen - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 2:11 pm: Or, on the other hand, PQ could announce his intent to veto and then request Fitz to collectively indict the House and Senate for failure to provide their honest services to the citizenry. If they’re lucky they’ll get Community Service? - VanillaMan - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 2:17 pm: Lets stop dragging our feet. Things will not improve in 30-60 or even 90 days from now. Tell Quinn to veto. - lincolnlover - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 2:52 pm: Quinn’s Spine - You wouldn’t be giggling too much if you were a DNR employee in one of those shuttered parks. A better option would be to not pay those GA members who voted not for a tax increase. That said, he should veto it and call Madigan’s bluff. - Anon - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 2:53 pm: Budgeteers have become used to operating on “partial” budgets so where’s the rub? Let’s stop stringing along the social service providers and move on. Reconvene when there’s a deal. - Douglas - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 3:01 pm: Quinn can veto, but think about two things: 1. The GA could override, since it takes supermajority to pass already, they would theoretically have the votes to override. 2. If the Speaker of the House is trying to wait until November, then he will wait until November. No number of special sessions or meetings will knock him off his plan. Either way, if Quinn vetoes, I think he ends up looking weak and ineffective. He should concede that he lost this battle and manage the budget to the best of his ability, but he can still win the war in the fall. - Douglas - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 3:04 pm: Also, if Quinn puts people with disabilities out of their homes, no amount of explaining will convince the people that it was the legislature’s fault or that they made him do it. The Governor always wears the jacket. Ask Blago about parks closing. Who did people blame for that? - Douglas - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 3:08 pm: Yet another thought. I think if Quinn wants to be successful, he needs to seriously consider doing the opposite of what Blagojevich would do. Blagojevich would pound his chest, criticize the legislature for not doing their job, veto the bill and bring everyone into session and demand that it be his way or the highway. I think if Quinn uses some restraint and acts with some finesse, he can accomplish his goal in the long run. - Cosmic Charlie - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 3:16 pm: He should only agree precisely when he is absolutely sure that he will get nothing in exchange for it. - dupage dan - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 3:23 pm: Douglas, PQ will not be putting any people w/disabilties out of their homes. The facilities will not be putting anybody out of their homes. What would follow would be ugly and dangerous to the recipients. If the budget doesn’t go thru would the prisons let all the inmates out? Not gonna happen. (I am not equating convicted felons w/the developmentally disabled - just using an analogy) I wish PQ could use some finesse - won’t work w/MJM. I agree he shouldn’t go about it like RodB - there is a way to stand your ground without overacting. Firm and resolute - think Gary Cooper in High Noon. - Douglas - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 3:29 pm: Dan, I still think Quinn and MJM are on the same plan, just not on the same timeline. I say Quinn should give MJM his timeline in order to get the end result. - dupage dan - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 3:36 pm: Douglas, I wish I could have confidence in this matter - I don’t. For all we know what you suggest is already happening - however, I think what you suggest is unlikely. MJM eats guys like Quinn and then looks for a main entree. Howeverm, PQ does not look like he has the situation in hand. He looks like a deer caught in the headlights of a car speeding down a country road at bar time - dead deer walking. Reading what I just wrote - sheeesh. What tired cliches. - CC - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 3:36 pm: As a State employee, certainly I would like to see a budget in place on July 1, since I tend to value my job and paycheck. But still, I think he should veto it. The GA needs to do their job and hash this thing out. I suspect a government shut down might wake them up and get them to work. - Will County Woman - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 3:41 pm: ok… cc et al. maybe while the gov’s at it vetoing the budget bill once he gets it, he can threaten to withhold pay for the legislators until they get something done? (has populist appeal, no?) let’s see how the withold pay threat works for pattern in new york. - Downstater - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 3:41 pm: Bring back Edgar and Republican majorities. Things worked well during that time period. - Will County Woman - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 3:45 pm: ooops…i meant patterson - dupage dan - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 3:58 pm: WCW, Wish he could do that. I don’t think he would even if he could. Remember - he didn’t need a fumigation bill in order to clean house but he has failed to do any substantive culling - that would have burnished his populist bonafides. - Collar Observer - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 4:24 pm: Keep them there in Springfield until they create a long-term solution - Veto the doomsday budget and then hold the GA hostage until they do the people’s work. Only pass an interim budget if it will keep the entire state from shutting down - and ONLY if Rep. and Dems alike agree to do the right thing by the end of the week. We CAN and MUST make sure it gets even hotter in Springfield. - getmeoutofhere - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 4:34 pm: VETO it. Make them ALL come back….not just the leaders. Hold all of he members accountable. This is really a great demostration of members having absolutely no guts. - Douglas - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 4:49 pm: VETO IT sounds like the easy answer to most commenters. I still say he loses if he does that. Charging up the hill to the machine gun nest will not work. Quinn needs to find a way to flank MJM. - one day at a time - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 5:06 pm: blago’s out, jones is gone, Filan needs to go and MJM is still there. So where/who is the problem this year??? It’s been broke too long with too many fingers pointing elsewhere. Look in the mirror GA and fix it. The public/taxpayeers fingers are pointing in your direction and it is not to point out what a great job you are doing! - jake - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 5:07 pm: Academic question. Anything the Republican and Democratic leadership pass can be passed by a veto-proof, sufficient-to-override, majority. The Governor should not veto anything under circumstances where he can not make the veto stick. It would make him look weaker than he already does. What he should do is outline a doable agreement for riding out this economic storm. That would include 1) a temporary tax increase, 2) an increase in the employee contribution to pensions, 3) pension reform eliminating retirement with immediate pension payout at age 55, 4) furloughs rather than layoffs for state employees, including himself and legislators, 5) issuance of pension obligation bonds. Somewhere in the space defined by these components is a sweet spot where the public sector and the private sector have shared the pain, and the needy will have been taken care of. Besides that, he should ask for the capital bills to be sent for his signature, in order to get the projects and the economic activity we need from that. - Don't get Democrats Started - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 5:15 pm: When the first set of welfare payments didn’t get made, their [Democrat’s] base would lynch the party leadership. 1. The majority of people living in poverty in Illinois are white and rural. Not exactly OUR base. 2. OUR party doesn’t do lynchings. 3. Luckily for YOU, federal rules require states to continue disbursing TANF checks, even without a budget (they’re federal funds). - memsaab - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 5:28 pm: Come on folks MJM is doing the 3 dimensional chess hes got LM not commiting, which keeps all the hopefulls at bay, especially Kirk (thats Mark)the longer he can keep Kirk out the better it’l be when they eliminate the 10th Cong. Dist. As far as the budget remember not to long ago the “Capitol Bill” was the big issue to get Ill. back on track? Oh well its fund raising season and I’ll bet a photo safari in the Chobe Valley, that the Trades Unions are writing checks for ALL the Dems. And oh by the way Mr. Cross you screwed the pooch you had MJM and let him go. When 174 hit 42 you should have put 18 on it to get to 60 and force MJM to reject the income tax increase which he blames you for. Check you it. - state employee - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 6:15 pm: I agree with “Capital View” posting 100%. Veto it and pass a budget which raises taxes QUICKLY. Other states have done many things to raise revenue in this recession, even since 2007. Many states’ income taxes are around 10% including NY and Calif at least on the wealthiest people. IL here we still have gaping corporate tax loopholes - why do I hear nothing of this being addressed?? Still legal in IL for businesses to offshore profits (on US continental shelf and territories) and pay NO taxes to IL. I am also disgusted and angry. I blame Michael Madigan the most. I will never ever vote for him or Lisa, and I also blame all the Reps who voted NO on the temp tax increase bill on May 31. That still means you Deb Mell, Osmond, Fritchey. You’re starting to have blood on your hands, of people suffering and dying. - tired, tired, tired - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 7:38 pm: Veto it. Make the legislature stay until this mess is fixed, but make the legislature stay WITHOUT THEIR DAILY PAY AND EXPENSE STIPEND - carbaby - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 8:46 pm: This needs to be resolved with a full budget. I don’t care how it gets done. This has been an absolute nightmare and unfortunately I don’t have much hope because of the behavior/posture that has been demonstrated over the last month. Past behavior predicts patterns of Future Behavior and choices. Every cut/elimination has already been put in motion on 6/11/09 to DCFS agencies/contractors. Their last day is 6/30/09. Please know that they have cancelled every University contract which affects as many or more people as the layoffs of State employees. The meeting with the DCFS Director yesterday indicated the priority is to provide “payments” to the foster care agencies at ‘09 rates to continue to pay for foster care stipends as well as Adoptive/guardians. This “contract” is only for 60 days- however NO MONEY can be appropriated to the agencies until a budget is passed and the authority is given to release the funds. We don’t think that this will be in writing though we asked. Right now the only actual money agencies will see is the payment for the remainder of fiscal 09 payments due to them. I must tell you that most medium and small agencies CANNOT/WILL NOT be able to make payroll or pay their foster parents- if no money is provided for those July payments come August. The big agencies will have a very difficult time and may only be able to last for 30- 60 days. These agencies are already on the brink and the State owes many service providers several Hundred Thousand to Millions of dollars in back pay from Fiscal Year 09 and Fiscal year 08. How do you think these agencies will fare trying to extend their lines of credit if they actually have any left? DCFS already stated they are not guaranteeing the money or even when providers will see their payments because they can’t- they are also at the mercy of this mess. Maybe the real outrage will come next week or the week after when virtually every daycare that depends on Child Care Initiative payments close their doors and then those parents will have no where to take their children so they can go to work- this affects more than the 150,000 people who actually qualify for this- it affects almost every working parent in this state. Or when all 65,000 substance abusers are released to the street next week from their closed treatment facilities. Or when all of the fragile, seriously ill who depend upon transportation and respite care to get to their life sustaining medical appointments, can’t get there and they don’t make it. These are real and these people have already been informed they have no services on 7/1. - PalosParkBob - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 9:04 pm: Quinn practically only has three choices; VETO,ammendatory veto to reduce spending, or sign the Bill as presented to him. IF he VETOs a legally prepared and constitutionally compliant budget because he didn’t get the devastating tax increase he wanted, then the full consequences of shutting things down is on his shoulders. The calls, e-mails and contempt will justifiably pointed at him. If he does an ammendatory veto which cuts spending, there could be two results, none of which are good for him politically. If he cuts things in order to minimize the structural deficit, things like public education, prevailing wage patronage, capital pork, and the too high Medicaid eligibility levels, he’ll tick off the unions that he’ll need for funding and boots if he wants a political future. If he cuts social services, he’ll lose the “taker” vote from the dependency class created by Emil Jones, Madigan and Blago. If he signs the budget as-is, he’ll appear weak and dishonest due to the “doomsday” baloney he’s been pushing. I think he should do the right thing and go the ammendatory Veto route. Does anyone know if he can legally end prevailing wage funding, unaffordably high Medicaid eligibility levels, and unfair “end of career” early pension boosts through the budget veto? That would be a stretch, but how far can he push the envelope on ammendatory vetoes and executive orders without getting into the same pickle as Blago? - zatoichi - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 9:15 pm: I love it when good employees come to me and beg to be laid off if they lose their child care after July 1 because they cannot afford it themselves. Several local social agencies are down to their last $100,000 (which will cover two payrolls but no bills), maxed the credit line, are 4-5 months behind in payments from the state, have had multiple grants cancelled, have several 100 people they work with, and have now been told by DHS ‘Sorry we have no plan, but you better sign your 2010 contract if you want to get paid next year’. In the real world the State of Illinois would be on a COD business basis. - zatoichi - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 9:17 pm: Sorry left this off. Quinn needs to force the issue and veto this thing. - Bobs yer - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 9:34 pm: Whatever. Government has failed in this State. Too bad. Good things coming, but only after unavoidable chaos. - watchiedoggie - Friday, Jun 26, 09 @ 11:04 pm: Yes…Government has failed this state…The Governor….The democrats….and the republicans. The current budget crisis….is the only bipartisan effort this group has made. - disgusted - Saturday, Jun 27, 09 @ 12:00 am: I believe they should stay here w/o pay after May 31 until budget is resolved–and NO perdiem. - George - Saturday, Jun 27, 09 @ 8:23 am: Community-based social service agencies have become pawns in this mess, and a lot of them will be shutting their doors soon if the state doesn’t fulfill its promises. It’s the job of government to protect its most vulnerable citizens. By deferring responsibility, the politicians only compound human misery and, in the long run, the cost of heath and welfare throughout the state. - White Squirrel - Saturday, Jun 27, 09 @ 10:17 am: VETO IT! I agree with many of the former comments. They knew this budget was coming up, meeting a couple hours a day is unacceptable, and we should vote them all out if they cannot do their job. - Reggaeman - Saturday, Jun 27, 09 @ 12:17 pm: I thinka the man needs to say no. Then say yes. Why change now? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.