116 Comments - 2010 - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:12 am: Dear Governor Quinn: Do not raise taxes! - chitownhv - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:13 am: Stricter regulation of Tow Truck drivers/operators. I’ve seen these guys blow red lights, make left turns form the right lane, and basically put at risk the lives of other drivers. Issue licenses to them like we do taxi drivers, and add criminal background checks too! - Ahoy - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:15 am: Please look into reforming the workers compensation system we have in Illinois. This is a detractor to business. Fyi, we need more businesses here employing people and growing the tax base. Please keep business and employment in mind with every decision you make. - HawksWIn - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:19 am: Reform Public Pension System. Bring your reform ideas from last year forward again with a cap on yearly pension payments in the 80k-100k range. - moron - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:19 am: rationalize school funding, including a property tax for income tax swap - hank - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:20 am: You are very good Mr Miller, how did you get the phone number to the bunker? - Fan of the Game - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:20 am: I’m with Ahoy. Do what you can to make Illinois more business friendly. From big to small, businesses provide goods and service and employ people who buy homes and acrs and food and clothes–all of which is taxed. Make Illinois a place where a business can thrive, and more people will be able to pay more taxes, and you might not need to raise the income tax rate. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:20 am: hank, he and I both attended a reception at the governor’s mansion. - WARDOG - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:21 am: Dear Governor Quinn: Please do something about the transfers of those who want to transfer to other facilities in DOC. I have a son who has been trying to get transfered from Statevill for almost eight years. I have written to you before, but it got referred to GOCA or someone else. Than you - Gman - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:22 am: Help your brother coach Fenwick…they are better than their record…need a little less frenetic approach to the game and more strategy…also could use a recruit or two… - really? - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:23 am: Create a task force or a review of some kind, to identify or improve State Agencies’ efforts to collect funds owed the state. For example, in DFHS, funds are collected from third party insurers when insurance was available but not billed for Medicaid patients. Medicaid is the payor of last resort. Also review accounts receiveable and timeliness of collection activities. These areas are reviewed in the compliance audits conducted by the Auditor General on each state agency reviewed. Yes I know the state is behind on payments, but how is it doing on collection actiivties itself? - enn - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:23 am: Please raise taxes; the state is falling apart; infrastructure is held together with spit and baling wire, never mind social services. Also, can we please rename the section of U.S. Route 14 that crosses the state after someone other than Ronald Reagan? Particularly the parts where runs through neighborhoods still suffering from his urban policy. - Lazy Intern - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:24 am: I am a student at the U of I and I understand the state has budget issues. However in our constitution it says that the state has the primary responsibility for financing education. That in my opinion is 50 percent plus 1. Student cannot continue to absorb high rates because the state is late in making payment and constantly reducing the overall amount in state support. I am wanting either the state to live up to its responsibilities or let institutions of higher learning transition from being state schools to private so that they can avail themselves of a better financing mechanism for the long term health and stability of their institution. - WARDOG - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:24 am: Sorry about the spelling on a couple of words - Down South - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:25 am: Bring term limits to Illinois. If there was a built-in expiration date for the careers of legislators in each house they would be more inclined to do what is right rather than what is in their best interest politically. For example, if a percentage of our house and senate members were not eligible to run for reelection in 2010 they would be more inclined to vote for an unpopular income tax increase. - jerry 101 - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:26 am: Dear Governor Quinn: Raise my taxes!! - UISer - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:26 am: Governor Quinn, Please continue to focus on Illinois students. Saving the MAP grant was a first step. However, it is time to continue investing in Illinois’ future. Impact Illinois, a publication put out by Connect Illinois, found that for every dollar the state spends on the University of Illinois the U of I gives back 17 dollars. The state needs to increase funding to our public colleges and universities. I know we are in a fiscal mess, but students can’t continue to pay an increased tuition cost every year. That being said, I am glad you are being honest with the people of Illinois about the need for an income tax increase. I can’t believe your opponent wants a 10% cut across the board to fix the budget. That would kill higher education in this state. - TJ - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:28 am: Dear Governor Quinn….. while I understand the need to make cuts to make ends meet (with or without new taxes), please either don’t cut, or keep them as minimal as possible, disability services and early education. Services for disabilities helps keep countless families afloat dealing with troubles unimaginable to the rest of us that are no fault of their own, and early education pays huge dividends down the line, so funding both is not only right but fiscally responsible in the long run. To be less serious though, is it really a surprise that the Governor reads Capitol Fax? I thought that the state constitution mandated that public officials in Springfield had to regularly follow the site. - OneMan - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:28 am: One issue… Getting the legislature to approve The Care Act that will make it easier for students dealing with diabeties in schools. If you ever had a chance to sit down with a professional (like my wife) who deals with the issues these families face you would see the changes proposed would help students and schools. If we subjected children with disabilities to what we subject diabetic children and their families to (like demaning they hire private nurses to attend school with their children) folks would hit the roof. For more information governor www.TheCareAct.com Thanks - Just Observing - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:29 am: Legalize marijuana and pardon those convicted of non-violent marijuana possession/use. - Phineas J. Whoopee - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:29 am: I guess I would lobby him to get the troops motivated early (like now) and to set up an effective get out the vote team so we can be better prepared in November. Although he won the race, it could have and should have been better and bigger. I would also suggest not to take Brady lightly. - Lazy Intern - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:29 am: Also Governor, if you want to see some deserving students who benefit from the state’s higher education system come down to the Capitol next weekend, I know you will enjoy it. Rich is coming along as well. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:30 am: Dear Governor Quinn - You are the guy that can pass a reform in this state that will both highlight the ultimate sacrifices made by our citizens in uniform, and stop an irritable legacy plaguing Illinois. Figure out a way to stop allowing lawmakers from getting buildings, bridges, museums, and other public edifices and works named after them. It is a bad legacy that doesn’t really honor a public servant as much as it demonstrates a political class system within Illinois that separates citizens from their legislators. Instead, these public works should carry the name of a local son or daughter who served in our military, and lost their lives doing so. Losing one’s life fighting for our country is vastly more democratic, and more noble than a life serving in the General Assembly. Recognizing the sacrifice as well as the young lives they lost is a better usage of this kind of public dedication. We can better feel the weight of this kind of personal sacrifice in our communities and among our families, and make these kinds of tributes more real and meaningful to us. What we have now is a group of people who are taking our tax money and building public edifices to themselves. That is how it currently looks. You - as the governor who has honored our veterans and our soldiers in a way few have, has an opportunity to rectify this situation and restore meaning to these public acts. Thank you. - Get me out of here - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:31 am: Dear Gov. Quinn: Please be careful reading the Cap Fax during work hours - the inspector general is lurking. - Billy Mason - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:31 am: Determine how much we need to bring us out of the hole we are in, pass an income tax increase with a sunset provision to bring in additional revenues to balance the budget, and put a freeze on the new spending in the meantime. You can get some Republicans on board with the sunset idea after the election. We only raise taxes by the amount necessary to fix the problem and then income tax rates revert back to 3% in a few years. - cassandra - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:34 am: Don’t raise income taxes on the middle class. Most Illinois workers are not state or local government employees and so we don’t benefit from almost-free employer subsidized health insurance free retiree health insurance, plush defined benefit pensions with automatic 3 percent annual raises, and lifetime job security. We need to fund our own retirements, pay our kids’ college tuition, and many of us either must buy health insurance on the individual market or pay increasing fees, not to mention co-pays and so forth, when covered by our employers. We lost a huge amount of wealth in the recession, including loss of housing value and loss of 401k and other defined contribution account value, and, for many of us, we faced and continue to face a volatile job market with employees moving in and out of jobs, with periods of unemployment in between. We have to save as much as we can. President Obama has committed not to raise taxes on families making under $250,000 year. You could commit to the same. If you can persuade wealthy Illinoisians to transfer their wealth to the poor, that’s fine. But middle class citizens can no longer afford it. You should not ask it of us during a shaky and uncertain recovery from a deep economic recession. - really? - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:34 am: @get me out of here- LOL LOL - Obamarama - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:34 am: Lead the charge for the legalization of gay marriage in Illinois. And when I say lead, I don’t mean issue a press release. Work the phones, get in front of the microphone. Stand up and say what is on the mind of we “liberals:” it was time for equality a long time ago. At the very worst, you should still end up with civil unions. It is 2010 and you are a Democrat; start freaking acting like it on social issues. It seems as though it is one of the few areas you can actually have an impact. - 47th Ward - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:35 am: Governor Quinn, The teachers unions abandoned you in the primary, and AFSCME wasn’t exactly your biggest cheerleader over the past year. You’ll never have a better moment to introduce pension reform. Please do so now. Creating a new defined contribution plan plus paying social security for future employees (keeping current employees grandfathered) may not save money in the short term, but it is the only way to prevent insolvency long term. The current plan is not sustainable. You know it, the Civic Federation knows it, the General Assembly knows it, and those of us paying attention to state budgets know it. Now is the time Governor. It is the right thing to do. And Pat Quinn always does the right thing, regardless of political consequences, right? Sure, the IFT/IEA/AFSCME coalition might defeat this in the General Assembly, but you can be a leader on this regardless and Illinois could desperately use some leadership now. - John Boy - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:35 am: Raise taxes now, please. - Pam Harris (Josh's Mom) - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:35 am: Dear Governor Quinn, Please listen to the overwhelming loud voice of those who voted for NO union representation and rescind your Executive Order 09-15. Please review SB3634 and it’s partner HB5086 and slow down the pilot. I think rolling IL’s Medicaid recipients into a managed care program can work but meeting the complex needs of IL’s adult citizen’s with disabilities needs careful planning. This pilot is moving ahead without a public participatory process. I assure you that success can happen if you pull together family caregivers who know first hand what their son and daughter’s needs really are along with other key stakeholders. Sir, it is increasingly harder for Illinois’ adult citizen’s with intellectual/developmental disabilities to live with or near their family and friends. We need your leadership. Respectfully, Pam Harris - Pat collins - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:37 am: Push something innovative, and not very costly: Allow people with one college degree to get another, by taking only the classes that their old degree did not cover. Allow it to happen by University teachers holding remote classes with local proctors at community colleges. That would help laid off workers get trained easily and quickly for high demand jobs. It would not cost the state much, and would leverage existing state investment in educational facilities. - Joe - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:37 am: Cut wasteful and unnecessary spending, before even considering raising taxes. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:39 am: PS - My idea won’t cost anything, but will help rebuild the ties being broken between us and our legislature. It will demonstrate a reform that will help eliminate an ugly imperial image now existing. It will help you politically by showing that you care more about Illinoisans, especially those who serve, and their families. Honestly, who in the GA is going to stand against this idea during this campaign? It is a freebie, dude - grab it! - OdysseusVL - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:40 am: Gov. Quinn, Although time has passed, it is not too late to take real action on prisoner release. Either take personal responsibility for it, or get rid of the person that was responsible. You need to realize that if people do not feel safe, nothing else matters. You need to show leadership on that issue. “It wasn’t my fault but I won’t do anything about the person who was at fault” is a sure way to get people to lose all confidence in your administration. - Brennan - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:41 am: You’ve already proposed an across the board tax increase. This is a horrible idea. If you want to propose a tax increase it is going to have to be progressive, but if you really want any hope of it passing you have to reform the pension system. You have to cap it. You have to reduce the benefits. You have to halt the double dipping. You have to deny elected officials any pension at all. - Peter - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:42 am: Gov. Quinn, Please raise my taxes. Seriously. We trail every state in the union in income tax (save the seven that don’t have one.) Do the swap plan for property tax relief and don’t raise corporate taxes - ease them to promote business growth. And cut what you can. Good luck with that. Seriously - you’ll need it. - Steve Daniels - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:44 am: Whoever leads this state must transform the state by getting its fiscal health in order and showing the way on industrial transformation. I suggest IL take the lead on energy independence with nuclear, wind, natural gas, alternative fuels. Start with a plan for 10.. yes 10 new nuclear plants in the next ten years. Each creates 4000 construction jobs and 800 professional long term jobs. The time is now. - PFK - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:45 am: Gov. Quinn, get the corporate money out of politics! - heet101 - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:48 am: Dear Governor, If the people protesting for a tax hike at the capitol today are so overwhelmed by their work burden, how is it possible that they can take the day off by the 1000s to come and protest? Sincerely, Heet101 P.S. Why weren’t you speaking at the rally in the rotunda? - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:49 am: Make sure you read this! We are too far into this Recession to pretend there won’t be major social reprecussions for Illinois. When Thomson doesn’t go through - consider it a good thing. We’re going to need those beds. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:52 am: One per customer, please. VMan, you’ve had your turn. - Jo Daviess Resident - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:55 am: Raise the IL income tax. Thank you on behalf of all Illinois residents who are suffering economically and cannot speak for themselves. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:56 am: Continue to provide the funds to keep state parks and historic sites open and properly staffed and maintained. Big cuts are coming, but the the parks are relatively low cost and provide economic benefits to Main Street economies all over the state as well as inexpensive, healthy recreation for everyone. Plus, we have a responsibility as this generation’s stewards to pass them down better than we found them. - Eliminate Boodle - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:59 am: Immediately issue an executive order demanding full public disclosure of the individuals who are beneficiaries of any real estate trust or LLC or other structure which owns real property in which the state is a tenant. - matt - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:05 pm: Please examine the issue of marijuana legalization/decriminalization. Each year we spend tens of millions of dollars on a drug less harmful in every way than alcohol, while not really making a dent in the problem. At the decriminalization level- it would allow police to reallocate efforts to harder drugs, violent crimes, and protecting children. It would free up millions in the court and law enforcement system. At the level of legalization, all the above benefits can be garnered, along with an increase in tax revenue, and a clear decrease in crime. Criminal enterprises in Chicago, and as time goes by, downstate, make tens of millions of dollars a year trafficking marijuana. These profits are used to buy guns that kill innocent civilians, other harmful illicit activities, and don’t contribute to tax revenue. Instead of going to gangs, this revenue could go to small business owners who pay taxes. And instead of trying frivolously to prevent responsible adults from using marijuana, emphasis can be put on children. All studies indicate that use among children has fallen in regions where marijuana is legalized or decriminalized. Remember- a store owner asks for ID, a drug dealer does not. I understand the intense political ramifications of this, and couldn’t imagine a legalization bill being presented tomorrow. But begin taking steps to analyzing the problem, seeing what benefits could be garnered, and moving in that direction. At the realistic short-term level, encourage house passage of the medical marijuana bill, and proudly sign it. Remember: people will smoke marijuana regardless of its legality. Its a question of whether or not we will spend tens of millions of dollars trying to stop responsible use by adults, or shift those resources to matters of much higher concern, like harder drugs and violent crime. Its a question of who will profit: criminal gangs, who now reap millions? Or hard working small businesspeople, who pay taxes? - Vibes - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:06 pm: Like Nixon went to China, you can advocate for the repeal/revision of the cutback amendment. Secret caucuses won’t help the tone of political discussion nearly as much as a return to 3-member districts. Shift to 45 Senators and 135 Reps an increase of 1 member of the GA. (Or do 44 and 132 and cut 3 members — I’m sure Cullerton and Madigan can think of a few nominees). They can squeeze the extra Senate desks in the back of the House Chamber to save remodeling cash. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:11 pm: Lead a petition campaign to reverse the Cutback Amendment. You could undo the worst thing you ever did — and help cut the power of the Speaker. You might even turn the General Assembly back into a real legislative body. C’mon Governor, show you’re a real reformer! - Back Your Man - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:12 pm: You hired Randle because he was the best. And in fact, he really is the best. Insiders–inside the IDOC, and beyond–recognize that he knows his business. He is looking at long-term solutions and re-evaluating old procedures, and he has foresight. He is going to face a lot of criticism from the union for trying to save money but he is doing what’s right for policy, and for the state. Back him. Explain these policies to the people. Be a leader, don’t just cower to the press. Corrections HAS to be reformed. We can’t have this many prisoners. Follow the lead of states in the east, not California. Explain it to the public. Show statistics. The public is capable of understanding. Although mistakes were made, the early release situation was greatly misunderstood by the media and pols alike–you could have done a lot to clarify that…the coverage was bogus. Lead. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:12 pm: Wow, Vibes. You posted yours after I started mine. A groundswell. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:12 pm: dear governor, please raise my taxes. i am willing to pay more to live in a state where the roads do not cause me to buy more tires, i can feel safe driving under a via duct, where public education is fully paid for, where social services are paid in a timely manner, etc ad infinitum. i know its a bit weird, but i hail from florida, where the roads are maintained, where public schools are valued, where nobody worries about driving under via ducts or on top of bridges. i have learned to accept that people in illinois are way tolerant of the political corruption in the state and i don’t see any way that illinois will ever stop paying politicians and their friends for the “services,” but can we please have a little bit of the services and goods that government is supposed to provide as well? its sad that we have to beg, and even sadder that the corrupt are in the front of the line for taxpayer revenues and at the back of the line for any cuts that may come due, but please raise my taxes. i should get *something* for my tax dollars. also, could you please consider cutting government spending where you can? again, i understand that illinois is different, and the corrupt will always get their’s, but there must be some places where a little belt tightening might be in order. i just don’t want budget cuts to mean that regular taxpayers don’t receive the goods and services we deserve (like safe roads, public education, etc) just because we live in one of the most corrupt states in the nation. thanks… - South Side Mike - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:13 pm: Dear Governor Quinn, I won’t pretend to envy the position you’re in. The budget hole is too big to fill it either by raising taxes alone or cutting spending alone. Raise the tax rate, but increase the exemption. Cut spending, including education, and reform the pension trough for state employees. There can be no sacred cows at all. These actions will likely cost you your job, but in the long run they are necessary for Illinois. However, to be able to handle an overhaul of IL’s revenue and expense structure of this magnitude, you are going to need real support from constituents who will put pressure on the IL House and Senate. To gain this type of support, you will have to come clean on your past support of Blago, the prison early release program, and the ineffectiveness of your first year of administration. In other words, return to the Pat Quinn who Illinois residents hoped would be governor last January. Regain their trust, and they will support you through the bruising battles. - bored now - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:13 pm: sorry, folks, that last one was mine. didn’t want to hide my “identity” but chrome hadn’t had my nym filled in… - Nuance - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:20 pm: I read somewhere recently (on this blog I think) that there is approximately 5 billion dollars worth of gift certificates that have not been redeemed. If I remember correctly. Should a law be considered that these would be included in the state’s unclaimed property act and their value be remitted to the state by the issuing company and held in their name? The issuing company could be allowed to reclaim their value if the associated gift certificate was ever redeemed. Since it is unlikely that there would be many claims against the value remitted could the State then borrow this money for operational purposes or at least earn interest on the value? Sorry if this being naive (I do not have a law degree nor understand state financing) but thought it might be worth considering. - Goldwater Guy - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:21 pm: Debt problems need to be your ONLY DECLARED number 1 priority! Too many people want their priority as another number 1 priority for you and that just weakens your focus, time, and energy. - fedup dem - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:22 pm: Dear Governor Quinn, Unless you have a REALLY BIG pillow where the tooth fairy can stuff an extra $13 billion to balance the state’s budget, continue pushing for the only possible solution, an income tax increase. In fact, perhaps the tax should be hiked to the point where it brings in at least $14 billion, with the extra billion going to treat the fantasies of those who believe the state can get out of its mess by merely cutting excessive spending. - Dr Kilovolt - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:22 pm: Governor Quinn, as a resident of Arlington Heights, I saw you in my town twice last year, once at the Salute Inc. race to benefit military families, and once at the Independence Day parade, if memory serves. I want you to know that some of us appreciate that you get out to events like this, and that when you do it isn’t just so that you can show off your hair. I know that Blago handed you as bad a mess as Bush handed to Obama. I don’t support everything you have done (the gaming thing and the deal to not raise CTA fares for three years, in particular), but I do appreciate that you are right in there working with a not always cooperative legislature on solutions. My wife has been unemployed for eight months now. We are scraping by with her unemployment and COBRA subsidies. As one of our measures of economy, we have relied heavily on our local library. I suspect we are not alone in this, and urge you to give whatever priority you can to restoring some of the unpaid state library funding that I read about a few days ago. I am among those who wouldn’t begrudge you a tax increase, but I certainly understand the reluctance of any politician to enact one. Keep up the good work, sir. - Ghost - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:28 pm: To the honorbale Pat Quinn: The foster child system in Illinois is broken. We provide such little funding and support for this program that the overwhelming number of children in foster care are being produced by adults who came out of the foster care system. Some suggestions, in no pparticualr order: College level support: these kids are mostly kicked to the curb at age 18. Tehy do nothave traditional family uspport networks or mentors. Expand the program to age 21, and provide resources to help with the basics in life such as putting together rent deposits, job location and hiring suppoert etc. Add College tuition support for families who adopt. Right now the system penealizes people for adopting. Add funding for extracuricular activities and Sylvan or similiar tutoring facilities. These kids need structure and activities help. provide funding for private school options for foster children. They usually need more help not less. Increase the support provided to foster homes, poverty level financial assitance simply ensures the kids who were pulled from negelect and abuse are placed into environments where they live just barley above neglect. The foster system is created a cycle of creating criminals and foster kids from those the system spews forth. Instead of abandoning these kids it is time we step up and act like a modern adavanced civilization and provide real lives for these kids and end the cycles of crime, poverty and neglect. - Third Generation Chicago Native - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:30 pm: I concur with wordslinger on the historic sites and the state parks. Now more than ever people who want to cut back on vacations will travel less out of state, so we might as well keep the money local by encouraging them to spend it here. How about lowering the tolls for the summer months to encourage travel? How about a meet and greet (the Governor, that is) in the Capital once a month on a Saturday or Sunday? or the Governor’s mansion? or Old State Capital? Each month some place different in Springfield. Novel idea, seeing the Governor in Springfield. - Responsa - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:32 pm: Just try to remember, Governor, that in November you will be voted in or out based on what you actually accomplish this spring and summer for the State of Illinois–not what you say you will do in 2011 and beyond. Not all, but most taxpaying citizens will accept a reasonable and fair tax increase proposal IF it is also accompanied by a good faith dramatic gesture from you of immediate spending curtailment akin to Gov. Christie’s in NJ. Do what is right for the citizens and businesses of Illinois and you will be rewarded. Yes, it’s hard to be yelled at, but if you manage to tick off absolutely everybody a little bit to get us out of this fiscal disaster you will know you are on the right track. - Sacks Romana - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:44 pm: Budget, budget, budget. Raise personal income taxes to 5%. Raise corporate income taxes to the maximum corresponding amount (~8%). Expand the sales tax to cover all services that are also currently being taxed by our neighboring states (WI, IN, IA, MO), which is about an additional 20-30. Use that money to: 1) Expand the state EITC to help offset the personal income tax increase on a graduated scale, essentially a back-door progressive tax, so that it doesn’t hurt individuals or households earning less than 40-50K a year. 2) Provide property tax relief by having the state provide a direct abatement for about 20-25% of the tax per school district. 3) Fully fund education at the 50% foundation level as mandated by our constitution. 4) Start meeting our current pension obligations. 5) Restore full funding for social services. 6) Use the additonal excess for any number of great things: paying down our debt, paying down our pension obligation, more capital jobs programs (that aren’t based on gambling!), high speed rail-hell-regular speed rail, etc. And of course, this is basically stolen from the original CTBA proposal. Meeks and others keep tweaking and warping this plan, and propose some weird stuff. Stick to listening to the actual policy wonks about this budget stuff, not the grandstanding politicans. And finally: Pass it without Republican votes. There’s no point in having a majority if you don’t use it. Be remembered for accomplishing something great, not helping Madigan retain the longest-lasting, do-nothing Legislature. - Ray del Camino - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:44 pm: Get out your Ross Perot-style flip charts and ’splain to the people how big our budget hole is, and how cutting waste can’t fill it. Talk slow so the Tea Partiers can get it. Show them how low our state income tax is, and how you’ll protect the low- and middle-income taxpayers. Speak truth to power. You’re our guy! - been there - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:58 pm: Please move a little faster with the fumigating. Those Ryan-Blagojevich holdovers on the commissions and boards have outworn their welcome. THANKS! - Confused - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 12:59 pm: “It’s the economy, stupid.” - lake county democrat - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 1:03 pm: Governor, history gave you a unique chance to be great, but ONLY if you draw a line in the sand on reform and, like Bill Clinton did, be willing to shut down the state government to achieve it. Eliminate gerrymandering and revisit your reform commission’s proposals, forget about the politics - I believe the people will respect it and it will be good politics, but even if it isn’t, you will have given Illinois and the principle of Democracy a gift that is well worth it. - Just a Voter - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 1:06 pm: Dear Governor Quinn, Most of us out here who are not state employees or retired ones want DRAMATIC AND DEEP CUTS to state government and INNOVATIVE CHANGES to entitlement and pension programs before one tax is raised. If people don’t get that, they are not very well informed. - the Patriot - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 1:09 pm: Dear Mr. Governor, You can still go down as one of 2 Governors from IL in recent memory not to be indicted. But first and foremost, end the practice of closed door budget talks. If a school district with a $1,000,000 budget has to have an open meeting for the budget, so should the state governement. No matter what happens with the election, you will have respect from both sides of the isle for an tranparency in government policy. - Geneseo Gent - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 1:20 pm: Your inaction on the BIG problems almost cost you the primary. Continued inaction on the money mess, sleazy holdovers, pension schemes and such combined with increased spending dooms your re-election hopes unless you CHANGE and change now. Or the voters will change you! - dupage dan - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 1:24 pm: Gov Quinn, Howsabout a little guided imagery exercise. Please close your eyes and think what needs to be done to set Illinois right. Ignore the voice that says it can’t be done. Free associate and think about the best for Illinois. Don’t worry if it will put you out of office. This is about the best things for Illinois, not an individual. Now, wake up from your reverie. Now, do what you dreamed - it is the right thing to do even if it loses you the governors mansion. It is a great sacrifice you are being asked to do - give yourself up for the state. You will have the eternal gratification of the citizens and will be remembered fondly among those who have gone before you. You know what must be done - you have even spoken of it in public. Do it now. - Quiet Sage - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 1:30 pm: The Cutback Amendment may have been an appropriate step in its time. Now, however, we need a drastic jolt to restore truly democratic institutions in Illinois, and a repeal of the amendment (with no increase in total House membership) is the best jolt that can be delivered. - Will County Woman - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 1:32 pm: Mr. Quinn: Stop putting yourself and your political aspirations ahead of the needs of Illinois. Ideally you have stopped doing this last year, which would have dramatically changed my perception of you as a governor for the better. (please keep in mind that you only won a few weeks ago by 8000 votes or so, so just about half of the democrats who cared to vote had a similiar perception of you as do i.) The truth of the matter is that you needed to make the cuts BEFORE you pushed for a tax increase, and you still do. By not doing so you are only making matters worse in the longterm, and you know this. Also, why did you take out a loan to bail the CTA out and reneige on doing away with the free rides for seniors? You did those things because they were politically expendient, nevermind that they were generally imprudent moves on your part. It is imperative that you do what you say and say what you mean, in the first place, and stop playing games all of the time. You seemed to understand that a stopgap budget was the wrong way to go early last year, then poof! all of sudden you went with the stopgap. sadly it all coincided with lisa madigan announcing she would not oppose you in the primary. unfortunately you have used up all of your mistakes and then some, you’ve put yourself into a position in which you have to be error-free and accomplished all of this year. good luck with that. i believe you have and do post on this blog. obviously the people in your camp do and have, so why wouldn’t you yourself? take it from me, perhaps your most vocal critic on the blog, my posts are brutally honest, and i make no apologies about that. unlike others i’m not worried about my self or my special interest or the needs of the democratic party etc. my post are all about what is best for illinois overall. therefore please take what i write in the spirit in which it is intended—it’s nothing personal–it’s just about business, in this case state business. i believe that state business should always come first with a governer especially, and regrettably i have not seen that to be the case with you. p.s. it would’ve been nice to hae had the fy11 budget address today, aka on time. :) - Keep Smiling - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 1:44 pm: Please commit to making sustainable the state’s two most obviously unsustainable systems: pensions and Chicago area transit. No more band-aids, bailouts and borrowing plans. These two issues can definitely be tackled; there are many experts to help - neutral experts from outside the state, as well as fabulous minds from within. It’s time to take on stewardship of the state, and not acquiesce to those who only want to be Saturday night babysitters. I think - Small Town Liberal - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 1:47 pm: Governor Quinn, Please allow Indiana to annex Will County so its favorite woman can be happy with her governor and we don’t have to read her comments anymore. - Keep Smiling - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 1:51 pm: Sorry about the “I think”. Not sure where that came from. - frustrated GOP - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 1:52 pm: Start cleaning house now. Your staff isn’t getting it done. Mix it up and move forward. Win loss or draw in November, we can’t wait any longer for some type of bold steps in some direction, any direction. This is either your last 10 months or your last 4 years and 10 months in govt. Show us something new. Please. ahhhhhh Ok, that was a bit much, but you get the point. - Loop Lady - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 1:55 pm: WCW: It’s Governor Quinn, not Mister…please show respect for the office despite your personal feelings…I might add who are you to criticize him based on your history of unfair, vitriolic posts on this blog? He has my permission to ignore you… Anyways, please defy Wcw and Cassandra and fairly raise the State income tax prior to the General election…years of fiscal mismanagement and thumb sucking by the two previous Govs have left IL with no other recourse to address our deficit…. After that, continue to promote and support business in IL. Thank you for your years of service! - No Peotone Airport - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 2:01 pm: To paraphrase James Carville, “It’s the economy, wise one.” Pain in the short term for *everyone* is unavoidable. The longer we pretend it’s not, the deeper the hole we’ll dig, and the longer it will take to get out of it. Your number one priority is to improve Illinois’ business climate for the long term. - North of I 80 - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 2:14 pm: Dear Governor Quinn, You must reform the state pension system if you are to have any hope of balancing the budget now or in the future. There have been many good ideas expressed in the comments today that you should look into such as imposing caps, moving towards a social security based pension system, etc. Take steps to make the state more attractive to businesses. Without more jobs, the state’s economy and budget problems will not improve. Read Florida Gov Christie’s speech on Florida’s budget crisis for ideas that could help IL in ours. Better yet, call him and other governors to brainstorm ideas. Best of luck to you and I hope you can get the GA to cooperate with you in your efforts. - EJ - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 2:15 pm: I think it’s time we followed many other states in the Union and considered medical marijuana. The economic benefits of keeping many residents who are considering moving out of state for this issue will help keep taxes down for all. California is also considering legalizing and TAXING marijuana which will be a major benefit to their tax base. I also think Illinois should consider a state sales tax instead of income tax. this will reduce the liability for honest taxpayers, forcing those working off the books to pay their share. - GOPJay - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 2:23 pm: Right to work……….. - Keyser Soze - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 2:42 pm: Governor Quinn: Fix (renegotiate) government pensions. There does not exist, nor will there ever exist, enough government revenue to cover the promised government pensions. This is the moral equivalent of a Ponzi scheme in which the last in will be left holding an empty bag. Out here in the real world, that is the private sector, we are funding our own “pensions” in the form of Social Security, 401-k’s, and our own industriousness. Hence, the notion of a tax raise to cover the grand pensions foolishly promised by past governors and general assemblies, will not be well received by anyone other than the government workers. For their part, they should be paying their own pensions via savings through payroll deductions, just like the rest of us. - Just the Basics - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 2:44 pm: Governor, Please bring in some budget and policy experience who have worked thru serious budget issues before. Be honest about the budget situation. Don’t pretend things are solved unless they really are. Work WITH the legislators to get some progressive revenue options passed. I also don’t envy you and the GA - you have some very difficult choices ahead. There is so much need. Don’t employ the same negative campaigning in the general election. Best wishes. - Beowulf - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 2:47 pm: Dear Governor Quinn- Please give some further reflection as to your choice for heading our Illinois Department of Corrections. Situations are always fluid and changing in state governance. We often need to reassess and re-evaluate our original choices as situations in state government change around us. It might be worthwhile to revisit this choice in personnel. Nobody would think less of you for it. On the contrary. - Angry Chicagoan - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 3:02 pm: Governor Quinn — the state depends on you not springing surprises on the legislature. It doesn’t matter whether it’s reasonable or not that they don’t trust you, but they don’t. You need to fix that. Please keep to a consistent position, and don’t spring stuff on people in the way that Governor Blagojevich did. You already have the advantage of being right on the big policy issues of the day like taxes, pension reform and spending cuts; what you need to do much better is to be smart about winning people over to your side. Government by embargoed press release does not work and never will. Government by consultation and action works. - Wife of 1 - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 3:19 pm: This state has become an embarrassment both financially and ethically to it’s citizens! DO SOMETHING!! I like this idea from Billy Mason: Determine how much we need to bring us out of the hole we are in, pass an income tax increase with a sunset provision to bring in additional revenues to balance the budget, and put a freeze on the new spending in the meantime. You can get some Republicans on board with the sunset idea after the election. We only raise taxes by the amount necessary to fix the problem and then income tax rates revert back to 3% in a few years. - Jake from Elwood - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 3:21 pm: Please support regulations on the municipal proliferation of red light cameras. I thank you in advance. - bill ryan - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 3:23 pm: Reform DOC and support Randle, and by the way Art Turner is the most qualified and has earned a spot as Lt. Gov. a guinn/turner ticket is a winer - sal-says - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 3:40 pm: Dear Governor Quinn: Be THE leader; start fixing the impending IL financial catastrophe. The longer it goes; the worse we all are in IL. NOW ! Thank you. - James Springfield - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 3:52 pm: I think the municipalities are in dire straights across the country. The property tax bills due on decline property values are just not sustainable in this economic environment. Especially the new construction built and sold between 2002 and 2007. - Liz - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 4:05 pm: Dear Gov. Quinn, End the death penalty. It’s bad public policy wasting millions of tax dollars every year that we desperately need elsewhere. - winco - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 4:15 pm: A large majority of Illinoisans support civil unions. Numerous other states, many that are more “red” than Illinois, have civil unions. What is taking us so long on this no-brainer issue? - OldSmokey2 - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 4:19 pm: Get in front of your Republican opponent (whoever he is) and claim the reform mantle by backing a bill this session to change the way districts are drawn for the General Assembly. Push having that process turned over to a nonpartisan entity; I’m not sure if the State Board of Elections is the place for that either, as Brady proposed. I believe Iowa has computer geeks and demography folks at the university do it, for example. Fairly and reasonably drawn districts won’t fix Illinois’ problems right now, but in the long term, it would alleviate some of the inertia in Springfield by removing one of the big incumbent-protection walls the Legislature has built. It would make elections more fair and give challengers, especially in changing districts, a better shot. It still would be hard to beat an incumbent but at least they’d be challenged more. And, for you, as I said, it would give you a good reform issue to tout on the campaign trail. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 4:19 pm: Governor Quinn, Public transit funding mechanisms and the underlying philosophy underpinning them must be changed at the State level (Fed & local too for that matter). Increased public transit spending across the state has too many benefits to be dependent on gimmicky magic-trick funding. If the State started funding public transit projects with a modest fraction of the type of commitment that road and bridge projects receive, the citizens of Illinois would reap social, environmental and economic benefits galore. - Just The Way It Is One - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 4:37 pm: Dear Governor Quinn, I would schedule and hold a SLOUGH of “Town Hall” meetings THROUGHOUT Illinois in the next several months(how about 111 of ‘em–10 between the city and suburbs plus 100 in all of the other counties–you’ve always been FABULOUS in such “down home” meetings over the years when you’re in a smaller forum like that and talk DIRECTLY with/answer questions from the voters, and with plenty of “one on ones” when the meetings wrap up! My heart/mind tells me this would be a wise thing for you to do and put you over the top come November. - southern illinoisan - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 4:47 pm: Fumigate all agencies of Ryan / Blago holdovers. I have over 17 years of state service and my agency is in terrible shape. This is mainly due to poor management and understaffing at all levels. We all know that Blago skirted hiring rules or flat out disregarded them. Most of these people are still on the payroll and STILL making bad decisions. Stop the merry go round and end the circus. Speaker Madigan introduced the fumigation bill for a reason and you have done a terrible job implementing any meaningful change in most state agencies. - Champaign Dweller - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 5:00 pm: Governor–please get rid of all of the Blago holdovers, and rid your adminsitration of anyone who has similar problems. Give us government that we can respect. - JustaJoe - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 5:08 pm: Agree with southern illinoisian. Fumigate. Fumigate. Fumigate. Can’t do anything right when the people are wrong. Fumigate the Blago Insiders. Fumigate the patronage of varied clout. Fumigate wasteful, expensive consultant & service contracts. Then get the “fumigation bill” passed. - Outsider - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 5:18 pm: fumigation should only be based on an individual’s qualifications. My agency has plenty of qualified people that don’t need to be “fumigated”, no matter who appointed them. I realize that is not the case everywhere though. - Can't Say My Nickname - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 5:33 pm: Dear Governor Quinn - considering part of our debt relates to the pension problem, is there any consideration to allow state employees to purchase 3 years of pension credits and bank that for future retirement? - Old Timer - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 6:04 pm: Do not allow the Dept. of Transportation to keep hiring 60 day emergency appointments that keep renewing over and over to skirt the hiring rules. - jimbo2600 - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 6:15 pm: Pat, Get HB 174 passed & have some tax reform while providing the funds to serve the people of Illinois. - Bob S - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 6:47 pm: Appoint Jack Franks as Lt. Governor so we don’t have to deal with him in the legislature any more!! - D.E.N.N.I.S - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 7:13 pm: Raise taxes now! - Boone Logan Square - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 7:40 pm: Pat, please raise my taxes. Focus on this budget crisis and stick with a realistic strategy for resolving it. Thank you. - Bob - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 7:42 pm: IDOC is in good hands, Mike R. knows what he’s doing. He’s a blessing compared to what we had. But, you need to hire staff and allow the existing staff to transfer to facilities closer to their homes. You’ll make some people very happy. - southern illinoisan - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 7:49 pm: If Mike R. knows what he is doing at IDOC why did we have to hire 2 new 6 figure senior management positions that report directly to the governor? Why are most of the deputy directors from the previous admin still on the job, including Deanne Benos? They are all overpaid political hacks that were brought in by Blago. And don’t even get me started on the number of inexperienced incompetent wardens who are supposed to be running prisons…………. FUMIGATE! - Gregor - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 8:00 pm: Put me down as another in favor of fumigating the Blago Bunch, and doing it by spring. For one thing, if you don’t do it, Governor, Brady will promise HE will, that costs him nothing, but gains him some moderate and good-government voters, and you shouldn’t give that guy any free ammo. For another thing, these Blago plants have been doing enormous damage in middle management positions, running agencies and bureaus into the ground, destroying morale, wasting resources… A fish rots from the head on down, and you’ve got a lot of invading carp in your agencies that need to get removed, never mind the rivers. - BMA - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 8:14 pm: Dear Governor Quinn, I agree with the calls being made in the comments above to fumigate the Blago bunch. You need to change government and what it stands for in IL and do it now. Reform the IL pension plan for state workers. Make that one of your top priorities. Propose legislation that will encourage new business to come into the state. Cut and reorganize and eliminate redundancy in State government before any taxes are raised. Care more for the State than you care for your career. - Peggy SO-IL - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 8:16 pm: For the love of Pete, stop spending money! Everywhere, especially on welfare state and in bloated bureaucracies across the state government. Yes, let’s get tough on the retirement benefits. I think Chris Christie of NJ is taking a stab at a similar problem. I shake my head at the ninnies who want to pay more taxes, particularly in this bad economic climate. Remember what happened to Mondale. Tsongas didn’t make it past the 92 primaries with his tough love talk of raising taxes. Go ahead, go Mondale on us. Do you have a plan for Lent, Governor? - thinkingred - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 8:20 pm: AFSCME does not speak for all state employees. Do not raise taxes. This state needs good private sector jobs. Using state jobs to bring down the unemployment rate is equal to state funded welfare. - Cindy Lou - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 8:25 pm: Who thought I’d see the day I plead with my governor to raise my taxes. Over a 100 post lobbying, I’ll go with a kudos to my governor for giving serious attention to DNR once again. Director Miller is a breath of fresh air after so many years of neglect. For that , Governor Quinn, I’ll say thanks… - Some Guy - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 8:32 pm: I worry about what our utilities are going to look like in the not so distant future. Not just the bills we get, but how the power is coming to us. We have a lot of nuclear reactors in Illinois, more than pretty much any other state. I’m for them, because they are not greenhouse gas emitters and don’t take up vast tracts of land like wind or solar would, for the equivalent amount of power obtained. Nuclear power is safe and coat effective if you manage it well and have good strong oversight. I think Illinois does okay on that score, generally. The problem is that the old plants built in the 70’s are all aging out at roughly the same time, and there seems to be no plan in place for replacing them. The lead time required for any replacement scheme means we are already ten years behind in the planning for what replaces the old reactors. Personally, I would say more and newer reactors would be better than the typical other modern alternative, which would be natural-gas-fired boilers, lots of new, smaller “peaker plants” being built all over the state, burning natural gas. Gas which will see volatile price shifts due to speculators, and gas that has to be imported from out of state. Don’t even bring up coal; not every site in Illinois is able to do what FutureGen can do. Wind and solar and biomass and etc. are all worth adding to the mix as supplemental sources, but the practical matter is they will never be enough for supplying the “base load”, the majority source of power, for our state. We could wind up becoming net *importers* of energy in Illinois, instead of net suppliers, and this would be very bad for business, for commercial development, for industry. The things that pay taxes. As far as what one governor can do, this is a bigger problem than just one governor could handle, but I think you could help steer some legislation and shepherd it thru the legislature, that would reduce some red tape and give an incentive to Excelon and related companies to get going on new construction of newer, safer reactors as well as refurbishing existing ones. One other thing we could do is form an interstate compact with the idea of siting a new power complex in Gary, replacing the defunct steel mills with power plants that would feed a two-or-three-state grid. The business and industrial infrastructure in the Chicago-Gary corridor could use this cheaper power to stimulate a comeback and increase production all across the region. That’s jobs and sales taxes. A high temperature gas cooled reactor can also make enough extra heat as a byproduct that besides making electricity, it can efficiently crack lake water into hydrogen for use in hybrid cars, fuel cell cars, what-have-you. I’m thinking CTA busses would be nice. Hydrogen is the cleanest fuel there is: the exhaust is tap water. All of this is very long term; it takes a “Johnny Appleseed” mentality to plan for things that get finished long after you’re gone and unable to take the credit, but safe to say, it may be one of the best legacies you could give the future generations of two states, to get this ball rolling now. Somebody with a vision has to think beyond a 4-year term. Think big like Burnham. - Quizzical - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 9:02 pm: Make a good show of cutting expenses. Use the bully pulpit to reform pension excesses. Look at some inovative ways to cut Medicaid expenses among the chronically ill. Then — push a tax raise. - Downstate Commissioner - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 9:55 pm: Dear Governor Quinn, You really need to rethink the cutback amendment-it really is your biggest liability as a reformer, since it has done so much to contribute to the current financial mess. - Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Feb 17, 10 @ 11:39 pm: Invest, invest, invest in transportation. Forget these silly modal wars of transit vs. roads vs. airports that small-minded politicians, self-appointed “experts” and think tanks are engaged in. IL is at the nation’s crossroads and transportation is the lifeblood of the state’s economy. Look at creative ways, including design/build and public/private partnerships to fund the needed improvements in ALL modes. - Secret Square - Thursday, Feb 18, 10 @ 11:26 am: Governor, if you haven’t already, read up on the life of one of your predecessors, Thomas Ford. He faced an eerily similar fiscal crisis/nationwide economic downturn back in the late 1830s. The way he dealt with it, balancing the need to make good on the state’s debts with the need not to suppress economic development, is very enlightening and in many ways applicable to today. I think we all could learn from his example. Thank you. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.