Statehouse roundup
Wednesday, Mar 17, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Good news…
Gov. Pat Quinn plans to sign legislation Wednesday to push Illinois’ primary election back to March. The 2 p.m. signing in the governor’s Capitol office ends the state’s experiment with a February primary after just two elections.
* Old news…
Gov. Quinn is remaining hush-hush about his choice for lieutenant governor this time — now that veterans chief/close friend Tammy Duckworth turned him down.
• Tipsville: But Sneed hears rumbles White House pressure is being put on Quinn, who favors a female sidekick, to select populist/Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool for the job.
• The mix: “Pat and Claypool have been joined at the hip for 30 years; Forrest was Quinn’s deputy when he was state treasurer,” said a top Dem source.
• The hitch: Would powerful state Dem party chief Mike Madigan want Claypool for the job?
* Madigan news…
Gov. Pat Quinn’s suggestion that lawmakers should vote on his proposed income tax increase before taking any breaks, including a two-week holiday this month, is “under review” by legislative leaders, House Speaker Michael Madigan said today.
“Our thought was that maybe Governor Quinn could use a nice break,” Madigan said after his proposed constitutional amendment requiring Illinois judges to be licensed attorneys for specified periods cleared its first step today. […]
But when asked how many lawmakers would have the same courage and vote in favor of the one percentage-point increase, Madigan only replied “We’ll find out.”
Yes, we will.
* Quote of the day goes to Gov. Quinn, talking about his proposed tax hike…
“For those who say we’re bluffing, where’s the billion dollars coming from? It’s not gonna come from heaven. We’ve got to find ways to replace that revenue,” said Quinn.
* And the SJ-R appeared to walk back an editorial from earlier this week blasting CMS for approving the Dept. of Aging’s expensive office consolidation. Here’s what they said Sunday…
So forgive us if we don’t take CMS at its word that spending $532,000 a year rather than staying at a state-owned building will be better for taxpayers. All we see is money being spent in a year when thousands of teachers may get pink slips because of state budget troubles. It’s going to be a while before we can treat the word “efficiency” as something other than a euphemism.
Today…
…we urge restraint for those inclined to get political mileage out of this incident. Taken to its extreme, the DOA lease deal is made-to-order ammunition for those who believe Illinois can climb out of its fiscal hole without any more money coming in. Thus far, Sen. Bill Brady, the Republican candidate for governor, is using this extreme as the foundation of his campaign.
To that camp, we offer this math lesson: Illinois needs to find $13 billion. There are 1,000 millions in a billion. Therefore, it will take roughly 24,000 Department on Aging lease deals to close the gap.
* Related and a roundup…
* Goldman pleased tuition waiver cuts dead
* Governor can balance budget in three years, conservative panel says: And the group proposed abolishing the Illinois Arts Alliance — headed by Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan’s wife, Shirley. That would save $7.6 million.
* Think tank proposes no-tax increase budget: “If (DCEO) was good at creating jobs, this state wouldn’t rank 48th out of 50 states in creating jobs over the last 10 years,” he said at a Statehouse press conference. “So it’s failing, and on that measure alone we think it should be eliminated.”
* Ag Supporters: Don’t Cut Funding: “The budget is six-tenths of one percent that goes to ag spending and ag programs. When they talk about across-the-board cuts, we’ve already (given) our share,” he said.
* Mental health service providers on Quinn’s chopping block
* Jeffrey Gomer: Illinois’ tax burden not that bad
* Unexpected vote leads to massive pay cut in East St. Louis
* Local leaders warn of more cuts if state fails in its funding obligations
* Elgin, Kane Co. towns bracing for even more cuts in state funding
* Officials: Quinn’s plan would bring property tax to Carol Stream
* ICC supports tuition hike
* Thomson prison sale inches forward: Documents released Tuesday show the administration wants to award a $30,000, no-bid contract to a Carroll County appraisal service as part of the price-setting process for the mostly dormant facility….In addition to ordering the appraisal, the Quinn administration earlier sent a letter to the 80 workers who oversee inmates at a minimum-security work camp at the prison. That letter shows that the state plans to close the facility by April 30.
* State Capitol Q&A: A look at lobbyist registration fees
* Voice of The Southern: Transparency, accountability goals of ‘Sunshine Week’
* There are ways to get answers from public officials
* ACLU, state settlement hailed by advocates for mentally ill
* Proposed bill would restrict sex offenders
* Sex Offender Bills Pile Up; Illinois Senate Votes to Prohibit Sex Offenders form Public Parks
* Lawmakers look to close loophole in predator law
* Dillard bill targets public aid fraud
* Raoul Picks Up Bill to Fuse Governor-Lt. Governor Campaigns
* Bill to increase Ill. speed limit to 70 mph heads to full Senate
* GOP: IDOC execs are scapegoats
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:05 am:
Did someone owning a building give a call to the Springfield Journal-Register editorial board?
Jellyfish!
- vole - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:15 am:
“We’ve got to find ways to replace that revenue”
If that were the only problem or if the problem was limited to losing that $1 billion, why was education so significantly shorted in the current budget year? Because only a half a year was actually funded?
I think PQ needs a better justification for the tax surcharge than the loss of the federal stimulus for education. He needs to put this tax increase into a longer term perspective on how he will bring the state budget into balance.
- Matt Dietrich - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:15 am:
As the writer of both SJ-R editorials mentioned here, I’d like to point out that on Sunday, we faulted CMS for its vague explanation that it was being done for “efficiency,” which seemed a blatant contradiction of the obvious. Today we still think this was a bad deal all around, but we caution the “no tax increase, ever” crowd not to get carried with this as ammo for their argument. Show us 24,000 more examples like this and maybe we’ll listen. Not to split hairs, but that hardly contradicts our position Sunday.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:18 am:
The Claypool trial balloon is a joke. What in the world would he bring to the ticket?
That guy’s name gets floated in the gossip columns for everything. Gee, I wonder who’s doing it?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:22 am:
===Gee, I wonder who’s doing it? ===
The White House is doing it.
- Montrose - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:28 am:
Rich-
Is there a copy of that Republican letter with the list of suggested cuts floating out there somewhere? I can’t find it.
- DOC - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:29 am:
I wonder why Quinn appointed a lobbiest as the Chief of Staff in IDOC?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:32 am:
Montrose, I have it. Don’t think it’s online.
- Robert - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:37 am:
Sneed missed the politics in the African American community - while “nobody but Turner” may be the official stance, my guess is that “especially not Claypool!!” may also be the amended stance if AA dems realize Quinn won’t pick Turner
- Montrose - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:40 am:
Thanks, Rich. I fully supporter you doing a subscriber-only post with a link to a .pdf of the letter.
- Dead Head - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:40 am:
“Bill to increase Ill. speed limit to 70 mph heads to full Senate”
Well it’s about time. This is a no-brainer, Illinois is a speed bump in the highway system. When you’ve got nothing to look at but acres and acres of empty farmland, what’s the point in sight-seeing?
- dupage dan - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:47 am:
As long as we just look at pieces of any program or legislation we can find a reason to promote, save, enact and spend. If we look at the whole picture the situation looks quite different. Everett Dirksen has been channeled again. A million here, a million there, pretty soon you’re talking about real money. What part of that is SJ-R missing? Using their logic no one individual program can be cut since you can’t balance the budget with a cut to one agency. Some wiseguy visit the editor late last nite?
- George - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:48 am:
“Illinois needs to find $13 billion. There are 1,000 millions in a billion.”
Its funny. But I think this is actually a brilliant statement to retort to any of the nickle-and-dime “million here, a million there, pretty soon” comments.
You would be surprised how little people understand scope of numbers when you do things that large.
I try to do that comparison of - ok, you saved me 50 cents. I need $13,000. You’re $12,999.50 short.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 9:51 am:
Unfortunately, Montrose, my scanner is down again. I really need to get a new one this weekend.
- dupage dan - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 10:02 am:
Yeah, George, if you’re short, just borrow the $12.999.50. We’ll round it up to 20K just for kicks. Actually, why not make it an even hundred thou. By the time the ink is dry you’re up to a million. What, exactly, is your point? Don’t bother trying to cut, save, reduce spending?
NOT WITH MY MONEY.
- dupage dan - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 10:19 am:
Speaking of a million here/there, the settlement by which the mentally ill could leave the NHs and move into the community is important when you compare the type and level of care that folk in Illinois received compared to other states. Illinois houses more mentally ill in NHs than in nearly all the rest of the states (can’t remember the grade but it’s low). However, the idea that this is going to save money is just not realistic. Administering to widespread small community group homes increases costs - just look at the developmental disability side of the Dept of Mental Health/Develompmenal Disabilities. Additional costs involve supervising and monitering the providers. The DMH Inspector General Office is woefully underfunded and understaffed. This results in a lower quality of care since the oversight is just not there. Save a few bucks but the folk are not being served the way they should be. Underperforming providers (with clout, I might add) continue to plague the system. Now you are going to bring the mentally ill population into this milieu? If any of you think these programs are going to be properly funded and staffed you are going to be disappointed. At the very least, tho, many seniors and those with physical disabilities may find relief when poorly served mentally ill individuals are no longer housed in the same facilities as the elderly and infirm. Nothing pretty about any of this.
- Illinois voter - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 10:21 am:
I thought Claypool was getting out of politics. And a week ago, Sneed was sure it would be Turner. Claypool also has not comepleted an Lt. Gov. application, but I guess he still has time to do that, if he is interested. The games people play in Illinois politics…
- George - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 10:23 am:
What are you talking about?
The point is that people come up with crazy small piddly things that they say “will solve the problem”.
Meaning… you can’t squeek your way through this with cuts to a little waste here, and a little inefficiency there.
You are going to either have to make big cuts to education, healthcare, human services, and corrections, or you are going to have to raise new revenue (income tax or otherwise).
Or both.
Pingback Boiler Room » Blog Archive » In defense of my own editorials - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 11:09 am:
[…] The Capitol Fax blog says that the SJ-R editorial today on the Department on Aging lease backs off the position we took on Sunday. I don’t understand how one would reach that conclusion, but I want to make sure others don’t. As the writer of both SJ-R editorials, I’d like to point out that on Sunday, we faulted CMS for its vague explanation that it was being done for “efficiency,” which seemed a blatant contradiction of the obvious. Today we still think this was a bad deal all around, but we also caution the “no tax increase, ever” crowd not to get carried away with this as ammo for their argument. Show us 24,000 more examples like this and maybe we’ll listen. Not to split hairs, but that hardly contradicts our position Sunday. […]
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 11:41 am:
I wonder what the corporations like Exxon that fund the Illinois Policy Institute think of their proposal to eliminate the Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity?
I’ve always argued for better oversight at DCEO, which I think was mostly accomplished by the Jack Franks Corporate Accountability Act in 2003.
(Side note: Bill Brady voted NO).
But is now really the time to eliminate the state agency responsible for job creation?
- Will County Woman - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 12:18 pm:
“But is now really the time to eliminate the state agency responsible for job creation?” YDD
Yes, as Quinn has personally taken up the charge of job creation, or at least that’s what he said last year. how many jobs did he tell SEIU he would create to get endorsed? was it 432,000?
while we are at it there are several other state agencies that are good candidates for elimination.
- babs - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 12:47 pm:
How much of the DCEO budget comes from the feds? I don’t think we save much by cutting that dept -at least that’s my understanding. Also, until the White House goes beyond the beltway, they should forget about recommending Lt Gov people, especially Claypool. Who does he bring that isn’t already with the ticket?
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 1:10 pm:
babs makes a good point.
A big chunk of the federal recovery act flows through DCEO.
And Will County Woman, given that unemployment in Will County is now higher than Cook County, you might want to chat with your neighbors about the conservative plan to eliminate funding for job creation and kill the capital bill. Plumbers, pipefitters, operating engineers and other construction tradesmen spend alot of dollars in Will County.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 1:19 pm:
===Gee, I wonder who’s doing it? ===
The White House is doing it.–
I can’t imagine how pushing Claypool, or anyone, for the Dem. lt. gov. nomination in Illinois should be a White House priority at all.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 2:00 pm:
who knows who is pushing what, but let’s get to the merits.
Claypool is from downstate, way downstate, although he
lives in Chicago now. he has a stellar reputation as a reformer,
yet he worked for Mayor Daley in various capacities. While
I share the sentiment that it would be nice to have a woman
in spot #2, Claypool brings much to the ticket. LOTS of people
in Cook County voted for him, and people, and the media, will be excited about his candidacy. in a good way.
- lincolnlover - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 2:05 pm:
The Illinois Policy Institute would like nothing better than to shut down anything THEY do not consider important. That does not mean the majority of voters would agree with their assessment. This is why we elect people to represent us. They seem to be doing a fabulous job of representing everyone and this is why there are so many programs and agencies: so that everyone gets what they want. Unfortunately, we can’t afford it. Chasing our tails?
- Smitty Irving - Wednesday, Mar 17, 10 @ 2:09 pm:
All leases require approval from the Procurement Policy Board. Was the Aging move approved by the PPB? If so, when?