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Quinn hammers Brady, talks budget, scholarships, hints at special sessions
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller * Gov. Pat Quinn talked to reporters after this morning’s prayer breakfast. He was asked what he’d done since the House and Senate adjourned on Friday, but dodged the question. Quinn said he didn’t foresee giving up any of the emergency powers granted to him in a bill passed by the Senate, but which is still sitting idle in the House. He also hinted at special sessions: “When the legislature wants to drift off and not focus on doing important things for the people, the governor has to call them back and make sure they do their duty… That’s what I plan to do every day this month until we get a good budget.” Gov. Quinn also spoke about his veto of the legislative scholarship program: “The government is not about politicians, it’s about the people.” Borrowing: “Every state in the union does this… [Sen. Brady] doesn’t have a plan at all… Sen. Brady runs around and tries to foment as much discord as he can. That’s going back to the past. That’s going back to George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich… We’re not going to have a lot of fakery before the election, where people run around and say they have a secret plan to cut the budget [and] they never give you any details.” Quinn must’ve said “We’re not going back to the days of Ryan and Blagojevich” or a version of that a half dozen times, ironically echoing his opponent Bill Brady. * Old news…
This actually first surfaced in February, when Sen. Dan Duffy (R-Lake Barrington) first rose to criticize their appointments. We even had a Question of the Day on the issue back then. Duffy used the issue to raise money in a March 26th fundraising letter (complete with the State Seal) and he was called on it the other day, so the Sun-Times used it as an excuse to dredge this issue up all over again. * Related and a roundup…
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- steve schnorf - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 11:29 am:
Its both unfair and untrue to accuse George Ryan of “fomenting discord” while he was Governor.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 11:30 am:
== “When the legislature wants to drift off and not focus on doing important things for the people, the governor has to call them back and make sure they do their duty…That’s what I plan to do every day this month until we get a good budget.” ==
This is about the dumbest threat I’ve ever heard.
You’re going to call lawmakers back to Springfield in May without a budget to vote on?
I’ll be waiting for that proclamation tomorrow.
- jonbtuba - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 11:34 am:
Quinn should have said this:
Sen. Brady runs around and tries to foment as much discord as he can AND THEN forgets he ever did it.
The point about how Brady has no details to his budget proposals was spot-on though.
- Da Ship Be Sinking - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 11:35 am:
Zalewski knows how to get his people hired. He worked for Rod’s IGA after all.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 11:36 am:
The GA gave Quinn a gift with their free tuition “reform” bill. It’s hard to believe they think they can hold onto that scam in this environment.
And remember, it’s not a scholarship — those have money behind them. It’s a tuition waiver, like a gift bestowed by a House of Lords.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 11:37 am:
The days of Ryan and Blagojevich quotes are pretty interesting. Wasn’t Quinn part of the Blagojevich administration during the “days of Blagojevich?”
Accusing Brady of forgetfulness is one thing. Quinn suffers from total amnesia by comparison.
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 11:49 am:
Please for the love of Pete, don’t start calling special session unless they have something to vote on. They don’t work and it just make the the situation worse and accomplishes nothing but ticking everyone off.
- Loop Lady - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 11:54 am:
Folks, again: Pat was never part of Blago’s administration, EVER…did they pray for a miracle to solve the budget morass? That’s what’ll take sinners…
- Ghost - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 11:54 am:
Our total budget is roughly 56 billion. Roughly half of that, 26 billion, is federal match dollars, not money we generate as revenue.
We are carying 13 billion in debt, and looking to carry all of that into aother fiscal year with a good chance of doubling it.
In short, we are approaching a point where our unpaid libaility will equal our annual revenue!!! exclusive of federal match.
and yet no republican or dem seems willing to fix the problem, just make political hay. The crisis has reached a point where it appears to be so far beyound the comprehension of our elected officials and many of the voters that we are going to pass a point of critical mass and tunr ourselves into the US version of greece.
- Irish - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:02 pm:
The Mike Madigan “What the Heck” article should be printed and mailed to MJM by everyone that has an opportunity to do so.
The gov is in campaign mode, blah blah and nothing is being said. We might as well just face the truth. There will be tons of rhetoric from now until November from everyone and no substance whatsoever. Welcome to Illinois! Our Government doesn’t work and neither do our politicians.
- Loop Lady - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:05 pm:
I was at a seminar yesterday where one presenter stated Daniel Burnham’s vision and plan of 100 years ago is still working as intended, but todays policy makers (legislators) can’t even balance a budget…Touche…
- just sayin' - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:06 pm:
Quinn is right about how “Brady runs around and tries to foment as much discord as he can.”
That’s how Brady won the primary. All he’s done since his 2006 loss is run around downstate telling GOP primary voters that all politicians north of I-80 are evil and sport horns. That was really his entire campaign. He lucked out when he was the only candidate from south of I-80.
Congrats to him for getting the nomination, but doing it by pandering to the worst prejudices of downstaters towards upstaters is hardly something to be proud of. Plus it’s going to make it hard to assemble a winning coalition now.
- cassandra - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:18 pm:
According to a local League of WV monthly mag, Don Harmon told a local League delegation that
the state income tax would most likely be raised, probably to 5 percent. No dates given.
Now, consider the audience…a group of wealthy suburban ladies who would feel that increase like
they’d feel the tiniest of mosquito bites. These are not folks from “working families.” They love the idea of raising anybody’s taxes because they are in the income strata that would feel it the least.
On the other hand, Don Harmon is not just any state rep. He’s close to the powers. So I guess
the fix is in…it’s only a matter of timing.
Don also said that either Quinn or his Republican revival would have to raise the tax, so the Repubs might want to weigh in on this tax-raising plan the Dems have laid out for them.
- zeke - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:20 pm:
I am not surprised to find legislators’ relatives working for the state. But I am surprised to learn that a spot on the Pollution Control Board earns someone $117K annually. Is that a 70-80 hour per week job?
- ShadyBillBrady - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:28 pm:
== Quinn must’ve said “We’re not going back to the days of Ryan and Blagojevich” or a version of that a half dozen times, ironically echoing his opponent Bill Brady ==
To be fair, it’s not really an echo. Brady’s line, when he’s not saying “kick the can down the road, dig a deeper hole, mismangement, fraud and abuse, and I’m a businessman from downstate” is “the days of the Blago/Quinn administration” trying to tie Quinn to Blago. Quinn’s statement about not going back to Ryan and Blago is likely an attempt (effective or not) to distance himself from Blago and to say it’s time to start moving forward and not focusing on the past.
But I’m sure it’s all about semantics, I admit.
- Bill - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:29 pm:
The Rod years are kind of a blur for me now but weren’t there like 25 special sessions going on at once one summer? I remember that it took Emil about 20 minutes to immediately convene and adjourn each one before they could start another one.
It looks like deja vu all over again.
- Amuzing Myself - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:45 pm:
Just sayin’: You mean pandering to the downstaters by meeting with the Mayor of Chicago yesterday that was outlined in a story linked above?
Just sayin’…
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:46 pm:
“the Sun-Times used it as an excuse to dredge this issue up all over again.”
Gee, I’m shocked.
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:48 pm:
And last time I checked, George Ryan worked better with the legislature than any governor since Big Jim Thompson, so that’s a bit of a stretch.
- Highland, IL - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:51 pm:
Sorry to hear that my recovering drug addict state rep has taken up drunk driving in his spare time.
- Loop Lady - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:51 pm:
Cass: Several corrections to your “facts”:
As a former LWV President, I can tell you that there are many members of the League who are on fixed incomes/not members of the upper middle class…
Harmon is a Senator, not a State Rep…
It is public knowledge that the Senate passed a tax increase in last year’s session…
If Brady wins, it doesn’t matter what Harmon said…aint gonna happen…
There’s no conspiracy to raise taxes within the IL legislature, last I heard…
Where do you get this stuff from? Or do you make it up as you go along?
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 12:53 pm:
Bill you are right. Rod called so many special sessions they meant nothing. The members and lobbyist just blew them off, the poor staffers and legislative liaisons had long planned family vacations blown up and for the most part were chained to the Statehouse.
- dave - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 1:34 pm:
**don’t start calling special session unless they have something to vote on. **
What is with people saying that there is no budget to vote on? Do any of you realize that the Senate has actually already passed a budget?
The options may be bad options (thought some are MUCH less bad), but you can’t pretend that there are not options. There are new revenue options, there are doomsday budget options, there are mediocre budget options, etc. All of them are ready to be voted on.
- Samwise - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 2:05 pm:
Quinn’s looking a little tan. Was he in a tanning bed all weekend?
- Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 2:34 pm:
Carrie Z was working for about 1/3 of what she was worth when she was at IDOT. She is still probably underpaid according to private sector attorney standards, much like many other professional field employees with the state.
I laugh at those studies about how public sector employees make more than their private counterparts. For certain fields, I am sure that it is true. But you don’t see many engineers, attorneys or physicians leaving the private sector to work for the state, while you do see the revolving door swinging the other way quite often. And you don’t see many CEO’s of a company with 600 to 6,000 employees (like a typical agency head) willing to work for what the state pays.
- Captain Flume - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 2:36 pm:
“unless they have something to vote on” It would be a wonderful turn of the screw if the GA did come back without something to vote on and actually worked on something to vote on within the view of the public. That course imnplies that the Speaker would allow House members to actually come up with a budget apart from his direct control. It’s sad that the Speaker distrusts the House members or lacks confidence in their intelligence and ability to think for themselves and the people of Illinois. The GA has had five months, really a year, to craft a budget for FY2011 and the members leave it all up to one or two people in the last month of session. What low self-esteem they each must have to let themselves be dictated to in such a fashion.
- Bill - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 2:51 pm:
What could possibly happen in the next couple of weeks that couldn’t have been done in the last twelve? This is all for show and the outcome is pre-determined.
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 3:44 pm:
Bill, what’s different is the rank-and-file who spent the last four months having taxpayer paid staff draft anti-sex offender legislation for their re-elections now suddenly are faced with the prospects of voting for something that might actually provoke a voter back home. “Egads! I can’t vote for that. I had no say in that. This process is unfair. I need to be more involved,” the rank-and-file scream every May.
People get what they deserve sending these mindless, worthless cattle back to be harvested every session.
But you already knew that. At least I feel better. Bring on the special sessions.
- Robert - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 5:00 pm:
which is the greater sin, using the state seal or getting your spouse employed at $100k+? I don’t blame the sun-times at all for re-reporting it.
- OneMan - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 5:25 pm:
I think Quinn has to get all special sessiony if he is going to run against the ‘do-nothing’ legislature.
Think Truman and the “do-nothing” congress
- Plutocrat03 - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 5:43 pm:
Since it seems to be OK to withhold budgeted payments to educational units and extend payments for all kinds of service providers, can we provide some incentive for the legislators?
Whenever the legislative bodies fail to meet statutory deadlines THEIR pay is either gradually reduced in a formula based on time or simply stopped until they meet their obligations.
I surmise that once the legislators have some personal skin in the game they will be a bit more diligent in finishing their jobs.
- Spfld gal - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 6:05 pm:
Regarding the emergency powers the Governor doesn’t forsee giving up: the Senate stripped all those provisions out of the bill before sending it to the House…. So… Maybe someone in his office should go ahead and read that bill….
- anno--mus - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 6:07 pm:
I’m not sure Brady is up for the challenge of the state budget & managing the state. I think the GOP is scratching their behinds right about now , wondering & saying damn it with this candidate. He offers no real plan. He only talks about it for fear of scrutiny & only talks about the problems blaming everything in site with no solutions or ideas offered. Quinn doesn’t know either & that’s the hell of it so where do we go ? Who do you follow? Brady probably will win narrowly in November only because there is so much turmoil going on under this administration ; but what happens next? The state is broke, 14 billion in the hole this fiscal year & 60 days away from a new fiscal year with no real budget in site. Bills are going unpaid , vendors shutting agencies off & Illinois’ credit is in the tank. I say the worst is yet come ! It’s time for serious people to deal with serious problems & there are none in site. Sorry Brady, you should have stayed a Senator. You’re just not ready my man. Your campaign is appearing weak, un organized & staying up side down not showing too many signs of improvement. It’s like amateur hour in Bradyville. More of this & it will not turn around for the guy.
- steve schnorf - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 6:13 pm:
I don’t know for sure exactly who Progress Illinois is, and I think Bill Brady isn’t exactly on target in saying our Medicaid program is one of the worst run in the country. Parts of our program were/are run very well, and other parts that may be currently lacking (documenting eligibility, for example) don’t lack because of staff expertise, but because the program has been directed to operate that way.
But Progress Illinois does seriously damage its credibility when it refers to the Medicare rates the state pays.
- Park - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 9:45 pm:
=I’m not sure Brady is up for the challenge of the state budget & managing the state.=
my guess is that the November electorate is not going to be concerned about that. PQ is not managing the state. He’s living some cook county democratic wet dream, which the voters will end for him.
- sideline watcher - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 11:10 pm:
Legislators have taken 12 furlough days and just passed 12 more for a total of 24. Unlike unions, those days aren’t deferred…its just about a $7,000 pay cut. They also don’t get their per diems. They are taking a hit. And contrary to popular belief there are some legislators that are not independently wealthy so the situation is painful for them. Not to mention the constant diatribes against the legislature as a whole without mentioning that the senate did attempt to pass a responsible budget last session and seems to be the only chamber that actually votes on hard issues. There are some bright spots in the general assembly, but everyone gets painted with the same brush.
- ShadyBillBrady - Wednesday, May 12, 10 @ 11:19 pm:
Let’s not get too carried away sideline watcher. The GA took those 12 furlough days but calculated their pay as if they work 365 days a year. Really?
If we truly have a citizen legislature, then they are supposed to be part-time anyway and not relying on their legislative salary for their living, right?
You are right that last year the Senate passed 174. King Madigan is making it difficult to do so in the House. However, the Senate this year didn’t pass anything close to a responsible budget. And the Republicans, led by Bill “I’ll gladly engage in the budget debate, until it’s actually time to engage in the budget debate” Brady, essentially sat on their hands and pouted.
- anno--mus - Thursday, May 13, 10 @ 8:06 am:
Park @ 9:45pm, You are right PQ isn’t managing either. I think it was mentioned not to mention how obvious it is. As a “governor” now 16 months it’s apparent he’s not up for the job. No progress & no relationship with the GA. I would, as I’m sure others, would like to see “a plan” , “any plan”, from either side that might at least look or in theory start us out of this very serious problem. Neither side has, just retoric. Illinois is really screwed & I don’t think people fully realize just how bad it really is or it would matter much, much more.