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Madigan, Cullerton address members after reelections
Wednesday, Jan 12, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller * Michael Madigan spoke today after being elected to his 14th term as House Speaker. He talked about the past and the future. Madigan said the last session had been one of the most controversial, contentious and successful sessions in history. He said that the “national economic collapse” had resulted in tax receipts declines of 25 percent, leading to the need for new revenues. And here’s what he said about the next two years… * Quotes…
* Senate President Cullerton also delivered his acceptance speech after being reelected today… “We could not overcome this challenge just with cuts alone,” he said of the budget crisis. Cullerton defended the tax hike as “a measure that will guarantee payment to all that are owed money [and] provide enough funds to maintain basic government services as our economy improves and as our resources increase.” “We have to immediately address substantial education reforms,” Cullerton said, adding, like Madigan that he wanted reforms to make it easier to remove bad teachers. He also, like Madigan, pledged to continue pushing for workers compensation reforms. The Senate President said the state must now “reexamine the need for so many units of local government that result in higher taxes and less efficiency.” Thoughts? * Related…
[Thanks to BlueRoomStream.com for the Cullerton video and Illinois Statehouse News for the Madigan vids.]
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- Fed Up - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 5:18 pm:
Prediction,
Cullerton said, adding, like Madigan that he wanted reforms to make it easier to remove bad teachers. He also, like Madigan, pledged to continue pushing for workers compensation reforms.
Like Madigan Cullerton will ignore education reform and workers comp reform, to concentrate on consolidating more power via a remap. Welcome to illinois the home of bad schools, high taxes, rampant workers comp fraud and a Gov that says whatever it takes to get elected and then does the opposite.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 5:20 pm:
===a Gov that says whatever it takes to get elected and then does the opposite. ===
If he had done the opposite, income taxes would have been reduced by a point yesterday.
Just sayin…
- Palatine - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 5:22 pm:
The Senate President said the state must now “reexamine the need for so many units of local government that result in higher taxes and less efficiency.”
Yes it’s way past time to shrink goverment
- Skirmisher - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 5:30 pm:
I like what the Dem leaders are saying: Now let’s see how the words translate to action, and let’s see if the elephants get on board.
- Anon - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 5:40 pm:
Township and Road District Governmental units should be eliminated. These responsibilities and resources should be turned over to the Counties; with any excess monies returned to the Taxpayers. Statewide the level of Waste, incompetence, redundancy & Corruption is massive.
- Fed Up - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 6:05 pm:
Maybe Im referring to his support of the death penalty. I think we know after some soul searching Pat Quinn’s words on the campaign trail will be one thing and his actions will be another, lets face it Quinns a liar.
- Fed Up - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 6:07 pm:
Rich promising to veto something and then stating he intends to sign it as soon as it gets to his desk is doing the opposite too. just sayin.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 6:53 pm:
Read those quotes. The fact that there’s not an active GOP in Illinois on the state level leads Democratic leaders to pick up the ball for them.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 7:20 pm:
Has anyone seen or heard
From Jay Hoffman ?????
What are his plans
since he won’t be holding
any Press Conference Events
Patting Himself on the Back
for all the Wasted Taxpayers Projects
- Highland, Il - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 7:42 pm:
@Anonymous - let it go man. We know Jay Hoffman was not re-elected.
- Loop Lady - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 7:49 pm:
Fed Up: enough with the name calling…grade school was a long time ago…grow up…Quinn never was dishonest about his plans for the need for a tax increase to address the deficit after his election…pay attention next time…
- Excessively Rabid - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 8:05 pm:
The Senate President said the state must now “reexamine the need for so many units of local government that result in higher taxes and less efficiency.”
If something finally gets done about this, it will be a very good thing. The current system is nutty in any number of ways, one of which is the pension angle. As I understand it, not having any particular knowledge about this, Illinois has 10 or 100 times more governmental units than any other state. And they all make their own elections regarding pension and Social Security participation. So some entities’ employees are covered by IMRF, some just have Social Security coverage, and some, like the one where I live, don’t even provide Social Security coverage for their employees. I don’t think that should even be legal. Everybody should at least have Social Security coverage. And in any case, one system should work for the whole state. It just needs to be one we can afford.
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 8:05 pm:
There could have been workers comp reform already if the GOP had decided a health business climate was more important than docs campaign contributions. But that’s where things go astray. It’s easy to bash Dems on government reform. But when they call you bluff and undercut the unions, turns out the GOP isn’t willing to do the same to its special interests. Because, yeah, things are really going to be different two years from now and the public really, really wants the GA campaings of 2012 to start now.
The way things are going the House and Senate Dems could have their members switch parties and probably win GOP primaries while replenishing their solid Dem ranks.
- fed up with leadership - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 8:15 pm:
Only in Illinois.. If I could sell my house I would leave.
- Soccertease - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 8:30 pm:
I can’t hardly stand it! MJM asks the new legislature to have courage when pressured to use pension money for state operations, etc. Wasn’t he the leader when they changed the law that required the pension system to be funded by a ‘continuing appropriation’ that did not need general assembly approval? He needs to retire in his fairy tale Madiganistan (J Kass term).
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 8:40 pm:
If you have a beef with MJM please dont cite John Kass… You will lose your credibility as he doesnt have a clue as to what he is talking about
- Soccertease - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 8:53 pm:
But he’s witty, Anonymous. I’m not a term limit person, but MJM is a walking billboard for term limits.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 9:00 pm:
–But he’s (Kass) witty–
You’re half right.
- Louis Howe - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 9:05 pm:
The legislature has put the train back on the tracks, but only the governor can make it run on time. Depending on Quinn to deliver efficient government services and justify the tax vote is a dangerous bet, especially when he’s not the one on the 2012 ballot.
- Logic not emotion - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 9:16 pm:
Units of local government… I’ve thought and suggested that townships / etc. consolidate services into the county for a long time to achieve the economies of scale; but… I also realize that there can easily be a negative tradeoff in the level of commitment to maintaining your particular area / roads / etc. Like on so many things, there isn’t just one side to the argument.
- BackinTown - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 9:51 pm:
1. Anonymous: Speaking of a Hoffman… wonder what David Hoffman’s up to since the Senate race. Seems like a decent enough public servant. Anyone else miss that guy? ***crickets*** OK, maybe just me.
2. So much for the 1% “education surcharge” tax increase. How much of the 2% will be going to education? Especially since the $1 per pack tax failed? Be interesting to see what happens.
3. THANK YOU to Rich and everyone else for the awesome live-blogging and steady updates last night. Sincerely appreciated by many, of whom I am one.
- Excessively Rabid - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 9:55 pm:
@LNE: somehow, the other 49 states manage to make it work.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 10:04 pm:
–Units of local government… I’ve thought and suggested that townships / etc. consolidate services into the county for a long time to achieve the economies of scale;–
From one person’s experience, I can tell you that in the Township of Cicero, it ain’t about roads, but they do deliver an incredible amount of service to their seniors. An astounding amount, in fact.
New, clean, Section 8 eligible housing, incredibly efficient at-home care, from health to shopping to cleaning to transportation, plus a turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
He and Betty are gone, but the infrastructure old Frank Maltese’s GOP/Outfit organization put together is still going strong and something to behold. He knew which side his bread was buttered with those senior voters.
- Fed up - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 10:09 pm:
Loop Lady
Quinn was dishonest he stated he would veto any tax increase above 4%. The video is there. Accept it he lied just like when a child lies you have to point it out or it will keep happening. Just watch and see if he was being honest about his support for the death penalty. The people of Illinois were duped by a man willing to say anything to get elected. You should pay attention to campaign promises. I’m sure you believe Quinn when he says the tax increase is temporary.
- Pioneer P. - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 11:17 pm:
These guys and gals all better find a quiet time and ask themselves which side their on. The group think that led to these votes runs completely contrary to how people are feeling these days and it’s going to be a disaster. Even the coverage was way out of touch.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Jan 13, 11 @ 7:20 am:
Taking out incompetent teachers requires competent administrators to evaluate them. I see nothing has been said about improving leadership in education.
- Aldyth - Thursday, Jan 13, 11 @ 7:42 am:
Why do I expect that we will still see business as usual in Springfield? Because we’ve heard promises that all will be changed before and still had business as usual.
If anyone knows how to run an Intervention on a state legislature, please share that information with us. Ours is addicted to allowing just a few people tell them exactly what they are going to do and how they are going to vote.
- U-Haul Ho! - Thursday, Jan 13, 11 @ 7:50 am:
Someone should have announced “No Snark, Please!” before these guys gave their speeches.
Illinois, you have been trolled in a most epic fashion.
- McHenry Mike - Thursday, Jan 13, 11 @ 9:41 am:
Was Cullerton’s reference to abolition of township government? A 2004 study of townships in suburban Cook County found that there would be a 50% savings if the functions now being performed by townships were done by existing local governments in those areas. Once the township population reaches a certain size, or a certain percentage of land area is within municipal boundaries, there should be an automatic sunset provision. Will Cullerton and the Dems now stand up to the TOI on this?