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Question of the day

Wednesday, Feb 1, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* If you were giving today’s State of the State address, what would you say?

  79 Comments      


*** LIVE *** State of the State and session coverage

Wednesday, Feb 1, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The State of the State address begins at noon today. I’ll be appearing on Public Television before the address to offer up whatever analysis crosses my mind. Check your local listings for channel numbers and rerun times. You can click here to watch Gov. Pat Quinn’s address online if, like me, you don’t have a TV in your office.

* You might also want to play the Illinois Policy Institute’s State of the State Bingo game. First commenter who says “Bingo!” and can prove it will win a free beverage of choice.

* Here’s a roundup of State of the State preview stories…

* Marin: Quinn has a Rahm problem: On the other hand, if Quinn doesn’t begin to play ball with Emanuel better than he has, the legislative initiatives Quinn hopes to pass this session are on life support.

* Jobs, tax relief on Pat Quinn’s mind: Jobs and economic growth, including tax relief for some Illinoisans, will be a main focus of the State of the State address, Gov. Pat Quinn said Tuesday, but details of potentially painful spending cuts will wait until he presents his budget in late February… “You can’t just cut your way to a better budget. We have to make cuts, there’s no doubt about it,” [Quinn] said. “We also have to build and grow our economy.” … Cullerton was skeptical about offering any tax relief when money is so tight. “We would be most interested in hearing how that could be paid for, given our current fiscal condition,” [a Cullerton spokesperson] said.

* Quinn to deliver State of the State; more tax breaks, too?: A person familiar with the governor’s plans says he wants to let businesses take up to $5,000 off their income taxes if they hire an unemployed veteran.

* Quinn To Focus On Jobs In State Of The State Address: He will also call on a new council of business leaders to come up with a plan to double Illinois exports over the next two years.

* Gov. Quinn: Boost low-income college grants by tens of millions: Spending on state grants for low-income college students would jump by “tens of millions of dollars” under a push Gov. Pat Quinn will make in his State of the State address Wednesday.

* Quinn to talk economy in State of the State: “When I became governor, we had one shift at Ford Motor Company on the South Side of Chicago. Now we’re on the verge of three shifts,” said Quinn. “And then we’ll be talking later this week about Chrysler. There’s something really special coming to Chrysler right here in Illinois.”

* ADDED: Illinois Historic Sites Could Face Deep Cuts

* IL lawmakers want more than job talk from Gov. Quinn: Todd Maisch, vice president for government relations at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, which promotes the interests of businesses in the state, agreed. “We have to give the governor credit. He is willing to engage CEO’s. But we want to see him get outside of his comfort zone and engage employers on many levels,” Maisch said. Maisch said he too wants to hear “concrete plans” from Quinn.

* Educators say funding key to reducing dropouts - Quinn wants law to require kids to stay in school until they’re 18

* Local reps want specifics from governor in State of State

* Editorial: Ground fleet 
to air out state 
budget tactics

* IL Legislature back in session

* Governor Quinn Prepares “State of the State” Address

* Editorial: Quinn’s State of the State comes as fiscal crisis looms

* New funding sources emerge for Chicago-area tech startups

* Video: Dave Syverson on state of the state

* Video: Jerry Costello on jobs

* On to the ScribbleLive coverage. Blackberry users click here, everybody else can just watch the day go by…

  25 Comments      


Quinn mocks Indiana’s “right to work” bill

Wednesday, Feb 1, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Pat Quinn derided Indiana’s so-called “right to work” proposal yesterday as a “right to work for less” idea and defended union rights

“Having a good union work force like Caterpillar and John Deere and Ford and Mitsubishi and Chrysler; they all have – Navistar as well – they’re all organized by the UAW and the UAW believes in making sure that people get a decent wage, get a decent health care plan and a decent retirement,” Quinn said.

Quinn said major companies like those are thriving in Illinois with union labor.

“Take a look at Caterpillar. They had their best year in 2011 since, I think, 1947 was the last year they were as good as they were last year. They sold a lot of machinery all over the world; 90 percent of what they make in Illinois, they export to the world,” Quinn said.

The governor also said he’s not worried about losing Illinois businesses to Indiana.

“That ain’t gonna happen, I’ll tell you that. I think that’s a bad bill and I’m very sorry that Mitch Daniels is gonna sign the ‘right to work for less’ bill. That’s a bad bill for the incomes of hard-working people,” Quinn said.

Quinn, of course, has ignored union contracts by canceling pay raises and attempting to close facilities and lay off workers. Saying you’re for collective bargaining doesn’t mean you’re actually for it.

  65 Comments      


Quinn budget office walks back pension funding shift stories

Wednesday, Feb 1, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* For weeks now, Gov. Pat Quinn and his staff have been saying that he believes more of the burden for pension funding ought to be paid by local school districts. For instance, this is from Monday

Gov. Pat Quinn, responding to a dire new report on state finances Monday, said more clearly than ever that he wants schools and universities to help pay for their employees’ retirement costs.

A statement from Quinn’s budget office said the practice of state government paying for the retirement of downstate teachers and professors “requires careful examination and reform” because “employers need to have a stake in funding their own employees’ pension costs.” [Emphasis added.]

Also, recently

“Everyone who has employees in the pension system should contribute something to the pensions,” Quinn said.

* But Kurt Erickson reports today that the same budget office which has been talking openly about the idea is now starting to walk it back

It appears unlikely Gov. Pat Quinn will push hard this spring to shift some of the state’s skyrocketing pension costs off on local school districts and universities.

A top official in the governor’s budget office downplayed Quinn’s recent comments on such a move, which school districts say could either trigger massive cuts in local school programs or force downstate and suburban districts to seek property tax increases.

Kelly Kraft, deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, said the idea is “a concept” at the moment.

“This is just something we’re taking a look at,” Kraft said.

[Sigh.]

* Related…

* Candidates for Illinois House, Senate back school funding shift: Candidates also said they opposed the idea of shifting the burden from the state and asking local taxpayers to fully fund teacher pensions. T

* Proposal To Shift Teacher Pension Contributions

* Editorial: Brace yourself for a new tax hit

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Wednesday, Feb 1, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Wednesday, Feb 1, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

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