* During overtime session, the media almost always uses dollars per day calculations to shame legislators into wrapping things up. So, I think that Gov. Pat Quinn’s number may have a fairly big impact, at least with the press…

New figures demonstrate how Illinois is getting deeper and deeper into the unfunded pension liability hole.

Gov. Pat Quinn says what’s now an $83 billion dollar debt is increasing by $12.6 million a day.

CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports the state could be another $1 billion or so in the hole before the Illinois General Assembly does anything. […]

According to Quinn’s accounting, at $12.6 million a day, the delay would cost $441 million; by the veto session just after Election Day — the soonest most believe a bill could be introduced — it would be $1.7 billion. If they took a full year, the state would be another $4.6 billion in the hole.

“It’s time to go and put the taxpayers first, not politics first,” Quinn said.

* As I mentioned below, however, the can was kicked down the road again…

Negotiations between Gov. Pat Quinn and legislative leaders about public employee pension reform hit another roadblock Thursday, with talks morphing from a discussion about retirement benefits to education funding equality in Illinois.

The issues became entwined as Democrats continue to push a proposal that would shift some pension costs from the state now pays on to suburban and Downstate school districts. Republicans oppose the plan, saying it would force property taxes to rise as schools try to recoup the extra costs.

GOP leaders say the cost-shift idea shouldn’t be connected to pension reform because it’s a school funding issue, and on Thursday asked for more time to study how money is distributed to schools across the state. […]

By asking for more time to study education funding, Republicans are attempting to force Democrats to back away from the cost-shift idea. Either Democrats peel that portion off and move forward with broader pension reforms this summer, or Republicans can put the blame on Democrats for inaction during the fall election.

“When you don’t want to talk about the free lunches for local school districts, you talk about school funding,” said House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago.

But Madigan said he was confident an agreement could eventually be reached, saying it can be difficult to move plans forward in Springfield “but if you stay with it, there will be accomplishments.”

* The SJ-R editorialized on the latest delay…

With negotiations now pushed almost to August, it’s looking more and more like this is an issue that is destined for dormancy until the post-election veto session in November. How convenient. Now lawmakers from both parties can campaign on the fact that they really, really want pension reform and they are certain it won’t cost anyone anything.

We can only hope that the bond ratings agencies have more faith in and patience with our elected officials than we do.