18 Comments - RNUG - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 9:17 am: Rich, I think you missed linking the House feed - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 9:26 am: From the Daily Herald, from the Feed: “Despite reserving a hotel conference room on his own dime, a Saturday meeting to oust Illinois GOP party chair Pat Brady for statements supporting gay marriage won’t be happening as a suburban state senator has hoped. At least not yet.” lol Oberweis!! What is it with McCarter, McSweeney and Oberweis? Do they all have a Tin Ear, do not understand the political landscape of their Dopey moves, and how it will impact how the ILGOP is to be seen? Maybe we (me included!) are all wet on this, maybe MJM’s “plants” are McCarter, McSweeney and Oberweis! They must be living in a vacuum, reading about what is going on here in Illinois, and then doing the exact opoosite of what needs to be done, not understanding HOW they do things is not going to bring about the needed changes, or the needed outcomes favorable to the electorate to allow the ILGOP to grow. Rent a room, no one shows. Hope all the ice cream won’t melt. The three of them remind me of the kid who, after Junior High, when parents allow the kids to CHOOSE what birthday parties they go to, finds out all the kids who use to go to their party, are forced, and when they have the choice, don’t choose them. “But I’m cool, just ask me!” Oberweis, not helping my party. Dump Brady, but not at the pitchforks and torches of SSM. Dope! - cassandra - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 9:34 am: I hope Quinn has a backup plan for the lost prison funding; maybe, instead of giving the money to DCFS, he should have put it into programs which would reduce prison populations (other states are doing it) safely and into hiring some competent and innovative executives for the state prison system. Overcrowding and violence are almost certainly connected….hello. Hiring a hundred plus more DCFS investigators to go out and unfound more reports of child maltreatment doesn’t do much for the kids, either, even though it looks good on a campaign flyer. DCFS has major and varied problems,s chronicled almost weekly by the Chicago Tribute, and hiring more investigators is the most simplistic solution. We’ll need a new governor and new management to have a hope of fixing these problems though. Quinn has already shown he can’t manage either Corrections or DCFS. - StayFree75 - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 10:28 am: Great, more DCFS investigators to make more mistakes. Just what everyone needs. 75% of all reports of neglect and abuse to DCFS are unfounded, and of the remaining 25% “indicated” reports, over 75% of those are overturned on administrative appeal. Waste and inefficiency should be cut, not added to through fear tactics (”1,900 jobs will be cut”, yeah right, that will NEVER happen). - Norseman - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 12:40 pm: It was hard, but not impossible to watch Quinn’s boring and meaningless address. - Blowback - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 12:52 pm: I don’t think the 100+ children that died due to uninvestigated abuse and neglect in Illinois last year would have a problem with it. As an adoptive parent of two boys from abuse/neglect cases I don’t have a problem with it either. And I challenge STAYFREE75 to cite a factual source for 75% number. Thank God if they ARE unfounded. I’d rather see that than 75% FOUNDED. - Blowback - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 12:59 pm: I’ll go ahead and help out with the numbers. FY13 (2012) DCFS investigated 52,626 alleged victims. Of those 18,877 were unfounded. That’s 35.87% unfounded. Here’s the shocker. Victims were UP 2.3% in 2012 and unfounded reports DROPPED 19.8%. Your argument is dismissed. - Blowback - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 1:01 pm: I’ll take it further. 121 Abuse/Neglect deaths in Illinois. That’s an increase of 26% IN ONE YEAR. I don’t agree with ANY OTHER THING Quinn said, but I’ll defend this one. - Blowback - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 1:13 pm: I need to correct my numbers… 52,626 alleged victims, 11,487 indicated (confirmed), 10,844 STILL PENDING. - RetiredStateEmployee - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 1:16 pm: Pension - yada, yada, yada, pension, yada, yada Oops! Forgot $8 billion dollars in payment backlog. - Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 1:21 pm: Norseman, excellent. AA came out all right on the question of “How many times will the word ‘Squeeze’ be used in the speech?” Always aim low with Quinn and you are less likely to be disappointed. I thought his discussion on pensions was short and inadequate. How about even a few details of what you support/oppose? A mention of the Constitution? I do have to give him props for his support of active duty military and veterans. I believe his feelings are sincere and that is about the only thing I can affirm about the speech, or PQ generally. - StayFree75 - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 1:24 pm: Blowback, the 75% figure of unfounded allegations is from DCFS’ own historical statistics. Go look it up. The 75% of the remaining 25% “indicated” findings being turned over on appeal is also from DCFS’ own statistics the last time DCFS would provide the information several years ago. By some measures, such as the Family Defense Center’s statistics on administrative appeals they’ve handled in recent years, DCFS is now losing more than 75% of administrative appeals. - RNUG - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 1:27 pm: AA, I would assume, given 2 mentions of SB0001, that’s where Quinn is going. - Nickypiii - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 2:07 pm: Has Dan Biss even read the State Constitution? Every time he comments on his legislation, he forgets about the Constitutional requirements concerning diminished pension benefits. John Cullerton’s original bill might pass constitutional muster because it allows employees a choice of their COLA or State supported health care. - Norseman - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 2:23 pm: Did I miss any props to MJM? I’m sure the Speaker enjoyed the props given the other leaders. - Blowback - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 2:32 pm: - StayFree I could only read a couple of those before I had to stop. I can’t imagine the heartache of a parent in those situations and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. - Small Town Liberal - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 3:10 pm: - Did I miss any props to MJM? - The governor complimented the speaker on his efforts to implement the ACA, very early in the speech I believe. - Just The Way It Is One - Wednesday, Feb 6, 13 @ 3:35 pm: Amen, STL. He sure did pointedly complement MJM–who didn’t look up then, but did then vigorously applaud the Gov.’s point at the end of tha paragraph of the speech. And, like him or not, overall, a very solid address by Pat Quinn–the theme, that improvements needed are what “Our Illinois” is, was actually somewhat inspiring, and calling upon the Legislature to show some real courage in acting on critical measures at a critical juncture in the Land of Lincoln’s history. And, yes, compliments to a VARIETY of Leaders (GOP too), worthy Illinois citizens, and key Voting Blocks–even to Lisa Madigan!–were, and fittingly so, just flying out of the Governor’s mouth in Springfield today. All in all, a very good day for Illinois’ Governor. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.