* Not unexpected…
Proposing a budget that lays out major cuts is something nobody wants to do before a primary, even when one’s primary opponent has no money.
But this is kinda wimpy, if you ask me. Let’s get it out there.
…Adding… Quinn’s office says the governor is also expected to outline a five-year spending blueprint. Says budget address has been postponed 13 of past 20 years.
*** UPDATE *** Hmmm…
Chicago Teachers Union spokeswoman Stephanie Gadlin said it was no secret the CTU was planning a “mass rally around pensions” on the day of the budget address.
“The governor and the legislators can run but they cannot hide from their constituents who are trying to fend off a municipal pension heist by Rahm Emanuel,” Gadlin said. “Be it Feb. 19 or sometime in March—the CTU will be there.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** SGOPs…
Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno on Governor Quinn’s requested delay in budget presentation:
“We have been accommodating when it made sense. For example, Governor Quinn’s first year in office. But to push back the presentation of the state’s budget by five weeks for purely political purposes is a disservice to the taxpayers. It’s an abuse of the legislative process and I resent it.”
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:33 pm:
We’re bumping the governor’s budget address simply for the sake of his political campaign?
Ridiculous.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:37 pm:
In light of the “adding” part, that helps matters a bit.
Still, it does seem kind of “wimpy”. Come one.
- DuPage - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:39 pm:
How is he going to project 5 years until he knows if SB1 is thrown out?
- Give Me A Break - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:58 pm:
DuPage you can make that argument for whenever he gives the budget address so what’s your point?
- Bocephus - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:01 pm:
So local school districts have to make budget decisions in March (personnel cuts, program changes, etc.) without any idea on school funding for next year. Cowardly!
- Demoralized - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:03 pm:
==How is he going to project 5 years until he knows if SB1 is thrown out? ==
You make projections based on the laws at the time (or laws you have proposed as part of a budget). You don’t sit around and wait to do the budget until you see what happens with SB1.
- Demoralized - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:06 pm:
==So local school districts have to make budget decisions in March (personnel cuts, program changes, etc.) without any idea on school funding for next year==
They never have any idea. The budget isn’t passed until the end of May. Schools are always forced to make assumptions.
- MrJM - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:11 pm:
When in doubt, kick the can.
– MrJM
- Give Me A Break - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:13 pm:
13 out of the last 20 years, under both GOP and Dem. Govs, the Budget Address has been pushed back,often because of revenue estimates that could be higher or lower than current levels. Govs often wait to see “more solid numbers” before rolling out their budgets. Not cowardly, just using what they hope are more accurate numbers.
- Ahoy! - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:14 pm:
Is the budget address outlined in the Constitution or by law? If by law, lets just move it back permanently. It’s given so soon and then the general assembly doesn’t do much budget related until the later part of May anyway.
Heck, the Governor’s budget address doesn’t currently matter.
- Montrose - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:18 pm:
This shift was not a question of if, but when. I would say it is political, but they are right about the majority of the time it being bumped to later. I think the fact that it is post-primary is just one more reason for the delay, not the reason.
- Anon - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:31 pm:
== school districts are without any idea about state funding ==
If the income tax hike mostly expires during the middle of the next fiscal year, and if Madigan gets his corporate tax cut, it should be easy for school budgeteers to predict continued steep cuts in state funding. IL ranks 50th in state funding and doesn’t want any other state to capture that distinction.
- Ghost - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:39 pm:
with tax cuts and tax increase expirations this budget will be a peice of cake.
its not like we have to pay our bills, just declare a fiscal crisis, and use the State’s police powers to inform debtors they wont be getting thier payments after all.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:48 pm:
How many times has Quinn himself previously postponed the budget address?
And if most of those previous delays were under Blago, it would be nice to know how many times the speech was delayed before Blago took office.
I’m not sure we should be using Blago’s administration as the standard of “normal”, much less excellence.
- Give Me A Break - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:55 pm:
The Address was delayed in 1992, 1997, 1998 and 03, 04, 07, 08 10, 11, and 12.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 3:12 pm:
This will be the latest budget address by far since 2003.
Historically, “pushed back” means a week or two, not a two months. The length of this delay is definitely unusual. Here are the speech dates going back to 2003 (@Give Me A Break may have more handy):
April 12, 2003
February 18, 2004
February 16, 2005
February 15, 2006
March 7, 2007
February 20, 2008
March 18, 2009
March 10, 2010
February 16, 2011
February 22, 2012
March 6, 2013
Either the administration is playing games, or they are running abnormally behind schedule.
- walker - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 3:22 pm:
A lot of moving parts to this forecast, especially for the 5-year time frame.
What do we really think will be occur: with the economy, the tax structure and rate, the pensions? Since the budget address has to assume current law, it becomes even less relevant than it might be.
- AFSCME Steward - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 3:30 pm:
Formerly Known As
Since the Governor has no real primary challenge, probably to help contested Reps & Senators.
“We’re bumping the governor’s budget address simply for the sake of his political campaign?
Ridiculous.”
- Anon - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 3:51 pm:
Last time I saw that CTU spokesman’s name it was here. Must not have happened? Comes out swinging at her almost-boss.
Quinn Hires Away CTU’s Stephanie Gadlin
By Mary Ann Ahern
Friday, Oct 25, 2013
http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Quinn-Hires-Away-CTUs-Stephanie-Gadlin-229262711.html#ixzz2sIXxOwK6
- Frank - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 3:51 pm:
The CTU spin is completely goofy. First, the Governor’s budget address will have absolutely nothing to do with Chicago municipal pensions. Second, the General Assembly will still be in session that day, so their union members will still be able to lobby the legislature against changing their pension benefits. But I’m sure the media will blindly buy into this nonsense and regurgitate the CTU conspirarcy theory.
- dave - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 3:57 pm:
Wow…CTU is really making it harder and harder to be an ally of them. Their over-the-top rhetoric continues to more difficult to handle and support.
Do they really think that the budget address was moved back because of a CTU rally? Silliness.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 4:04 pm:
In 2009, our executive branch endured the chaos of impeaching our governor, replacing him, and organizing a budget address for his replacement during a national economic meltdown
all more quickly than in 2014?
Seems odd.
- mokenavince - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 4:15 pm:
No profiles in courage in Springfield.
- DuPage - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 4:53 pm:
@1:58PM, My point is it was rumored he was going to use about 1.5 billion out of SB1 “savings” for this years budget. If SB1 is reversed at that point, he could possibly cover it by cutting elsewhere. 5 years ahead, he might be spending closer to 7 or 8 billion that could be reversed. If SB1 is then thrown out he would have to make much deeper cuts. It just seems to me Quinn is giving new meaning to the term “going for broke”.
- Juvenal - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 4:57 pm:
The sunset of the tax hike is gonna blow a huge whole in the budget, but an FY 15 budget address that ignores that hole doubling in size in FY 16 is as fantastical as Bruce Rauner claiming the budget can be balanced by cutting employee conpensation, or those who like to argue it can be done by attacking “fraud and abuse.”
Aside from that, The Speaker has called for cutting the corporate tax rate in half, and Quinn needs to lay out that scenerio.
if it takes Quinn’s staff a few extra weeks to do it right, Radogno should be happy.
- Phenomynous - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 5:05 pm:
There are no SB1 savings in FY15.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 5:16 pm:
Sen. Radogno - “I object to Governor Quinn’s delay”
Guv.’s Office - “Overruled”
Sen. Rodogno - “No, no, I strenuously object”
Guv.’s Office - “Oh, that’s different!”
“Commander Galloway” never disappoints.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 5:18 pm:
I suppose you can always start a whisper campaign to speed things up a bit.
- Former Merit Comp Slave - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 6:07 pm:
This may be a stupid question would the upcoming Maag decision have an impact and a budgetary reason for the delay? I hear the decision is in but the court not releasing it until sometime this month. Or could be purely political, who knows any more?
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 6:14 pm:
It takes longer to craft fiction than it does to write facts, so there’s that.
If Sen. Radongo want a budget address sooner, she should give one. I’ve always wondered what the Republicans’ plan looked like; this is her chance to get out in front of the Dems.
- leonard - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 6:20 pm:
Illinois politics provide a considerable percentage of comics’ material. These guys and girls make a buck on fresh absurdities and our pollies are helping the comedy industry and therefore the economy.At least that a positive spin on the situation
- railrat - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 6:48 pm:
golden platter, the GOP “leadership” should grasp this opportunity to establish their financial platform and get some free “digs” into the other side of the isle at the same time !!!! oh that’s right its easier to point fingers, whine, cry point fingers and fight in-house than to formulate options for change! to bad Super Bowl didn’t have a commercial with Ill. Donkeys vs. beer Clydesdale’s……pathetic
- Soccertease - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 9:15 pm:
It’s true that budgets are crafted based on laws in place at the current time. However, at least two huge variables (SB1 and the tax expiration) make the formal budget nearly worthless.
- Ghost - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 9:50 pm:
me thinks the lady doth protest too much
- Juvenal - Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 8:22 am:
Kettle:
Wrong again.
Budget fiction practically writes itself.
The FY 03 budget was passed in record time.
Ryan wanted to get out of town due to his criminal issues.
Lawmakers wanted to hit the campaign trail due to the remap.
So they essentially inflated the revenue projections.
Despite the impact of the tech bubble collapse, 9-11, and the Bush recession, they adopted a budget based on the fiction of moderate revenue growth.
Real budgets get harder to craft the further we move from base budgeting (whatever we spent last year, plus or minus X percent) and toward performance based budgeting, where expenditures are based on outcomes. We are moving from Connect Four to chess in the budget world, campers.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 9:12 am:
- Juvenal - Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 8:22 am:
The FY 03 budget was passed in record time.-
Budget fiction may write itself, but June 2nd budget passage and adjournment is not anywhere close to “record time”. For that, I’d look to 2000 and the FY ‘01 budget, when Pate and MJM really wanted to get out of town early - April 15.