The power of crises
Thursday, Mar 12, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Riopell…
Time is running out for lawmakers and Gov. Bruce Rauner to find a budget fix that will allow the state to keep paying for court reporters across the suburbs.
The money for their salaries runs out at the end of the month, raising big questions about how courts will continue to operate without reporters tapping away during hearings the law requires them to attend.[…]
[Kane County Chief Judge Judith Brawka] says she remains hopeful Rauner and top Democrats will cut a deal before funding runs out. Deadlines, she says, and the “impending sense of doom” that come with them, tend to motivate deal-making.
“At a crisis point, they find a solution,” Brawka said.
That’s very true. Usually.
I think they’ll probably get there, too. It just hasn’t been very pretty, but it never is.
- A guy - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 2:17 pm:
It will get to be like Lucy Ricardo at the chocolate factory soon enough. We have no history of acting in Illinois government; just reacting.
- illinoised - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 2:34 pm:
“A guy” nailed it. While I abhor Rauner’s actions, I am just as upset at our General Assembly for vacillating year after year out of fear that doing what is needed (create revenue streams) will cause their constituents to vote them out. NEWS FLASH: we didn’t elect you in order for you to be in perpetual campaign mode, we elected you to solve problems.
- illinoised - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 2:36 pm:
P.S. I am a Dem, and my words are directed at them as well as the GOP members of GA.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 2:36 pm:
Illinois politicians always do the right thing, but only after trying everything else.
- illinoised - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 2:45 pm:
P.P.S. In fact, GA Dems are much more at fault. They have had a supermajority and shown zero guts. In fact, I question whether my state senator is really a Dem, as weak as he comports himself.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 2:52 pm:
47th Ward - winner!
- Say It Ain't So!! - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 2:54 pm:
Will some individuals be denied their right to a speedy trial, if they can’t operate the courts without court reporters? Will people that are unable to bail themselves out of jail, have to stay in jail longer, because their court date might be delayed indefinitely?
- Sir Reel - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 3:06 pm:
They can just ask for someone in the courtroom to take notes.
- Shoedoctor - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 3:10 pm:
Buy an I phone 6 to do the court reporters job until they can fund it . Siri can do it
- real one - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 3:24 pm:
Any deal better include CCAP!
- saywhat? - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 3:27 pm:
I don’t want my life, limb and liberties (& official record of proceedings) depending on Siri! Are you sure you do?
- Anon - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 3:30 pm:
Governor Rauner announces he will solve this crisis by instructing the court reporters to stop typing the letter “g.” The savin’s will start rollin’ in!
- Anon - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 3:43 pm:
“The chares are aravated battery and burlary.”
Look how much I just saved!
- Arizona Bob - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 3:47 pm:
@47th
=Illinois politicians always do the right thing, but only after trying everything else.=
Surrre they do, 47th. That’s why the public pensions are less than 40% funded and there’s conceivable way to raise taxes enough to pay of the current $111 billion liability and maintain any kind of services at the rates to which the Illinois public sector has become accustomed.
Most states see it as an urgent problem when pension funding goes under 70%, like Minnesota saw and addressed.
For the dysfunctional Illinois GA, they just let it drop and refused to try any reasonable means to address it, and Cullerton is still livng in a fool’s paradise stating that he doesn’t think this is a “crisis”
- dupage dan - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 3:52 pm:
Hey, AB, 46th Ward didn’t say they did the right thing for everything all at once. The real world doesn’t work that way. Time was invented so stuff can be spread out a bit. Get with the program.
- walker - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 3:52 pm:
Riopell has been doing some good work for a while. Always look for his byline.
- Downstate Libertarian - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:03 pm:
Unfortunately, A guy and illinoised are right.
We have a GA that has failed to act for the good of the state. Their believing that money is like a diner’s cup of bottomless coffee is causing statewide nausea.
In the end, we will see more posturing and things will be funded, both sides will talk about all they did to make things “work” all the while the can continues being kicked down the road.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:03 pm:
Thanks Dan,
Az Bob must not be a big fan of Winston Churchill. Or reading comprehension.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:32 pm:
Bob:
Illinois has done a couple of things to attempt to address the pension issue. We now have a Tier 2 system. And another attempt was made via SB1. Did they know it probably wasn’t constitutional? More than likely. But, it didn’t really matter what they passed because whatever they passed was going to go to the courts. So, they tried for what they wanted and are going to let the courts tell them what they can and can’t do. Seems like a good plan to me.
So, basically you’re full of it when you say nothing has been done or even tried to be done.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:33 pm:
==Az Bob must not be a big fan of Winston Churchill. Or reading comprehension.==
He’s not a big fan of Illinois. You have to remember that caveat any time you read a comment of his.
- Wordslinger - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:43 pm:
Seriously, court reporters? That’s a crisis? Not in my world, not in this Rauner climate.
I respect court reporters and their work, but Gov. Rauner’s priorities are creating many more pressing crises.
For crying out loud, there was a link yesterday on the Scribble about a proposal in the Rauner budget to slash pre-school for low-income toddlers with HIV/AIDS.
Give that a think. At first, I thought I was having a tripping-bad flashback, but it was real.
Jesus H Almighty, didn’t you all go to Sunday School? Your expensive big brains couldn’t think of ANY alternative to smacking down poor babies with AIDS?
That’s where you start? What’s wrong with you?
To summarize the demonstrated world-view of our governor:
You all make too much money; public sector, private sector, too much.
I don’t base that on economics, just that I don’t, personally, respect or value all you’ve done to make a living to support your family in your one-and-only life.
If you wanted to get rich, instead of being a working stiff actually contributing something, you should have been a lifelong paper-shuffling, politician-buying, Stu Levine-employing, bustout hustler like me.
I intend to use the power of my public office, and the money of King Griffy XLI and Lord Bubblewrap of Lake Forest to knock you down.
Not because it matters to us — we’re way rich — but because it’s fun and we have nothing but contempt for you.
You know, after we made our enormous fortunes in Illinois, we could have done a lot of things to give back.
We could have been like the Illinois Bill and Melinda, or JD Rocky II. — serious b-a capitalists who found grace, and gave back.
Nah. We’re coming for the way you make a living and we’re really going to stick it to the poor, weak and sick.
- A guy - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:48 pm:
====dupage dan - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 3:52 pm:
Hey, AB, 46th Ward didn’t say…===
Did 47 move?
- Anon - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:14 pm:
Nicely said, WS
- relocated - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 6:23 pm:
While I agree with wordslinger’s priorities the fact remains that court reporters are a mandated and necessary part of an essential government service. When the money runs out felony trials will cease. Public health programs have a built in elasticity, if the state money stops for indigent care providers will absorb OE delay costs in an attempt to deliver services because of an innate mission to serve. While it’s immoral to underfund critical health and social services the “crisis” of running out or court funding is more clearcut and tangible in terms of forcing action.
- HCF - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 6:32 pm:
With todays technological advances court reporters are about the equivalent of a buggy whip factory,
Naturally on this blog I will be slammed for this opinion. However the ones here no doubt think we still need the railroad firemen. That’s the problem in Illinois.
- relocated - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 6:48 pm:
Not a buggy whipping but a trial transcript is a n essential record of the proceedings. Other alternatives create access and archival issues and creating a new video capture system or voice recognition system would require startup funds not to mention that the technology isn’t yet trustworthy.
- Anon - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 9:16 pm:
Does the state provide a court reporter for criminal trials? I know at the Daley Center the parties pay for their own court reporters if they want them.