* A new petition on Change.org…

More than a little unclear on the concept, of course. The House impeaches, the Senate removes, and the Senate has no control over who the House elects as its Speaker.

* From the narrative…

The State of Illinois has been without a budget for 60 days. The state museum network goes broke on September 30, 2015. Social service agencies are turning away people in need because they have no funding. Local governments aren’t receiving their gas tax revenues, because it’s illegal to distribute the funds unless there is a state budget. The root cause of the budget impasse is the lack of communication between Bruce Rauner and Michael Madigan. Their inability to agree on even the most issues has brought Illinois to a complete halt. Removing these two men from office may save Illinois.

* Andrea Durbin, the chief executive officer of Illinois Collaboration on Youth, has a different idea…

In recent weeks, we in Illinois were both entertained and appalled by Kentucky clerk Kim Davis’ refusal to do her constitutional duty when she refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. The nation raised alarm and expressed astonishment for her blatant disregard of public office, indifference to the rule of law, and willful disobedience.

But here at home, our own elected officials have failed for months to do their constitutional duties, and I cannot understand how this situation is fundamentally different from that of Kim Davis’. […]

How is it possible that our elected leaders have not met in four months? What could be a higher priority than doing their constitutionally defined job? Where are these supposed negotiations taking place if they are not even speaking to each other? Where is the outrage? Where is the public shaming?

Our leaders have harmed far more people by their refusal to do their jobs than Kim Davis ever has, but she’s the one who was held in contempt of court. It seems only just that our elected officials — legislative leadership, rank-and-file legislators, and the governor — should face such consequences. Isn’t their unwillingness to meet a demonstration of their contempt for us and the Illinois Constitution?

Contempt of court, eh? Hmm. I wonder where I’ve heard that one before?

Maybe we’ve got a movement going here.

       

23 Comments - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 3:32 pm: To all those wanting Rauner removed; The reason Rauner chose Slip and Sue for his #2, “hired her”, was so we all think twice about Slip and Sue being next in line… Sonething to consider. - sal-says - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 3:36 pm: Had thought about & looked at change.org for a petition to remove raunner myself. Maybe a concept who’s time has come. And, how much worse can the LtGov be? - Anonymous - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 3:42 pm: All this and a bag a chips will net a success of….a bag of chips. - Stu - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 3:45 pm: They may think it’s a movement, and that’s what it is… - Arthur Andersen - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 3:48 pm: Stu, they let you have a computer in Duluth? - Wordslinger - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 3:49 pm: Budget talks without preconditions would likely lead to a resolution of the fiscal crisis. - AC - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 3:53 pm: I like the idea, even though I don’t think it’s realistic to impeach Rauner and Madigan, it does make me smile to think about it. The contempt of court idea seems far more achievable. - Robert the Bruce - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 3:55 pm: Good for Ms. Durbin. We need more voices blaming both Rauner and Madigan, rather than just blaming one. - A guy - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:00 pm: Idiotic. Like just about everything from change.org or it’s right wing counterparts. Truly the places where the most uninformed meet to discuss…nothing. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:09 pm: “Acting Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti today with Temporary Speaker Barbara Currie as the 4 current legislative leaders and sitting Governor Bruce Rauner spent week two at the Metropolital Correction Center in Chicago, fulfilling their 30 day contempt of court sentences. Temporary Minority Leader Ron Sandack tweeted a selfie … “ - How Ironic - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:13 pm: OW, I smell a “Dad’s House” episode coming up. Not one of the more serious ‘very special episodes’ either. Full comedy. - walker - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:14 pm: Time to change the status quo. No not that one, this one. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:15 pm: - How Ironic - Once the WGA serves Bakke with a “Cease and… I said… too much. - Norseman - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:21 pm: In the Capitol Fax world it’s often deja vu all over again. - Skeptic - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:21 pm: “They may think it’s a movement” But then so is 50 people a day walking in, singing one chorus of “Alice’s Restaurant” and walking out. - Wensicia - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:22 pm: I don’t see how this is any more useful than the rhetoric coming out of the governor’s office. It makes for good sound bites, but nothing else. Nobody is going to do their jobs until certain people (one person in particular) back off of their unrealistic demands or serious consequences caused by the standoff affect more people. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:22 pm: - How Ironic -, I do have a Thanksgiving Episide that includes a Trashcan Van chase, a closed supermarket, a broken rollerblade, and “ck” writing a very moving Thanksgiving message. I actually wept. - Wensicia - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:26 pm: OW, don’t forget the prairie chickens in place of the Thanksgiving turkeys due to lack of budget constraints. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:30 pm: ===…don’t forget the prairie chickens…=== They actually “save” Thanksgiving. I can’t say how… - Ghost - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:32 pm: Madigan and Cullerton passed a budget and sent it to the Gov…. so how have they failed to pass a budget? I am surprised they are not pointing out more that tuey sent the Gov a budget… - Captain Illini - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:36 pm: Wensicia: The Prairie Chickens have all been eliminated due to the budget stalemate, since during the last Grand American at the former Shooting World, clay targets were too expensive, thus prairie chickens happen to fit nicely into hurling machines… - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:36 pm: To the Post, The contempt of court scenario is intriguing, give the vast amount of federal monies all 5 are responsible for passing it thru state government, the argument to get a budget to eleviate that pass-thru stress is just fascinating. Doesn’t mean I see it as reasonable, Rich’s column really gets at the heart of it. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 2, 15 @ 4:42 pm: “Doesn’t mean I don’t see it as reasonable, Rich’s column really gets at the heart of it.” Apologies Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.