We’re trailing the entire pack again
Thursday, Dec 3, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If Pennsylvania gets this done, Illinois will be the only state without a budget…
HARRISBURG — In the sixth month of a state budget stalemate, lawmakers may make a final push this weekend to agree on the details of historic education funding, expanding the sales tax base, reforming public pensions and making wine and liquor more readily available.
The plan to increase state spending by 6 percent is far from finalized. There’s a “framework” of an agreement, but questions remain on the tax increase. Some Republicans question the robustness of liquor and pension proposals.
Several session days are scheduled next week.
Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre County, when asked how much is agreed to, said: “Ninety percent, but that last 10 percent is the bumpiest.”
“We have to be close,” said Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. “We worked through the past weekend. We need a budget soon.”
Wolf told reporters there’s not “any sticking point” but rather a need to work out details and language.
Pennsylvania is the mirror image of Illinois. They have Republican majorities in the General Assembly and a wealthy Democratic governor.
- Dome Gnome - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 11:00 am:
But do they apply the correct condiments to their hotdogs? I think not.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 11:01 am:
Two days ago, the governor, Sen. Radogno and Rep. Durkin made very clear, as they have for months, that fiscal responsibility in the form of an FY16 budget is not the priority at this time.
No budget negotiations until term limits, redistricting and gutting local collective bargaining are in the bag. They are consistent and insistent.
The result is current FY16 spending at a pace outstripping revenues by $8B to $12B, while major social service providers and universities do without and Illinois businesses do not get paid.
- Observation - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 11:05 am:
Several session days are scheduled for next week and they worked through the past weekend.
Novel idea……
- Austin Blvd - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 11:07 am:
Madigan laid it out pretty succinctly when he said Bruce Rauner has already supported and authorized more spending than can be covered by state revenues.
Like Rauner, minority leader Durkin’ and the editorial boards say, Democrats who control the General Assembly need to be stopped from raising taxes.
Their strategy is working.
What’s the problem?
- Anon221 - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 11:07 am:
Rauner just doesn’t have the tools for the same amount of pain that PA does (/s):
http://www.witf.org/news/2015/11/gridlocked-wall-street-more-concerned-about-impasse-effects-on-munis-in-pa-than-illinois.php
and then there’s the whole personality thingee:
http://www.vox.com/2015/12/3/9837596/self-funding-candidates
- sal-says - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 11:10 am:
Illinois: Where being last always comes first!
- Dirty Red - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 11:11 am:
I think I read not long ago that PA had school funding issues that were putting pressure on the Governor the Legislature to pass something. Hardly the case here.
- Honest Abe - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 11:33 am:
If the legislatures are counting on pension reform to help balance their budget, that makes their budget proposal ify at best. The last pension reform bill didn’t go so well. No doubt they will wait until January to try since they would only need a simple majority for passage of a bill.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 11:51 am:
Yep, Tuesday, there was no indication that the Governor has any intention to get to work on a budget.
Heck, even yesterday, the Governor himself said that he and the Democrats are “close”, but that pertains to the budget. Rauner has no intention to talk budget until the “short term pain” can leverage HIS alleged “long term gain”.
Yesterday, the governor, he disclosed a lot, reinforced even more.
By stating how “close” he and the Legislature are to a budget, and making clear the point that he’s comfortable, very comfortable, with alleged “short term pain”… Rauner thinks very little about the real people being hurt, the groups and organizations being decimated, and all the “Yellow” lights GOP members put on the boards reinforce Rauner, personally, is driving… “short term pain”… and dragging some with him.
There is no budget stalemate.
There is a leverage impasse.
Huge difference.
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 12:03 pm:
==a wealthy Democratic governor==
They may have a ==Saint== of their own for Governor, coming to save the state and perform miracles with his ==reforms==.
But do they have a ==Child-Emperor== as Speaker?
- Secret Square - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 12:12 pm:
Well, since Illinois is 197 years old today I’d cut it some slack for being slow.
- NoGifts - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 1:12 pm:
“and making wine and liquor more readily available.” we’re gonna need that too.
- illini - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 2:42 pm:
Wordslinger and Willy - you are both right.
Springfield “We Have a Problem.”
- Capitol View - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 4:48 pm:
there is a perception that state government is functioning without a budget in place. Wrong. Perfect example is the Department on Aging. IDOA does zero direct services. All of their services and programs are conducted through non-profit providers and regional planning councils. So today Illinois seniors are being terribly underserved by an inert IDOA.
Similarly, most of DHS is eligibility determination and reimbursing direct service providers for services rendered. There are a few mental health facilities, but virtually no state services at the community level for individual families or individuals.
I hope legislators are hearing from community based providers on the verge of collapsing due to the lack of state funding — this while state agencies beg providers to continue serving state agency clients with the understanding that an unspecified rate will sometime in the future provide reimbursements for services rendered since June 1st.
- berita persib - Thursday, Dec 10, 15 @ 4:13 am:
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