* Background here. From House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
“After the compromise that occurred last week outside of the purview of Speaker Madigan, I’m not surprised by his attempt to take my statements out of context in an attempt to prevent future compromise. I have been consistent for months - work with the Republicans to reach a negotiated balanced budget that provides for state services with real money rather than the phony appropriation bills he supports that only add to the $7 billion plus backlog of unpaid bills.”
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 6:05 pm:
To the Post,
If Durkin flexes his muscles and secures 60 with Denocrats outside the Speaker, that’s the Leader I had hoped Durkin would be.
Keep moving the ball, Leader.
Keep working to cobble your 60.
Keep finding ways to keep poison pills out of the discussion.
Then, you’ll knkw where I be, Leader Durkin.
Oswego Willy
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 6:18 pm:
What’s the context Jim?
And yes, technically if there is an agreement stab someone in the heart instead of dump a magazine from an automatic rifle into their heart, you can call it compromise. At the end of the day, the result is the same: death. Will there be anyone left to turn out the lights?
- Gert Frobe - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 6:19 pm:
Nice that he didn’t mention “reforms.”
- Macbeth - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 6:27 pm:
Come on, Durkin. Enough.
If you say you can’t see a way to get it done — then you can’t see a way to get it done.
That’s the context.
- Annonin' - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 6:47 pm:
That’s our Durkie
Work with the Republicans till we are ready to fold (aka day care) then BigBrains shelve their 1%er schemes and empty a pot of money for colleges.
Then pop up and give the same old tired senseless speech.
Next thing they will be on the bus to Indy to defend their guy Trump
- 47th Ward - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 6:54 pm:
Nice noises.
They are working the old four corners offense, hoping to run out the clock on FY16. Only a few more session days left to salvage something for human services, maybe an 80% cut for which the providers will be ever so grateful.
This is the plan. If they get the reforms, they win. If they get huge spending cuts and no tax hike, they win too. They’ve finally out-Madiganed Madigan.
- wordslinger - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 7:05 pm:
Let’s not go nuts with the “real money” stuff.
Claiming you have a “surplus” of $600 million in one fund while you’re running a $6.2 billion deficit in GRF ain’t exactly kosher.
There’s a “surplus” of loose change in my couch cushions that I can use to pick up a six-pack. But continuing to buy groceries on the credit card is still a bad idea (especially when you’re running up late payment charges on the credit card).
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 7:30 pm:
===Let’s not go nuts with the “real money” stuff.
Claiming you have a “surplus” of $600 million in one fund while you’re running a $6.2 billion deficit in GRF ain’t exactly kosher.===
I just completely ignored that because I know there’s no way Durkin gets 60 with that gobbily-gook as a real condition.
Now if Durkin said, specifically “structural reforms” I would’ve just sighed and moved on.
- Anonymous - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 7:56 pm:
Wordslinger nailed it. Lotta R hypocrisy on $ needs. Get real-revenue is needed.
Just as Rauner surprised everyone and vetoed the budget for all but schools, these piece meal bites, although maybe hopeful, could be the full meal of the budget. There is merit in going for the big deal, not the one-offs.
- Jibba - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 8:10 pm:
Durkin, Rauner, and the entire GOP caucus have no credibility on this issue until they propose a balanced budget. Any budget, any fiscal year. Take your pick.
Of course, if you start to add up the dollars cut from higher ed and the social services, Rauner’s FY16 budget proposal is getting closer to balanced, without having to wear the coat for the cuts in the first place. I would wonder if that was the plan all along, if the extra court-ordered spending in FY16 due to the lack of budget didn’t blow up Rauner’s original proposal. Seems like he needs a few billion more in cuts now, but the FY is almost over. Unless you quit paying striking employees for a couple of months, where else can you find the money to end the FY?
- Juice - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 8:35 pm:
The $600 million in the Education Assistance Fund is and has always been part of the $32 billion in general funds.
Statute allows certain ISBE line items in the general revenue fund (one part of General Funds) to simply be transferred to the education assistance fund.
Specifically appropriating money out of EAF because the comptroller chose not to use her authority to spend those dollars does not make the bill the Governor signed any more “balanced” than the “unconstitutional unbalanced” budgets he has vetoed to date. The heat became hotter. Nothing more. Nothing less.
- Michael Westen - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 8:52 pm:
” I have been consistent for months”
The only thing Durkin has “been consistent for months about” is “I’ll do exactly as the Governor instructs me to do……regardless of how many people are hurt.”
- JS Mill - Monday, Apr 25, 16 @ 10:49 pm:
Thanks to Word and Willy for helping Durkie understand the meaning of words.
Spot on.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 6:04 am:
Rs plying the Stockholm syndrome.
- downstate commissioner - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 7:51 am:
wow, this blog was really balanced on Durkin’s comment. Not that I disagree with the rest of you, just an observation….
- Not It - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 8:41 am:
Jibba, why are you demanding the Republicans put forth a balanced budget but not the Democrats? Did the Democrats put forth a balanced budget that I somehow missed?
- Jimmy H - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 8:56 am:
Durkin has as much credibility as Rauner.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 8:57 am:
–Jibba, why are you demanding the Republicans put forth a balanced budget but not the Democrats?–
Check Article VIII, Section 2 of the state Constitution. It has something to do with the responsibilities of the governor.
Geez, sixteen months in and some of you Raunerbots aren’t even trying.
- A guy - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 9:03 am:
Nothing here that a little over-analysis can’t fix. The Leader observed that the Speaker took his words out of context; he did. When your whips can’t or don’t “whip”, big daddy needs to snap his belt. And many of you are hoping it works; against your own best interests.
- walker - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 9:05 am:
Durkin finally playing a role, beyond ensuring compliance. Good for him.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 9:20 am:
===When your whips can’t or don’t “whip”, big daddy needs to snap his belt. And many of you are hoping it works; against your own best interests.===
For “a guy” who claims his past/present imcludes(d) PR, I have no clue what this Word Jumble is conveying in this situation.
Words matter ’cause people convey thoughts on them.
What is the thought here, you found a cool phrase and you were going to use it, no matter what?
Ugh.
- Hamlet's Ghost - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 9:23 am:
# Jibba, why are you demanding the Republicans put forth a balanced budget but not the Democrats? #
The Constitution places the obligation to produce a balanced budget on the Governor, without consideration of party.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 10:39 am:
“I’m not surprised by his attempt to take my statements out of context in an attempt to prevent future compromise.”
Still waitin’ for Durkie and/or BigBrains to send over the context from which Madigan took his comments. Guessin’ they will be servin up any minute. NOT
- Markus - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 11:58 am:
Listen to the full 7 minute interview for context. The first 5 are spent calling Dem’s “despicable” and continuing to push collective bargaining as a key budget issue. The last 2 minutes are more congenial.
http://www.wlsam.com/2016/04/25/state-legislative-leader-predicts-budget-deal-by-the-end-of-may/
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 12:01 pm:
==- A guy - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 9:03 am:==
What’s the context?
- A guy - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 12:33 pm:
PC, gotta check with the spoon feeders. I think his whole statement was published here yesterday.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Apr 26, 16 @ 5:14 pm:
What compromise?
Did Democrats agree to permanent spending cuts?
Did Republicans agree to raise taxes?
Someone please tell me what compromise there was?