49 Comments - anon - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:15 pm: Politics is the art of the possible. During campaign season, it probably isn’t possible to achieve a balanced budget for the year becaue that would entail a big tax hike. Consequently, we should take the best we can get right now. - @MisterJayEm - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:16 pm: ‘Do you support a stopgap budget, or do you think the governor and legislators should wait until they forge a “grand compromise” and do a full-year budget?’ I held my nose and voted Stopgap. When Illinois’ social service nonprofits die, they stay dead. – MrJM - Pawn - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:17 pm: I voted for a stopgap, even though I want a full year budget. However, I am not in a position to let the perfect be the enemy of the good here. We are looking at massive layoffs at our company on July 1. - 100 miles west - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:18 pm: With Dan Proft getting another pile of cash, I don’t see any grand bargain before the election due to the requirement of new revenue. With all the superpac money running around I don’t see how you can get a bi-partisan vote for higher taxes. Do the stop gap and slow some of the bleeding. - Norseman - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:20 pm: Stopgap. A comprehensive budget is going to require a tax hike. Given the super-majority vote requirement and the politics associated with the election, I don’t believe a comprehensive budget is possible. - Commonsense in Illinois - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:20 pm: I voted for stopgap…not that I think for a moment that it will happen…although it could say in mid-September when Chicago schools don’t open (while I could move that date back to mid-August when downstate schools don’t open, I don’t think either the Governor or legislative leaders really give a damn about anything outside Cook or Dupage counties. - walker - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:21 pm: Do we try to plug some of the worst holes in the dam now? Or do we wait until all parties agree on the design for a new dam — after massive destruction? - wordslinger - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:22 pm: Of course I support a stopgap. Businesses, non-profits, hospitals, utilities are owed billions and haven’t been paid for nearly a year. There supposed to wait for “grand compromises.” It’s ludicrous to talk about “stability” and “reforms” when these entities that acted in good faith are dying on the vine. I can’t recall the Tribbie edit board getting too worked up in the past year about the fact that people are losing jobs and going out of business due to the state’s lack of payment. Of course, not paying bills for years and then paying pennies on the dollar later was the Tribbie business model under Zell. - MOON - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:23 pm: Without funding Map I voted no on a stopgap budget. There are over 25 Public and Private colleges in Illinois. Without Map many of these colleges cannot survive. Consider the affect the closing of some of these colleges will have not only on the students but the economy of the towns were these colleges are located. - LibrarianRyan - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:25 pm: I am all for waiting. A stop gap is not going to do much, but push the inevitable. We are a community are seeing this waiting game too often. They will not fill a Supreme court seat because they are waiting til after the election. Try to get a budget after the election. When is someone not running for something. Plus if we always push the important work til after the election, how do we find time to do more transformative work. I ran a tax funded non-profit. We had to have a budget every year. It was not allowed to be late, or I didn’t get money and my staff and patrons suffered. It could be amended later if need be. Right now get a budget done. Amend after the election if so need be. - Pawn - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:27 pm: MOON, is it ANY stopgap or the Governor’s stopgap that you oppose? Cuz I oppose the Gov’s also — nothing in there for human services either except lump sums… - Agricola - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:31 pm: ==When Illinois’ social service nonprofits die, they stay dead.== MrJM nails it. - Casual observer - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:40 pm: If the gov is fer it, I’m agin it. I. Just. Don’t. Trust. Him. - Huh? - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:43 pm: No. A stop gap budget postpones the inevitable battle royale. It gives a meager hope to these agencies that are on their deaths bed that something good is going to come after the election. - Last Bull Moose - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:44 pm: I reluctantly voted for the stopgap. First, pass a FY16 stopgap with authorized borrowing. (Is this constitutional? ) Then pass a FY17 stopgap, but with no full year components. - Ahoy! - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:51 pm: I wanted to vote for the grand compromise because I believe it is what is needed for our state. We need some reforms and we need to change the way we are operating. But, since I have no hope nor belief that Madigan will do anything useful, i voted for the stopgap - Enviro - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:51 pm: Yes to a stopgap budget that includes fair funding for all levels of education including Chicago Public Schools, early childhood education, K-12 public schools, community colleges, and state universities. - Honeybear - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:51 pm: I’ll be totally honest. I don’t know which to chose. I just feel like with either choice Rauner is going to go after the state workforce. If I choose stopgap, the social services might revive just a bit, but it will give money to allow Rauner to fully engage his war on labor. If I choose wait then the agencies continue dying both public and private BUT doing a comprehensive full year would force Rauner to address revenue and take responsibility for the cuts in order to wear the jacket. I haven’t the slightest. Regardless, I know I’m a world of hurt. - Ghost - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:56 pm: I am thinking like Honeybear, but i agree with Mrjm et all and they have pushed me towards stop gap - Archiesmom - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:57 pm: Stopgap. I think it’s the most we can get until after November. And we have to keep things running. It ticks me off, but there it is - more Illinois sausage. - allknowingmasterofracoondom - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:59 pm: Stopgap. It is too late for the grand compromise…if they don’t get a stopgap done it will be an even bigger disaster than we have today. - Sir Reel - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:02 pm: While I know a stopgap is easier, achievable, etc., I’m just so tired of it all. The one absolute job they have each year is the budget. Do your job. I’m embarrassed to tell people I’m from Illinois. - Just Chilling - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:04 pm: Like other people have said, hard to decide b/c either way has significant costs. But people are being hurt now, and more will be hurt soon. Get something done to get help to those most needing it, then take on the big enchilada. - The Professor - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:06 pm: The phrase “grand compromise” skews the answer. As if a compromise will take some extra human effort, something on the order of the ‘Treaty of Westphalia.’ What has to happen is people simply have to negotiate a ‘compromise’ - that cuts occur where they are agreed and revenue is obtained where it is agreed. Negotiators have to realize that they will have to give but also stay firm on issues that are vital. That’s compromise! That’s good politics!It seems silly to be reiterating this basic fundamental of negotiations. This nonsense has to stop, our state is at stake. - Annonin' - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:11 pm: If Tribbies say “no” the correct answer must be “yes” so we picked “yesorambama” Remember the good, ole days when the Tribbies burped the government/journalism world would swing into action…now the Capt Fax waits til noon to remind folks of an item they missed 48 hours ago. Wow times have changed….Does this mean they against other BigBrain brainstorms too? - CCP Hostage - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:11 pm: Many hostages will die without the stopgap budget as there seems to be little to no hope for a full budget in time to save us. - Rich Miller - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:12 pm: ===people simply have to negotiate a ‘compromise’ - that cuts occur where they are agreed and revenue is obtained where it is agreed=== Um, no. Have you been hiding under a rock for 18 months? The compromise is on non-budget items. Revenue and cuts are basic math, not compromise. - @MisterJayEm - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:25 pm: Revenue and cuts are basic math, not compromise. Just felt that this fundamental fact bore repeating. – MrJM - A guy - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:36 pm: Stopgap. If schools don’t open, chaos will be redefined in a way we’ve never seen before. It’s the best lousy choice out there. - Earnest - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:37 pm: I voted “wait.” I believe a stopgap will continue to leave hostages out in the cold or at best slightly delay their destruction until after the election. Without the significant political pressure that K-12 can bring I don’t think there will be a budget until either Rauner is out of office or Raunerites have a majority in the House and Senate. (Or the House Republicans decided they’d like to make the state better based on their own vision, which, sadly, is not going to happen.) I don’t intend my stance as cruelty. I think it is the most likely scenario to help the widest range of social service agencies, vendors and higher education in the only near-future timeframe I can picture. Otherwise people without strong political voices will continue to suffer. - Wensicia - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:43 pm: The Trib thinks a stopgap would prevent a full budget compromise? Where have they been the past 17 months? We need something now. If it’s a stopgap agreement, well something is better than nothing. In the meantime, perhaps the Tribune could explain to us how the “needed stability or reform” comes from Rauner’s non-budget agenda. Run the numbers for us, guys, prove this can be done without the needed revenue hike. - Chicago Bars - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:46 pm: Stopgap. Just seems like no chance of a grand bargain between now and November. Save a few hostages until then. - The Professor - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:48 pm: Cuts and revenue ‘are’ basic math but the formula has to be attained through negotiations and compromise. Non-budget subjects- the “Turn Around Agenda” - are not germane, and at this point do not belong in this discussion. If you think it does then show me the numbers, show me the analytics. - Secretary Bird - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:53 pm: Stopgap. I hate to not get the comprehensive budget we need, but I hate the idea of people dying from lack of social services even more. - Chicago Cynic - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:54 pm: First stop the bleeding. No real budget will be done before the election anyway. - Rabid - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:54 pm: Yes do something even if it’s wrong - MOON - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:58 pm: RICH The subject of your question is the budget. Any budget will require compromises.Thus,there is more to the budget than Revenue,cuts and simple math. The Turn Around is not budget related except in Rauner’s mind. - m - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 2:10 pm: Stopgap- nobody wins No stopgap- everyone loses Seems straightforward - Dome Gnome - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 2:12 pm: I flipped a coin and it’s not because I’m indifferent. We should’ve had a permanent budget many moons ago. - JS Mill - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 2:14 pm: Stopgap. Full budget would be best, but that isn’t gonna happen. No budget also means federal money will not flow to schools like Title 1 and IDEA. That means Most Illinois schools will fail to meet Maintenance of Effort or MOE and that could be a biog problem too. Social services need every penny they can get so a stogap is better than nothing at this point. - Mama - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 2:36 pm: If they are going to do a stopgap for everyone else, they should do a stopgap for the P-12 schools too. If they don’t limit the P-12 schools, higher education and social services will never get a fully funded. - Mama - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 2:41 pm: “We should’ve had a permanent budget many moons ago.” The old Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda sad song just doesn’t cut it anymore. Its time to start thinking in terms of the present and the future tense. How do we solve today’s problems going forward? - SouthernILGirl - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 2:56 pm: I voted for the stopgap. My organization signed “contracts” with the state and provided social services for 11 mos without payment. We were promised by Rauner appointees that the agreements would be honored. If we are not paid, we will be decimated. Worse, it will signal that our state officials lack integrity, and that does not bode well for anyone doing business in Illinois. - 47th Ward - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 3:05 pm: I voted for a stopgap budget, but not Rauner’s stopgap budget, which excludes MAP and maintains huge cuts to higher ed and other state services. - steve schnorf - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 4:02 pm: anything they can put 71, 36, and 1 on - Capitol View - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 4:22 pm: Pass an FY16 budget before June 30th, so that its appropriations can keep providers and educational systems afloat until after the November election, And then pass the revenue revisions and much better FY 17 budget both with the support of both parties and both the Governor and General Assembly. Should be do-able, if both sides care about governing. - Southern Illinois Hoopdee - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 4:36 pm: I voted for the stopgap option. It isn’t ideal to quote former interim UI AD PK, but is the only thing that can get 71 aye vote. - wordslinger - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 5:08 pm: –If Tribbies say “no” the correct answer must be “yes” so we picked “yesorambama”– “yesorambama” LOL, if my decoder ring is correct, you had the Cavs last night — and need a nap. Lebron just stepped up there with Bill Russell, Kareem, Magic, Michael and Scottie. What does Hawk say — TWTW — The Will to Win. - Grandson of Man - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 6:15 pm: I voted for a stopgap. We have to put the brakes on as much damage as possible. We can do what the governor said, walk and chew gum at the same time. We can fight politically, if we must, as we are doing anyway, and we can at least pass an emergency budget to reduce the horrible damage. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.