34 Comments - Elliott Ness - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:38 am: So, does the Barickman comment apply to the Governor as well? Seems he is also leaving Springfield early???? - Norseman - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:38 am: Never let reality interfere with a good propaganda hit piece. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:39 am: Sen. Barickman, How’s Illinois State University, are you the least bit worried? You troll the Governor as he goes to Rome… Oops, your bad! - AlfondoGonz - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:44 am: Deja vu all over again. - RNUG - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:45 am: If there is no agreement between the Governor and the 4 Tops on anything, having everyone sit around is a waste of time and resources. The only possible good that MIGHT come out of it is, if they are forced to sit there EVERY day from now on, some legislators might decide to break ranks and create a veto-proof majority across party lines … but I won’t hold my breath waiting for that to happen. - Piece of Work - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:46 am: Dems once again take their ball and run home! - m - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:48 am: You’re right Rich, attending a religious ceremony in Rome is much more important than dealing with the budget. - Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:49 am: Like it or not, Trump won because millions of voters despise exactly this sort of Ffffff…fiddling around. - Dog - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:49 am: This begs for…..Nero fiddles while Rome Burns? by the way who’s paying for all this travel? - northsider (the original) - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:51 am: I guess Barickman’s papal invitation got lost. - zatoichi - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:52 am: Did Sen Barickman make a formal proposal to stay in session or volunteer to work on the budget while the others are gone? Piece, didn’t Rauner take a ball as he flies to Rome? - Rich Miller - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:55 am: ===attending a religious ceremony in Rome is much more important than dealing with the budget=== Never said it wasn’t. Perhaps Barickman should say so, however. - DuPage Saint - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:55 am: They should all stay home and work. DO YOUR JOB!!! At very least strap them all in adjoining seats no food or john breaks till an agreement made. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:56 am: ===Dems once again take their ball and run home!=== Nah. You’re asking the wrong question… Will Rauner be able to take the ball through customs in Italy… Ya see what I did there… Maybe you’re unclear in this concept… - Rich Miller - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 10:56 am: ===At very least strap them all in adjoining seats no food or john breaks=== You do realize that would be a huge felony for each instance, right? Either grow up or go away. - A guy - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 11:00 am: Pray to St. Francis that Pope Francis can offer some help! First the Cubs win the WS. Then (hopeful as can be) we get a budget in Illinois…. Now that could help St. Francis of Assisi to one day be joined by St. Francis of Rio. At this point, what harm could be done in asking for divine intervention? - thechampaignlife - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 11:08 am: ===a huge felony=== I think (hope) the “lock them in a room” people are are hyperbolic. But, there could be legal ways to force attendance by losing their seat if they do not comply. It would likely take a constitutional amendment, would be ripe for misuse, and would not necessarily speed an outcome, though. - Henry Francis - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 11:13 am: How much has the State stiffed Catholic Charities over the past 2 years? And now there is nothing more important than jetting off to the Vatican? That’s some chutzpah (even more so for those who are t even Catholic). - Lech W - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 11:27 am: While our elected official can’t seem to fix the imminent financial disaster facing our state; they seem to have plenty of time to craft politically motivated legislation like this doozy - HB6628 ( filed 11/16)– a bill that would prohibit companies that work on building a wall along the border from being awarded state contracts. - Northsider - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 11:29 am: Piece of Work @ 10:46: Do try to keep up. - m - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 11:29 am: ===Never said it wasn’t. Perhaps Barickman should say so, however.== Maybe my grasp of English is failing, but I think that’s exactly what he did. See the whole “no excuse” part. I think you’ve missed who is unclear on the concept. - Up North - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 11:31 am: If only… If only they were invited for a cup of tea with the Pope, and over conversation were asked, “So, what are you doing back there in Illinois? Tell me how you are taking care of your people?”. Imagine they had to be forthcoming with the details. Imagine the response, “You’re doing whaaaaat???” I wish the lack of morality, justifying hurting others in the pursuit of money, their long term game plan, could get out there. Could they really be honest and stand by their actions and goals? I doubt it. - AlfondoGonz - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 11:31 am: Dig up, m. - Cook County Commoner - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 11:33 am: RNUG is correct. Why bother? It should seem clear by now that each side is dug in to defend their constituencies and movement will occur only through surrender. Casualties are irrelevant. - MSIX - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 11:35 am: =Like it or not, Trump won because millions of voters despise exactly this sort of Ffffff…fiddling around.= Like the GOP has been doing in Washington for 8 years? Oh wait… - Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 11:40 am: Mike Madigan and the Democratic Party, all for the status quo! While the state goes deeper into debt! - HangingOn - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 11:54 am: ==all for the status quo== I love this phrase. Before Rauner the backlog of bills was being paid and the pension was being paid into. After Rauner the backlog of bills has more than doubled and they keep talking about stiffing the pension payments. Sounds like the status quo there was the better option… - The Dude Abides - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 12:00 pm: To the trolls on here today, The Governor is going on the trip too. If Madigan and Cullerton meet with the Governor and the GOP leaders every day for the next two weeks do you see a breakthrough? In the two meetings this week the Governor’s conditions for signing a full balanced budget changed from one day to the next. How do you reach a compromise on a sticking point if the sticking points change from one day to the next? I do think that Madigan should offer concessions on a couple of those Turnaround Agenda items but I’ll bet you that if he does do that the Governor will ask for a couple more concessions at that point. - Anon - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 1:30 pm: On a serious note, what if the Pope convinces Rauner to raise taxes? - Hynes Guy - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 1:33 pm: I hope they’re all brushing up on their Italian… - wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 2:12 pm: –Pray to St. Francis that Pope Francis can offer some help!– Or, the governor could drop the pre-conditions that he can’t provide any economic or fiscal rationale for and do his Constitutionally mandated duty. I kid. If he didn’t want this stuff to be happening, it wouldn’t be happening. $14 billion backlog of unpaid bills by June 30, up from $4.4 billion the day he took office. - Anon - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 2:15 pm: Yes we really do need a budget! http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/ct-group-home-investigations-cila-met-20161117-htmlstory.html - Liberty - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 3:05 pm: Someone remind him he isn’t supposed to take communion… - Winnin' - Thursday, Nov 17, 16 @ 4:15 pm: Barrickman to the confessional. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.