* Yep…
As I’ve been saying all along, the idea isn’t to get a bill to the governor’s desk this week, it’s to come up with a bipartisan Senate counter-offer to the governor and to hopefully prod the House Speaker into meaningful talks with Gov. Rauner based on that outline.
As subscribers know, the question now is whether there will actually be a bipartisan Senate package today. We’ll see.
* The AP fills us in on what’s at stake here…
• $11 billion: The amount in bills at least 60 days old that the state owed, as of Friday, to vendors and service providers. That figure is higher than the current-year expected general revenue for 30 states, and more than the estimated tax dollars coming in this year for Alaska, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming combined, according to figures from the National Association of State Budget Officers.
• $5.3 billion: The estimated Illinois budget deficit on June 30 if nothing changes, according to the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget. That’s more than 13 percent of the total the state is on track to spend this fiscal year, and it’s the amount of revenue Arkansas estimates it will raise all year. Without action, the governor’s budget office predicts a $7 billion deficit in June 2018, or nearly 18 percent of the total spent.
• $1.7 million: The amount that was available for rape crisis centers to spend last fall after Rauner and legislative Democrats agreed to a six-month, stopgap budget that expired Dec. 31, according to Polly Poskin, executive director of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Other money appropriated paid the previous year’s bills. The remainder is about one-quarter of what the 29 centers statewide need to operate annually, so clients are waiting longer for counseling and layoffs have meant professionals must do administrative chores.
• $0: The amount available, once again, for the income-based Monetary Award Program that helps students attend college. The stopgap provided $321 million for 107,000 awards, but that left 162,000 eligible students without help. For the spring, the budget uncertainty once again puts colleges in the position of fronting students the money with the hope of state reimbursement or students finding alternatives, including sitting home instead of registering for class. An Illinois Student Assistance Commission survey in December found that more than half of MAP-eligible students responding to a survey reported the funding uncertainty had adversely impacted their school plans.
• 1 million: Number of people who had lost services from United Way social-service agencies, including mental health and substance-abuse treatment, domestic violence services and HIV prevention, as of last summer. The United Way of Illinois reported that 91 percent of its local organizations had cut services.
* Related…
* State cuts blamed for falling Springfield hotel occupancy rates
* Senate budget deal brewing ahead of lame duck session
* Lame-duck lawmakers return to Springfield with obstacles in way of budget deal
- zatoichi - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 8:58 am:
and the Governor’s budget package is where?
- Northsider - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:02 am:
@ zatoichi: Rauner’s motivation is to prove the HIS is the biggest package in town, even if it is still in “Double-Secret Standby Until I Get My Way” mode.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:02 am:
===• $0: The amount available, once again, for the income-based Monetary Award Program that helps students attend college.===
The opportunity to go to a university out of state with significant monetary awards for incoming freshmen continues to exacerbate this MAP issue. Why go to UIUC, hoping for MAP when Kentucky, Iowa State, Kansas, and Missouri, just to name a few will reap the students and families tired of UIUC refusing to make themselves competitive.
===* State cuts blamed for falling Springfield hotel occupancy rates===
Wait till Eastern Illinois University closes.
“Charleston Housing Prices Drop, Losing Population”
You go, Rep. Phillips!
- Tommydanger - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:06 am:
OW, don’t forget Canada on the list of real destinations for the exportation of Illinois’ youth and their parent’s dollars.
- budget bill - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:13 am:
cant we find a $billion or so in savings before we raise taxes AGAIN?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:18 am:
===cant we find a $billion or so in savings before we raise taxes AGAIN?===
Read what you just typed.
The state is already $5 billion off this years budget and $11 billion in a backlog of bills.
Those billions aren’t going to be changed by finding a single billion.
So, what’s your point?
- Henry Francis - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:25 am:
At this point, does anyone believe that the goal for Rauner or Madigan is a budget, or avoiding blame for lack of the budget?
- Deft Wing - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:29 am:
It’s all about “laying down a marker.” Right.
That’ll teach Madigan & Rauner and absolutely move them towards compromise and reconciliation.
- budget bill - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:35 am:
not paying bills is not cutting spending. i actually want dollar for dollar in spending cuts to increased revenues via taxes. this state, like most taxing entities, does not have the fiscal discipline to not increase spending when it happens upon a revenue windfall.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:38 am:
–• $5.3 billion: The estimated Illinois budget deficit on June 30 if nothing changes, according to the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget. –
They wish. That’s a phony political projection, to keep the deficit on the budget the governor signed lower than the $7 billion in the House bill that did not become law.
For the FY17 budget actually passed by the GA and signed by the governor, COGFA put the deficit at $8 billion back in July. The whiz kids at U of I put it at $13 billion back in November. Since then, we’ve seen a shortfall in projected revenues.
- Blue dog dem - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:42 am:
Budget bill. Love your handle. I couldnt agree with you more. This state needs to trim sbout $3.5 billion before old blue joins the tax pack.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:46 am:
===This state needs to trim sbout $3.5 billion before old blue joins the tax pack.===
Your ignorance is compelling.
Cut $1 billion, cut $3.5 billion, there’s $11 billion in a backlog and $5 billion in a real budget deficit.
Even with your “get off my lawn” frustration, you make zero sense in recognizing the problem.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:48 am:
===This state needs to trim sbout $3.5 billion before old blue joins the tax pack===
Way to just pick a number out of the air.
- A guy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:56 am:
Can never afford to be too optimistic in our state, but it appears that at least a framework is beginning to emerge. There is that.
- Lurkin' MBA - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 9:57 am:
$1 billion. $3.5 billion. $5 billion. These numbers are pretty abstract. Can we talk about specific programs to be dropped to achieve the savings?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:00 am:
===$1 billion. $3.5 billion. $5 billion. These numbers are pretty abstract.===
“• $5.3 billion: The estimated Illinois budget deficit on June 30 if nothing changes, according to the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.”
That’s not abstract, insofar as the GOMB recognizes its existence. Is the GOMB abstract? That’s also a “best case”, the $5.3 billion, so there’s that.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:02 am:
===i actually want dollar for dollar in spending cuts to increased revenues via taxes. this state, like most taxing entities, does not have the fiscal discipline to not increase spending when it happens upon a revenue windfall.===
Then ask the Governor where are his $5.3 to $11 billion in cuts.
Get back to me.
- illini97 - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:05 am:
Unless I’m mistaken, about $11 billion of the State budget is discretionary. That $11B include K-12 funding, to the tune of about $6-7B. For the sake of argument, let’s say that is off limits, putting the remaining discretionary spend section at $4-5B.
Cutting $3.5B means we fund almost nothing except the pathetic amount we give K-12 schools now.
I’m sorry, I just don’t think a $3.5B cut is within the realm of possibility. The math doesn’t support it.
- Joe M - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:08 am:
===This state needs to trim sbout $3.5 billion before old blue joins the tax pack===
Illinois already is at the very bottom of total state expenditures per capita AND the number of state employees per capita AND state dollars put into K-12 education. What specific cuts do you propose?
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:10 am:
The Speaker says cuts and revenues are necessary to solve the budget deficit when giving his talks to the pen and mike club.
But when push comes to shove he does neither and passes a 7 billion dollar budget without consulting with even Senate Democrats that contains no cuts or revenues.
Should we hold the Speaker to the same standard as the Governor OW?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:14 am:
===Should we hold the Speaker to the same standard as the Governor…===
You mean the Constitution?
Article VII, Section 2, (a)?
“a” comes before “b”….
No one is stopping the governor from proposing his budget, it’s cuts, and its revenue enhancements, LOL!
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:15 am:
Article VIII.
Apologies.
- Fixer - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:16 am:
LP, we should hold all elected officials to a high standard. Your point?
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:18 am:
Maybe you can explain how Rauner’s budget would be passed over the objections of the Speaker and get back to us.
I think you are the only one laughing right now OW
- wordslinger - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:21 am:
–But when push comes to shove he does neither and passes a 7 billion dollar budget without consulting with even Senate Democrats that contains no cuts or revenues.–
What’s your fascination with a placeholder bill from last May that never became law? Your coding needs updating, Mr. Roboto.
The actual budget passed into law is further out of whack and needs to be dealt with.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:22 am:
===Maybe you can explain how Rauner’s budget would be passed over the objections of the Speaker and get back to us.===
Work to get 60 votes.
Been saying it for 2 years.
You can’t read? You can’t keep up?
Since the 1970 constitution, every single governor needed and found 60 votes for any number of things including budgets.
If you don’t understand this, seriously, are you just here on this blog to show your own ignorance that things need to be repeated to you in a daily basis, or are you ignorant to just learning in general.
Your act is tiring. Either you refuse to read what people comment, or daily you forget what is actually said yesterday or later.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:25 am:
My fascination is that you and all of the status quo bots that blindly defend the Speaker don’t hold him to account to compromise and make a deal.
Point to one serious compromise or serious cut he has proposed to solve the impasse. I will hang up and wait for my answer.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:28 am:
OW your willful ignorance about prying democrat votes away from the Speaker is plastered all over Ken Dunkins bulletin board right now.
The deal will be made among the leaders or won’t happen
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:30 am:
===Point to one serious compromise or serious cut he has proposed to solve the impasse.===
What governor in the history of… ever… has decided the budget of an entire state is second to an agenda that can’t get 60 votes on its own merits.
I can’t think of a single responsible governor willing to say to the legislative branch…
“I don’t care what agencies are funded, not funded, or even at the level of any finding…”
That’s the new status quo.
The status quo of responsible governing is what you are constantly ignoring, and you believe in the premise that Rauner is passive in funding or deciding the funding levels of his own agencies.
How warped is that.
You act is tiring.
- Blue dog dem - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:32 am:
Excuse me Rich, but i have detailed nearly $2 billion i think can be eliminated. So, if an ignoramous like me can do it, then i m sure the more intelligent can find more.
I would definetly slash k-12. Starting with the regional offices, drivers ed. PE unti jr high. I would COMPLETELY eliminate the remnants of DCEO.
Higher ed? No waste to be found there i bet.
I would slash the LGDF reimbursement to half of what it is, so cities and counties across the state can quit wasting money on things like right to work legislation,snow removal specialists and birthday parties for cartoon characters.
Want more? Lets open up a post one day for everybodies list of wasteful niceties.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:33 am:
According to liberal John Mc Carron of the Chicago Trbune horse trading of so called “non budget issues” has been part of the budget process for decades OW. Please keep up.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:34 am:
===democrat votes===
Speaks volumes about you. Volumes.
===…your willful ignorance about prying democrat votes away from the Speaker is plastered all over Ken Dunkins bulletin board right now.===
Nah, see, again, you just ignore so much daily.
Rauner says every chance he gets that there ARE Democratic votes. I don’t, Rauner does.
Very well, Governor, get on those stairs and show the 60 votes Madigan is preventing to vote for your wants.
Same things daily with you. You forget things that are pertinent, and pretend they aren’t said to you daily too.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:36 am:
===According to liberal John Mc Carron of the Chicago Trbune horse trading of so called “non budget issues” has been part of the budget process for decades…===
You again, ignore, those governors securing the 60 votes needed to make the deals work.
That’s how it works.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:37 am:
LP, if you’d point out the instances where I “blindly defend the speaker” that might be helpful to your point. Otherwise, get back to building your strawmen.
I think I’ve been pretty clear for a couple of years or so that Madigan and company have done a pathetic job making the case against Rauner’s willful sabotage of core state responsibilities.
And you seem to believe this “impasse” is about the budget. Since when?
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:42 am:
When I go to vote and they ask me if I want a Republican or Democrat ballot I didn’t realize they were offending me by using the word democrat. Go back to your safe space OW.
You ignore only one side compromising or even keeping their word on pensions to get a budget done.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 10:46 am:
===When I go to vote and they ask me if I want a Republican or Democrat.===
“When I go to vote and they ask me if I want a Republican or Democratic Party ballot”
It’s a dog whistle. Another thing you know. We’ve discussed it.
===You ignore only one side compromising or even keeping their word on pensions to get a budget done.===
So, again, like Friday, you applaud Rauner hurting Chicago students for a veto that only a governor can use.
Your sentence only works if you acknowledge the veto is solely Rauner’s to use, and you feel using it to hurt Chicago students is ok with you.
Again. Tiring. You need new material.
- Sir Reel - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:00 am:
So Rauner laughed when asked if anything would get done this week is insulting. It’s a game to him. Can’t he at least pretend it’s serious?
- Sir Reel - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:01 am:
It’s insulting.
- don the legend - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:02 am:
What will Lucky , Deft and Guy say when the Governor agrees to a budget deal without any MEASURABLE turnaround items. Voters will say “we gutted higher education and crushed our most vulnerable citizens for this!!!!”
- Rabid - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:10 am:
There is only one person who thinks no budget is funny, and laughs about it publicly
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:19 am:
don the legend do you believe we should just keep passing unbalanced budgets like we have been doing for decades and continue the policies that have led to record out migration and huge property tax increases?
Make the case for the lack of a Turnaround Agenda from the Democrats. The fact they can’t speaks volumes
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:22 am:
===Make the case for the lack of a Turnaround Agenda from the Democrats.===
Why can’t Rauner get 60 votes if his agenda will be so great?
Hmm.
===…do you believe we should just keep passing unbalanced budgets like we have been doing for decades…===
Rauner himself signed a stopgap budget $8 billion out of whack for a 6 month period.
You should be angry, lol
- don the legend - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:28 am:
LP, The death and destruction of higher education and our most vulnerable citizens for the sake of a non measurable three item turnaround agenda is not worth it. Your thinking it is makes you the crazy one in the room.
- JS Mill - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:30 am:
=I would definetly slash k-12. Starting with the regional offices, drivers ed. PE unti jr high.=
Whelp, I am not sure what you mean by “slash k-12″ but what you discuss amounts to a rounding error for some seriously hacked off parents. Funding levels (foundation) are currently below 2009 levels BTW.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:33 am:
===Lets open up a post one day for everybodies list of wasteful niceties.===
No one is stopping you.
Also, make sure you account for federal matching funds, legislatively required budget items that can’t be touched, oh… and keeping the pension payments so the debt doesn’t rise.
Go ahead.
Show your budgetary chops.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:39 am:
More mis information, from OW,budgets are calculated in 12 month periods. the 8 billion is a projected deficit for the 12 month period. Please keep up.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:45 am:
===the 8 billion is a projected deficit for the 12 month period.===
Yep, the 6 month stopgap projected the deficit to be $8 billion, while the Dems 12 month budget had a projected $7 billion deficit.
I’m proud of you acknowledging Rauner signed a “sham” budget, adding to the deficit that covered 6 months of funding and had a yearly deficit projection of $8 billion, a billion more than the Dems less 6 months of funding to boot.
You should be furious at Rauner signing that, lol.
The issue isn’t that I’m not keeping up, I am.
The issue is the facts keep ruining your narrative.
- Jocko - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:48 am:
Contrary to his last job, Bruce needs to learn he is no longer “adding (to his portfolio & reputation) through subtraction”.
Like others have stated, the DEMS daily message should be “Starving social services & higher education to force his personal agenda was always the plan!”
- Arsenal - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 11:58 am:
==do you believe we should just keep passing unbalanced budgets like we have been doing for decades and continue the policies that have led to record out migration and huge property tax increases?==
You know who does? Bruce Rauner. Look at his actions. If he can’t cut everyone’s pay, he’s happy to keep the Springfield status quo. Kick it into overdrive, even.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 12:19 pm:
Yes I am sure it was Rauner’s idea and not Speaker Madigan or Senator Cullerton for the extra spending in the “sham budget” that included a bailout for extra CPS funding.
Consistency is not your strong suit OW. Just this morning you were castigating Rauner for vetoing some of this spending in the “sham budget”. You should pick a lane
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 12:32 pm:
===Yes I am sure it was Rauner’s idea and not Speaker Madigan or Senator Cullerton for the extra spending in the “sham budget” that included a bailout for extra CPS funding.===
And yet Rauner went over another billion.
It’s Rauner being inconsistent. It’s like you don’t read.
===Rauner for vetoing some of this spending in the “sham budget”. You should pick a lane===
No, Rauner owns the Vetoes.
That’s where you lack. Again, the inconsistency IS Rauner’s not mine.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 12:40 pm:
Yes Rauner bent over backwards to agree to Senator Cullerton’s stop gap proposal that included extra funding for CPS with a caveat, Senator Cullerton’s own pension bill must be passed by January to get the money. The Governor’s compromised with the Senate President to get a deal past the election. You should applaud this.
Senator Cullerton not keeping his word prompted the veto.
As a “Republican” who defends Democrats only day after day your outrage is misplaced. But you know that
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 12:46 pm:
== Senator Cullerton not keeping his word prompted the veto. ==
There was still time for Cullerton to pass the bill. Rauner acted prematurely.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 12:49 pm:
===Senator Cullerton not keeping his word prompted the veto.===
Rich Miller on Friday explained, in detail this.
Governors own Vetoes. No one, ever, makes that decision but a governor. Rauner purposely hurt Chicago students. No one made him do anything. Rauner is not a passenger.
Rauner is NOT a Republican, Rauner is a Raunerite. Jim
Edgar has been saying his “displeasures” with Rauner, that doesn’t make him NOT a Republican, but it does make clear he’s NOT a Raunerite.
Your concern about me is the only phony thing you acknowledge, while your arguments are more phony when facing reality and fact.
- don the legend - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 12:54 pm:
Let’s add: the Governor not paying the 11 billion that HIS departments owe to the fact that the death and destruction of higher education and our most vulnerable citizens for the sake of a non measurable three item turnaround agenda is not worth it.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 12:54 pm:
===Senator Cullerton’s own pension bill must be passed by January===
That wasn’t the deal. And even if it was the deal, Rauner vetoed the bill in December.
- South Illinoisian - Monday, Jan 9, 17 @ 3:56 pm:
I think without the involvement of Rauner and Madigan, this Senate “deal” may turn out to be nothing more than a make-work project. They’re likely just spinning their wheels.