Parents worried their children could be exposed to lead in public school drinking water, and residents who may be unable to heat and cool their homes during extreme weather were among the citizens calling on Gov. Bruce Rauner to end his 700-day budget impasse Wednesday at a budget hearing in Chicago.
“Legislators are hearing directly from the victims of Bruce Rauner’s budget crisis, and their message is clear: It’s time for the governor to end this impasse,” said House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. “While the governor wants to see these people as ‘props’ and calls their stories a ‘sham,’ House Democrats will continue to work to build consensus to end budget impasse.”
Legislators on the House Appropriations-General Services Committee heard testimony from parents who expressed outrage that the governor’s budget crisis might prevent the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency from being able to effectively screen for lead in drinking water. Recently, dangerous levels of lead were discovered in a number of public schools, prompting outcry from parents.
“If there were even a hint that the drinking water in the schools Governor Rauner and his wealthy friends send their children to, I’m sure the governor spared no expense to fix the problem, and waste no time patting himself on the back in front of TV cameras. But when it’s actually happening in my neighborhood, to my children, Bruce Rauner would rather play games than do anything,” said Emma Jones, a resident of Chicago’s South Side whose children attend a school where high levels of lead were recently reported. “Our children’s lives are just as important as yours are, governor. But our children’s lives are at risk because you won’t do your job.”
Rauner’s budget crisis has also jeopardized funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps tens of thousands of Illinois citizens—including homebound elderly residents—cope with extreme heat and cold. Without this important service, low-income families could have a more difficult time finding the money to afford their rent, put food on the table, and provide other necessities.
“Governor Rauner has no idea what families like ours go through,” said Isaiah Spencer, a resident of Chicago who relies on LIHEAP to heat and cool his home during dangerous weather conditions. “The governor needs to stop using families like mine as pawns in his games. The governor needs to do his job and negotiate a budget.”
Rauner has insisted legislators rubber stamp his changes to pad the profits of big corporations and further enrich wealthy CEOs and big insurance companies before he will negotiate a budget. Democrats have worked to compromise with the governor in order to get down to the business of passing a balanced budget. While Rauner has talked about a property tax freeze, House Democrats went further and voted to cut property taxes. Acting on the governor’s demands, Democrats have passed significant reforms to the workers’ compensation system, voted to sell the Thompson Center and reformed the state procurement system. Democrats worked to pass a package of economic reforms that levels the playing field for small and medium-sized businesses in our communities and invests in businesses that invest in Illinois. But while Democrats have worked to find common ground with the governor the items he holds as pre-conditions to negotiating a state budget, the governor has refused to come back to the table.
“Where we can compromise with the governor without hurting middle-class families, we’ve worked to find common ground,” Madigan said. “Working families, the elderly, students and their parents and so many more are being directly harmed by Governor Rauner’s budget crisis.”
- Wow - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:48 pm:
Indecipherable.
- Truth Squad - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:49 pm:
Getting pretty wordy there, Steve…
- Still Waiting - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:49 pm:
So the Madigan plan to resolve the budget is?
- Word Vomit - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:50 pm:
Next time, the author should take time to breathe while writing an angry missive.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:52 pm:
OK, it’s wordy, but there’s a stake in the ground on both sides now. Get to work and find the place where this can get resolved. Leave the little blue pills at home and finish the job.
- ChrisB - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:01 pm:
It kind of reads in in a similar vein as the DPRK news service.
- lake county democrat - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:03 pm:
“I’m not supporting this because it means lead in kids’ drinking water.”
Oh, snap.
- Free Set of Steak Knives - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:03 pm:
A four year tax hike nor a four year property tax freeze do not create the type of long term financial stability required to stabilize state finances, reassure bond houses, or grow jobs.
Terrible fiscal policy.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:03 pm:
well……poop
back to Gallipoli
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:10 pm:
today a bunch of officials…including State officials….in Michigan were charged with manslaughter in connection with the Flint water crisis. just sayin’.
- Pre-written? - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:14 pm:
This reads like it was written way ahead of time and then published this afternoon.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:15 pm:
Could have just sent out the last two paragraphs, that would have been more effective.
- Signal and Noise - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:20 pm:
Steve doesn’t write these.
Alos, are we sure this is actually a response to the newest GOP “proposal”? It seems like this would have gone out on any normal impasse day.
- A Modest Proposal - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:20 pm:
nice to see madigan cool down the rhetoric after todays events…smh
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:22 pm:
–This reads like it was written way ahead of time and then published this afternoon.–
Agreed.
Unless Madigan bankrolls some IPI/Proft propaganda machine, no newspapers are going to pick up more than a couple of quotes from Madigan.
If you want to get real people into stories — print, radio, TV — you have to set it up like a real p.r. agency.
You could even go nutty late 20th Century, set up a website and let media outlets grab stills, video and audio at their leisure.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:31 pm:
Agree. This was prepared ahead of time.
It’s a wordy manifesto that takes on the realities of what has happened, currently happened, but not designed to discuss solutions, end games, or even moving forward towards those ends.
It’s a lawyer-like opening statement, prepared and singular to its aim, while ignoring the opposition’s opening statement.
Lots of words to the opening statement, but the case is cut and dry;
How can we get to the end game.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:45 pm:
–“I’m not supporting this because it means lead in kids’ drinking water.”
Oh, snap.–
For future reference, in English grammar the use of quotation marks denotes something someone actually said.
But if you like a good joke about neglecting lead in drinking water, today’s news out of Michigan has it all: dead people, public officials charged with involuntary manslaughter and much more.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/14/flint-water-crisis-manslaughter-charges-government-officials
- J IL - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 6:13 pm:
Pot meet kettle. He says it about Rauner but I don’t think Madigan equally has any idea how families live and are affected by the impasse.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 6:38 pm:
Speaker, you were in the House when Chicago still “forced” lead pipes until the feds banned it in 1987. Are you not indirectly responsible? Nearly every other city banned lead pipes after WWII. The health effects were well known years ago. However, Chicago mandated the use of lead pipes.
- illinoised - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 6:44 pm:
Common people, the “have nots” of Illinois, are suffering. The more fortunate, the “haves,” do not care. Is that succinct enough?
- Cadillac - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 6:49 pm:
=== - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 6:38 pm:
Speaker, you were in the House when Chicago still “forced” lead pipes until the feds banned it in 1987. Are you not indirectly responsible? Nearly every other city banned lead pipes after WWII. The health effects were well known years ago. However, Chicago mandated the use of lead pipes. ===
Well said. That’s gonna leave a mark.
- Responsa - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 7:04 pm:
==…And Madigan answers–
That is no answer.
- Impasse Casualty - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 7:10 pm:
This Mike Madigan press release is more useless than normal.
- cdog - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 8:28 pm:
Illinois Democratic version of human shields?
Sounds like a serious attempt to compromise from both sides.
Hoping for the best for all our citizens.
- wordslinger63 - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 8:30 pm:
–Illinois Democratic version of human shields?–
What do you mean by that? Who are the human shields from whom?
- blue dog dem - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 9:01 pm:
Lead in the kids drinking water. What’s next? Threaten the start of HS football season?
- My New Handle - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 9:12 pm:
In the Bizarro world, this is a very Rauneresque response. Deflection to mask intent.
- Marty Funkhouser - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 11:33 pm:
Seems clear to me what Madigan’s answer is.
“My offer is this: Nothing.”
- Lance Mannion - Thursday, Jun 15, 17 @ 4:34 am:
In other words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFvujknrBuE
There’s no deal coming. Because Madigan doesn’t want one.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jun 15, 17 @ 7:49 am:
This isn’t good.
It doesn’t send a single message to Rauner supporters about how much Rauner’s governorship cost THEM.
Look at the responses to this post above.
Raunerites weren’t moved by any of the sad stories listed. They see THEMSELVES as Madigan victims, so telling them about poor victims and their poor lives doesn’t move Raunerites.
Raunerites want to see themselves surviving, so they’re willing to trample on the poor to keep their grubby lives afloat.
Dems won’t win until they start telling the voters they lost in 2014, how much they lost under a failed Rauner governorship and will keep losing if he stays in office.
This PR release is a failure.
- How many months - Thursday, Jun 15, 17 @ 8:23 am:
The GOP are trying to appear so righteous it’s sickening. For 2 years they have said to any democrat proposal and refused to vote on the governor reforms. Dems passed a budget in 2015 the house passed a budget in 2016. The GOP sat on the sidelines soaking up Rauner’s millions.
The GOP want a temp tax increase. Do they not realize that we have a half of a year of revenue in back log of bills to pay. A temporary increase kicks the can down the road and the failed reforms Rauner wants will only add to our debt.
A 4 year property tax free will kill our local government
The GOP are out of touch with reality
The Dems just can’t message well and need to fix that
- Gruntled University Employee - Thursday, Jun 15, 17 @ 8:43 am:
===The Dems just can’t message well and need to fix that ===
Amen to that!
- Free Set of Steak Knives - Monday, Jun 19, 17 @ 5:07 pm:
If you want to get into a debate about integrity and abuse of power, you probably shouldn’t be accepting the endorsement of Bobby Rush.
That guy has been involved in more scandals than anyone can remember.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jun 19, 17 @ 5:10 pm:
–That guy has been involved in more scandals than anyone can remember.–
You should get some medicine for that. He’s not even in the ballpark in this state.
Four governors, longest-serving U.S. House Speaker, Rosty, countless alderman….