* 12:10 pm - AFSCME invokes contract mediation. Via press release, AFSCME Council 31 executive director Henry Bayer…
“On Monday, thousands of state employees rallied at the capitol. They made clear that they can’t afford the drastic increases in health care costs the governor is trying to force on them.
“After the rally we were able to make some progress at the bargaining table. […]
“Even so, the differences between the parties are still very substantial. The governor’s representatives are still pushing proposals that would make health care unaffordable for many state employees and their families.
“As a result, AFSCME has invoked its right under labor law to request the participation of a mediator, and the parties have agreed to extend the current contract that was set to expire June 30. The existing contract will remain in place through the first mediation session.”
The next step is the union and the governor’s office have to agree on the specific mediator. A union spokesperson said he was confident that will be accomplished.
* 12:57 pm - Maybe Gov. Blagojevich and Jim Thompson could scheme to buy this for the state instead of that dilapidated old Tribune ballpark…
Tribune Tower is in play.
Tribune Co. Chairman Sam Zell told staff today the company is in discussions with “a number of real estate firms” to determine how to generate the most value from the neo-Gothic Michigan Avenue home of the flagship Chicago Tribune, an iconic bookend of the city’s Magnificent Mile.
Bill Daley is apparently looking to scratch his life-long political itch. He’s sounding out Democrats and big-time fundraisers about the 2010 race, as first disclosed by Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rich Miller in his “Capitol Fax” newsletter.
“It’s something he’s seriously considering,” said a source familiar with the discussions. Bill Daley bowed out in 2002 because, “His kids didn’t want him to do it. They’re more supportive now,” the source said.
The political landscape has changed a lot, too, since 2002. Federal investigators are swarming all over the Blagojevich administration; the governor’s former fund-raiser Tony Rezko is a convicted felon, and Mell now is estranged from his son-in-law.
Mayor Daley and Blagojevich have spent the last six years clashing over everything from education and CTA funding to casino gambling and business taxes.
I’ve talked to Daley twice in the past week, and I’m willing to take him at his word when he repeatedly insists that he has zero interest in the US Senate or any other position. This is, he says, the only job he’s looking at - a capstone to a long political and business career.
* The question: What do you think the odds are that Bill Daley actually runs for governor?
*** UPDATE *** Right on cue, here come the “protesters“…
A state coalition of churches, community-based organizations, and social service groups marched outside the Thompson Center Wednesday morning in a protest over the state budget stalemate.
The group calling itself the Illinois Legislative Voter Coalition is urging lawmakers to pass a state budget.
According to the AP, the protest was organized by Reverend Walter Turner. The AP should use the Google. Turner delivered the Invocation at Gov. Blagojevich’s second inauguration.
In other words, this looks like a classic case of Astroturfing.
************************************
* Today’s Tribune editorial has an excellent roundup of the current budget mess…
Blagojevich doesn’t want to cut $2 billion, of course. He wants the legislature to pass some Band-Aid revenue measures to pay for most of the $29.7 billion in spending they approved without fully funding. A $16 billion pension bond issue would shore up state retirement funds and let them divert $400 million to help balance the budget. A $33 billion public works bill would cut loose $600 million. He also wants to skim about $530 million from several restricted funds.
In other words, a lot more gimmickry to get through another year.
Blagojevich’s alternatives have loads of problems. He wants the legislature to pass a massive gambling bill—read: three more casinos—that he’s hardly made an effort to explain to voters. He wants to borrow billions for pensions—but won’t do anything to curb pension costs. […]
Blagojevich is betting Madigan will find those cuts unacceptable. We’re betting Madigan won’t. The best way to find out is to stop playing blame games and use the veto pen to cut the budget.
If it turns out lawmakers are serious about living within their means, so be it. If they don’t like the cuts, they can figure out how to restore them. But they can’t get started if everything’s on hold till July 9. No more news conferences, Governor. Do your job.
That last graf has the salient point. He hasn’t made the cuts yet. Right now, all we have is a press release and a bunch of threats. The House and Senate have not yet sent him the budget bills, but that will happen soon. Will he really pull the trigger on all those cuts? As I reminded my subscribers this morning, he didn’t cut 4-H this spring after threatening to decimate the program. He’s playing “chicken,” and it’s time to just get it over with.
The governor, however, does not want to end up wearing the jacket for unpopular budget cuts. To that end, Blagojevich said he would “protect” school spending and suggested the cuts could be avoided if the House would “take an afternoon” to reconvene and approve a new balanced budget.
He’s “protecting” school spending because Senate President Emil Jones demanded it. He can’t lose Jones’ alliance. But that means a whole lot of other stuff will get cut to protect education’s $400 million increase.
As for making Madigan wear the jacket, Madigan has encouraged the guv to cut away, so that makes the job easier. Still, Blagojevich is the governor. The governor always wears the jacket, regardless of who else may be at fault.
Seriously, we have a five-month session which produces a claimed $2 billion deficit and the governor wants to put all the blame on someone else? Ever hear of leadership?
Madigan should reconsider at least one of those [revenue generating] bills, the so-called fund sweeps bill. This is a relatively noncontroversial bill, which could generate as much as $530 million toward ending that $2 billion deficit. Madigan should let this bill move forward — to help reduce the deficit and to show he can do more than just cast stones.
It may be noncontroversial to the Sn-Times, but it doesn’t have 71 House votes.
The stage has been set for another long, hot summer in Springfield.
The only way the General Assembly returns for a “long, hot summer” is if Blagojevich crosses Senate President Jones. And if that happens the Statehouse summer session won’t be long, but it will be hot.
In fact, what yesterday’s press conference may signal is the end of the spring session, rather than the beginning of a summer session.
* DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett is apparently using the Barack Obama campaign to build his network in advance of a possible 2010 gubernatorial bid. Obama was in Las Vegas on Monday, and Birkett was featured in a GOP conference call..
Birkett, a former Republican candidate for governor in Illinois, raised doubts about Obama’s judgment based on a 2005 real estate deal with the wife of Tony Rezko, a Chicago-based political fundraiser and real estate developer who was convicted earlier this month of sixteen federal counts of bribery, fraud and money laundering.
Birkett said it was “more than bone-headed” for Obama to purchase a house in Chicago the same day Rezko’s wife purchased an adjoining lot, and that Americans should question “whether or not [Obama] has the kind of judgment to be the president of the United States.” […]
“Obviously, one of the things I do not do is speculate about criminal activity,” said Birkett. “However, I can tell you this, that oftentimes we have seen during the course of the last several years in Illinois where public officials are having things done for them privately that do in fact turn out to be related to some deal, some quid pro quo.”
Birkett quickly added that he was “not aware of any quid pro quo and certainly would not accuse Sen. Obama of that.”
Some of that is just obvious crud, but I’m more interested with how Birkett is using Obama to bolster his own party cred.
* Republican US Sen. Gordon Smith has a far different approach to Obama, which may be adopted here by some of the more vulnerable incumbent Republicans…
“Who says Gordon Smith helped lead the fight for better gas mileage and a cleaner environment? Barack Obama! He joined with Gordon and broke through a 20-year deadlock to pass new laws which increase gas mileage for automobiles.”
Four years ago, Republican Illinois state Rep. Beth Coulson had Obama all over her literature, and you can expect quite a bit of that again.
I don’t know whether I have a point here, but it is interesting to see how Obama is impacting GOP races. Thoughts?
* There’s little doubt that House Speaker Michael Madigan’s control of the Democratic Party of Illinois has been more about power and saving money on postage for his House candidates. During the last cycle, there were lots of grumbled complaints that no coordinated campaign was in place to help congressional candidates. And Madigan is the only state party chairman in the country to refuse Democratic National Committee field staff.
So, US Sen. Dick Durbin is ever so gently trying to build an organization parallel to Madigan’s…
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, a figurehead among Illinois Democrats, is working to build his own Illinois voter database — a “voter file” distinct from the party’s central voter file, which is controlled by House Speaker Michael Madigan’s political organizations — as well as a new layer of the party’s grass-roots operation. […]
“Under Speaker Madigan, (the Illinois Democratic Party) really has focused on the House, particularly,” Durbin said.
* Durbin is working with the Democratic County Chairmen’s Association, which is beyond Madigan’s direct control. The chairman of the association, Alan Pirtle, is allied with Rep. Jay Hoffman, Gov. Blagojevich’s House floor leader.
As mentioned above, one of the initial tasks is creating a new “voter file”…
The state party’s own voter database, known as the “voter file,” has been developed and maintained by Madigan’s personal campaign committee, Friends of Michael J. Madigan, since the early 1980s, Brown said. The database contains layers of information including voting history and demographics to help candidates identify potential voters. […]
[Brown] said candidates can gain access to [the voter file] for a fee, and who can gain access to the file is made on a “case-by-case basis.”
* “Bored Now,” a regular commenter here, explains…
What Durbin has done is to make Votebuilder (also known as The Van) available in Illinois. Durbin correctly points out that Votebuilder is available “across the count[r]y.” elsewhere, the state parties have partnered with the DNC to bring it to their states. The Van was also the basis for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s databases. It had been previously available in Illinois through resolute consulting and was used in 2006 by Congressional candidates like Dan Seals. others may remember van through efforts in 2004 on behalf of John Kerry through act and the America votes coalition. it was one of several attempts by Democrats to duplicate the success Republicans have had with the voter vault.
The Van is also the basis for the DNC’s neighborhood volunteer program. What is interesting about this effort is that the national party is giving people access to their database at a local level for voter contact. The information gathered by these efforts gets folded back into the database for future use by democrats running at all levels.
* Durbin has played a role in several local and congressional elections over the past few years. He has been heavily involved in helping turn Will County from “red to blue,” for instance.
Durbin is not a particularly threatening figure in the Democratic Party, so there’s never been much of a push-back from Madigan when he’s done local party building efforts. But controlling that voter file is a big thing for Madigan. Information is power, even if the system he’s using is out of date…
If you’ve ever worked with Madigan’s database, you know that it is fairly ancient is both design and user-friendliness, and the backend is limited, at best, to simple variables limited to (primarily) public data. But it has been the only game in town, and its success was largely due to the fact that it had no competition.
Durbin said he has reached out to other Illinois Democrats, including Comptroller Dan Hynes, about his joint effort with the county chairmen’s group, but no one has signed on yet.
“I’m not trying to side with any faction in the party,” he said.
Some regional education staff for Adams and Pike counties got day spa treatments worth around $150 each as “performance incentives.” Others got $1,500 “mileage bonuses” that had nothing to do with mileage.
“Anything is possible,” said Jerold Gruebel, president and CEO of West Central Illinois Educational Telecommunications Corp., which operates three public television stations, including WSEC-TV in Springfield. “We have a cash-flow crisis. It’s a real test of fortitude.”
“When I saw how hard people were working to protect their towns and farms, I made a promise to myself that if it ever happened again, I was going to go back and help them,” she said.
In this challenging economy, absolutely it’s important for Illinois to watch the bottom line. But the governor must be careful not to nickel-and-dime DNR patrons to the point that the public no longer wishes to use its public parks. That would defeat the purpose of having them. We trust that’s not the intent.
“Countrywide’s conduct has contributed to the high number of foreclosures in Illinois and caused significant harm to the public, the market, and scores of Illinois borrowers and homeowners,” according to a draft of the lawsuit provided by Madigan’s office Tuesday.
The alderman said he’s concerned about precedent. A mid-rise building could become an excuse for taller projects. “We’ve got to be careful that 25 years from now the charm of Wrigley Field still includes a neighborhood,” Tunney said.
The process is always confusing, but this year, several commissioners said it was nearly impossible because President Todd H. Stroger’s budget department has yet to release the final 2008 budget, more than six months into the budget year.
Johnathan Goldman, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, said spending less money on fuel would create jobs by putting more money into people’s pockets and that individual measures, such as recycling, using compact fluorescent bulbs and driving a fuel-efficient car are not enough.
Emanuel says his policy pursuits have one unifying theme: “globalization and its impact on the standard of living of the American people, and how do you put together a set of policies that make it better?”
*** 12:47 pm *** I’ve been telling subscribers for a week or so now that mayoral brother Bill Daley is considering a bid for governor in 2010. Mayor Daley was apparently asked about this possibility at a press conference today. Chicago Public Radio will have raw audio posted soon and I’ll have a link.
On Tuesday, the mayor laughed out loud when asked whether he would like to see his younger brother in the governor’s mansion.
“I don’t know. It will be up to him if he makes that decision. He’s doing very well in the private sector. He was secretary of commerce under Bill Clinton. That would be up to him — not to me,” the mayor said. […]
“Bill would be good at anything that he does…He’s very dedicated and passionate about what he’s done — both in public and private life,” the mayor said.
Bill Daley could not be reached for comment. Asked last week whether he was exploring another race for governor, the mayor’s brother advised a Chicago Sun-Times reporter to “call me next year.” He said it was too soon to discuss the issue.
One caveat, the story claims I wrote that Bill Daley is reaching out to Downstate lobbyists. I wrote that he had spoken to lobbyists. I didn’t identify their regional base. They were Chicagoans.
*** 1:50 pm *** You can listen to Mayor Daley’s full press conference by clicking here.
*** 2:50 pm *** The governor sidestepped a question about a possible Bill Daley bid during his press conference today, saying “This is America. I think everyone should have an opportunity to run.”
*** 2:54 pm *** Asked whether he planned to run for reelection in 2010, the governor said he loves his job and has no reason to want to stop doing it.
Governor Rod Blagojevich plans to make a staggering $1.5 billion in cuts to the state budget lawmakers approved last month unless legislators step in with money to prevent them. […]
The governor will also try to use the cuts to pressure the House to soon send him two ideas that would spare more than $1 billion in the proposed cuts.
They are plans to borrowing money for pension funding and sweep money out of special state funds. Blagojevich doesn’t plan to call lawmakers back into special session right away.
He’ll urge the House to come back to pass the revenue ideas that will start being felt when the new budget year starts July First.
Blagojevich will urge the House to reconvene and pass the revenue generators and the capital plan by July 9th, which is when the Comptroller claims is the date that he won’t be able to pay bills. No special session yet.
Blagojevich does not plan to call lawmakers back into special session right away but will urge the House to come back to town soon to prevent the cuts that will start being felt when the new budget year begins next Tuesday.
Blagojevich will make the reductions if no new revenue is passed, the aide said.
*** 1:38 pm *** So far, Mayor Daley has been publicly opposed to the governor’s capital plan because of the gaming component. He threw a tiny bit more cold water on it today…
Mayor Daley also said even if state lawmakers approved a Chicago casino, it would take 2 to 4 years to be constructed. Late last year, state lawmakers were talking about as a Chicago casino as a possible way to raise revenue for mass transit and other needs.
*** 1:50 pm *** You can listen to Mayor Daley’s full press conference by clicking here.
*** 2:03 pm *** Well, the guv’s presser was pushed back to 1:45 pm, and now it’s after two o’clock and he still hasn’t started. Comcast is coming over yet again to try and fix something they should’ve fixed weeks ago, so I’m beginning to worry about my Internet access. I’ll figure something out.
*** 2:08 pm *** OK, the press conference has finally begun and I told Comcast to come back tomorrow.
*** 2:12 pm *** The governor said he can’t sign the budget as is because it would be like signing a check he knows would bounce. He called on the House to pass the revenue generating bills (pension obligation bond and fund sweeps) that the Senate has already approved.
*** 2:14 pm *** Once again, he’s calling on the House to pass the capital construction package, which would allow him to free up about $600 million for the budget.
*** 2:18 pm *** The governor said he will be “forced to make a decision” if the House doesn’t act by July 9th, but hasn’t yet specified what that decision will be.
*** 2:24 pm *** The press release handed out to reporters makes no specific mention of the $1.5 billion in cuts…
[If the House doesn’t act] I will not allow the people of the state to be pushed into uncertainty by putting off tough decisions until later in the year, or asking
lawmakers to start from scratch at the last minute. Instead I’ll use my constitutional authority to match spending to available funds.
Reductions should not be made because they will mean pain and harm in most areas, including those where we worked hard to invest and make progress over the past few years.
*** 2:37 pm *** The guv said that ” lawmakers would be acting irresponsibly if they override the vetoes.”
He also blamed Speaker Madigan for refusing to participate in the budget discussions.
“I think the House Democrats should be honest with the people that they’re setting it up to sock it to them with a big income tax increase,” the governor said.
*** 2:39 pm *** More from the press release…
A lack of additional revenue would mean:
• Significant reductions in staffing throughout State government at agencies such as Department of Natural Resources, Department of Human Services, Department od Corrections, and others.
• Increased workload for DCFS caseworkers.
• A $110 million reduction in education spending.
• Nearly $260 million in reductions to social services programs. Over 100,000 individuals would see a reduction in services or access to community health and prevention services; 21,000 individuals with developmental disabilities living in the community would face reductions in service; mental health services and programs for individuals with developmental disabilities would be reduced; rates for foster parents would not increase.
• A $257 million reduction to economic development and transit. More than 100,000 workers will not receive job-skills training, and state support for RTA fare subsidies for students and people with disabilities would be eliminated.
• More than $600 million in healthcare reductions. This includes a $530 million Medicaid reduction resulting in healthcare providers such as hospital and pharmacies waiting an additional 20 days for payment from the State, on top of the 70 days they already wait; 20,000 outpatients would not receive service at Oak Forest Hospital; and up to 10,000 uninsured residents who are unaware of their HIV status would not be identified and linked to healthcare.
• More than $106 million in reductions to services for seniors and Veterans. Expansion of the Elder Abuse Line would not be funded, despite a 25 percent increase in calls to the line since its inception. An additional 40 bed expansion at the LaSalle Veteran’s Home would not open.
*** 2:44 pm *** The governor has left, but a budget spokesperson is still taking questions.
*** 3:01 pm *** The full press release can be seen by clicking here.
*** 3:05 pm *** The Tribbies have a piece up, but it’s mostly about the governor’s current options.
*** 3:53 pm *** Statement from Senate President Emil Jones…
“On May 31st the Illinois Senate passed a spending plan and sent the revenue bills (Senate Bill 788 and Senate Bill 790) to the Illinois House, in addition to a bipartisan capital plan (House Bills 6339, 1496, 2651, 4723, and 5618). The inaction of the Illinois House has put funding for vital programs at risk.
“I urge the House to work to pass the revenue bills sent to them by the Senate in order to avoid cuts to the spending plan that the Governor will be forced to make unless they take action. The House knew when it did not pass the revenue bills that they were playing a dangerous game in which the people of Illinois could lose.
“The solutions to the state’s challenges including passing a jobs program, balancing the State’s budget and providing funding for a well-constructed spending plan have all been addressed by the Senate and are all sitting in the House Rules Committee. These aren’t easy votes to make, but they are necessary to finish the people’s work.”
Mr. Madigan’s spokesman said there are “substantial defects” with each of the revenue measures favored by the governor. “Absent some effort to fix the defects, I can’t imagine the Legislature would go along.” […]
The governor also opened a new front in his war with the speaker, suggesting that Mr. Madigan is plotting to approve a big increase in the state income tax after the November election. […]
Mr. Madigan’s spokesman said the speaker does not have plans to push an income tax hike shortly after the November election.
A spokesman for House Democrats responded to the governor’s assertions, saying that speaker Mike Madigan does not have a plan to raise taxes “not this year, not next year.”
* Regardless of the complete lack of direction from the Illinois Constitution, what do you think should be the minimum standards for impeachment of a sitting governor?
Try not to focus in on the current governor, please. Keep it general. I’m not interested in an endless rehash of grievances. Thanks.
* Actually, it’s two quotes, both by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn during an interview by Bob Reed…
Q: Let’s consider this: Obama wins the presidency. The governor has to appoint a new senator. Would he name you?
QUINN: Well, it would be snowing in Hell. If it were up to me, I’d rather the governor appoint himself, and we could get a fresh start in Illinois . I think enough people on the Democrat and the Republican sides would say, “Hallelujah.”
Q: Would you make a good governor?
QUINN: I know I could get people in the huddle, and we’d come up with a play that everyone would carry out.
Nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina turned the Federal Emergency Management Agency into a punchline, many homeowners, politicians and community leaders in the flood-stricken Midwest say that so far, the agency is doing a heckuva job — and they mean it.
As their neighbors across the river begin to recover from the disastrous Flood of 2008, displaced Illinois residents are expressing frustration with the lack of assistance coming their way.
More than 10 days since Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich made a state declaration, residents are still awaiting the presidential disaster proclamation already given to more than 70 Iowa counties.
“We were totally misled, totally misinformed and completely ignored by this government,” said Anna Patton, Gulfport, Ill. “We’re not asking them to dig in their billfold. We’re just asking them to dig into our pot that we put the money in.”
* As I’ve told you before, the governor may be too optimistic about federal help…
“Every time we’ve asked President Bush for federal disaster relief … they’ve always complied,” Blagojevich said. “I have no reason to think they’ll do anything but what they’ve done in the past.”
That’s just not true. And if the past is any measure, then the governor needs to be a lot more vigorous in pushing the feds to act. Happy talk ain’t gonna do it.
* The Sun-Times continues its high-profile push to sign families up for the governor’s All Kids program in a big editorial today…
We’re pleased that 1,217 additional children joined the rolls of All Kids during Saturday’s daylong enrollment drive sponsored by Resurrection Health Care and the Chicago Sun-Times. We couldn’t have achieved our goal of signing up at least 1,000 kids without nearly 400 volunteers at more than 40 enrollment centers. These caring individuals dedicated space and volunteered time to help families fill out insurance paperwork to gain access to modestly priced insurance.
Aside from the journalistic integrity question, that’s a pretty big ratio of volunteers to enrollees - roughly one volunteer for every three kids enrolled in the insurance plan.
Getting kids signed up for insurance is a good thing, even though the All Kids plan has its downsides, including the problem of specialists not signing up to treat the patients. We also don’t know how many of those 1,217 children actually qualify, so it’s tough to accurately measure the drive’s success.
And why the Sun-Times editorial page would associate itself with a governor who is under at least nine separate federal investigations is just beyond me, but I suppose “good works” outweighs the rest.
* But while the governor and a major Chicago PR firm tout their success at helping kids in the Sun-Times, the Blagojevich administration is asking for huge concessions from the state’s largest labor union. That union turned out thousands of workers yesterday in Springfield to protest the lack of a new contract…
AFSCME called for the rally and a noontime march through downtown Springfield to draw attention to what the union feels is an unfair contract offer from the Blagojevich administration. State negotiators want AFSCME workers to pay more for health insurance premiums, co-payments and pensions without offering salary increases as compensation, union leaders said. […]
Under the state’s offer, health insurance premiums would increase by 50 percent and co-payments would go up 75 percent for some union employees, Bayer said, at a time that costs of gasoline, utilities and food also are on the rise.
* Lots of folks have little use for state workers, but many of them do jobs that most of us wouldn’t touch, like working in a prison or a facility for the criminally insane or caring for aging veterans. A flood of early retirements at the start of the Blagojevich administration has meant more work for fewer people, so mandatory overtime is taking a toll.
I’ve found over the years that the knee-jerk reaction that all state workers are lazy and overpaid is often just misplaced jealousy, or ideologically motivated, or ill-informed cynicism. My uncle, for instance, worked for the state until he took advantage of the early out plan, and I’m here to tell you that the man worked hard just about every day of his career. My mother at one time was a social worker at a facility for the criminally insane. Not a great job.
* I also have a tough time with this “race to the bottom mentality” out there. To some, we should just cut their pay, cut their benefits and slash payroll ever deeper, to mirror some real or imagined private sector trend. They say this as if it’s supposed to be a good thing, but how is making the lot of working people worse off a good thing?
“But they’re sucking off my taxes!” is often the reply. Well, we have one of the lowest state income tax rates in the country. State sales taxes aren’t hugely out of line. And state payroll per capita is by far the lowest in the nation.
Local union leaders and members gathered at the Capitol wearing green T-shirts and waving signs that said, “Governor, don’t cut our health care.” Marion Murphy, caseworker for the Illinois Department of Human Services, AFSCME Local 2806, is on the bargaining committee and spoke during the rally. She cited Blagojevich’s priority to ensure all residents can access quality and affordable health care. “But I guess he forgot about us,” she said. “Why should we be left out in the cold? He’s got the All Kids program, but what about our kids?”
* One thing rarely mentioned in articles like these is that AFSCME refused to endorse any gubernatorial candidate in 2006, after being knocked around by the administration following its 2002 endorsement. The union also enraged the Senate Democrats by putting up candidates.
So, it’s definitely political payback time.
* There are, of course, fiscal considerations. Health care and pension costs are out of control, and if they aren’t somehow reined in a more drastic alternative may have to be implemented down the road. The budget is broken, full of gaping holes and insufficient to finance much of a pay raise.
Still, the governor was elected on a promise not to “balance the budget on the backs of working men and women,” a pledge he has made time and time again since then. Apparently, AFSCME is exempt.
* As I told subscribers this morning, “Lawmakers with Mark McDonald,” produced by Springfield’s PBS station WSEC-TV has an interview with Illinois state Rep. Jim Watson, who is currently stationed in Iraq. Here it is…
In Illinois, the devices are currently mandatory only for those with multiple DUI arrests who want to drive on a suspended license. The new law would impose that restriction with the first DUI arrest. Only five other states require the devices for an initial arrest.
