“The Office of the State Comptroller’s website shows that today it has more than $404 million to pay down the state’s bills. Despite having that revenue available, Comptroller Mendoza is refusing to process a $78,000 water bill for the Western Correctional Center. Because of her inaction, the facility is threatened with losing access to clean water and sewage service, creating a potential health and safety crisis for the state’s western region. Comptroller Mendoza has both the authority and cash-on-hand to pay this bill today and avoid what could become a catastrophe – she should do so immediately.”
I’m told that the Department of Corrections sent two invoices to the comptroller on December 2nd totaling $78,000. I’m not certain when IDOC received the bill, but if it’s reached the point where the prison is facing a water/sewer shutoff, you’d think the Rauner administration would’ve submitted that payment request a whole lot sooner. Unless, of course, there’s some politics involved.
There’s also a six-month bill payment backlog these days, so it could be a while before that bill is paid unless Mendoza personally intervenes and pays the invoice ahead of somebody else.
Anyway, this is precisely the sort of pressure Comptroller Mendoza can expect from here on out.
…Adding… A very good suggestion from RNUG in comments…
Two can play that game. Mendoza can flag any vouchers held at the agency more than 30 days (or 60 if you prefer) and, instead of putting them in line, shuffle them aside on a “low priory by the agency” pile to be paid whenever the State has extra money to catch up.
Getting the bills out of the agencies and into the Comptroller’s office in a timely fashion will draw the true picture of where the State stands.
* Meanwhile, from a press release…
A group of sixteen House Republican legislators are calling on State Comptroller Susana Mendoza to keep her promise of maintaining former Comptroller Leslie Munger’s policy of “No Budget No Pay’ in place with regard to payment of state lawmaker salaries. Twelve State Representatives and four State Senators sent a letter to Comptroller Mendoza today urging her to defend “No Budget No Pay” in the face of a lawsuit filed by six House Democrat legislators on December 2 suing the Comptroller for delaying payment of their salaries.
“Social service providers and many others who rely upon the state to meet its financial obligations are being adversely impacted, to put it mildly, by the General Assembly’s failure to pass a comprehensive budget,” Rep. McDermed said. “We are calling on the new Comptroller to stand with us in support of the individuals and families whose lives are being irreparably harmed due to the lack of stability in our budget.”
“We do not believe that payment of legislator salaries should be prioritized over the funding of health care and social service providers or others enduring the long delay in state payments,” Rep. Batinick added. “The principle of “No Budget No Pay” should be kept in place; and the General Assembly should come together immediately to pass a responsible state budget in order to prevent further erosion of our social safety net and damage to our economy.”
Attached is a copy of the letter that was sent to Comptroller Mendoza.
She’s already said that she’s against the lawsuit, but, again, this is just the sort of thing to expect for the next two years. The letter is here, by the way.
* Related…
* Editorial: Forget the furniture and do the job: Unless Mendoza can point to specific missing files, furniture or important equipment, it’s regrettable she complained, even if only in response to a reporter’s specific question. She was a good Chicago city clerk and could be a good state comptroller. She only diminishes her reputation for competence by complaining about nothing much.
* Dan Proft and Pat Hughes have a radio program called “Illinois Rising,” which is sponsored by the Illinois Policy Institute. This is from the most recent edition…
PROFT: Here’s the Turnaround Agenda, it’s workers’ comp, it’s property tax caps, it’s pension reform. Those are bullet points. There hasn’t been a simply, succinctly articulated proposal to rally people around on any of these areas. So, it just becomes like an index card of five categories, and that’s not gonna inflame anybody’s passions, and it’s not going to persuade too many people because they don’t know exactly what you mean or what they’re gonna get if we did whatever you call workers’ comp reform or whatever you call a property tax cap, different than what Madigan and Cullerton, the Chicago Democrats, call those same things.
HUGHES: Yeah, and after 18 months, almost two years of it, even those sort of words that were meant to have some meaning, the meaning has been sucked out of them because they’ve been said so many times. It’s a laundry list of terms, so any value they had in the beginning they’ve lost in the entire process.
PROFT: Everybody in this state’s a fiscal conservative, everybody in this state supports property tax caps. We have the worst bond rating of any state in the nation in 25 years, not just in the present. And with respect to property tax caps, we pay the highest property taxes in the nation. So we’ve got a bunch of fiscal conservatives running around supporting property tax caps and we don’t have anything resembling either one of those things.
HUGHES: So the question is… why doesn’t he do it? We’re closer to this political stuff than most people are, we’ve seen the governor up close working publicly and privately. What is it about this circumstance that makes him resistant to what is an obvious, in our view… a smart, meaningful political plan?
PROFT: Pat, you posed a question about the risk, political risk Rauner needs to take to be a transformative governor. He needs to pose understandable and transformative ideas. He needs to take powerful stands, even though they are full of peril, because nothing is going to be given freely to Gov. Rauner by the Democrat power structure in this city and state. That is a known. So the unknown is why isn’t he doing some of the things we suggest he do. Even if you don’t want to pick the spot I say, I suggest you pick, then another spot to kind of get to the same place.
HUGHES: I know Bruce a little bit, I certainly know his history in business and he is not risk averse. You don’t get to be in his position by being risk averse… I think he’s getting advice from people who don’t want him to make the big mistake. Who don’t want him to take too big of a risk this far out, when they can bleed out circumstances, see how the country moves. Maybe Trump will be enormously popular, maybe circumstances will change on the ground. He knows he’s going to be resourced because he can spend $100 million of his own money, why take that risk?
…Adding… Just to clarify, on policy, Proft wants Rauner to take a much, much stronger stand against AFSCME and he wasn’t happy at all that Rauner signed the Exelon bailout bill.
Hughes then went on to question whether Rauner’s advisers were really tied enough to Illinois to want to make it a better place or just focused on Rauner’s reelection. Proft responded by saying Donald Trump “exposed” the consultant class. Trump, he said, didn’t need them, he won without them. Proft admitted that wasn’t easily replicable here, but then said…
What Rauner and his people lack is the sense of there is a revolt that is bubbling below the surface and we need to figure out how ignite it and leverage it, productively. And I don’t think they want to do that. I think they want to play the same old game, and do so, maybe unwittingly, according to Madigan’s rules.
This idea that they’re bleeding the other side out. No. They’re being bled out. They’re the holdout… They’re down 15 and they’re playing Four Corners. They’re not up 15. And, because we have these resources, we’re gonna make Madigan and whoever the Democrat nominee for governor is in ‘18 more of a bogey man than they can make me a bogey man.
That’s not the transformative leadership that was effectively his value proposition when he ran in 2014 and was elected on that basis - that he was an outsider coming in to, lack of a better phrase, drain the swamp in Springfield, or… however you want to translate that to Illinois. And if he’s just playing the tradition game the same way, less reform-minded, less transformationally inclined governors of the past like a George Ryan or a Jim Edgar or a Jim Thompson. If he’s just going to play the same way they did - two bad ideas, let’s split the difference and come up with a bad idea we agree to, like the energy bill that he just signed. That’s a good example of it. If that’s the tack he’s gonna take, that’s the Jim Edgar, Jim Thompson, George Ryan model of governance. That doesn’t end well.
HUGHES: No, and it also bleeds out his initial reason for being elected. He’s losing the outsider, he’s lost it. There’s no way to run as an outsider any more after some of these deals, the temporary budget he cut, the energy bill, the fact that he’s been battling with Madigan in Springfield for all these, the last couple of years. The outsider model is no longer gonna work. He’s gonna have to show that his governance was progress, both politically, which he’s done a little bit with these [legislative] races, but aside from politically, that people’s lives are starting to or going to improve as a consequence of the fact that he’s the leader of this state. And, currently, he can’t point to that.
PROFT: No, he can’t. So where does that put him with the prospects of facing a Democrat challenger that will have as much money as he does?… [Or if, say Downstate US Rep. Cheri Bustos wins the primary] Then Rauner is in deep trouble. And it seems to me they don’t have a sense of urgency, he doesn’t have a sense of urgency about the political trouble he’s in because of the lack of policy risks he’s taken.
The video uses clips from the Democratic National Convention, when Kennedy awkwardly scolded reporters for trying to talk to him after he’d addressed an Illinois delegation breakfast meeting in Philadelphia.
“Have some decency. What have you become?” Kennedy asked the reporters as he tried to ride an elevator away from the cameras. He ultimately left the elevator and used a stairwell to flee the scene.
“I’ll admit, my elevator speech needed a little work, but we’ve made great progress since last summer,” Kennedy said in an emailed statement. “Too bad the same can’t be said for Illinois. It’s nice to see Gov. Rauner worried about someone besides himself for first time in two years.”
That’s not a bad response at all. Some self-deprecation combined with a jab at the governor’s inability to move the state forward.
But if Team Rauner follows recent practice and aggressively promotes its new video on social media and Kennedy doesn’t respond in kind, it won’t mean much.
Yesterday, Chris Kennedy responded to the Illinois Republican Party’s new digital ad, highlighting Kenendy’s ties to Mike Madigan, by completely avoiding the subject.
“Chris Kennedy’s dodge isn’t going to cut it. Mike Madigan endorsed Kennedy as an ‘excellent candidate’ for Governor and in return, Kennedy funneled tens of thousands of dollars to Madigan candidates and political groups. It’s time for Chris Kennedy to come clean. Does Kennedy endorse or oppose Mike Madigan as Speaker and head of the Democratic Party of Illinois? – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe
*** UPDATE 1 *** The actual question, which you can hear at about the 5:30 mark below, was about several different topics, not just the homeless shelter, and was actually a follow-up to a question about whether Rauner had a fall-back plan in case the GA didn’t pass a real budget…
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless…
Hey, Rich.
Just a note on the Northside homeless shelter. As we understand it, it wasn’t necessarily the lack of state money that forced Northside to announce they needed to close the program. It was more driven by the city having too low of a per bed rate for providers. The city has level funded the shelters since 2012. The city gets the money that comes from the Emergency and Transitional Housing line item in the state budget. The city then contracts with Chicago providers. Chicago has been covering the state’s portion of the funding since the budget crisis set in. Back in the summer, the city had told Northside that if the state budget mess didn’t get fixed that they would not be issuing contracts for 2017.
None of this is to say the state budget doesn’t play a huge factor. There is a $100k budget deficit for the program, but that is a structural deficit and it doesn’t necessarily correlate to the state’s portion. So, while theoretically, they could raise $100k to fill the whole, they don’t have confidence they can do that in a sustainable fashion that won’t undermine the rest of the work they do.
Some advocates (not us) have oversimplified the message to it being a $100k hole created by Rauner. There is truth in there, but, like everything, it is more complicated. All that being said, showing up to feed the homeless at the same building this program is slated to shut down was terrible planning on Rauner (and the Food Depository’s) part. And Rauner’s response was even worse. I’m not giving him a pass at all.
Just thought you might want some additional background. If you have questions, let me know.
Doug
Doug Schenkelberg
Executive Director
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
*** UPDATE 3 *** A person representing a wealthy Chicagoan (Democrat) did reach out to the shelter and was told this…
We have been operating the program at a deficit for several years now. We approached the city for additional funding for over a year now but they were not able to provide the additional $100,000 needed each year to balance the program’s budget. We made the announcement about the closing late summer and at this point don’t even have a contract for next year. We’ve already removed most of our equipment and furniture and have about 14 residents remaining.
Unfortunately the shelter will be closing in the next week or so. I do appreciate you reaching out however and wish I had better news for you.
A group of advocates for homeless residents of Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood are blaming the state’s lingering budget impasse for the impending closure of a homeless shelter that’s set to shutter just before the holidays.
The group, which consists of homeless residents, community organizers and clergy, claimed the state’s inability to come up with $100,000 to fund the North Side Housing & Supportive Services shelter is directly tied to the ongoing budget stalemate in Springfield, faulting Gov. Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan. […]
Rauner responded to concerns about the state’s precarious economic situation and the shelter’s funding during a Monday press conference.
“Change is hard,” Rauner said. “We didn’t get into the mess we’re in in a few years, we got here over the last 35 years. So changing the structure takes a little time. I’m frustrated. I’m not the most patient person in the state, but I’m very persistent.”
“We have to do the right thing for the long term,” he added.
* Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) was interviewed by a local TV reporter about the budget…
“There’s gonna be a difference this year, though. Last year, when we separated out the K-12 budget, we passed a whole-year budget on that. It took all the pressure off of the rest of the budget talks.
“If you don’t open schools on time, everybody is upset. If you shut down social services or cause some pain to universities, somehow that doesn’t affect everybody. It’s still serious, but the immediate effect isn’t seen throughout the state.
“I’m a believer this year that if we’re really serious about getting the budget done, we don’t separate out and fund K-12 for a whole year and then have a mess with the rest of the budget. I say: ‘Shut the schools down until we get a budget.’”
Koehler said the reason the Exelon bailout bill passed was because of a believable threat to shut down two nuclear power plants.
Senate President John Cullerton made a similar threat a year ago and it never materialized. Doing such a thing in an election year was just way too dangerous.
Your thoughts?
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Cullerton’s press secretary…
“The Senate President remains focused on a full, fair and balanced budget for all of Illinois, one that rightfully prioritizes education. It’s a focus that he believes the other legislative leaders and governor all share and is why he remains optimistic that a deal can be reached.”
Doesn’t look like Cullerton agrees with Koehler.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From an e-mail to Illinois School Funding Reform Commission members…
Colleagues,
On behalf of Governor Rauner, I would like to wish you all a happy and peaceful holiday season. In these final days of the calendar year, I hope that you will reflect on and appreciate the importance of your work.
On Wednesday, the Illinois School Funding Reform Commission will hold its 11th meeting. Over the last several months, the 25 commission members, along with countless advocates and staff have worked to understand the necessary requirements for an improved PK-12 funding formula. These bi-partisan, bi-cameral meetings have featured spirited, yet professional, discussions to determine how to both increase funding to our most at-risk students and set an adequacy target that recognizes the unique strengths and needs of each community.
I appreciate greatly the willingness of every commission member to engage in thoughtful – and sometimes tedious – analysis of each issue. Given the unprecedented investment of the FY2017 PK-12 budget that was enacted by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor, these efforts afford cautious optimism for the future. I thank all of you who have attended meetings, given written feedback, or spoken with members of the commission.
In light of the commission’s work, comments made recently by Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) that Illinois should “shut the schools down until we get a budget” are irresponsible so we are not commenting on his intent. This is not, nor will it ever be, the position of Governor Rauner who has made it clear that funding PK-12 education is the number one priority of his administration. The Governor will continue to push me and the rest of his team to find a pathway to funding that will meet the needs of all Illinois residents. Right now, that includes working to ensure that backlogged FY2016 Q4 payments are released by Comptroller Mendoza’s office.
Again, thank you for work and dedication on behalf of Illinois children.
Utah’s population crossed the 3.0 million mark as it became the nation’s fastest-growing state over the last year. Its population increased 2.0 percent to 3.1 million from July 1, 2015, to July 1, 2016, according to U.S. Census Bureau national and state population estimates released today.
“States in the South and West continued to lead in population growth,” said Ben Bolender, Chief of the Population Estimates Branch. “In 2016, 37.9 percent of the nation’s population lived in the South and 23.7 percent lived in the West.” […]
Following Utah, Nevada (2.0 percent), Idaho (1.8 percent), Florida (1.8 percent) and Washington (1.8 percent) saw the largest percentage increases in population. […]
Eight states lost population between July 1, 2015, and July 1, 2016, including Pennsylvania, New York and Wyoming, all three of which had grown the previous year. Illinois lost more people than any other state (-37,508).
…Adding… More…
Census: Illinois lost 114,000 net to other states; total population shrank by 37,508 #twill#muniland
“Chris Kennedy comes from a legendary American family with a history of public service, but instead of following in their footsteps, Chris Kennedy chose to serve corrupt politicians like Mike Madigan.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe
Chris Kennedy has reportedly started hiring staff for a gubernatorial run. But before he did so, Kennedy made sure to ally himself with Mike Madigan.
This summer, Kennedy dodged questions about his secret meeting with Madigan.
After the meeting, Madigan endorsed Kennedy as “a very good candidate for Governor.”
Then, Kennedy gave Madigan’s political front group $50,000, helping Madigan run advertisements attacking Gov. Rauner’s plans to reform Illinois through term limits, a property tax freeze and economic growth.
Chris Kennedy has already shown his hand – he’s just another politician who kisses up to Mike Madigan.
Chris Kennedy may have the name, but he doesn’t act like it.
