Cullerton provides cooling-off period for Rauner to rethink student aid veto
CHICAGO - Senate President John Cullerton issued the following statement regarding the status of SB2043:
“Thousands of students across Illinois rely on the Monetary Award Program to be able to attend college and pursue degrees. This year, the state isn’t honoring its commitment to them. The governor already vetoed funding once and now is threatening to do it again even before we’ve sent the proposal to his desk.
I would urge the governor to rethink his position, reconsider his priorities and not act rashly but rather in the best interests of these students, their futures and the future of Illinois.
We’re going to give him time to do just that. The Senate will send Senate Bill 2043 to the governor on Tuesday, Feb. 16. That gives him two weeks to ponder whether another veto is the best approach.
I hope the governor uses the time to rethink his veto announcement. And I hope those who understand the importance of the state’s student aid program will use the time to help convince the governor to do the right thing.”
* Meanwhile, I told subscribers about this last week…
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner wants lawmakers to address Illinois’ worst-in-the-nation pension crisis “right away.” But despite a rare agreement between Rauner and Democratic Senate President John Cullerton, it’s unlikely a bill will advance anytime soon.
Cullerton says it’s tougher than usual to pass a pension bill this year. That’s because of upcoming elections, union opposition, an Illinois Supreme Court ruling that declared a previous law unconstitutional and the ongoing state budget saga.
Cullerton says a pension bill could be part of a broader deal between Rauner and majority Democrats on a budget and other issues. […]
Rauner’s spokesman said Monday there’s “no good policy reason to delay.” He says the legislature could be “putting politics ahead of good policy.”
Subscribers know more.
*** UPDATE *** From the governor’s office…
Hi, Rich –
Mike asked me to send this to you:
“The Governor made clear he will veto SB 2043 because there is no way to pay for it – but he has offered a path toward compromise by agreeing to sign legislation that funds MAP, community colleges and universities tied to ways to pay for these important programs. Rather than playing politics with a dead piece of legislation, we urge the Senate to focus on finding real solutions and vote next week on legislation that would fund MAP grants with a fiscally responsible way to pay for them.”
The state owes $2 million to Ashley’s Quality Care in Chicago, which provides in-home care workers to keep seniors out of nursing homes, according to chief accountant Michael Robinson. The company has not met its payroll for 14 weeks, forcing the departure of 40 percent of its previous 1,000 employees; clientele has dipped by one-third, to 800, slicing revenue.
So, think about this. They keep seniors out of nursing homes. That saves the state big bucks.
Ugh… Just… Ugh.
…Adding… As a commenter notes, this is a feature, not a bug…
Rauner was among panelists at a 2012 tax policy conference in Chicago, sponsored by the George W. Bush Institute. Moderator MARGARET SPELLINGS, former U.S. secretary of education, asked him how people could build a “political constituency for change.” […]
“We will crush our economy if we try to spend money on both high-cost, inefficient, bureaucratic, heavily unionized government and a social safety net to help the disadvantaged,” Rauner said.
“We can’t afford both,” he said, and “wealth creators,” like JIMMY JOHN LIAUTAUD, founder of Jimmy John’s sandwich shops and another panelist, would be forced to leave the state.
“I think we can drive a wedge issue in the Democratic Party on that topic and bring the folks who say, ‘You know what, for our tax dollars, I’d rather help the disadvantaged, the handicapped, the elderly, the children in poverty,’ ” Rauner said, instead of directing tax dollars to the Service Employees International Union or “AF-Scammy,” an apparent reference to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, known as AFSCME for short.
* Another commenter pointed to this, which is also from Bernie…
Radogno also said that, while many social service agencies are struggling without state funding, and “seeing the bigger agencies have problems is very scary,” there “needed to be a shakeout.”
“Most legislators I talk to agree with that,” Radogno said. “I mean I actually met with an agency that had 36 clients. … Some of these very small, very weak agencies, where their clients were being taken over by larger agencies. … I think not all of that was a horrible thing.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** IMPACT CIL, which serves disabled people in six Metro East counties is now furloughing staff one day a week. The organization is owed $100,000 by the state. Click here for more info.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From a reader…
Rich, here are a couple things to think about. One is this article from the Quad Cities, LSSI’s adult daycare is being taken over by a multi-state company backed by a wall street firm. This happened really quickly.
Then there is the email all of us got from DHS last week. Add in Radogno’s comments after the SoS, and Bernie’s column on Sunday. Maybe I am paranoid, but we just might be seeing a major move by this administration to consolidate human services from locally controlled non-profits to multi-state, for-profit firms, and the Illinois-based groups that are large enough to survive some time without being paid. Just some food for thought.
The e-mail from Khari Hunt, Chief Operating Officer at DHS…
Good Morning-
A while back in WSCI we discussed encouraging strategic mergers among service providers that were struggling financially and/or did not have the back office expertise to support their business.
I met with Jim Lewis at Chicago Community Trust who some of you may know has been working with their resources to support non-profits interested in these strategic merger opportunities. He has funding and available time but he does not have client non-profit service providers.
Do we have service providers that do good work which we would like to tee-up for this opportunity? Are we interested in meeting with Jim to discuss further?
Every time Gov. Bruce Rauner gives a major speech, social media (and even mass media) lights him up over the way he drops his Gs at the end of words.
He’s workin’ and doin’ his best and shakin’ up Springfield, or whatever.
Last year, after his first State of the State Address, Illinois Public Radio even interviewed a language expert about whether he was doin’ this on purpose.
It does seem contrived. Rauner was educated at Ivy League schools, after all, and worked in some of the highest echelons in business. If you listen to any of his speeches in the years before he ran for governor, you’ll notice that he talked back then like an educated Midwesterner.
Anyway, Gov. Rauner asked me over to the Executive Mansion for a chat after last Wednesday’s State of the State Address.
It wasn’t exactly an honor. He wanted me to come by so he and I could have it out after he said something false about me at a press conference.
He held the presser to unveil an executive order consolidating information technology services into a single state agency. It was a fairly non-controversial announcement about a much-needed governmental upgrade.
I was actually kinda bored listening on the Internet until the governor was asked about some state revenue projections that he sent to legislators several months ago and shared with me earlier this month. Rauner’s own projections were based on what would happen if the governor got his economic agenda passed. The memo to legislators was designed to build support for (or at least, defend) his controversial pro-business agenda.
I published Rauner’s projection of a $510 million revenue increase, which I thought insufficient to justify all this impasse-related carnage. As I pointed out, the governor’s numbers meant he was aiming for a mere 1.4 percent revenue increase over Fiscal Year 2015.
“The author of the Capitol Fax has his numbers way, way wrong and we will be discussin’ that in our budget address,” Rauner told reporters, even though I simply used Rauner’s own numbers.
“I will also point out,” Rauner continued, “that the author of that blog used to work for Speaker Madigan, so I don’t want to put too much credence in the commentary.”
What an absolute, total crock.
I was a House page for two or three weeks way back in 1985. My tenure may not have even been that long because the House wasn’t in session while I was a page, and I quit before they came back to town for a job on my college campus.
I wish I could tell you what happened at my subsequent meeting with Rauner, but I can’t because it was completely off the record. As he told reporters, Rauner will be issuing revised projections. Total increased revenue and state and local government savings, he believes, are about $6 billion.
I can, however, tell you a story because I cleared it with the governor the next day.
At one point during our discussion, I decided to lighten the mood a little and asked him what the deal was with all those dropped Gs, teasing him that he sounded like somebody attempting to imitate a hillbilly. That got a big laugh, particularly from Mrs. Rauner.
The governor said he now feels “free” to be himself since he was elected. Mrs. Rauner agreed that his public wardrobe has drastically deteriorated since election day, as has his grammar.
Rauner told me he couldn’t talk like he wanted and wear what he wanted when he was a businessman because nobody would want to do business with him. At one point, he said, his business partners even asked him not to drive his lousy old car to company outings because it was an embarrassment to them.
Rauner said he was the only partner at his firm who didn’t own a private jet and fancy cars. He said he’s “proud” to still have the first tie he ever bought.
So all of that video and audio of him speaking years ago was actually the contrived Rauner, the governor said. Now, he just wants to be himself, and that means droppin’ his Gs and doin’ other stuff like wearin’ the clothes he likes, not the clothes others expect him to don.
Anyway, it’s not exactly earth-shattering stuff, but I thought you’d be interested because this does give us some insight into how the governor thinks.
First, if you really get him angry he will throw you under the bus with Madigan. And second, he will happily and un-self-consciously drop his Gs while he does it.
Many Americans have a way of adapting new speech patterns and verbal ticks, linguists say, that might reflect the democratic notion that people can be what they want to be. It can be social climbing — the Eliza Doolittle in a lot of us. Or a need to fit in. Or sincere affinity.
Point bein’, it ain’t necessarily contrived.
In a classic 1963 radio interview, Studs Terkel asked Bob Dylan why a “highly literate, educated man” such as himself would talk “mountain talk.” Dylan, who grew up in Minnesota, laughed off the question, so Terkel supplied an answer of his own.
“It’s probably easier for you,” Terkel said to Dylan, to “express the feelings” you have in this way. Studs pointed out that their mutual hero, Woody Guthrie, never stopped talking like a dust-bowl Oakie though at some point he briefly went to college. […]
But if Rauner insists on talkin’ like regular folks, he might want to do a better job of standin’ up for regular folks.
President Barack Obama will return to his old stomping grounds Feb. 10 and deliver an address to the Illinois General Assembly.
Obama will talk about “what we can do, together, to build a better politics — one that reflects our better selves,” according to a travel advisory from the White House.
The visit will come nine years after Obama announced his candidacy for president, and amid a historic budget impasse between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the General Assembly.
*** UPDATE *** Gov. Bruce Rauner…
“I look forward to welcoming President Obama to the State Capitol and hearing him speak about finding common ground between Republicans and Democrats. Despite our political differences, the President and I share a passion for improving education, especially for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, a belief in the benefits of term limits and redistricting reform for restoring good government, and a strong desire to see more economic opportunity for all Illinoisans. I know we can achieve great things for Illinois by having mutual respect for one another and focusing on bipartisan compromise to achieve what’s best for the long-term future of our great state.”
House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, D-Chicago, issued the following statement Friday, mourning the passing of former Senate President Phil Rock:
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Senate President Phil Rock. He was a great friend, mentor and member of the General Assembly for many, many years. His accomplishments, especially in the area of bettering the lives of children, are legion. Shirley and I join with his many friends and colleagues in offering sympathy and prayers to Sheila and their children for comfort and strength in these difficult times.”
* Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon is in town the for the team’s 30th anniversary of its Super Bowl win. He talked to the Tribune about how medical marijuana helped him get off pills and ease his pain from multiple injuries…
Now 56, McMahon has been plagued by debilitating health problems following his 15-year career and multiple concussions in the National Football League. He has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and has severe headaches, depression, memory loss, and vision and speech problems. He also said he suffered a broken neck. […]
McMahon got his medical marijuana card in Arizona, where he lives, after it was approved by a voter referendum in 2010. Before that, he said, he’d been taking 100 Percocet pills a month for pain in his shoulders, neck and arms.
“They were doing more harm than good,” he said. “This medical marijuana has been a godsend. It relieves me of the pain — or thinking about it, anyway.” […]
His comments come as Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner considers whether to approve eight more medical conditions to add to the list of about 40 that qualify for medical marijuana here. A state advisory board recommended adding the new conditions, including pain that doesn’t respond to conventional treatment.
The majority of patients in some other states that have legalized medical marijuana, like California and Colorado, qualify to use it to treat pain. But Illinois, which has perhaps the strictest law allowing medical marijuana in the nation, does not allow it for pain, as lawmakers have expressed concerns that the category is too broad and vague and would allow for abuse.
They should just legalize it, but an expansion to include pain in the interim would be a positive step forward.
Veterans gathered at the Capitol this morning to ask the Governor Rauner to add Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to the list of illnesses that could be treated by medical marijuana.
They had hoped to deliver those signatures to the Governor in person but things didn’t go as planned.
After repeated requests to deliver their signatures, they were told the boxes were going into storage.
Despite their frustration the group went ahead with their rally as planned.
* I could hear them from the gallery yesterday, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Here’s the SJ-R…
Protests and rallies at the Statehouse are usual during legislative sessions, and a big gathering in the rotunda Wednesday included hundreds of people chanting things like “budget first” even as Gov. BRUCE RAUNER delivered his State of the State address in the House chamber.
At least in the House gallery, some of the chants — muffled by the chamber’s closed doors — could be heard as the governor spoke.
Why that tactic?
“I think it was necessary so the governor understands and all the lawmakers understand that families and communities need a budget right now, and they need one that chooses revenue over cuts to veterans, seniors, those with disabilities,” said NEAL WALTMIRE, spokesman for the Responsible Budget Coalition.
The coalition includes about 250 groups, from statewide teacher unions to Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries and the Hope Institute for Children and Families.
“We were respectful of the instructions,” Waltmire said. “We just wanted to make sure that the governor heard our concerns. It was hard to ignore us.”
Unfortunately, Illinois’ economy has been split in two, one part with modest growth, the other in decline. There are areas within 90 minutes of O’Hare Airport that compete with other expensive mega-cities around the world. Thanks to access to global transportation infrastructure, first class universities, and world class cultural amenities, white-collar communities in the Chicago area have mostly been able to overcome the financial mismanagement that is now strangling Chicago and Cook County.
But it’s difficult in the rest of the state: Harvey, Blue Island, Kankakee, Rockford, East Moline, Peoria, Decatur, Danville, Mt. Vernon, and Marion. Those communities have to compete with other states like Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas and South Carolina. And too often, we’ve been losing.
In recent years, we’ve lost more than 300,000 manufacturing jobs.
Many of you have argued that we shouldn’t try to compete with other states, because that would be a race to the bottom.
Well, the numbers prove otherwise.
Factory workers in Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Tennessee, and South Carolina, when you adjust for the cost of living, now make more than workers in Illinois. That’s unacceptable!
Factory workers in Texas are now making more than Illinois folks, even without adjusting for the cost of living.
That’s outrageous! We should be kicking Texas’ tail!
But the numbers don’t lie. We are losing the race for good paying jobs.
…Adding… The governor’s office sent along this chart, which it says is based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - “Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates” and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis…
*** UPDATE *** The Tribune fact checked his numbers…
Rauner: “Our average working family is making less than they were eight years ago.”
Fact check: Rauner bases this claim on the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, but that’s 2 years old: He’s actually comparing 2014 with 2006. In 2014 dollars, the average Illinois household income did fall from $57,150 in 2006 to $54,916 in 2014. But take that drop with a healthy pinch of salt — it’s well within the large margin of error built into the Census Bureau’s calculations. It’s entirely possible the average family made more in 2014 than it made in 2006 and that it’s making more now than it made in 2008.
According to slightly more recent data from the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the state’s average salary in early 2015 was $54,531, up from $45,961 in early 2007. Even allowing for total inflation of 15 percent over that period, that’s a 3 percent increase in the average Illinois wage over the last eight years. […]
Rauner: “In many cases, people are paying more in property taxes over the course of living in their home than the original purchase price.”
The right-leaning Illinois Policy Institute came up with this calculation. It adds up, if you assume the 2.32 percent effective property tax rate and, perhaps a little unrealistically in most cases, that a homebuyer will live in a home for at least 43 years
* The Democrats started moving a MAP grant bill yesterday. The governor’s office doesn’t like it and is proposing an alternative, as well as calling out legislators who voted against the original appropriation last year…
From: Director Tim Nuding, Governor’s Office of Management and Budget
To: Members of the General Assembly
Date: January 28, 2016
Re: GOMB Analysis of SB 2043 and HB 4539/SB 2349
House Amendment 2 to SB 2043 would make appropriations of $721 million for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and community colleges programs. The funding levels for these programs are the same as those contained in last year’s General Assembly-passed unbalanced budget, which was opposed by Representatives Drury, Franks, Nekritz and Yingling along with all Republican legislators and which was vetoed by the Governor.
House Amendment 2 to SB 2043 provides no funding source to pay for the additional spending as it is not tied to spending reductions, revenue or cost-saving reforms. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget concludes that House Amendment 2 to SB 2043 would add $721 million to the deficit, increase the state’s bill backlog by the same and delay state payments to providers, vendors and contractors. Therefore, GOMB would recommend the Governor veto this legislation if it came to his desk.
HB 4539/SB 2349, on the other hand, would appropriate $1.6 billion dollars for all programs included in SB 2043 and Illinois’ public universities. The legislation is tied to another bill, HB 4521/SB 2338, which would grant the Governor authority to respond to an unbalanced budget by reallocating funds and reducing spending in various ways.
HB 4539/SB 2349’s approach is far more fiscally responsible than SB 2043 as it would help MAP students, community colleges and universities without exploding the deficit, skyrocketing the bill backlog or exacerbating the state’s cash flow crisis. Therefore, GOMB would recommend the Governor sign this legislation if it came to his desk with HB 4521/SB 2338.
Creates the Unbalanced Budget Response Act. Provides authority and procedures for the Governor to establish contingency reserves of previously appropriated funds, and to transfer balances between special funds in the State treasury and the General Revenue Fund. Describes the agencies and programs subject to this authority. Provides that designated agencies may adopt emergency rules to carry out the purposes of the Act. Defines terms. Provides that the Act is repealed on July 1, 2017. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to make conforming changes. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Adds actions taken under the Unbalanced Budget Response Act to a Section relating to applicability. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. Effective immediately.
The state’s Road Fund and some others would be exempt from the sweeps provision.
That bill gives the governor a whole lot of control, which the GA may not be inclined to do since the majority doesn’t actually trust him, but it would help him avoid a complete budgetary meltdown.
Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said the governor will veto the bill when it reached his desk. Ahead of the vote, Rauner’s budget chief sent a memo to lawmakers warning that if the measure became law, it would force the comptroller to put off payments for other services.
Democrats were not deterred, quickly passing the bill in both the House and Senate. Two Democrats voted against the bill, Rep. Scott Drury of Highwood and Rep. Jack Franks of Marengo. Eight Republicans voted “present,” a way to avoid looking like they voted against funding for schools without bucking Rauner. […]
While Democrats were able to pass the legislation, it’ll be a tougher battle to override a Rauner veto. On Wednesday, Madigan acknowledged he does not have a “working” supermajority, a reference to the difficulties he’s had in wrangling all 71 of his Democratic members to remain united to override vetoes.
* You can watch or listen to the speech online here and here. I’ll also be doing a preview starting at noon on Public TV with Jak Tichenor and Amanda Vinicky. Click here to watch it online. All four legislative leaders are also scheduled to appear on Jak’s show after the speech. You can also check out the various reaction pressers by clicking here.
And, of course, you can follow everything in real time right here with ScribbleLive…
