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* I suppose you could think that Democratic legislators are taking a gigantic risk by planning to adjourn this week without completely “solving” the state’s budget mess. The Tribune certainly does…
If legislators adjourn after doing so little, they’ll be asking citizens to oust them from office
Then again, if legislators cut $13 billion from the budget, or cut half of that and fill the rest of the hole with tax hikes, they’d actually be begging - not asking, begging - voters to oust them from office come November. That’s just reality. Look at the polls if you don’t believe me. The voters clearly do not want their taxes raised and they don’t want services cut. Period.
Last year, I wrote countless columns and blog posts favoring a tax hike and measured budget cuts. I stopped doing that when something happened during the primary campaign that made me rethink my position. Pat Quinn kept saying that if he won the nomination he would have a “mandate” to move his tax hike forward.
Quinn just barely won that primary but it made me stop and think. The last gubernatorial election was won by ten points by a guy who swore up and down to “never raise taxes on people.” Therefore, no public mandate exists to do that now. Period. And since the Democrats won, there is no mandate to cut services, either.
This election represents the clearest choice voters have had in decades. Tax hikes with smallish cuts or major cuts with no tax hikes? It’s not ideal, but I think we can probably muddle through another six or so months until election day to figure out which way the public wants to go.
On the other hand, this is obviously an emergency situation and allowing problems to fester any longer isn’t exactly ideal. Leaders are supposed to lead, after all.
But the Tribune so thoroughly botched its own attempt at coming up with solutions to close the budget hole that it has zero credibility now on this entire topic.
* And this stuff isn’t new, either. The Peoria paper takes a look back at an editorial it published in 1990…
First, the Legislature gave all the new revenues to localities, keeping none for services provided directly by the state, then increased the level of those services anyway. To do this, it spent more than it took in … because the previous year’s treasury had provided a nifty $266 million surplus. This time around, there is no surplus, and that puts state budget-making $266 million behind at the starting gate.
Secondly, the Legislature declared the new tax to be temporary, thrusting the issue of its renewal into the fires of an election year while rendering the schools and communities it was supposed to help powerless to plan sensible budgets.
Foresight tells us that Illinois is on the verge of making things worse. … While those who would succeed him preach about keeping taxes low, or cutting them, outgoing Gov. Jim Thompson proposes a budget which will be balanced only if (a) taxes go up and sports betting, which is still illegal, manages somehow to bring the state $30 million and (b) the state doesn’t pay its bills on time. Chances of the former are minimal, which just about ensures that the latter will occur on a grand scale.
The governor wants to postpone or ignore $349 million worth of due bills in fiscal 1991. He would “save” the state $246 million on paper by paying only 10 1/2 months of Medicaid and group insurance bills during the fiscal year and by delaying circuit-breaker refund payments by six weeks …
The tactics amount to deficit spending, technically forbidden in Illinois, but easy to get around in the short term. … Remember when corporations and citizens waited months to get their state tax refunds? When pharmacists, nursing homes and hospitals which cared for Medicaid patients were forced to borrow money to pay their own bills because the state wasn’t paying its? Do we want government to become the state’s biggest scofflaw again, and so soon?
* Related and a roundup…
* Makeshift Illinois budget could include pension IOUs: The state doesn’t have the $3.7 billion it owes to retirement systems in the upcoming fiscal year, so top Democrats are discussing a plan to make good by giving the systems bonds that pay off over eight years, documents and interviews show.< * Erickson: Election Day blocks any action on fiscal mess
* Lawmakers in Springfield Want to Bring Video Machines to Racetracks
* Quinn proposes property tax relief legislation
* With several budget options, legislators poised to borrow more, make cuts
* End is near? Lawmakers scramble for budget fix in final days
* Finke: Budget could be passed by Friday
* State schools chief paints dire funding picture
* SIU employees face insurance problems
* Private vendors, local businesses suffer as Illinois fails to pay its bills
* State owes millions to Twin City companies
* SJ-R: 2 budget ideas that could work
* Tribune: How it works
* Tribune: School vouchers vote: House must put kids first
* Bill could mean jail time for minors’ tattoos
* Hair-braiding bill offers regulatory compromise
* New Law Will Grant Illinois Adult Adopted Children Access to Their Birth Certificates
* Shaken-baby bill goes to governor
* Our View: Lawmakers give pedestrians a win in crosswalk fight
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 3, 10 @ 10:55 am
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Scenario:
Voters split the baby and elect Brady with 44% (while splitting the rest of the vote among the other candidates) and a mildly weakened Dem majorities in both houses.
Brady submits a budget that uses cuts, mostly to local taxing bodies. The legislature adds some programs back, but leaves most of the cuts to municipal gov’t in place.
Illinois has a huge increase in property taxes and the voters throw out a bunch of incumbents, especially at the state and local level.
But the situation does build momentum for the tax swap idea.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:07 am
The voters want no tax hikes or spending cuts. So they cant get what they want no matter whom they elect. Assuming Brady gets elected, and does not raise taxes, the only way out of the budget mess is to effectivel eliminate igher and lower eduction spending. We owe way to much to aoid cuts to prisons, police and education.
Comment by Ghost Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:08 am
Looking at New Jersey, massive cuts seem to be the fastest way down the popularity slope.
Quinn has been doing a slow roll down that slope with the tax hike proposals.
Its an absolutely unfortunate position to be in, no question. But you have to hand it to the General Assembly, they will chose to tumble down the slope of idiocy and bankruptcy instead - no cuts and no tax hike.
Comment by George Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:12 am
The situation may not be new, but the severity of it is. Folks can deal with off years, but not an off decade. There is also a difference between a governor leaving office after over a decade of trust in office, and after having two governors head off to the slammer and a Lt. Gov. filling in. The reporters in 1990 had jobs in a respected industry.
In 1990, citizens had a higher degree of faith in Illinois and Federal government, than now. So, when proposals were made under the Dome, you didn’t have the balconies filled with cynics and bankrupted newspaper reporters. You didn’t have 24/7 electronic media and bloggers to expose any perceptive shortcomings in the proposals.
Too many of the folks who ran The Dome in 1990, are still there today. Consequentially, their approaches to resolving our current crisis fail to take into consideration these 21st Century’s changes.
Perhaps if enough of them were replaced this November, we’ll see new proposals succeed differently than was thought possible in 1990. There seems to be a time when state government leadership is so obsolete, it begs for voter euthanasia. 2010 could be the year the leftovers from the 20th Century are smothered and replaced with 21st Century leaders.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:12 am
A state income tax hike at this point is virtually a certainty. The fiscal disaster is just too grave. I predict that it will be packaged as a “temporary” one, in the belief that the (”I-GIVE”) or the “Incredibly Gullible Illinois Voting Electorate” will forget how the last “temporary” hike became permanent once Springfield got used to the extra juice.
The fiscal disaster created by our State governement is sitting there like an elephant in the living room, being ignored by all (or at least while cameras are rolling). The dancing is over how and when, and on who’s watch.
Comment by Bubs Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:15 am
===forget how the last “temporary” hike became permanent===
You mean when Jim Edgar campaigned hard to make it permanent and won, while Neil Hartigan campaigned hard to end it and lost?
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:17 am
I agree with Bubs…income tax hike in 2011 after Quinn squeaks by with the narrowest of victories in November…IL is overipe for wholesale tax reform…as soon as re-districting is a done deal in 2012, here it comes…
Comment by Loop Lady Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:19 am
Rich:
He shoots and scores!
Comment by GA Watcher Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:20 am
I love this bit from the SJR article “The Democratic governor had been urging them to stay in Springfield and consider his proposal for raising income taxes. But on Friday he seemed to accept that the session will end quickly.
He warned that if legislators don’t come up with money for schools — if not through income taxes then by borrowing or raising cigarette taxes — he would call them back to Springfield.
“If it doesn’t have proper funding for education, you can bet your life that we will be working and working until we get to that point,” Quinn said.”
How in the world does Quinn get a free pass on this nonsense? HIS OWN BUDGET PROPOSAL CUT EDUCATION!!! So, essentially, he is threatening to call the legislators back if they do not fix the problem he caused? Nice leadership.
Comment by Confused Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:20 am
Many believe fiscal advice from a bankrupt company that is the subject of at least two federal probes is not a real value.
BTW…NoTaxBill skipping CaribouBarbie s very confusing. CommandoKirk is still trying to suck up.
We think those polls with the slim leads might have been to high point for this dynamic duo
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:21 am
Lets start with the democrats have had 8 years and each year made the buget crisis worse. When they have failed consistently for 8 years, if you believe they are capable of a solution, this week, in November, or 2 years from now you lack the capability to learn from simple yet painful mistakes.
What everyone overlooks is Brady’s job creation side of the budget equations. You can only cut so much, and you can only raise taxes so much. Too much of either becomes counter productive. What you have to do is create jobs which creates tax payers. Yea, job creation is tough, especially right now, but the democrats continue to pass anti business legislation. We have to strip down the anti business environment in this state if you want any chance of turning the tide.
Comment by the Patriot Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:28 am
Brady wins and is forced to go back on his word an raise taxes, along with large budget cuts. We are in so much debt large budget cuts need to be made even with a tax increase. Plus we put s couple of casinos in chicago and at least one in the south burbs to keep some of that Ill gamblers money out of Indiana. Slots and video poker at the airports. Sugar tax on soda increases in every fee you pay to the state or local goverment. The legislature has dug s massive hole and refuses to even acknowledge it exists until after the election.
Comment by Fed up Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:28 am
This blog seems to be of the view that it would be an absolute horror if these legislators lost their jobs. I struggle to see how Illinois would be worse off if karen may, robyn godel, sour not sweet lou lang, schoenberg and the rest of these cats were off of the government payroll come next spring. they are down there to take tough votes and do things other than sell out for chicago special interests, not stay as long as they want wasting our money on fancy public pensions.
I hope and expect a bloodbath of legislators in november and then another one next spring when brady cuts the fat.
Comment by shore Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:33 am
===This blog seems to be of the view that it would be an absolute horror if these legislators lost their jobs.===
Not sure where you read that. But I don’t blame politicians for refusing to commit suicide.
And your eagerness for them to take that vote in order to get a bloodbath is telling.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:35 am
CFS - your postings sometimes sounds like they are written by Tokyo Rose during WWII. This one definately does.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:36 am
Hey Rich, tell Quinn to try Edgar’s strategy and see what happens on Election Day.
Comment by Bubs Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:36 am
Rich isn’t doing what’s popular instead of what’s right what got us to this point.
Comment by Fed up Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:37 am
===tell Quinn to try Edgar’s strategy===
He already is, goofball. What do you think all his talk about a tax hike is about?
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:37 am
Slot machines at Illinois race tracks? That has been under discussion for so long now that Sportsman’s Park was still in operation when the subject was first proposed. Don’t hold your breath.
Comment by Honest Abe Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:38 am
My new favorite Trib Ed Board pet project is slamming Springfield for not balancing the budget, demanding they cut spending and services… and then in the piece right below that having something supporting vouchers or some other conservative spending program. HELLO! What do you actually believe in? Cutting spending or only cutting “liberal (i.e. New Deal)” programs? The consistency of that page has dropped over the last few months. At least in the past I knew I was getting a conservative, libertarian view… now we’re justing getting a bunch of people talking out of both sides of their mouth.
Comment by The 'Dale to HPark Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:41 am
I used to be really afraid of having a republican governor in a census year because that could very easily lead to Republican majorities in both Houses of the legislature. After this session I realize that it wouldn’t make much difference. The dems have or will hurt us just as much or more than the 1995-1996 reign of terror. Maybe its time for a change just so we could get rid of the entrenched leaders. Could Tom and Chris be any worse?
Comment by Bill Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:41 am
===a bunch of people talking out of both sides of their mouth. ==
Um, like when they wrote that Jim Ryan should never be elected to anything again and then endorsed him for governor? Or when they wrote that Barack Obama should be forever disqualified from running for higher office and then endorsed him for president?
This is a longterm problem, man.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:44 am
Bill,
I agree we need new leadership just as long as they are fiscal conservatives not social conservatives.
Comment by Fed up Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:45 am
==But I don’t blame politicians for refusing to commit suicide.==
I do. Their job is to run the state, and they’re failing miserably at that. If the electorate has unreasonable expectations for a solution, maybe they should try laying out the facts and educating the public, rather than making additional unrealistic promises, or just trying to blame the opposition party or play a game of hot potato with the state’s finances.
I don’t see why any legislator deserves to keep their job if they can’t come up with the broad strokes of a budget that’s balanced without any fiscal shenanigans.
Comment by inpatient in il Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:54 am
Bill, just because its bad doesn’t mean it can’t get worse….
Comment by Ghost Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:54 am
===maybe they should try laying out the facts and educating the public===
Yeah. That’ll work.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:55 am
Once the November election is over, the Dems will be looking straight at 2012. Illinois will be in the spotlight as Obama’s home state. If the economy is still tottering weakly along, will Illinois Dems and their consultants in the WH want to take the risk on an income tax increase in Illinois. Doesn’t the pension contribution go up sharply over the next few years. So not only a tax increase, but a lot of the $$$ will have to go to those pesky defined benefit pensions.
Maybe the best bet for tax-increase-lovers is Brady. He gets elected in a squeaker, makes some unpleasant cuts (the ones Quinn should have made but can’t bring himself to make),declares victory over Democratic profligacy and overspending and…raises the income tax.
Comment by cassandra Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:57 am
I still don’t get the wisdom of the 7th. What’s so important about hitting the beach three weeks early? Why are they walking into the criticism of “failing to get the job done” when they could pass the same lousy budget in late may and avoid all that? Is their 2007 “Overtime in Hell” comp time about to expire?
Comment by Scooby Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:57 am
Well, if they feel the job is too difficult, maybe they should give someone else a chance then.
Comment by inpatient in il Monday, May 3, 10 @ 11:58 am
We have a body to review assessments. It’s called the Property Tax Appeal Board. Unfortunately, it’s way understaffed and cases are running years behind. Here’s an idea: eliminate all property tax exemptions created by the legislature and let everyone pay their fair share of property tax for the services they receive from local governments. Yes, those receiving the exemptions will see an increase, but everyone else will see a reduction in tax. School districts in rural areas with an aging population are getting killed by the exemptions the legislators have given the block of voters over the age of 65.
Comment by 3 beers to springfield Monday, May 3, 10 @ 12:03 pm
@ inpatient in il,
Every politician’s job is to get reelected, not to run the state or enforce and/or make laws, etc.
Comment by The 'Dale to HPark Monday, May 3, 10 @ 12:06 pm
–You mean when Jim Edgar campaigned hard to make it permanent and won, while Neil Hartigan campaigned hard to end it and lost?–
That election and this one are very similar. Edgar won by the razor’s edge, but he stuck to his guns. He would have won by a landslide if had pandered to every interest like Hartigan did.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, May 3, 10 @ 12:09 pm
The Feds aren’t passing a budget either.
Vote present to keep your job. Change™
Comment by Brennan Monday, May 3, 10 @ 12:12 pm
Brennan, the federal fiscal year ends in October.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, May 3, 10 @ 12:16 pm
If I had a dollar for each ‘well why don’t they just explain everything logically a people would understand’ conversation I have had with people I would be able to run for governor with my own cash
Comment by OneMan Monday, May 3, 10 @ 12:45 pm
no, the fed fiscal year ends september 30. October 1 thru September 30.
Comment by john Monday, May 3, 10 @ 1:15 pm
Rich, I’m sure you are correct, but as an alternative we push the problem along the road and pay additional tax dollars in interest ($300M in interest on $6B at 5%). $300M could fund many programs. If our state representatives want a risk-free job maybe they should look elsewhere.
Comment by Jim Monday, May 3, 10 @ 1:38 pm
I’m to the point where I would be satisfied if they just did SOMETHING. Our problem has been quickly becoming almost unsolvable because the GA and the Gov have been doing nothing, neither real cuts nor revenue increase. Blagojevich left PQ with an extremely difficult situation, and our leaders have allowed it to continue to deteriorate.
There’s a mostly little known except among insiders term of art called “affordable approp” and it’s calculated simply, by adding and subtracting base revenues, increases/decreases in lapse year spending, revenue growth, changes in transfers in/transfers out, eoy balance etc., and at the end it gives you the number the GA can approp for a year without worsening/bettering our financial situation. In theory it is the starting point for each year’s budget discussions, Want to spend more, tax less, whatever, here is how much left we can appropriate.
I don’t bother to do the math (even roughly) any more, but COGFA has it, and to look at it, and the projected change in it over the next 2 or 3 years without any additional revenue beyond normal growth, tells you exactly what we can afford to appropriate, and it’s so ugly to as to be almost beyond belief.
That essential truth is why I have believed for several years that a substantial revenue increase has to be a big part of the solution to our current circumstances. i believe it would be far easier to put enough votes on a tax increase than on the real budget we can afford without one, and I believe that’s adequately proven by our government’s continued willingness to pretend that they are dealing with the problem. Neither alternative seems livable. I think if we would talk about the real affordable approp number for the next 2 or 3 years and force an awareness among the GA and the public that either this is the budget you are willing to live with, or you support a revenue increase, more people would see the light fairly quickly. I doubt that 50% of the Rs in either House could vote for the state’s real affordable approp next year, much less the Ds.
Just some rambling thoughts, since I am rapidly losing any faith I had left. The real affordable approp number for next FY, given ‘10 underapprops, revenue underperformance, loss of fed stimulus funds, the pension payments, etc would probably require cuts in “11 over “10 of somewhere in the neighborhood of $6B just to keep things from getting any worse. That’s not reducing the payment cycles, paying off old debt or anything.
Comment by steve schnorf Monday, May 3, 10 @ 2:01 pm
Steve, thats just crazy talk….pretending we hav money to restore map grants, keep our police force etc without identifiabl revenue streams is much more fun.
Comment by Ghost Monday, May 3, 10 @ 2:26 pm
–But I don’t blame politicians for refusing to commit suicide–
Last week Peggy Noonan wrote a widely read piece in the WSJ. It was on a different topic but addressed a similar concern: that Republican lawmakers are looking out for their major contributors, and Democratic lawmakers are looking out for their major contributors, and nearly ALL legislators are looking out for themselves for the next election. “But who,” asked Peggy, “is looking out for America?”
In November, I think it is equally fair for voters here to ask the question of our current state crop of incumbents–”who is looking out for Illinois?” And I hope voters will do that so that some of the cowards in Springfield will go back home wishing they HAD indeed been more interested in looking out for Illinois over the years than in their own hides.
Comment by Responsa Monday, May 3, 10 @ 2:35 pm
Steve,
I’ll let the part where you blame Blagojevich go since that argument is moot. Your assesment of the situation and your numbers are accurate however. An income tax hike to 5% would make a pretty big dent in that six billion. Add the sales tax on services and you could begin to pay down the state’s masive debt instead of adding to it. A billion or so in well placed and well thought out cuts and we are back in business. They have already stolen the future from the great mass of unhired state workers so that will pretty much take care of future pension debt unless they start shorting the till again. It all sounds so simple doesn’t it? With current leadership you can forget it! It is not about good policy or good government and it never has been. It has always been about feathering their own nests. I am afraid that it will have to get a lot worse before it gets any better. Talk about theft of honest services!
Comment by Bill Monday, May 3, 10 @ 2:38 pm
Bill, because tax revenues from any increases wouldn’t start flowing immediately, if the tax legislation that passed the Senate were approved and signed into law, the ‘11 budget would still require significant cuts, well in excess of a billion (probably somewhere around $3B-I asked Martire but he dodged the question) just to keep our financial hole from deepening in ‘11, not to start to climb out.
Comment by steve schnorf Monday, May 3, 10 @ 2:45 pm
==Just some rambling thoughts, since I am rapidly losing any faith I had left. ==
@steve schnorf:
I worked for you in a prior life at BoB. I still do the same work but now out in an agency. If you had remained in government after Ryan you would have lost that faith a long, long time ago.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, May 3, 10 @ 2:54 pm
Bill, I’ve never disputed the fact that, even though we cut the ‘03 budget back to below the ‘01 number, Rod inherited a lousy situation from us. Problem was, he didn’t stand up to it, he both let and caused it to worsen, which is why PQ inherited the mess he has.
Comment by steve schnorf Monday, May 3, 10 @ 3:06 pm
Willy Vanilly….not sure what you did not like about our NoTaxBill Skips CaribouBarbie Event, but let take a look at the words from the Bankrupt Baloney Factory…
“Competitive districts elect responsive
lawmakers who don’t take voters for
granted; safe districts elect faithful party
soldiers who take their orders from
legislative leaders. That’s why the system
fails its citizens, and why lawmakers
refuse to fix it.”
Someday we hope they will tell what these competively elected,responsive legislators will do?
Cut taxes.?
Raise taxes?
Clean the air & water or let polluti
on belch from the smokestacks of the biz buddies. Will the Responsives stop gaming expansion and let one of their favorites— Churchhill Downs Dick wither?
This should be a Capt Fax QOTD….what are the first 100 bills enacted by the Responsives?
Come on Capt. tee it up
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, May 3, 10 @ 3:11 pm
I agree that Rod inherited a bad situation and it is worse now. But any budget initiative he ever presented was thwarted by the Speaker. GRT, keno, tenth liscense, etc. Regardless of merit, and ,I admit there wasn’t much merit, Madigan was automatically against it. Mike was running around Lake County in 2005 advocating a tax increase as the solution to the budget problems only because Rod was against a tax increase.
The blame doesn’t lie with Ryan, Rod , or even Quinn. They don’t pass a budget. The legislature does. There is only one contstant over the last 3 decades and that’s Madigan.
Comment by Bill Monday, May 3, 10 @ 3:17 pm
Speaking of GOPers being left out meetings….Daily Herald sleuth John Patterson shares this….”Just finished staking out a closed-door leader’s meeting in Senate President John Cullerton’s Capitol office. House Republican leader Tom Cross came out……. Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno was next out. She too kept walking to her nearby office, but did stop briefly to tell reporters there was talk of overhauling McPier, which she supports ……Hmmm. What were they doing in Cullerton’s office?
The windows?
Guess StateTom”s always left out line too a big hit
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, May 3, 10 @ 3:22 pm
Word is the StateWideTom and the Senate Republican Leader were sharing a pork sandwich
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, May 3, 10 @ 3:33 pm
Bill, Governor’s own fault when they allow the GA to go far astray without every reasonable effort (vetoes) to stop it.
Comment by steve schnorf Monday, May 3, 10 @ 3:34 pm
Rich, You say “But I don’t blame politicians for refusing to commit suicide”. Losing a part time legislative job is not suicide even long time political suicide. And maybe if they were honest, stayed in Springfield, and recognize and do what needs to be done (Large budget cuts and a Tax increase) the voters may actually approve. If they just leave town now and do nothing but wait until things to get worse they ALL deserve to be thrown out.
JMHO
Comment by downstate hack Monday, May 3, 10 @ 3:50 pm
Nice discussion on process, but for the average person it’s just eye rolling time. Polls show ‘Cut Spending’ is the constant chorus, but when pressed those same responders don’t want to cut education, health, human services, or safety. What’s left? Nothing is likely to really happen until the traumas kick in because up to now most things seem to function OK. The families who will have to find day services for their adult disabled son because they cannot work and leave him him alone. The older people with no family who will no longer get meals delivered. The sports/music programs cut from the smaller schools because they simply cannot afford them. Police/fire layoffs from funding cuts. People blocked from state universities by tuition costs just as we need a better educated public. The list is endless. When the tragedies hit then people will suddenly pay attention and be shocked nothing is being done. It’s conflicting concepts. Cut residential programs for people with mental illness by 40% (which will basically eliminate them), but follow a court order to start moving 4,000 people with mental illness from nursing home to community residential settings. If what currently exists is not there, where do these people go?
Comment by zatoichi Monday, May 3, 10 @ 3:56 pm
CommandoKirk is busy as a beaver to save Rockford (he might take a peak at SPI or Danville too) He maifesto includes….
“ improving the operations of Chicago Rockford International Airport…Huh? airlines are cutting back except no frills flights to Vegas…
Rrevitalizing downtown Rockford…..Huh? how much does he spend on this one?…i
Expanding the University of Illinois College of Medicine….Huh? that sounds like spending…Pork, Earmarks……. job creation policies that will put people back to work. …..so the Commando is ProPorkBarrel Jobs!
Yikes…Better check with NoTaxBill and CampaignMaster Jerry.
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, May 3, 10 @ 4:24 pm
I found Rich’s analysis very confusing. We should wait to deal with the budget so the 2010 winner can act with a clear mandate? That assumes voters have a realistic sense of what the budget choices really are. Unfortunately, in part because of irresponsible politicians, nothing could be further from the truth. People have no clue what it would take to cut our way out of this mess.
Also, what if PQ gets 40%, the Greens get 12%, and Brady gets 48%? Brady wins, but a majority vote for pro-tax candidates. Who has a mandate then?
Comment by Gene Monday, May 3, 10 @ 4:49 pm
If the GA leaves Friday, and I’m sure they will, the damage by November will be hard for even the most clueless Illinois citizens to ignore. And a June trial won’t be enought to cover for it.
Comment by Way Way Down Here Monday, May 3, 10 @ 5:13 pm
Rich this talk of a clear mandate is hogwash it is very likely that whoever wins this election will have less than 50% of the vote. That is no mandate.
Comment by fed up Monday, May 3, 10 @ 5:29 pm
Pension IOU’S…lets look at that for a moment. In the real world as Rich likes to call it, if pension plans were messed with by anyone, they would be looking at jail time. Both parties are responsible for “borrowing” from this fund, maybe they should be held accountable!!
Comment by Zoble21 Monday, May 3, 10 @ 7:41 pm
I’m with Bill in that I’m sick of hearing Rod blamed for this situation. Both parties need to share the blame. It started DECADES ago with deferring the pension catch-up, and even before then with all the sweeteners the GA passed which now collectively are amounting to real money. Heck, that thinking is still going on which is evidenced by the way Police & Fire were excluded from the recent pension reform bill. That should have been across the board.
Comment by Original Rambler Monday, May 3, 10 @ 7:59 pm