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In which I disagree

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Illinois

* When your original budget is based on more than a billion dollars in cuts to education, you shouldn’t be surprised when you get called on it…

A mother of three angrily confronted Gov. Pat Quinn following an afternoon news conference, accusing him of not doing enough to stop teacher layoffs and prevent classroom sizes from growing.

Quinn was greeting children at John H. Kinzie Elementary School on the city’s South Side when he was approached by Diane Sajdak, who volunteers at the school her three children attend. Sajdak shouted at Quinn, telling him budget cuts could force the school to layoff more than a dozen teachers and inflate class sizes to the point where children won’t adequately learn.

“You’re not doing a good job,” Sajdak yelled. “We’re getting rid of 14 of our teachers, we’ve got 42 kids in a class, that’s ridiculous! How are they going to learn?”

Quinn appeared flustered by the confrontation, responding, “that’s not me.”

Yes, it is you, governor.

* Congressman Peter Roskam told Fox Business’ Stuart Varney yesterday that Illinois had a $500 million bill backlog two years ago and now it’s over $5 billion. That’s pretty much true. But check out the graph below. Fiscal Year 2008 is in purple and Fiscal Year 2009, which began in July of 2008, is in green. The original document from the comptroller’s office is here, and click the pic for a larger image…

Notice that as the economy crashed during the summer, fall and winter of 2008, the state’s unpaid balances also crashed. The unpaid balances eased substantially that December because the state took out a cash-flow loan.

* I’ve never met him, but I’ve been a fan of James Krohe, Jr. for years. The guy knows how to turn a phrase, but he’s way off on the Stratton Building’s serious problems…

Several rationales have been offered for this curious priority. Rep. Rich Brauer, the Petersburg Republican, told the SJ-R that the building is “just way past its prime.” True, the Stratton at 56 years is old before its time. But the Illinois Statehouse is 80 years older than that, and in the pink. Buildings can live happily for decades past their primes if well-tended. The Stratton’s problems – single-pane windows with failing gaskets, inadequate insulation and fireproofing and poor lighting – are common in structures its age. The only reason they are life-threatening to this one is that the State of Illinois is as incompetent a landlord as it is a teacher or investment fund manager.

You can’t change a recessed lightbulb in that building without a hazmat team. The ceilings are full of asbestos. That, itself, is enough of a hazard to warrant massive repairs or knocking it down.

* I wouldn’t bet on this…

[Mark Kirk and Alexi Giannoulias] are running out of things to criticize about each other, but they still have five months to go

There’s more out there. Bet on it.

* Until I see the polling data myself, I wouldn’t bet on this, either…

Democrats maintain voters won’t associate Quinn, who was lieutenant governor to Blagojevich, with his flamboyant predecessor.

“When the Blagojevich scandal broke, the very first thing out of Pat Quinn’s mouth was, ‘I have not spoken to this guy in over a year,’” Nathan Daschle, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), said on a conference call Wednesday. “There is no real relationship between Blagojevich and Pat Quinn.”

Daschle said the DGA’s polling confirms that assumption. “The trial is not going to hurt Pat Quinn,” he said.

* Perhaps if he wasn’t reportedly hiring winos and junkies to circulate his petitions, Scott Lee Cohen wouldn’t be complaining now.

The Forrest Claypool campaign responded to Cohen’s complaints today…

“Notice how we are not spending time complaining while we can still be collecting signatures.”

Exactly.

* And a roundup…

* State lawmaker won’t run again, saying he needs to make more money: Southwest Side Democratic state Rep. Kevin Joyce said today he will not seek re-election this fall because his family is growing and he needs to make more money. Joyce, who has served in the House since 2003, said the decision was made after he and his wife, Krista, learned they have an eighth child due in September. The couple’s oldest child is 14 and preparing to enter high school.

* STAR Bond opposition make last push to stop Governor’s signature

* Mayor’s letter urges governor to veto STAR

* Mount Vernon asks Quinn to add it to STAR bill

* Quinn trumpets support of recall

* Quinn’s visit to Danville presages gubernatorial campaign

* Jeb Bush fund-raising in Illinois for Bill Brady governor campaign

* Schilling hopes to take advantage of anti-incumbent fervor in 17th District race

* Schoenburg: Shimkus’ Scripture passages on Twitter raise questions

* Illinois Pension Database

* Governor flies in to sign bills

* Community Colleges Can Now Borrow More

* Quinn doubles the amount community colleges can borrow

* Daily Eastern News: Governor encourages students

* Quinn attends 75th annual boys state

* How much energy do state buildings use?

* Most states skip bans on employer credit checks

* Debt settlement association opposes Illinois bill

* Judy Erwin: New principal prep law will create visionary leaders focused on students

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 12:53 pm

Comments

It doesn’t matter what Quinn does with schools, he is going to be attacked. If he doesn’t cut, he is going to be attacked because he didn’t give schools more. So, if he cuts, naturally he is going to be attacked.

He fails because he doesn’t have a plan here. He doesn’t have a good statement to this mother on an action he personally took. Did the Governor plan to make this cut? Did he have any reasons? Can he give any answers? The fact that he hides, then cowers from answers from citizens, is his problem here.

In New Jersey, Christie has answers. Voters may not like them, but they understand why he did what he did. In Indiana, Daniels has answers. In neither case does their answers prevent challenges from citizens concerned over state education funding.

Quinn is a flop here.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 1:12 pm
A Tribune poll before the Feb. 2 governor primary showed that Democratic primary voters did not view Quinn negatively over his ties to the former governor.

http://tinyurl.com/2amztxj

Granted, that was a poll of Democratic primary voters, but I would bet that the DGA has polled this issue.

That said, if Quinn’s not on the air by the first week of July, he’s in big trouble.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 1:20 pm
I’m a little confused here. The parent says this school already has 42 students per class, yet the day before the CTU filed suit to block class sizes from going to 35. O well, not his fault it must be the other Quinn…Brady Quinn!

Comment by Hank Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 1:21 pm
The governor got stuck with making deep cuts by an irresponsible legislature and past politicians overpromising.

Of course, he could cut Regional Superintendents instead of teachers, since we don’t need middle managers wasting education dollars.

However, why isn’t the local school board soliciting alumni and local businesses to build a foundation? Why isn’t the school board asking administrators and support staff to take pay cuts before firing teachers? Has the school board asked parents to volunteer as teacher assistants…building skills for a future career teaching?

Perhaps administrators and support staff should have to competitively bid for their jobs before teachers are fired, but perhaps it’s more important to protect the bureaucracy than educate kids?

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 1:31 pm
“Perhaps if he wasn’t reportedly hiring winos and junkies to circulate his petitions, Scott Lee Cohen wouldn’t be complaining now.”

Alexi Giannoulias would call that “Creating Jobs”

Comment by Leroy Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 1:31 pm
Rich: With regard to the costs associated with renovation of the Stratton Building, don’t forget that the state just adopted the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code, (2009 IECC) Guess what this does to the cost of renovation?

Comment by One of the 35 Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 1:31 pm
It is the Gov and the Legislature and they made the cuts over the past several years. You can keep writing on paper that you are not cutting schools, but when you don’t send the checks you cut them. It has caught up. School are months behind, but still had to keep paying out. With reserves exhausted, schools had to cut. I can stand on a podium and say I didn’t cut a penny out of the school budget, but when I can never send the money, I made the cut.

I think Jeff Foxworthy covered this in the bit with the repo man. The repo guy asks for a check and the car owner says, heck I thought you needed money. Schools don’t need a budget showing no cuts, they need the money.

Funny how Pat can’t figure out that his failure last year made the cuts. And people really argue Brady doesn’t understand the budget.

Comment by the Patriot Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 1:48 pm
So the Worst Bill Ever is already spreading…

Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 2:03 pm
Rich, you forgot to mention water running down inside the walls when it rain, mold in the walls, and repugnant smells in several areas of the building when the temperature reaches the 90s after a rain. Employees sometimes had to move out these areas to work due to the smell being too strong to do work.

Comment by BigBob Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 2:08 pm
“that’s not me.”

Exactly the problem. Who is the real Quinn? He makes a budget but doesn’t stand behind it. He proposes a tax hike but does not rally the troops to make it happen. He says all non essential programs must be eliminated. But there is little evidence of him making the list.

Crisis wasted crisis prolonged. Harold Washington had his number.

Comment by Vole Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 2:09 pm
@Vole -

I think Quinn’s point is that he has a plan to increase school funding.

Try this one Governor Quinn:

“As a father, I know exactly how you feel, and how important education is to our children’s futures. That’s why I proposed a budget that funds our schools. Unfortunately, Bill Brady and his Republican colleagues blocked that plan, and that’s why we see these terrible cuts in schools across the state. Would you like Senator Brady’s cell phone number?”

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 2:18 pm
YDD-
That is completely disingenuous. That blame-game thinking is exactly why Quinn is seemingly baffled by any public backlash about the eduction cuts. The point is that while Quinn may have *wanted* a tax increase, all signals were that he would not get it, and he chose to cut education anyway– his decision, not the legislature’s (and Brady by extension). There are lots of areas to propose to cut in state budget– he chose the one to play a political game, and lost that bet. He has nobody to blame but himself.

Comment by Confused Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 2:29 pm
I’m sure Diane Sajdak is also one of the many that refuses to support a tax increase or cuts in any other areas of the budget. You can’t have it all people. If she thinks this is bad, she should wait until Brady gets in there.

Comment by Rollin' Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 3:07 pm
Rollin’-FWIW, the group of parents claimed they could be supportive of more revenue if it meant keeping class sizes small.

Comment by MJZ Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 3:19 pm
For Mayor Butler in Marion: Where is the project going to go? Apparently nowhere, because according to holland/Bradley and Forby, it needs STAR bonds to make it work and Kansas and Nevada are the only other states to have it. What happens in Vegas………..

Comment by Ronbo Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 3:41 pm
I don’t think Blago’s woes will hurt Gov. Quinn. Everybody in the state, whether they want to admit it or not, knows that the former governor was on his own. There is not much of a connection between Blago and anyone else in state government.

Comment by The ghost of St. Sen. Gene Johns Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 3:46 pm
This is just more or Rich’s partisan GOP reporting!

j/k I wanted to add to the whole your only a neutral reporter when it is a story I agree with theme which floats around from time to time.

Comment by Ghost Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 3:53 pm
Oops thanks, MJZ. I guess I missed that in the article.

Comment by Rollin' Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 4:06 pm
Ghost: you seriously need to get a new keyboard.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 4:07 pm
I cant give up squeeky! sure the keys are deformed and have no letters, and it has almost no action left….

Comment by Ghost Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 4:10 pm
Whether Blago’s trial affects Quinn’s chances probably depends a great deal on the abilities of Brady’s campaign ad team. At a minimum Quinn was a passive bystander during the Years of Blago. At a minimum, his passivity could be portrayed as self-serving. Untrustworthiness.

If a video clip of Judy dancing with Ryan could have a measurable effect, surely Brady’s team can come up with something equally compelling. Or two or three video clips.

Comment by cassandra Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 4:12 pm
I told you Shimkus’ tweets were must reads….

Comment by Highland, IL Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 4:17 pm
Cassandra,

The Republican Governors Association has today put up just such an ad. It links Quinn and Blago, and shows unemployment and debt numbers under Quinn. Without a significant ad buy by Quinn, the RGA ad will stick.

Comment by Cincinnatus Thursday, Jun 10, 10 @ 6:48 pm