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[Bumped up to Thursday for visibility.]
* 6:58 pm - Gov. Pat Quinn has announced a press conference Thursday which will apparently outline his plan to close facilities and lay off workers. From a press release…
GOVERNOR’S PUBLIC SCHEDULE
**Thursday, September 8, 2011**CHICAGO – Governor Pat Quinn will discuss the next steps in managing the budget.
WHEN: 12 p.m.
WHERE: James R. Thompson Center
15th Floor Blue Room
100 West Randolph Street
Chicago, 60601ADDITIONAL: This event will be streamed online at www.illinois.gov.
I’ll probably live blog it as well.
* Some ideas have apparently been abandoned…
Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration says it considered deep cuts to parole officers and tax collectors while looking for ways to balance the Illinois budget.
Programs moving people with disabilities and mental illness into community care were also considered for cuts.
But Quinn aide Kelly Kraft said Wednesday those ideas have been discarded. She says they never rose above the level of brainstorming.
*** 7:15 pm *** An apparently outdated memo containing considered-then-abandoned cut ideas obtained by Lee Enterprises’ Statehouse bureau also included this…
The memo says the governor wants an estimated $180 million to avert facility closures and layoffs.
All this craziness over $180 million? I really hope that’s not accurate - partly because I was told Tuesday night by the administration that they needed “in the hundreds of millions of dollars, but less than a billion” to prevent closures and layoffs. But also because that’s a rounding error in the context of the state budget.
*** 8:25 pm *** I just talked to an administration spokesperson who hotly disputed the number in the Lee report, saying it was outdated. The person would not say what the actual number is, except to say that it was more in line with the “in the hundreds of millions” figure I was told by a more senior administration person Tuesday night.
…Adding… Budget stories…
* Rural IL school districts strapped by budget cuts
* Illinois takes in more cash from taxpayers, less from feds
* State revenue picture not as rosy as report suggests
* Can the state budget be fixed? Local lawmakers offer some ideas and comments
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:01 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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I posted this on the previous budget thread (but didn’t see a reply), but I wonder if anyone might know or have a guess on this: Will Quinn’s cuts/layoffs be primarily in those agencies where he cancelled raises for union workers in July due to those offices being underfunded for the year (e.g. Revenue, Historic Preservation, Labor, in addition to Corrections and DHS)?
Or could all state agencies, even those viewed as fully-funded for the rest of the fiscal year, be fair game for these cuts too?
Could Quinn also force the constitutional officers (SOS, AG, Treasurer, etc.) to cut their remaining FY12 budgets over 2 months into the fiscal year too–even though none of their line items were vetoed on June 30 as far as I know?
Or are these latest cut attempts just for agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction?
Just curious if anyone knows before tomorrow.
Comment by Leatherneck Wednesday, Sep 7, 11 @ 8:00 pm
Laying off revenooers? That’s a great way to solve the deficit problem. So is laying off parole officers — if they’re doing their jobs well, shouldn’t that result in reduced recidivism? Lay them off, let the parollees get back in trouble and go back to our overcrowded and understaffed prisons.
I’m truly surprised he didn’t do it.
Comment by JustMe Wednesday, Sep 7, 11 @ 8:05 pm
$180 million used to sound like a lot of money. Maybe we could make a dent in that figure if working people could think about spending some of the money they earn, instead of being threatened with the loss of their jobs on a regular basis.
Comment by sk hicks Wednesday, Sep 7, 11 @ 8:28 pm
JustMe, You are absolutely right. That is how the parole department should function but it doesn’t. Illinois parole officers are known for driving recidivism. They violate people and send them back on trivial infractions that are not related to increase risk. And many of these infractions are overturned by the PRB. The department is known for trying to make the parolee fail. Of course, that is not all parole officers, but it is definitely part of the culture. At this point, laying off parole officers would not be a bad thing. If they reformed, then it would be another matter.
Comment by State Worker Wednesday, Sep 7, 11 @ 8:32 pm
I hope to be able to be there tomorrow during my lunch hour. It should be quite entertaining.
SNL used to call their troupe the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players”. There is certainly more than a hint of that any time you deal with GOMB these days. How much is being cut? What areas are being cut? What areas are exempt from cuts?
Sorry, those numbers are outdated. Never rose above the level of brainstorming. And that’s just the Governor’s staff. Wait until the Governor opens his mouth, then wait again for the backtracking.
Comment by DuPage Dave Wednesday, Sep 7, 11 @ 8:38 pm
DD, you should consider live blogging in comments if you go there.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 7, 11 @ 8:43 pm
State worker…do you work in parole? You obviously do not, or you would know that very few parolees get violated for “trivial infractions”. Tons of parolees violate regularly, but have to move through a sanction matrix before being returned to prison. Prisons are beyond max capacity. Many even get arrested for felonies and do not get returned to prison. Parole officers don’t drive recidivism; parolees that can’t keep themselves out of trouble drive recidivism.
Comment by whatever Wednesday, Sep 7, 11 @ 8:48 pm
$180 million? If Des Plaines brought $125 million for the casino, a Chicago casino would more than pay for that….
Comment by OurMagician Wednesday, Sep 7, 11 @ 9:06 pm
The sanction matrix is a splendid idea in theory but it is not used as it should be. As I said, not all parole officers do this, but there is a culture of wanting people to fail and even helping them to fail.
Yes, prisons are overcrowded. That isn’t news to anyone. But that doesn’t mean the parole department, the legislators, the governor or anyone else is doing anything to reduce the prison population. Parole violations and returns to prison are overused in Illinois. Period. As for your question, let’s just say I’m a state worker and I am NOT in AFSCME. You?
Comment by State Worker Wednesday, Sep 7, 11 @ 9:06 pm
People, the parole idea was dropped. Move along.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 7, 11 @ 9:22 pm
After 42 years of State employment under various Governors, our current Chief Executive and his staff bring the old Casy Stengel quote to mind -”Can’t anybody here play this game?” What I wouldn’t give for Dick Olgilvie at the helm of the ship of State!!
Comment by Old Timer Wednesday, Sep 7, 11 @ 9:41 pm
Is Quinn’s plan ready or does he think by announcing something tomorrow - the day after the GOP Presidential Debate and hours before President Obama’s joint address to Congress - he will get drowned out?
Oh, wait, this is Quinn we are talking about.
Comment by Gator Wednesday, Sep 7, 11 @ 11:01 pm
Rich- No live blogging capacity for me. If possible I’ll post something later.
Comment by DuPage Dave Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 6:02 am
We are confused.
Is this the leaked memo that was dropped or is this the new “plan” or is there another new “plan”
*******************
Total supplemental request: $109.8 million
Public safety:
_ Without a $60 million supplemental, DOC will lay off 85 percent of its parole staff.
_ Juvenile Justice is closing a Murphysboro facility with or without a supplemental
_ no state police cadets to make up for attrition, reducing patrol levels
_ Department of Human Rights will take longer to process discrimination cases because there will be layoffs.
Revenue
_ Tax collections will drop by $800 million over three years because of layoffs.
Human Services:
_ Transition to community care would be halted for more than 1,000 people
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 7:55 am
Limit welfare to 4 years like our neighbors to the north just did! NO money or free ANYTHING for illeagal alliens in Illinois, Close the State offices in Chicago, The State Capitol is Springfield, We don’t need 2 Capitols. This State is broke because the Democrats want it broke or they would have fixed it years ago!
Comment by Greg G. Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 8:20 am
Some people have been screaming for cuts, well here they come. Did you think it would be pretty and painless? No crying now if it’s in your district.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 8:25 am
What is it about the gaming bill that Quinn doesn’t like? It seems like a sizable chunk of revenue is just sitting there while Quinn fails at every turn.
Comment by Fed up Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 9:10 am
“Bring back Dan Walker”
Comment by downstate hack Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 9:13 am
- Close the State offices in Chicago -
Yeah, we probably shouldn’t keep anyone in the city that drives the Illinois economic engine. And before you accuse me of being a typical Chicago elitist, I’ve only lived here since last November. Spent the other 27 years of my life in Central Illinois.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 9:32 am
Hmmm! Big announcement to be made hours before President Obama addresses Congress about the economy and jobs.
Is he trying to bury the bad news or amplify it by announcing it on the same day the President speaks?
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 10:18 am
problems with live feed?
Comment by Y2D Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:07 pm
State worker union loses round in fight for raises
FONT SIZEReset
By Monique Garcia
Thu Sep 8 2011 11:46 AM
A federal judge has ruled that Gov. Pat Quinn does not have to pay raises for thousands of state workers, saying the state’s budget crisis is so dire that blocking the wage hikes “is a legitimate governmental interest.”
But the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees plans to file an appeal immediately, particularly in light of the layoffs Quinn is expected to announce today.
Quinn blocked the raises, which were due to go into effect on July 1, arguing lawmakers did not set aside enough money to pay the increases and keep government running for a full year. AFSCME sued, seeking to force Quinn to pay the increases and argued Quinn was breaking a contract with workers.
Judge Sue E. Myerscough acknowledged that denying the raises can be “crippling in these harsh economic times,” but noted that AFSCME workers are continuing to “get almost full pay and no layoffs despite the State’s dire financial condition.”
“AFSCME-represented employees’ inability to get raises, while significant, is eclipsed by the potential harm the State would suffer if a total lack of funds were to befall it,” Myerscough wrote. “That would threaten programs and services upon which millions of Illinoisans depend. Consequently, although this Court is sympathetic to AFSCME-represented employees’ needs, the State’s needs and the public interest weigh against an injunction.”
“Given the state’s budget crisis—a situation so dire that both parties agree the state will run out of money before the fiscal year ends—the pay freeze certainly promotes a cost-containment,” the judge wrote. “Since cost-containment is a legitimate governmental interest, and cost-containment is logically aided by the wage freeze, the wage freeze survives.”
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:12 pm
Y2d seems to be up now, still no Pat
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:14 pm
It’s in and out for me… Opened it with IE, seems like they are waiting on him…
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:16 pm
Also using the courts logic on AFSCME could they cut pensions?
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:16 pm
are any outlets carrying audio? the feed is not working well.
Comment by anon Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:17 pm
I am now getting happy jazz….
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:18 pm
Guess the feed guy is a AFSCME member
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:19 pm
I can’t get anything from Illinois.gov.
Lunch break almost over… Is this happening yet?
Comment by State Worker Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:19 pm
The event you are listening to will start shortly please stand by…
Glad to see he has Rod’s gift on punctuality
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:20 pm
The first cut was to his scheduling department, apparently…
Comment by Gregor Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:25 pm
Now it’s more of an Irish jig playing than happy jazz no wait it is more baroque NPR pledge music
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:27 pm
Quinn probably dropped his 3 X 5 cards and he is trying to put them back in order
Comment by Cassiopeia Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:29 pm
Now it’s more of a blockbuster movie romance theme, someone is getting their money’s worth out of their royalty free music CD
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:29 pm
From: IL Statehouse tweets SJRthedome
Well, Quinn hasn’t given his spiel yet. But we just got a press release from disability advocate Don Moss … 1/2
Moss says they’re closing the Jacksonville and Mabley Developmental Centers and moving 288 residents to community group homes. 2/2
Comment by SJR - Tweet Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:30 pm
The delay is from him trying to work in the magic troika of Lincoln, Veterans and the state fair
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:30 pm
Now it’s more of a cartoon adventure mix
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:31 pm
Welcome … its on.
Comment by Y2D Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:31 pm
And so it begins.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:31 pm
The budget is a 365 day budget and we have to manage our budget
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:32 pm
We have started the process to close state facilities.
1900 layoffs related to the 7 closing facilities
Tinley Part
Singer
Chester
Jacksonville Dev Center
Logan correctional
Murphysbury youth correctional
(missed one)
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:33 pm
A line item budget…
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:34 pm
I vetoed out 38 million dollars, that money can be reallocated.
So it’s only 38 million to keep this open Pat?
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:36 pm
Referenced the department of Human Rights and the ICC being handicapped by cuts in the budget.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:37 pm
Well, they COULD go complain to the Department of Human Rights, Pat… only, didn’t you cut their budget too?
Comment by Gregor Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:43 pm
Wait, that was IT?
Tell me you have more than this, Pat.
Comment by Gregor Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:45 pm
(facepalm) This is not going to be enough to intimidate the GA into making changes and raising revenue.
Comment by Gregor Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:48 pm
I think he said closing Singer, Tinley Park and Chester MHC. Chester is a maximum security mental health center and I’m not aware of any other facility equipped to house these individuals.
He said this is phase II. I think there will also be a phase III.
Comment by Anon Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:55 pm
Whose districts get gored? Leuchtefeld, Bost, Bivins, Mitchell, McCann, Watson, Bomke, Brauer. Sure, tinley Park is a Dem area but, otherwise, it’s almost all GOP areas getting hit.
Comment by mr. whipple Thursday, Sep 8, 11 @ 12:56 pm
===Quinn probably dropped his 3 X 5 cards and he is trying to put them back in order ===
Always number your cards.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:46 am