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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column is essentially a rewrite of a subscribers-only story from Friday morning. Over the weekend, just about every Statehouse journalist who also has a column or who published anything about Gov. Pat Quinn’s shutdown and layoff threats wrote that the governor has a troubled history of making threats and not following up.
To be clear, I’m not taking any credit for this. What I am saying is that if all of us are essentially on the same page, then it’s high time that the Chicago journalists (who are the only ones given access to the governor these days) start pressing this issue as well.
First up, my piece…
I began to reminisce during Gov. Pat Quinn’s Chicago news conference last week. Quinn had called the media together to announce he was closing seven state facilities and laying off almost 2,000 state employees because the General Assembly had passed an inadequate budget.
Wait, I thought, haven’t I already seen this movie?
Back in May 2009, Quinn warned that if the General Assembly didn’t pass his proposed income tax increase within two weeks he’d have to implement a “doomsday budget” and lay off more than 14,000 teachers, cancel preschool for 100,000 children, cut 400,000 students off of college aid, kick 650,000 people off of health care rolls, eliminate all funding for public transit, slash a billion dollars to local governments, lay off 1,000 state troopers and release 6,000 inmates from prison early.
Two months later, Quinn threatened to lay off 2,600 state workers because the Legislature’s budget was inadequate.
Two weeks after that, Quinn had pared down the total threatened cuts to a billion dollars, including $225 million for college student aid, and said there was no way the government could operate through the end of the fiscal year without a tax hike.
Almost none of that happened, even though Quinn didn’t get his tax hike until almost two years later.
But, come the following spring, Quinn was back with the same playbook. Quinn said he’d have to cut education by $1.3 billion if a tax hike wasn’t approved.
That didn’t happen, either.
This year, Quinn repeatedly threatened huge cuts to human service providers, then somehow found the money to prevent the tragedy. He also warned in late spring that the bipartisan budget being prepared in the Illinois House was full of “radical” cuts and repeatedly vowed to stop it, then signed the bill into law.
And then last week he once again blamed the General Assembly for forcing him to close those facilities and lay off those state employees — all in order to save a paltry $55 million.
Quinn’s playbook is, by now, pretty darned clear: Blame the General Assembly for causing Armageddon, announce horrifically draconian countermeasures, then eventually find a way to somehow prevent the pending disaster.
He’s like an arsonist firefighter. And, frankly, this is really starting to get old, and it’s more than a little disturbing.
Can the governor comprehend what even the threat of a facility closure does to a small downstate town? Fear spreads like wildfire. People immediately stop spending money. The local economy instantly shuts down.
Yet just about everything Quinn has done since the end of the spring session has been aimed directly at downstate.
His reduction veto of the Medicaid budget spared inner-city hospitals. His vetoes of $100 million in school transportation funding and regional superintendents operations left Cook County virtually untouched. Last week’s layoff and closure announcement included just one Chicago-area facility. Every other state facility on his list was in a downstate Senate Republican district.
“Let me know when ‘Good Pat’ rides in on his white horse, wouldya?” cracked an otherwise quite worried state Sen. Tim Bivins (R-Dixon) last week. The Mabley Developmental Center is in Bivins’ district and it’s on Quinn’s closure list. Bivins’ wisecrack referred to a recent Chicago Sun-Times column of mine about how “Bad Pat” will deliberately create a crisis so that “Good Pat” can swoop in and solve it.
Yes, there is a budget problem. I get it. I’ve written about it many times. Anyone who doesn’t get it is a fool. But if the governor had done the hard work of governing, rather than just hold a splashy Chicago news conference announcing the end of the world, all of this could have been prevented.
Quinn’s budget staff met with legislative staff a few times over the past several days to lay out the situation. Trouble is, the Quinnsters had a different explanation for how much money they needed to free up at every meeting. A memo handed out to staff late last month, for instance, had the budget hole at $180 million, which is a far cry from last week’s claim of a $313 million hole. It’s no wonder that the House Democrats have said they aren’t willing to adjust their revenue estimates to help Quinn out.
People’s lives are not fun little Chicago news conference games, governor. And you’ve been messing with those lives almost from the moment since you were elevated to your position. Grow the heck up, man.
* And here’s Doug Finke…
The problem is that since he became governor, Quinn has issued a series of dire warnings about budget cuts and closures and whatever if lawmakers didn’t do his bidding. Lawmakers didn’t, and the dire consequences didn’t materialize.
The danger now is lawmakers will call Quinn’s bluff, thinking he will once again back down. Maybe he will, maybe he won’t.
Of course, that doesn’t help those 2,000 people who don’t know if they will or won’t have jobs in a couple of months. Nor does it help residents of the mental health facilities or their families who don’t know if they are going to be uprooted because the facilities are closing.
They’re just the pawns in this exercise.
Those potential roadblocks and Quinn’s penchant for backing down from his own threats left many lawmakers figuring the governor’s announcement was just a big bluff.
* Ray Long and Monique Garcia…
In the last two-plus years, the Democratic governor repeatedly has issued drastic threats, including cuts in social services, only to back away. […]
Just weeks after taking office in early 2009, Quinn said then-U.S. Sen. Roland Burris should give up his appointed seat within two weeks or risk facing a special election to remove him. But Quinn abandoned that effort within days, saying it was time to “move on.”
When Quinn faced his first budget showdown in summer 2009, agencies under his control sent letters to thousands of social service agencies warning their subsidies would be cut or eliminated because of budget choices by state lawmakers. It didn’t get that bad as the state borrowed to stay afloat.
Later that summer, Quinn said he would fire two University of Illinois trustees who refused his demands to resign amid an admissions scandal. He later relented on the grounds that he did not want to risk a legal fight.
Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, said a long process remains before any of the cuts or closures happen, including a review and non-binding recommendation by the legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.
“He can lay it out … but it’s going to be a process to make that happen,” Sullivan said. “It seems to me like this is an overreaction, a knee-jerk reaction rather than sitting down and thinking this thing through.”
Asked if Quinn’s plan will actually be the reality come March 31, 2012, when the administration says the last of the facility closures would take place, Sullivan said, “I think that would be hard to do.”
Quinn budget spokesman Kelly Kraft said Friday the governor is serious – but that he also remains open to discussing options with lawmakers.
…Adding… Scott Reeder…
Just consider:
– When he ran for office, he said he wouldn’t support an income tax hike greater than 33 percent. A few weeks after taking office, he signed a tax hike for double that.
– He ran supporting the death penalty but quickly abandoned that position, after getting elected. With one sweep of his pen, capital punishment was abolished in Illinois.
His campaign stances on these issues almost certainly resulted in his razor-thin electoral victory over Republican Bill Brady. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised when politicians shed their campaign positions. But how can a voter cast an informed vote if a candidate refuses to keep his word?
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 6:45 am
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your right Rich…this movie has gone from vhs…to dvd…now playing on bluray..I can only hope a new actor steps up to play the Governor next election
Comment by State Worker Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 7:00 am
Madigan doesn’t seem impressed by the current threats/theatrics:
“Well, the governor’s engaged in a certain amount of rhetoric relative to the legislature. I’ve come to expect it from the governor,” Madigan said.
It’s all grandstanding, too bad the governor targets innocents in the games he plays with the GA.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-madigan-willing-to-discuss-effort-to-avoid-state-layoffs-20110910,0,6555721.story
Comment by Wensicia Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 7:01 am
It is time for my fellow democrats to begin the recall petition to remove this incompetent and heartless Governor. If WE don’t then he will bring down every democratic candidate in 2012.
Comment by Old Democrat Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 7:13 am
First rule of the playground: never make threats you are unwilling or unable to carry out. Quinn has lost much of the goodwill he came in with, what a waste.
Comment by Gregor Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 7:23 am
Playing Chicken with people’s lives is irresponsible and shows lack of leadership. It is time to get together and show some statesmanship and resolve these problems. No wonder the state is in the situation we are in.
Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 7:34 am
It appears we’ve added “scare to pay” with “pay to play” as another everyday tool in Illinois politics.
Comment by Not in the know Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 7:48 am
Recall Quinn! Put it on the March 2012 ballot.
Comment by Cassiopeia Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 7:52 am
And this is not just about losing jobs….a big enough issue….but about the havoc this wrecks on these small communities when something like this happens. Why oh why cant we have a governor that is both ethical and smart?!!
Comment by Lulabell Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 7:54 am
So what does anyone suggest Quinn do? His whole plan hinged on borrowing 8 or so billion. A portion of the tax increase was dedicated to service this debt. The Republicans prevented this bonding howling for cuts, cuts, cuts. Quinn suggests some relatively miniscule cuts, admittedly probably not the ones I would make, and look at the uproar. There’s not enough monay to sustain current expenditures. Period. There’s gonna have to be a lot more cuts real soon.
Comment by Bill Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 7:57 am
I doubt if even his longest, staunchest defenders would tell you that Quinn is cut out to be a CEO. He just doesn’t have the focus or management skills.
But everyone knew that going in. Dem voters had, in my opinion, a much better alternative in Hynes, but Quinn won. GOP voters had a number of choices, but, for whatever reasons, put up the one guy that Quinn could beat in a post-Blago environment and in a year that saw a historic, nationwide, GOP landslide.
Ryan, Blago, Quinn. The one thing they all have in common is that they were elected by Illinois voters. Cry all you want, but in a democracy, you get the government you deserve.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 8:07 am
“You know me.”
Comment by Responsa Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 8:17 am
Although PQ has apparently not excercised good executive leadership in the creation & negotiation of this year’s budget, he may not be as wacked out as it sometimes appears. Surely he could have sent stronger signals to both chambers in the legislative process as to what he would do if they passed the budget he received. He also had a veto option. This veto option would have been a particularily strong negotiating tool because of threats of Republican involvement in the budget process. The income tax increase required spending cuts. PQ could have done a much better job in communicating what would be acceptable to him.
However, PQ has done a brilliant job of ticking off the groups that will make a big stink and force the changes he wants. First he went after AFSCME, including the contract modifications that he negotiated. It can be argued that organized labor (especially AFSCME) was the reason he won the election. Now he is threatening closings of vital facilities in downstate areas, many of which are traditionally Republican, laying off many state employees in those districts, and causing economic hardship to businesses in those regions. Since next year is an election year, both parties are going to do whatever they can to keep the voters in their districts happy. Democrats cannot afford to lose the money and workers organized labor provides. The Republicans cannot be viewed as heartless in regards to social services and may be blamed if downstate facilites close. PQ could have found less confrontational ways to pare down operating expenses. Ordering less rubberbands and paperclips and other similiar expenses would not have gotten him what he wanted. He will now get in the veto session what he could not get in the budget process.
Comment by Fed Up Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 8:21 am
Bill,
I will take a shot on what he can do now, not what he could have done.
Option 1: Do nothing and let the money run out, seriously, if he wants to be ’serious’ about this then let the fact that stuff was not funded for a full year play out.
Option 2: No raises, period full stop. No COL increases, no step increases, period. It looks like the courts will let him get away with this one. Not this you get a raise and you don’t stuff.
Option 3:
Closings, but come on target at least one thing north of I-80 imho this was obviously targeted.
Option 4:
Reduce the amount of money the state is sending to schools to the amount of money the state is actually going to send to schools on time and make those payments on time.
Option 5:
Start actually closing some offices on various days and the like, like they do in other states. Close SoS offices one additional day a week and the like. Create some pain for regular people.
Option 6:
Sign the damn gaming bill and get video poker up and running, now. If you are going to cut stuff, don’t leave money you can start getting sooner rather than later on the table.
Option 7:
The most important, stick to his guns for a change. We have all been to this dance before and it turns out he wasn’t able to get Davey Jones to play at the junior prom. He has no credibility on this at all.
Suggestion 1:
Stop griping about the cuts to various regulatory agencies. The ICC and Human Relations may do good work but until you start sending my school district money on time to me it is an easy choice, also it isn’t going to play well just about anyplace.
Comment by OneMan Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 9:00 am
I agree with everything Word said, including that both parties put up their weakest respective candidates. Yuck.
I do wonder when Quinn’s public perception will shift from “good-intentioned, honest bumbler” to “lying political hack.” It seems inevitable that the public will catch on, especially if the press catches the meme as Rich implied.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 9:33 am
“The one thing they all have in common is that they were elected by Illinois voters. Cry all you want, but in a democracy, you get the government you deserve.”
Do we really have democratic elections in Illinois? I would have voted for Hynes or Dillard over Quinn or Brady, and I expect a good many independent voters would say the same. Due to our closed primary elections, though, we don’t get a say in our choices (even though the primaries are paid for with public funds). Until the primaries are open, we’ll have to rely on the Republicans and Democrats to pick better candidates. Given their recent track record, I’m not going to hold my breath.
Comment by Pelon Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 9:36 am
===Due to our closed primary elections,===
Our primaries are not closed. You must be thinking of another state.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 9:48 am
If the services are essential, be grateful the Governor found ways to avoid cuts.
Comment by Helen Crump Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 9:53 am
Many of us were here when Lincoln DD closed. First a Gov threatens closure , then a new budget is passed, and the facility is zeroed out–this isn’t a threat, it is the beginning of the end for some of these faciltiies, especially if the GOP continues to demand less spending and opposing a debt consolidation plan that does make sense, even though this Governor can’t articulate it.
Comment by anon Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 10:07 am
Wordslinger,
You are correct. Primaries now give us bad candidates because both sides end up picking candidates from the far left or far right. These make the base happy but often lead to bad governance
Comment by Fed up Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 10:08 am
The Govenor who cried wolf…
Comment by Ghost Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 10:26 am
1 man,
I don’t have a problem with any of your options except they won’t come anywhere near solving the problem.
By the way, most of Tinley Park is north of I-80 and in Cook County and represented by democrats.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 10:31 am
“Our primaries are not closed. You must be thinking of another state.”
You know a lot more about election rules than I do, but when I read the Election Code, it doesn’t look like we have an open primary:
“No person shall be entitled to vote at a primary:
(a) Unless he declares his party affiliations as required by this Article.” (10 ILCS 5/7‑43)
I know Quinn tried to change this with an AV, but I can’t find anything that says this changes were adopted.
Comment by Pelon Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 11:00 am
oops, “these changes”
Comment by Pelon Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 11:01 am
Pelon, that’s not a closed primary. A closed primary doesn’t allow you to vote in a primary unless you formally register to vote as a party member. IL does not require this act.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 11:04 am
How much of the problem is the unwillingness of Republicans to have rational conversations about revenue?
If Republicans are unwilling to talk revenue, why wouldn’t a Democratic governor make cuts in Republican districts?
Probably any one of those Republicans could have saved something in his/her district if s/he voted for more revenue.
Actions have consequences.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 11:09 am
So I can vote in the primaries as long as I’m willing to lie about my party affiliation? I don’t consider that “open”, but it doesn’t surprise me that others do. Lying and politics go together very well in Illinois.
Comment by Pelon Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 11:17 am
“- Carl Nyberg - Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 11:09 am:
How much of the problem is the unwillingness of Republicans to have rational conversations about revenue?
If Republicans are unwilling to talk revenue, why wouldn’t a Democratic governor make cuts in Republican districts?
Probably any one of those Republicans could have saved something in his/her district if s/he voted for more revenue.
Actions have consequences.”
So you are basically saying that funding decisions should be made purely for political retribution, not based on merit, effectiveness or demand. Nice.
I guess Word is right– we get the government that Carl wants.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 12:01 pm
Ok, I challenge anyone to name three credible politicians currently serving the state of IL…
Pat may have lost his, but he has plenty of company…since 9/11 government has increasingly become a bastion of the lowest common denominator, the what’s in it for me club, and the let’s govern by fear and division league…
Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 12:06 pm
If a lack of credibility means finding alternatives and failing to deliver the negative consequences, I’ll go with the incredible.
Comment by Helen Crump Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 12:12 pm
LL, your post is absurd on its face, and I trust no one will go to the trouble to list any of the fine elected officials serving in Illinois
Comment by steve schnorf Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 1:17 pm
ok Schnorf, you’re on…
Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 1:40 pm
“your right Rich…this movie has gone from vhs…to dvd…now playing on bluray..”
Is it available on iTunes? I want to watch it on my iPad.
Comment by Levois Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 2:06 pm
Anonymous
Part of Tinley Park is north of I-80 and the facility is like a whopping mile north of it, three at the most.
What I proposed is going to save more than Quinn’s facility closures. The pay raise halt and the school stuff would do that easy.
Comment by OneMan Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 2:08 pm
It’s pretty clear what the governor is and what he isn’t. Don’t hold your breath waiting for any dramatic change.
Comment by Jim Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 2:17 pm
I was just thinking about this over the last few days. I was asking myself, not only for Illinois, but for the entire nation, who are the statesman today ? What happened to the leaders we had like Dirksen, Stevenson, Simon, Percy, Oglivie ? There are none. These leaders of my lifetime put the interests of their country above the petty fighting and worries about winning the next election. I could not think of one Illinois statesman. Nationally the closest I could come to is John McCain.
“Ok, I challenge anyone to name three credible politicians currently serving the state of IL…”
Comment by Fed Up Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 2:24 pm
===What happened to the leaders we had like Dirksen, Stevenson, Simon, Percy, Oglivie ? There are none.===
The best they can do nowadays is banter those names about–maybe even compare themselves to them, inaccurately–and hope that the Voters make the connection. All for teevee.
“Ok, I challenge anyone to name three credible politicians currently serving the state of IL…”
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 2:37 pm
Schnorf, I guess I’m not alone in the sentiment…we must all be absurd…at least according to you who appears satisfied with what passes for “leadership” these days…
Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 3:16 pm
Harold Washington’s criticism of Pat Quinn should have been heeded.
Comment by Esquire Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 3:17 pm
Bomke, Poe, Brauer, Rose, Eddy, Righter, Trotter…to name just a few
Comment by steve schnorf Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 4:27 pm
schnorf
If we have so many great leaders, why are we in such a big mess ?????
Comment by Fed Up Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 4:45 pm
I agree, mr. Schnorf, on your selection, even though i am not aware of the last two. The unfortunate part is they always seem to run in to the brick wall Madigan and their ideas and intentions go nowhere. God knows they try, but the machine breaks them!
Comment by cardsmama Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 4:47 pm
If we had great leaders, MJM would not be the Speaker. He is selected by the so called leaders of his party.
I agree, mr. Schnorf, on your selection, even though i am not aware of the last two. The unfortunate part is they always seem to run in to the brick wall Madigan and their ideas and intentions go nowhere. God knows they try, but the machine breaks them!
Comment by Fed Up Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 4:50 pm
Yeah, Steve, good list. A better question is who is an EFFECTIVE leader in this state who can actually get things done. I think that is really LL’s point, and there are paltry few…
Comment by Cincinnatus Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 5:01 pm
LL, you asked for “credible politicians”. I gave you a list.
By definition, not everyone gets to be a leader. Having said that, I’m personally pretty comfortable with the leaders in the GA. I often don’t agree with them, but they do lead, which is what leaders are supposed to do.
BTW, I was momentarily taken aback when C agreed with me so quickly, but then I noticed I had named 6 Rs and only 1 D. I could just as easily name many Ds, and many more Rs.
Comment by steve schnorf Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 5:16 pm
“If we have so many great leaders, why are we in such a big mess ?????”.
Cook county voters….
Comment by Holdingontomywallet Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 5:31 pm
(snark)
Comment by Holdingontomywallet Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 5:35 pm
Speaking of “credibility gap”, does anyone remember these guys?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Credibility_Gap
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 5:58 pm
Tinley Park is an off ramp and a left turn at a stop light away from I-80. You have to pass by a Holiday Inn on the right, and a couple other hotels on the left before you turn. One mile max from the Interstate on prime land (remember this is property that Blago was going to get around $90 million for).
Mabley Center is 30 miles or so North of I-80. Smallest and newest of all the facilities on the cut list (contrary to Quinn’s suggestion that he only looked at “older” facilities and those that had others like it nearby).
Singer is a good hour North of I-80.
But people outside of Chicago and South of I-80 tend not to care about these places.
Families and staff feel otherwise.
Comment by Wickedred Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 6:08 pm
Only nine more years until Rule of 85. Nine more years, nine more years, nine mor……aaggghhhhhh!
Comment by Hawkeye Monday, Sep 12, 11 @ 10:44 pm
–”If we have so many great leaders, why are we in such a big mess ?????”.
Cook county voters….–
Another victim heard from. Life’s a whole lot easier when someone is always holding you back.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 13, 11 @ 7:55 am