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AP:
With a state budget deal proving hard to reach, the Illinois Senate has decided to take two weeks off.The legislative session was supposed to end last Friday, but the governor and Democratic leaders have not been able to agree on a new state budget.
So the Senate went home today and won’t come back until April 25th.
There’s no word yet on whether the Illinois House will do the same.
Governor Rod Blagojevich portrayed the decision as a positive move.
UPDATE: From Topinka’s campaign:
GOP nominee for Governor Judy Baar Topinka today said Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s unwillingness to come to work in Springfield has pushed lawmakers into overtime session, and his campaign fund should pay for the new overtime expenses taxpayers are now forced to pay.“The public expects the Governor of this state to show up to work in Springfield,†Topinka said. “If you’re not willing to put in the time and work hard for taxpayers, then you shouldn’t run for the office.â€
“Even today, Rod Blagojevich found the time to campaign for Governor, but he couldn’t find the time to do the job of Governor. His lack of attention caused this overtime session, so he owes it to the taxpayers to do what is right and pay this money back from his campaign fund.â€
In his campaign commercials, while playing an interested participant on TV, Governor Blagojevich claims to be “battling in Springfield,†but the truth is, he is rarely at the Capitol. Attempts by reporters to learn how many days the Governor has spent in Springfield have been stonewalled by the Blagojevich Administration.
Every day the overtime session continues will cost taxpayers an extra $21,000. So far taxpayers are on the hook for $42,000 and the Governor still has no budget agreement.
“That money could be used to hire a schoolteacher for an entire year, help protect abused and neglected children, provide reading assistance for young children or be used for breast cancer prevention efforts. It could be used for any worthy cause, but it will not be, because this Governor fails to simply show up for work in Springfield.â€
UPDATE 2: The House will be in session Tuesday through Friday next week.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 2:10 pm
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The reason why Gov. Elvis thinks the departure of the Illinois Senate from Springfield is a positive move is because it allows him to flee as well.
Comment by Randall Sherman Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 1:48 pm
Well, they do deserve a break. After all, they’re in session almost every day of the year, and they’ve gotten all their work done. What’s left to do?
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 1:50 pm
Imagine telling that to your boss/customers. Well, I didn’t get my project done, I’m way past due, but I am going home anyway. I’ll be back in 2 weeks or so. Peace out homie!
And these guys/gals work for us.
Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 2:13 pm
If the reporters want to know how many days Rod has been in Springfield, FOIA the state plane manifests. Why wait for the Adminsitration to give you an answer that you know won’t be true.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 2:21 pm
Let’s hope we don’t have to depend on Judy Math for anything real important.
The legislature canceled several days during regular session — which mean (cue the accordian) NO PER DIEM WAS SPENT. Therefore no extra dollars were spent
And this is the overtime message AccordianGal has been crafting for how long?
Two weeks?
Did Brickhead the Executioner help?
Or was he busy crafting RoboCross’ alibi?
Comment by Reddbyrd Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 2:23 pm
Reddbyrd -
Can’t you at least pretend to be a little embarrassed that you are going into overtime on the budget…again? Actually, maybe you are…..I notice that you didn’t give us your trademark spin about how this development represents “another homerun by G-Rodâ€
Regardless of the 2 days that were canceled earlier in the session, isn’t it still a bit pathetic that the Gov waits until the last minute before he even starts dealing with one of the most important aspects of his job? Isn’t it just horrible PR for him to be campaigning instead of at least making it LOOK like he did everything he could to avoid the overtime session?
Comment by grand old partisan Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 3:44 pm
Grand Old P.
thanks for the reminder
everytime the AccordianGal opens her mouth is a Another Home run for GRod. Frankly I don’t know of a budget ever done on time regardless party in charge or the date.
I think the public wants a sound spending plan that provides the necessary services. That is what they will get.
P.S. It was nine(9) cancelled, two (2) added. Using JudyMath we should be praising the GRod, Jones & Madigan for saving nearly $150,000 so far. Think of how many robo calls that would have funded.
P.P.S. The GRod has been more involved this year.
Comment by Reddbyrd Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:00 pm
Red, I think you’re wrong here. The average Joe doesn’t care about days scheduled/unscheduled. The average Joe does care if you can make a case for dollars wasted. The bottom line is if they had adjourned on time, no more per diem $$ would be spent. Judy has the right message and now she can have a running tally of the dollars wasted by extra session days. The press loves numbers, so they will eat it up. It’s a story that will have legs for as long as the session continues to go and right now that looks like then end of April at least. Watson and Cross could jump on this bandwagon too. The press won’t have much to write about and will probably blow it out of proportion. That might make people care. We’ll see……
Comment by bloggo Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:03 pm
Judy - I propose Karl Rove reimburse taxpayers for the midnight session to trot Terry Schiavo out as a political prop, and Rove, Cheney, Bush and Haliburton reimburse taxpayers for the Iraq War.
By the way, the Iraq War has cost U.S. taxpayers $272.5 billion, and Illinois taxpayers $14.5 billion, for those of you keeping count. That’s about 690,476 times more than a day of overtime session.
1 day of overtime session: $ 21,000
1 day in Iraq: $177,000,000
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:09 pm
Can I be reimbursed for my time reading any of YDDs posts. They are always comparing apples and oranges. The Iraq war is just that… it is a war. We are talking about overtime here, not war. Included in the war is money spent rebuilding schools, homes, hospitals… should we not be rebuilding these things??? Furthermore, should we let cruel dictators control policy? Save money where you can save money… do your job. CRIPES…
Comment by Lovie's Leather Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:23 pm
YDD, please explain to me the nexus between your anti-war comments and the overtime session. You (as well as GROD) are missing the point: shouldn’t the Governor be doing his job and crafting a settlement to the budget rather than campaigning around the State? Oh, that would mean he’s actually governing rather than running for another term. Has he ever started to govern and not campaign?
Comment by sine die Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:25 pm
And YDD, to complete your stupid series:
No attacks on American soil since 9/11: priceless.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:26 pm
Sorry Lovie, I thought we were worrying about wasted tax dollars. Isn’t that what this debate is about?
If it’s about competence and doing your job right, I’m happy to talk about….”Mission Accomplished”.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:26 pm
OK, that’s enough. Move along.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:32 pm
sine die — I’m sorry, shouldn’t the President be doing his job instead of taking yet another extended vacation while New Orleans is buried under 8 feet of water?
I’m not saying that I don’t wish they’d reached a budget deal before Easter. I’m just saying that they are still on track to finish the budget on time, and in the grand scheme of things, if people want to complain about government waste, incompetence and political grandstanding, the Bush-Cheney administration is a catastrophe of epic proportions.
And Anon 4:26, I’m glad you feel so cavalier about the results of Bush’s War. If you were among the over 2,000 families who lost a soldier in Iraq, including three today, you’d realize there is a human price to Bush’s Folly.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:34 pm
Sorry Rich, you caught me mid-post.
Again, I do wish they’d adjourned this week. Although I’m not sure more negotiations would have done that much good. Budget deadlines have more to do with crafting a compromise than time spent in meetings.
I’d suggest we all reserve judgement until May 31st.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:36 pm
I’m not cavalier at all, YDD.
Bush’s aggressive stand against terrorism probably has saved thousands of lives, maybe even yours.
If you choose to ignore the lessons of history, that’s your business. America has to rise to the challenge to protect its freedoms and liberties. They are not a given. You and your Democrat buddies voted for the war and now want to dance back on the side of public opinion. If we were led by people like you during the Revolutionary war, or Civil War, we wouldn’t be here today, spouting off like we are, free from fear of reprisal (Except the wrath of moderator Rich Miller).
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:51 pm
I thought YDD was talking about dopey Karl Rove ideas — Bushie’s war & AccordianGal shaky math.
Comment by Reddbyrd Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:56 pm
YYD maybe there is a blizzard coming for thr first time today I will totally agree with you.I think you must also agree with me that leaders of both parties need to meet and the governor needs to be both the mediator and the diplomat.
Comment by DOWNSTATE Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 5:06 pm
Redbyrd: Nicknames are not cute, amusing or entertaing - they are nasty and mean-spirited. It simply purely and vehemently partisan - nothing more. We all know that you are always do and always will agree with democrats. Where are your manners?
Comment by Ms Manners Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 5:20 pm
Ms Manners - And all who “enjoy” YDD’s posts. Since you are commenting on nicknames check out the definition of YELLOW DOG. It might give some insight into YDD’s comments. Hee, hee, hee. Yellow dog, what a hoot. I’d rather have the name Rod Blagojevich! Means the same thing in my mind.
Comment by Papa Legba Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 5:29 pm
I must have missed the part where George Bush, Karl Rove, and Dick Cheney delayed the Illinois budget negotiations.
This isn’t a contest to see which party has the most incompetent and disingenuous leader.
Comment by Budget Watcher Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 6:05 pm
No one has anymore shakey math than Blago and his people 90 thousand new jobs turned out to be 39 thousand.As far as Bush/Cheney it is over for them no more re-election.What Illinois has to worry about is getting this borrow and spend Democrat out of office.Wheter you will admit or not this will cost the taxpayers money for Blago to stay as far away as long as he can.He new Springfield was the hub if he did not want to do the job right he shouldn’t of ran urrrrr I mine have daddy Mell give it to him.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 6:36 pm
Hey Reddybyrd: Even if Topinka has had this news release ready for 2 weeks now, isn’t it more alarming that 2 weeks ago she could predict that your party couldn’t get its act together and get things done? You guys should just give up and turn the reins of government over to people who can handle the hard stuff so you guys can have even more time to complain about people who call you out for the stupid ideas that you guys come up with.
Comment by Long Time Reader; First Time Poster Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 6:37 pm
I read regularly, but don’t comment very often. While I usually support democrats, I am glad they left town without an agreement since the budget is terrible. I personally oppose “member initiatives” and new programs when current ones aren’t properly funded.
Comment by smh Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 6:49 pm
Regardless of whether this is an overtime schedule or not, it is still everyone’s job in the legislature to legislate as much as it is the Governor’s.
To be honest, in our “work harder” Midwestern state, I don’t think you are going to get very far by complaining that the Governor, the Democrats, etc. are making you work more.
All it does is let people know that legislators are paid all that money to only work part time.
Since we are playing the “what other job” game… What other job lets you take off 6 months out of every year?
The Governor shouldn’t have to pay our lawmakers to do their job. The people of Illinois already do that.
Comment by JohnR Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 8:01 pm
I mean anybody with a brain…that functions knows that this governor doesn’t know what the hell he is doing and does not need to be re-elected. He is in Springfield during HIS state of the state address and HIS budget address. Then shows up the final four days of session to negotiate the budget? Not that he is much help anyway…but the big “3″ democrats need to get on the ball and get this solved. Putting it off isn’t helping matters.
Well…this was Rod’s last attempt to do something right…he won’t be back next time this year.
Comment by scoot Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 9:00 pm
A press release saying that Rod Blagojevich hasn’t done his job is a universal statement that could be used anytime since he first was elected state rep.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 10:18 pm
Perhaps RBird could fill us in on why not only GRod missed so many days when session was in, but also the Speaker. Certainly Mangieri couldn’t have occupied that much time, the guy only got 30 some percent.
Comment by T. Landrum Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 10:25 pm
YDD
its taken me awhile, but i think i finally figured out who you are. thanks for all the detailed posts.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 10:36 pm
Not from nothing, but this situation isn’t exactly “overtime?” OK, they still get their per diems for at least a little while longer, but they can go until May 31 without this becoming “Overtime.”
You all understand that, right? 2004 was “Overtime.” 2006 was planned to be a compressed session, then the Governor proposed a slew of new programs and floated a capital budget. That’s typically enough to make a compressed session unlikely.
Somebody tell the Treasurer that it isn’t costing the state $21,000 per day. This session just isn’t saving that money. If we get to June 1st though, then she can re-issue this release and it will be more accurate.
Sorry for the interruption. Please continue the name-calling.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 11:31 pm
Not from nothing, but this situation isn’t exactly “overtime.” OK, they still get their per diems for at least a little while longer, but they can go until May 31 without this becoming “Overtime.”
You all understand that, right? 2004 was “Overtime.” 2006 was planned to be a compressed session, then the Governor proposed a slew of new programs and floated a capital budget. That’s typically enough to make a compressed session unlikely.
Somebody tell the Treasurer that it isn’t costing the state $21,000 per day. This session just isn’t saving that money. If we get to June 1st though, then she can re-issue this release and it will be more accurate.
Sorry for the interruption. Please continue the name-calling.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 11:32 pm
You… You… You…
…DUPLICATE POSTER, you! Ugh!
Comment by JohnR Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 12:17 am
Overtime isnt until June 1. How many times does it have to be said.
This is not overtime. In fact, if they adjourn before May 31st it will probably be only the second or third time that would happen in the last 100 years.
How many of you name callers are blogging while you are supposed to be working?
By the way, the senate went home for a while because the senate president DIDNT want to spend the state’s money doing nothing.
Please………….if you are going to condem anyone or anything, it would be nice if the facts came into the conversation somewhere.
Comment by sick and tired Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 7:27 am
As far as I’m concerned, “sick and tired,” the word “overtime” means any session days after the conclusion of the regularly scheduled session. The session was supposed to wrap up on April 7th, not May 31st. We are now in overtime.
The semantics police have ruled. Move along.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 7:38 am
Will somebody please tell me what the difference is between “Member Initiatives” in Springfield and “Earmarks” in Washington D.C. other than the fact that in $/taxpayer Washington has us beat.
Comment by Truthful James Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 9:53 am