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* I really don’t think these are fair comparisons…

Lawmakers have avoided making the tough calls on major reforms, they confess are needed, in an election year — when all seats are up for grabs.

Legislators spent this week in their home districts, most campaigning before the March 20 primary election. They’ll return here for eight days in March starting March 21, before taking a two-week spring break in April.

To date, the Illinois Senate has been in session 15 days and the Illinois House for 13 days. This time last year the House met on 27 days and the Senate on 18.

Statehouse observers point to the election as a major factor in the lawmakers’ absenteeism.

However, this is no regular election year. The once-a-decade redistricting has several legislators facing new voters in changed districts. New legislative maps are redrawn to match population shifts outlined by the U.S. Census.

“The remap is causing a lot of heartburn,” Christopher Mooney, a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield, said.

Lawmakers have used their few days in the statehouse so far this year to take up topics such as registering exotic pets and preventing minors from using tanning beds, instead of tackling the more pressing issues of pension and Medicaid reform.

“It’s an election year, and they don’t want to stick their necks out. Plus they’re busy running for re-election,” Mooney said.

OK, first of all, it’s an election year, so you can’t fairly compare this year’s schedule with last year’s. You’d have to go back two years for a fairer comparison.

Secondly, since when do major issues like state pensions and Medicaid reform ever get decided by March, or even publicly debated? That’s just a bogus argument to make. There are private meetings going on all the time, including this week, on several major topics. It’ll all bubble up eventually, or it won’t, depending. But to say that because we haven’t seen any solutions yet then this session is already a dud just ignores all history.

May is a heavy session month. That’s when the big things will be decided or put off until January, when a simple majority of lame duck legislators can pass some controversial bills. Until then, it’s all just idle speculation.

* What I’ve been wondering, though, is whether a big corporate interest is going to unveil a post-primary initiative. That’s really what has been absent so far this session. We don’t get pension reform bills in March, but we do see other important stuff. The big boys are staying awfully quiet. Too quiet, if you ask me.

* Meanwhile, AFSCME sent over some press clippings from yesterday’s “Day of Action”…

* AFSCME brings protest to Executive Mansion

* Union workers protest Quinn budget cuts

* Workers protest proposed state cuts - Rally in Dixon one of 40 across the state

* AFSCME Protest at Governor’s Mansion

* Workers rally to keep Illinois Youth Center open

* Union protests Quinn plan to close IL facilities

* Local critics say new Illinois budget plan could impact public safety

* Hundreds picket in effort to rescue Dwight prison

* Hundreds Rally Loud and Proud to Save Dwight Prison

* Dwight prison union members rally in 2 locations

* Prison Workers Unite To Save Jobs And Keep Workers Safe

* Members of AFSCME Local 51 protest Quinn budget cuts

* AFSCME workers protest Quinn cuts

* Local union protests Quinn budget cuts

* Protesters to Quinn: Keep Aurora Adult Transition Center open

* AFSCME “No Quinn Cuts” Pickets Hit Murray Center

* Protesters gather in Carbondale

* Rallying To Save Tamms Prison

* Union employees picket against prison cuts in Illinois

* Illinois government workers picket against proposed cuts in staffing, facilities

* State Cuts Protest - Stateliners are protesting some of the cuts Quinn wants to make.

* Public service workers take part in statewide “Day of Action”

Those were some very nice local press pops. But if the union really wants to send a message to legislators, it better show it can pull a Madison and do a sustained Statehouse protest because one-off lunchtime protests don’t really demonstrate a whole lot.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 12:11 pm

Comments

13 days of work-springfield politicians, the only people who can make members of congress look like hard working legislators.

Comment by Shore Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 12:15 pm
Shore, Congress is a fulltime body. And they do SUCH a great job with all that time.

Do you really want state legislators in town more? Think about it, dude. Seriously.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 12:21 pm
I’m hoping to see the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and Senate President Cullerton unveil a revenue-nuetral plan to close corporate loopholes and expand the sales tax base while lowering the overall income and sales tax rates.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 12:22 pm
Yesterday was suppose to be about the locals and communities. When Henry calls to come to Springfield, come we will. But I can just hear it now ‘all these workers, should get the *beep* back to their job’ blah blah blah. My local citizens seem to be under the impression ‘my job’ is not a ‘real job’ and besides all we do anyway is sit around under the trees and do a bit of mowing (or so the impression seemed to be rolling when park fees were the days’ topic a while back).

Comment by Cindy Lou Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 12:32 pm
“Do you really want state legislators in town more?”

Considering some of the asinine legislation they propose sometimes it does make one question. But, considering how much time they spend getting to know the workings of government and the agencies they oversee, it might not hurt for them to put more time in Springfield, devoted to learning how the system functions (or why it does not), what is essential and what is not, what is out of control and why, and how the employees see the problems vs. the managers views.

Comment by vole Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 12:56 pm
I am waiting for the GA to come out with “We cut out our COLA and we think the state employees should do the same.” And some of the public will pick that up as their theme. However there are a few differences.

Being a GA member is a part time job with a full time salary.

The GA benefits program is accelerated more than the employee benefits program.

GA members that are on committees can increase their pay and many do so. Even though they still don’t spend the time that one would think comparable to a part time job at that pay rate.

They get extra pay for extra session days. Many have enough extra time in a year to conduct another full time profession.

When they figure their furlough days they calculated that they worked 365 days a year to reduce the worth of each day so those days cost them less than what they cost the average employee.

If State employees had these options they might consider giving up the COLA.

However my job classification went 4 years without any increase when the GA and everyone else was getting theirs. We were told we had to increase the amount we paid into our pension system even though that has since been ruled unconstitutional in at least two other states by three different judges. And most recently we have had our steps and raises taken away in spite of making the concessions asked for to keep those raises and steps.

If the GA does ask the employees to do this I would request that we get put into the same benefits/retirement program as the GA and give us the steps that are called for in the Personnell Code and I will give up any COLA increase I would get for the next two years and be as happy as a clam.
Other states have only one insurance and retirement plan for everyone, so it is done.

Comment by Irish Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 1:03 pm
Irish, I think the GA are using the 22×12 for a 264 day year, for furlough accounting wage?

Comment by Cindy Lou Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 1:18 pm
The pay of these public servants needs to be greatly reduced. These are part time jobs that offer pay greater than what 75% of Illinois taxpayers make at there full time jobs. Plus health beniefits and pensions.

Comment by Fed up Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 1:23 pm
AFSCME needs to find a message that resonates with their membership AND the general public. This doesn’t cut it:

“We cannot afford to lose good union jobs in southern Illinois. So let’s tell the governor, let’s prioritize public safety, let’s prioritize good paying jobs here in southern Illinois,” said Union County State’s Attorney Tyler Edmonds.

The mission of the Dept. of Corrections is not to create jobs. That’s the mission of DCEO and IDES. Suburban and Chicago lawmakers have no reason to vote to spend money based on that argument.

And if you want to make the case that incarceration is a cost-effective way to improve public safety, please provide the data to back it up.

If I’ve got my numbers right, we’re spending nearly $70K per inmate per year in Tamms, and $100 million in cuts have been proposed at Corrections as a whole. That’s a lot of drug treatment, job training, and added police on the streets.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 1:25 pm
Cindy Lou- I think, (and someone please correct me if I am wrong,) lol,) that it was stated, and it might have been on this blog, that they figured no days off, no vacation, no holidays, 365 days a year.

Comment by Irish Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 1:50 pm
I can’t generate a “meh” for the story.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 1:53 pm
AFSCME–the union that wants it all, and that is seriously in danger of exhausting everyone’s patience, Democratic state or not.

Comment by state worker Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 2:12 pm
“Secondly, since when do major issues like state pensions and Medicaid reform ever get decided by March, or even publicly debated?”

2010 when they passed pension reforms creating the second tier for state employees on March 24.

Comment by Bluefish Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 2:46 pm
I am not in the union. I havent had a raise in 9 years. I still dont make what any member of the GA makes without committee’s. There are some of us that still care about the work getting done. How does eveyone things these services are getting delivered?

Comment by Just Because Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 2:50 pm
===2010 when they passed pension reforms creating the second tier for state employees on March 24. ===

Yes, but it’s March 16th.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 3:13 pm
Heard rumor looks as if Tamms will be bought by Federal prisonsystem. Anybody else hear this

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 3:22 pm
If you ever decide to update the forum-some forums have a button that enables you to quote other commenters, a button that enables you to agree with it and one that enables you to flag comments as offensive or inappropriate. It might be something to look at- in this case 13 days sounds ridiculous.

Comment by Shore Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 3:49 pm
You guys really need to give legislators more credit. They all work 24/7. That’s 24 hours a week, 7 months out of the year.

Comment by Foxfire Friday, Mar 16, 12 @ 4:03 pm