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Question of the day

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* Session ran very late last night and so did the “end of session party,” which wasn’t really an end of session party because, well, we’re now in overtime.

The governor is expected to talk to reporters this morning about the failure to enact pension reform. He issued this release last night…

“While this has been a productive legislative session, our work is not done for the people of Illinois.

“Many members rose to the occasion to take difficult votes to save our Medicaid system from collapse, enact retiree healthcare reform and abolish the oft-abused legislative scholarship program. But we have not finished our work to reform Illinois’ pension system, which is drowning in an ocean of unfunded liability.

“As I have repeatedly made clear, inaction on pension reform is not a choice. We must fundamentally reform our pension system and we must enact bold reform that eliminates the unfunded liability.

“We have made great headway on stabilizing our pension system and we are very close to a solution, but we are not there yet. Therefore, I will convene a meeting with President Cullerton, Leader Radogno, Speaker Madigan, and Leader Cross in the coming week so we can forge a pension reform agreement as soon as possible and return to Springfield to enact it into law.”

* The Question: What should Gov. Pat Quinn say today about the lack of a pension reform agreement? Explain.

And, hey, it’s Friday and everybody’s probably tired from the late night session, so snark is heavily encouraged. I’ll be back with more posts once I finish the Fax.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:17 am

Comments

We live in a state, a fine state, a state on a mighty river and a great lake. But a state in crisis, even though I lobbied the 8th graders of this state, even teaching them what a pension is, it was not enough.

I said it was my mission in life to do this, I now know that it is in fact a mission from God, not unlike a mission that two boys from Calumet City went on years ago, so I am going to put on a black suit, a black hat and steal Pongee(tm) and drive to Springfield to make this happen.

Comment by OneMan Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:25 am
“Pray.”

Comment by Lakeview Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:27 am
It’s like I told Mrs. Smith’s grade school class while you were in session the other day “Showing up is half the battle”

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:33 am
What he should say: “This is my foot. This is your butt. Get it done or mine will disappear into yours.”

What he will say: “The people of Illinois deserve better,” followed by several loosely worded threats that will have no teeth.

Comment by NIref Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:34 am
Maybe he should throw a hyperbolic fit, like Bost. Seems to be the popular approach, scream like a two year old…

“It’s not fair!! I’m going to hold my breath until I get what I want!!!!”

At least his face will match the purple tie.

Comment by Wensicia Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:39 am
(Therefore, I will convene a meeting with President Cullerton, Leader Radogno, Speaker Madigan, and Leader Cross in the coming week so we can forge a pension reform agreement as soon as possible and return to Springfield to enact it into law.”)

Kind of like The Last Supper…..

Comment by Stones Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:39 am
“I’m sure we can, and will, come up with a pension reform plan that will not create so much suffering for unions and politcally connected insiders that they’ll reduce my campaign contributions and fail to work on my and Speaker Madigan’s campaigns this fall.

With God’s help, I’m sure we can be successful in this sacred mission.

If God does not support us in this quest, he’d better be prepared to deal with Mike’s disappointment.”

Comment by Palos Park Bob Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:41 am
“When you decide to do something, you can do it.

“That’s what they don’t tell you in the church.

“When I was your age, they would say we can become cops, or criminals.

“Today, what I’m saying to you is this: when you’re facing a loaded gun, what’s the difference?”

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:45 am
I am joining the Rebel Alliance. Together with any supporters, we will defeat Emperor Palpatine. We may not have any weapons, and the speaker, oops, emperor, is building a death star. But May the Force be with us.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:47 am
Even I the Gov of the mediocre state cannot explain to you our slightly below avg, underfunded middle schoolers why lord Madigan would sponsor a bill and then vot against it. But do not worry we have passes a stripper tax so, we your elected officials have done our part the rest of it will fall on you and those in kindergarten and well your children and their children to fix this incredible mess. Now let me tell you a story about a man, a man who walked across this state a man called soy boy.

Comment by Fed up Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:48 am
He shouldn’t say much to the media, he needs to get into the back rooms and trenches to work out a solution.

Comment by Ahoy! Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:48 am
..On the plus side my administration is entering final stages on negotiating “Special” state retiree discounts at PetSmart for tasty dietary supplements such as ” Tuna Treats” and long lasting meaty ” Doggie Bones” Can you all say “Yummy”?

Comment by Mouthy Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:50 am
Pension reform was and is the #1 priority. Since that was not addressed I will veto everything else until the pension issue is resolved. Our state workers are the backbone of this great state. We will work 28 hours a day to come to the correct solution. Thank you for coming. I’ll be here all week.

Comment by zatoichi Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:55 am
I really envy Senator Jerry Bomke.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 8:59 am
In the imortal words of Joliet Jake, the Gov should just say “Here’s the plan: we put the band back together, do some gigs, earn some bread, bang! We’ll have 5,000 bucks in no time.”

Comment by Kerfuffle Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:07 am
Gov: “I will crush you if you don’t agree”
“Isn’t that how you do it Mike?”

Speaker: “No”

Gov: “Sister Mary always told us we have to have the courage to surrender, and the drive to revive”

Radogno: “Hunh”?

Gov: “OK, it’s settled then”

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:07 am
Please God let Lisa Madigan change her mind and run for Governor…hehe

Comment by State Worker Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:08 am
“If we pass pension reform that affects retirees, Madigan won’t leave unless it’s on a stretcher. Way to go, doofuses!”

Comment by PublicServant Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:10 am
In the famous words of Thomas Jefferson Johnson, “People, we ran a positive campaign. We campaigned on the issue. The issue is change. Change for the future. The people have spoken! Ask not what your country can do for you, you have nothing to fear but fear itself. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Live free or die. And in conclusion, read my lips!”

Comment by Choice? Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:12 am
“Nothing is over until we decide it is. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?”

Comment by Jake From Elwood Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:13 am
Squirrel!

Comment by the Patriot Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:15 am
I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

Comment by Tommydanger Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:17 am
Quinn has decided that he doesn’t want to spend the remainder of his years in prison watching Blago fix his hair. He is smart enought to have learned that fighting against the real Gov of IL isn’t worth it.

Comment by Belle Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:23 am
President Cullerton, Speaker Madigan, Leaders Radogno and Cross, Attorney General Madigan, Secretary White, Comptroller Topinka, Treasurer Rutherford, Members of the General Assembly, and fellow citizens of Illinois, we have accomplished much this session, but our work is not done. That is why the lot of you will be working in here over the summer. And, in a cost-cutting measure, I will be turning the air conditioning off in all state buildings until you come back to me with a pension reform bill I can sign.

Fixing the pension problem will not be easy, but we have no choice.

We must do it together in a way that is meaningful, constitutional, and fair to the employees who have faithfully contributed to the system.

We must do it together in a way that shares responsibility between the parties, focusing on the long-term future of our state and its people rather than the calculations of who will get elected in November.

We cannot play hot potato with the pension issue. Illinois is a soy state, not a potato state. No more hot potato! Let us act, now.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:26 am
Illinois River carp for everyone! We can make all kinds of entrees from our mighty fish and distribute that to the state retirees. After all, they are going to need a protein source when we cut their annual increase and take away their subsidy for health care insurance.

Fish tacos! Fish pizza! Fish burgers! Fish soup!

What, you are allergic to fish? No soup for you!!

Comment by Nearly Normal Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:26 am
He should recycle his comments from the Oak Park middle school the other day - that was highly effective.

Or if he’s at a loss for words, he should refere to the book of Blago -= always good for working with the GA:

“It’s an up day . . . blah blah blah blah. . . drunken sailors . . . blah blah blah blah . . . Madigan . . . blah blah blah . . . lobbyists with Guicci leather shoes . . . . “

Comment by Siriusly Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:32 am
And when the judges rule against us on retiree pension
and health care reform..god has directed me to go after
them…

Comment by Concerned Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:36 am
I could go on for hours and probably will, but let me start with: C’mon, people, why don’t you just use the old “someone else pressed my vote button” excuse!

Comment by Robert Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:38 am
PQ: Let’s start. Somebody say something smart.

MJM: We have only two choices, my plan A, or my plan B. Both are fair compromises, as you all should realize, and might even squeak by as legal.

TCull: Ok. That means fake right, sweep left, and then punt and assume we’ll get a good bounce.

CRad: Enough with the games. We must do x to the 23d over 14 and 2/3 years, and then follow the ellipse back to zero. That’s assuming no climate change. BTW, outside this room, it’s still all the Dems’ fault.

TCross: I can live with that, but my folks might not like it — too many numbers, too many pages.

Comment by mark walker Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:41 am
Is there a link to his live press conference?

Comment by Shore Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:44 am
CMS link for the gov press conference–

http://www2.illinois.gov/cms/agency/media/radio/Pages/default.aspx

Comment by Nearly Normal Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:47 am
“As my good friend Groucho Marx likes to say, politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.”

Comment by Calhoun Native Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:47 am
I think he should say no more publicly at this time. The time for posturing is over, and the time for further serious discussions is, frankly, after the election, on all aspects of the problem, revenue as well as pension expenditures. With the budget that has been passed, including contributions to the pension funds, the pension situation will not deteriorate further in the coming year. Let the voters decide who is making the most sense in what they say and attack the problem again in January.

Comment by jake Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:51 am
Mark Walker, not too shabs. That’s short for shabby — hilarious.

I think you need to add Rep. Bost into the mix:

“I feel like somebody trying to be released from Egypt. Let my people go.”

He really said that. Although your fiction is funny, the truth is even funnier.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:52 am
“Both sides claimed to work together and still came up with something just short of a Spam sandwich. Therefore, I am declaring martial law at the Capitol and will walk around with Hillsboro native and former UFC champ Matt Hughes as backup.”

Comment by Team Sleep Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:53 am
“These damn bills! Every year! I’m sick of it!”

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:57 am
We regret being unable to further punish homeowners by forcing them to help our friends in public education. Apparently, they are smarter than we thought, judging from the calls an e-mails that flooded in to our legislators’ offices. I will be meeting with all the government stakeholders to determine the best way to paint the pig of a real estate tax increase so its faux perfume will intoxicate even the most diligent homeowner. We expect our new initiative to be the most compelling array of prevarication, fear mongering, innuendo and outright lies to ever issue from Springfield. And for our efforts, the only reward we seek is the continuing financial support from our stalwart government employee unions so that we may retain our offices and stick it to the taxpayors once again next year. Now if you will excuse me, I must speak with bond rating agencies and try to convince them that what we did not do was a good thing.

Comment by Cook County Commoner Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 9:58 am
Tom Cross took sponsorship of the pension bill and in less than 24 hours the entire process imploded. I’m shocked.

Cut to Mike Bost meltdown.

Comment by too obvious Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 10:00 am
@Word, Thnx. I’m trying to stay with the bigs.

Anonymous 9:07 was also me.

Comment by mark walker Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 10:06 am
“We’ve gotta protect our phoney baloney jobs, gentlemen!

“I didn’t get a ‘harrumph’ out of that guy!”

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 10:11 am
“Now that Bost’s tirade has gone viral, we have got to settle this calmly and quickley, we don’t want any more negative publicity, it will keep people from traveling here, moving here, doing business here, we don’t need Lincoln rolling over in his grave”

Comment by 3rd Generation Chicago Native Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 10:12 am
Quinn should simply “tell the truth” as he truly sees it without regard to political partisanship. He would see his “favorable rating” in the next poll that is taken “skyrocket” as people realize that there is still “one guy” down in Springfield that is more interested in “fixing a problem” rather than “using that problem” to his political party’s advantage. People have gotten so they don’t believe or trust “anybody” down in Springfield because their “motivation” seems to be self-preservation and self-enrichment rather than making the hard decisions that we elected them to make.
Maybe Governor Quinn should rent from Netflex the movie “Braveheart” so he can finally learn “how to lead and unite” from William Wallace. Quinn is going to be a one term elected governor anyway. Why not dance off of the stage with the respect and admiration of the people of Illinois since you know you are realistically “destined to leave” after this term anyway?

Comment by Phineas Fogg Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 10:14 am
I am no longer “The Soy Boy”.

I am now “The Little Engine that Could.”

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…

ooops. Just ran smack into reality there.

Comment by Freeman Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 10:27 am
Look, I’m the big picture guy. I throw ideas to the wall.

Madigan, Cross, Feigenholtz, Radogno, Cullerton, Murphy, they make the details happen. They make those ideas stick.

It worked out well with that Medicaid stuff, didn’t it? I just picked a number and #we# did it. The people thank you all for your service.

So we’re all good on this pension business. They’ve got it covered.

I’ll be in (insert name of distant city) for the rest of the day if anyone needs me.

Comment by Freeman Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 10:31 am
“Pension this and pension that. We made the will of the people the law of the land.”

Now show me some love, or I’m putting Sheila in charge for the next two years.

How’s that for some perspective? No? Bite me, haters.”

Comment by Freeman Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 10:37 am
And I have a message to all state employees, including the dedicated faculty at UIUC who spent their careers building a world-class university, and working at below-market salaries, because of the constitutionally-backed promise of an above-market retirement:

We’re not through with you yet! We’ll steal what we promised you. Your state leadership didn’t want to fund those promises adequately. And don’t expect any apologies. We’re happy to do it. People who are foolish enough to work for a living don’t deserve anything. Executives and investors are the only ones who need to be treated fairly.

Comment by The old professor Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 10:41 am
I am Robin Hood.

In reverse, see?

I take from the frail, the weak, the elderly and those in public service. Then I give to corporations.

I am undoing a terrible tale of injustice and righting these wrongs.

You can thank me with a campaign contribution.

Comment by Freeman Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 10:51 am
After carefull consideration and watching “The Hatfields and McCoy’s” on the History Channel earlier this week Representitives of both Families will be meeting with the 4 Tops and myself to resolve this once and for all.

Comment by Dan Shields, Springfield, IL Friday, Jun 1, 12 @ 11:51 am