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* Who was the spring session’s biggest winner? Who was the spring session’s biggest loser? Please answer both questions and please explain both answers. Thanks.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 11:06 am

Comments

Winners: Anyone who is bald, since everyone got a bad haircut.
Losers: Anyone who was getting money from the state.

Comment by Siriusly Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 11:15 am
Winner: Quinn. It somewhat illusionary because he has very little influence on any votes in the GA, but from an appearance sake he set an agenda — Medicaid cuts, employee health care cuts, budget, legislative scholarships, pension reform — and got all but one, and pension might still happen. For the most part, he seemed engaged and disciplined. If pension reform happens this summer, he can take a victory lap and I would guess his poor polling numbers will move up — which will cool talk of a major primary challenge.

Loser: the Senate Repubs. Sitting on the sidelines and refusing to engage — even to the minimum extent Cross has in the House — confirms their total irrelevance. even though Cross bailed on the budget deal in the end, he can still claim his early involvement kept the spending number down and saved his member’s state facilities, at least for now.

Comment by Frank B Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 11:25 am
Winners: Wealthy suburban school districts that dodged a bullet on the pension cost shift.

Losers: The families of and the children on ventilators who will lose Medicaid coverage for home care.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 11:33 am
I’d have to say that Quinn is a winner because of the health care for retirees and Medicaid. While he didn’t get pensions, he was seen as the prime advocate behind it.

Madigan was a winner. He was his usual maestro on the budget issues and left Cross with the pension jacket.

Cross was a winner. Played a big role in the budget and pensions and participated in the process.

Cullerton was a loser. Didn’t get his budget and ceded the pension debate to the House until the final hours.

Radogno was a loser. Her caucus didn’t participate and while I can’t lay all of the blame at her feet, she is the leader. She is a loser because she has to deal with the “commonsense causus” comprised of McCarter, Duffy, and Lauzen.

Hospitals won and lost. Set up for big losses but saved some money in Medicaid cuts and charity care.

Doctors won with no cuts in Medicaid.

The IMA won the enterprise zone bill that they wanted for three years.

The Chamber lost with the Scott Walker fiasco that left them without a seat at the table on many key issues at the end of session.

Tenaska lost again. They have now been swept in a 7 game series but their lobbyists who raked in case from Tenaska are winners in the money game.

Comment by 1776 Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 11:33 am
Biggest Winner: Unions, as pension reform didn’t pass.

Biggest Loser: Poor people with unusually bad health problems. The budget deficit quickly became known as the Medicaid deficit, and the least fortunate paid the most.

Comment by Robert Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 11:39 am
Winner - The people employed by the Illinois is Broke campaign

Loser - Joe Ricketts

Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 11:47 am
The biggest losers are the children of political operatives who will no longer receive the GA scholarships.

AFSCME skirted the pension issue until after the election but SB1212 will affect the health insurance needs of the membership so it is hard to term them a winner.

The hospitals are a big winner as they have basically assured themslves of property tax exemptions for years to come. Local governments with non-exempt hospitals with their borders have to be listed among the losers of this session.

Comment by Jake From Elwood Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 11:49 am
winner: Madigan he comes out looking like he was protecting teachers pensions>
Loser: Quinn, no pension reform and stuck with casino bill!

Comment by who dat? Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 11:50 am
Winner: Scott Humbard
Loser: Tenaska

Comment by That Guy Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 12:01 pm
Loser: Madigan, that was a foolish ploy to try to box Cross in on the Pension issue. His suburban candidates are going to have to explain how a voting for him as Speaker is not a huge property tax increase. In the end he just proved he is a shill for the Teachers Unions.

Loser: Senate Republicans, I didn’t think they could get any more irrelevant than they were. I was wrong.

Winner: Quinn, he does not deserve the credit for Medicaid reform or employee health reform but the perception is he drove the issue. He does get deserved credit for ending the legislative scholarship program.

Comment by Nagidam Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 12:04 pm
Winner: Quinn, he stepped up to the plate and offered real solutions and in doing so started to change the narrative on himself.
Winner: Madigan, he once again proved that nothing gets done without him being onboard.

Loser: Rahm, he didn’t get included in pension reform talks and his casino is back on life-support.

Loser: Senate Dems just can’t seem to find a way to be relevant in budget negotiations.

Comment by Raising Kane Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 12:23 pm
WINNERS: Eddy, Colvin, McCarthy and Wilhelmi for obvious reasons
LOSER: Rep. Dunkin for winning the Century Club trophy for an unprecedented third time! He should retire it.

Comment by reformer Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 12:30 pm
Winner: The unions. The General Assembly was poised to inflict some massive damage, but in the end they were barely scathed. There was the bill to remove 2000 workers from the unions (didnt move). The bill to require retirees to pay a portion of the healthcare premiums- it passed, but the unions can collectively bargain the effects of the change. Of course, pension reform went no where. The unions had a pretty decent year.

Losers: Cross was, once again, a terrible leader and ineffective. Did he have a single victory this session?

Comment by Badumda Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 12:35 pm
@1776: Great comment. Right on all counts, with one adjustment–

Madigan, Cross, and all of us were losers on the partial cost-shifting issue. Madigan stepped up against almost every powerful contituency in the state, with a long-term solution, while trying to skirt the real constitutional issues. He was willing to look bad to them all, including all the unions, for a comprehensive pension solution, and will continue to lose politically for even proposing it.

I was frankly amazed at the risks he took, and viewed this proposal as perhaps one of his “career achievements” in looking forward to his legacy at retirement.

When Madigan could’t get enough politicians to be equally responsible and audacious, we lost an opportunity. He couldn’t support the Cross-lite version since it just wasn’t bold enough. I might have just to take the a first step, with required cost-shifting later.

(The Cross-heavy original version would probably have lost in the courts, no matter what the Trib says.)

I hope something strong can be worked out.

Comment by mark walker Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 12:58 pm
Winner Rep Mike Bost for getting approx 400,000 hits on YouTube.

Loser Rep Mike Bost for getting approx 400,000 hits on YouTube.

Comment by House of Pain Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 1:01 pm
Winner Unions bond rating company and anyone who
will by our bonds at inflated rates.

Losers The people of Illinois,Quinn who showed he’s made of mush and Madigian who’s rating is next to zero with most folks.

Comment by mokenavince Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 1:03 pm
Big winners - the ratings ‘agencies’ and bond vigilantes for proving they call the shots, not our elected leaders, Sears (real estate) holdings, CME Group

Big losers - everyone else in Illinois, but especially medicaid dependents, the poor in general, social service agencies, and state employees.

Comment by Jerry 101 Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 1:04 pm
Winner: Senate Republicans - Drove the Medicaid debate.
Loser: Smokers - $1 a pack increase in taxes.

Comment by Cincinnatus Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 1:05 pm
Winner: For now, the taxpayers … no major tax broad based tax (income, sales) was increased

Losers: three way toss-up

(a) the poor on Medicaid … no explanation required

(b) everyone with health insurance who will pay a hidden “tax” as part of the Medicaid / hospital deal

(c) SERS employees … SB-1313 transfers a huge cost (percentage wise) to the employees. Depending on the magic values in the grid, it could end up costing each employee from $2-4,000 plus the same again for their spouse. And it sets the stage for the State to totally drop their retiree health insurance payment, which could up the bill per person to over $7,000

Just noticed; all three of my losers are involved with health care …

Comment by Retired Non-Union Guy Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 1:08 pm
Some vary funny comments, but the best was
“Winner Rep Mike Bost for getting approx 400,000 hits on YouTube.
Loser Rep Mike Bost for getting approx 400,000 hits on YouTube.”
Our guess is that unless someone like Forby explained it to him, Boss Toss probably thinks You Tube is something you put mustard on.
Hard to pick winners this year, because “winning” was less of an achievement than usual.
Cities did not give up a lot of cash
Casinos cause AP does not get slots - yet
D’s cause the GOPies could not derail the medicaid bill.

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 1:25 pm
–Winner: Senate Republicans - Drove the Medicaid debate.–

In Illinois? Missed that part.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 1:26 pm
Winner: Madigan. He still controls the strings the GA dance from.

Loser: The poor and profoundly disabled.

Comment by Wensicia Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 1:34 pm
The big winner is the broad coalition of budgetary “reformers” - or at least as close to “reformers” as you can get in Illinois. Medicaid reform happened and pension and health insurance reform will follow suit. In general, these changes will lay the groundwork for future reforms and will allow other reform-minded advocates avenues they may follow to push through their agendas.

The loser is AFSCME. It would be nice to know what their real counteroffer is - and not just run frumpy ads during the 5:00 and 6:00 news programs. In an era of unfortunate unemployment levels, wide-scale foreclosures in the Chicagoland area and a large budget hole, they came across looking like the kid at the birthday party that demands thirds for cake and ice cream just because.

Comment by Team Sleep Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 1:40 pm
WINNERS: The plastic bag industry since they got pre-emption through.
LOSERS: * Smokers — it’s easier to pick on cigarettes than, say, putting a service tax on accountants and plastic surgeons, which Republicans would denounce as class warfare.
* Patrons of strip clubs due to the new “pole tax.”
* State retirees who put in 20-30 years and will lose the free health insurance they were promised.

Comment by reformer Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 1:47 pm
Winner: Right wing conservatism. Step back from which party won which battle and the answer is clear. With bipartisan support, austerity was imposed on the poor, the disabled, and children while powerful interests got special breaks and favors. Democrats may control the government, but the Overton window has been shifted so far to the right it doesn’t really matter.

Loser: The State of Illinois. Austerity will work as well here as it has in Europe.

Comment by Sam Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 2:09 pm
Winners: Nursing home buddies of Michael Madigan. they get to build new nursing homes to house all of the children that the state is illegally trying to force out of their homes.
Losers: children on the Medically Fragile Technologically Dependent Home care program. They are being forced out of their homes and into nursing homes, tearing them away from their families and insuring an much earlier grave.

Comment by Michele Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 2:18 pm
Winners: Bost, Unions
Losers: The rest of us

Comment by Shemp Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 2:23 pm
winner- any type of long, short term care facility, especially the ones who know Madigan personally losers- any family with a special needs child on the MFTD waiver

Comment by sad dad Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 2:32 pm
Winners: Public Employee Unions—they got the can kicked down that lonesome road one more time

Losers: Taxpayers, who will end up taking it in the shorts for said unions courtesy of the scared and feckless Democrat Party which depends on the powerful and wealthy unions for their mother’s milk—-campaign donations.

Comment by benevolent hegemon Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 2:36 pm
Winner
challengers to incumbents, fresh faces-springfield proved it was useless, the economy is still awful. If you can’t run against this you shouldn’t be in office, ever.

retiring politicians-now is definitely a good time to jump out.

Losers
Incumbents-there’s no reason for any of you to be re-elected. Republicans down there keep fumbling and failing to provide an alternative vision, democrats look like a spent force.

Suburban chicago democrats-a key to their success has always been selling themselves as competent and independent voices, that image and reputation is now permanently destroyed. Dr. Biss, swing and a miss there, buddy.

Lisa Madigan-the name madigan has become synonymous with everything that is wrong in the state in the chicago media and she may soon learn what hillary clinton learned in 2008 which is that if you wait too long sometimes you miss your chance.

Comment by Shore Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 2:58 pm
Sam-

Sorry, but take another back and you’ll notice that Illinois passed a tax increase that is generating an additional $7 Billion in revenue a year and because of bi-partisan cooperation we have the largest capital program of any state in the country. Hardly austerity. The cuts we’re making are going to be very hard, but the squeeze being put on General Revenue Fund expenditures needed to be addressed.

Winners-

1) Pat Quinn. What a turn around. Last year Rich set the narrative that Quinn was only a bit player in what happens in Springfield. This year clearly proved him wrong. Quinn was focused on the two most important issues facing Illinois, Medicaid and pensions. In spite of legislators best efforts to distract from these two issues (i.e. gaming) he was able to make significant progress on both.

Thank goodness it’s Quinn and his staff dealing with these challenges instead of Bill Brady. We’d be short $7B in revenue and the Hospital Association would be making the medicaid cuts instead of Julie Hamos.

2) IHA- Got charity care issue resolved (until it goes to the courts) and mitigated rate cuts as best they could. AJ Wilhelmi did a fantastic job.

3)People of Illinois- The General Assembly had a very productive session.

Losers- Republicans. Their talking points are being taken away one by one. Worker’s comp reform- done with no GOP House vote. Medicaid reform- done. Budget cuts- done. Unfriendly to business- tax tribunals, enterprise zones, procurement reform.

They are running out of things to talk about. And in most cases, they had very little to do with the solution.

Comment by WizzardOfOzzie Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 3:04 pm
Winnere; Senate Republicans-got the docs and hospitals protected without having to put a single vote on the tobacco tax

Comment by steve schnorf Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 3:13 pm
Winner: Governor Pat Quinn. Actually finally looked and performed like a governor for a change. Hopefully for the State he gets used to it.

Losers: The People of the State of Illinois. Gerrymandered into voting for individuals who bicker, play games and squander opportunities, they have few opportunities to express their choices in the matter.

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 3:27 pm
Louis, there’s more than a little irony in your comment. If Quinn (your winner) had lost to Bill Brady, it’s possible that the Republicans would’ve drawn the map.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 3:34 pm
Winners: Senate GOP. They managed to get 90% of their “Reality Check” plan enacted into law without Quinn and company even realizing they were doing it.

Losers: None really. Yes, some people will have to give up state services, but given the years of overspending by Quinn and Blagojevich, the day of reckoning had to come.

Comment by Inconvenient Truth-Teller Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 4:07 pm
Big losers are people who need Medicaid and other social services. Big winners–nobody really, although education at all levels escaped relatively unscathed for the time being. No big political winners. There won’t be any big winners until the backload on the pension payments that the state did not make for years is cut into. The ctba analysis on this is very sound, I think Their conclusion is that there is no possibility of solving that problem more than about 1/3 on the pension “reform” side, and that the rest of the solution has to come on the revenue side, from passing a constitutional amendment permitting a graduated income tax, so that wealthy individuals can start to pay their fair share.

Comment by jake Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 4:20 pm
winners: those who benefit from the status-quo

losers: taxpayers who pay the bills

Comment by RD3 Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 5:59 pm
Big winner: As always, King Mike and the Chicago Crew.
Big Loser: The taxpayers of Illinois who will have to pay the bills because the GA can’t stop spending!

Comment by Zoble21 Monday, Jun 4, 12 @ 11:03 pm
Rich,

True that!

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jun 5, 12 @ 3:20 am
Sorry. Anon 3:20 is me.

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Tuesday, Jun 5, 12 @ 3:22 am
I’m not old, I’m not poor, and I am healthy. But I have kids who go to school in the Chicago suburbs, soo the big winner was ME!

Really though, Pat Quinn was the big winner and he will have a clean sweep if pension reform goes through.

Big losers: GOP. I can appreciate that the job of the opposition party is to oppose, but these guys and gals come across as incompetent time and again

Comment by I don't want to live in Teabagistan Tuesday, Jun 5, 12 @ 7:20 am