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The “old” Pat Quinn

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Illinois

* Gov. Pat Quinn ordered a cut in the number of state paid parking spots in Chicago. From a press release…

Governor Quinn has directed department heads to cut back on spots for employees in positions that do not require frequent fieldwork or involve public safety. While taxpayer-financed parking spots are appropriate for state employees whose posts require them to travel frequently to state prisons, juvenile detention centers or social service offices, they are not necessary for employees who spend the majority of their time in the office.

Unless their job involves frequent fieldwork or public safety, most agency directors, chiefs of staff and other high-level officials will now lose their free parking spots.

Today’s announcement also includes a reduction in the number of shared “pool” cars that are stationed in downtown Chicago garages and available to state employees.

That’s a taste of the old populist, highlight-the-little-things Pat Quinn. As subscribers already know, we can expect more of this stuff.

* Back to the press release…

Yesterday Governor Quinn announced that the state of Illinois had again cut property leases. The state will save an additional $55 million by continuing to downsize the space it leases in the upcoming fiscal year. Since taking office the Governor has saved taxpayers more than $220 million by consolidating or eliminating more than 2.5 million square feet – roughly equivalent to emptying out Chicago’s Trump Tower.

Since taking office and inheriting decades of mismanagement, Governor Quinn has enacted major reforms that are saving taxpayers billions of dollars. The Governor has saved taxpayers more than $3 billion by overhauling Illinois’ Medicaid system, cutting Medicaid spending and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. He also passed comprehensive pension reform that will save taxpayers more than $140 billion over the next 30 years.

Additionally, the Governor negotiated a historic contract with Illinois’ employee unions that includes $900 million in savings for Illinois taxpayers. The Governor also enacted comprehensive worker’s compensation reform that has saved state taxpayers more than $40 million to date. The state workforce is the smallest it has been in decades, with 4,000 fewer state employees than we had five years ago. All things included, over the last five years, Governor Quinn has cut state spending by more than $5.7 billion.

“Roughly equivalent to emptying out Chicago’s Trump Tower.” Heh.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 12:25 pm

Comments

===“Roughly equivalent to emptying out Chicago’s Trump Tower.”===

Donald needed the space as a staging area for his sign anyway.

Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 12:30 pm
The definitions of fieldwork and public safety can and will expand to include as many vehicles as possible. Watch. The question remains, is it less expensive to have employees rent a car every time they have to go somewhere or maintain pool vehicles?

Comment by The Prince Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 12:47 pm
Too little FAR too late. Quinn betrayed his alleged reform principles before he even took over the governor’s office. He had been one of a small handful of pols I believed were an exception to cynical maxim “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Thanks Pat, you learned me.

Comment by lake county democrat Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 12:50 pm
Is idot included in that head count? Lol

Comment by foster brooks Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 1:07 pm
And the budget can’t be cut. Typical Pat Quinn. Say whatever you think will get you one more vote. Lake County Democrat is right. Quinn sold his soul when he was Blago’s Gov Lite. Now he will say/do anything to keep his figure head post

Comment by OLK 73 Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 1:19 pm
He really shouldn’t point the media to his office space contracts, some of those could come back to haunt him, particularly when someone looks at the timing of donations and the timing of contracts for new spaces that replaced older ones.

Comment by Downstate Illinois Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 1:19 pm
So hes been lt Gov or gov for 10 years and this is it a few less parking spots downtown. Yeah he”s the old time populist alright. He forgot to mention the lying about the tax hike, lying about the tax hike Taking 50k from a union to guarentee job numbers, or that 50 million dollars of tax money he used as walking around money to get out the vote on the south side of Chicago before the last elction. Old Pat wouldnt like Pinocchio Pat.

Comment by fed up Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 1:23 pm
Just how many state paid parking spots do we have in Chicago? Statewide?

I have wondered this for a long time but never been able to find the numbers or a breakdown in any public documents from COGFA, GOMB, CMS or elsewhere. Could be fascinating to see.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 1:25 pm
It doesn’t make sense to me to decrease the number of state vehicles in the pool. That will mean state employees will now have to drive their own cars and claim mileage reimbursement. I can tell you it is cheaper to drive a state vehicle than to pay people mileage reimbursement.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 1:29 pm
You know what would save the state real money? Purchase the building state agencies are located in and stop paying rent. The state is leasing buildings that they could have already paid off. The lease payments have paid the cost of buying the buildings several times over.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 1:30 pm
This will be no sweat for the directors and senior staff. I’m sure they’ll make up some excuse for them to keep the spaces.

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 2:03 pm
If the old populist is truly back, won’t he criticize pols who attend national conferences such as NCSL and NGA? Oh, that’s right. He’s different. It’s the other guys who abuse this.

Comment by Regnad Kcin Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 2:41 pm
I wonder - does anyone outside of the good folks who monitor and post here even pay attention to such a press release? Can Quinn, et al, point to some REAL savings that come from such moves?

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 2:46 pm
Demoralized

What really gets me is the State owned buildings that have open space, some to my understanding empty, while the State pays leases on other buildings in same county.

Comment by Mason born Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 2:53 pm
I suspect you are going to see a ton of this going forward every couple of weeks or so a new
Pat Quinn is saving you money, things…

Like renting out the basement of the executive mansion as pool for parties.

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 3:01 pm
Medicaid reform he is undoing, pay increases he didn’t give, prisons he closed and wants to reopen, leasing state owned buildings to state agencies.
“Thank you sir may I have another?”

Comment by Empty Suit Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 3:09 pm
Downstate Illinois

= … particularly when someone looks at the timing of donations and the timing of contracts for new spaces that replaced older ones.=

Since all property leases are now approved by the 5 member Procurement Policy Board

https://www2.illinois.gov/ppb/Pages/default.aspx

and the Governor only appoints the Chairman, with the other 4 are appointed by the Four Tops, exactly how does Quinn link donations to office leases?

Comment by Anyone Remember Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 3:09 pm
“He passed unconstitutional pension theft that will never save taxpayers a dime.”

Fixed it for you.

As far as the parking spots, why did you wait 5 years to ferret out such flagrant waste and abuse?

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 3:42 pm
Although some above keep bashing no matter what, it’s just hard to deny that this is a good move by Pat Quinn on behalf of genuine Reform and saving the People of Illinois $EVeral MILLion dollars.

That’s what the Governor and our Elected Officials are suPPOSED to be doing, and when you point blank tell Higher Ups that such perks are gone, it takes some kahunas to boot, as well as proves that it is REAL change/progress…

Comment by Just The Way It Is One Tuesday, Jun 24, 14 @ 8:17 pm