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Geneseo threatens to cut off state utilities

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Illinois

* Because of the impasse, local governments aren’t getting their state motor fuel tax money, their video gaming cut, their salary, infrastructure and social service reimbursements, etc. So I’m actually a little surprised we haven’t seen more stories like this one…

Geneseo officials want to treat the state of Illinois similar to any other deadbeat customer and cut off water, sewer and electric service.

The city is waiting for $837.29 in water, sewer and electric payments for service to the state highway maintenance yard as well as $327.49 for street lights at the intersection of Interstate Route 80 and Illinois Route 82. “We have put them on notice by e-mail to Rep. (Donald) Moffitt. We let him know we’re considering treating them like everybody else,” said city administrator Lisa Kotter.

Her e-mail was sent Sept. 23. “We’re giving them an opportunity to respond,” said Ms. Kotter.

The kerfuffle over utility bills is but one minor aspect of the problems rolling over Henry County and the rest of the state as Gov. Bruce Rauner and legislators prove unable to pass a budget and appropriate money.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 9:44 am

Comments

Do it. This thing isn’t going to end without external pressure. Let all the municipalities do this.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 9:47 am
Two gigantic, power-hungry ego’s staring each other down. To hell with the rest of us

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 9:49 am
Geneseo, home of Sieben Hybrids.

You don’t want to mess with Henry County… or Geneseo.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 9:56 am
Rauner said he will turn the state Republican in eight years. Sounds like a plan.

Comment by Liberty Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 9:56 am
It’s a bluff… Let’s be real if they were really going to cut the state off they would have done it already. It’s bluff not a good one.

Comment by GoldwaterRepublican Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 9:58 am
Like it in theory but I don’t think Governor Rauner drives the intersection of I-80 and Route 82 a lot or conducts his sewer-requiring business at the maintenance yard. The people it would hurt aren’t the people with the power to change it.

Just like everything else in this whole situation.

Comment by LizPhairTax Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 9:58 am
I hope this gets a lot of publicity leading all municipalities to take the same action. Let’s see if conservative mayors continue to hold the party line or decide to act in the best interests of the citizenry.

Comment by illinoised Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:02 am
The big question to me is why more cities and towns in Illinois are not following the lead of Geneseo. It costs money to provide these services. With the State of Illinois not paying its bills is this fair to the local tax payers?

Comment by Hit or Miss Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:04 am
For a lousy $1,165, I think the headline generated by cutting off the state would be money well spent.

Comment by SAP Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:05 am
Do it. Embarrass them.

Comment by Langhorne Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:05 am
1. With the State of Illinois not paying its bills is this fair to the people who pay Illinois taxes?
2. Is it fair to IL taxpayers when the guv gives our tax dollars to big companies when everything else is crashing?

Comment by Mama Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:12 am
Rauner has been practicing a version of scorched earth that is injuring the poorest and weakest among us. I’m prepared to suffer a little if that’s what needs to be done to take the power back from the elite and break this stalemate. Call it a backfire against the advancing flames.

Comment by PolPal56 Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:14 am
Two giant egos? When Dems throw unions under the bus to get a budget, watch egos fly. It isnt Madigans ego holding things up, it is rauner’s pre-conditons to diminish unions. He could have had his property tax freeze intact, except for his intransigence about the union language. The MSM needs to hammer this type of thing home.

Comment by My New Handle Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:16 am
**We have put them on notice by e-mail to Rep. (Donald) Moffitt. **

Shouldn’t they notify IDOT and not Rep. Moffitt’s office?

Comment by AlabamaShake Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:16 am
OW is right about Geneseo and Henry County. Additionally, they both are republican bastions and have been for decades. Contractors who have the where with all to sit on late payments actually make money in the end from collecting interest - 18% on the year, but I’m sure that doesn’t happen with local governments, they just get stiffed.

Comment by Captain Illini Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:17 am
AlabamaShake is right. Why notify the state rep? Really odd.

Comment by Jordan Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:22 am
And the governor cackles with glee…

Comment by CharlieKratos Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:24 am
Imagine an unusual coalition of utilities, unions, social service providers and state vendors calling in Rauner, Madigan to negotiate a resolution to the budget without including any non budget items. Sure, we all know who is holding the budget hostage, and such a coalition would be unlikely, but I suspect it’d be effective.

Comment by AC Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:24 am
Notifying the state representative is exactly the thing to do. He is one of rauner’s owned representatives. They should be taking the heat.

Comment by My New Handle Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:24 am
**Notifying the state representative is exactly the thing to do. He is one of rauner’s owned representatives. They should be taking the heat.**

Advocacy 101.

Send the letter/email to the appropriate person/department responsible for paying the bill. And copy in Rep. Moffitt and Governor Rauner.

Comment by AlabamaShake Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:33 am
“Hi Rich-

Once towns like Geneseo and counties like Henry all over Illinois again start passing the Rauner Resolutions, then Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls will finally pass a budget that also destroys unions and ends prevailing wages.

What was the topic again? Oh yeah, and then… utility bills will be paid.

Thanks!
ck”

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:38 am
If Geneseo cuts off water to any other non-paying customer but not the state then it’s violating the 14th Amendment guaranteeing equal protection under the law.

Cut off the water now.

Comment by Downstate Illinois Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:39 am
Geneseo should man up and cut them off as should every municipality with a similar problem. Turn up the heat, they don’t feel it yet…

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:41 am
Rep. Moffit has announced he will not run for reelection. The Guv no longer has leverage over him. Good strategy for Geneseo to go to him.

Comment by SilverStreak Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:51 am
on another SHUT-OFF note

The vendor that has the state contract for parts and covering overhauls of Illinois large trucks, dump trucks, salt trucks, snow plows, asphalt, trailers, off-road equipment… etc. They have shut off the state as of 8 am this morning… The impact could be devastating, for repairing and reading these vehicles for winter use. What will be done when there aren’t trucks on the roads to fix the roads, or plow the snow, or spread salt…. I wonder when others hear of this, will they follow this large company and cut off us in the state vehicle division or will they come up with hidden money to pay to keep the tires rolling….

The State runs on Wheels.

Comment by Allen D Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:54 am
CWLP needs to take the lead. Any other entity or person that was three months behind in payments ($2.3 million and counting) would have already been cut off.

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:55 am
So Rep. Moffitt is not interested in a nice appointment? There might still be some leverage there…

Comment by Way South of I-80 Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 11:04 am
Rich, I suspect we haven’t seen more stories like this — yet — for fear of future retaliation.

At some point, though, the fear of a royal rodgering in the future dissipates when you’re taking one right now.

Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 11:14 am
Did Geneseo pass the Turnaround resolution?

Comment by The Way I See It Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 11:18 am
The fuel pumps have been shut off at district 2 for a month now.

Comment by Foster brooks Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 11:24 am
==If Geneseo cuts off water to any other non-paying customer but not the state then it’s violating the 14th Amendment guaranteeing equal protection under the law.==

I sincerely hope that was snark. Sheesh.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 11:26 am
Anonymous - Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 10:41 am:

Geneseo should man up and cut them off as should every municipality with a similar problem. Turn up the heat, they don’t feel it yet…

*****
Turn OFF the heat would be better. They WILL be feeling it soon as Winter rolls in!

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 11:40 am
http://www.rtoinsider.com/d-c-mayor-deal-exelon-pepco-18208/

Looks like Illinois might be losing some jobs and ComEd/Exelon might just issue some ‘past due bills”.

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 12:27 pm
Equal protection requires treating the similarly-situated similarly. The State is not similarly situated to any other customer.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 12:58 pm
“Contractors who have the where with all to sit on late payments actually make money in the end from collecting interest - 18% on the year”

Paying contractors interest because of late payments due to the lack of a budget probably means: 1) a cut in services after there is a budget or 2) higher taxes than if the budget and the required taxes were agreed on as of July 1 or 3) both 1) and 2).

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 1:16 pm
==Anonymouse - “Contractors who have the where with all to sit on late payments actually make money in the end from collecting interest - 18% on the year”

This is true, it was enacted by Quinn, however when you are into the State for a couple millions with no end in sight… where with all goes out the window with the bath water.

Comment by Allen D Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 2:51 pm
I think all utilities should be cut off. State government would be shut down.

Comment by Old Timer Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 5:09 pm
Yeah Anon221, lets just have CWLP, which is the states largest municipal utility, cut off water and electricity to the capitol, which includes health facilities. Before they do, let me get out of town before the national guard takes over for civil unrest. Good luck with that one…

Comment by Dj83E Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 11:00 pm
How many days do you think it will be when a federal or state judge orders funding for certain items?

Comment by Dj83E Wednesday, Oct 7, 15 @ 11:02 pm