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Practice what you preach, Speaker

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Illinois

* We talked a bit yesterday about House Speaker Michael Madigan’s memo to the UIUC faculty senate regarding the lack of a state budget. Madigan, of course, blamed Gov. Rauner and the Republicans. But he also wrote this…

You will even find the few times when Governor Rauner has set aside his agenda that hurts middle-class families throughout the state, we were able to compromise and move our state forward.

Madigan has said this several times, referring to things like the FY15 patch, the federal-only approp bill, the special funds approps for local government and higher education, etc.

* Well, the governor has once again “set aside his agenda” in order to reach a deal on a stopgap budget for next fiscal year, plus a full-year K-12 appropriation. So far, though, there hasn’t been much progress at the budgeteer level.

Get it done, already. “Move our state forward.” We could all use a break from this impasse madness for a few months.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 11:55 am

Comments

Amen!

Comment by pool boy Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 11:58 am
Or the Senate could send the 500page Madigan budget to the Gov.

Pay some bills Mr. Rauner.

Comment by cdog Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 12:03 pm
The time for settling for the Governor to set aside his misguided agenda temporarily for only partial stop gap funding has expired… The madness has to stop!

Comment by Triple fat Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 12:17 pm
When Madigan talks of “budget compromise”, he means compromise on budget items, what to fund and how much on each item. When Rauner talks of “budget compromise”, he means enact unrelated Turnaround Agenda items that will harm the middle class in general, and unionized workers in particular, both public and private sector.

Comment by DuPage Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 12:18 pm
Stay strong Mr Speaker!

Comment by Triple fat Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 12:18 pm
For the record, even the FY ‘15 patch only happened after weeks of wrangling and game playing in allowing the governor the authority to use reserve funds to pay court reporters, DOC employees and child day care subsidies, and only happened at all because furloughing had begun with some employees.

Comment by DuPage Don Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 12:19 pm
I guess transportation and schools not opening on time are the two areas our Governor is most concerned with. He wants everyone to pass his stopgap budget and postpone the inevitable … you know … kick the can for 6 more months. Those are the two areas people will notice the most.

His surrogates’ daily news conferences slamming every Democrat is NOT helping. I will give them credit though. They are consistent, flooding the media with their distorted message, and making Madigan look like everything is his fault.

Interesting it comes down to schools and transportation …

Comment by BBG Watch Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 12:26 pm
The reason there is no progress is that without a revenue increase, not even a stop-gap budget can be balanced unless “robbing Peter to pay Paul” is still considered balancing. A complete shutdown is the only way to truly reconcile revenue needs with desired spending. Other than the bill already sitting on the governor’s desk, we are flat out of Band-Aids. If Peter can afford the stop-gap hit now, maybe Peter doesn’t need the funds in the first place so cut them permanently.

Comment by Markus Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 12:29 pm
A break to impasse madness? A break? How about ending it all entirely? How about a fully funded balanced budget? I find the whole idea of a “break” absolutely insulting. A break… (grumble grumble)

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 12:32 pm
–A complete shutdown is the only way to truly reconcile revenue needs with desired spending.–

Also a good way for a senior citizen to get killed by the heat ,hunger, or lack of essential services provided by the State through State workers. Who is “essential” is not all the way fleshed out and could take weeks. Not to mention the unknown number of workers that would just quit working for a state that treats them this way.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 12:44 pm
So, the gov’s 6 month stopgap for everything if you give me a full year of k-12 is the start of negotiations as I see it. He’s still insisting on full capitulation to his TA before he discusses any new revenues.

We’ll never really move the state forward, unless we bring everybody along for the ride including the guv’s existing hostages, and that won’t happen until the “short term pain” is widespread. Stay strong Mike.

Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 12:59 pm
Higher taxes and more deficit spending does not help the middle class Mr. Madigan!

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 1:02 pm
I would like to see Speaker Madigan make this offer. When Governor Rauner sends us a complete Budget in bill form that is;1. In balance, 2. Funds all activities currently being paid because of Court Order at levels that comply with the Court Order, 3. Contains no non-budget items. Then we will call for an up or down vote.

The only amendments allowed would be to remove non-budget items that were included in the bill.

The bill should be for all of fy16 and all of fy17.

Complete and clean budget bill will get an up or down vote.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 1:08 pm
===I guess transportation and schools not opening on time are the two areas our Governor is most concerned with.===

Him and everyone else with a brain dude. You shut down schools, imagine how many people would endure hardship. The culprits would never recover. That’s what your Speaker has put on the table. You’re not playing here dude, you’re the chips.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 1:14 pm
Honeybear

“The threat of a complete shutdown” so that All hostages are treated equally.

I am in no way meaning to advocate a shutdown as the solution, but a strike, a lockout, a paycheck challenge, continued impasse all present the same consequences you describe.

The proverbial “can” has been kicked down the road for so long that it is not recognizable anymore.

Comment by Markus Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 1:21 pm
I’d rather let everything get worse to create enough pressure to force a budget agreement. That’s much better than singling out hostages. I don’t see how a full budget gets done otherwise. I’m not saying I want the impasse to continue, but I think it will end sooner and help more people than a stopgap. Otherwise I don’t see compromise happening…it’ll continue until Rauner can pass what he wants or Democrats can pass what they want. I’ve given up on that remote possibility that House Republicans could get some things done that could achieve a lot of things they envision for the state.

Comment by Earnest Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 1:21 pm
===I’d rather let everything get worse===

Pretty darned cruel. Ever think what could happen? People dying don’t bother your little mind?

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 1:29 pm
Guessing adding a pile of new money doesn’t spell speedy….but heck it is more fun to pick on the Speaker

Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 1:34 pm
Some clarifications, please:
1) The budget that the Speaker got through the House was $7B out of balance - $32B Revenue, $39B expenditures. Rauner’s proposal was just under $4B out of balance? Are those numbers correct?
2) Has anyone yet provided a figure on what the effective increase in revenue that would result from an increase in the income tax to 5-6% from the present figure?
3) What is the likelihood that either side would accept a “shared pain” proposal that increased income taxes and reduced expenditures across the board in ALL areas? This does not address the Governor’s proposals directly, but would it balance the budget?
4) And is there a legal way to ensure that any surplus funds from the combination of reduced expenditures and increased taxes would be earmarked specifically for debt reduction?
I am genuinely curious, as these are questions that I hear asked in different quarters. I can guess at some, but I’d rather have harder figures and other input as well.

Comment by Mr. Smith Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 1:39 pm
== ===I guess transportation and schools not opening on time are the two areas our Governor is most concerned with.===

Him and everyone else with a brain dude. You shut down schools, imagine how many people would endure hardship. The culprits would never recover. That’s what your Speaker has put on the table. You’re not playing here dude, you’re the chips. ==

1. I’m not a “dude”
2. Yes, that is what people will notice the most - not the seniors, rape centers, MAP recipients, public mental health, etc. People are NOT affected by that. Out of sight, out of mind.
3. Those two areas are where there are matching Federal funds which will permanently be lost.
4. My Speaker? Your Governor? Does it really matter? They are playing with a lot of people’s lifes here.
5. My brain is fine.

Comment by BBG Watch Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 1:40 pm
“We’ll never really move the state forward, unless we bring everybody along for the ride including the guv’s existing hostages, and that won’t happen until the “short term pain” is widespread. Stay strong Mike.”

“I’d rather let everything get worse to create enough pressure to force a budget agreement……”

Sounds like these folks are advocating the Ron Sandack approach to solving problems.

Comment by CapnCrunch Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 1:42 pm
===1. I’m not a “dude”
2. Yes, that is what people will notice the most - not the seniors, rape centers, MAP recipients, public mental health, etc. People are NOT affected by that. Out of sight, out of mind.
3. Those two areas are where there are matching Federal funds which will permanently be lost.
4. My Speaker? Your Governor? Does it really matter? They are playing with a lot of people’s lifes here.
5. My brain is fine.===

1. Sorry.
2.Not everyone is noticing a number of these areas, but collectively they are very much being noticed. Not opening schools would be the icing on the cake. Aside from $ hardship with daycare or whatever arrangement could be made, there are thousands of parents whose only guarantee their kids are safe for these hours of the day is that they’re in school.
3.That’s another very important consideration. There are other places where Fed funding comes into play as well.
4. Couldn’t agree with you more. My opinion is that the Speaker is the biggest impediment to getting schools open. There’s plenty of blame to go around. It’s not “just” those two people.
5. Your response certainly proves this to be the case.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 2:04 pm
Mr. Smith

Regarding a revenue increase, see the 3-Yr Budget Forecast Report on the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability website. Each 1% increase in the income tax rate would provide additional revenue in the neighborhood of $4.1 billion per year.

When I read that report, I came away thinking how short-sighted and partisan the Gov and GA are to inflict so much pain at so little cost.

The only thing stopping them is the election mailers lambasting whomever first proposes the 25 to 30% tax increase (1-1.5% rate increase) needed to balance this budget. Plus maybe a smaller temp tax coupled to a bond issue to pay down the bill backlog.
http://cgfa.ilga.gov/

Comment by Markus Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 2:10 pm
Amen.

Comment by Boone's is Back Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 2:28 pm
==schools and transportation==
Those are issues that might prompt phone calls and emails to GOP legislators. To Rauner, that would be a “crisis.”
As long as it’s only poor folks and social service providers contacting their Dem legislators, that works for Rauner.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 2:36 pm
>===I’d rather let everything get worse===
>Pretty darned cruel. Ever think what could >happen? People dying don’t bother your little >mind?

It bothers it deeply. I think that if we take care of K-12 and state government, the people without strong political voices are going to keep suffering. Even if they’re in the stopgap, they’ll be out in the cold gain after. I don’t want state government or all affected by K-12 to suffer either, and I think the leave-no-hostages-behind, full fiscal year budget approach will take care of everyone more quickly. As I said above, I think think things will resolve more quickly and fewer people will suffer than doing the stopgap. You can say my perceiptions and interpretation is wrong, you can say my mind is little, but I don’t think I deserve cruel.

Comment by Earnest Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 4:16 pm
On May 23 2015 Crain’s reported =Rauner has offered to put anywhere from $3.2 billion to $3.5 billion in tax increases on the table (the figure depends on whom you believe)=. Other reports confirmed.

The same week, Rich and others reported Rauner pared the TA down to two items. Workers comp and a property tax freeze.

There is a deal to be made, just like last year, but any deal requires mutual compromise. =It’s like deja vu all over again= in Springfield.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 4:26 pm
So, if the budget is such great leverage for BVR why are there no TA items enacted, and why is the argument now about the size of the bandaid and which wounds it will cover ?

Doesn’t look much like 3-D chess to me. It looks like willful harm to fellow citizens for a game that has already been lost/proved pointless.

Comment by peon Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 8:03 pm