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Today’s quotable

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Illinois

“If the state had shut down, you better believe we would have had a budget by now — and everybody knows it,” said Illinois Sen. Toi Hutchinson, the Democratic chairwoman of the Revenue Committee. “We can’t even shut the state down right.”

Thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 2:54 pm

Comments

Word.

Comment by Formerly Known as Frenchie M Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 2:55 pm
She is correct in her opinion.

Comment by MOON Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 2:56 pm
Toi just dropped the mic and walked off the stage.

Comment by Give Me A Break Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:00 pm
She isn’t wrong.

Comment by Dome Gnome Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:00 pm
Sad but true.

Comment by Flynn's mom Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:03 pm
It would have been better if she said

“If the state had shut down, you better believe we would have had a budget by now — and everybody knows it, Rauner can’t even shut the state down right.”

Comment by Huh? Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:05 pm
True. Shutdowns happen in other states and everything is resolved within a week or two.

Comment by Just Sayin' Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:06 pm
Then why vote for the stopgap?

Comment by Casual observer Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:07 pm
+1 for Toi

Comment by Saluki Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:07 pm
===“We can’t even shut the state down right.”===

That’s not really a fair assessment of the situation. The issue is that Illinois doesn’t shut down simply because a budget has not been passed. The state receives billions of dollars in federal money for doing specific actions and the state had created contracts to provide services with private entities.

It’s not so much “can’t shut down the state right” as it is that numerous legislatures don’t understand the constitutional and legal underpinnings of the state’s operations and the state’s obligations.

It certainly doesn’t help that when a budget wasn’t passed that the state’s elected leadership was like “Y’all come to work anyways!” to the state employees, including employees of the legislative branch.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:07 pm
Yeah, the Governor doesn’t want a shut down. He wants to use the budget stalemate to bleed down Illinois’ expenses so he doesn’t get blamed for cuts. Is it working? He’s accomplishing the first part, as for the second, I guess we’ll find out in 2018.

Comment by Century Club Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:10 pm
In many ways, they have shut it down. But she’s right, they haven’t done it right.

Nor should they.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:18 pm
I just want to point out that many of the Democrats cheering for a shutdown to lead to a magical resolution of the disagreements are the same Democrats who ran a national campaign strategy against Republicans in Congress who shut down the government.

Comment by NIU Grad Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:19 pm
Schools weren’t going to open this fall, that would have been the “shut down” that is until the senate d’s got cold feet

Comment by Longsummer Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:19 pm
Yes, but then Rauner wouldn’t have a chance to heap praise on his staff for their heroic effort to build up more debt.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:20 pm
If the legislature repeals all of their continuing appropriations, it will shut down.

Comment by Gone Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:25 pm
Perspective?

Rauner required the GOP GA to be “Red” for K-12 funding… and then signed it anyway.

Ball Game.

Once Rauner realized governors own, his utopian plan of shutting down the state blew up.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:27 pm
That was my rationale in being against the stopgap, and in being against K-12 funding unless there was a complete budget.

Comment by Earnest Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:32 pm
I agree that if the State shut down we would have a budget but I”m not sure what point she is trying to make at the end. Is she advocating for a shut down or poorly trying her hand at comedy?

Comment by Ahoy! Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:32 pm
Perhaps it’s just not that easy. The governor got some of what he wanted, though. K-12 funding with the decimation of social services and higher ed without a budget. Almost everything else is protected by the state constitution and the courts.

Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:44 pm
She is right.

Comment by burbanite Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 3:57 pm
Senator, how exactly do you shut down a state “right?”

Comment by Anon Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 4:09 pm
===Senator, how exactly do you shut down a state “right?”===

You don’t pick and choose what gets funded. If all things can’t be funded then nothing gets funded.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 4:20 pm
What we have learned this year is that many State functions cannot be stopped.

The Senate could have said no appointments confirmed or reorganisations approved until a budget was passed. With only Acting Directors and no DOIT, Rauner would have been hurt.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 4:33 pm
Toi for Governor!

Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 4:49 pm
Easy to say in hindsight. Nobody in the legislature or executive office really knew, or wanted to find out, who would have “owned” a full shutdown, with no operations other than emergency services. Each side would have loudly blamed the other, stooping to half-truths, outright lies, and personal attacks, until voters wouldn’t know which way was up (see: the “soft” shutdown of FY16). In a full shutdown, the enraged voting populace would have been analogous to a falling knife, which as the old saying goes, “has no handle.”

Comment by anon123 Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 4:50 pm
I think a shut down would have been a disaster for the state. Rauner does not understand consequences or care about those hurt or ruined. He only wants unconditional surrender. You don’t give in to a hostage takers demands. He would only come back for more. Plus Rauners only goal that I can see is to destroy unions

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 4:50 pm
Honeybear, do have that narrative taped to your desk and just feel the need to post it constantly?

Do you EVER hold MJM responsible?

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 4:59 pm
Cubs in ‘16, are you serious? Shut down everything? You can’t be serious.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 5:13 pm
- Honeybear -

Remember the - @MisterJayEm - rule on “Anonymous”

OW

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 5:17 pm
@Anon,

When did MJM get elected to be Governor? Oh wait…he’s not.

Comment by How Ironic Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 5:20 pm
Of course you can pick and choose what gets funded. People make these decisions every day.

Comment by Ron Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 7:09 pm
I think if they stopped paying state workers then a budget would be passed very quickly. Also if utilities were shut off in all state buildings a budget would also been passed.

Comment by Old Timer Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:02 pm