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Senate’s office supply vendor not accepting new orders

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Illinois

* The Senate President’s chief of staff sent this e-mail to members today…

Senators,

This email is intended to inform you that the Senate’s office supply vendor of choice has effectively stopped accepting orders for paper, printer ink and toner, and other office supplies.

While we have alternative options in place to address immediate needs, it is unclear how long we can make them work. Employees of the Office of the Senate President have been asked to conserve supplies by limiting printing and copying activities, and lean heavily on sharing documents electronically when they are able to do so.

We will do our best to manage through this situation. Please let me know if you have any questions.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:41 am

Comments

’bout time!

Comment by very old soil Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:45 am
No surprise. I know this has been an ongoing issue in several agencies, with said agencies hopping from supplier to supplier until they were down to only one supplier, and only doing emergency orders. Even the national chains have been cutting the State off.

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:46 am
So just buy it yourself when you run out. That’s what we do in the private sector!

Comment by Formerpol Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:47 am
Uh oh! Finally starting to hit close to home now!

Comment by sal-says Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:47 am
“So just buy it yourself when you run out. That’s what we do in the private sector!”

An employer who makes his employees buy their own supplies is an employer who does not have his/her act together.

Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:53 am
==That’s what we do in the private sector!==

I have never worked any place where I’m required to provide my own office supplies (unless I want something special). Not sure what private sector job requires you to supply your own paper and pens. I would suggest that employer has problems if they can’t afford paper and pens.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:57 am
== I would suggest that employer has problems if they can’t afford paper and pens.==

As proven by the State of Illinois

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:58 am
Sorry… But I have relatives that are teachers… They work 180 days… Maybe with the amount of workdays they should conserve… What a blatant joke to release this on budget address day..

Comment by Echo The Bunnyman Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:58 am
“So just buy it yourself when you run out. That’s what we do in the private sector!”

No, it really isn’t. I used to work in state government and now work in the private sector, and not only do we have printer paper, my employer makes an effort to get us whatever we need - from coffee to laptops - to enable us to do our jobs better. That’s because the private sector cares about the bottom line, and giving your employees the tools they need to be productive affects the bottom line. I don’t at all idealize the private sector; there are many ways in which government should not and cannot be “run like a business.” But it’s ridiculous to suggest that it’s typical in the private sector for employees to furnish their own office supplies. Nope.

Comment by Commander Norton Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:00 am
We haven’t been able to order anything in over a year - cut us off a long time ago. When we found out, people were hoarding stuff. I have been bringing in my own supplies for a while now. I’m actually shocked we’ve been able to keep things going with extremely limited resources.

Comment by BBG Watch Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:00 am
Pretty soon lobbyists will be asked to buy office supplies instead of lunches for staff!

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:01 am
Borrow some crayons from the Frat Boys.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:05 am
“they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn’t bind up as much, and I kept the staples for the Swingline stapler and it’s not okay because if they take my stapler then I’ll set the building on fire…”

Comment by frisbee Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:05 am
You’ve had a lucky career, Demo. I bought stuff at every State job I ever held. Part personal preference-I liked different pens and a couple other things CMS didn’t stock, but in other cases they didn’t stock it and weren’t gonna stock it, so I bought it.

You’re really lucky you’re not a public school teacher; most of them buy supplies out of their pockets every year.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:05 am
Arthur my point I did not make clear enough… frisbee… A red swingline!

Comment by Echo The Bunnyman Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:08 am
==really lucky you’re not a public school teacher; most of them buy supplies out of their pockets==

And this is why every holiday season when my child wants to buy her teacher a mug I tell her the teacher would appreciate a package of pencils and some staples more.

Comment by HangingOn Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:12 am
We read last week that a supplier of life saving medical equipment was over 20 months behind in receiving payments from the state and is refusing to do business through the state employees insurance program.

Pencils, paper and toner pale in comparison to what is happening to the most vulnerable of our citizens.

Comment by illini Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:13 am
What company in their right mind would accept a PO from the State of Illinois?
Between Madigan & Rauner you will never get paid.

Comment by Mokenavince Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:27 am
These office supply companies are nuts. If they can hold out just a few more years, they’ll be overwhelmed with business after term limits are enacted. So short sighted!

Comment by Sir Reel Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:28 am
LOL- this was common yearly practice at my university when the contractual money would start running out.

Comment by LIberty Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:36 am
The Workman’s Comp Commission had this happen a long time ago. The vendor they found to take over charged a lot more.

Comment by Anonish Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:50 am
When I worked for a university, the union contract stated that it was the employer’s responsibility to supply me with the equipment and supplies to do my job. The only time I purchased something for work is because I wanted something special, like all the pens and pencils I bought on my travels.

Now that I think of it, my job description included a statement to the effect that the university would provide all items and support needed to perform my job.

So if the State doesn’t provide pens, the part of your job that requires them can then be interpreted as non-essential, or the State would provide pens.

So check your union contract and your job description, and make it clear you’ll be happy to do XYZ when you are provided with the tools to do so.

(I do recognize this is easy for me to say, but give an inch and they’ll take a mile.)

Comment by RIJ Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:59 am
When’s Park District Day so everyone can stock up?

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 12:24 pm
Conservative ideology meets reality.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 12:35 pm
The entire state gov’t has been running on fumes. Everyone knows that paper is low. Office supplies haven’t delivered in over a year. Thank back payments/no appropriations for supplies.

Comment by non Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:54 pm
=So just buy it yourself when you run out.=

That is what we do in education.

Conferences are a great place to stock up on free office supplies. I suggest CMS start sending people out.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 3:40 pm
Every public school teacher that I know spends personal money on office supplies, class supplies, student supplies, etc. to help make up the shortfall. I know it isn’t much but I try to ask my son’s teachers at least twice a year if they need help with specific items in the classroom.

I don’t plan to make the same offer to my senator. I can imagine what the contract negotiations would look like for potential new suppliers.

Comment by Fairness and Fairness Only Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 3:56 pm
Vendor needs term limits to do business

Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 4:02 pm
== Conferences are a great place to stock up on free office supplies. I suggest CMS start sending people out. ==

And exactly which appropriation will pay for the conference fees and travel?

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 4:04 pm
Wait a minute…. they still had an office supply vendor…. we have been cut off for the last 5 months…

Comment by Allen D Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 4:24 pm
==Not sure what private sector job requires you to supply your own paper and pens. I would suggest that employer has problems if they can’t afford paper and pens.==

I bet Scrooge made Bob Cratchit buy his own ledgers, ink and quill pens.

Comment by IllinoisBoi Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 4:28 pm
Im wondering if this is a problem for the other caucuses or just a failure in senate Democratic leadership.

Between the leaks regarding Cullerton’s retirement and several high level departures, things don’t appear to be smooth there these days.

This chief of staff also got a $30,000 raise a few weeks ago. That buys a lot of paper.

Comment by Uncle Abe Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 7:12 pm
Didn’t 1.4% hire Munger for $130k? Which budget is that coming out of? Senate office supplies line item? /s

Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 7:34 pm
==That’s what we do in the private sector!==

I have never worked any place where I’m required to provide my own office supplies (unless I want something special). Not sure what private sector job requires you to supply your own paper and pens. I would suggest that employer has problems if they can’t afford paper and pens.

Obviously, neither of you have ever been a school teacher.

Comment by JimBob Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 9:18 pm
I used to have a contact list with 100 plus vendors that would accept a PO#. Now I’m lucky to maintain 4-5 vendors that will work with us on a regular basis. Good Times!

Comment by seenthebigpicture Thursday, Feb 16, 17 @ 8:40 am