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Overtime ramblings

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* Most Statehouse types respect House Speaker Madigan. If they don’t respect his priorities, they do respect his leadership abilities. The following was written by Rep. Jim Sacia, a downstate Republican. You won’t find much like this written about any other legislative leader by a member of the opposing party…

…Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) who, in my opinion, is unquestionably the brightest politician in Springfield and knows more about this process than the majority of us could ever hope to know. Three years ago during our 54 day overtime session he was the steady leader. My expectation is he’ll do it again.

* Those who opposed a massive tax increase this year, like Sacia, are undoubtedly happy that Madigan helped push the General Assembly into overtime.

Unlike Madigan, the governor isn’t popular at the Statehouse. Neither was Jim Edgar, for much the same reasons - legislative aloofness and an inability to close the big deals. Edgar had several go-arounds with Madigan during his first term. By his second term, both men declared a mutual truce and worked together. Yesterday’s statement from the governor’s office was yet another indication that Blagojevich is not eager to follow the Edgar playbook and try to get along with MJM…

Amid a budget deadlock, the Illinois House has canceled a day of session this week, and Gov. Rod Blagojevich is not happy about it.

The House was scheduled to meet today through Thursday, but Speaker Michael Madigan decided Tuesday’s session wasn’t necessary. Spokesman Steve Brown said most legislation has been taken care of, so lawmakers have little to do until top officials come up with ideas for breaking the impasse over a new state budget.

The Senate won’t be in session either, and Blagojevich will be talking to legislative leaders Tuesday. But the Democratic governor says House members should be in Springfield so they can respond to any new budget proposals.

“Voters pay them to work, so they should be at the Capitol finishing the work of the people,” spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said in a statement.

She argued it’s more important for the House to be in session than for the Senate because Madigan frequently surveys his members to see what measures they would support.

* That last point is correct, but the leaders haven’t made enough progress yet to survey members on much of anything. Actually, they haven’t made any progress, prompting this aggravated sigh from Rep. John Fritchey yesterday…

I’ve previously posted my thoughts about the Governor now claiming gridlock because of our not being in Springfield after months (years?) of his absence in Springfield.

And I will share that, without exception, the many people who approached me on the issue over these last few days are not buying his statements either.

To Abby’s credit, at least she doesn’t attempt to say that it was the Governor himself that wants to meet with us, but rather his Administration. I’m sure that meetings between the House members and his administration would be very productive.

Our future would be more secure coming from a fortune cookie.

* The governor’s people apparently leaked this to CBS2, but they never mentioned it last week, focusing instead on the guv’s opposition to raising local sales taxes to bail out the RTA…

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has told the state’s top legislative leaders that he will not approve a budget that does not include $100 million in additional funding for the CTA.

It is the first time Blagojevich has put a dollar figure on possible aid for the CTA, which has a $110 million deficit for 2007.

If true, he didn’t bother to tell the TV station how he intends to pay for it. That would be, you know, kinda crucial.

* And, finally, just remember that while overtime sessions are often frustrating, they’re historically common…

Missed budget deadlines are not all that uncommon in Illinois.

Although the new fiscal year begins July 1, a report from the General Assembly’s Legislative Research Unit shows the General Assembly adjourning after then two of every three years between 1970 and 1994. […]

While the administration is again raising the specter of a shutdown next month, historically that’s not a problem, said Charles Wheeler, director of the Public Affairs Reporting program at the University of Illinois-Springfield and a close observer of the budget process for more than three decades.

Previously, when budget negotiations stretched into July, there was an agreement that state employees would continue to get paid and state government would continue to operate at existing levels for the few more weeks it took to iron out a budget deal.

* More overtime stuff, compiled by Paul…

* Legislative overtime could bring sudden death to some issues

* Speaker Madigan: Urging Senate to OK ‘7 percent solution’

* Funds for McHenry Co. road project ‘missing’; more at Illinoize

* Freshmen legislators find gridlock frustrating, educational

* Key votes taken by freshmen Senate Democrats

* Former Gov. Walker: Lawmakers lack ethics

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 8:48 am

Comments

The Michigan Economic Development people are running radio ads touting their huge business attraction program,

The Northwest Indiana people will not be far behind and Wisconsin as well.

Birds circling in the air seeking to pick off our home grown enterprises and defer new development to their own nests.

Do you think they would spend a dime without some prospect of success?

In the meantime the smell of hair spray, egotistic sweat and special interests clogs our air.

Comment by Truthful James Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 8:59 am
“Previously, when budget negotiations stretched into July, there was an agreement that state employees would continue to get paid and state government would continue to operate at existing levels for the few more weeks it took to iron out a budget deal.”

Hey, great for state employees. What about all those other organizations such as community based social service agencies who work with people with disabilities? Their rising costs of doing business seem to have been dropped from the budget for the second year in a row. State still going to pay them on time for current services after July 1 or are they going to have to wait for the budget to get finished to see any money?
Most of these places only have 4-6 weeks cash reserves.

Comment by zatoichi Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 9:22 am
Well, it looks like Blago has decided that rampant patronage, mismanagement, and overstaffing can continue at the CTA if he is planning to pay up from state coffers for $100 million of the $110 million deficit. I guess because it’s Democratic patronage, mismanagement and overstaffing. And those 18 staffers supposedly let go by Ron Huberman will no doubt get their jobs back….if they ever left. The message to Ron and the CTA seems to be…mismange away.

Chicagoans were right to yawn when told of alleged fee increases and service cuts in the CTA. It’s all a game, and the state always ponies up the
money in the end.

It’s so nice to live in a government employee welfare state, where there are never any negative consequences for anything.

Time for CTA managers to start picking out some nice expensive office furniture and plan some exotic- locale “conferences” for FY 08. Not to mention planning how to spend some nice raises.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 9:46 am
Last year the General Assembly did CTA a huge favor by relieving them of their paratransit operation responsibility and transfering it to Pace. Pace is now facing a big deficit serving riders in Chicago while Blago is going to reward CTA mismanagement with $100 million - no strings attached. Words cannot describe…

Comment by Bluefish Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 9:57 am
Ego?
I don’t know.

What I am seeing is what happens when government expands so quickly it runs out of money. Then it borrows, closes tax “loopholes”, robs pension plans, sells off and leases state assets, plays budget games, doesn’t pay bills, finger points, yells, swears and feign disgust when the absolute bottom is reached.

When Blagojevich was voted in, he found an empty bank vault. But even with no money, he expanded government. He has done this every year he has been in office. What did he think would happen?

A lot of us thought that the economic cycle would allow Illinois to borrow and then pay it back when our economy grew with the nation’s. That didn’t happen, did it?

Illinois has missed the Bush boom. Our state has not grown to match what had been spent by Blagojevich since 2003. While other states have boomed, Illinois has fizzled, or merely held it’s own. Chicago lost vital hometown fiscal assets, watching banks and other bellwhether global organizations move away. Global city? We sure hope so, but Chicago is struggling just to stay a national city. We are losing political clout to growing cities. We cannot stand still, yet we do not see Chicago, Cook county or Illinois government leaders focusing on tomorrow. Instead the focus has been on fighting over the last pieces of a shrinking pie.

Illinois, under Blagojevich, has tilted towards collapse. As they see the collapse around them, our elected officials scramble and finger point, connect their friends with public largess, pay off their political pals, and backstab one another. It has become clear by their actions that our current leaders do not see a brighter tomorrow for our state. Oh, they cay blather on about how wonderful we all are, but their actions mimic rats on a sinking ship.

We see this too, and become more cynical daily. We do not trust these people. They should not be trusted with the billions they collect in our names or re-elected in 2010.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 10:20 am
My recollection is that during the 1st Edgar OT the federal courts had to order the release AFDC checks, and during one of the overtimes I was involved in, some employees did miss their paychecks.

Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 10:28 am
VanMan,
It is a too little early to start worrying about the 2010 election yet. Besides Governor Blagojevich may be running for a higher office by then.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 10:29 am
“Voters pay them to work, so they should be at the Capitol finishing the work of the people,” spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said in a statement.

Well Abby, we voters have an expectation that the person we vote into office to be the Governor will work 24/7 in that position in an office at a building prepared for him by the taxpayers of Illinois. The Governor should not work on a legislative schedule, a state workers schedule or any other schedule but should be the Governor 24/7 and put in at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, or some semblance of at least being at work somewhere other than his/her home dwelling (junkets, golf, “meetings”, luncheons, Governor’s prayer breakfast, etc). If he/she takes a vacation, he/she is still the Governor and should always be in constant (that would mean daily at a bare minimum) contact with other leaders of the State, be ready to cancel vacations plans, return immediately, and resume full time obligations at a moment’s notice. We don’t believe our Governor should be working out of his home and unaccountable for his/her actions and time. We don’t believe our Governor should take time off during the day so he/she can jog a few miles. When you run for the position of Governor of any state, be prepared to make some sacrifices, such as not being in your own bed each and every night, not being at your own kitchen table each and every day for 3 meals, not being able to sit in your favorite easy chair in your den or family room and read the daily briefings as the sun shines through the windows and you sip on your favorite drink, not being able to walk out on your deck or patio in the afternoon and enjoy the quiet and solitude of your neighborhood, and not being able to be home when your children end their school day to listen to what they learned that day. We expect our Governor to lead a rather hectic, non-stop life and be dedicated to his/her job. We also expect the duties of the job to be so difficult that well before the 8th year, he/she is burnt out and would never entertain the thought of being Governor again. That’s what we expect Abby. That’s what we should get Abby. Instead we are getting a spoiled brat who thinks Illinois is a giant corporation and he is the CEO, the majority stockholder, and can thumb his nose at anyone because no one can touch him and no one can do anything about it.

Well Blago, you and the rest of the staff better think again. Enjoy the next 3 1/2 years. Oh and dust off that resume and in about 2 1/2 years start looking for another job. You are going to need it come January 2011.

Comment by Little Egypt Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 10:35 am
Bill, it ain’t happenin’.

Comment by Little Egypt Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 10:40 am
Little e,
We will probably be running for president of the U.S. by then.
Having finally solved all of Illinois’ problems, Governor Blagojevich will turn his attention to the national scene. If he wins do you think he will be required to live in Washington or will he be able to commute from the Ravenswood Manor White House to DC when necessary?

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 10:41 am
Bill, a convicted felon cannot be President of the U.S. Period.

Comment by Little Egypt Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 10:43 am
OK, let’s move on, please.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 10:46 am
Yes, your majesty.
By the way, the logo of you looking under the statehouse is hillarious. If that was on the front I’d buy a shirt.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 10:49 am
Bill, if you tell me which t-shirt you want, I’ll make one up especially for you.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 10:51 am
OK, Deal!

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 10:53 am
OK, well hurry because I have to get outta here for a bit.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 10:58 am
Why do these discussions always break down into name-calling and point-by-point refutations?

The budget is a mess and there is a very real possbility that several groups will face shortfalls if nothing is resolved. How can the governor continue wanting to increase the budget by leaps and bounds every year? At least he has stopped blaming everything on George Ryan, although I could see him doing so around in July and August.

Comment by Team Sleep Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 11:22 am
So far, nobody has seen fit to comment on my First Comment. The Illinois economy is in competition with the economies of other states. We need businesses to stay and grow. We need corporations to open for business. Without growth, without new enterprise we can not maintain the level of public services, let alone see them grow to meet new needs.

Comment by Truthful James Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 11:34 am
Jim Sacia lives about 5 miles from Wisconsin. Please tell me how that’s downstate.

Comment by Illini Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 11:48 am
Pundits divide Illinois into three parts: Chicago, Suburban Chicago, with the rest lumped together as Downstaters no matter if they are further north than Chicago.

Comment by Tom Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 12:16 pm
Bill, I added a golf shirt with that logo. Go get one.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 1:54 pm
Truthful James,

That would entail creating a business-friendly climate with low taxes, utility breaks, much lower workers’ comp taxes, etc. that would keep existing businesses in and attract new businesses to the state.

The way the politicians are talking, that is, unfortunately, not going to happen any time soon.

Comment by Fan of the Game Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 3:10 pm
So, did you hear? Our last Democratic governor was in town promoting his new book. The ex-felon, ex-governor seems to be frowning on our current government. Says it is rotted.

He says he greatest achievement was his mandate that kept state employees from having to get involved in campaign fund raising. Sadly, he is right. It is his greatest achievement. After one term in office, we couldn’t wait to throw his “holier-than-thou” butt out the door.

Otto Kerner, Dan Walker, now Rod Blagojevich. Gee, at what point do we just start considering the Illinois Democratic Party a criminal organization?

See Bill? We can all have fun poking the farm animals with sharp sticks, right?

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 3:52 pm
Sure you get a golf shirt for the golf nerds what about a camp shirt for the cool or ultra cool?

Comment by Still Waiting Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 4:54 pm
I don’t think they sell a “camp shirt.”

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 12, 07 @ 5:05 pm