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* 3:40 pm - The four legislative leaders met twice today, the second time for about an hour. No huge progress reported, but, as before, there is a budget framework, if not an actual budget deal. Lots of conflicting rumors, but the Senate President has told members to expect to vote on a budget soon. What that will entail is not entirely clear.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Madigan has asked staff to make sure that members have made hotel reservations for the weekend. The State Fair tends to fill up every nook and cranny available.

It’s so much fun here, campers, I can’t even begin to explain.

Not.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 3:49 pm

Comments

Let’s hope they have something to vote on soon.

Comment by Concerned Voter Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 3:54 pm
Rich,

It may be worse than you even know. The Governor is basically trying to outbid the Speaker by promising members added projects if they vote against the Speaker’s budget.

At the same time, he is threatening to withhold the projects of Senate Dems unless they support his health care proposal.

It’s going from bad to worse people.

Comment by Ugh Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 3:55 pm
Rich, Thanks for the blow by blow updates! Much appreciated.

Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 3:57 pm
Ugh…
I hope you are kidding…this is extortion - plain and simple….

Comment by Siyotanka Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:03 pm
If anyone wants to stay cool, just go to the Capitol and hang around all the cold hearted lawmakers!

Comment by Cold Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:06 pm
Maybe I should come down and help?

Comment by Mr. Progressive Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:07 pm
the guv’s really got nothing to give them, no budget…no money & we all know he’s a man of his word {??} . did someone say M–O–U ’s. the respective party leaders can exert political pressure to bear to be sure & those voting against a budget on either side at this stage in the game would show up in the next brouchure of their primary opponents. get this passed & worry about the other in the next session.

Comment by annon Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:08 pm
I’d say the budget “funnel cloud” has touched down… now the only question is how much damage it will do before it stops.

Comment by Lainer Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:09 pm
The problem with the BlunderboyBlaggo “bids” is that he has no way to “guarantee” his bids.
Other than that it is a jim dandy “plan”

Comment by Mr. W.T. Rush Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:19 pm
Sounds like they are getting very close to a reasonably unified agreement. That’s good news. It seems, though, that the gov has been left out and is panicking and trying every sleazy conniving trick he has to divide and create discension amongst the members of both the House and Senate. That would tell me that Emil and Mike are still at odds with him and plan on moving ahead in spite of his intransigence. I hope they are on the verge of passing the approp. Then if Blago insists on taking his 60 days to carefully review the complex bill I would like to see them commence some appropriate action against him for mis or nonfeasance at the least or malfeasance at the worst. I think the blemish that might create on his record would be helpful in educating the uninformed about his competencies as a gov, leader, politician, etc.

Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:21 pm
Our office has a daily bet on the Governors next move. So far as the last week, no one has come close to guessing his next flip flop. We all guessed he would strong arm for HIS health welfare plan. So this is back on track as far as we all predicted. This is his way to make a state story go national. We all have the belief that until he hits all major news over the weekend on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, NPR, Tim Russert, and the WSJ he will be a speed bump in the road to a budget. This show has a few more acts to go. They are still selling beer in the bleechers. Mrs Clinton are you watching?

Comment by Southern Right Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:28 pm
I better wait to go buy a new used car… I wonder if state employee checks that are supposed to go out tomorrow are made out today. I wonder if my insurance is still good if I’m not getting paid and making that payment towards my state health insurance.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:29 pm
If I can’t make my rent, maybe I can stay at the Governor’s mansion as no one lives there. I can commute because I hear the plane still has gas.

Comment by Jane Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:32 pm
What may be interesting is what are all parties doing right now “PR-wise” to spin this so to deflect blame?

Comment by Danny Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:36 pm
Anon 4:29 — Our agency told us that the state group health program will continue without interruption and that once the budget is approved and payroll processed, the premiums will be paid. So they say, anyway.

Comment by krusty the klown Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:42 pm
Rich, I can’t imagine the hell you are going through having to devote time to this gawd awful budget process and not being with your family on the boat. You deserve a very, very long cruise after this is over my friend. And ditch the cell phone, IPod, Blackberry, etc. while having many cold ones - just you and the water.

Comment by Little Egypt Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:43 pm
…some of the kids here are thinking school will be cancelled.

Comment by hollyringo Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:44 pm
I think if we go into shutdown, all of the state employees should gather around the Governor’s office and give him a bit of “encouragement” to get on track with reality.

Comment by NI80 Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 5:02 pm
Anyone posting here thinking what the Gov. is doing with using projects to gain votes is new, simply has never working under the dome. It is the way things are done. Like it or not, this is how it happens in Springfield. If you think Rod is doing something wrong by doing this, you should have seen Big Jim operate.

Comment by Give Me A Break Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 5:20 pm
If I recall correctly, tomorrow August 8, 2007 at midnight the State of Illinois WILL shut down if there is no Appropriation/Budget bill passed and signed into law.

Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 5:26 pm
Give Me A Break - Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 5:20 pm:

Anyone posting here thinking what the Gov. is doing with using projects to gain votes is new, simply has never working under the dome. It is the way things are done. Like it or not, this is how it happens in Springfield. If you think Rod is doing something wrong by doing this, you should have seen Big Jim operate.

while true, it wasnt done by people who VILLINIZED member projects as pork, and promised during his first campaign to do away with this pay to play process. Reember to get MOU’s if you let him buy your vote to take pork home.

Comment by Moderate Repub Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 5:35 pm
When I read the articles and the blog comments that used the term ‘irrelevant’ to discribe the Governor’s role in the budget proceedings, I knew that, once passed, the Governor could implement the budget in such a way as to be pretty punitive to those who crossed him. That hardly makes him irrelevant. The Governor, especially one who doesn’t have a great many allies, doesn’t have to worry about satisfying the wishes of those who lined up against him. MOU’s were necessary in prior years to secure votes on budgets the Governor wanted. On a budget he doesn’t want…you’d better forget about MOUs.

Comment by Budget Watcher Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 5:37 pm
This is a special time we will all look back upon and say “I remember when……” Some good and some bad in those memories, but the one thing I will always remember is the incredible up to date reporting and outstanding comments I have had the privilege to enjoy on this BLOG. Rich, my hat is off to you. You make sense of this madness with your insight and play by play. I for one am very grateful. Don’t let up!!

Comment by Justice Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 5:40 pm
NOW

Comment by MIDSTATE Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 5:44 pm
L.E.
Rich can’t leave…even for a minute. He is a key cog in the death march and obliged to walk on.

Give Me A Break:
There is no question that a barter system has been in place for years. The critical difference is that no one trust BlunderBoy to keep his end of the deal. I think Edgar tried that once and then retreated.

Comment by Mr. W.T. Rush Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 6:04 pm
When this mess is all over (and we state employees have cash to spend again), I suggest having a blogger pizza party… my choice of toppings would be sausage and mushrooms : )

Comment by Lainer Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 7:15 pm
Yes - It must have Pork! LOL

Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 7:21 pm
And the Mushrooms are in honor of . . . ? LOL

Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 7:36 pm
It is sad that this Governor, who once was viewed as a ray of hope in a politically corrupt state, is likely to go down in history as the one who won re-election as the lesser of two evils, who talked big but produced nothing, who orchestrated the longest running and most expensive (for taxpayers)overtime session in the history of the state, and who destroyed the opportunity for the Democratic party in Illinois to show they were better able to govern than the Republicans. (And of course there’s the wishful thinking by many of us that he will go straight from being Governor to being Prisoner Number whatever at Club Fed!)

Anyone taking odds on him appearing at the Fair if there’s no budget?

Comment by cynically anonymous Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 7:59 pm
I think it’s amazing that this session, particularly the performance of the Guv, has been frightening without being at all entertaining. Blago just can’t talk without a script, Madigan won’t talk, ever, and Jones prefers to remain a mystery. Other than some of the legislators questioning the Guv’s sanity a few weeks ago, this has not been much of a drama. Let’s have more fireworks, fellas, this is not ready for prime time…

Comment by peoria pete Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 8:26 pm
Now here is a question….

Assume that a paycheck is late, so you get a no-interest loan from the credit union.

If (and I don’t know if they can) a state employee is giving to a 401K and the payment is late could the state be liable for any demonstrated loss of investment gains.

That is if I normally buy the ‘I retire in 2030′ mutual fund at on day X it is selling for $5 but since my paycheck is delayed so I don’t buy until day Y when it is $5.10 a share. So therefore I am able to buy less shares. Seems to me there might be a liability there.

Second case, if the state has a 401K program and you can take loans on it, the payment that is made on the loan will be late (normally taken out of a paycheck) is the state liable for that interest as well?

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:28 pm
The state has soverign immunity. That means KMAGYOYO or in English, kiss my xxx george your on your own! Just pray the paychecks are just late and not ended. In the private sector this would have all the signs of a bolt the doors bank foreclosure shutdown. Count your lucky stars and don’t sweat that dime.

Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:39 pm
The abuse Blagojevich took jogging is nowhere near the abuse he’ll get if he shows up at the Illinois State Fair.

Comment by Blago @ the HOG pavillion Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:09 pm
OneMan, employees pay 6% into pension, along with however much they choose to put into deferred compensation to add to their pensions. The credit union’s loans sound great and all, but there is a catch-if the state shuts down, employees will be borrowing against their paychecks. When paychecks start to be re-issued, a downward spiral will begin because the credit union will automatically take that paycheck. If we do shutdown and we do not work and do not get paid, we are effectively still out a paycheck or two by those automatically taken by the credit union to pay off the original interest free loan, which will leave anyone who has taken out the loan, effectively, without a paycheck even though they are being issued again. These loans cannot be paid off on a plan, and the entire situation stinks to high heavens and plays right into the hands of payday loans as well as possibly more loans for those who do not have money in their savings. While it is common knowledge you should have X amount of money built up, it’s rather difficult for many who are just getting on their feet after say college, or perhaps do just live paycheck to paycheck with children or mortgages. I’m not sure there is anything that Blago could ever do to redeem himself in this state if he causes a shutdown.

Comment by NI80 Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:15 pm
The shutdown is now unavoidable. He, blago, has caused it. End of lesson.

Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:25 pm
NI80 - Huh???

Comment by Little Egypt Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:45 pm
I have to second LE with the question to NI80 - what are you talking about? That makes absolutely no sense.

On another note, Blago will come to the fair. He will walk right up to people and try to shake their hands. In his world, he thinks he can say political buzz words and everyone will think he is trying to help them. If you heckle him or turn your back on him, he won’t care. All of us hicks downstate weren’t learned very good by our teachers…. Chicago knows best….

Comment by Holdingontomywallet Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:57 pm
I think the point was that if the state shuts down, and employees are told not to come to work, they won’t be paid (ever) for the days they don’t work, and the employees’ income would be reduced this year.

Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know.

Comment by Nate Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 11:14 pm
Nate…the letter the Guv sent to employees stated that AFSCME members and members of other bargaining units would be paid retroactive to Aug. 1 for work done. As far as I know, they have not been notified of any specific contingency plans or “shutdown protocol” with regards to payment if they don’t work. That’s a good point and still a mystery.

Comment by uncle db Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 11:31 pm
A Citizen: the mushrooms are in honor of the rank-and-file legislators, who are treated like mushrooms…. kept in the dark and fed you-know-what until the leaders see fit to take action. To some extent it’s also in honor of us state employees too.

Comment by Lainer Wednesday, Aug 8, 07 @ 4:52 am
The sausage is symbolic of the old saying that one should never watch laws or sausage being made.

Say, if lodging is going to be at a premium in Springpatch this weekend, could state employees facing a shutdown/payless payday make a little extra money taking in displaced legislators or fair-goers who can’t get hotel rooms? lol

Comment by Lainer Wednesday, Aug 8, 07 @ 4:56 am
One last question for Uncle DB… the letter you refer to was just for AFSCME and other union members, right? Which leaves merit comp/non-union employees out of the loop (as usual).
Although I’m probably going to miss my next paycheck (which is one of several reasons I’m up posting messages at a rather ungodly hour), I must say I am glad I work for a legislative agency and not an executive one… the guv can’t shut OUR office down, and the chairman of the committee that oversees our office has assured us he has no intention of doing so.

Comment by Lainer Wednesday, Aug 8, 07 @ 5:42 am
“Meanwhile, House Speaker Madigan has asked staff to make sure that members have made hotel reservations for the weekend.”

Who pays for these hotel rooms? From where does the money come?

Comment by Squideshi Wednesday, Aug 8, 07 @ 6:30 am
Debbie Halverson was on WLS Don and Roma this morning. She’s backtracking on her statements about the Governor.
She also stated the house will pass a budget today. It will then be sent to the senate and they will pass it no later than tomorrow morning. Looks like state workers will get paid.
But their was a posting a few days ago talking about small business and vendor payments not being processed for two months. Here’s a copy of the post.
“I heard the Governor say this evening that if the budget is not passed there will be no hardships.
Does he not know that we are in our second month of FY 08 and none of the vendors have been paid. Many are small business’. Chicago schools have no idea what there budget is therefore they can not plan their school year.
CTA is going to start laying off workers and shortening schedules.
Healthcare workers will not be paid and the list goes on and on.
What is he thinking.”
Rich, I have a question. If the budget is passed within the next few days will the state be able to process those vouchers immediately ?
And one more thing. I blame all of this on Emil Jones. If anyone needs to be removed it’s him. He waited far too long to distance himself from Blagojevich.

Comment by Lula May Wednesday, Aug 8, 07 @ 7:17 am
Unrelated question: Why don’t we have a system where legislators can participate in sessions and committees remotely, using videoconferencing technology? Not only would this help improve “attendance” but it would also help reduce unnecessary travel and cut costs, and it’s one more way of showing industry that Illinois is serious about being a leader in the technology. In addition, this would allow legislators to stay in district, remaining closer and more available to their constituents. Corporations are already making use of this efficiency; and if the Illinois Green Party can do most of its formal regular representative meetings remotely, why can’t the government of the State of Illinois?

Comment by Squideshi Wednesday, Aug 8, 07 @ 7:45 am
The members pay for their own hotel rooms out of pocket. They do get a salary, per diem and most have jobs outside of the legislature. Not sure if there are prohibitions on using campaign funds for those rooms (probably not).

The face-to-face interaction with colleagues on a regular basis is HUGE in government. We elect people to represent us IN Springfield, not sit around in their underwear staring into a webcam. Sorry for the bad visuals this morning.

Comment by jwscott72 Wednesday, Aug 8, 07 @ 7:58 am
Sorry Rich, but your post reminded me of Borat.

“This suit is black not.”

Comment by Team Sleep Wednesday, Aug 8, 07 @ 9:35 am