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Veto roundup * Updated x1 *

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Illinois

* You can find yesterday’s “live” blogging of the governor’s vetoes here, here, here, here and here.

* Best lede goes to the Sun-Times…

Gov. Blagojevich made $463 million in budget cuts in the name of health care Thursday — but slashed grants to help prevent autism, HIV, Alzheimer’s disease and potential pandemic flu.

Also hit by the governor’s budgetary cleaver were the developmentally disabled, elderly veterans, fire and police departments and the panel set up to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday in 2009.

“These changes improve the budget that lawmakers sent me,” Blagojevich said.

* The Tribune picked up on this…

House Republicans led by Tom Cross of Oswego kept most of the $50 million in initiatives for their districts. The gambit underscored Blagojevich’s desire to try to sway Republicans into blocking attempts at overriding his vetoes in the House.

* The Southern picked up on another…

After reviewing the budget, Luechtefeld said none of Jones’ requested initiative funding was removed. The 12 members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules also kept all their requested money, he said. The JCAR members will decide on the health care proposal Blagojevich hopes to start.

“It doesn’t take much to recognize what he’s trying to do; he’s trying to buy their votes,” Luechtefeld said. The senator also questions the legality of Blagojevich’s health care plan.

* The AP questioned the logic of the moves when no logic other than politics is necessary…

In some cases, similar projects were treated differently _ for instance, one grant for a handicapped-accessible van was approved while another was vetoed. And while planning to expand some health services, Blagojevich cut $40 million in Medicaid funds from hospitals and $50 million from nursing homes.

He also slashed funding for pandemic flu preparedness, home services to the disabled and 80 new beds at the LaSalle veterans retirement home. […]

Blagojevich said he cut $141 million in legislative “add-ons,” $306 million from state agencies and nearly $16 million from constitutional offices. He gave no indication of how he chose each particular cut, but did say some of the legislative projects “had little to do with the core mission of state government.”

* Daily Herald…

In some cases, money requested by Senate Republicans was cut while House Republican funding was approved, even though it was for the same project.

For instance, Blagojevich cut $200,000 destined for the Wayne Township Road District to help pay for replacing a bridge on St. Charles Road. But at the same time he OK’d an identical $200,000 grant for the same project.

The grants were not duplicates. Rather it was an effort on behalf of two area lawmakers to try to get the $400,000 needed for the project. The exact same situation occurred with funding for work on a Schick Road bridge. One $200,000 grant was approved, the other vetoed.

* GateHouse went for understatement…

The patterns of the cuts prompted several observers to wonder whether at least some were driven by politics.

* The Pantagraph offers up these choice quotes…

Even Republicans and Democrats in the Senate whose projects weren’t cut from the budget questioned the governor’s move. […]

State Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, agreed that people represented by House Democrats shouldn’t be shortchanged.

“Their people are taxpayers, too,” he said. […]

State Rep. Roger Eddy, R-Hutsonville, said he was “elated” that his projects survived and is now hoping Blagojevich won’t later withhold the money in a political move.

“Let’s hope that we’re not just being used as a message to the speaker,” he said.

* IL Issues…

DeJong [of the budget office] had this to say: “While CeaseFire and other initiatives may serve a purpose for a particular community or organization, we can’t afford to spend taxpayer dollars on them right now. With the changes the governor made, the budget better reflects the needs of the state.”

Flider also said projects in his district, including money for a food pantry and a homeless shelter, are among the $141 million cut of so-called pork projects, or legislative initiatives slipped into the budget so members can “bring home the bacon” to their constituents. Most of the pork projects cut by Blagojevich are in Democratic districts. Flider said those services are hit in political crossfire. “The governor has declared war on House Democrats, but it’s the people in my district who suffer,” he said. Why would the governor target projects in his district? Flider said that’s because he’s responding to what the majority of his constituents want: a priority of making timely payments to current Medicaid providers before expanding or creating new health care programs. “The governor wants his health care plan, and he’ll do anything to get it,” Flider said.

* More budget stuff, compiled by Paul…

* Blagojevich approves most of state’s new budget

* Southern legislators question governor’s budget action

* $460 million is excised by Blagojevich

* Gov signs budget, cuts out “pork”

* Blagojevich’s grant vetoes worry non-profits

* Martikean: Illinois not short on Governor troubles

* Governor amends budget, many projects won’t get funding

*** UPDATE *** I’m positive that we’ll see more press releases like this in the coming days…

The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) criticized Governor Blagojevich today for vetoing millions for Chicago public schools, including $3.5 million in grants for 35 charter public school campuses in Illinois. The cuts impact a grant program that is mandated by state law and that was overwhelmingly approved by lawmakers.

The charter public school start-up grants vetoed by Governor Blagojevich would have provided $250 per pupil to 34 new and recently opened charter public school campuses in the Chicago public school system and an additional school in Kane County. Those schools serve a combined 14,000 public school students. […]

Blagojevich’s cuts disproportionately impact Chicago’s African American and Latino neighborhoods, hitting 34 schools in… Chicago neighborhoods […]

Responding to news of the cuts, Elizabeth Evans, Executive Director of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools said:

“The Governor’s veto of the charter start-up grants and his failure over the last five years to provide leadership on broader education funding reform issues have created a double-whammy for public school children, particularly in the African American and Latino community. While the Governor’s goal to expand the health care safety net in Illinois is laudable, it shouldn’t come at the expense of public school kids’ education and their future.

Senate President Jones has built his career and his reputation on his commitment to public education, and we can only assume that when he pledged not to override the Governor’s veto, the Governor didn’t tell him it would mean millions in cuts to public education, especially in Chicago, and especially for low-income, African American, and Latino children. We hope that when President Jones sees where these cuts are happening, he’ll reconsider his pledge and allow the Illinois Senate to vote on a measure to override these draconian cuts.”

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 9:13 am

Comments

Question

Will the voters take their frustration out on the Dems. or will they blame the Gov.?

Comment by MOON Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 9:35 am
The governor could learn a lot from the House which worked together to pass the bill with no opposition. Bad mouthing, punishing, and exploiting his own members in favor of Republicans shows contempt of the people of the State and the process. Politics is an ugly business and he makes it worse.

Comment by game plan Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 9:52 am
So, everybody attempts to block any attempt at new revenue, and then they are surprised when they get funded.

You think the lesson learned here is that the GRT might be back some day when all these people start clammoring for more revenue so they get their money?

Comment by s Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 9:58 am
That meant to say:

“and then they are surprised when they DON’T get funded.”

Comment by s Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 9:58 am
Blago may also be going after the independent Republican vote for the 2010 primary, should he be challenged, as it is unlikely that the Repubs will have a candidate who is acceptable to moderate Repubs. Looks like Madigan is going after the same vote. There are some advantages to being the party out of power, it appears. Also, his decision not
to cut a lot of Republican pork allows him to
advertise a bipartisan bent, all the rage now on the national political scene.

Motivation aside, these cuts seem pretty reasonable. The state already pays out about 7 billion in total medical costs including state employee, state employee retirees, Medicaid, Allkids, Family Care and so on. Cutting a few local medical programs doesn’t seem unreasonable with the goal of using the money to bring us closer to universal health care in Illinois.
And many of those programs could likely be maintained with an intelligent use of existing funds dedicated to medical costs. Now, intelligent could be a problem…it is state government.

As to the nonprofits and the local volunteer efforts–Salsa Festivals, railway beautification,
and so on, these are fine but they can be supported by private fundraising. Unfortunately, the people who support these efforts don’t want to make the effort to fundraise when they know the state will send them a nice check for nothing. A sort of moral hazard in the nonprofit and volunteer world and it should be discouraged.
A poor use of our money.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:02 am
The logic about the Repubs being courted to vote against an override is faulty.

If their projects (or anybody’s) are in the signed budget:

Vote to override:

If the override passes — they still are in the original budget, they are funded.

If the override fails — they still are in the amended budget.

It therefore makes no difference. The line item veto can not be invoked again to punish the overriders.

Tell be where I am going wrong?

Comment by Truthful James Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:10 am
Truthful, the projects may be funded, but the governor still has to release the money. That’s where your logic fails.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:12 am
The JCAR votes have now been bought.

Comment by Just My Opinion Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:25 am
Good-bye Legislative PORK!
Hello Governor pet project PORK.
This doesn’t seem logical OR legal to me.

Comment by oink Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:31 am
Diverting to “health care” from “pork”
Will likely be stopped by a court.
Even if in the end Blago’s won,
The damage he will have done,
Will make George Ryan look like a dork.

Comment by Limerick Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:32 am
It’s legal. He has the right to veto whatever he wants.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:32 am
I suspect the gov did more to harm his chances with JCAR then to help. At this point those JCAR memebrswho may have been inclinedto support new rules to cover the health intiative will probably feel they must back away in order to avoid the appearance of being bought.

Comment by Ghost Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 11:17 am
Ghoast - I hope your are right but I doubt it for it seems in politics there is no shame

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 11:55 am
The Veto is. Transforming the vetoed revenue into $500 million in health care expenditures without legislative approval is not. Unless someone changed things while I was asleep last night, this is a representative democracy with a balance of power. If not, perhaps we could rename the town to Springfield, Venezuela in honor of our newly emerging populist strongman?

Comment by Limerick Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:01 pm
Hey Limerick

There was a young gov named Rod
Who gave the Assembly his nod
He fired up his vetoing pen
and took out what Mike had put in
And showed us all he was God

Comment by Truthful James Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:09 pm
Oink oink. Oink oink oink. Fat pigs get along with fat cats. Oink. You know what happens to runts. Oink oink.

Comment by Enemy of the State Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:11 pm
Whatever Emil “built his career on” is over.
It’s all about what he can do for his own and himself. His days of helping his community are past tense. A sad way to go out Mr. Jones.

Comment by oink Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:15 pm
First, you can bet that Tom Cross is smart enough to keep his word to Madigan.

Secondly, you can also bet that member initiatives - and gubernatorial initiatives - are dead as long as Blagojevich is Governor. If you thought this year’s budget process was a fustercluck, wait until next year.

Finally, I wouldn’t want to bet on the prospects of any Senate Democrats getting their substantive bills through the House Rules committee as long as Emil is Senate President and Blagojevich is Governor.

Of course, Emil will retaliate in kind. But Madigan, who cares as much about protecting the institution of the House as he does anything, will reasonably conclude that the efforts by the Executive to subvert the Legislature are simply too important to ignore and go uncontested.

The Governor’s veto, and Emil’s foolhardy decision to jump ship and side with Rod, have set the stage for a government meltdown the likes of which we’ve never seen.

Look for Blagojevich to throw even more gasoline on that fire by vetoing the electric rate relief bill.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:17 pm
The HFS Medicaid appropriation reductions were the most surprising to me because IF he manages to get rules through JCAR for program expansions, HFS will need to have all the appropriation authority they can round up. Unless of course, he’s already accepted that he’s so appropriation poor in that department that it doesn’t matter, and he’s committed to creating a funding crisis for the upcoming Spring session.

Comment by Budget Watcher Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:28 pm
Speaking of meltdown, what are the prospects that Emil will even be able to convene the Senate and conduct business, whenever he does, as he must, bring them back?

Comment by Mr. Wizard Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:35 pm
Look for an Executive Order to create a new Agency by combining several health care entities (and their collective appropriations and spending authorities) into one new Mega Agency for Health Care. Executive Reorganization Executive Orders have been used before e.g. CMS, DHS, etc.

Comment by A Citizen Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:43 pm
Once filed, such an Exec.Order can only be negated by the G.A. if they so act within 60 days. Then assuming they don’t nullify the E.O., enabling legislation, recasting appropriations/expenditure authority, Administrative Rules, are addressed to reflect the “change”. The volume of details is just mindboggling. In Chaos lies opportunity!

Comment by A Citizen Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:59 pm
It’s not clear to me that charter schools are as beneficial as they are cracked up to be. They seem to be more a sop to the middle class, to try and keep them from fleeing to the private sector.

And if your neighborhood elementary or high school goes charter, what happens to the neighborhood kids who don’t meet the criteria, whatever they are. Presumably, they get shunted off to a non-charter or, to put it more candidly, lower quality school.

Reforms are needed in the CPS but they are needed across the entire system, and that includes reforms which track and demand teacher and administrator performance. Public schools do not exist to cater to elites and those with specialized interests. And if local teachers can’t do the job, they should be moved out of the school system. That’s the tough part as, like most government civil servants, they rapidly obtain
lifetime job security.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 1:02 pm
One other rather significant problem with the vetoes is that the Medicaid cuts of $90 million means that federal subsidies will drop by $45 million. So the sum of the vetoes, net of lost federal revenue, is only $418 million. I’m sure that’s one of the mistakes that Madigan’s spokesman was referring to.

Comment by Budget Watcher Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 1:28 pm
The veto of the budget is not the only veto the Gov is utilizing for his political agenda. He vetoed an extension of the Mt. Zion TIF district, which had bi-partisan support and had been agreed to by the other taxing bodies in the district.

He has signed a number of these extensions and recently signed one that was virtually identical, but of course he is utilizing his veto to send a message to Rep. Flider and Sen. Watson. It surely doesn’t matter who, what and how it may effect the people of Mt. Zion.

As the Comptroller said, “His hypocrisy truly knows no bounds”.

Comment by True Comparison Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 1:40 pm
TJ-

Ex-cell-ent!

Back at ya!

There once was a Speaker named Mike,
Who had a Governor that he didn’t like.
If push comes to shove,
Don’t bet on the Gov,
The Empire is waiting to stike!

Comment by Limerick Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:39 pm
Um . . . “strike”?

Comment by Limerick Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:46 pm
Limerick –

Love it — The Empire Stikes Back

The budget’s a mess, so Rod oughter
Cut all the line Mike’s fought ‘oer
With Jones in his pocket
And health Care on his docket
At Fox Lake he’s walking on water

Comment by Truthful James Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:57 pm