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Rigid dogma and testosterone

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Illinois

* Add yet another item to the very long list of things that bother me about Gov. Blagojevich. He is so dogmatic and doctrinaire about his aversion to any tax hikes on “people” that he would even veto a bill like this…

Gov. Rod Blagojevich vetoed Senate Bill 831, legislation that would have allowed Will County to hold a referendum on a proposed countywide tax on gasoline.

If the bill had been approved, the county board then would have voted on the idea of staging a referendum. If the board members approved it, the issue would have been placed on a ballot. And if voters backed the proposal, a tax of no more than 4 cents per gallon would be levied on gas sold in Will County. […]

Will County Executive Larry Walsh was disappointed by the veto. “It is grass-roots government at its best — you bring an issue before the voters and let them tell you if they want it or not,” he said.

Look, maybe you disagree with raising taxes. I might even agree with you. But why veto a bill that puts county board members on record and then let’s voters themselves have the final say?

For years, this has been a state that prided itself on (usually) putting partisanship and rigid ideology aside and getting things done. Ideology just wasn’t our thing.

But now we are saddled with a governor who worships at the altar of “no tax hikes on people” to the extreme point where he doesn’t want to even allow those very same “people” to impose the taxes on themselves via a direct, front-door referendum.

* Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson had this insight…

Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, said the stalemate that has kept lawmakers in town for a record-setting overtime session this year could be broken with a woman’s touch.

“If I was in on those meetings, things would not be going that way. Too much testosterone in there, if you know what I mean,” said Halvorson. “Men don’t want to compromise because they feel then that they lose something, where women want to compromise because that’s a win-win for everybody.”

Um, hmmm. How do I put this as delicately as possible? I’ve, uh, had occasion to argue with women who absolutely didn’t want to compromise, so I’m not so sure of the Leader’s blanket statement.

It’s not a gender thing, necessarily. But I do think that Halvorson, for one, would be a much different governor than Rod Blagojevich… in a good way.

* By the way, Attorney General Lisa Madigan was at Knox College yesterday and held a press conference after delivering the convocation address…

Given the disputes in Springfield, we asked Madigan her opinion on the bill that would give Illinois voters the power to recall statewide elected officials. She says, “I think it’s a fine idea.”

* More testosterone-related (or not) stories, compiled by Paul…

* Speaker Madigan takes his case against the governor’s veto on the road

* Madigan calls for hearings on budget cuts

* Madigan sets budget roadshow

* Hearings set on “savage cuts” in the state budget

* Editorial: Casinos a last resort for capital plan

* Blago to School District: ‘Drop Dead’

* CTA to commuters: Misery is coming

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 7:50 am

Comments

“But now we are saddled with a governor who worships at the altar of “no tax hikes on people” to the extreme point where he doesn’t want to even allow those very same “people” to impose the taxes on themselves via a direct, front-door referendum.”

Every dime a local taxing body collects from a taxpayer means that taxpayer has one less dime for the state tax man.

Then when the state taxing bodies need to raise taxes….? I have no more dimes, the county took them all.

Blago’s doing the right thing from the state perspective here. If the counties are addicted to the same drug the state is, that is is going to put pressure on supply. And the state needs its fix.

Comment by Leroy Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 8:04 am
I am completely offended by Halvorson’s sexist comments. She needs to be censured publicly.

Imagine the outrage of Blago came out of a meeting and said “Too many emotional women in there, if you know what I mean,” “Women are too busy giving away the store. They are more concerned with not hurting anyone than telling right from wrong.”

There would be RIOTING in the streets if a man said that.

Comment by Offended Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 8:09 am
blago is out of control.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 8:20 am
If the state has the power to authorize what types of taxing counties can do, shouldn’t it be done statewide?

Comment by Balance Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 8:22 am
Leroy, the governor opposes any state increase of any sales taxes, so he’s not reserving that money for the state. Your logic, while perfectly reasonable for almost any other governor, is flawed in this case.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 8:27 am
At the risk of saying something nice about blago, you have to give him credit for vetoing anything any overt tax hike no matter the consequences. On the flip side, blago seems to be in love with covert tax hikes, such as increased fees for anything.

Comment by Huh? Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 8:46 am
Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, said the stalemate that has kept lawmakers in town for a record-setting overtime session this year could be broken with a woman’s touch.

“If I was in on those meetings, things would not be going that way. Too much testosterone in there, if you know what I mean,” said Halvorson. “Men don’t want to compromise, because they feel then that they lose something, where women want to compromise because that’s a win-win for everybody.

I assume this mean the Senator has recovered from her coma. Where the ^)^*()* has she been for the past five months? If she wanted to get something done she could just announce she is for the veto override.
P.S. Perhaps it ws during the coma that House Majority Leader Currie attempted to attend a leaders meeting only to have it canceled. Perhaps Debbie could check the clips.

Comment by GettingJonesed Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 9:00 am
..is not completely offended by Halverson’s comments although recognizes the double standard.

Madigan’s comments concerning recall…great populist sound bite for now, but no professional career politician really supports this stuff, and they shouldn’t. We have elections, not daily board meetings.

Thinking out loud comments such as these are inconsequential but can be food for thought.

The Blago/FALN stuff really concerns me, and should concern everyone whether they are Rod fans or not.

Comment by Scheduler Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 9:10 am
Re: CTA to Commuters: Misery is Coming
as a daily rider of the Midway Orange Line and the South Pulaski Limited bus (which is on the chopping block), I already have a miserable 1.25 hour commute from downtown Chicago to the southwest side. Can’t wait for even more of the ‘push and shove’ that is the CTA now. One can’t get on the trains and buses now during the afteroon rush hour(s). Has anyone actually figured out how people will get to and from their jobs? Wait…Blago and company have private cars and drivers….can I have the same?

Comment by ChicagoSouthSide Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 10:17 am
I knew Halvorson before she was Halvorson or had a high school degree. She was a student leader. She was sweet, but no one stood in her way. So I find her statement rather hilarious - and definately sexist. She is a “Mommy” - a strong woman who mothers those she wishes to help even when they don’t want, or need, mothering. She has always mothered, and this is why she is a liberal Democrat.

Debbie is a feminist from way back. It is in her DNA to believe that women being mothers are better than men being fathers and that we need more women in public office to better public office. She sees men as big boys who like to fight and this irritates her mothering instincts.

*******************

About your “Ideology just wasn’t our thing.” statement. Republican governors in Illinois were not conservatives. Ideology couldn’t be important to Thompson, Edgar, Ryan, Topinka or Wood because Republican ideology wouldn’t have been politically advisable in Illinois. You can’t be ideologically red in a blue state. Even during the Reagan years, Illinois wasn’t a red state. Moderate Republicans held statewide office here.

Since Illinois is a blue state, we now have a blue state governor, legislature, treasurer, comptroller, attorney general, and everything else. So Blagojevich can be ideological, with everything that is good about being ideological and everything that is bad about being ideological.

When one party rules, you always end up with a dearth of new ideas to help fix problems in a state. You also always end up with corruption. With Blagojevich you have a classic case of one party rule.

Madigan and Jones are throwbacks to the Republican years, so they are also not very ideological - they are creatures of political power that doesn’t walk an ideological line.

But Blagojevich can run amuk right now. Stroger can be elected. Nepostism rules across the state, county, city and coffers are empty.

It doesn’t matter which party is in charge, when you have one-party rule, citizens lose.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 10:51 am
Will County already has the authority to hike their gasoline taxes, so this is NOT “a direct, front-door referendum”. If they want the gas tax hike, they need to follow our state constitution and go to the voters to ask them for “home rule” powers. If the voters give it to them, THEN they can ask for a gas tax hike. That is how it is suppose to work.

I’m not calling Blago a constitutional scholar here, but this veto is clearly in keeping with the spirit and intent of the state constitution regarding home rule taxing authority at the county level. Will County is trying a back-door tactic to get their gas tax hike, regardless of the lipstick on the pig.

Comment by taxactivist Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 10:51 am
Does anyone else think that this budget hearing roadshow is going to be a barn burner?

The chairman of the Governor’s re-election campaign is to lead a tour that will destroy the his candidate. You have to know the Governor will have his people out there distributing flyers and disrupting the meetings calling the Speaker a bum.

Someone should sell tickets for this tour.

Comment by Garp Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 11:37 am
The Speaker’s “Road Show” will be a tremendous public service. Ordinary citizens who are not usually interested in politics will gain knowledgeable insights into the governor ans the senate president. A side benefit will be that it will amount to a chinese water torture demise for the stature of the governor and his supporters. The truth will set you free and hopefully free us of Blago’s and Jones’ form of deceitful politics and gamesmanship. The Speaker is to be commended!

Comment by A Citizen Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 12:22 pm
Did Halvorson just launch her campaign to be the next Senate President?

Comment by Don't Worry, Be Happy Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 12:23 pm
Tax activist… in the early ’90’s DuPage, Kane and McHenry were given the authority to raise gas taxes without referendum. That was way before Will and McHenry(two of the counties in this legislation)experienced the unbelieveable growth they have. Going to a referendum on home rule with the residents being taxed to death out here is a non-starter. However, those of us that drive on terrible roads every day commuting to work and our kid’s schools would probably support a minor gas tax to get our roads fixed. Especially since the price of gas can fluctuate ten or fifteen cents a week anyway.
One size fits all solutions are not working. The Governor should recognize that and give local leaders the option to have a dialogue with residents and let them decide.

Comment by Anon Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 12:57 pm
Halvorson’s words are inartful, but the
rooms are filled with lots of men who aren’t
making progress. She used to want to be the
queen bee. maybe she is making progress in the area of including other women in the discussion, although
phrasing it poorly. the important thing to
remember is that there are virtually no women
in leadership in the House and Senate and only
one woman in statewide office. I’m sure
she is, as I am, tired of the wide inequality.

Comment by amy Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 1:31 pm
I’m paraphrasing John Fritchey here about the Governor’s adamant refusal to compromise on sales and income tax increases: philosophical preferences need to be tempered by practical realities, particularly with respect to the mass transit funding problem in the Chicago metropolitan area. The Governor’s political rigidity is really hard to understand, particualarly since a 1/4% sales tax increse to support mass transit in the Chicago metropolitan area is not the least bit controversial, except in the Governor’s mind.

Testosterone/testicular virility do seem to be impediments to getting things donein the last six months. I think Halvorson is right on the money. I don’t see anything sexist about her remarks - she simply is commemting on the reality of the dysfunction at the highest levels of state government/Democratic party. Win-win is good, and right now the citizens of Illinois are losing.

Comment by Captain America Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 1:39 pm
Rich–or anybody: With regard to “red” and “blue” states, I seem to remember the big three networks, during their election night coverage in the 70s using red for Democratic and blue for Republican on their maps. Anyone else recall this? .

Comment by Scheduler Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 2:19 pm
Yes. In 1976 Blue was Republican and Red was Democratic. But the connection between being “red” and being Democratic was too close for comfort, so it was switched in 1980.

If you read “The Making of the President 1976″, you will read how the Ford team chanted “Go Blue!” on election night as the states reported results.

Yes, I’m a geek - I know I am.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 2:41 pm
Scheduler, you remember correctly. The big three networks had a rotating system of colors. At least one alternated the color that corresponded to the incumbent president’s party. There were years that different colors were used by different networks.

As far as I can tell the attachment to the current colors largely traces to the 2000 election. It had the rare feature of an electoral map displayed day after day for over a month. CNN had D=blue and R=red and that’s what was used by writers who were talking about the process. Since the public had picked up on the attachment, the major media followed along for the 2004 election.

Comment by muon Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 2:49 pm
VanillaMan- perhaps Ford chanted “Go Blue” because he was supporting his alma matter- University of Michigan.

Comment by anonymous Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 3:14 pm
No, the states he won were colored blue by the television news teams that night.

I remember it like it was 35 years ago.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 4:29 pm
A ha!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election%2C_1976

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 4:31 pm
Double A Ha!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election%2C_1980

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 4:31 pm
what she said is basically “anything you can do I can do better”
this is turning into High School Musical, anyway, so maybe when they’re in session next week they can sing. I’d be more entertained than usual

Comment by anonymous Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 4:35 pm
Apparently BlunderBoyBlaggo discovered late today his big budget plan has a small flaw. Senate will need to override budget cuts if they hope to get all the school money they have promised.
He is trying to blame Madigan. Bet he wishes he had kept his yap shut and signed the approp.

Comment by Mr. W.T. Rush Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 4:47 pm
The Speaker shall prevail and the governor shall turn tail.

Comment by A Citizen Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 5:26 pm
I think it is not so much “partisanship and ideology” as one man- Blagojevich- who is not operating on a reality basis anymore. He is not taking a rational approach on the tax referendum issue or on the issue of a sales tax increase in the RTA counties. This is very upsetting to those of us who did take pride in our tradition of bluster followed up with reasonable compromises. This guy is all bluster…

Comment by DuPage Dave Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 7:39 pm
With the Speaker going to the people with detailed discussions of the specific meaning and impact of the governor’s vetoes there will be clarity in the issues amongst the taxpayers/citizens. If Emil has any common sense he will reconsider his blind obedience to the gov on these issues. Any other course would be politically damaging to him if not political suicide. Blindly following the gov’s lead is courting disaster and ridicule. Surely Emil will not let himself become known as the gov’s puppet.

Comment by A Citizen Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 8:51 pm
Bolshie Ballet!

Are we really sure that The Cagey Bee closed up shop?
Was the “Appleton Flash” just “ahead of his time”?

Comment by FJC 1919 Friday, Sep 7, 07 @ 10:59 pm
Let’s look carefully at what a point-two-five percent sales tax increase really means - on a $100, pay an extra 25 cents. On a thousand, two-fifty……. A reasonable price for anyone, even the poor, to pay for Chicago not being crippled…….. Extra time-and-stress on a commute, with people being late to work to boot, is a tax just as much as dollars-and-cents are. (Or is “time-is-money” only applicable to government officials with a penchant for taxpayer-supported $5000 private-plane commutes three times a week?”

It’s really amazing how the Governor is willing to our insult our intelligence . - as he damagogues the no-new-taxes issue like he’s being some kind of Profile In Courage choosing principle over pragmatism-priapism-and-plunder.

“Dammitalltohell, Olson!
Where in the deuce is Kent when we need him?”

Comment by FJC 1919 Saturday, Sep 8, 07 @ 3:47 am