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* Get ready for more drama from the state’s Drama Queen in Chief.
This was pretty much ignored or buried in the coverage of Gov. Blagojevich’s press conference yesterday. As I told subscribers, it likely amounts to a new front against House Speaker Michael Madigan…
Blagojevich said he wants to talk to Michael Bischof about strengthening other laws to help domestic violence victims. Blagojevich said he could do that as part of a “Rewrite to Do Right'’ campaign he plans launch later this week.
Blagojevich said he intends to rewrite bills passed by the Legislature “to make them better for the people of our state.'’ Lawmakers would have to approve the changes.
Depending on what bills Blagojevich rewrites, it could further inflame tensions with lawmakers he has feuded with and who are balking at a statewide construction program he wants them to pass.
Blagojevich said one of the bills he is interested in “taking positive action'’ on is a campaign finance reform measure. Lawmakers have voted to impose the state’s first major restriction on money politicians can accept but Blagojevich has yet to sign it. [Emphasis added]
“Rewrite to Do Right.” Catchy slogan. I wonder if this new initiative will have its own website?
* Meanwhile, Eric Zorn thinks he has a “solution” to the budgetary “doomsday”…
Let’s look at a promising quick fix, the so-called funds sweep.
It seems that the state comptroller’s office oversees somewhere around 700 special-purpose accounts—the Industrial Hygiene Regulatory and Enforcement Fund, for example—that are supported by licensing fees and fines. These funds often run a surplus, and it has become common practice for the state to “sweep” that extra money toward unrelated budget items.
Simple solutions are usually neither. And Zorn admits at the bottom of his column that sweeping these funds won’t be as easy as it looks…
[Sen Jeff Schoenberg] is busily hammering out a more detailed and more modest sweep proposal with Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), and both lawmakers hope the General Assembly will hold a special session and consider it this month.
“If we can create greater accountability and transparency concerning these funds, that’ll be a good thing,” Schoenberg said.
Q: So since this is the fastest, least painful way to silence the drumbeats of doom, the Republicans and the governor will go along with it, right?
A: I’ll let Feigenholtz answer: “Please,” she said darkly. “Don’t try to apply logic to this situation.”
Not mentioned is that Senate President Emil Jones dismissed the last attempted funds sweep compromise as a “drop in the bucket.” Also, considering the depth of the stated budget problem (over $2 billion in the red), a $300-500 million sweep won’t solve all problems. Also not mentioned is the legit suspicion that the governor has allowed many of these funds to accumulate artificial surpluses to make it appear that more money is available than there really is.
* Related…
* Shattering the ‘lottery-for-schools’ myth
* New law OKs GPS to enforce protection orders
* Blagojevich signs bill to allow tracking of domestic abusers
* Blagojevich Signs Domestic Violence Monitoring Law
* RTA Starts to Look at 2009 Transit Budgets
* SJ-R: Capital bill should include list of projects
*** UPDATE 1 *** It seems, at times, that the governor’s people believe that their troubles with Speaker Madigan are somehow new and unique. As I’ve tried to point out time and time again, this is not new behavior. John Patterson points the Way-Back Machine to the summer of 1988…
Gov. Jim Thompson wants an income tax increase. The media is behind it, as are most interest groups. Everyone thinks higher taxes are a great idea.
Everyone, that is, except Madigan, who refuses to go along and is eviscerated as an obstructionist in daily news stories.
In a June 1988 story, Thompson told the Chicago Tribune that Madigan’s opposition reflects “a narrow little world” in which Madigan lives.
Madigan’s response to the paper was that Thompson “does not live in a neighborhood as I live in a neighborhood,” but spends most of his time in a state-financed mansion in Springfield far away from the mood of the people. [Emphasis in original]
*** UPDATE 2 *** CLTV quotes Blagojevich enemy state Rep. John Fritchey as saying that the governor was using children as “human shields” during yesterday’s press conference. The report also highlights the governor’s “Rewrite to Do Right” plan and it’s probable impact on Fritchey’s ethics bll…
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 9:46 am
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sounds like rod wants to emulate bush (again) with his own signing statements…
Comment by bored now Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:02 am
The Governor is one smart cookie. He is finally using all the power the Illinois Constitution gives him to create and administer the programs he wants for this state. Rewrite to Do Right is a stroke of genius. The Governor knows that the Senate President has got his back and he knows the judicial process is so excrutiatingly slow that whatever he does has little consequence for him.
Comment by Captain Flume Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:08 am
Umm, Rich - could you explain what this sentence means - “Also not mentioned is the legit suspicion that the governor has allowed many of these funds to accumulate artificial surpluses to make it appear that more money is available than there really is.” Either the money is there or it isn’t; how could it only “appear” to be there?
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:13 am
Anonymous, the money is there. Read it again. The problem is with the lack of spending, not the accumulation.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:19 am
Anon,
If I skip all my utility and credit card bills for one payment, my checking account will look like I have tons of money.
That’s basically how state government works these days, like the finances of a 23 year old guy with a new credit card offer in the mail each day.
Comment by Frank Booth Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:22 am
So we have a governor who doesn’t want to work with the House, the Senate, or anyone else who wants him to compromise his positions on issues.
He wants others to do the work, make the decisions, make the compromises, pass the bills, and have the bills show up on his desk for him to pick and choose, rewrite and stonewall, ignor or sign.
This isn’t governing. It is dictating. Governors work with people. The form teams. They compromise, write, deliberate, conjol, sell, kiss-up, and support legislation before it gets to their desks. Blagojevich isn’t governing, he is playing dictator.
He has completely divorced himself from the legislative process, but expects to have the final say on the work thousand of others do. He can’t leave his office without dozens of reporters asking him questions he cannot honestly answer. He cannot meet with legislators who he has insulted and bullied. He cannot meet with statewide officials, even his own running mate, because he robbed their budgets to enrich his own.
So I guess all he has left is this, right?
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:29 am
Gig Jim Thompson’s opinion among Republicans means “squat” anymore. If he says black, I am inclined to think that white is probably the ethical way to go. Thompson today is considered a joke to the majority of us in the GOP that vote. He may be able to raise cash for candidates but he is unable to influence GOP voters otherwise. On the other hand, Mike Madigan has been winning over many of us who had previously blown him off. He now comes across to many of us as a politician who is willing to go against his Party in order to do what is right for our state of Illinois. Although I am a registered Republican, would I consider voting for Mike Madigan? Four years ago, I would have laughed at the suggestion. Today, I can honestly answer “yes, I would”.
Comment by Honest Harry Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:31 am
FB its not lack of spending on current bills, its lack spending on even incurring the bills. To use your example, your not skipping a utility payment, your not getting the utility service in the first place. So instead of having a serivce that you should, lights and water, you sit in the dark without water or toilets while the money you are earning to provide lights and water artifically builds up in your bank account becuase you are not using the money collected for those services.
The problem is, these costs and fines should not be in special funds! I fully support sweeping the funds, in fact lets get rid of them. An individuals taxes and fess do not get dropped in a specila fund directing that it only go for ISP or DCFS or wherever. All these various specialty groups get the benefit of all state services. There fees and fines should help cover all the costs! These 700 funds represent lobbiets abuse at its finest. The funds do not pay the State fo all the benefits those who pay in recieve from the State, and they get special spending provisions for their money that the average tax payer does not enjoy. Let them pay into GRF and get procurments from GRF like the rest of the State. End the favoritism and abolish the special funds.
Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:33 am
So, Ghost, you would then get rid of the special fees that keep most of these funds afloat? If you do that, you’ll have state duties and no revenues.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:36 am
“It seems, at times, that the governor’s people believe that their troubles with Speaker Madigan are somehow new and unique.”
So, what you are saying, Rich, is that the common denominator appears to be Speaker Madigan…
Careful with the Madigan-bashing. He’s a stand-up guy!
Comment by GoBearsss Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:36 am
It’s not bashing. It’s just the facts. Y’all can’t seem to understand this.
And it’s not just MJM. Governors have had serious difficulties with legislative leaders forever in this state. The difference is, you guys are the ONLY ones who haven’t figured out how to deal with it.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:41 am
There’s a major flaw in this grand theory you have been spouting…
Lisa was never running against any other governor.
Comment by DumberThanULook Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:48 am
Meaning… You are assuming Madigan wants to get along.
Comment by DumberThanULook Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:52 am
You are assuming that Lisa is running.
You are also assuming that this is good for Lisa. I don’t think it is.
You are also assuming that there’s nothing you can do, or could have done, to prevent this craziness.
You never look at yourselves. It’s always blame somebody else. Has been since 2003. It’s ridiculous. Blame before solutions should be your motto.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 10:53 am
To these people who think the governor is a stand up guy, do you live in Illinois? Do stand up guys get this far into an investigation from the feds? Do stand up guys ask their department heads to stand on the rail road tracks for them? (see the IDOT hearings) Do stand up guys promise families healthcare with no availability to actually get them the healthcare they need? Do stand up guys have hundreds of SIGNED memorandum of understandings out there that they have never kept their word on? I could keep going on all day. I personally repulsed by someone who thinks this man is anything more than what he is. A liar, a crook and for the most part out of touch with anything that doesn’t revolve around pleasuring himself with money and power. It would be nice to have someone who actually wanted to solve our states healthcare crisis instead of just campaigning on it.
Anyway, kind of funny how the governor back then got blasted for staying in the governor’s mansion and now the current governor gets blasted for not staying in the mansion. What’s a governor to do?
Comment by ahoy! Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 11:09 am
I hate the Gov as much as everyone else but is Fritchey worried about what might be added that might hurt his and Franks non-representative jobs?
Sign it and ban everything. Just like the feds … donations do not drive national media (LOL).
Comment by Uh, wait a second? Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 11:14 am
I think Yogi Berra would much prefer “Rewrite to do Right” over “Blame Before Solutions.” The problem with the latter is that I can figure out what it means.
Comment by Greg Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 11:14 am
Lets rewrite to do right a state con con that includes term limits!
Honest Harry…are you serious…bashing Big Jim gets you nowhere.
Comment by scoot Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 11:16 am
“Recall could do it all”?
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 11:18 am
It is the topic to look at. Blago will go down as the greatest politician of our time. He has both madigans on the ropes. Lisa Madigan is his biggest threat in 2010. Domestic violence was her big issue in her initial campaign but she has been unable to get funds out of the legislature..uhh…her DAD. Why not go all in over the top of Lisa and take her issue away. Now not only does she not have the moxy to indict him, he is taking one of her big campaign issues. Genius man, sheer Genius.
Comment by the Patriot Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 11:30 am
Patriot,
You’re either off your meds or taking too many.
Comment by Frank Booth Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 11:43 am
More slogannering without substance - I wonder what genius dreamed up this Orwellian doublespeak.
Comment by Captain America Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 11:45 am
With all this talk about sweeping from accounts in “surplus” please remember this.
1. It is the taxpayer’s money in that account, not the government’s.
2. It was collected based on taxes or fees for a purpose.
3. If it is indeed in surplue lower the tax or the fee level.
4. The try to raise taxes or fees in other funds for other purposes.
The government and many of the commentators here seem to think that it is theirs to spend for any purpose they wish.
This is management?
Comment by Truthful James Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 12:17 pm
mark the date: I say Lisa is not running for Governor…Hynes will…he’s ready, willing and able…a trifecta…Madigan’s Dad aint going away, her kids are very young (there’s time in the future) and she will flourish under the next Dem Governor, who won’t resent her every move/success…
Comment by Anonymous45 Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 1:05 pm
I would really like having the ability to recall public officialls and have term limits on those officials here in Illinois…
Comment by scoot Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 1:10 pm
Will the Recall Amendment be included in the rewrite to do right campaign? It seems a good fit.
Comment by Downstate weed chewing hick Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 1:18 pm
How about -
All constitutional officeholders get 2 terms..that includes Gov & Lt Gov
House Reps. get four 2 year terms
State Sen. get two 4 year terms
Comment by scoot Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 1:21 pm
I’m a Republican, and I and most of the Reublicans I know consider Thompson to be one of the finest Governors we’ve had, and appreciate his role as a senior statesman. There’s no need to denigrate him to also appreciate Madigan, which I do.
To those who continue to carp about Blagojevich, who whine for a recall or term limits. We had 4 years to observe and measure him, then we had a “term limit” or “recall” event. It was the election of 2006, and he was handily re-elected. Get over it.
Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 1:58 pm
1) When will the media start pointing out the Constitution does not give Blagojevich the green light to “Rewrite to Do Right” whenever he feels like it. He is completely evicerating the process set forth in the Illinois Constitution. The amendatory veto power should never have been authorized, but nonetheless, a Governor should not take it upon himself to “rewrite” the Constitution.
2) When will the people of the State realize the Governor is slapping us in the face when by continually knocking the members of the General Assembly. We elect these people too, and he has to stop thinking that we are morons. The people of Madigan’s District are not stupid - Madigan has put their interest first - but the people of the State aren’t as smart because we elected Blagojevich - who puts his interest and publicity before everyone and everything else.
3) Why is Tom Cross kissing Blago’s behind?
Comment by Three things Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 2:05 pm
As voters we should have the oppurtunity to recall our elected officials…stockholders can dump there CEO after a miserable job performance…seemed to work in Cali
Comment by scoot Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 2:49 pm
[…] From comments over at Rich’s […]
Pingback by ArchPundit | That’s a Good Thing? Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 3:19 pm
Yeah, worked great for Cali. There deficits something like $15 billion, and Arnold is laying off thousands of state workers and telling everyone else they’ll be paid minimum wage, this after trying to borrow his way out of his previous budget disasters.
Sounds like a utopia to me.
Comment by Frank Booth Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 3:38 pm
The Recall itself worked in Cali…electing Arnold was their choice…but the election worked. I don’t care about their deficits, their economy is larger then some countries. I worry about Illinois’ and the need to fix it..which should’ve been done in 2003.
A recall is not going to happen here…I just wish it would.
Comment by scoot Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 4:55 pm
The 1988 Thompson quote and response does bring back memories of how antagonistic these relations can be, and are today.
But does anybody remember Madigan’s “It’s MY Money, It’s MY Money, It’s MY Money” tirade?
Now he’s allegedly a champion of the taxpayers.
Comment by Memory Lane Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 5:18 pm
Also–Honest Harry. You are not a registered Republican. We have open primaries in Illinois. Registration is not required. Have you ever voted?
And if you don’t live in the 13th Ward, you can’t vote for Madigan unless you are a member of the House of Representatives and you elect him speaker.
As people are wont to say on this site, just sayin’.
My previous post was just remindin’.
Comment by Memory Lane Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 5:24 pm
Steve –
Off topic a bit, but in what sense has former Governor Thompson been an elder statesman for the Party?
I certainly concur that he inherited from Walkin’ Dan a State with three days revenue in the till and turned the finances around. That was an act of almost magic.
I wish he had saved some magic to turn the intellectually bankrupt Illinois Party around.
Comment by Truthful James Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 5:28 pm
Special funds have “excess” balances, by and large, because Filan did not allow ERI replacements. Here’s a novel idea. Instead of sweeping the “excess” balances, why not use them to pay back, with interest, the amounts NOT paid into the pension funds from the early 1980s on?
Comment by Frustrated Tuesday, Aug 5, 08 @ 11:30 pm