Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Breaking news

Posted in:

Illinois

PONTIAC — A group of Pontiac prison guards are picketing in front of the prison today in protest of a proposal to place them and other state workers on furlough to save the state an estimated $86 milllion.

The guards timed their action to coincide with an annual legislative tour of prisons led by State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa.

The lawmakers were expected to talk about the tour and the potential impact of the furlough plan at the end of the day.

The furlough idea was floated last week by Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration that thinks the $86 million is needed to keep state government operating at current levels.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 18, 05 @ 2:05 pm

Comments

Wheels…Coming…Off…

Comment by Bo Monday, Apr 18, 05 @ 2:29 pm
Gee, that $78 million in fund transfers Topinka blocked would sure hit the spot.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 18, 05 @ 4:21 pm
I’ll take my furlough when the gov. takes his.

By the way, furloughs really mess up people’s retirement.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 18, 05 @ 4:33 pm
The Gov has no right to the $78 mil that JBT blocked…those dedicated funds have been marked for payment for this or that, not for State needs the Guv can’t come up with a plan to fund…

Comment by Mongo Monday, Apr 18, 05 @ 4:43 pm
Wheels…Never…On…

Comment by Tom DeLay's Mom Monday, Apr 18, 05 @ 5:41 pm
I have to agree with Mongo…the governor has no right. These people need jobs and it is not up to the government to say who gets paid or not. He is messing with people’s livelihoods.

I hope the union calls a strike and the governor gets bad press. Everyone has a right to a job.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 18, 05 @ 5:45 pm
How come the current FY 2005 budget does not cover the costs of employing guards at our State Pens?? What was the salaries dedicated to these public servants spent on?? Another Case of Fuzzy Math or Outright Confusion in Springfield??

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 18, 05 @ 5:58 pm
No, not everyone has a right to a job. The state does not exist to provide jobs for downstate Republicans (contrary to popular belief).

If you don’t like the threat of furloughs, then don’t work for state goverment. Cry me a river - talented, good, hard-working families in the private sector have been losing their jobs in droves since President Bush was first elected.

Willing to bet most of those corrections workers voted for Bush during the last election too…serves them right that a Democrat is taking their job away!

Comment by Lincoln Would Be Ashamed Monday, Apr 18, 05 @ 6:04 pm
Lincoln, what about the Kerry voters among the guards? Do they deserve to be furloughed too??
The guard:prisoner ratio is already too low, which is why violence is up in our prisons.

As far as state employment goes, the Land of Lincoln ranks 50th among the states in number of state employees per capita. We’re at the lowest head count in 30 years.

Comment by FightforJustice Monday, Apr 18, 05 @ 8:43 pm
I’m a human services employee facing the possibility of a furlough too. I dont’ guard prisoners, don’t even want to think about doing that. I work with peopel with disabilities, a job most people don’t want. A job that in the community you don’t get paid as much as you do to flip burgers. We provide good services, working for the state.
We also frequently bear the brunt of the political fall out when there’s a budget problem.

We’ve been lazy, etc.. Please take a day to walk in a prison guards shoes, or mine. Maybe you’ll think differently.

I love my job, as do most people who work in the departments that they are looking at to furlough if they can’t get a supplemental for the budget shortfall. Budget shortfall - not our problem - we didn’t cause it. We just pay the price. We work lots of overtime because they won’t hire staff, and are now facing more cuts.

I’m not crying a river. I think it’s a shame what’s happened here in Illinois, but stop making state employees the bad guys. Until you do what we do, you can’t say anything.

I’m having flashbacks to Ryan a few years back when he tried this. It didn’t work then, won’t work now. There’s no band aid or roll of duct tape big enough to fix it and the gov doesn’t want to open his eyes and see what’s going on. He’d have to leave Chicago first.

Comment by Tessa Monday, Apr 18, 05 @ 9:10 pm
I worked for the state a number of years ago when they had furloughs.
If I remember correctly, you could take up to 10 but only 2 or 3 were mandatory. I took all 10, and worked overtime to make up the money.

Is this another accounting trick?

In any case, I wouldn’t select line staff for furloughs–too risky. What about the hundreds of merit comp (administrative or “staff” positions in agencies which are seriously overstaffed with non-line bureaucrats, such as DHS, CMS, DCFS and so many others). They can’t earn overtime to make up the difference and nobody would miss them for 10, 20, or even 50 days. Also, Blago doesn’t have to go through the union to furlough them. In fact, since many are his
patronage hires and should be grateful to have jobs, there shouldn’t even be a whole lot of complaining. If there is, they should be laid off so they can get a taste of real life, without lush tax-payer paid pensions, nice health benefits, almost free life insurance, etc.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 19, 05 @ 2:08 am
The merit comp people I work with haven’t had raises in several years and pay their 4% for their pensions and they were hit the last time there was a furlough. Yes, there might be too many of them in the state, but I wouldn’t say to furlough the frontline merit comp (which there are), because they actually work. I don’t have a problem with the higher ups taking time off, as there continues to be a heavy, heavy layer of deputy assistant director types.

And would people taking furlough days make up for the deficit, I doubt it.

Where I’m at, overtime is a mandatory part of life. People are tired of it, especially when you’re expected to work so much every month for going into 3 years now. Not a whole lot of staff I work with are going to jump at the “I’ll take a furlough day and make it up with overtime”.

The gov needs to get his head out of wherever it is, and really look at the state of his state. Spend time in Springfield and work with the legislators and represent the people of Illinois.

Comment by Tessa Tuesday, Apr 19, 05 @ 7:44 am
There were some great comments in this discussion.

Tessa should talk more here if she has time…

Prison guards get the ink in the paper but the State employees literally wiping a***s and cutting up food and forking it carefully into someone’s mouth do work that is so much needed in our State but gets little respect from the media and zero acknowledgement from the private for-profit sector.

And another thing…one of the problems is that the State is top-heavy. One deputy director translates to two line staff. I’d rather have two line staff than another suit.

By the way, commentor Lincoln just flat-out confuses me.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 19, 05 @ 9:18 am
You don’t want me to get started because I’d never stop. I’ve been a private sector employee doing the same thing I do now working for the state. There’s not enough money in the private sector to keep good employees, except there are some good, dedicated ones who truly care that I will never forget who stay forever. I didn’t leave because of the money, someone chose to have me go.

I love what I do, and who I work with. I see the people, the staff I work with, love what they do and the people we serve. We just continue to get screwed by people in Springfield who’ve never done the job, trying to find ways to trim a budget that can’t be trimmed any more. The people we serve get screwed in the long run.

Sure furlough us for caring and showing up for work. Place the blame on us for doing stuff that no one else wants to do and for caring about people that most others have long forgotten about. Somehow we made the costs go up and insurance get so expensive and the state decide it’s better to pay overtime than to hire more staff.

See, I never should have replied. This is just so frustrating. Those in Springfield just don’t have a clue, and people in the private sector haven’t walked in our shoes to know either. It’s easy to talk the talk, another to walk the walk. My shoes are size 7, if someone wants to try them on someday.

Comment by Tessa Tuesday, Apr 19, 05 @ 4:59 pm
This isn’t about R’s and D’s or even about those fund transfers. It’s about telling the truth and human decency. Our new writer tessa seems to have both. God bless you and your coworkers who look after the most frail among us. On the other hand, G-Rod and his budget whiz Filan are a bit light on those traits. It’s been an open secret under the dome since at least December that DHS’ payroll was short. Why do they wait until the last moment and offer two untenable options? How about emptying out the balance in the “efficiency initiatives revolving fund” just for starters?
Another interesting question for the inquiring minds around here would be, “how much Federal DHS money have you swept, transferred, allocated (or whatever Filan calls it) out of DHS since July 1 ?” I bet there wouldn’t be a supp needed if they had all that dough back. The pension money alone that gets laundered through SERS and back to GRF is huge.
tessa, keep writing, your message needs to be heard.

Comment by NumbersGuy Tuesday, Apr 19, 05 @ 6:02 pm
Mongo agree with Tessa.

Whether you are in or out of Springfield, caring for people with disabilities is the kind of no-glamour job that always has to be done and is often the first to get cut.

Then we wonder why the hell people with disabilities have a 66% unemployment rate, per the Harris polls done every census (or somewhere around there). Let’s see…too few people to help you get up, shower, shave, empty your systems, eat, get dressed, get paratansit (that is always 30 minutes late)…I won’t even go into quality of life issues like being able to borrow money for a car or house if you have a job, or get into a restaurant or theatre, or…you get the point.

And hey Governor, get a clue. The 2000 census says 17% of people 5 to 65 have a disability. That baby boomer train though is hitting the tunnel and its long…and of those now aged 65 or older 41% have a disability.

We gotta get these systems in place now ‘cuz in 5 years this is gonna be one hell of a big demographic group.

By the way, even if you have a disability, you can still vote…

Someone needs to let Bradley Tusk and John Filan know that this problem is not going away.

Comment by Mongo Tuesday, Apr 19, 05 @ 8:06 pm
Well, if the head of DHS knew we were short $23 million in January to meet payroll through the end of the fiscal year, don’t you think her boss knew then also?

They are cutting everything in the budgets outside of medical costs to try and meet the deficit right now. It’s really scary being front line and seeing and hearing what’s going on. We have to answer to DPH and if we don’t have everything we need when they come, there is a ripple affect. That affects our funding, which affects the budget, which affects our ability to care for the people we serve. No pressure, no stress.

I’m just glad I don’t work in a DHS local office where I’m trying to handle hundreds of cases by myself and thepeople I serve there can’t understand why their needs aren’t being met and they don’t even live in a facility. TANF and single parents or those needing assistance are stuck because of cuts.

Any more, pick an agency, pick a county, pick a person getting services and you’ll hear similar stories. Guardians are scared, people are scared. Staff are scared.

The wonderful, “secure” world of state employment. I think the gov needs to take another job around his neighborhood, oh slap me, he needs to visit the workplaces of the people whose lives he’s affecting and find out what’s really going on. Be a man of the people as he claimed to be when he campaigned (back then, my son thought he was awesome - not so much anymore).

Comment by Tessa Tuesday, Apr 19, 05 @ 9:10 pm
Visit the people who’s lives he’s affecting?? I hope you are referring to the hard working men and women of the state of Illinois who have not had their sales and income taxes increased in order to pay for a beauracracy so bloated with special interests from the past 20 some odd years of republican administrations. The gov should praised for investing hundreds of millions of dollars of new money into education and expanding health care coverage for the most vulnerable of friends, neighbors and loved ones. And, he has done so with out raising the sales or income taxes.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 19, 05 @ 9:42 pm
Wow…I thought this strand would end with a real live human kind of comment but no, the last anonymous poster spouts “hep me, hep me” on behalf of the working men and women of Illinois.

Sir, someone said you can judge a society by how they care for those who can’t care for themselves. I guess you would have said you can judge a society by how low our income tax is.

I know where I’d prefer to live.

In fact the working men and women I know want to provide this care too…they are confounded by a Governor who either does not want to do so or is afraid to do so…both are very bad.

Go ahead, look at the census. Go visit a community living facility for people with disabilities. Go look at the rapidly rising number of people who have disabilities today who would have died a decade ago.

My bet is that you or me or Tess or ArchPundit will be one of those people in 5 years. I imagine our conversation will not be the same then as it is today.

Comment by Mongo Tuesday, Apr 19, 05 @ 10:03 pm
Thanks Mongo. I was going to then ask: Explain then not being able to get the simple things right now like a fishing license. Lost revenue. State parks not kept up. Violence against staff in prisons, mental health and dd facilities due to understaffing.

There are still people who need it who can’t get health insurance coverage, who fall through the cracks. It’s an imperfect system at best.

I voted for Rod, thought he’d do great things. He speaks great things, but I’m still waiting. I’ve lost hope. I don’t see better education where I’m raising my family, when programs are being cut left and right and in order for a kid to participate, it costs an arm and a leg for something that was a given 20 years ago. I’m thankful I can pay for my son to do sports, but many a family can not. Or they cut them out, which leaves kids more time on the streets.

Yep. Good things.

R’s and D’s both have special interests. It just depends on which ones you want to open your eyes to. It’s time the gov and the people we all elected start working for the greater good of all of the people in Illinois, public and private sector. You can’t have one without the other. Someone just needs to make the first move and, oh I don’t know, let me go out on a limb here, admit things are screwed up and say the system has to be fixed.

Forget “sweeping ethics” changes, you have to do it if you want everyone else to. Start at the bottom - work on the basic money and business issues.

Oh, I just need to go back in my corner and hide. I might start to make sense and one can’t do that while working for the state.

Comment by Tessa Tuesday, Apr 19, 05 @ 10:16 pm
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

Comment by Roy Slade Tuesday, Apr 19, 05 @ 11:08 pm
Will anyone bet me that the last anonymous poster “I hope you are referring to the hard working men and women of the state of Illinois who have not had their sales and income taxes increased in order to pay for a beauracracy so bloated with special interests from the past 20 some odd years of republican administrations”- is just another stooge for the Gov’ office?? For the past 20 years in state government, democrats have voted for every tax increase on the table…now, they are trying to portray themselves as the “party that has held the line.”

Tell that to my brother, who was laid off when his trucking company downsized-due to the fee increases. Or, talk with my uncle, who went 22 weeks without working for the Laborers Union this past year-again, due to the lack of capitol projects in the southern Illinois area. Talk to ANY correctional officer, and ask them if they are “overstaffed” at any prison? They will describe the numerous “new” power plant employees and deputy directors-in jobs that never existed till this past year. Talk to any state conservation park employee-ask them if they have more or less employees working? Heck-talk to Tessa- or better yet, LISTEN to Tessa!

Please pull your head out of your backside-and try and remember, that the overwhelming majority of state employees work hard for not very much wage-they support families all over the state-and they will vote (most likely against) your boss (rod). He and his/your administration have given them nothing to hope for-other than hoping the next two years fly by at a record rate!

Comment by Roy Slade Tuesday, Apr 19, 05 @ 11:21 pm
Tessa and Mongo, your comments are golden.

Sooner or later, this “I held the line on taxes” mantra is going to sound hollow. Especially if the current wobbly wheels of state services fly off completely. It’s one thing to have a lean budget in tough times, which is to be expected, but to combine that with the type of clueless management and decision making that has happened, makes it a tough environment for employees to deliver the goods at state agencies.

Look for a brain drain of the best and brightest of experienced workers from state government. AAMOF, it’s already happening.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 1:12 am
I hate to say this, and I know many others feel the same way. I waited and waited for a Democrat Governor and was so thrilled. But this guy is not just bad, he is…

* disingenuous

* uninformed

* intellectually challenged

* a poor judge of people

* vindictive (ask his father-in-law)

* short-sighted, and finally

* only a follower.

I hate to say it, and I don’t care who the candidate is, I will vote Republican for Governor.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 8:53 am
Note to Governor Press Releasavich supporters; Stop talking about the last 26 years. The Governor had had the helm for two years now and the evidence of mismanagement is continueing to mount!

Note to whoever can answer this one. Why are agencies (other than CMS) using state resources to promote an Illegal RX program? Rank and File employees are being recruited to make calls to increase membership in the feeble program. Mean while the Stateis paying over a million to administer an ethics test to the very employees it is asking to promote an illegal progam!!! It never ends.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 11:30 am
The ethics test was and is a joke, as far as I’m concerned, because it appears those who expect us to follow it don’t want to be held to the same standard. I’ve never done anything unethical working for the state or elsewhere for that matter. Telling me I have to take a test every year is going to make me behave? Tis a big joke. People got in trouble for skipping past the reading and going right to the test. Big brother watches you from afar to make sure you “take enough time” to read everything first. Another good example of our tax dollars at work.

You’d bet I’d be the first one at work to scream if they tried to make me talk up the Rx program. I haven’t heard a word.

Comment by Tessa Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 2:14 pm
Tessa, you really should start a blog. It would be great reading.

If you don’t want to go that far, I can make you a guest blogger here.

E-mail me if you can and we’ll talk about it.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 2:26 pm
Tessa, I’m a former DHS employee who walked away from a well paying position with the last severance package. I left out of pure disgust of the viciousness and gross incompetance of the new DHS administration. I just wanted to say thank you for being the voice reason and clarity on the role of state employees. Non-state employees need to understand that what has happend to the agencies which serve their interests everyday. Keep up the good work.

Comment by ChicagoDog Sunday, Apr 24, 05 @ 5:13 am
ChicagoDog - we lost a lot of good employees to the severance packages because of exactly why you left. The last of the best left where I’m at this last go round. I thought the ‘02 early retirement was bad, this was worse.

There seems to be no one with a mind to reason with left. Lots of people willing to nod their heads and accept being s**t on, and pass it on to the frontline staff, and tell us that’s just the way it is. It wasn’t like this before. People fought for what was good and what was right, even if those above didn’t agree.

I’m still too young to leave, but I’m also not willing to just say yes to everything and they hate it. It makes me very unpopular, but I’m not going anywhere. I’ll continue to fight until there’s nothing to fight for.

Thanks.

Comment by Tessa Sunday, Apr 24, 05 @ 4:53 pm