Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

The circular firing squad

Posted in:

Illinois

* Comparing the Illinois House Republican Leader to the Vichy leader who surrendered France to the Nazis is a bit much, especially considering the lack of evidence for the charge. This press release was handed out at the Statehouse press room yesterday…

The Illinois Alliance for Growth announced today that it was awarding a Philippe Pétain Award for Collaboration to House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego).

The award comes for comments signaling the surrender of the loyal opposition in the General Assembly just as a $9 billion “corruption and mis-rule” bill is being presented to the tax paying public.

Leader Cross’ comments came in an Associated Press story in today’s Bloomington Pantagraph. In the story, Cross signaled surrender to Democrats intent on hiking taxes to pay for their six years of mis-rule and corruption. Many of these policies have contributed to the state’s struggling economy and have left the state largely bankrupt.

Cross’ remarks also opened a rift in the Illinois Republican Party by distancing Republican lawmakers from the anti-tax pro-economic growth positions of rank and file Republicans as well as the state party.

According to the story Cross said, “I don’t think Republicans should be going into this legislative session with their Republican hats on,” said House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, who hosted Quinn at one of his usually private caucus meetings.”

The story went on to report that “Republican lawmakers” were on board with the surrender:

“Republican lawmakers say now is not the time to assign blame as the state wallows in billions of dollars of debt. Instead, they should [be] cooperative with Democrats.”

“With respect to Republicans and Leader Cross now is the time hold people accountable and not let them off the hook,” said Illinois Alliance for Growth President Greg Blankenship. “With higher taxes being openly discussed in Springfield, it is time for the opposition to promote its alternatives not collaborate. The Marshal Pétain Award for Collaboration is a fitting metaphor for these positions.”

So, on the basis of a single quote and the political analysis of a reporter, Cross is called a surrender monkey.

* Cross gave this response to my intern Mike Murray…

“I have never heard of the ‘Illinois Alliance for Growth’, but I do not agree with their view that I have signaled surrender to the Democrats’ intent on hiking taxes to pay for their six years of corruption and financial mismanagement.

“The Democrats, led by Gov Blagojevich, got us into the financial crisis that was highlighted by Comptroller Hynes last week. Facing a $9 billion dollar budget deficit, I have committed to working with Governor Quinn in order to create a solution that will clean up the mess left by the Democrats and put Illinois back on the right track.

“However, this absolutely does not mean that I have committed, caved, or surrendered to the Democrats and their desire for a tax increase. I am currently working with various think tanks, such as the Illinois Policy Institute, to create my own legislation which would require 3/5 of the House to approve any tax increases.”

* Look, the partisan rhetoric emanating from the state GOP and others these days serves a useful purpose. Voters ought to be reminded that the Democrats have been running every branch of state government for the past six years, and not so well, as is plainly seen.

But legislators have an obligation to their districts and to the state at large. Pure partisanship and rejection of all ideas from the other side based on rigid ideology is not exactly good legislating.

You’d think the Right would want Republican legislators at the bargaining table to prevent an all-Democratic “solution” to the very real problems Illinois faces.

Thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:28 am

Comments

The fact Tom Cross and his “leadership” couldn’t find a challenger to Jack Franks says it all. Well, that and I have no confidence in Cross holding the line on any income tax increases.

Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:32 am
Sounds like some personal issue–Cross references IPI, which was ’spearheaded’ by the current president of the IAG until last year. Seems a bit much, but you can always pander with Nazi references!

Comment by Vote Quimby! Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:37 am
There are parallels between what is happening on the national level with the stimulus bill and what is happening here in Illinois with the budget deficit.

In both cases, we have a new executive who is a contrast with the previous executive. And in both cases, the people are looking to give the new guy a chance.

In Washington, the Republicans are completely misreading the mood of the country regarding the stimulus by attacking it as tax-and-spend; and the Illinois Alliance for Growth is doing the same thing. The simple fact is that the people, I think, are more ready to accept that getting out of the economic mess requires sacrifice. The flip side of this coin is that the people are skeptical of any quick fix like tax relief, which have been the bread and butter of conservative economic policy.

Cross is more in touch with the mood of the people than the conservatives in the Illinois GOP. Anyone seen as obstructing the new guy (Quinn) will probably pay a political price.

One more pedantic observation: I am just finishing up a book about Vichy France. Let’s just say that today’s conservatives should be wary of using Petain as a figure of ridicule, since they would have approved of many of his policies. Besides, the real collaborationist in Vichy was Laval, not Petain.

Comment by the Other Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:40 am
Legislators working together to come up with solutions to the state’s problems rather than just holding to some othrodox party line. Imagine that!

Comment by Niles Township Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:41 am
===The fact Tom Cross and his “leadership” couldn’t find a challenger to Jack Franks says it all.===

Yeah, because Franks is so beatable.

Please. The guy has creamed everyone who has run against him since his first election. What’s the point?

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:41 am
The political ramifications of that quote aside, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle in an argument like this. Could that quote be a signal he’s open to going along? Sure. DOES it mean that? Not necessarily. Seems the press release is a bit over-the-top, but it could also just be an attempt to keep Republicans aware that they are being watched in this whole thing, too, and that they have an obligation to their supporters to be the tax-fighters they said they were when they ran.

Cross is no idiot. He knows if his caucus goes along with a tax increase, they lose any ground Blagojevich might have given them heading into 2010. Rich, you’re right that simple partisan chest-thumping isn’t probably the right tactic, but the GOP HAS to stick to its anti-tax base which trumps even the right wing or the party in Illinois will truly be dead.

After years of seeming moronic leadership of the GOP in Illinois, Republicans across the state are probably worried because they’ve been shown they NEED to worry. Cross and Radogno both have chance to win back marginal Republicans and Independents that vote based on economic security and low taxes. Hopefully they won’t blow it. I think the fear is warranted, but maybe the passion a bit pre-mature.

Comment by Amuzing Myself Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:44 am
Yes, yes, yes, Cross and the Illinois GOP need their feet held to the fire MORE than ever before. Whether or not Cross will or should follow this advice is irrelevant, he just needs to hear it. Freedom lovers have very little chance of stopping a massive family income tax increase on poor families unless “leaders” like Cross are fighting with everything they’ve got.

Comment by TaxMeMore Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:45 am
http://www.ilcampaign.org/press/news/illinois/articles/2004/2004-7-11BlagojevichDonor.html

Nothing to see here, right Rich?

Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:46 am
I don’t really expect a “massive family income tax increase on poor families”, regardless of what Tom Cross does. Why would Democrats impose a tax increase on their constituents?

Cross is one of the good guys in the Springfield political process-thoughtful, reserved, decent. More like him would make the process better.

Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:52 am
Sure, there’s something to see there. You think that would’ve beaten Franks? They had a lot of other things to worry about, including holding on to what they had with Obama at the top of the ticket. Spending big money against a guy who has proved to be practically unbeatable would not have gone over well with the HGOPs.

For crying out loud, even the local Repubs haven’t put up anybody in the past two cycles.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:52 am
It’s times like this that I realize how much I miss the old Leader board.

Comment by Scooby Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:52 am
Petain reference? That resonates clearly for most voters? I suppose we can expect future references to Quislings and Munich from this group, whoever they are.

If the GOP can get a seat at the table, they should take it. They’re there to govern, correct? And most of them know how to count, so it should be apparent to them that if they don’t take it, something is going to be rammed down their throats without them.

Of course, that’s probably what this group wants. There’s a faction of the state and national GOP that has no interest in governing, but only in testing for ideological purity. John McCain was too liberal was these guys, remember? That’s why the GOP is on its way to becoming a regional party nationally (so long, New England, Midwest, West Coast, and East Coast from Maine to Virginia) and irrelevant in the state.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:55 am
Kudos to Greg Blankenship and his new organization, the Illinois Alliance for Growth. Right on. Tom Cross has always been a duplicitous goof, selling out the GOP cause at every opportunity.

The circular firing squad metaphor really isn’t accurate, because that implies “the same team” taking out one of its own for no reason.

In Cross’ case it’s more like putting a traitor up against the wall and being done with him.

Let’s face it, Cross only has an “R” by his name because he just happened to be born in a Republican district and he wrestled at the same high school under his Godfather Denny Hastert.

Comment by GOP'er Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:56 am
I disagree about tOA’s national analysis.

The voters want action, but the bloated bill is more pork, spending and regulation than it is job creation and stimulus. Take for example the major step toward socialized medicine as described in a Bloomberg commentary by Betsy McCaughey where much of the disgraced Tom Daschle’s nonsense is included. Daschle says health-care reform “will not be pain free.” Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them. He also establishes a National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, who will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. If the doctor does not toe the government line, he/she will be punished.

The politicians should take a chapter from the medical profession “first due no harm”

In the long term the republicans are wise to oppose the bill at it stands

The same should apply to the state debacle.

Comment by Plutocrat03 Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:58 am
=== Voters ought to be reminded that the Democrats have been running every branch of state government for the past six years, and not so well, as is plainly seen. ===

Aside from Blagojevich and Jones, both of whom are gone, I think Democrats have done a pretty darn good job.

Yes, Republicans can complain that government spending increased 20% under Rod Blagojevich.

But I’d point out that the structural budget deficit BEGAN under George Ryan, when the state budget grew 38% (from $36B to $50B) in eight years. The economy was doing well, but we all knew that would change. Yet Dan Hynes had to fight like heck to create even a puny rainy day fund, we did very little to put a dent in our pension deficit, and made no structural changes to our state’s revenue stream in anticipation of declining economic growth rates.

Conservative Senate Republicans voted for every single one of those budgets, which were balanced in a snapshot, but not sustainable in the long term.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:01 am
Ironic, aint it?

That Cross says he’s never heard of the Illinois Alliance for Growth, but says he’s working with the Illinois Policy Institute?

The organization [Illinois Alliance for Growth] is led by Greg Blankenship, founder and former President of the Illinois Policy Institute, and the alliance is an affiliate of the National Taxpayers Union.

http://all4growth.org/news/illinois-alliance-for-growth-launches-in-springfield/

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:05 am
And here, the Illinois Alliance for Growth campaigns against higher cigarette taxes to fund childrens’ health care:

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:08 am
Dog,if you look at GRF, basic state spending, I flat guarantee you that under George Ryan it rose by the lowest annual percentage increase of any Governor since the state income tax.

However, you are right about the deficit. We misjudged how bad the revenue downturn was going to be (so did the administrations of every other state in the union) so instead of flat growth we had an actual revenue decrease from year to year.

Even then, in anticipation of the downturn, Gov Ryan reduced the ‘03 budget to below the ‘01 budget, the first and only such decrease in the post income tax era.

Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:16 am
The anger the GOP has towards it’s leadership should not be unexpected. We’ve been witnessing no effective leadership or effective campaigning since 1998. Consequentially, there are many angry non-liberals who feel rudderless and ineffective in the face of such massive corruption, mismanagement and blatant stupidity from the Illinois Democratic Party.

Look at any level of Illinois government from a Chicago mayor hiding from the Feds, a Cook County Board President that couldn’t operate a toll booth, an incompetent former Governor who should have been booted four years earlier, a former Senate President who waddled in booty, a spineless US Senator who never pays for his political flip-flops, and an appointed US Senator with a Taj Mahal for his bones. Never mind the happy, peppy former US Senator who simply used his 2004 election as a stepping stone to the White House instead of being a senator.

Yet, the GOP can’t seem to run a campaign, raise any money, or find effective leadership to counter this.

Circular firing squad? That’s an improvement.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:19 am
Actually StateWideTom was in the tank with Blagoof from the start. I doubt Ds would want him in the new mix.
Where has Greg and his Groups been for the last six years?
Maybe TugboatAndy can assemble a GOP (as in MOPE) summit to plan for how they could lose the 2010 elections
Shoot, Aim, Ready

Comment by Nixon Gnats Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:27 am
They’ve definitely got the pulse of the voters, though. Petain is such a buzzword for people these days. Everyone’s been talking about him. If it’s not Jessica Simpson, it’s usually Marshal Petain.

I’m eagerly awaiting their Fourier award!

Comment by earnest Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:40 am
I suspect before this is all over, everything will be blamed on Capt. Dreyfus.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:41 am
LOL

Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:42 am
Oh - and a drive by comment…

What would I want to see from the Illinois GOP if I were a Republican?

Backbone. Fight. I don’t want to see a bunch of spineless go-alongs doing a topless table dance at the General Assembly, just to get a seat at the table. All these Democrats who claim it is best for the GOP to get a crumb instead of demanding more, are typical Democrats - endless compromisers who don’t take a stand against anything except cigarettes and Wal-Mart.

Naturally, they would not understand.

There is no fight in them - but there is supposed to be some fight in the Republicans. Watching an ineffective state GOP sitting back silently as Illinois falls apart, hoping that voters will just throw out the Democrats makes a lot of us believe that both parties share the blame for today’s disasters.

An opposition party is to oppose and fight the one in power. The Illinois GOP has failed to be the opposition party. Until they start swinging against the situation the Democrats have put Illinois into, they should keep that circular firing squad in place.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:49 am
===An opposition party is to oppose and fight the one in power.===

That’s true, but they are also legislators. So, there’s a higher calling involved.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:51 am
So the heavy finger pointing begins as to who is at fault and who is philosophically clean to some agenda. Does it really matter? Read the WSJ and look at the numbers of national companies laying off huge numbers of people, 1.5M in the last three months alone. How did the GA have a direct effect on Circuit City, GM, Lehman, Motorola, and many other companies going through massive changes? Does the GA have a direct effect on worldwide investment returns? With Fed interest rates close to 0%, lowering revenues, and that pesky structural deficit growing, there is nowhere to hide from the general economic collapse. The GA Dems and Reps need to stop the nonsense and work together. It does not matter when, where, or how some some past decision was done. Both parties are equally involved. If Hynes is even partially right, the economic steam roller that is growing will simply not care who is in the way. Every petty fiefdom can push their agenda and it simply will not matter if they do not work together.

There have been a litany of dumb, single minded projects developed over the last 10-12 years that sounded great (pushed to sound great may be a better phrase) with the assumption that the financial good times would roll on. The thud of the financial world has been rock concert loud and the ripple effect is hitting every part of the state. There is no way out without a substantial tax increase or cutting huge amounts of services people claim they want.

Comment by zatoichi Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:55 am
So the heavy finger pointing begins as to who is at fault and who is philosophically clean to some agenda. Does it really matter?

Yes it does, and I will tell you why you should care too. We are not flotsam on the seas being buffetted by forces beyond our control. Anyone over the age of 20 realizes that every economy ebbs and rises and as a legislator responsible for crafting a state budget, there is a need to prepare for poor years. Instead we saw a spend-thrift General Assembly refusing to fix the gaping hole in our budgets for a decade. What we are experiencing is not a surprise. We’ve known that our budget was busted, knew that we were mortgaging assets just to make ends meet, and knew that we were not economically growing at the same rate as the rest of the US, let alone, a state with a historic economic position as Illinois.

The writings were on the wall for over a decade, but the GA ignored them deliberately. After being out of power in the governor’s office for almost 30 years, the Democrats prioritized their greeds over Illinois’ needs.

It is important to know who refused to read what our state Comproller’s office hand delivered, emailed and it is important to know who decided to serve themselves first at taxpayer’s expense.

So, pretending that we couldn’t avoid this disaster by pointing to other states or countries, is not an excuse. Pretending that forces beyond our control forces us to pay more of our wages in taxes is cowardly and immature. We don’t elect a government for it to play victim by circumstances. Anyone can play the fool. We elect people who claim to be the best and brightest to do what is best and brightest. When they fail, we as citizens need to do our duty and hold these failures responsible.

If we do not do this, if no one is blamed, if no one is ever made to lose their political power due to this failure, then you will continue to see lousy government with lousy politicians, making selfish greedy decisions, for short-term benefits - at our expense.

Those of you who wish to see governments take more control over our lives owe it to those of us who believe in freedom of choice that governments are capable of making better decisions that individuals. And so far, you are not proving your case.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 11:09 am
Watch Tom Cross, you can tell he’s disassembling because his lips are moving.

Cross says, “However, this absolutely does not mean that I have committed, caved, or surrendered to the Democrats and their desire for a tax increase.”

Of course Tom Cross forgets to mention that one of his first votes out of the box when his old pal Blago came into office in 2003 was a YES on Blago’s 300 tax and fee increases, plus a YES on the $10 billion debt offering, the one that now appears to be part of the target of the Operation Board Games federal probe.

Cross also led his House caucus in support of Blago’s so called capital plan last year, that would have been funded by more casinos. That’s just another tax increase. Do people think those casinos just donate money to the state’s coffers out of the goodness of their hearts?

He’s not known as Tom Double Cross for nothing.

Comment by Ready aim fire Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 11:11 am
Don’t forget the bond issue from Blago is not structured flat but is low payments in the beginning and grows each year. This will be a bigger burden in the future. No solution to the growing pension problem will happen while there is a Democrat majority(read union majority).

Comment by MadinSkokie Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 11:35 am
Tom Cross and the other GOP leadership are all sell outs. Against direct elections for our state GOP. They run with the Dem dogs and they got fleas. It is time for the voters in IL to tell Cross and his gang it’s time to GO!!!!

Comment by reformer Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 11:46 am
– They run with the Dem dogs and they got fleas–

And now Running Dogs! The historical references are piling up here!

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 11:48 am
Last cycle it was Cross and the HGOPs that blocked Madigan’s $3 billion income tax hike. Blankenship and his latest incarnation can say what they want, but when the rubber hit the road, it was Republicans blocking a Democrat income tax hike.

Comment by Easy Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 11:59 am
=== However, you are right about the deficit. We misjudged how bad the revenue downturn was going to be (so did the administrations of every other state in the union) so instead of flat growth we had an actual revenue decrease from year to year. ===

I don’t know anyone who was paying attention in 2002 who actually believed that state revenues were going to be flat when the budget was enacted — what was that, April of 2002?

That was a full two years into the tech bubble crash…the Dow Jones was down 1100 points from January, 2000.

During that same period — under George Ryan — manufacturing jobs had fallen by 115,000 (a total of 130,000 manufacturing jobs lost in Illinois while Ryan was Gov), and the total # of private sector jobs was down 58,000.

As for the “Nobody Knew”, lets just go back and look at the projections of the Economic & Fiscal Commission of the Illinois General Assembly (FY2002):

“The report includes three distinct five-year
forecasts of economic factors as well as estimates of general funds revenue based on three different economic scenarios; Baseline, Pessimistic, and Late Recession. Each of these possibilities has been given a probability of occurring by DRI-WEFA, the Commission’s forecasting source, with the Baseline a 50% probability; the Pessimistic a 40% probability; and, the Late Recession only a 10% probability.”

TRANSLATION: We knew there was a 50% chance that things would either get worse or much worse, but we chose to ignore it.

And these ominous quotes, from the “rosy” Baseline scenario:

“revenue growth in FY 2001 was a significant
departure from the exceptional performance from the mid-1990s through FY 2000.
From the period FY 1995 to FY 2000, annual general revenue growth averaged an increase of $1.277 billion…. During this same period, we were enjoying a record economic expansion, the employment picture was bright, and inflation was tame….Rather abruptly, FY 2001 growth slowed significantly. In the middle of FY 2001
a dramatic slowing of the economy began to unfold. From a State revenue standpoint,
sales tax revenue started to perform poorly and was never able to recover, corporate
income tax receipts faltered badly at the end of the year, even personal income tax
receipts, which had been holding up quite well, ended the fiscal year on a down note.”

“The outlook for Illinois is one of continuing to struggle to avoid recession followed by
anticipated below-par growth. According to DRI/WEFA, employment growth will average just 0.9% a year from 2000 to 2005, 39th among the 50 states. Growth in consumer service industries will be held back as consumers rein in spending while the state’s agricultural and farm equipment sectors will remain depressed until prices rebound, and this may be some time away given the overall weakness in the global economy. Only the business services sector looks likely to show any real signs of life.”

Keep in mind that all of those gloomy projections were made BEFORE September, 11th.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 12:01 pm
The Treasurer of this little group of unhappy people is listed as John Curry, a Chicago Committeeman and now a supporter of Bill Brady, so there may be several purposes to this ridiculous attack piece.

Comment by Bubs Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 12:04 pm
I have been looking at the General Assembly website and the House committees are still not listed in regards to membership. Didn’t I read earlier that Madigan has made his appointments known but Cross has not.

I realize that there is a lot going on now that the impeachment is over. But, surely the House Republican leader can get the basics done in a timely fashion. Committees are starting to meet and there are bills to be heard, so let’s find out who is on what committee.

Comment by Nearly Normal Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 12:11 pm
Easy, Mike Madigan certainly was not pushing an income tax hike last year.

Do you really mean the gross receipts tax (GRT)? Even there, Cross just glommed-on when it was universally seen as a loser. But again, Madigan led.

It’s Mike Madigan who took the lead on making sure Blago didn’t get more money. You can question his motives, but the fact is he did it.

And it was Cross, not Madigan, who was working with Blago on the enormous gambling expansion plan last year. Again, Madigan had to be the one to kill it. Cross voted for it.

It was also Tom Cross who was, and is ready for an income tax hike. Had he been in charge, he would have done it for Blago.

Comment by Say no to Cross purposes Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 12:16 pm
No, I mean when madigan supported doubling the income tax on people who make more than $250k. HJRCA 42.

And it was Cross who came out first against the GRT, leading Madigan to ultimately tag along.

I know in the coming months there will be a lot of revisionist history as to how we got in this mess. Let’s just remember, Madigan and Rod need to shoulder about equal blame for our budget fiasco.

Comment by Easy Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 12:50 pm
==So, there’s a higher calling involved. ==

What Cross and the other ‘leaders’ have been doing is a ‘higer calling’? Please. A higher calling would be proposing a different, better way than a watered down version of what Madigan & Jones have pushed for the past 6 years. A higher calling is enunciating to the Illinois electorate what the GOP can offer that is different and better than what the IL Dems have offered and subjected IL to for the last 6 years.

To paraphrase another commenter, the current crop of GA GOP ‘leaders’ have waited around for scraps and considered that a ‘higher calling’, I guess.

Comment by SangamoGOP Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 1:00 pm
I’m sure Mike Madigan leveled those charges. If I was him, I’d want to deflect the fact that MJM was Blago’s campaign co-chair.

The biggest enabling one could ever do for Rod was to help him get elected to the post of Governor–Madigan did that, even with the understanding of the federal investigation and most of the stuff in the impeachment document. That’s enabling and facilitating.

Comment by Easy Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 1:25 pm
Dog, did you actually go back and read the EC and Fisc report rather than just cut and paste some of it? In every scenario they modeled, they showed revenue growth in every coming fiscal year 02-06. In their most pessimistic scenario they showed revenue growth of $700m in 02, $800m in 03, and $500m in 04.

In their 90% scenarios they showed $350-700m growth in 02, $700-850m in 03, and $1-1.2b in 04.

In their 90% scenarios they were about where we were. Dan Hynes’ projection was somewhat lower growth, but still growth. I know this because we pulled all groups (Ec and Fisc, the Budgeteers, the Comptroller, and the Treasurer) together to make our final revenue estimates for 02 and 03.

If I recall, we were at about $800m in 03 in Governor Ryans initial budget. Remember, we came back on Memorial Day with much more pessimistic numbers, which resulted in an adopted 03 budget with spending lower than in 01.

Contrast that to what actually happened. We were way off, but for all practical purposes about where everyone else was. No on foresaw 1, much less 2 consecutive years of actual revenue decrease. Remember, in the face of these growth projections,in two years revenue actually decreased by $800m and $500m.

Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 1:49 pm
Are you kidding me Ravenswood- that article is from 2004, TWO elections ago in which the Reps didn’t even slate a candidate. WHO ARE YOU KIDDING? If there was something there, they would have been singing from the rooftops. It isn’t like Blago was particulary tight with the Dem in the House. Stop blaming and come up with a solution.

Comment by Inish Mein Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 2:41 pm
Steve, your timeline is absolutely correct. AA thinks YDD’s calendar got knocked off-kilter with all of the cutting and pasting from COGFA. The “tech bubble” burst and its effect on the economy and broad stock markets didn’t take hold until well into FY01/CY01, after 9/11. Recall that the State pension systems all performed strongly positive in FY2000 and didn’t turn negative until the second half of FY01.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 4:02 pm
== A higher calling is enunciating to the Illinois electorate what the GOP can offer that is different and better than what the IL Dems have offered and subjected IL to for the last 6 years.==

SangamoGOP, enuciate away. I’d like to hear it. I grew up in a small Main Street Illinois GOP town. Real Conservatives — bankers, lawyers, farmers.

They didn’t give a damn what you did in bed or who was having an abortion (they knew where to get the safe ones). They also knew you got what you paid for — roads, schools, etc. Simple and smart.

Who’s leading the charge for the GOP Conservatives on that?

Ike built the Interstate Highway System on the gas tax. It was the best investment ever for business. Where should I look for that kind of Conservative, SangamoGOP? Bill Cellini? I hear he’s into asphalt.

You guys are victims? Give people a reason to vote for you. I’ll listen.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 4:50 pm
We’re all lucky that Schnorf and AA can bring knowledge, wisdom, experience and reason to the discussion when it comes down to real money. I know I learn something every time..

VMan, how are you doing cutting that billion dollars out of social expenditures without reducing services? Find where “the bodies are buried” yet?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 5:23 pm
ROTFLMAO

VMAN- “We elect the best and the brightest….”

Like Gary Forby. I see you point. (There are many,many more)

(wiping tears of laughter away)

Comment by Amuzing Myself Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 6:05 pm
As an immigrant to Illinois, I have always been impressed by how both parties were much more moderate than their national cousins. The hard right needs to realize demographics are against them. In 1986 Judy Koehler got about 33% against Alan Dixon, and in 2004 Alan Keyes got 27% against Barack Obama. Firing at Tom Cross is not the way to rebuild the party.

Comment by Smitty Irving Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 7:33 pm
Judy Koehler and Alan Dixon — that’s a blast from the past. What are those two crazy kids up to?

For some reason, must be Al, it makes me thing of Carol Mosely Braun.

Reminds me of a story:

About a year ago, I was having breakfast with friends at Wishbone on Roosevelt in Berwyn (next to Fitzgeralds). We found ourselves seated next to Carol, who I barely knew 20 years ago, and a friend.

Greetings. Chit. Chat Chit. Chat.

But what was driving me crazy, was a couple of tables away, I’m making eye contact with an older gent and his much younger blond companion. I can’t place him. But I know i should know him. And he’s looking at me like he should know me.

Because I’m talking to Carol, and I’m in Berwyn, I’m thinking he’s an Illinois player. An old congressman, legislator, cop, lawyer, something.

Finallly, he and his squeeze walk up to my table and he says:

“Hey, I’m Angelo Dundee, how you doing?”

The great Angelo Dundee. Best boxing trainer of all time.

I say, “Of course, Angelo Dundee! How are you? Ali. Sugar Ray.”

Carol’s watching. I introduce them. Angelo trained Ali. Carol knows Ali. Neither has heard of the other. Both are confused as to what the other does. Neither knows who the hell I am.

Angelo and his squeeze, Carol and her friend, walk out of Wishbone confused as hell as who they were talking to and why they just met.

I finish my eggs, andouille and grits.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 9:10 pm
If I were Greg Blankenship, I would wait and see how the votes go before letting loose the dogs of war. Unless of course this is more of a political maneuver than public policy stewardship.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Feb 10, 09 @ 10:15 pm