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Quinn reverses self, says he’s now open to negotiations

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Illinois

* Earlier this week, the governor said…

With less than a month until lawmakers are set to leave for the summer, Quinn says he is not willing to compromise on his reform commission’s six part plan.

The Governor says “we have to get all” reforms pitched by the group of statehouse outsiders.

And then yesterday, he said…

Gov. Pat Quinn said Wednesday he’s willing to negotiate to get ethics reform approved…

“There’s always room in a democracy for negotiation,” Quinn told reporters after a speech to the Illinois Retail Merchants. “The idea is there is an excellent blueprint for reform and we want to use it to guide our steps forward. I’m optimistic about that. I think that in the next several weeks we’ll be able to make some substantial progress.”

I’m getting whiplash from all this back and forth.

* Senate President John Cullerton promised yesterday that all of the governor’s reform commission proposals would be addressed by his chamber…

“Absolutely. Every area that the commission raised we’ll have a response and more so,” Cullerton said, noting that lawmakers have taken several important actions, some even before Quinn’s panel took up the cause.

But the Tribune editorial board ridiculed Cullerton’s plan to route the commission reform proposals through the Executive Committee…

Letting committees decide which reforms to bring to the full House and Senate, and which ones to let die, would insulate many of the 177 legislators from having to take public stands on reform. The custom in Springfield is for leaders to protect vulnerable incumbents from casting votes that could lead to their defeats in the next election. Those vulnerable legislators love to say, “I would have voted for that bill, if only my leader had brought it to the floor.”

So let’s exterminate that charade now:

If Democrats abandon a reform proposal in committee — that is, without calling it for a vote of their full chambers — then citizens fairly can view that as if every Democrat in that chamber voted to kill it. This should encourage each rank-and-filer to tell Madigan and Cullerton: “I like being a legislator. So, please, bring every proposal to the floor for a vote.”

That assumes, of course, that voters will cast their ballots in 2010 based on this one issue. I’m not so sure.

Speaker Madigan took a shot at the Trib’s “up or down vote on the floor” threat…

“That’s the politics of Pat Collins. You want to make one guy look clean by making another guy look dirty,” said Madigan, a reference to the former federal prosecutor selected by Gov. Pat Quinn to head the commission.

He has a point.

* Cullerton, meanwhile, plans to meet with Pat Collins today. I’d like to be a fly on that wall.

* And Sen. Bill Brady, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, wants to force state employees to drop a dime on corruption…

State Senator Bill Brady wants to push reform in Illinois by strengthening the state’s “whistleblower” laws.

Brady would make the reporting of official misconduct mandatory for state employees, board members and commissioners.
Currently, suspected misdeeds are reported to “ethics officers,” .but not necessarily to law enforcement.

I’m curious what you think about this idea.

* Related…

* Measure to block automatic pay hike for elected officials moves to House floor

* Editorial: Don’t forget voters’ need for recall power

* Lisa Madigan: More open government

* Schoenburg: Ex-Lt. Gov. Wood says Illinois is primed for reform

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 9:11 am

Comments

I am looking forward to the Capitol Capers pictures! thanks rich.

Comment by Anon Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 9:15 am
” ‘That’s the politics of Pat Collins. You want to make one guy look clean by making another guy look dirty,’ said Madigan”…..

Puhleeez! Heaven forbid anyone out there might try to game Mike Madigan, his caucus or any other lawmaker by making them look dirty. That’s an LMAO comment if ever there was one.

Comment by RobRoy Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 9:20 am
== That assumes, of course, that voters will cast their ballots in 2010 based on this one issue. I’m not so sure. ==

It would appear that the Democratic leadership makes that assumption if the full body is not allowed to vote on the issues. Whatever makes a legislator “vulnerable” in an election is usually not just one issue but a cumulative voting record, especially on hot-button issues. Taking this one hot-button issue away from that record indeed makes it seem the Tribune’s point is well-taken.

Comment by Captain Flume Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 9:27 am
The State of Illinois “whistleblower” laws are pathetic.
James A. Wright Illinois Executive Inspector General and Tracy Smith Inspector General for the Illinois Tollway have swept countless red flags under the carpet. They were suppose to protect the common workers and taxpayers and all they’ve done is protect Blagojevich and his ilk.

Comment by Northside Bunker Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 9:34 am
Lot’s of people have used one Crusade or another as justification for trampling on the Illinois Constitution, U.S. Constitution, separation of powers, or the legislative process.

WHATEVER the Tribune may think is the end result, allowing or even encouraging the Executive Branch to trample over or do an end-run around the Constitution or the Legislative Branch is never a good idea.

Quinn’s Reform Commission has some good people on it. But only TWO of them have ever run for public office. NONE of them have ever run a campaign as far as I know. THEIR expertise when it comes to understanding the process, what broken, how to fix it, and what the unintended consequences of those proposals are is EXTREMELY limited.

No offense, but I know more about the legislative and political process than all of them put together.

Hell, half the people on this blog probably know more.

So why should this handful of unelected, untested, uninformed — albeit well-intended — folks be able to dictate to the 177 members of the democratically elected General Assembly exactly what legislation they should or shouldn’t consider?

Because the Governor says so?

Puhleeez.

If Quinn wants to make a difference in Illinois, he could tell his team to put together a budget that DOESN’T cut funding for rape services and rape prevention by 10% - $581,000 - while they continue to fully fund The Lt. Governor’s Office when we don’t even have a Lt. Gov.

I understand the Lt’ Gov’s office is packed with a lot of friends, but should we really be keeping them on the payroll at the expense of the 20,000 women who are raped in Illinois each year?

The Governor’s first priority — some would say his only priority — should be fixing the budget.

Yet over the past several weeks, he’s used what minute political capital he has on everything BUT fixing the budget.

If the General Assembly fails to pass a tax increase, he’ll STILL be running for re-election as the guy who proposed a tax increase.

If the GA goes into June to pass a budget, a lot of folks are going to be comparing his lack of leadership to Rod’s.

Clock’s ticking Governor, and I’m still pulling for you to pull us out of this mess.

But you’ve GOT TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 9:38 am
There’s always room in a democracy for negotiation…” We all know that is true, but the approach taken by Quinn and Collins didn’t recognize this - why? We also all know that nothing gets passed the General Assembly without the power players being included, but Quinn and Collins didn’t recognize this either - why? Just how much experience in state government does Quinn need to have to address his misconceptions regarding how things are done in Springfield? Just how much experience in state government does Quinn need to catch up to everyone else who even casually takes an interest in state government?

With this statement, Quinn has discovered what nearly everyone else already knew - you can’t browbeat bills into law. That’s too easy. Collins had to have had every power player in Illinois send either themselves or their reps to sign off on his Ethics Commission Report before he ever got it printed - to even have a chance in Springfield. Having a governor’s backing isn’t enough. We know this, so why didn’t they?

Letting committees decide which reforms to bring to the full House and Senate, and which ones to let die, would insulate many of the 177 legislators from having to take public stands on reform. I know that perhaps the Tribune needs to say this, but we also need to recognize that voters don’t need to be told this.

After Blagojevich and Ryan, Illinois voters recognize state government officials as anti-reform, undemocratic, and lazy. If the General Assembly is too stupid and corrupt to recognize a lifeline as their ship goes down, Quinn and Collins can’t help them. The people who play the current election games are willing to fend for themselves and are willing to take an electoral risk, over changing the rules they were elected under. There are very few reasons for them to believe they will not win re-election. They have selected their voters, and they expect to be re-elected, just as they have been re-elected in the past.

While they would have been defeated by the ballot boxes in dozens of uncorrupted states where citizens don’t have the cynicism Illinoians have, Illinois politicians are not punished, except under extreme circumstances. It took years of impeachable acts by Rod Blagojevich, and an actual arrest for supposedly selling The Messiah’s senate seat, for the Illinois Democratic Party to finally throw him out. Burris still got in, even when he was nationally chastised and even physically barred from entering the US Senate. So just how low is Illinois politics?

It is no wonder that the leaders in the General Assembly have no interest in sharing the Collins report with their political peers as a life raft. They don’t believe they will go down in defeat! They have paid their dues, they have gerrymandered their districts, and they have no fear of losing their jobs. So - they have no interest in passing ethics reforms.

If Quinn and Collins were interested in saving the Illinois Democratic Party from electoral defeat in 2010, their fears are not shared by the other Democrats. The powers that be in Illinois, believe they can cut deals, pass cash, and spend loot to save their jobs, regardless of how badly they do their jobs, or how corrupted they have become. They have no respect for Illinois voters, whom they believe they have cornered into forever supporting them. They do not see any political opposition to stop them from their unethical behaviors, or to motivate them to fix this state’s fiscal mess.

Welcome to one-party government.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 9:46 am
The last couple of months must have been a terrible culture shock for Quinn.

For 30 years, he’s been able to travel the highways and byways of Illinois, tilting at windmills like Don Quiote. With no real expectations or responsibilities in that role, he’s been able to pick and choose his fights.

Now he’s got the Big Job and it’s a doozy, even in uninteresting times, which are far, far back in our rear view.

Somebody mentioned Quinn for the Senate yesterday. The more I think about it, that’s probably more his speed and style than being a chief executive.

To Brady’s proposal, I think it’s terrible. Whistleblowers need positive encouragement, and most of all, protection. We’re talking about people’s livelihoods here. Threatening them with criminal charges will only promote a Sgt. Schultz defense.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 9:48 am
Stronger “Whistlerblower” protection is critical for reducing corruption. As with most things of this nature, much easier said than done, much easier done than done well. The process must include real penalties for verified corruption, yet safeguards against false accusations, i.e. penalties for those ‘convicted’ of a false rat out. Appropriate rewards for altruistic corruption fighting instead of what too often occurs, life becoming a hell for the brave ones.

Comment by You Go Boy Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 9:54 am
Sgt. Schultz defense is already rampant in government - the less you know the less accountablity and responsiblity one has - accross the board, not just at high levels.

Also - we all know the whistleblower protection is weak at best. I know of an executive that does no work, does not fill out the statutorily required employee ethics time sheet, and only bothers to show up 75% of the time. She earns more than $100k - and she is connected to everyone. If I would turn her in - I would lose my job within six months - and probably for sending blogs to capital fax on work hours. Until someone at the top demand accountability the connected people will continue to steal the state’s money and working employees morale.

Comment by sick Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 10:00 am
Quinn is showing he is too dumb for this job. Ur out Pat, you need to shock the world with your proposals for reform and stop negotiating with Madigan and his Unions. The will never let you win an election so your only chance is to take it to the people.

Brady is on the right track. No budget, taxes, or other reforms will help us unil we fix the problem which is rampant corruption. To allow people to turn a blind eye to corruption is pathetic.

It reminds me of playing football and walking back to the huddle. Everybody said, well I blocked my guy, meanwhile the QB is pealing the grass out of his face mask. We can no longer live with the mentality that as long as I am not doing anything wrong, it is ok.

Comment by the Patriot Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 10:26 am
While they continue to fully fund The Lt. Governor’s Office when we don’t even have a Lt. Gov.

What does the Lt. Governor’s office do? Do they actually have a role, that still continues, even without a figurehead?

Comment by dave Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 10:44 am
While they continue to fully fund The Lt. Governor’s Office when we don’t even have a Lt. Gov.

It’s in the interest of future Lt. Govs to keep the office funding level up…you know what happens in gov’t, use it or lose it, and it is tougher to restore what has been taken away than to keep the budget you already have.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 1:42 pm
In regard to the Pantagraph article, there is a Facebook group for Illinois Citizens for Recall.

Comment by Squideshi Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 5:35 pm
Yeah, Squid, and it has 79 members.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 5:38 pm
Six, I understand your point, but it’s really not much of an argument in the current environment.

The state’s broke. There is no Louie Guv. Why a staff.

Geez, with all the action today, does Quinn really want to explain this one, too?

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 9:54 pm
Word, I would not miss the office, nor would the state IMHO, if it were abolished, or even if its budget were zeroed out until 2010. But this is the way things go in a bureaucracy…programs run on inertia for one or 2 years, even in the absence of a boss or occupant, aided and abetted by staffers and their connections.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Thursday, May 7, 09 @ 10:04 pm