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* UPDATED x1 * Quinn promises cuts, talks to suburbanites

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*** UPDATE - 10:23 am *** As I figured, all this Chicago media hype about today’s big budget cut announcement is simply a retread of the cuts Quinn outlined last week in Springfield.

[ *** End of Update *** ]

* Gov. Quinn held a meeting yesterday about the state budget with almost 40 suburban lawmakers. By looking at the media coverage, it didn’t really go very well…

Rep. Jack Franks, a Woodstock Democrat who attended today’s meeting, said the governor hasn’t proven to the public that a tax increase is a last resort. Instead of identifying specific spending cuts and negotiating with unions early in the spring, the governor has waited until the new fiscal year this summer to lay the groundwork for a tax hike. “This should have been the very last option on the table. And for him, it was the first and only,” he said. […]

Few legislators had high expectations for next week’s special session. “I think next will be a colossal waste of time,” said Rep. Dennis Reboletti, an Elmhurst Republican. “I don’t think any suburban legislators’ mind was changed by this meeting.”

Part of the problem, of course, was the audience itself. Many of those at the meeting were Republicans who won’t vote for a tax hike no matter what, or Democrats like Jack Franks who also will never, ever vote for a tax increase. And then there are those who are planning a statewide bid (Franks included), who won’t be on board no matter what…

“Again, until there is no more talk of a tax hike, I think we’re going down the wrong road,” [GOP gubernatorial candidate Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine) said.

And…

“We need a Quinn budget that isn’t based on a Blagojevich strategy,” [Rep. Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake)] said. “Would you give these guys more money to spend?”

But there was some support from people who were already supportive…

South suburban Democrats emerged from the meeting aligning with Quinn, saying a combination of an income tax increase and cuts to services will solve the budgetary mess.

“There’s no way we’re going to get out of this without cuts and revenue enhancements,” said state Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields). “Walking around acting like we can do this without an income tax increase is disingenuous at best.”

State Rep. Al Riley (D-Olympia Fields) said the process now comes down to casting aside worries over what voters might remember when they next pull the ballot box lever.

* As for the cuts, Quinn already laid out a billion dollars in reductions last week, so it’s not clear to me if today’s announcement is for another billion or is just a retread of this. The press coverage indicates it’s a retread, which would mean today’s event is a complete fabrication…

$185 million: state operations

• 12 furlough days

• More than 1,600 layoffs for non-Department of Corrections staff

$140 million: Medicaid and health insurance

• Includes $100 million saved by moving Medicaid patients to managed care

$250 million: grants

• Cuts will be targeted to maximize federal matching funds

$175 million: education

• Maintains funding at fiscal 2009 levels and preserves all federal ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) funds

$125 million: Department of Corrections

• More than 1,000 layoffs of DOC personnel

$100 million: additional reserves

$25 million: other state offices, departments and agencies not under the governor

* Raw video of the governor’s press availability from yesterday…

* AFSCME spokesman offered up his union’s side to Fox Chicago this morning…

* Related…

* DHS to suffer $238 million cut, lose 870 positions in state budget crunch

* Budget cuts slam programs for vulnerable

* Budget impasse puts child care at risk

* Adults fear budget impasse will lead to loss of child care

* Budget delays Lincoln Challenge classes

* Agency for seniors urges calls to legislators

* Fix the budget mess and save the politics for election season

* Mike Lawrence: Working toward a better tomorrow

* Gov. Pat Quinn to detail $1 billion in spending cuts

* Gov. Quinn To Unveil State Budget Cuts Tuesday

* Gov. Quinn: Cuts are coming

* Quinn Says Cuts Could Hit Lawmakers, Unions

* Quinn woos suburban lawmakers, but finds budget a tough sell

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:02 am

Comments

Quinn is working a clear, methodical path to gain support for his budget views that would have been outstanding in April. July, not so much.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:05 am
The prime directive of Springfield should be adhered to strictly at this juncture of the “crisis”.

i.e. No should ever believe anything anyone says.

Corollary: If you didn’t read it in Capitol Fax it is most likely a lie.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:08 am
Only took Anders Lindall 3:30 to finally say that AFSCME supports raising taxes Gotta love PR speak…sheesh.

Comment by Interview Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:09 am
Quinn’s promising $100 million in savings by moving Medicaid patients to managed care, fulfilling one of the recommendations of his Taxpayer Advisory Board AND a key budget demand of Cross and Radogno, as well as the Tribune editorial board.

Comment by Buried the Lead Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:12 am
PLUS 1,000 lay-offs at DOC certainly sounds like atleast two prison closures to me.

Comment by Buried the Lead Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:13 am
–”which would mean today’s event is a complete fabrication…”–

Not really totally. For one today is the beginning of implementing the process. As with union lay-offs, it begins with a 30 day notice inwhich before had not yet been given. And the while Quinn has been saying 12 furlough days blah blah, until now the one and only negs on them was back mid June and no actual numbers.

And then there is the number of lay-offs which keeps getting changed (?) 2,200, 2,400 now seeing 2,600. Looks like today is clarification and implementation of the process?

Comment by Princess Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:20 am
There is no way moving medicaid to an HMO is going to save anywhere near $100 million and could very possibly actually raise the state’s costs eventually.
Like the pension “deform” demand it is a key demand of Cross and Radogno only to pacify business and the rest of their dwindling constituencies and will have little or no effect on the state budget this year or any time soon. In fact, in the short term both of these demands could COST the state money. They just need to throw a bone to the rabid gov’t haters before they cave and do what has to be done.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:21 am
okay soo of the layoffs how many will be temps and contractual employees I wish they will clearify! Did I miss something but they haven’t stated what type of employee…..

no offense to a temp because we have lots of them in my office(DHS) if I go and they stay I dont think thats right!!!!

Comment by spring87 Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:27 am
Not an indictment of Rich, but for media in general to say that this is automatically bad to cut spending is awful journalism. Have you even asked if these programs were necessary in the first place? If the cubs cut milton bradley, sure it would be a reduction in the payroll, but not a bad thing for the team.

Comment by Shore Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:30 am
I’m still confused.

Is Quinn cutting $1 billion or $2 billion.

Has he made any cuts yet? And since his proposed budet included increases in staff and operational expenditures, has he made in cuts in the proposed increases? If not, how is he planning to pay for the numerous concessions he has made since his budget plan came out, including concessions to the corporate sector and teachers unions? Or, was the original budget deficit inflated?

As to layoffs, why does he keep pretending he will impose layoffs and furloughs. Don’t furloughs require union agreement (unlikely) or a court order (I think that’s what Schwarzenegger did re California state employee furloughs but it took timeand wasn’t never a sure thing). Plus, Arnie isn’t running for re-election (term limits) so he doesn’t have to appease labor. As to layoffs, have any layoff notices even gone out?
Or is it all rhetoric. We know Quinn quickly backed off on retiree health care and pension changes, so why would we believe he would lay anyone off.

Looks like this week’s version of doomsday rhetoric, with little or no actual action.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:30 am
Is an AV or reduction veto of HB 2145 — which includes payroll and operational expenses for many state agencies — imminent? That’s the only way we will know EXACTLY how much our agency’s budget is getting cut and be able to plan accordingly.

Comment by Secret Square Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:34 am
Bill if the tax increase constituancy was larger you would have had it by now.

Comment by oneman Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:34 am
Cassandra, the state can lay-off workers without union blessings, but the process has to be according to the contract.

Comment by Princess Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:36 am
Oneman,
The constituency is big enough. It is the Ayatollah that’s blocking it until he can get some repubs to walk the plank alongside the minions.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:39 am
Will Matt Murphy propose his “budget cuts” that he so continuously claims can be made already?? He has a staff. He claims he can get it done without a tax increase. Let’s see it, please. Draft a bill, and introduce it. Otherwise, stop telling people in can be done.

Months go by without a Republican budget proposal based on current revenue streams. Rich has called them out, but they still continue get away with talking points and NO action on their thoughts that they share with reporters. I am very interested in seeing these “cuts” that have been identified by Republicans.

That would be my strategy, at least. Cut the budget down where you claim it can be cut, draft a bill, and introduce it.

Then, and only then, would it be proper to run to the press and claim the budget can be balanced based on current revenue streams.

Comment by reactor526 Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:39 am
check out the latest BIP, introduced through Sara Feigenholtz - all rules and regs and even statutes are suspended, for purposes of baslancing the budget.

So cuts of any size and program area are allowed, if the governor signs this — and it is an open invitation for lawsuits, in my opinion.

Comment by Capitol View Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:41 am
Wordslinger is right about the timing of this. Quinn and the GA had from 2/09 on to work on this issue. No, what a minute, Quinn was working on fumigating during that time, wasn’t he…uh, I guess not. So, what was the Gov and GA doing during that time when the budget crisis was so obvious? Quinn belatedly laying the groundwork for the budget by detailing the cuts necessary before pushing any type of tax increase exposes his failure. It has been said that naive Quinn trusted that the GA (read MJM) wanted to deal fairly and work together. Caught off guard by the uncooperative GA, Quinn now “get’s it” and is knuckling down. I could accept that if Quinn had just arrived from the hinterlands with a straw in his mouth but this man has been in Illinois politics for decades. He thought MJM would play nice in the sandbox? Amazing.

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:42 am
==Will Matt Murphy propose his “budget cuts” that he so continuously claims can be made already?==

No, he doesn’t have a clue. All he knows is he wants to be more than he is right now… Talk about a fatal flaw.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:42 am
In typical fashion the state GOP is nowhere to be seen, combatting this guy on fox news but hey at least Mark Kirk raised 580k for q2.

As I said on TeamAmerica’s blog this morning chairman mckenna has to go. There are now 2 kids running for state rep in his home state rep district, both of whom are democrats. We are 2 years into his rule and the party seems as incompetent and incapable as when he got there.

Comment by Shore Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:42 am
Reactor526,

You know how it works - the GOP gets into power swept in by the anger of the populace over the failure of the dems to control spending and causing the budget crisis.

Then the new GOP gov, after careful consideration of the budget problem declares that, “now that I have seen the whole picture, it has become obvious that we need some help with the budget thru ‘right sizing’ revenue”. Been there, seen it.

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:48 am
Actual savings from “managed care” shift for the year will be right around zero….Perhaps StateWideTom and The Senate Minority Leader could volunteer to shift their caucus members to managed care too.
A little “shared sacrifice/leadership/landmark move” would be good for the GOPs.

BTW it was truly impressive to see StateWideTom urge the SubGuv to make the appointments to the two sily commissions he sought. We are guessing StateWideTom want the guy from the Illinois Policy Institute to get a state check for his fine work.
We will think of this as a mini-stim package.

Will SubGuv’s presser means he is AVing the approp bills so the payroll/shutdown crisis is averted? Whew.

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:52 am
Following the Quinn administration is like watching a slow motion train wreck. Finally, after four months of delay, he is beginning the process of laying off state employees; however, because of the AFSCME contract the actual layoffs won’t take effect until October. As difficult and unfortunate as these layoffs are for state workers, Quinn needed to establish creditability that he would follow through with the consequences of unfunded state expenditures. He has begun the real negotiation process with these moves.

Comment by Louis Howe Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:55 am
I’m still confused why everybody is yammering about the layoffs — as if layoffs will solve anything. Is this all to force state workers out the door in an effort to show, look, see, the public sector has layoffs, too?

Comment by Macbeth Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 11:04 am
Nobody talks about the Legislature getting cut. How about them? All of them should have to take the same amount of Furlough days as regular state workers. Make them cut staff.

Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 11:09 am
Macbeth, in my humble opinion, we’re ‘yammering’ because the Republicans insist we must before they will vote to increase badly needed revenue. A sign to the taxpayers that Cross demands, so yammer, yammer with the workers so the state can get this over with.

Yeah, frontline will likely suffer bigtime as will the services they provide, but hey, ya know ya always hear ‘it’s the thought that counts’.

Comment by Princess Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 11:13 am
MacBeth,

Haven’t you heard? If Quinn lays off 50% of state employees, the heaven’s open up and manna falls.

This is supposed to show that the Gov is serious about deep cuts before coming back out asking for a tax increase. Beefing up his bona fides.

This state employee knows this is only a bit of poorly played mis-direction.

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 11:14 am
Quinn is just playing a game of Chinese Water Torture coupled with some fear invoking threats - simply trying to wear down the public and adversaries. Time for Q to go and let Lisa get some valuable OJT.

Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 11:15 am
That’s right Macbeth….Read the business section of any newspaper….when private sector enterprises experience significant revenue shortfalls, they lay off employees, and cut back operations. Simply asking taxpayers for more revenue without first making cuts in state operations is not only irresponsible, but a prescription for defeat in the next election.

Comment by Louis Howe Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 11:22 am
I don’t think I’d worry too much about layoffs. This is the governor who couldn’t bring himself to fire a few hundred Blago appointees who are at will and thus have no civil service or union contract protections.

The problem is that Quinn has less credibility by the day, including on the size of the deficit.
The fact that he quickly backpedaled on the
size of the corporate tax increase and on the
pension and retiree health changes, would suggest that the size of the deficit is, well, fluid in his mind. Making furlough and layoff threats he can’t possibly keep will not improve his credibility.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 11:25 am
He Makes… whaddya mean “nobody talks about the legislature getting cut”? Did you not read this from the Trib:

Gov. Pat Quinn will unveil $1 billion in spending cuts today. In addition, he said state workers, including lawmakers and their staffs, will be asked to take 12 furlough days. “Nobody should be exempt from making sacrifices when all of our state finances are in peril,” Quinn said, according to a report in today’s Chicago Tribune. “If the rest of state government is taking 12 furlough days, including my office, I think all the legislators and all the legislative staffs should participate in the sacrifice.”

Comment by Secret Square Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 11:27 am
But on the other hand, Louis, it seems rather silly to cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face. As the private sector suffers they turn to the public services which are being slashed at a time of greater need.

Comment by Princess Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 11:28 am
This whole process is a travesty! If all this rhetoric were coming from school children it would be understandable, not acceptable, but understandable. But from leaders with yearws of government experience? Unbelieveable!! If MJM wants the budget that was given to Quinn to be a six month budget so his members won’t have people filing against them when they do pass tax increases then he should come out and say it. He should meet with Quinn and outline the strategy, get the Gov on board and then they could announce that they are working together on a plan that is going to take some time to develop and they are passing a six month budget in the mean time. If the Repubs don’t get on board then MJM can come out and say they are obstructionists and not willing to do what’s necessary for the good of the State. The point is there are ways to play this that don’t hurt people but apparently the Gov and the GA would rather cause pain and hardship than to resolve this.
As for those who keep harping on the fact that the private sector has taken cuts and state workers need to step up and take theirs I have one question. Where do all of those people who have lost their jobs and need assistance go to in their time of need? What? Did you say state agencies such as public aid, employment services, DHS? Oh so you would eliminate those programs so those laid off in the private sector have no where to go? Very well thought out plan. The private businesses that have been affected by the recession do not provide services to the needy or the down and out. (Not talking about the groups that have suffered recently from the cuts in social services.) I am talking about the Agencies that were put in place to provide assistance, the safety net as it were. Why would you cut those at a time that they are needed the most? Makes a lot of sense to me. NOT!! Snark intended

Comment by Irish Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 11:35 am
I wonder the same thing as Secret Square. Will the Governor’s announcement this afternoon on budget cuts coincide with action on reduction/amendatory vetoes on HB 2145 today?

Comment by Leatherneck Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 11:37 am
Public servants,
Well, look on the bright side. The feds keep extending unemployment benefits. You can probably stay on compensation for more than a year. Relax. Take the time off. Reassess your career goals. Compliments of the US Gov’t and Illinois employers. Actually, the benefit is not bad. Don’t get sick, though.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 11:59 am
Don’t get sick, though.

Until national health insurance passes.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 12:09 pm
will the employees on the fumigation list be the first to be laid off? Just asking.

Comment by always anonymous Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 12:23 pm
=== will the employees on the fumigation list be the first to be laid off?====

This would remove all management and non AFSCME employees. Should be interesting letting the Union run the State.

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 1:33 pm
DHS could layoff 1500 union workers and food stamp/med/TANF would still get paid. I use to work there and I would say the average worker works about 2 hours a day. It time for CAROL ADAMS to get real. Stop funding all your freinds with contracts.

Comment by upstate Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 1:47 pm
Why do we need food stamp workers? I thought the feds had granted waivers so that the process could be automated and no “home visits” or “face to face” application was required.

I would note, by the way, that you can apply for Social Security benefits online. Why not all government benefits. In person visits from a state clerk should not be required in the 21st century.

As to the suggestion that legislative staffs should not be exempt from cuts per the guv, that’s a suggestion. I don’t believe he has the authority to cut legislative staffs on his own.
More scare tactics.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 2:06 pm
I think there is a misread going on here regarding Medicaid “managed care”. I don’t think the administration intends to increase the enrollment of the Medicaid MCOs much at all. I think they are talking about PCCMs. If I’m right, that’s not moving people into managed care at all: in theory, everyone who isn’t in an MCO is in PCCM right now, at least according to the previous administration. Moreover, it is at best speculative whether PCCMs as currently conducted in Illinois are managed care at all.

Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 2:08 pm
@ reactor526 - Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 10:39 am:

Strategically the republicans should just sit back, complain and the let the IL dems try to dig their way out of the mess.

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 2:11 pm
Yeah, WCW, because that would definitely be in the best interests of their state.

Sheesh.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 2:12 pm
Cassandra, the governor may not be able to tell legislators whom they should hire or fire, what or how many furlough days they have to take, etc. but he DOES have the authority to veto or reduce any of the appropriations made to the legislative branch. The GA can override those vetoes but does NOT always do so.

Comment by Secret Square Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 2:12 pm
@rich,

well it’s working—the republican party is not bandied about as much by the press and public as part of the budget mess as much they were in the beginning.

ultimately republicans will go along with the tax increase—the leaders have said as much. for them it’s not so much a question of if, it’s a question of how.

in the meantime should the repubs offer up budget cutting suggestions and proposals publicly. no.

that’s all i’m saying.

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 2:21 pm
Has there been any thought of offering a 3 or 5 year pension buyout? I’m sure a lot of employees would gladly retire. Maybe this time they could offer employees not eligible for retirement the ability to purchase 3 or 5 years for later use when they are eligible.

Comment by Trashtalker Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 2:22 pm
Not saying they don’t all or that they could someday all work well, but out of curiousity sake, Cassandra, have you ever used one of those ‘automated’, no ‘face to face’ (or even human voice to human voice) systems?

Geez. “I’m sorry, please try again”..”The number you have pushed is incorrect”.. “Please check your numbers and try again”..”Your number of tries has expired, please call back”.

No kidding. Only numbers shown on phone actually pushed were the correct numbers. Five calls finally worked.

As mentioned last week my youngest son was laid off. Scared to tell ‘mom’ he first signed up for unemployment and spent two days job hunting before informing ‘mom’ and asking if she would pay car payment this month. At 22 and never being without full time job since he was 16 it was a reality check for him and his girlfriend.

Anyway, son managed to walk into job better than previous position and paid back ‘mom’ with his left over vacation check. But trying to report being reemployed to unemployment office was a circus. I really have no idea how the citizens who have to deal with it regular or often do so without screaming ‘I want a human please’. He’s nicer than his ‘mom’ who screamed at AT&T once that she wanted ‘a BEEPIN’ Human’ (got one too).

When systems to go to automated complete, I hope such hassles are corrected.

Comment by Princess Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 2:30 pm
…And I guess all I was saying was that I am sick of GOP leaders, and GOP wannabe leaders, expressing their belief that we can “cut” our way out of this mess. To me, it is desperate, dishonest, obstructionist and lazy.

No matter what your politics are, I really cannot see how sitting back and lying is a good strategy, considering the difficulties Illinois faces this year.

If the Dems truly are not showing real leadership, and you truly think you can do a better job, then I think the best strategy would be to DO what you say, and come up with workable proposals that the GOP constantly claims exist.

That would be a great way to set yourself apart from the dominant political party. Otherwise, get the heck out of the way, for the State of Illinois really does not need you.

Comment by reactor526 Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 2:41 pm
hey Cassandra- looks like you missed the mark on the layoff issue as I listen to the presser-

Comment by Anonymous45 Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 2:50 pm
But reactor this is politics.

Dems in fact are not showing true leadership because they’re all (the senate, house and gov office leadership) playing politics too.

the belief that cuts can be made to make the budget hole is asinine for sure. but if one can use to help make the dems look dysfunctional, while staying out of the family fray, then republicans have to do it.

the dems are taking the most heat from the press and public for yet another budget crisis/stalemate.

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 2:56 pm
If you take a look at how well the GA and Blagojevich/Quinn have handled Illinois’ budget, you will discover that the game being played today is not new - it is six years old.

No one is surprised by the deficit. It has been a part of our budget for over a decade. Back when Ryan was governor, it was a cognisant problem.

After almost two terms in total political control of Illinois, the Illinois Democrats have not addressed the problems they promised to address years ago. They are so poor at leading, they cannot even agree among themselves how to pay for the programs they championed. They are so poor at leading, they don’t have enough confidence to ask voters to support their own demands. They are so poor in leading Illinois, they are failing the very basic job of Governing 101: The Annual Budget.

Not only are they failing basic governing, they are failing basic politics as well. The “reformer” they nominated and elected twice was impeached and removed from office. The US Senator they said they would never support, got their support in time to be exposed as a liar and a fraud. The Illinois Democrats can’t even find someone to send to Washington without creating a national disaster.

So, naturally voters are in rebellion. But do they have a clue as to how to regain any semblance of credibility after Blagojevich, Burris, Jones, free Escape vehicles, impeachment, arrests, indictments and massive budgetary and governmental failure? As we see, they do not!

The Party in Power believes in giveaways and freebies for votes. Not governing. Not leading. In 2009, we have witnessed a crisis a month in Illinois, thanks to a government lead by a Party in Power who refuses to do their jobs.

We knew the process they needed to take. They needed to:
1 - Clean House by passing ethic laws and reforms.
2 - Address the budgetary structural deficit.
3 - Cut programs and costs
4 - Discuss new revenue options

In that order! They still don’t get it! They deliberately ignored steps 1 through 3, just as they had been ignoring the Blagojevich crime sprees, the cratering state budget, and the escalading costs of their own government policy programs. They’ve ignored the situation for six years! Obviously, what the Illinois Democrats are doing today is blackmailing the citizens of Illinois into a tax increase during the worse recession in decades, without a single step being taken to ensure that the new taxes raised will be better spent in more efficient ways by more honest government leaders.

And we have another stalemate. Again. And again. The Illinois Democrats have closed off any other options for budgetary resolve except a tax increase, then are too afraid to vote for the tax increases they have blackmailed us into.

The Illinois Democratic Party is in near-total control of the State of Illinois. There are not enough GOP office holders to credibly fingerpoint. Blagojevich was a master fingerpointer, remember? After 2002, the guys he fingerpointed lost their offices. There is not enough opposition in Illinois to the horrific Democratic rule to cut the Democrats enough slack for the disasters we face today. It is nearly all their doing.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 3:22 pm
Actually VM a large chunk of this problem flows from the Republican dominated governemnts raids on the pensionfund in the 80’s. They passed legislation to ramp up repayments for those raid in the far future, hoping to rob peter to pay paul. A large peice of the pension payment is to cover for past GOP borrowing.

ALso, the GOP raised taxes many times without passing reforms; and the need for reforms beins with the Ryan administartions corruption.

The GOP failure to participate in the session by just saying they are not responsible is more sound bite then relaity. They take money fora job they refuse to perform. Until they give up the jobs evry GOP members is culpable along with the dems or the mess we are in.

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 4:29 pm
==Read the business section of any newspaper….when private sector enterprises experience significant revenue shortfalls, they lay off employees, and cut back operations. Simply asking taxpayers for more revenue without first making cuts in state operations is not only irresponsible, but a prescription for defeat in the next election.–

Louis, what business section is that? Do they have stories on Citibank and AIG?

Is it that big a stretch to realize that business and government have quite different purposes? Is government supposed to make a buck?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 6:41 pm