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* Whether or not you agree with the civil unions bill that passed this week, you have to agree that Illinois will finally be known for something other than Rod Blagojevich - at least for a while. For that, I’m grateful.
But we still have this little $13 billion budget deficit problem to work out.
* I’m no fan of the idea that the General Assembly should focus solely on the budget and not bother with anything else at all until that problem is solved. Coming up with solutions will take time and there is plenty of other work to do. So, while I don’t necessarily agree with the sentiment behind Sen. John O. Jones’ remarks during the civil unions debate yesterday, he made a good point about how the governor was contacting members on behalf of civil unions, but hadn’t called anybody about the budget or the economy. Watch…
* During yesterday’s post-civil unions passage press conference, I asked Gov. Pat Quinn when he was going to start working on passing his income tax hike. Watch…
Yeah, I wasn’t thrilled with his answers, either, but one can only ask so many questions during a brief avail.
* You may or may not be a proponent of gaming expansion, but the governor didn’t seem to be all that interested in the proposal passed by the Senate yesterday…
I was the one who asked the follow-up question. Here’s the exchange, since you can’t really hear the questions…
Gov. Pat Quinn told reporters before the vote that he’s not a fan of the idea.
“I’m not for top-heavy expansion of gambling,” Quinn said.
Asked if Link’s plan was “top-heavy,” Quinn said: “It seemed awfully top-heavy to me.”
OK, it’s top-heavy. Fine. I understand. But how about another plan, governor?
A planned $3.5 billion clean-coal technology plant for Taylorville hit another snag Wednesday that will delay a vote on the plant until January.
A Senate committee was scheduled Wednesday to hold a hearing on a bill authorizing the plant that was approved in the House a day earlier. However, just as the hearing was about to begin, an announcement was made that the committee would not hold the hearing on the bill after all.
“I was told we didn’t have enough votes to get (the bill) out of committee,” said Sen. Deanna Demuzio, D-Carlinville. “I was told it would be best to hold it.”
The two advertisers on this blog have vastly different opinions about what that bill would do. But we’re talking a bunch of jobs and investment, so perhaps the governor could inject himself and help find an acceptable compromise.
* Related…
* No Quick Action On Illinois’ Clean Coal Projects
* Senate approves gambling expansion but House leaves town
* Senate passes pension bill that would make Chicago pay up
* Senate OKs new gaming rules in Illinois
* Chicago pushes back on pension reform
* Police, fire pension revamp headed to Quinn’s desk
* Pension reform, gambling, Wrigley Field still up in the air in Springfield
* Public employee evaluations exempted from public records law
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:00 pm
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== I’m no fan of the idea that the General Assembly should focus solely on the budget and not bother with anything else at all until that problem is solved. ==
Sigh…
Comment by :iving in Oklahoma Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:20 pm
Com Ed and Excellon are the ones trying to kill the Taylorville project. They do not want competition, since they are in the pockets of the northern legislators they are holding up the project. We need down state Jobs. Clean coal is the future and will cost more money, but we cannot go with the old coal fired plants so this is what we have to have. If Excellon has their way the only Power plants in the future will be Nuclear and watch what that does to our energy cost.
Tenaska is willing to dump a Mountain of cash in downstate Illinois and provide Jobs any other state would be jumping at the chance, instead we give them a hard time.
We should have voted all of them out!!
Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:22 pm
The income tax hike still seems insurmountable as long as Madigan waits for enough Republicans to jump aboard. It seems like Quinn will again lose this one. What will happen if Quinn doesn’t get the hike? Will we again relive the failed tax hike followed by proposed state employee layoffs cycle, or will the $50 million cost savings agreement recently ratified by AFSCME rank and file be enough to keep layoffs at bay for longer than 2012? What about providers not being paid by the state?
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:23 pm
LiO, the difference between you and me, apparently, is I live in the real world, while you appear to hope for some magical fantasy land where your priority is addressed first, foremost and to the exclusion of all others.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:23 pm
Oh, Quinn. In an immortal and appropriate quote borrowed from the movie Bambi, “kinda wobbly isn’t he?”
Comment by Responsa Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:27 pm
The case can just as easily be made that the civil union bill should have been passed long ago. It’s been in the hatch for years, so it’s not like a lot of debate and negotiation time was taken from the budget, because honestly, there’s been no discussion. Throw your frustration at that.
Using civil unions to bludgeon the budget point is tiresome. You can state your frustration and anger at a lack of progress without pulling this bill into the fray.
The civil union bill has real repercussions for citizens of the state, and was a priority for some citizens. It wasn’t drafted and voted on from thin air. It was not a waste of time.
Comment by Served Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:34 pm
There is no plan to solve the budget problem other then the 1% tax increase which will only dent the problem.
Quinn doesn’t get it.
Comment by Realist Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:41 pm
Governor Quinn the election is over, time to start governing. While I’m not a fan of Governor Christie’s (NJ) policies, you have to admire his leadership. He doesn’t take crap from anyone and pushes his own agenda without apology. Governor Quinn needs to lead and he needs to do it now.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:41 pm
Apparently it was just a little higher up on Quinn’s “mandate scale” than the income tax hike. Wonder what’s next?
Comment by N'ville Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:41 pm
Maybe the Gov should find out if a tax hike is feasable, if not, maybe he should work on plan B.
If the Republican’s don’t like any of the Democrat’s plans, maybe the should do their own budget and call it for a vote.
Comment by Ahoy Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:43 pm
Ahoy there….good idea. Why didn’t someone think of that sooner? Tom Cross could just take the gavel away from the Speaker and call his bill…
Comment by N'ville Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:46 pm
Why should we expect action now on the budget, it’s not like we have had much of anything besides kick the can with it anyway.
Remember
Revenunes,
Spending,
borrowing,
selling
Those are the four knobs you can turn to solve the problem, that’s it. It’s time to decided what knobs we are going to turn and start doing so.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:48 pm
…he made a good point about how the governor was contacting members on behalf of civil unions, but hadn’t called anybody about the budget or the economy.
Democrats in the bad position of needing a few vicotries for key constituencies that are going to cost them with key stakeholders in their coalition. It’s a vicious trap Quinn’s walking into here especially if employment doesn’t pick up. Imagine walking into to some places in Chicago and mentioning you’re still out of work, but gosh, Gov Quinn’s given you an option to join into a Civil Union with the guy on the next bar stool or barber chair over there. Key parts of the Democratic Coalition are going to really wonder where the Party’s priorities went.
I would have voted for this by the way but it’s way way done my list of things Illinois needs to do. Quinn better hope a lot of people take advantage of it because if Illinois’s still in a bind, and the politics still mis managed, and all of 1,000 civil unions performed in the next year, it’s going to be tough to defend this time spent in Springfield.
Comment by Bill Baar Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:50 pm
Senator Jones, here here! When I see matters like these debated in either Springfield or D.C., I cringe - not because of the issues at hand but because we are facing the worst budge deficit in our state’s and nation’s respective histories.
Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:57 pm
I agree that an income tax hike would only do so much toward the deficit, which is expected to keep growing. The tax increase at best requires spending cuts, but even this will not be enough. Budget cuts, an income tax increase and creation of jobs seem to all be needed now. Can cuts and jobs creation offset an income tax increase? What about creation of jobs, deep state employee pension reform and budget cuts? Will this meaningfully ease the deficit and the borrowing?
Republican leadership in the U.S. Senate wants Bush’s tax cuts to wealthier people to be extended at the cost of blocking most other legislation during this lame duck period. I’ve read that the tax cuts will deepen the federal deficit, and I’m not certain what economic damage the cuts have averted during these bad times.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 2:00 pm
Social issues do matter. The liberal side of social issues anyway.
Conservatives were played for fools by shutting up during the campaign season. The right doesn’t know how to play this game called politics in IL.
Comment by just sayin' Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 2:03 pm
This lack of leadership and managing by Quinn is no surprise. It won’t get better. This state re-elected Blago. They have elected Quinn. It will be sheer luck or happenstance if the economy in Illinois gets better.
It will be a looooong 4 years!
Comment by Wally Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 2:04 pm
N’Ville, I bet you that if the House GOP conference introduced a budget in the form of bills they would get called and get a thorough airing.
Let’s see it. Isn’t that the responsibility of the minority party, to offer alternatives? Sen. Radogno was able just today to turn around a long, detailed list of questions on the tobacco bond sale and work program. She’s got a lot of staff, big hitters like Dillard and Brady. Certainly they could turn around at least a one-page proposed budget summary in short order.
Yesterday, GOP legislators were complaining that they shouldn’t be dealing with civil unions because there was work to be done on the budget. Well, get to work. You’re among the highest paid legislators in the country. If you’re not working on a budget proposal, what, in fact, or you doing when you’re in session?
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 2:09 pm
As was pointed out elsewhere the budget issues was addressed in the House when ‘boardsCross voted against certifying the pension payment. That move jumped the deficit to about $17 billion.
Using to tobacco money to pay bills is cheaper that the interest penalty on the prompt payment act.
BTW could anyone explain NoTaxBill’s “Present” vote on gaming. It is a baffler
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 2:16 pm
So correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t this the same House who’s very members publically stated that they worked 24/7, 365 days a year? (This was in answer to how much they should be charged for a Furlough Day. The more days they work dilutes the amount of money they have to lose.)
So what do these very concerned, highly ethical, totally committed to public service, members have to rush back to their Districts for? I am sure it must be very important. Much more important than doing ANYTHING to help the many agencies, public service groups, etc. that are trying to do their best to help the least fortunate through these tough times and especially around the Holidays.
I guess my Christmas wish for the Gov. and all the members of the GA is that they may be visited by three spirits…………….
Comment by Irish Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 2:20 pm
===tobacco money to pay bills is cheaper that the interest penalty on the prompt payment act.===
You’re talking short-term debt vs. long-term debt. Plus, you can always just amend the law.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 2:25 pm
Anonymous - Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 1:41 pm: - I would wait to see how NJ is in a few years. WE used to have a guy that did the same thing and now he is doing ads for Pistachio nuts, just sayin.
Comment by Irish Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 2:29 pm
Let us remove the subsidies to the “clean coal” plant, and ComEd and Excelon to boot, and let the chips fall where they may, huh?
Grandson of Man,
The US Senate Republicans are paying absolutely zero political price (and arguably improving their standing, according to yesterday’s Gallup results) for taking a hard stand against Senate Democrats who want to push non-economic bills during the lame duck session. Why? Because they are in the voter’s sweet spot with that stand.
The election may be over, as people were kind enough to point out to me, and indeed it is. That must mean that our elected officials either read a different message than I did, or are just choosing to ignore the public (since we are a long way from the next election).
Economic issues first, everything else later.
Comment by Cincinnatus Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 2:40 pm
>>Social issues do matter. The liberal side of social issues anyway.>Conservatives were played for fools by shutting up during the campaign season.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 2:43 pm
Oops, stuff was omitted from my last post. I was replying to just sayin’ when I wrote that in my opinion it would have been better for Brady to have kept silent about or subordinated his social stances and focused on the budget and economy when he ran for governor.
Cincinnatus,
I was not writing about political support for Republican U.S. Senators in regards to their tough stance for the extension of the Bush tax cuts to the wealthiest. I was wondering whether these cuts help avert greater economic harm during the recent recession and current high unemployment. I also read that the cuts will add hundreds of billions to the federal deficit over the next decade. I wonder how this relates to Illinois’ current state budget/unemployment crises.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 2:54 pm
I am glad someone in the Legislature finally gets it. We need to be addressing the BUDGET. Sorry for yelling, but this is absurd. What makes me even more angry are the rationalizations I read here, “well Dems need a win..” blah, blah, blah. Over intellectualizing reality will NOT balance the budget. Let’s straigt talk (no pun intended) and get to the BUDGET!
Comment by FredformerAnon Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 3:31 pm
Cincinnatus,
Thanks for your views. Someone I know (an Illinois resident) will lose a vital second job due to his company outsourcing to a Latin American country. I wonder sometimes whether even tax cuts are enough to save jobs. If my acquaintance’s employer is willing to leave even in a tax-friendly environment, how does that bode for the rest of us, assuming that companies who are leaving/outsourcing are not financially in dire straits but are doing so simply to increase profits?
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 3:32 pm
@OneMan - I’d argue that borrowing and selling are both kick the can down the road knobs.
Comment by Robert Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 3:38 pm
GoM,
Tax cuts are not enough. Neither are tax increases. Spending is the dog that wags that tail.
Why did the company outsource? I would suspect that it was because the cost of labor is too high in their current location. Regulations, unionization and other government policies (like taxes) are the things that create the environment in which the business must operate. We need to look in detail at the issues surrounding the ability of a business to be successful, and allow businesses to grow wealth.
Comment by Cincinnatus Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 3:42 pm
GoM,
One more point. The bottom line in a business is very important, especially in large, publicly traded companies whose stocks and bonds are used for pensions in both the public and private sector, and whose profits are often reinvested creating further economic growth and R&D on their future products.
Comment by Cincinnatus Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 3:46 pm
Cincinnatus,
Thanks again for your perspectives. Thank you, CF readers, for tolerating my digression. If corporations are allowed to grow wealth away from workers who are dependent on them for decent standards of living, how do we convince the companies to stay and contribute to higher qualities of life, assuming that companies can afford to pay people decently and provide some benefits?
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 3:54 pm
Cincinnatus,
One more point, with all due respect: If I’m a corporation executive who is responsible for outsourcing jobs when my company can afford to help workers with pensions, health insurance, decent wages, etc., what do I tell a worker who I’m about to fire? And if I had to make political commentary, what do I tell voters, if they are concerned about job creation?
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 4:00 pm
1. Senator Jones found time to sponsor a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, which I’m sure he would have happily advanced if he thought he had the votes. For him to complain about Rep. Harris’s legislation is absurd.
2. The same folks complaining that Quinn should be focused on leading on budget issues were just complaining weeks ago that he had no mandate for a tax increase.
I happened to agree with them at the time that with less than 50% of the vote — much of it anti-Brady and not pro-Quinn — he was in a weak position. Trying to dictate to the legislature on any issue probably won’t work. In fact, I’ve yet to hear any lawmaker decided to vote for the measure because of Quinn.
3. If the Governor comes to talk to Jones about civil unions, that’s a perfect time for Jones to inject his budget concerns. Legislators should stop being so whiny. I remember one lawmaker telling the story of George Ryan coming to talk about a gun bill. The lawmaker brought up a bridge needed back home. They voted Aye for the gun bill and the bridge got built.
4. All those focused on tax policy as a hurdle to job creation in Illinois should have their head examined. According to Chief Executive Magazine, Illinois ranks 46th in business climate, but only 30th in business tax climate. On ‘Regulatory environment,’ Illinois ranks 13th. Its not our tax climate or regulatory climate dragging us down…its other factors, like the quality of our education system dragging us down.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 4:51 pm
One reason the civil unions bill passed this week and sensible budget measures did not was that there were GOP votes in both chambers for one, but not for the other. Think about that for a minute.
There were GOP votes for civil unions. There are no GOP votes for pension borrowing, tax hikes or severe spending cuts.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 7:35 pm
Yellow Dog Dem “only” 30th in tax climate? Nothing like raising the bar below mediocrity. Our hard-working legislature that checks in tues and leaves town thurs will just run out of time to address the budget. they exhasted all their energy on civil unions-so the veto session was not a complete waste. the failure to address the budget problem was the (choose: Reb or Dems) fault.
Comment by State Mope Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 9:10 pm
Should fire ALL career politicians from everywhere.
As an example of typical career politician - Hultgren wants to get his paychecks as a State Senator from the people of Illinois doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING until Jan 4, 2011 rather than stepping aside so that next guy can be appointed. Maybe it’s legal (is it?) but surely it shows who he is.
Hultgren is already busy getting into pockets of DC special interest groups - raising money for his campaign coffer at DC in November from high power lobbyists, starting with two fundraisers at Covington & Burling, law firm representing big corperations. What a crook!
People in 14th district elected a WRONG man to send to congress.
Mr. Hultgren - at least step aside if you aren’t going to do your job. It’s bad of you to just collect your paychecks doing absolutely nothing.
Comment by From 14 Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 2:10 am
@Mope:
Only 30th in tax climate compared to 46th in business climate…it doesn’t take much arithmetic to realize that if you want to raise your average, you get the most bang for your buck by raising the most below-average scores.
Interestingly, most of the factors weighing down the business climate in Illinois are things which affect the business climate indirectly but affect the quality-of-life of our citizens directly. That makes things like fixing our education system a two-fer.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 10:01 am
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Dec 2, 10 @ 4:00 pm:
“Cincinnatus,
One more point, with all due respect: If I’m a corporation executive who is responsible for outsourcing jobs when my company can afford to help workers with pensions, health insurance, decent wages, etc., what do I tell a worker who I’m about to fire? And if I had to make political commentary, what do I tell voters, if they are concerned about job creation?”
Just what I’ve told people I’ve had to let go. Here are the numbers, I wish there was something I could otherwise do.
I think YDD has nicely summarized the problems in Illinois. While YDD and I would probably disagree on the remedies to the problems he outlines, I would love to see a process undertaken by our “leaders” that results in an understanding of those issues and maps out some possible solutions.
I would suggest that there were some free market solutions to many of the business environment problems that would make Illinois a more fertile environment for new business development. We have several assets sitting fallow, I wish they were utilized.
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 10:15 am
Illinois’s reputation for corruption is legendary.Approaching gay legalized bonding probably won’t make much difference to that reputation.Legislators certainly demonstrated little concern for the most important issue-the State is broke.
Comment by sylvia Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 10:54 am
Cincannatus,
Your neoliberal economic fantasies will hopefully remain just that- fantasies. If not for the bailout of banks your envisioned neoliberal economic nirvanna would be even further away than it is now as your capitalist neoliberal policies would have created the largest financial and economic disaster in the world’s history- bar none.
Comment by bdogg Friday, Dec 3, 10 @ 11:10 am