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Posted by Barton Lorimor (@bartonlorimor)
* Bill Daley whacked Gov. Quinn this weekend for his amendatory veto of legislative salaries from the fiscal year 2014 budget…
“It’s an abuse of power and a disgrace that any governor and a democratic governor albeit will take such an outrageous step. Obviously it hasn’t produced anything,” Daley said.
Lawmakers have now missed two pay periods. You’ll recall the Governor vetoed the legislative salary appropriation from the budget until they pass pension reform. The Governor stood by prior statements that lawmakers should override his veto instead of filing a civil suit claiming the move was unconstitutional.
* Speaking of that lawsuit, attorneys for the Governor filed a motion to dismiss…
In a motion filed in Cook County Circuit Court on Friday, Quinn’s lawyers acknowledge such an override could be unpopular with Illinois voters. But they say as long as the option exists, the lawsuit filed by House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton seeking to restore legislators’ pay is premature.
“When a veto rankles the General Assembly, the usual and constitutionally sanctioned response is to seek to override it,” the attorneys state. “They have declined to exercise that power.”
Quinn’s lawyers also argue he has the constitutional authority to veto money for lawmaker salaries.
* Rich reported on a list of items being discussed by a bi-partisan committee of House and Senate legislators a couple weeks ago. The AP picked up on the list a day later. This weekend a Lee Enterprises editorial board said the items are “a good start,” but that they lack in some areas…
First, it does not address increasing the retirement age of public sector employees. Many public sector employees can retire as early as age 55, a benefit that is unheard of in the private sector. Taxpayers are weary of footing the bill for early retirement of public sector employees.
The second area that the plan doesn’t address is relieving the pressure the pension system places on the rest of the state budget. From the years between 2020 and 2038, 20 percent of the state budget would go toward the pension system. That means that other state services — education, health, public safety and others — would continue to struggle for the funds that remain.
* Related…
* Daley looks for path to victory
* Governor Quinn pushes to raise minimum wage to $10
* Quinn keeps pushing to raise Illinois’ minimum wage
* Quinn, Daley agree with Obama on Syria
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 3, 13 @ 7:14 am
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I love it when editorial boards say the State’s pension payments are/will crowd out other State services like education and public safety. Why didn’t they say anything all those years of no/short pension payments when in effect other State services took precedence over pension payments?
Comment by Sir Reel Tuesday, Sep 3, 13 @ 7:22 am
Daley gets points for not playing to the mindless mob on the pay veto issue. Good on him.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 3, 13 @ 8:02 am
While the options that the CC on Pensions seems to be proposing attempt to provide token “consideration” for the draconian cuts being envisioned, since there isn’t a “No thanks, I’ll keep the rules in place that I have now” option, well…, see ya in court
Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Sep 3, 13 @ 9:01 am
I agree with Daley that what the Governor did is an abuse of power. You cannot have the Governor OR the legislature playing these sorts of games with each others budgets. In my opinion is totally usurps the concept of separate but EQUAL branches of government. It’s not very equal when one can eliminate the budget of the other. The courts need to step in and stop this nonsense.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Sep 3, 13 @ 10:10 am
That’s not the way you use “albeit.”
Comment by Soccermom Tuesday, Sep 3, 13 @ 10:28 am
Daley has been making sense with clear statements on a bunch of issues. He’s got a good writer with him, and pays attention to what he recommends.
I wish I believed this would make a difference in the outcome.
Comment by walkinfool Tuesday, Sep 3, 13 @ 10:30 am
–That’s not the way you use “albeit.”–
Close enough for a Daley, lol.
I suspect he said “at that,” so that would be on the reporter. But the Bridgeport accent can be a little tough to decipher sometimes.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 3, 13 @ 10:36 am
The gov was just on CNBC. Nothing new here… Same old lame taking points.
Comment by RetiredStateEmployee Tuesday, Sep 3, 13 @ 10:41 am
==the courts need to step in and stop this nonsense==
I agree that this is not the way to work together. But then again, I guess the legislators are getting a taste of what they’re about to do to public workers/retirees. Just have someone haphazardly hack away at your livelihood when (in the case of workers and retirees) you did NOTHING wrong. Just doesn’t seem to feel right, does it?
Comment by JC Tuesday, Sep 3, 13 @ 12:16 pm
Hey, Daley, Quinn is a “populist”, the lowest of political life-forms. Any cheap gesture to rouse the mob!
Comment by Skirmisher Tuesday, Sep 3, 13 @ 12:40 pm
I agree with Daley on this, if anything the members of the Assembly are going slower on the pension issue. There is no chance for a special session at all.
As for the ability of state employees to retire at 55, its clearly not the private sector standard. I don’t think a later retirement age should be imposed on state workers in prisons, state police, and many state workers in mental health facilities. I also have some real reservations about imposing a retirement age of over 60 for many workers in the Dept. of Transportation.
But imposing retirement age changes on existing workers will likely be defeated in the courts, there are many state workers who took their jobs only because they knew they could retire at 55. In my opinion it was part of the deal for relatively low salaries paid until more recently.
Comment by Rod Tuesday, Sep 3, 13 @ 5:14 pm