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The “No, We Can’t” tour continues today

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Illinois

* Another round of talks. Don’t expect much…

Gov. Pat Quinn and top lawmakers are headed into another round of budget negotiations amid dire warnings of massive service cuts.

Quinn and the state’s legislative leaders were expected to meet Tuesday afternoon.

* The governor intends to ratchet up the rhetoric…

QUINN: Now, I’m going to be probably more aggressive than ever this week. I don’t think this is the time to run in place and pretend all is well. It’s the exact opposite and we have to have an urgent approach to a crisis that we never encountered — most of us in our lifetime.

The problem for Quinn is that he has so little credibility on this issue. Nobody really believes that a liberal like Quinn will allow a doomsday budget to happen. The governor needs backup, so maybe he should do something like bring in Republicans like Jim Edgar, Steve Schnorf etc. to help him make the case that the budget situation is, indeed, dire and the huge cuts that are coming are all too real.

* Meanwhile, the leaders keep pointing fingers at each other…

CROSS: Everybody in Illinois government knows that when the Speaker wants to pass something he gets it passed. And unfortunately, this time around he didn’t pass it. It certainly begs the question of why he would send an unbalanced budget or a budget that doesn’t take care of certain segments of society, why he would do that to the governor and more importantly to those people in Illinois.

…Adding… Once. Just once, I’d like to see a newspaper stand up and offer to take a hit for the good of the budget…

Quinn said he can’t think of a higher priority than children. Lawmakers’ first responsibility should be fiscal responsibility; spending beyond what the state can afford hurts all residents, children included.

Quinn says a tax increase is needed. If he hopes to convince lawmakers of that, he is first going to have to get serious about cutting programs and services. They made clear they are not going to ask taxpayers to sacrifice anymore than they already do unless state government goes first.

I don’t mean to pick on the BN-D, but how much do newspapers make off of public advertising mandates? And how much do they save because of targeted state sales tax exemptions on everything from newsprint, to ink to printing equipment? They’d be a lot more credible when they scream for cuts if they offered themselves up first.

Just sayin…

* Related…

* Officials: SIUC’s Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders will close without sufficient funding

* Budget cuts could be devastating

* Long-Term vs. Community Care: Illinois Worst in USA in Serving Adults in Community Settings

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 11:36 am

Comments

He certainly seems to be committed to a tax increase…a regressive one, which will fall most heavily on the mid-range and lower-range middle class. In fact, he backed right off of the less regressive option.

And I understand that he has been accused (rightly) of flip-flopping, and he has to be careful there. So he has to stick to all these scary stories, even ratchet them up. I’d guess a lot of folks are starting to tune him out, but that’s the risk.

But what happened to transparency. His refusal to explain what he has done to cut state government expenses reflects huge arrogance. He says he has made cuts, but what are they? He and his (Blago-appointed) financial team never say. How hard would it be to pull together and post online a list of cuts by department…not the doomsday cuts, but the ones he claims have already been scheduled and will occur regardless of which budget passes. Is he lying? Or is it the usual arrogance of well-off Democratic liberals who are so fond of spending other folks’ money…for our own good, of course.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 12:06 pm
Nobody really believes that a liberal like Quinn will allow a doomsday budget to happen.

Expecting a liberal to reduce government is like expecting a Quaker to fight a war. Sure, it could happen, but…

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 12:06 pm
=== He says he has made cuts, but what are they? He and his (Blago-appointed) financial team never say. ===

He outlined the cuts in his proposed budget.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 12:09 pm
And that was months ago.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 12:09 pm
“His refusal to explain what he has done to cut state government expenses reflects huge arrogance. “

I don’t think that is true at all. It took me about 15 seconds to go to his web site and find a list:

http://budget.illinois.gov/cuttingcosts.htm

Comment by George Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 12:11 pm
And have any of these cuts actually occurred?

I’m not aware that the union has agreed to any furlough days. And virtually all of the state workforce is now unionized. Nor am I aware that any of the proposed increased charges to retiree for their health care have passed the legislature.

My original statement stands. I’m looking for confirmed cuts, not maybe cuts contingent on something else happening.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 12:23 pm
Expecting a liberal to reduce government is like expecting a Quaker to fight a war.

Richard Nixon was a Quaker (although some would argue a lapsed one), and he presided over a good chunk of the Vietnam Conflict.

Back on topic, it seems like a long summer for the GA to be on call. Not being versed in IL’s parliamentary procedure, are the capital and temporary budget bills “on the clock” to become law if Quinn doesn’t act? Or are they not on the clock because of the parliamentary retraction procedure that was used?

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 12:24 pm
++And have any of these cuts actually occurred?++

These are cuts for FY10. We are still in FY09.

Comment by montrose Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 12:27 pm
They don’t appear to be scheduled either. If state retirees were going to see an increase of $400 to $500 a month in their monthly premuiums, I think we’d have heard more about it. Besides, my pals in state govt say it’s not happening.

Let me hasten to add that I don’t think the guv should jack up the premiums. We should wait on this. Universal health care is likely to change everything.

My point here is that when politicians (especially those with a pro-tax agenda) say they are going to cut something, or they have cut something, you have to look at those statements very carefully. Streamlining anything in state government doesn’t seem to be on this guv’s mind.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 12:36 pm
Cross, ineffective sell out that he is, is right when he claims that Mad-again could have passed the governor’s budget if he had wanted to. In fact, he can pass or kill just about anything he wants to whenever he wants to. These leaders meeting are a joke. They are just going to wait and stall until June 30 at 11:59 pm to see what the Supreme Potentate of Illinois decides to do. I don’t think Maddie has the guts to just do nothing and let the state shut down but then again,I never underestimate the arrogance and hubris of His Highness. It is ironic that a republican is chairman of the state democratic party, but this is Illinois after all.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 12:48 pm
Someone needs to call Tom Cross out.

Let’s accept it as an article of faith that Madigan “could” have passed a tax increase if he wanted to.

Is Tom Cross saying that Madigan SHOULD have passed a tax increase?

Or is he applauding the fact that Democrats DIDN’T pass a tax increase?

Alot of politicians want to have it both ways. Tom Cross seems to want to have it about FOUR ways:

1) We shouldn’t raise taxes.
2) Madigan should have raised taxes.
3) We need to cut spending.
4) We need to restore spending cuts.

Which is it, Tom?

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 12:51 pm
YDD

GOP strategy: We need a tax increase and more spending; make the dems do it alone so we have talking points for the elction.

They want it all of course

My favorite is repubs voting for increased spending but against the rveneue to pay for the money they hacve already voted to spend.

You will also notice no GOP member has offered to cut state projects, spending and jobs from their district to lead off these cuts.

Its a game of chicken between Cross and Madigan to see who will blink first.

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 12:59 pm
To add to YDD’s comment, Cross could have put up some votes as well. And it wouldn’t have needed to be 18 because there were a few Dems waiting in the wings to join a bipartisan vote.

Cross complains he wasn’t part of the negotiations, but nobody was stopping him from putting out a plan and trying to attract a few D’s to vote for it.

I realize this is unlikely in Springfield, but if Cross is, as he claims, irrelevant, it is, in part, his own choice to be so. Perhaps the House Republicans need a new leader.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 1:00 pm
So how long will it be before the multitudes that rely on the state for survival begin to pine for the good ol’ days of governor Blagojevich? But hey, at least the state parks are open again. We will have plenty of open space for the laid off state employees, the less fortunate, the mentally ill, the released prisoners and home hospice patients to build tent cities to live in.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 1:00 pm
++So how long will it be before the multitudes that rely on the state for survival begin to pine for the good ol’ days of governor Blagojevich?++

Are you actually suggesting we would have a decent, sustainable budget right now if Blago was still around?

Comment by montrose Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 1:09 pm
Bill,

If Blago was governor, they probably would have passed the tax hike just to spite him.

Possibly 118 votes.

Comment by George Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 1:11 pm
Bill -

Don’t hold your breath.

On second thought, Hold your breath.

Just kidding!

Pot -

Tru Dat! Two weeks ago the GOP would’ve needed to put 6-10 votes on a tax increase.

Now they’ll need to put 17-21 votes up.

To make matters worse for Republicans:

1) The budget deficit has grown $1.5 Billion in one week, which means it’ll be a BIGGER tax increase;

2) If history is any guide, those additional 10 Republicans will each insist that some favorite pet project of theirs is restored, which means bigger spending and…you guessed it: a BIGGER tax increase;

3) Cullerton, and by inference Madigan, are insisting that the only way that everyone can be assured ample political cover for what will now be a bipartisan tax increase is if ALL FOUR LEADERS vote for it. Cullerton, in fact, is calling it the “Tom Cross tax increase.”

4) By next week, Cullerton and Madigan will be insisting that Cross and Radogno not only vote for the tax increase, but co-sponsor it.

I’ll agree Cross entered into a game of Chicken with Madigan. Probably his first mistake.

Madigan is a student of history, and he knows that forcing one party to shoulder the sole responsibility of raising taxes would be a monumental, precedent-setting mistake. Its never happened, it never should happen, and Madigan won’t let it happen.

Mike Madigan never bluffs.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 1:16 pm
Rich…Quinn isn’t making cuts or even seriously preparing agencies to make cuts. In fact, some of his agencies are still posting epars and planning to hire additional staff (see CMS Website). There’s a disconnect between his rhetoric and his senior Gov staff lack of action.

Comment by Louis Howe Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 1:23 pm
The ol’ GRT ain’t looking so bad now is it?

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 1:31 pm
==Madigan is a student of history…Mike Madigan never bluffs.==
YDD,
Your speakerophilia is amazing! Mike is truly a legend in his own (and your) mind.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 1:35 pm
===
Rich…Quinn isn’t making cuts or even seriously preparing agencies to make cuts. In fact, some of his agencies are still posting epars and planning to hire additional staff (see CMS Website).
====

Agencies should do exactly this. There’s federal monies coming, and it’s important that the funds are disbursed properly. Of course, agencies will continue to hire — just as agencies hired under the Blagojevich freeze.

The key is hiring into critical positions. All agencies have critical positions, and it’s important that the positions continued to be filled.

Comment by Macbeth Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 1:37 pm
Mac,
Anybody stupid enough to accept state employment now isn’t qualified for the job.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 1:45 pm
YDD,

Madigan could of done whatever he wanted and chose not to raise txes that is what he chose to do.Cross is against a tax increase and so is his party. Madigan trying to blame Cross for something he didnt need any GOP help for is just silly.

1) The budget deficit has grown $1.5 Billion in one week, which means it’ll be a BIGGER tax increase. If this is true a (real big if) we are doomed if the deficit is growing at that rate we can not fix it with any of the proposed plans. Time for the state to declare bankrupcty and start over.

Comment by fed up Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 1:46 pm
Macbeth….I don’t know where you are in state government, but there is a major difference between what constitutes “critical positions” when an administration is facing a $7 billion budget deficits compared to a normal hiring freeze. The 25% reserve exercise was a waste of time without a realistic implementation plan. Quinn is spending time with noncritical activities (like Clemency issues) when he may need to close programs and prisons throughout the state.

Comment by Louis Howe Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 1:58 pm
They need to shine some daylight on the nursing home lobby. Nursing homes are ***highly*** restrictive settings and ***very*** high cost care options for people who are developmentally disabled or mentally ill. There is no movement toward examining this expense category and finding less expensive community care options. Why? Well, because the nursing home lobby is entwined with the legislative leaders. The state’s been sued and isn’t making any progress toward moving people into less restrictive settings — which save literally millions of dollars per year.

Comment by SouthernGirl Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:01 pm
Puhleeze. Let’s keep pointing at Cross and the Republicans as if they are the problem. How about this…the Dems have it all and cannot get the job done. They have (had) enough votes in the both houses to get it done but no, they lack the cajones. Cross is right, Madigan (for strictly political reasons, not what’s good for the citizens) did not pass a tax increase after everyone agreed that we cannot cut our way out of this.

Comment by RobRoy Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:01 pm
fed up -

1) Cross is FOR a tax increase, and so are the majority of his caucus members, although there is some debate within the caucus about just how big. They just want someone else to do the heavy lifting.

2) The State Constitution doesn’t allow us to declare bankruptcy, and, ironically, the current level of state debt was supported by Republicans…state indebtedness requires a 3/5 approval.

The deficit is not growing at a rate we can’t fix…Tom Cross could decide to:

- pass a 5% tax increase instead of a 4.5% tax increase;

- Expand the sales tax base (which would likely require rolling back the Cook County sales tax);

- Close Illinois’ $1.7 Billion in corporate tax loopholes, including the sales tax exemptions newspapers currently enjoy;

I’m sure there are some other ideas kicking around as well. I can’t wait to see what tax plan Tom Cross comes up with.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:02 pm
The finger-pointing back and forth in comments shows exactly why nothing is being done.

Try to have a bit of self-awareness, people.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:03 pm
==
but there is a major difference between what constitutes “critical positions” when an administration is facing a $7 billion budget deficits compared to a normal hiring freeze.
==

Right. And the 7 billion has *nothing* to do with state employees. Moreover, no cutting of the already too-low workforce will come close to making up the $7 billion deficit.

Where am I? I’m with the idea that the laying off state employees won’t even *begin* to solve the larger, structural issues that our leaders are too frightened to fix.

Comment by Macbeth Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:05 pm
=== Let’s keep pointing at Cross and the Republicans as if they are the problem. How about this…the Dems have it all and cannot get the job done. They have (had) enough votes in the both houses to get it done but no, they lack the cajones. ===

Cajones? Um, 42 Democrats voted for the tax increase, and how many Republicans? Zero.

Not one vote from:

Tom “We must fund stem cell research” Cross;
Beth “We must fund home health care” Coulson;
Rosemary “We must fund special education” Mulligan;
Mike “We must end overcrowding in our prisons” Cross;
Rich “We must fund Western Illinois University” Myers;

You want me to go on? Because I really can.

We can, should, and I believe WILL avoid a Doomsday budget, and we’ve got plenty of time to do so.

But Democrats wouldn’t, shouldn’t, and couldn’t fall into the trap of being the only ones to be responsible.

I give Tom Cross credit for making the calculated political gamble that Democrats would pass a budget that raised taxes without a single GOP vote. But he lost that bet.

And if you DON’T think he’s unhappy about it, just listen to him. He wants the public to focus on the past, on what COULD have happened before May 31st.

Contrast that with just a couple of years ago, when he was overjoyed and bragging about how going into overtime would mean Republicans would have a seat at the table.

Well, he ain’t bragging now, is he? And I’ll tell you why he’s not overjoyed: he knows he’s going to have to raise taxes, and he’s not going to be able to blame Democrats.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:15 pm
Yellow Dog Democrat: You truly live up to your handle with your partisan rants! Go ahead, blame the GOP for the Illinois mismanagement of the last 6 years. That will boost your credibility a lot! Voting a straight party ticket is a substitute for thinking. And it just empowers the party bosses, who can then give you mediocre candidates to slavishly support, as they do now.

Comment by Legaleagle Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:15 pm
The repubs are holding out for maximum pork. If they get it watch their principles wilt faster than grass in a drought. Remember the pork bill is still being held up by Cullerton.
By the way, when Mad-again says the state should implement the 50% budget and not expect more money is he lying?

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:23 pm
…or bluffing

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:26 pm
=== Your speakerophilia is amazing! Mike is truly a legend in his own (and your) mind. ===

Bill -

Actually, I have it on good authority that Mike Madigan is aware of both his strengths and weaknesses, and while I have great respect for him, I’ve also offered up my criticisms from time-to-time.

(Which reminds me, how’s your pal Rod?)

That said, even Republicans admit that as the longest-serving active member of the General Assembly, as a delegate who helped create our state’s Constitution, and as the longest-serving legislative leader in the country, Mike Madigan has paid pretty close attention to our state’s political and legislative history because he lived it.

And if you go back to the first year he was elected Speaker, in 1983, I don’t think you’ll find a single example of Mike Madigan being caught in a bluff.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:28 pm
Macbeth…”Right. And the 7 billion has *nothing* to do with state employees.”……

Get Real!!!..GM, Chrysler, even solvent and profitable companies like Caterpillar, begin every private sector restructuring by demanding employee give backs. AFSCME isn’t going to open up the current contract without significant real layoffs. Madigan understands that raising taxes 50% while the state government payroll remains untouched is asking for a voter backlash.

Comment by Louis Howe Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:30 pm
===I don’t think you’ll find a single example of Mike Madigan being caught in a bluff. ===

SB600

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:31 pm
YDD,
Rod is ok. He’s being Mr. Dad while Patti is away bringing home the bacon. He spends his spare time planning Patti’s upcoming gubernatorial campaign.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:35 pm
Louis, AFSCME did not open their contract the last time a governor (Ryan) threatened and actually did toss out ’significant real layoffs’ and they’re still working under staff shortages.

Comment by Princess Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:35 pm
===The repubs are holding out for maximum pork. If they get it watch their principles wilt faster than grass in a drought===
Bill, you are right and they already proved this when they voted for the capital bill along with video poker and raising license fees. Video Poker? If they (and all the dems) can be bought off with enough capital projects to vote for that they can also vote for an income tax hike. They just need something more concrete to point to. No pun intended.

Comment by Been There Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:40 pm
The point is that “significant real layoffs” aren’t the answer here. Not this time — and not any time over the past 15 years where “significant real layoffs” have occurred.

Sure, some $$$ will be saved. And the layoffs will be cover for the tax increase that will eventually pass. But the layoffs aren’t a long-term fix for a long festering structural problem.

AFSCME shouldn’t open the contract. Then what’s the point of the contract in the first place?

I agree with the point raised several days ago. It’s not this particular labor contract — it’s labor contracts in general that bother folks. And (for me, at least) that’s wrong-headed thinking.

Comment by Macbeth Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:43 pm
=== Go ahead, blame the GOP for the Illinois mismanagement of the last 6 years. That will boost your credibility a lot! ===

1) The structural budget deficit pre-dates Rod Blagojevich, and I think if you ask Steve Schnorf he’ll tell you that the chickens coming home to roost now were laid in the 1980’s.

2) The “mismanagement” of the last six years has very little, if anything, to do with Illinois budget crunch. States across the country are facing the same problem: the stock market crashed and people lost their jobs, and pension funds fell along with tax revenues as a result.

3) I’m not saying that Democrats don’t bare ANY responsibility for the current problems or for fixing them. I just reject Tom Cross’s argument that Democrats bare SOLE responsibility for both.

Contrary to popular opinion, most Democrats aren’t thrilled with the idea of voting to raise taxes, nor are most Republicans thrilled with the idea of cutting spending.

What we’re likely to see is a budget that raises LESS revenue than most members of the General Assembly would like to spend and makes some cuts in programs that both parties would not like to make.

At the end of the day, here’s some things I DON’T think will happen:

1) a Two-tiered pension system, partly because Republicans secretly like the unions much more than they’ll admit, and partly because it doesn’t actually help balance the budget, so why spend the political capital?

2) Linked “ethics reform” votes, because I think Madigan believes - correctly - that if Cross tells folks he’s holding health care and education hostage until he gets the campaign finance reform bill he wants, Cross is gonna find out people care a heck-of-a-lot more about health care and education.

3) Closure of ANY state facilities;

4) Cuts in human services grants below last year’s levels;

5)Medicaid “reform”, because TAB has pretty much blown a hole in the idea that its a Silver Bullet, and because it would only take a handful of Democrats to block such a plan, unless Cross is willing to put a handful more Republicans on.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:44 pm
Rich:

Re: SB600

The bill is on Second Reading, and final action deadline has been extended until Nov. 30th.

I don’t think Madigan’s bluffing, I think he’s holding that card over the Republicans’ heads in case he needs it.

Unless you disagree and think he should have played it already? It passed the Senate with 44 votes, I don’t think there’s any doubt Madigan could pass it in the House.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:50 pm
Louis Howe @ 1:23, it seems you are right about agencies not getting the memo. The Dept of Ag again announced plans for the State Fair the day the leaders are meeting. I think this is the third time this has happened. Talk about timing.
===Press release: Country artist added to State Fair lineup
Last updated June 09, 2009 @ 11:23 a.m.===

http://thedome.sj-r.com/sectio
n/top-stories/press-release-c
ountry-artist-added-to-state-
fair-lineup/

Comment by Been There Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:51 pm
== Rod is ok. He’s being Mr. Dad while Patti is away bringing home the bacon. He spends his spare time planning Patti’s upcoming gubernatorial campaign. ==

Bill -

I thought the family switched to an all-bug diet?

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:52 pm
===Patti’s upcoming gubernatorial campaign===

I’d pay to see that one.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:53 pm
=== Sure, some $$$ will be saved.==== That I beleive is the redherring of layoffs, the perception that they actually save money. They may reduce payroll costs, but the loss will reduce income to the state, and increase costs to have the work performed.

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:56 pm
==I’d pay==
Good! I’ll let you know where to send the check.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 2:58 pm
YDD,

If the Debt is growingf at 1.5 Billion a week like you claim the tax increase doesnt get the job done.

PS you are being disingenuine when you say 4.5% increase or 5% increase it is a 50% increase or a 67% increase.

Ill is already unfriendly to Buisness we need some to stick around and employee some people they all cant be pushed to Indiana or down south.

Comment by fed up Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 3:05 pm
===If the Debt is growingf at 1.5 Billion a week like you claim the tax increase doesnt get the job done.===

It’s not.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 3:05 pm
I know its not Rich, YDD likes to make up numbers.

Comment by fed up Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 3:16 pm
Has anybody noticed our neighbor to the east is debating the size of their budget SURPLUS, rather than fretting over how to pay for their deficit? And their guv gives IL and MI a subtle ribbing in the process.

http://www.indystar.com/article/2009
0603/NEWS08/906030369/1101/NEW
S08/Daniels++budget+talk+wa
s+skilled++polished

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 3:21 pm
Macbeth…”It’s not this particular labor contract — it’s labor contracts in general that bother folks. And (for me, at least) that’s wrong-headed thinking.”
Labor Contracts don’t bother me….In fact, I grew up in a union household and my first job out of highschool was working for the UAW which allowed me to save enough money to go to college. But the Illinois AFSCME contract needs a major overhaul (see TAB report pgs 11,12,14,15). Ask most trade union BAs about AFSCME and you’ll get an honest working class answer….”spoiled rotten.”

Comment by Louis Howe Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 3:25 pm
Six, you mean our neighbor to the east who abolished the unions in his state?

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 3:28 pm
We are in a raging forest fire that is rapidly spreading, yet it seems all the Democrats want to do is fingerpoint at the few Republicans left in Illinois public office as some kind of culprit. The Democrats are in charge here in Illinois, they have all the statewide and national offices, and vast majorities in both houses. Tom Cross is not Mrs. O’Leary’s cow. Only the best ran states right now are not overwhelmed, and Illinois has been one of the worse ran states for the past seven years. We are in a world of hurt.

So, it should be no surprise that one of the worse ran states in the US has not passed any meaningful reforms or advance ethics in any effective way. It should come as no surprise that those still in charge would rather fingerpoint than make the tough decisions required of their elected offices. It should come as no surprise that everything in Illinois is pay-to-played to save gerrymandered scalps, instead of the leadership we see across our state’s borders.

The Democrats wanted all the political power in Illinois, and have had it for nearly a decade - so what are they doing? What have they done to prepare Illinois for these economic downturns? What have they done to prepare our state as it faces one of our generation’s worse economic times? If the Illinois Democratic Party couldn’t get it done in seven years of dominant political power, what makes them think citizens are so gullible when they fingerpoint at those without political power as the cause of our distresses?

We needed action yesterday, but nothing happened. What makes our current political players think Illinoisans believe anything they spew forth as they try to save their own political scalps?

The Illinois Democrats are willing to go down with the ship and think their little fiefdoms will keep them afloat as though they are the Titanic’s sofa cushions. It is every legislator for themselves, and they don’t care about us unless we have either campaign contributions for their coffers, or unions to back up our threats.

We cannot trust governments to do anything, except collect our wages and waste them.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 3:31 pm
VM your comments are fascinating, so the GOP are not elected officials accountable for their decisions? or because they can not push out policy on a prty basis they can not be called to task for their decisions?

Every GOP elected official is just as acountable as the dems for their decisions and actions. tchnically the high pension payment is the result of GOP pushed legislation ramping up the payments to cover for GOP borrowing without a tax increase and so forth. The GOP was the majority in power and decisions were made that are hurting us now.

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 3:35 pm
Ghost,

The GOP hasn’t been in power for years. If the Dems have had a strangle hold on the state for nearly 7 years, how do they account for the fact that we are still in trouble. Can you honestly point to any clear effort on the part of the party in total power to undo all the damage the GOP supposedly did in the years previous? While you may be able to point to the GOPs faults go tit for tat. Give us one measure that the Dems put into place with their majorities in the last 6-7 years to address the structural problems many here continue to describe.

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 3:41 pm
As I recall, about 35 Representatives voted against the capital bill, including Beth “We must fund home health care” Coulson, and Rosemary “we must fund education” Mulligan, on the theory that the $1.2 billion in new revenue should go to the operating deficit, especially to social services, and that a capital bill and ever more roads can wait a year for a better economy. I think they were absolutely right.

Comment by Legaleagle Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 3:41 pm
Six, you mean our neighbor to the east who abolished the unions in his state?

I guess we’ll see how sacred our cows are in IL over the next few years. BTW, I don’t begrudge any state employee for wanting the protection of a union under the last few administrations.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 3:56 pm
== If the Debt is growingf at 1.5 Billion a week like you claim the tax increase doesnt get the job done. ==

Rich & fed up:

I never said that the budget deficit was growing at $1.5 Billion per week. I said it grew $1.5 Billion over the past week.

And, according to CapitolFax:

- The doomsday budget that was supposedly balanced has a $1.5 billion hole in it;

- The state will lose out on $200 million in federal Medicaid matching grants;

To make matters worse, in the old days the four leaders and the Gov. could go into a room and just “pretend” that some legislative change — so for example moving Medicaid patients to managed care — would magically save $3 Billion and declare the budget balanced.

But as the facts about some of these so-called cost-cutting measures come to light, those options are quickly evaporating.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 4:14 pm
=== I said it grew $1.5 Billion over the past week.===

That’s wrong, too. It didn’t grow. It was a shortfall in the budget which passed.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 4:16 pm
Six Degrees of Separation:

You mean Indiana, the state with the 3.4% personal income tax rate?

Where retirement income is taxed?

Where counties, and not just state government, are permitted to levy an income tax, which ranges from 1% to more than 3%?

Where Republicans increased the state sales tax to 7% last year, and where sales taxes cover a wide variety of consumer services?

Yeah, I noticed their budget surplus. Not really surprising, is it?

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 4:20 pm
== It was a shortfall in the budget which passed. ==

In that case, my bad.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 4:22 pm
And they all knew about it when they passed it.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 4:31 pm
YDD:

The sad part is that, if IL raised its income tax 0.4%, taxed the handful of high-income retirees who still choose to live here, and increased its sales tax .075% and expanded its coverage a little bit, I doubt if it would close the gap.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Tuesday, Jun 9, 09 @ 4:59 pm