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* UPDATED x2 * Too many are clueless about the mess we’re in

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*** UPDATE 2 - 11:48 am *** This was in my in-box earlier and didn’t notice it. DCFS cuts announced…

Dear Provider,

The General Assembly recently approved a “50-percent budget” for fiscal year 2010 that cuts a long list of vital services and programs. This budget falls far short of meeting the statutory obligations and needs of the State, and fails to fulfill our basic commitments to the people of Illinois.

The legislature’s “50 percent budget” cuts $460,451,675 from $1,337,750,700 from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, severely impacting our ability to provide services.

Due to the General Assembly’s failure to approve the revenue plan proposed by Governor Quinn, the State of Illinois will no longer be able to afford contract # 0 for Fiscal Year 2010…

*** UPDATE 1 - 9:38 am *** DHS has sent a memo to providers telling them about upcoming budget cuts and how they will impact the private providers. Read the memo by clicking here.

[ *** End of Updates *** ]

* The Daily Herald editorial board, once again, proves its own cluelessness…

Your leaders really are not helping. In the Senate, your leadership hung you out to dry by convincing six of you suburban Democrats to vote for a big tax hike that went nowhere and certainly wasn’t accompanied by budget cuts.

Actually, the tax plan voted on in the Senate would’ve forced $2 billion in budget cuts or reforms. Can’t that edit board pick up the phone and call its Statehouse bureau? Sheesh. And didn’t it read the Taxpayer Action Board report, wherein former state budget director Steve Schnorf wrote this about the board’s proposed budget reforms…

“My best personal estimate is that you will be able to save very little, if any, money in (fiscal 2010),” Schnorf wrote. “If I were working on the budget, I would be thrilled if there were $200 million in actual, achievable FY10 savings.”

* Republican state Sen. John Jones doesn’t believe that doomsday is coming…

Jones called for Governor Pat Quinn to get off his high horse and stop acting like former Governor Rod Blagojevich in traveling around the state using scare tactics. “Everybody’s been misinformed. They think the 50% budget that the House and Senate passed is at the Governor’s office and he’s going to sign it into law. He isn’t going to sign it into law. In fact, they haven’t even sent it to him. They aren’t about to send it to him. That was just a ploy to stir everybody up. Everybody thinks they’re getting a 50% cut, but we’ll work through this,” Jones said.

* But…

Thousands of state workers have their jobs on the line as officials continue debating whether to raise the income tax and how deeply government operations must be cut to balance the budget.

* And here’s my Sun-Times column…

I’ve always thought that Illinois government functioned best when it was divided.

The anecdotal evidence is clear. For decades we had a Republican governor and a Democratic Legislature, or at least a Democratic House, and things went pretty well.

But under total Democratic rule, the process has appeared hopelessly broken.

For the third year in a row, the May 31 deadline for passing a state budget has been blown. Draconian budget cuts are coming without some sort of tax increase, but there’s been precious little progress on that front. Gov. Quinn seems unable to make any headway.

Whenever the budget was broken in the past, GOP governors were able to persuade Republican legislators to vote with the majority Democrats to get things done. Back in 1983, Illinois’ unemployment was higher than it is now. The state was flat broke. Yet, Republican Gov. Jim Thompson managed to increase both the income tax and the sales tax, and he did it with quite a few Republican votes.

Thompson recalled that he used to jog in Springfield’s Washington Park every morning and that House Republican leader Lee Daniels had a residence near the park.

“I bought a coffee pot and five pounds of coffee,” Thompson said. “I knocked on [Daniels’] door, barged in and said, ‘Listen, I’m not leaving until you come to my side if I have to come back every morning.’ And I did until we reached an agreement.

“I convinced him that I was determined to do this and I was willing to listen to his concerns, but that the matter was personal to me.”

Daniels says there was very little jogging involved. “Thompson was a walker,” the retired House GOP leader cracked. But there was a lot of coffee, and a whole lot of give-and-take.

The Republicans initially opposed Thompson’s proposal, Daniels said, “but we became aware that without some kind of revenue enhancement, there would be dramatic reductions in state services.”

As a minority leader, Daniels said, “I always thought my job was to present alternatives” to the majority’s proposals. “We weren’t saying ‘No, no, no.’ We came back with a variety of alternatives.” One of those alternatives was a temporary income tax increase. Thompson at first balked, but finally gave in; and the tax increase did, indeed, expire 18 months later.

But that give-and-take didn’t happen with the Republicans this spring. Not a single GOP legislator was willing to vote for an income tax increase in either chamber, though several privately expressed a willingness, even an eagerness, to do so. The Republicans also proposed no serious alternatives.

Thompson laid the blame for that at the Democrats’ feet. In his day and long after, Republicans always had a seat at the table. But this year, they were left out of the process until Democrats demanded in the final days of the session that Republicans vote for an income tax increase to fund a budget that they had no role in constructing.

Quinn asked Thompson to call House Republicans to get the lay of the land. Thompson said he told Quinn what their answer would be before he ever picked up the phone: “We were frozen out for six months and now you want our vote, but you don’t want our voice.”

So, I’ve revised my theory. What has been missing this year, and through most of the Rod Blagojevich years, is a governor who thought like a real leader.

“You gotta think about what it takes to get things accomplished,” Thompson said. “You gotta set your mind on what you need to do to get things done and to find the compromises so you can get stuff passed.”

None of that happened this year.

What a mess.

* Related…

* ADDED: STAR bonds bill in Illinois should be rejected

* Potential state budget cuts spark protests in Crystal Lake, Woodstock: Howell was one of about 30 people Thursday who took part in a protest at Friendship House in Crystal Lake. A separate protest of about 20 people occurred later in the day in Woodstock outside of the office of state Rep. Jack Franks.

* Little consenus on budget crisis

* SJ-R: The time is now: House Speaker Mike Madigan’s position appears to be that he won’t mobilize his Democratic members for a tax increase until some Republicans get on board, too. House Republican leader Tom Cross says that won’t happen until the Democrats get behind some budget reforms the Republicans want. Reps. Raymond Poe and Rich Brauer, both Republicans — voted against raising the income tax, but seem to be ignoring the potential catastrophic effects on their constituents and neither has proposed where exactly to cut state government to fill a $12 billion hole.

* Advocates to Lawmakers: “Don’t Drop the Ball”: Advocates for early childhood education took to the road Thursday to remind lawmakers that they need to “get on the ball” and find a different budget solution.

* Groups: Don’t ‘drop the ball’ on youth funding: About 71 people took their protest directly to local lawmakers on behalf of Child Care Resource and Referral, which operates out of John A. Logan College.

* State budget cuts squeeze day-care users, providers - Could hurt 3,200 local low-income families

* Quinn warns of budget consequences: “We have to make sure our state budget is balanced and has enough revenue to invest in important human services that are especially indispensable during a hard economic time,” the governor said.

* Quinn warns about upcoming cuts: “Do we want more suicides in Illinois? I don’t think so,” Quinn said outside the mental health center… The governor, who has been engaged in talks with legislative leaders, sidestepped a question about whether he would accept any of the budget cuts that Republicans have been urging. Instead, he focused on the need to raise revenue, noting it had been done in tough economic times before, including in the 1930s.

* Audits slap Ill. agencies for waste, lax oversight: The cases are tiny pieces of the state’s nearly $60 billion budget, but they could provide leverage for critics who say government spending cuts are needed before tax hikes proposed by Gov. Pat Quinn are even considered.

* Audit finds 52 computers missing from state agency

* Auditor questions $98,000 spent on conference meant for education about slavery

* ‘Very bad audit’ turns up trouble at education office: The state’s top auditor called for a criminal probe of the suburban Cook County regional education office after an audit found that the director repeatedly used a government credit card for personal expenses and approved questionable payments to relatives on his payroll.

* Social services decry budget cuts

* SIU trustees ponder money problems

* Crosspoint programs in jeopardy

* State says it has treatment for ‘nature deficit disorder’

* Governor Pat Quinn Proclaims “Childrens’ Day” on Sunday

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:00 am

Comments

How well would divided government have handled the current economic crisis?

Blagojevich kicked problems to the future, but all of them do this to an extent. I’m sure you can find examples under Ryan, Edgar and Thompson. When was the last time Illinois pensions were fully funded (not just adequate contributions for a particular year)?

Comment by Carl Nyberg Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:10 am
Actually, Gov Thompson started the “100% of Payout” sham state pension contribution which has lead to the $60 billion plus pension underfunding. But Rich is right, Thompson was very much engaged in the budget and legislative process. I didn’t think so at the time, but looking back, Thompson was a pretty good governor. He cared about making government work, even though he would campaign that everything was rosy and then ask for a tax increase after every election in the 80s(82/86). Ultimately, he lost creditability and didn’t run for re-election in 1990.

Comment by Louis Howe Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:21 am
Troubles at education office - Any relation to Representative Flowers?

Comment by high roller Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:29 am
Quinn isn’t going layoff, eliminate or fire anyone. If he does anything, he’ll add.
Got some advice, offer early retirements for state employees.
Many of them can’t wait to get out.

Comment by Cough up the Benjamins Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:34 am
Nice Sun Times article; way to go.

Comment by sal-says Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:38 am
Charles Flowers was pushed by Rep. Karen Yarbrough, Democratic Committeeman Proviso Township.

The impetuous for the activists who supported Flowers was that he would use the office to check abuses at District 88 (Bellwood and Stone Park elementary schools), District 89 (Maywood and Melrose Park elementary schools) and District 209 (Proviso Township High Schools).

Flowers either couldn’t or wouldn’t do anything to address the problems in those districts. IMO there’s a fair argument that the Cook County State’s Attorney wasn’t being helpful or cooperative.

But I think it’s also fair to say, Flowers’ team wasn’t very sophisticated about getting the Cook County State’s Attorney to make the legal rulings that would allow Flowers to remove board members violating their oaths of office. Flowers’ team seemed to think that their job was merely to be a conduit for complaints.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:43 am
Great job, Rich in pointing out the folly in the Daily Herald’s editorial. They really should look again at HB 174. Between the guaranteed property tax relief, the additional funds for special education and the fiscal accountability provisions, there’s a lot in it that their suburban readers might like — even if it does include a larger income tax increase.

As for the current budget mess, it sure seems we are in it for the long haul. Meetings between the leaders once a week and the rhetoric they spew between meetings just doesn’t cut it.

Comment by GA Watcher Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:51 am
Carl: State pensions were about 80% funded around 2000 or 2001, and may have approached the 90% range if things had stayed the same (which they seldom do). Another early retirement initiative, 9/11, and the dot com bubble, as well as the underfunding of the catch up provision and the current stock market doldrums, have conspired to pull the funding ratio down about 30%.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:57 am
There aren’t many republicans left to be bipartisan with.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 9:59 am
===Blagojevich kicked problems to the future===

That’s all you have to say about him? Sheesh. Take the partisan blinders off and re-read my column.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:00 am
Our statewide leaders are Chicago neighbors. They spend most of their time working in the Thompson Center, 250 miles away from Illinois’ capital. They come from the same town. From the same political culture. From the same political party.

So how can it be a surprise when our statewide leaders fail to reach beyond their little parocial Loop offices and govern Illinois as they were elected to do? Chicago is a wonderful city, and all, but there is more to Illinois than that. There are people living in the rest of the state - are they failing to recognize this?

This insular view of Illinois that holds the statewide elected offices within the same monoculture, party and political machine is bound to fail. It shouldn’t be surprising that this kind of inbred political class of sons, fathers, and daughters holding political office, are incapable of having a discussion with someone not from their little part of the world.

It isn’t necessarily a Chicago problem. It is what happens when political power becomes so isolated within such a small sphere of players with similar political goals and beliefs. Illinois is a remarkably diverse society of races, nationalities and cultures. For a political party that touts political correctness and the benefits of diversity, our state leader’s actions demonstrate the opposite of what they have been preaching, hasn’t it? There is no political diversity among our state leaders, and we suffer as a consequence.

Illinois hasn’t had a bipartisan political culture for eight years. During this century, this isolated political class has been unable to resolve state issues because doing so would jeopardize their political power within their little political world of Chicago. Illinois state government is being ran in a culture not dissimilar to a local school board full of neighborhood grudges, infighting, and family bickering. Whether it is the Blagojevichs verses the Madigans, the Jones verses the Jacksons, the Daleys verses the Strogers, (who can keep up?), our state government is ran as though it was a park district in Hooterville.

So I’m not surprised by the willfull blindness and arrogance exhibited by the Party in Power. They don’t recognize that they are responsible for a world beyond I-294. As they raise their sons and daughters to hand off their political fiefdoms and annoint their offspring to do battle against one another, the rest of Illinois suffers.

And they don’t care.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:17 am
Wow, read the audit summary for the cook regional board….

Couldn’t get to the full report, it asked for a password.

Wow…

Comment by OneMan Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:20 am
Why are regional offices allowed to purchase their own vehicles? Isn’t there central purchasing somewhere in the bloated management staff?
Yep, gotta cut human services, not a penny more of waste to be found
No wonder Proviso East ranks dead last

Comment by Hank Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:35 am
Rich - Can you post more DHS memos as they become available? The one you’ve posted is just for DD providers. Thanks.

Comment by Anon Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:35 am
Providers of services who receive funding from DHS are going to have a very difficult time providing care for the developmentally disabled persons they serve if the “doomsday” budget is implemented. When the residential programs begin to close I wonder who will provide homes for these vulnerable persons? I know that sounds like Quinn. It is inconceivable to me that this could come to pass. My mind won’t allow that. Perhaps that is why people can’t accept what Quinn says since they, too, can’t conceive of the state abandoning their responsibilities like that. The Chicago Metro area has the largest concentration of this population. I wonder how long it will be before the providers here make those elitists inside I294 listen to reality. I wonder if they can make them care.

That letter from DHS to providers represents a microcosm of the states’ problems overall. While there are ways to reduce the size of the budget which should be implemented (I believe the senate bill showed some contact with reality) and reform must be concrete and transparent, revenue increases must also follow that.

We are watching the GA/MJM etc. I wonder if they care about that?

Comment by dupage dan Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 10:36 am
I am sure you know this Rich but not a single budget bill has even been sent to the Governor. The way things are going come July 1st there will be a lot more memo’s from DHS, IDOT, DOC, DCEO, and DCFS.

Comment by WOW Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 11:13 am
===but not a single budget bill has even been sent to the Governor===

At least one was sent to him on the 9th. Noticed that this morning.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 11:13 am
==== Illinois government functioned best when it was divided.====

True, but I do not agree that it was the division that was responsible, I think you hit the nail closer to the head with this point:

==== What has been missing this year, and through most of the Rod Blagojevich years, is a governor who thought like a real leader.===

The Govenor ultimatly needs to be the leader driving the train. Quinns passing last minute phone call to the republicans was a weak effort. he shoul have started earlier talking to them, or thompson.

We have a train speeding donw the track with no driver. All of our elected leaders are standing in the caboose fighting about the impending derailment due to the speeding train, but no one is stepping up to the drivers seat to get the train under control.

Comment by Ghost Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 11:42 am
Why should it surprise anyone that a budget has not been passed within the prescribed time? The dems had no intent of being the only fall guys for a sales tax or income tax increase. This is a non-election year and this is THE YEAR to pass the income tax increase. The legislators believe it would give them time to repair their image with their constituents in time to get their seat back in 2010 (those that are running). And in Illinois, that logic usually works. However, there are some seats that are extremely vulnerable (can’t tell you which ones, this is just my common sense speaking), and with that in mind, MMadigan and Cullerton intentially wanted to hold this thing up until the GOP had to come on board to get anything passed. That way, both parties can present the necessary votes to pass the increase and pick and choose which vulnerable legislators (both Dem and GOP) they can leave out of the crucial vote, thus leaving the vulnerables having to do no damage control to their districts. Quinn can save his time and the State’s money by not doing anymore hometown meetings to get this budget deal made. It will be made whether Quinn keeps barking or not.

Comment by Little Egypt Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 11:45 am
Little Egypt,

It has certainly played out that way in the past. I think people are more concerned due to the enormity of crisis along w/the rhetoric that is flying out of the Gov’s office.

MJM wants to spread the pain to protect his caucus. I get that. I don’t have to like it, but I get it. The hole is so big, tho. Can the GA fix it? Are they going to bring it down to the wire and then come out looking like heros? Will they attend to the huge ethics/reform/corruption/waste issue at all or just shove the tax increase down our throats and climb back into their cocoon?

Comment by dupage dan Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 12:10 pm
Quinn’s budget proposal appears to be based in part on concessions from the state employee’s union. The unions haven’t indicated a willingness to reopen the contract and it’s not clear that Quinn has made a serious request for that anyway. Surely he knows there will be no savings in that corner. And probably other corners as well.

So we do have to wonder….should Quinn get his regressive middle class tax increase, will he suddenly “find” the money so no concessions are needed. Will the budget deficit shrink suddenly making all budget cuts unnecessary? Happy, porky days again in state government?

Money is funny and with Quinn and his Blago budget team in charge, fairy tales are possible.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 12:52 pm
For whatever reason, many people refuse to acknowledge that state revenues are down. That doesn’t happen very often in government — even in bad years, you get a little natural growth.

This is a very bad year, and revenues are down for state governments all over the country.

It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 1:18 pm
I am being told many of these e-mails to providers are telling them to contact their legislators and ask them to vote for a tax increase. How is this not unethical lobbying behavior. If they do it on their own time, it’s one thing, but these messages are coming from state accounts.

Comment by Casual Observer Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 1:51 pm
===I am being told many of these e-mails to providers are telling them to contact their legislators and ask them to vote for a tax increase. How is this not unethical lobbying behavior. If they do it on their own time, it’s one thing, but these messages are coming from state accounts.===

“Lobbying” means any communication with an official of the executive or legislative branch of State government as defined in subsection (c) for the ultimate purpose of influencing executive, legislative, or administrative action. 25 ILCS 170/2(e).

That is how. Lobbying actually has a legislative definition. They are contacting PRIVATE providers and telling them to “lobby” the legislators.

Comment by Obamarama Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 2:03 pm
Absolutely correct Rich. what is really offensive to me is the number of legislators from safe Democratic districts who voted no on the temporary tax increase. It’s disgusting, although I suspect something else is at play here, something that is really not kosher whatsoever. This isn’t a political game. Real people are going to be impacted.

Comment by this old hack Friday, Jun 12, 09 @ 3:34 pm
this old hack has gotta point. what’s up with those dems who voted “no”?
there’s a game going on here and only a few have the rules. but what’s the real end game plan? Quinn cannot pass all this pain around this state!

Comment by You gotta point Saturday, Jun 13, 09 @ 10:05 pm