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[Bumped up for visibility.]
* I’ll be on Public Television at noon today before the start of Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget address. Check your local listings. The broadcast will also be carried live on Public Radio, so you can listen in if you don’t have access to a TV or don’t want to actually see me (and I don’t blame you).
* We’ll have a separate thread with this morning’s news stories about the upcoming budget address, but this will be our live coverage post throughout the day, with react and all sorts of other goodies, so stay with us right here. As always, Blackberry users click here, everybody else can just kick back and watch the show unfold before your very eyes…
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 10:50 am
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9% cuts across the board? When Brady proposed 10%, Quinn called him heartless & naive.
Seems a bit ironic. Oh well, this way we get the tax hike and the cuts. Best of both worlds, right PQ?
Comment by Shock & Awww(e) Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 11:31 am
It’s on Ch 11 in Chicago - FYI.
Quinn looks Nixon from the 1960 debates. Someone in his staff needs to work on the lighting for his TV moments.
I like the tone of the speech so far. Truth, hard decisions. A lot of pain here, but it’s reality people. Greece is not alone - this is our austerity budget.
Comment by Siriusly Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:07 pm
Illinois shouldn’t increase funding for anything until the backlog of unpaid bills is taken care of.
Comment by Aldyth Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:09 pm
Wow. Who is this guy? Where has he been hiding?
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:23 pm
After mentioning that past governors did not make pension payments PQ says pension payments this year will make up 15% of GRF only a few years ago it was 6%. DUH!! If you don’t make the whole payment it won’t take up as much of the GRF. Then if you start making up those payments the last couple of years it will take up a higher percentage. Bottomline you can’t use that comparison to show the true percentage of what the payment would be if the GA and past administrations had done it right. But watch the Trib and other use those figures to promote their agendas.
Comment by Irish Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:24 pm
Requiring the Governor to use real numbers in the budget address was a good thing by the GA. I remember never listening to a single one of Blago’s budget addresses because they were meaningless speechifying.
Sad of course that the legislature has to require the state’s governor to actually talk about the budget in realistic terms, but still this is an improvement.
Comment by Siriusly Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:24 pm
Sounds like a lecturing grand-parent
Comment by Todd Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:25 pm
Which CMS garages are they closing?
Comment by Foster brooks Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:32 pm
I have to applaud the members of the General Assembly for their restraint. As far as I can tell nobody laughed out loud at him.
Comment by N'ville Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:33 pm
Is the budget book available on the web yet? I can’t wait to get a copy.
Comment by JCE Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:34 pm
Amanda Vinicky doing a really nice job, and looking good, on public television post-speech commentary.
Comment by Siriusly Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:35 pm
Irish,
I believe Ryan did make the pension payments as required by the ramp up …
Comment by Retired Non-Union Guy Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:35 pm
The general fund is down $425 million. I predict Republicans still won’t be satisfied, even as they oppose his facility closures.
Comment by reformer Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:36 pm
Assuming his budget numbers are based on solid assumptions, this was the speech that Illinois has been waiting for–for decades.
Comment by JCE Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:38 pm
It seemed to me he mentioned only pension reforms for three state pensions systems. TRS, SURS and SERS I’m guessing. How about the legislative pensions? Pensions for a part-time job? and at 80% of the final day’s salary after 20 years. For example, if Flider becomes new Ag Dir. his pension would become 80% of that salary………not his lesser legislative salary. Why not talk about reforms in this area?
Comment by AtALoss Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:38 pm
@JCE
It is posted online.
http://www.state.il.us/budget/default.asp
Comment by TCB Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:40 pm
Shared sacrifice mentioned, but I didn’t hear anything about grounding the State planes and helicopters. And what’s up with getting “special session pay” when they work during the summer?
Comment by AtALoss Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:40 pm
Rambling was at a minimum. The Gov sounded serious and appears to be serious about straightening out the budget. Now, will he sit down to the tough task of negotiating?
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:41 pm
Just advised the reason youth maximum security prison in Joliet was chosen because it “looks like an adult prison”, This facility houses youth convicted of the worst crimes in IL. I.e. Murder, rape, child molestation, UUW, Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Robbery etc. Does it really matter what the outside looks like? This has got to be the lamest reason I have ever heard to close a facility.
Comment by Walk in my shoes Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:43 pm
I do agree that education is important, but with our current economy, is now really the time to increase early childhood education and MAP grants? How about more “work/study?”
Comment by AtALoss Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:43 pm
@TCB - Thanks!
Comment by JCE Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:44 pm
@ Pot
I think the better question is will the leaders be willing to sit down with him? Madigan & Cullerton already seem to have some disdain for PQ & might be more angry after this speech in which Quinn seemed to be pointing the finger at the GA for this mess.
Comment by TCB Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:45 pm
Now is exactly the right time to invest in education AtALoss. It’s not a big item, but putting an extra 10% into early childhood education and higher education access for needy students is the most important thing we can do.
People keep talking about the US falling behind China, look at what they are doing over there - they keep building schools and universities so that more of their kids can be highly educated. Cutting education is foolish.
I think this was a good budget outline by the governor.
Comment by Siriusly Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:47 pm
Political speak for “everything is on the table” means we haven’t paid in the past so we don’t have to pay in the future only this time our lack of payment will not be deceptive because we are admitting we won’t make the payments.
Comment by Liberty First Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:51 pm
If you look at the state board of education’s budget as a whole, even with the Governor’s increases, it’s still down by several hundred million dollars (unless Im confused, $600M) compared to FY12…….this ofcourse has to do with ARRA money phasing out. As a state, when the Fed funds phase out, we cannot allow the children of Illinois to suffer.
Comment by TCB Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:51 pm
Madigan: “Springfield is a nice town in July and August.”
Ruh-roh. Pack your swimming suits people.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 12:56 pm
–total General Funds spending $33.77B, up $500M from FY12 adopted budget.–
I make that a 1.5% increase.
According to the BLS, the current national all-items inflation rate is 2.9%. For other items:
Medical services, 3.7%.
Food, 4.4%.
Energy commodities (gasoline, heating oil), 10%.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 1:01 pm
I liked it. He said what I had hoped for - a reasoned approach and direct ideas for a big budget problem.
Comment by Y2D Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 1:28 pm
They can with a quick vote adjust the RAMP. They should shoot for 75% by 2055. That would cut the amount required for annual payments.
Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 1:28 pm
Good tone to the speech. Need many more specifics, but reality may be sinking in.
Bit concerned about some of his ideas in reviewing these budget docs. Cut 17 State Police but hire 50 IDOT workers? etc.
Still too early to get a solid feel for the soundness of his overall plan.
Comment by Shock & Awww(e) Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 1:46 pm
@ Shock
-Bit concerned about some of his ideas in reviewing these budget docs. Cut 17 State Police but hire 50 IDOT workers? etc.-
I’ve yet to look through the budget book entirely yet, but ISP is GRF funded & IDOT is funded with the Road Fund. Why let the IDOT continue to run short-staffed during the biggest construction program in the state’s history when the positions aren’t even funded with General Funds?
Comment by TCB Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 2:37 pm
47th Ward,
Nice channeling of Scoobie Doo…lol
Comment by dupage dan Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 2:45 pm
Very cool map of the closures/consolidations of facilities. The look pretty evenly distributed geographically acorss the state to me.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=212513024112419168540.0004b990522dcbfbcbd3f&msa=0&ll=39.968701,-89.022217&spn=5.371292,12.568359
Comment by TCB Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 2:47 pm
–Of note–the Road Fund was slashed—1/2 of last year and lowest since 1999.–
SenateGOP tweeted this but can not find any information regarding it. Anyone else read or hear this?
Comment by Ahoy Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 2:58 pm
Closing State garages run by CMS saves no GRF or Road cash as the garages are financed by a revolving fund.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 3:13 pm
If we can begin to get our outrageous deficits under control in the fairest way possible, that will be great. Of course, somebody is bound to be hurt, but is there any other way around that? Rep. Greg Harris, whom I admire, told me a few years back that we can’t nickel and dime our way out of this.
Illinois can be a great example of how to make very tough choices with bipartisan cooperation. I hope it can get done soon.
I liked the part of Quinn’s speech where he was talking about enhancing education, and the importance of infrastructure.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 3:14 pm
I’m puzzled how 9% across the board cuts is fundamentally different than the 10% cuts that Quinn lambasted Brady for proposing.
Beyond that, I am shocked and pleased that Quinn has finally realized the magnitude of the finanicial disaster under his watch. Even if he does blame the ‘other guys’ for it…
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 22, 12 @ 3:15 pm