* Legislators are getting heckled by social service advocates. As I told subscribers this morning, GOP Rep. Mike Bost was booed off the stage…
The cheering gave way to heckling and shouting after State Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, took to the microphone. Bost urged those in attendance to remember that even if lawmakers pass a proposed income tax increase the state will still have a $5 billion budget deficit, which will require more cuts.
“Then cut from the top,” one woman yelled.
“Raise more money,” another followed.
Bost continued on and said that he didn’t want to “give false hopes” and that people should remember how the state’s finances arrived at their current state.
Here, the shouts tumbled one on top of the other drowning out Bost’s voice.
“Quit politicking,” one man shouted.
“If you don’t want the truth, and you can’t handle the truth, I’m out,” Bost said before dropping the microphone and walking out.
Rep. Sullivan…
State Rep. Ed Sullivan Jr., a Mundelein Republican, said he was protested and picketed while marching with his wife and two young children at this past weekend’s Libertyville Days parade by local social service groups scared into a frenzy by the governor’s doomsday talk.
“It is absolutely immoral what the governor is doing,” Sullivan said of the governor’s tactic. “If you want to picket me, that’s great. But leave kids out of it.”
Pat Quinn is not Rod Blagojevich. Rod Blagojevich would’ve ordered protesters to shout taunts at legislators. Quinn is not that sort of fellow.
* Parents are some of the most afraid, and angriest…
“I’m infuriated at the lack of responsibility (of state legislators),” said Dianne Hall of Moline, whose son receives aid from the Department of Human Services. “They’re hitting and striking at the most vulnerable population.”
There’s also a lot of activity among organizations as well…
AFSCME members have “picketed, marched and met one-on-one with dozens of lawmakers,” Lindall said. “For the last several weeks, we have sustained an intensive e-mail and phone campaign by our members that has generated many thousands of calls and messages to lawmakers, and those calls and messages are continuing.”
The AARP set up a hotline to connect members with their legislators. So far more than 5,000 people have used the service, according to AARP Spokesman David Irwin. […]
People involved with the Ounce of Prevention Fund, an early childhood education advocacy group, have sent almost 6,000 e-mails and made hundreds of calls to their lawmakers, spokeswoman Jelene Britten said.
Dan Schwick, spokesman for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, said his group has called on about 1,000 members of a grassroots network to bombard lawmakers with calls and e-mails.
Madigan…
From the Southwest Side campus of Daley College, they marched a dozen blocks to the district office of the man some regard as the most powerful figure in Illinois politics: House Speaker Mike Madigan, D-Chicago. They found his door locked. […]
Madigan’s House Democrats have blocked a big increase in the state income tax sought by Quinn. It’s been approved by the state Senate. The protest at Madigan’s district office was organized by the AFSCME union local representing some 700 adult education instructors at the City Colleges.
“The Speaker could work harder,” Mark Freeman, president of AFSCME Local 3506, said. “There are a lot of Democrats waiting for his leadership.”
* But there’s not a lot of optimism about a solution this week…
But lawmakers, both Republican and Democratic, said Monday there were no signs an income tax increase would pass.
“Our expectations are very low,” said Rikeesha Phelon, a spokeswoman for Democratic Senate President John Cullerton.
Yet the governor remains optimistic…
“I think a number of legislators who voted `no’ on May 31 understand that when it comes to this crisis, and it is a crisis, they may have to switch their vote,” Quinn said.
But in late May, Quinn also expressed optimism lawmakers would approve. They didn’t.
And he doesn’t have a lot of reason to be…
A memo [fixed link] obtained by the Sun-Times and circulated by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) to his Democratic members lays out an array of “legislative items” to be considered during the Quinn-called special session that begins today.
But one thing missing on Madigan’s to-do list for the week is a vote on a tax increase, which is likely recognition that the Quinn plan seems to be barely registering a pulse in the House with Republicans en masse against it.
The SJ-R calls out the GOP…
Poe and Brauer also favor reforms to the budget process, reforms that the Republican leadership insists are a pre-requisite for Republicans to even consider a tax increase.
They must have amnesia. Dozens of Republicans voted for a menu of tax and fee increases in order to fund projects in their districts, including $500 million in member-initiated, re-election greasing projects. Those votes came before the governor signed a single reform into law.
And the guv may call the GA back in next week as well…
Last week, Quinn said he wanted them to vote on a tax increase by Wednesday. But he now says that might not happen.
QUINN: I think we want to keep working and working until it’s the right time to take a vote whether it’s this Wednesday. Certainly by the end of this month we got have a vote.
* Check out the drop in personal income taxes, compiled by Stateline.org…
* Here’s one bit of “good” budget news: Illinois’ welfare rolls aren’t up nearly as high as some other states…
…for the first time in 15 years, welfare numbers are up in at least 26 states. In Illinois it’s 3 percent, but in South Carolina that number is 23 percent; in Florida, it’s 14 percent and in California, it’s 10 percent.
…Adding… Via NewsAlert, we have this visual of state budget deficits…
* Related…
* Crisis is real; tax hike alone won’t solve it
* Budget cuts back on the table today in Illinois: Brady, who is running for governor next year, disputes the deficit numbers that Quinn is using, and insists the state can get by with its existing funding “if the governor stops his scare-tactics crusade for a tax increase, acts like a leader and manages the state’s finances within the resources we have.”
* States Turning to Last Resorts in Budget Crisis
* Quinn: Won’t cut human service funding in half: But just how he will work with the legislature to enact a balanced budget before July 1 is a mystery
* People Over Politics
* Hundreds rally in Quad-Cities against feared service cuts by state
* Officials warn of danger of cutting health services
* County leaders warn of effects of budget cuts
* Society will suffer from budget cuts
* Citizens need health, not just wealth, protected
* Cuts could end Stark’s mental health service
* Foster parents worry about effects of budget cuts
* What about the taxpayers?
* ATR Urges Illinois Legislature to Reject All Tax Hikes
* URF Calls for Support of Republicans in Opposing Tax Hikes
* LTE: Don’t Blame IL GOP for Illinois’ Fiscal Mess
* Illinois, Missouri governors pledge to work together for high-speed rail