* Ah, the Tribune editorial board. Not blowhardish at all. Today’s editorial blasts Gov. Pat Quinn, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton…
You evidently have one priority: You want what’s best for the people of this state — provided you don’t have to seriously affront the public employees unions and other interest groups that have such influence with you.
Actually, the General Assembly passed a budget which was opposed by those groups.
The Trib also claimed that the three men have ignored any spending reforms and “relentlessly focused on raising taxes.”
Let’s see, the governor has proposed $2 billion in cuts, including Medicaid reform, employee layoffs, etc. Cullerton already passed a tax hike, and Madigan says he won’t move a tax hike plan until he is sure there are enough votes. Both say a tax hike proposal is fruitless now without GOP votes. Quinn is the only one focusing “relentlessly” on a tax increase. The other two are saying the soup isn’t even on the stove yet.
Mr. Madigan, Mr. Cullerton, enough. Accept the spending and ethics reforms and pass a budget. Republicans will help you.
They will? Is the edit board sure about that? Did the Republican leaders specifically tell the Tribune editorial board “If we get X, Y and Z, and here are our details and specific legislation that we want, then we’ll put enough votes on a tax hike vote to pass it”? That would be big news and those quotes should’ve been reported on the front page. Maybe I just missed that blockbuster.
Then on Tuesday [Quinn] signed into law a sales tax exemption for wind energy projects.
Governor, Illinois is broke. Please stop digging this hole deeper and deeper.
Sales tax exemptions for newsprint, ink, advertising and newspaper printing machinery=Excellent. Sales tax exemptions for an almost brand new business that will create reliable new jobs=Stupid.
* Look, the Democrats have a lot to be blamed for here. A whole lot. They had the majority and they failed to finish the job. No question about it whatsoever. And it’s not like they got their act together in June, either.
But if anybody thinks that the Republican leaders are now really, truly pushing redistricting reform and pension reform in exchange for putting significant numbers of votes on an income tax hike, they need to have their heads examined. Cross was the House floor leader during debate on that goofy congressional map which everybody complains about. His members ain’t exactly thrilled about the reform idea, either. And I have yet to see evidence that a majority of Republicans are excited about voting for a two-tiered pension system.
The spring session is long over. It failed. Badly. But it’s a new day now and GOP votes and specific GOP ideas are crucial, so it would be nice to see a modicum of even-handedness and reality-based reasoning from Mother Tribune.