1. - Yellow Dog - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 5:24 pm:

   If “The Senate” feels this is a temporary fix, perhaps they should communicate that to “The House,” who is calling this a 12 month budget.

   If incumbents have ANY sense at all, they’ll realize that this year’s budget hole is a divet compared to the Grand Canyon they’ll be facing next year - especially with no one-time pension note trick up their sleeve and no more employee cuts to be made. I’d MUCH rather vote this November to raise taxes than next May, June or July.




2. - Yes - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 5:32 pm:

   Thanks Sen. Meeks, they need to do their jobs and fix the budget. More borrowing does nothing but make the problem bigger.




3. - state employee - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 5:34 pm:

   Yes! I love you Sen. Meeks! I see you are a true and responsible leader and I thank you. So rare.




4. - state employee - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 5:36 pm:

   You should be Senate President. You are a true leader.




5. - Professor Quincy Adams Wagstaff - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 5:38 pm:

   Good for him. Why don’t more rank-and-file members channel some of that Vince Demuzio Crazy 8 chutzpah and band together to demand that their leaders face reality? Meeks has this spirit.




6. - Mr. Ethics - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 5:40 pm:

   Time is up Mr. Meeks. Morale was pretty low at the JRTC today. Employees are learning to work like the Senate. 90 seconds and call it a day.




7. - Art - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 5:42 pm:

   Sen. Meeks just announced his run for Governor.




8. - state employee - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 5:56 pm:

   If they pass the pension note, I know whoever voted YES are perpetuating the abysmal fiscal and moral problems of this sad state.




9. - Skirmisher - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 5:57 pm:

   I never in my life thought I could admire a Chicago Democrat, but these past couple of years my admiration for Senator Meeks has grown by leaps and bounds. At this point, he is about the only Illinois politician of either party whose hand I would care to shake. I hope he runs for higher office where he can do some good.




10. - Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:03 pm:

    Stick to your guns, Senator Meeks. The entire budget, not just the borrowing, is a disgrace.




11. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:17 pm:

    melissahahn: Ill House passes $3.5 in borrowing 88-24. 2 bills left to go.




12. - Cindy Lou - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:23 pm:

    1.236 billion at the gov’s discretion could be scary. The way he has changed his mind one minute to the next and ran around in all directions–can he manage to make and keep and follow through with these decisions?




13. - Bill - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:24 pm:

    If the Meeks caucus holds together this sham won’t pass the Senate. The reverend is going for the scorched earth approach.




14. - Cindy Lou - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:28 pm:

    Rep. Black full of himself and ’scolding’ Madigan.




15. - Cindy Lou - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:28 pm:

    Black is out of line (in my humble opinion)




16. - out of line - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:30 pm:

    Black is definitely out of line. The blame for the budget crisis does not lay solely at the feet of Madigan.




17. - Cindy Lou - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:32 pm:

    “Sit down, shut up and go away” (Rep. Black)

    Black best check his blood pressure.




18. - Cindy Lou - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:37 pm:

    ’sit on your overstuffed chair and do what you’re told. That’s what what we’re here for’ (Rep Black)

    now finished




19. - Quinn T. Sential - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:37 pm:

    While it is nice to know who is on board the train in the Senate when it leaves the station, it could be more beneficial to know who is on the tracks. That way it would provide for more time to prepare to notify the next of kin.




20. - Stoned Prophet - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:39 pm:

    Thank you, Sen. Meeks, for sticking to your guns!

    This budget fiasco is doubly insulting. Many of Illinois’ most vulnerable residents will lose in the best and worst scenarios. They will not have their services saved by an income tax increase, and they will not be bailed out by even the borrowing scheme. Is even one abused/neglected child’s life and safety not even worth borrowing for?




21. - collar observer - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:45 pm:

    Thank you Senator Meeks -




22. - Cindy Lou - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 6:52 pm:

    house talking about how their 12 furlough days now instead of 4 and would be based on 261 days not the 365.




23. - BillORights - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:01 pm:

    Cindy Lou do you have a link to find out what is going on in real time at the GA. Sounds like you do. I dont tend to follow that close but am very interested recently.




24. - Cindy Lou - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:05 pm:

    I’m listening to the House live audio. It’s over on the GA page. Use Rich’s ‘quick links’ to the left in center page here to get there.




25. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:05 pm:

    @Cindy Lou

    Thx for the live(ish) blogging!




26. - westsider - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:06 pm:

    What a senator with a backbone? Now thats better than a Mastercard moment (Priceless)




27. - Leave a Light on George - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:07 pm:

    Not trying to sound too stupid but who in their right mind would loan this state 3.5 billion?




28. - Stoned Prophet - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:08 pm:

    A megacorporation conglomerate can bail out the state. Illinois can be the State of Viacom.




29. - Cindy Lou - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:08 pm:

    opps, don’t know left fron right.




30. - Dan S, a taxpaer, a voter and a Cubs Fan - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:10 pm:

    http://www.ilga.gov/house/audvid.asp




31. - LINK - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:11 pm:

    melissahahn: 2nd budget bill passes the House 90-22.




32. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:14 pm:

    ILSenateGOP: House has approved the budget implementation bill — SB 1912 — 114-0




33. - Hon. Cranial Lamb - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:15 pm:

    “Yes! I love you Sen. Meeks! I see you are a true and responsible leader and I thank you. So rare. ”

    Oh, you must have forgotten how well he did getting education funding delivered by Blago and Emil. You’re so right.




34. - Cindy Lou - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:15 pm:

    Bimp bill 114 yes. House adjourning. GIving death resolution.




35. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:16 pm:

    Illinois Senate Republicans: House roll call now online for Pension Obligation Bond measure (SB 1292) http://shrinkster.com/17rf




36. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:18 pm:

    llinois Senate Democrats: The Regular Session of the Illinois Senate has now come to order - preparing to go to supplemental calendar 1.




37. - Hon. Cranial Lamb - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:19 pm:

    I agree with Meeks’ goals, but not his getting duped and making a deal with those two “devils”. Maybe he learned from that, but as far as I hear his credibility is greatly diminished.




38. - I'm Just Saying - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:20 pm:

    does anyone know what happened with the Cemetary Bill from Dan Hynes, I see it was postponed in Commitee?




39. - Plutocrat03 - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:23 pm:

    And his alternative is……..?

    The Dems have put the state in its disgusting shape. They don’t even have the backbone to pass a tax without looking for cover.

    The reality is that without this budget supported by loans, state employees will face more than one missed payday.




40. - jwscott72 - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:29 pm:

    His alternative is to raise taxes in the hopes that it brings in enough money to pay for everything he wants. This is the same guy who was bought off by Blago with a promise to redo education funding. Give me a break!




41. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:31 pm:

    Illinois Senate Democrats: The Illinois Senate currently stands at ease while we wait for a message from the House.




42. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:32 pm:

    Illinois Senate Democrats: The Committee on Assignments will now meet.




43. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:32 pm:

    melissahahn: 3rd piece of the budget passed the House 114-0. Now they go to the Senate.




44. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:33 pm:

    Illinois Senate Republicans: All three budget bills will go straight to the floor. SB 1216, SB 1292 and SB 1912.




45. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:34 pm:

    Illinois_Stage: Lawmakers are in the process of approving a budget more complicated than 140 characters. We suggest you survey the results in the morning.




46. - So Blue Democrat - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:35 pm:

    The only mistake Meeks made with the deal with the former Governor was to believe that Blago could be trusted. What is wrong with wanting additional funding for schools?




47. - Stoned Prophet - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:38 pm:

    At my state office morale is as low as I’ve ever seen. We don’t even have some essential basic supplies, like envelopes and pens. We’ll begin apocalyptic hoarding of the little supplies we have. We’ll have to start communicating with our clients telepathically.

    I now refer to my work section as the Mumbai call center, since we have no air conditioning.




48. - a little too late - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:45 pm:

    legislators decisions have come a little too late damage is done to clients, workers and agencies with long standing reputations…the trust is gone and will take months for leaders to regain.




49. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:45 pm:

    Illinois Senate Republicans: Senator Radogno: Plan far from ideal. But it funds human services and keeps state functioning. Avoids tax increase during major recession.




50. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:45 pm:

    Illinois Senate Republicans: Senate is now taking up the appropriations measure — SB 1216




51. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:46 pm:

    melissahahn: Gov. Quinn enters the Senate as it passes 2 of the 3 budget bill.




52. - heaven can wait - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:49 pm:

    Meeks was in Blago’s office more than Blago himself.
    he’s no leader. an opportunist is more like it




53. - state employee - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:49 pm:

    @S.P.
    I feel your pain. Two of our four bathroom stalls are out of order, one with the seat off the toilet just sitting on the floor for a couple of weeks now. Literal neglect by our employer, the state.

    They’ve not hired anyone for 2 years and people have been leaving and retiring, AND demand is way up because so many more people are out of work and need food stamps and medical. We have 30% more cases now in my office (over 1,000) than when I started in this office 2 years ago. There is much tension in the air and among co-workers, people are snapping and fighting with each other, so stressed.




54. - a little too late - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:49 pm:

    Anonymous Coward… thanks for keeping the blog updated. You must be where the action is!




55. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:51 pm:

    Stoned Prophet: At least you have a job. In my private sector we have people who have not been paid for months. Others are out of work altogether. They don’t whine as loudly as poor state workers do! And they are not willing to pay more taxes to pay over to you.




56. - Anonymous Coward - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:52 pm:

    @a little too late

    No, sorry. I’m just sitting at home w/ a cold ML and watching some Twitter feeds - and (a Rich recommendation):

    http://tweetillinois.org/




57. - privatesectorslave - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:56 pm:

    SP: At least you guys have jobs. In my business many people have not been paid for months, and others are out of work altogether. They don’t whine as much as state workers seem to. And they don’t want to pay more in taxes to support you.




58. - state employee - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 7:58 pm:

    @privatesector
    I’m sorry for your misery too. No need to throw stones at us state employees, it just reveals how bitter and ignorant you must be to take your frustration out on us.




59. - state employee - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 8:01 pm:

    @privatesector
    Why not try to organize and get into a union, then you might have a chance at getting paid and keeping your job (our union now suing the state that we are properly paid).




60. - Cindy Lou - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 8:05 pm:

    psst, state employee, you just said the evil words all private sector bigwigs hear: unionize.

    Prepare for lightening to strike you :-0




61. - state employee - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 8:05 pm:

    I suggest anyone interested in why our economy is suffering so much, read Matt Taibbi’s piece in Rolling Stone about Goldman Sachs and how that firm created each of the six major bubbles since the Great Depression, and profiteered off each of them enormously. A quote is “If the U.S is spiraling the drain, then Goldman Sachs is the drain.”




62. - Stoned Prophet - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 8:10 pm:

    privatesectorslave,

    How do you know they’re not whining about losing their livelihoods and not wanting to pay a higher income tax? Have you polled them? What are the results?

    If you’ve been following the events here, you would know that some of us state workers are not in this for ourselves but for each other and the people we service. I very likely have enough seniority to avoid a layoff. If I was self-centered, I would definitely not be here now.

    When was the last time you saw a person in a wheelchair who can only trasport him/herself with a blowtube, or an abused/neglected child who has literally no help but from tireless state workers?




63. - BillORights - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 8:25 pm:

    Maybe privatesectorslave appreciates the fact that state workers’ pension money was sacrificed so that he wouldn’t have to lose his job due to hight income taxes.

    Next time you see a state worker say thanks for their sacrifice.




64. - privatesectorslave - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 8:40 pm:

    Enough! In my private business when a toilet seat came off its hinges a co-worker just brought some tools and screws to work and fixed it himself.We didn’t just wait for government or the landlord to come and fix it.I’ve worked for the feds, for the state, and in private business, and I tell you that you have it pretty good as state employees.




65. - privatesectorslave - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 8:43 pm:

    PS: And we buy our own pens, and have no pension plan whatever.




66. - Stoned Prophet - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 8:59 pm:

    The irony for me is that one of the reasons I want a properly-staffed workforce so I can continue doing what I’ve been doing for years: fighting welfare fraud. We’re not all flaming liberals (sorry). Our caseloads are growing rapidly. I used to have more time to swim around the backwaters of cases and find incriminating information on welfare cheats and use that information to ensure that your tax dollars are not misused. Believe it or not, there is state policy that allows us to act on questionable information. I no longer have the time (and now the will) to do that.




67. - Capitol View - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 9:21 pm:

    private sector slave, state employees are not allowed to fix their own toilets or change their own light bulbs. A union shop worker has to come around to do it.

    But we’re all in the toilet now, state employees and private sector employees. The budget that just passed is an outrageous delegation of the appropriations authority to the executive branch. Lump sums for operations, and lump sums for grants/contracts. Corrections loses 1000 employees, but there is no statement of which prison or prisons are closing. Another 1600 state employees are let go, and the survivors have furlough days. The private sector providers of direct services for state agency clients get 86-92% of their current inadequete funding; or at least those that have not already closed their doors or about to do so.

    Mental health and job training for non-mothers are considered discretionary programs and will continue to get zero contracts or minimum ones.

    And don’t expect relief during the Veto Session. It was announced in the Senate as they fled town that revenues would be revisted in early January of 2010. So if the Democrats have to wear the collar for the tax increase, they apparently want full credit for doing so within their own political base for addressing the full blown crisis that is being created.




68. - state employee - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 9:32 pm:

    @privatesector
    Again, I suggest to do something about your bitterness and organize into a union to do something for yourself, instead of your constant misery and complaining and anger directed at us who are in a union.




69. - state employee - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 9:34 pm:

    @BillORights

    Right on!! Tell it like it is!!




70. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 15, 09 @ 11:18 pm:

    With LM out, Meeks on the ballot in a Democratic primary becomes interesting.

    He wouldn’t need a ton of money to be a force in the primary.




71. - Cindy Lou - Thursday, Jul 16, 09 @ 5:06 am:

    –”private sector slave, state employees are not allowed to fix their own toilets or change their own light bulbs. A union shop worker has to come around to do it.—

    Speak for yourself there. Out here in the field we not only fix our toilets , we clean them, keep them stocked and our own lights on. Something breaks, odds are we fix it — something more complicated than screwing hinges.

    If I’m not mistaken the idea of leaving things for a guy to come out from MS was ol’ Rod’s doings.

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