Or
just accepting that he’s not going to be able to stop the budgetary process in
any way that his Republican colleagues will be able to play partisan politics
with?
MUCH
WAS MADE of the fact that the Illinois House of Representatives this week
approved several measures that are part of the state’s budget for the 2015
fiscal year (beginning July 1).
They’re
passing them at levels that indicate there is going to be more money on hand –
as in the state income tax that was raised temporarily for a few years will
continue to remain at the higher level.
Rather
than revert back to the lower levels of the past.
The
theory is that by creating a budget that counts on the additional funds and by
starting off the state government on a path of operations that uses the
additional funding, it would then be pretty reckless for those ideologues who
are absolutely determined to let the income tax increase wither away.
THEY
WOULD SUDDENLY have to find billions of dollars of needed services to cut. Yes,
it would be necessary stuff. There’s no fat to trim (not that much!).
Not
only would bone be cut, entire limbs would likely have to be amputated.
There
likely will be (particularly among non-Chicago-area Democratic legislators who
are saying these days they want to vote “no” to keeping the income tax
increase) much gnashing of teeth and ill-will created by some of the “aye”
votes that will be cast.
 |
| DURKIN: Helping his GOP colleagues? |
But
as I always suspected (and accepted as an ugly fact) that the income tax hike
was going to have to be maintained, so be it.
EVEN
DURKIN SEEMS to realize that. Based off the newsletter he likes to send out, he
says, “The 73 bills passed by Democrats (as part of the state budget process)
all but guarantee the permanency of the income tax.”
Now
I’m sure that Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Rauner is watching all
this with a certain level of drool dripping from his lips. There are so many
ways things can get bungled to his political advantage.
I’m
already trying to figure out the next lame “Quinnochio” reference he will make
that refers to this process – implying that Gov. Pat Quinn has been
less-than-honest with the electorate about his intentions.
Although
I’m inclined to think that Quinn has been so unwilling to speak, as though he’s
trying to avoid saying something that would later turn out to be a lie.
LIE
OR NOT, the situation isn’t going to be a pretty one. Which is why I'm amongst those who found humor in the rant of state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Belleville, who suggested that the reason Republicans are complaining -- without offering concrete alternatives -- is because their dog "ate" their plan to balance the budget.
The
problem is that Illinois government, in addition to having to figure out a way
to resolve its pension program funding shortfalls, has many serious
obligations.
The
educators alone are more than willing to take down anyone who dare suggests
that levels of state funding will have to be hurt. These are educators who
believe they’re already only getting 89 percent of what they’re supposed to
get.
Anything
lower, and we will have educators gathered up in anger to take down people who
would suggest that they’re somehow the problem!
 |
| HOFFMAN: Comic relief for budget? |
THAT’S
WHAT THIS whole situation about funding winds up coming down to. Certain people
are going to feel like they’re having the blame for everything that is wrong
dumped all over themselves.
Whereas
maybe if we’d accept the need to address issues seriously (instead of looking
for ways to ideologize them), we’d be able to come up with a solution.
Which
is why I wonder if all those people who are eager to believe Quinn is finished
politically because a lot of people don’t much like him are missing the point.
They
may not care about Quinn, but playing hardball with trying to eliminate funds
that are needed to allow government to meet its obligations could wind up
making the voters decide they absolutely detest those people by comparison!
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