In
two weeks, we will be at the beginning of June. The General Assembly will have
finished its business for the current fiscal year and our legislators will be
engaged in what I’m sure they will claim to be a well-deserved summer break.
Phooey!!!!!!!!!
BECAUSE
THE REALITY is that we still don’t have the budget proposal for the 2016 fiscal
year that began back on July 1, 2015, nor do we seem to be anywhere near to
having a budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year that will begin this July.
We
have a Legislature that’s trying to take on a very difficult task of compiling
spending plans for two fiscal years; one of which is nearly complete and
because money has been spent already there just isn’t much leeway for creating
budgetary actions.
There
are some people who remain optimistic, but a part of me wonders if we’re going
to seriously go at least part of the way into Fiscal 2017 with unresolved
financial issues from the previous year AND the current year.
All
of this pops into my mind because Gov. Bruce Rauner met privately with Illinois
House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, and the other legislative leaders on
Tuesday so the sides could talk about what can be done to make sense of state
government finances.
SOME
WORD EMANATED from the Statehouse in Springfield that there will be further
talks about property tax freezes, pension reforms and worker’s compensation
changes.
Of
course, it could be merely talk. No promises that any actions will be taken on
those issues.
It
also shouldn’t be ignored that Madigan insisted on issuing a written statement
that continues to lay blame for the ongoing dispute on Rauner, what with his
desires to undermine organized labor in Illinois and demand that changes be
included along with the budget talks.
“The
governor’s continued insistence on passage of his agenda that hurts the middle
class is a clear indication he is not interested in passing and implementing
comprehensive, full-year budgets that do not decimate needed services relied
upon by the people of Illinois,” the speaker said.
OF
COURSE, THERE also were activist-types at the Statehouse determined to lay
blame on Madigan for his defense of the organized labor interests that,
admittedly, are the reason why he is in a position of authority in the first
place.
We
have a stalemate because everybody is convinced it’s somebody else’s fault.
Everybody seems more interested in scoring political points, rather than trying
to put together the budgetary plan that would allow state government to operate
at full strength.
Instead
of under the court orders that allow some agencies to operate out of necessity
while others sputter to a halt due to a lack of funds.
If
anything, the Capitol Fax newsletter out of Springfield may have summarized the
political situation best when it quoted soon-to-be former state Rep. Jack
Franks in saying, “both sides suffer under the delusion that it’s okay that
real people get hurt as long as the other side gets blamed for it.”
WHICH
COULD BE part of the reason why long-time legislator Franks is leaving the Statehouse
scene – hoping to become a member of the McHenry County Board in the far
northwest suburbs.
You
kind of have to wonder what kind of person wants to stick around state
government when it’s caught up in an inability to get anything done.
It
is the current situation that has driven down Rauner’s approval ratings, along
with those of Madigan and the Legislature as a whole
It’s
an unending cycle without a light at the end of the tunnel. Not even one from
the freight train headed their way to plow them over!
-30-
No comments:
Post a Comment