I'm back. Did I miss much?

It has been a week-and-a-half since I last wrote commentary, and it’s kind of reassuring to know I didn’t really miss much.

A whole lotta nothin' goin' on!?!

Our state government in Illinois managed to make it through its second full legislative session without being able to come to agreement with Gov. Bruce Rauner on a budget for the state’s operations.

NOT THAT THERE weren’t efforts made by assorted politicos. But all of them were geared toward people trying to position themselves in ways so they could claim it “wasn’t my fault” when we go into a second straight fiscal year come July 1 without a state budget in place.

For I don’t care that the Legislature’s leaders have said they will continue to meet every week on Wednesday to be in place in the event a budget proposal comes forth.

Those session days are going to be the ultimate in political posturing, possibly as pompous as those mini-tours of Illinois that Rauner has made across the rural parts of the state – all geared toward trying to present the image that “It’s Chicago’s fault” that our state is bogged down in partisan politics!

All those days that I spent packing up my belongings and hauling them off to a storage locker (I’m going to have to move them again in a couple of months once I figure out where I’m going to be for the long term)  don’t seem to have had one bit of impact.

I DIDN’T MISS a thing – except for the nonsense political rhetoric that always spews up.

I’m at the point where I wonder if it’s ever possible to resolve this dispute – at least until we manage to dump the current governor from office and get someone who’s interested in governing rather than engaging in partisan maneuvers meant to undermine organized labor.

As far as my personal situation is concerned, I’m hoping to be in a permanent residence by the time my birthday comes around at the end of August. Honestly, I’m starting to think it totally realistic to expect we won’t have a state budget in place by the time that comes around.

It’s truly a level of nonsense beyond comprehension!

SO WHAT DID I miss?

The Illinois House of Representatives, under the leadership of state House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, did manage to produce something that sort of was a budget. But one that Rauner most definitely would have applied the “veto” stamp to.

Of course, it didn’t even make it that far – since the state Senate refused to go along with it. That caused Rauner acolytes who don’t have a clue what they’re talking about to claim it was the Senate Dems who screwed the pooch, so to speak on the budget process.

Only Ali is the Greatest

Various news reports indicate that the Senate Dems didn’t go along with their House Dem colleagues because they weren’t included in the negotiation process.

CERTAINLY NOTHING NEW. I remember once when the state Senate, under the leadership of then-President James “Pate” Philip, rejected a proposal negotiated by then-Gov. Jim Edgar and then-Mayor Richard M. Daley because Philip didn’t like the idea of Edgar negotiating alone on behalf of Republicans.

Heck, I remember another time when Madigan made a floor speech telling his colleagues “it is not wise” to exclude HIM when proposals are being put together. All of which means there’s nothing unique or unexpected about the fact that the lack of cooperation amongst our political people prevents something essential from getting done.

There are times when the key to comprehending electoral politics is to realize that it is all about ego – this situation will not be resolved until everybody manages to get something that enables them to make a public statement proclaiming themselves “da winnah and still champeen.”

They all want to think of themselves as “the greatest,” even though anyone with sense realizes that “the greatest” passed away on Friday. Maybe someday, the spirit of Muhammad Ali will meet up with our politicos and knock some sense into their heads – posthumously, that is!

  -30-