A press release from State Rep. Allen Skillicorn:
Skillicorn satisfied with court ruling against law maker pay
“We legislators were assigned to pass a constitutionally balanced budget. It is inappropriate to pay legislators until a balanced budget is passed,” said Rep. Skillicorn,
“No budget, no pay!
“I stand with the people and social services providers over Speaker Madigan.
“We need a budget before politicians should be paid!”
Last spring, Leslie Munger, former Illinois Comptroller opted to place legislators’ paychecks at the back of the line with the other overdue bills, as the state struggled to meet its obligations due to the ongoing budget impasse.
In December, a lawsuit was filed by six legislators, all Democrats, arguing for their legislative pay to be prioritized ahead of the schools, hospitals, and human services organizations that are also waiting for payments from the state.
On Thursday, the Cook County Circuit Court ruled against the six legislators, citing they control their own destiny and can pass a budget.
Huh? The judge didn’t rule against the legislators. The judge delayed the ruling until next week.
Rauner is required to submit a balanced budget.
How about Skillicorn urge him to do so before he attacks his fellow reps?
More dog and pony from Skillicorn.
And did Skillicorn vote for McSweeney’s bill to not inform us by mail whenever the GA wants to float a referendum related to amending the Illinois Constitution?
Bet he did!
Let’s also remind everyone that it was Rauner who slashed social services.
Allen please stop trying to BS us – we know better.
So let’s review – Rauner is required under Illinois’ Constitution to submit a balanced budget to the GA.
He has not submitted a single balanced budget since being elected.
Rauner is the one who has slashed vital state programs, not Madigan.
My favorite?
When he slashed funding for help for autistic kids on National Autism day.
Allen is full of it as usual.
Audrey, just a few questions for you in response to your passionate displeasure of Gov. Rauner.
1. What is your definition of “slashed”?
2. What specific social services were reduced and by what percentage?
3. In his effort to cut spending towards a balanced budget, what would you have proposed he reduce, instead?
Mind you, I am a proponent of ensuring certain social services are funded sufficiently, but your broad characterization of them is just that, broad.
I also agree that Rauner should be doing his job and submitting a balanced budget.
Of course, doing so might raise the ire of folks like yourself because what you consider important is not aligned to what the Rauner administration does.
The finances of our great state are so out of whack a truly balanced budget doesn’t exist.
Your pall Quinn was kicking the can down the road too.
Tough decisions need to be made.
I do think Rauner should submit his budget with cuts everywhere only to have Madigan and co reject it.
Then we can stop debating who’s fault it is, even though we all know where the blame lies (Madigan)
Mrs., Madigan has to present a balanced budget also.
So if he amends Rauner’s, it still has to be balanced.
If Rauner doesn’t like all or part of Madigan’s changes he has a line-item veto or he could veto the whole thing, like he has.
Rauner doesn’t want a budget until he gets his way on crushing the middle class in Illinois.
In the meantime Rauner’s driving up our debt by not paying bills.
Rauner proposed a balanced budget.
That’s a fact.
Madigan and Cullerton chose to make the budget a political football and have done so for two years now.
The Democrats had a VETO PROOF majority up until this past January, and at NO TIME during the two years previous were they willing to present their budget and override the veto.
Stop blaming Rauner when it’s Madigan et al who are teh ones that have been playing games with the state, its finances and it’s people for FORTY FREAKIN YEARS.
Stuart, I call cutting programs that effect our most vulnerable people, children, veterans, seniors, the disabled and higher education by $850 million (so far), slashing funding.
I have no idea about the specific percentages, but that would be an interesting project.
I do know that many long time social service providers have been devastated and some may never recover.
As far as what he should cut, I would start by cutting corporate giveaways and tax subsidies, credits, etc.
Giving our tax dollars away to corporations and the wealthy always raises my “ire”.
Have a good weekend.
Re: “Giving our tax dollars away to corporations and the wealthy always raises my “ire”.”
Where are Teacher, Firemen, Police, IMRF pension funds stored to gain interest?
Think you have a public sector pension problem now?
Go ahead and increase taxes on corporations.
“We are accustomed to see men deride what they do not understand, and snarl at the good and beautiful because it lies beyond their sympathies”.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
**Rauner proposed a balanced budget. That’s a fact.**
HAHAHA! The word “fact” sure doesn’t mean what it used to mean.
No, he didn’t propose a balanced budget.
And no, he hasn’t proposed a balanced budget (in three attempts).
Rauner’s FY18 budget proposal – that he gave back in February, was $4.5B out of balance. It included a “”working together on a grand bargain” hole of $4.5 BILLION dollars.
http://www.politifact.com/illinois/statements/2017/mar/09/bruce-rauner/rauners-budget-balancing-claim-doesnt-add/
Further, neither of his previous budgets were balanced either, and it wasn’t even close. To pretend otherwise is either ignorance or blatantly lying.
But, seriously, Rep. Skillicorn’s statement is false.
The judge did NOT rule against the legislators.