Gov. Rod Blagojevich
Gov. Rod Blagojevich waited until state lawmakers left town Thursday, without voting on his budget-saving package, and then lowered the boom.
He approved most of what legislators wanted to restore in order to prevent a first round of deep budget cuts, but then signaled that some spending — to keep state parks from closing, for example — wouldn’t necessarily be saved.
Another chunk of money lawmakers approved was cut entirely, putting historic sites, including the Dana-Thomas House, and personnel in the offices of several statewide officials in peril. And more bad news is on the horizon.
It’s just another sordid chapter in the ongoing state budget drama. Here are some questions and answers about the mess and what could happen next:
Q: How bad is the budget situation right now?
A: Bleak, by just about any measure.
Lawmakers tried to prevent about $230 million in cuts, including closings of 11 state parks and 13 historic sites and layoffs of hundreds of state workers Nov. 30. But the governor said some of the funding the legislature approved can’t be used, so he trimmed $55 million out of that package.
Now, seven of the 11 state parks will close, as will all 13 historic sites, and personnel lines for the state treasurer, attorney general, secretary of state and lieutenant governor will not be spared.
Other areas are in limbo because the administration says the revenue picture is just too uncertain. Funding for child-care workers was restored by the governor, but the administration says human-services workers still will be laid off.
And the governor already is warning cuts will need to go much deeper in the not-so-distant future to deal with a budget hole of at least $2 billion.
Q: Why has the situation gotten so bad?
A: A combination of factors, including more political games.
Lawmakers and Blagojevich have pointed fingers at each other since last summer, when the governor said the budget legislators sent him was $2 billion out of whack. He made cuts, they tried to restore them, and neither side has found a solution.
The national economy continues to slide, causing a big hole in tax revenue the state was counting on. So, even as officials try to deal with the initial budget problem from months ago, it continues to grow and make their jobs more difficult.
And then there’s the question of the record $4 billion in unpaid state bills, leaving the comptroller’s office far short of cash to pay hospitals, day care centers and other service providers. That growing backlog threatens to create major problems early next year.
Q: What is the governor doing to address the problem?
A: Mostly, he’s in cutting mode. He made $1.4 billion in budget cuts last summer, including the $230 million lawmakers tried to restore.
But the governor doesn’t want to be the only bad guy. Last week, he proposed a “budget-saving” plan to close the gap by getting billions of dollars more from the federal government and asking state lawmakers to give him greater authority to make cuts throughout state government.
However, legislators have balked at giving Blagojevich authority to cut or hold back up to 8 percent of spending in areas such as pensions, schools and even local government aid. They want to limit how much cutting he can do and where he can cut.
“Whether you agree or disagree with the concept, the bottom line is that everyone agrees we’re in a very difficult fiscal mess,” said Rep. Jay Hoffman, a Collinsville Democrat and Blagojevich’s top legislative ally.
Q: How about lawmakers’ role in all this?
A: They’ve mostly reacted to what the governor does. He proposes cuts, they try to restore them. He asks for more budget-cutting power, they look for ways to limit that.
Unlike in the case of some of his previous ideas, though, legislators say they are working with the administration on his budget plan. But they’ve gone home until January, unless there are more special sessions, and aren’t expected to return to Springfield short of a deal.
“Unless you have an agreement, I’m not certain that coming back serves any real purpose,” said Rep. Gary Hannig, D-Litchfield.
Q: Is there any hope for good news?
A: That depends on your priorities. The governor did spare many areas from cuts, at least initially. Substance abuse treatment centers are getting the $55 million they were owed, most of the child-welfare workers on the chopping block were spared, and some other areas will be protected.
“Difficult decisions are being made this year, but we have to do so while maintaining core services,” Blagojevich spokeswoman Katie Ridgway said.
Q: When will this get resolved?
A: Expect more back-and-forth and few answers in the coming months.
A new legislature takes over in January. Blagojevich could call the present General Assembly back into special session before then, but both sides seem willing to sort out their next moves over the holiday season and deal with the problem in 2009.
By then, though, almost everything will be worse.
Blagojevich’s office isn’t talking about what cuts could happen next, and when.
Real solutions are scarce. Blagojevich won’t discuss tax increases. Other revenue sources have little support in the legislature. More cuts only cause more pain and anger from affected interest groups.
A breakthrough will take compromise and sacrifice from both legislators and the governor. That message hasn’t truly hit home at the Capitol.
“We’re going to have to make adjustments in the budget, just like a lot of people will, and they’re probably going to be painful,” Hannig said. “But we have to recognize the reality that we’re in a recession.”
Source: The State Journal Register - Oldest Newspaper In Illinois
