Quinn's pla n would close seven state facilities and lay off more
than 1,900 workers. The governor laid the blame for the closures and
jobs cuts at the feet of the General Assembly and the legislature's
$33.2 billion budget for fiscal 2012.The governor made numerous
claims, most notably that the budget limits his ability to spend
state money.
Illinois Statehouse News consulted lawmakers, former government
officials and advocates to check the truth behind Quinn's claims.
___
Quinn claim: "We clearly do not have enough money in the budget
that was appropriated by the legislature to pay the personnel and
facility costs of a number of our facilities and people who work for
the state of Illinois."
Truth: "The short answer is yes, that's true," said state Rep.
Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley. Mautino helped write the $33.2
billion budget in the House this year. He said the budget approved
by lawmakers assumed state services would be cut. Mautino said
lawmakers tried to "mitigate" the severity of those cuts by delaying
Medicaid payments to providers of mental health services and
services for those with developmental disabilities. A longer payment
cycle was supposed to shield Illinois' vulnerable population from
drastic cuts.
Mautino is quick to say, however, that as austere as the House
budget is, Quinn's budget proposal was lacking as well.
"The governor's budget was based on a borrowing plan of $8.75
billion. That borrowing plan never occurred; you don't have that
money available," said Mautino. "The House budget was based on what
moneys that we reasonably expected to have in."
Quinn's proposed budget was $34.6 billion.
___
Quinn claim: "Managing the budget is something you have to do on
a daily basis. And you cannot spend money that is not appropriated
by the General Assembly."
Truth: Quinn is correct on both accounts. Money comes into the
Capitol in spurts, as taxes are collected or as federal funds are
released, for example. That requires management.
But Mike Lawrence, a former Statehouse journalist and press
secretary for former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar, said management also
means being involved in the crafting of the budget.
Quinn "waited until the General Assembly sent him the budget to
start indicating that the budget sent to him would have draconian
consequences," said Lawrence. "He entered the process too late, in
my opinion."
State Rep. Patti Bellock, R-Hinsdale, said Quinn got this budget,
in part, because of the limitations he placed on lawmakers.
"We could not change what the governor promised before the
election, in that he was not going to close any institutions or lay
anyone off," Bellock said. "We just had to deal with the balanced
budget and making sure that we do not spend more than the revenues
we take in."
The governor also is correct that he cannot spend money that has
not been approved or appropriated by the General Assembly. Quinn
lost his ability to spend as he saw fit, his ability to move money
between state agencies. Quinn, like all previous governors, can
still move 2 percent of a state agency's budget, only within that
agency.
This leads to the next claim.
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[to top of second column] |
Quinn claim: "In previous years, the past two, the General
Assembly (approved) lump-sum budgets. They basically did not want to
make any cuts. They told me several times: 'You, the governor, make
the cuts.' This year the General Assembly wanted to do it a
different way. They wanted a line-item budget."
Truth: Quinn is not the only governor to be handed a lump-sum
budget. Mautino said former Govs. George Ryan, a Republican, and Rod
Blagojevich, a Democrat, also were given most of the responsibility
to spend the state's money. Mautino said Illinois' disastrous
financial situation forced a change.
"In this budget, since a lot of very hard choices were made, that
extraordinary power of transfer was not given," said Mautino.
Lawrence points out that past governors used transfer power to
delay Medicaid and pension payments, and that helped create
Illinois' multibillion-dollar deficit.
"The problems are so large that that kind of maneuvering is not
going to work," Lawrence said.
The Illinois House produced a line-item budget after weeks of
legislative hearings and closed-door meetings. Mautino said the
$33.2 billion budget price tag came as a result of that long process
and hard work.
Quinn is blasting the legislative line-item budget now. But in
April the governor said he wanted lawmakers to take the lead.
"I actually like the fact that legislators are, line item by line
item, going through the budget. My first two years, I was told they
didn’t want to do that; they didn’t want to make cuts. They wanted
the governor to make all the cuts," said Quinn.
___
Quinn said he is "willing to work" with lawmakers during the fall
veto session to avoid the closings and layoffs.
The General Assembly is due in Springfield Oct 25.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT]
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