Monday, February 17, 2014

An Open Letter to Illinois Governor Quinn re: Our State Constitution's Budget Address Stipulations

Dear Governor Quinn,
You can only survive a court challenge to your
"five year plan"  budget address if the judges
are illiterate. Article VIII--Finance, in the current
Illinois Constitution, Section 2., subsection (a)
clearly states the serving governor must submit
to the General Assembly a state budget for the
ensuing fiscal year. (-That is, one year out,
NOT five!)  "At a time prescribed by law" had
the date as February 19th, but you, Mr. Quinn,
now want to skip that by, oh, I don't know,
executive fiat (allowed by Cullerton and Madigan),
instead wrapping the "ensuing fiscal year" into a
five year plan full of estimates and precious little
hard data. Your proposed date of address is
March 26, eight days after the election...why?
Do you need to know who has won the Republican
Primary for governor before your big budget reveal? 

Yes, the state is in serious arrears by billions;
yes, the five percent Illinois income tax is quite
unpopular, although necessary; yes, your political
career's future is definitely on the line....

But  none of that authorizes an abrogation
of our state constitution, period.

5 comments:

  1. Well and boldly stated as always Lady Amber. I feel in these ( SO CALLED NEW AGE NEW WORLD ORDER SAME OLD B S TIMES ) we are in now Our rights are violated and , constitution, federal, state, etc BECAUSE THE ( DA BOYZ!!)

    It would be great if MANY FROM BOTH PARTIES would stop these TAKE OUR PHONES HOSTAGE difficult to disconnect ROBO CALLS! NOW! IT MAY BE TIME to as a commercial from decades ago around election time stated ( TO THROW THE BUMS ALL OUT and start fresh! )

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    1. --Ditto! Da Boyzs and da Gurlz are always annoyingly the same and boring throughout history....push, push, even when it ultimately makes no sense for anybody, not even them.

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  2. It's a quandary, Amber. I share your perspective in regard to the budget and the state constitution.

    While I'm not particularly enamored of Pat Quinn's gubernatorial track record, his potential Republican opponents appeal to me even less. At this time, polls indicate that Bruce Rauner is at the head of the pack. And in this era of Citizens United, he could easily win (or, if you prefer) BUY the Republican primary.

    I'm still with Quinn, warts and all.

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    1. Thanks to my good friend in Oak Park I checked the IL Constitution, as she knew there was a problem here. What will become of the rule of law if "anything goes"?? Where does it end?? Already Mayor DeBlasio of NYC has been clocked breaking all manner of driving laws, and the authorities there were loath to appropriately correct him....

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    2. What are your opinions about Kirk Dillard?

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