CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Dunn Done — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:33:50 -0000

I was going to be a Dunn this year. No clout, letters from professors, essay, resume and interview. Despite what the PDFs indicate, the program is indeed gone for the year and its future unknown. Don't know why this was released, maybe a cruel error or a way to throw off those that were angry the program was canceled.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

VanillaMan — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:14:10 -0000

This is not a surprise, and it is a drop in the bucket.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

civil servant — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:05:59 -0000

RJW - I know most of Dunn Fellows are not political - interviews used to be conducted by "important" staff and Dunns were given serious work. Some bureaucrat at CMS organizes interviews now. Most if not all Blago Dunns worked in Gov's Office. The Program is not the same as it used to be. Blago had Dunns video taping all of the Chicago news stations and then driving the tapes to his house - and they were paid OT! The Dunns, Lt Gov Interns and SOS Fellows worked millions of hours for little pay without a thought of asking for OT. I wonder if we can find out how much was spent on OT and travel (to and from Blago's house in Ravenswood) - that would be interesting.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Can't Say My Nickname — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:06:20 -0000

Not much has been mentioned about CMS's Workers Compensation payroll for state agencies. Is it struggling? Does Workers Comp payroll come out of the personnel services line?

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Odd Fellow — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:47:40 -0000

I have met some Dunn Fellows. Not a one of them represented the program very well. And yes, a few of them were "connected". Maybe I was just unlucky and met three "bad apples".

In a row.

The program I think has merit. I just was not impressed by the actual individuals I met. They came off as over-entitled princes- and princesses-in-waiting, just killing time doing menial stuff until they got the clouted managerial level jobs waiting for them. If I'm bitter-sounding, it is more because such a program is a good and needed thing, but I'm afraid it's tainted like much of the rest of the bureaucracy. I'm sure not Every Dunn Fellow is bad. But like I said, the ones I've met, did not do your program any favors.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Anonymous — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:12:32 -0000

"Not a lot of detail there, eh?"

Hey Rich, you have to admit, those agency sheets are pretty freaking detailed.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Amazing — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:54:51 -0000

Welcome to Hellinois....

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

asht79 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:13:10 -0000

does anyone know if the layoffs mentioned above have notices gone out?

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

RJW — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:58:39 -0000

That should be "prepares college GRADS." How embarassing.

I would also note that Dunn Fellows are cheap labor. It saves the state money to have them doing work as opposed to hiring a union worker.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Outsider — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:58:04 -0000

I was a Dunn Fellow almost 10 years ago and saddened to hear that it was discontinued a couple of weeks ago. To be honest, it was the best experience I ever had career-wise and I would not be where I am today without it. Someone above talked about how DOC/GOMB can't get it right by not hiring new people and their lower salaries to avoid overtime. This immediately made me think of a Dunn Fellow. We made $27k a year and worked like crazy-and were better for it. I would much rather see the governor's office have a couple deputy chiefs of staff and each of them have some Dunn Fellows who would work hard for their money (I think around $31k now) as opposed to a few employees that have been around in government/public sector making 6 figures each. That would be cost savings for government and a great way to continue a program with a rich tradition of creating great public servants.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

RJW — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:57:27 -0000

Civil Servant:

Back off of the Dunn Fellowship program. I was a Dunn and so were many, many other people who now work in state government. It is an internship program that prepares college grades for careers with the state. It is non-partisan and Rutan covered. Who you know can't help you with that program. I knew nobody and was accepted on merit. There were several in my class that weren't even from Illinois. Please know your facts before stating something.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

civil servant — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:40:22 -0000

sure does look like the Dunn's were funded - hmmmm - anyone willing to bet that at least one of them had some big time "clout"?

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

troop — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:36:48 -0000

So he can fly all around and go overseas for no good reason while we are in this mess. Wake up Illinois, we need to vote all these guys out. What is the use in working anymore when all the government does is take, take, take? I guess if your a state worker your family does not count!

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Another Flip Flop? — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:22:57 -0000

I read an article in the SJ-R about the Dunn Fellowship being discontinued. According to the CMS page of the budget allocation, it is funding at full levels.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Capitol View — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:12:28 -0000

Adolg Berle - DOC, by letting go staff, get rid of the least senior staff making the least money. Part of their fiscal craziness of the past few years is that their understaffing has resulted in huge overtime payouts. Bring in new recruits, and these new staffers are paid less and no one needs overtime. The more you hire, the more you save. But the GOMB has't figured this out yet, despite all the obvious savings from distributing the new recruits for the prison that opened late to the other institutions in the waiting time.

DOC would save bundles of operating funds by early retirement incentives to senior line staff.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Desert Dweller — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:12:08 -0000

Any particulars on the constitutionals? Is the $25 million the 10% across the board cut?

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

batty1 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:10:33 -0000

Adolph B--see WCW earlier message:
"I feel sorriest for correctional officers. theyâ€™re job is already dangerous and to decrease staff only makes their working conditions more dangerous. I hope that someone can put a prisoner lock down order in effect to help make the working environment a little more safe for the correctional officers."

WCW is right. And with cuts to human services we will see a higher rate of recidivism--it costs much more to have people in prison than assisted by agencies with programs for ex-offenders that help them turn their lives around.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Lefty Lefty — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:08:44 -0000

Thanks for the clarifications, all. I knew that EPA received $ from hazwaste fund, MFT, etc. but wouldn't have guessed that only $1.6 million came from GRF.

In case you're interested, PTAB zeroed from $2.28 mil last year, and Illinois Power zeroed from $1.32 mil last year.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Rich Miller — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:02:18 -0000

===itâ€™s not fair to say heâ€™s â€œdisingenuousâ€ when in fact he was very candid. ===

Yes, it is. WCW is correct.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Chi Gal — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:01:40 -0000

WCW -- Yes, while afscme is buying their way into your man Dan's heart with those whopping political contributions, they can only shoot arrows at the one who has to make the tough decisions (and not hide behind his dad). They can blame PQ all they want but the bottom line is that this state doesn't have the money to live they way its become accustomed to. And it was PQ who has made that very clear - publicly (not on post-it-note.) And when he says that things haven't gone the way he hoped, how is that spinning it to make himself look good?

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Will County Woman — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:00:16 -0000

chi gal, no. it isn't.,and I am not.

the gov. is on record having said previously and consistently (before july 1) that a temp budget was in effect kicking the can down the road and wrong. that is what people like govs. edgar and thompson chimed in on to help him with. funny how when lisa madigan took her name out of contention for governor, within a day or so, quinn was ready to sign off on the temporary budget and borrowing.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Chubs Mahoney — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:00:13 -0000

WCW, I think he just expressed his disappointment and made it clear that he does not relish making these cuts. If you just don't like Quinn, fine, but it's not fair to say he's "disingenuous" when in fact he was very candid.

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Adolf Berle — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:57:24 -0000

It's good to see that Gov. Quinn is proceeding with cutting $125 million from DOC. The agency was terribly managed the last few years as overtime grew from

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Will County Woman — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:54:49 -0000

Look chubs, he is an unmandated governor with no political capital and I guess he really had no other choice but to spin in an effort to make himself look a little better.

the afscme council 31 statement that rich posted earlier in the hour is interesting and worth noting. afscme 31 council supports hynes, and in very strong language regarding the state budget mess it blames the governor...

Re: Guv “details” budget cuts – 2,552 headcount reduction

Chi Gal — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:53:49 -0000

-- Will County Woman - he signed it for political reasons --

Isn't that rather disingenuous on your part? We needed something to buy time. Clearly you weren't one of the state employees who didn't receive a paycheck on payday.