CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Six Degrees of Separation — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 22:47:50 -0000

Green Day at the State Fair? Call Ticketmaster, I'll take 2.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Squideshi — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:35:21 -0000

In regard to the state fair, I still want to know, will there be a Green day this year, in addition to a Democrat and Republican day? I'm not sure that the state can show preference for two out of the three legally established political parties in the state and deny equal treatment to the third.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Lainer — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:04:28 -0000

It may be time to issue a Government Shutdown Watch... meaning conditions are favorable for the development of payless paydays, large, destructive layoffs and damaging furloughs, as well as intense speculation and rumors gusting in excess of 60 times an hour. Stay tuned to this blog for further statements and possible warnings.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

IDOT ENGINEER — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 20:58:01 -0000

State Worker A:

They do it because they can. Also, IDOT has a fairly secure stream of funding from the Road and Construction funds (what's left after the massive diversions to the General Fund) and federal-aid highway funding.

They ran out two career deputy directors in the Division of Highways as part of their "material reorganization" a couple of years back suupposedly due to lack of work. They replaced one of those deputies with Roy Dolgos when he got in trouble for screwing up Veterans Affairs and needed to be moved out to make room for the new darling, Tammy Duckworth after she got spanked by Pete Roskam. We are hearing they will be filling the other supposedly unnecessary deputy director with some mope who is sick of "working on the budget" downtown.

They are placing people who are buddies of Jay Hoffman into positions of authority in the bureau in charge of urban planning without any related education, training or experience. Playing golf with "Hoffy" is sufficient qualification for six figure employment in today's IDOT.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

state worker A — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 20:42:18 -0000

What truly amazes me is that with all this talk about layoffs and furloughs, why is IDOT still hiring and promoting (political) individuals into positions. There was a new hire two weeks ago and a couple of liaisons were promoted into union positions.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Rich Miller — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:50:50 -0000

SDOS, and that would be bad? lol

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Cat — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:41:54 -0000

If there is a shut-down, the 'vacation' for most state employees will be short. When a budget is passed, the state workers will have to come back to do all their current work AND make up the 'vacation' work! No rest for the weary and underpaid.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Observer — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:37:17 -0000

I work for the state and I get so tired of the mindset that we are "underworked and overpaid." It's just not true. Sure, there are a certain percentage of slackers, but every company in the private sector with lots of employees has the same situation. We do work hard providing the services that allow the state to function. The taxpayers expect services quickly, efficiently, and accurately. Most of your state employees are working doubly hard to make sure Illinois remains a viable and functioning monolith. As the signs beside the construction zones say, "Give 'em a break."

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Six Degrees of Separation — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:34:35 -0000

Rich,

Sorry for my near use of a semi-offensive word. But my wife WOULD be PeeVED (a better word, I hope) if the State Fair got cancelled. Even if it got moved back a week, you can bet that 90% of the acts will not be able to re-schedule, and we'll be stuck with Steppenwolf 2007, Peterbilt drag races, and an Elvis impersonator revue.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

A Citizen — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:35:16 -0000

- Fan of the Game - Thursday, Jul 19, 07 @ 2:52 pm:

" . . .Oh, for the days of Donnie Snyder at IDOCâ€¦"
Check out Fitz's indictments of today. Is that the same Snyder? UhOh!

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Justice — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:35:00 -0000

A shutdown wouldn't surprise me at all. Call me crazy but I swear it seems to me that the governor just hates state workers. His attitude toward them has always appeared callus to me, and continues to appear that way. I think that is why he allows incompetents to take high paying positions in his administration, with total disregard for those actually doing the job. He honestly could care less. Unfortunately, I think that attitude has followed him in his duties to balance the budget. Do it my way or I'll wreck the train. Looks to me like a train wreck coming.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Anonymous ZZZ — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:50:21 -0000

Speaking of cushy jobs - Cassandra, where do you work, and are they hiring? I would love to get a job that allowed me the time to blog all day.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

IDOT peon — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:47:18 -0000

It will be interesting to see what happens with road construction projects during a government shutdown. Will contractors be forced to cease construction? Or will they continue to build without those pesky inspectors and Engineers that force them to build according to plans and specs? What will the unions who supported Blago say when all their members are also furloughed, if that be the case? And this is just one dept.

I'd bet money that very few people even know what an actual shutdown would do to the activities of this state! The consequences will go on for a long time in law suits and paybacks.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Papa Legba — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:24:15 -0000

I'm positive that Blago wants to shut down the government. His greatest hope IS the the State Fair will be canceled. Why? See the update from Rich Re: Fitzgerald's office.

The little man can further insulate himself from the media and just issue press releases, especially if any of the indictments hit close to home.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Sweet Polly Purebred — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:07:39 -0000

I am a SW with 29 years of service. The agency that employs me has continued to lose case workers, clericals, IT professionals,etc, etc, etc. The one thing we have gained under this governor is a huge number of middle and upper management employees imported from Chicago. Employees like Eugene Davis - former $85,000.00 a year chauffeur extraordinaire to DHS head Dr. Carol Adams - currently filling a newly created $65,000.00 a year Tech. Manager 5 at IDOT despite his lack of college degree or experience in the traffic safety field. Then of course we have the former "Silk Pajama King" - Carlos Estees and don't forget - the Secretary's right hand girl and the female partner in crime to the Pajama King - Teyonda Wertz - she of multiple SSN's. Everyday we are bombarded with more Chicagoans who "COMMUTE" to Springfield to "work" their official 3 1/2 day work week, all the while the gov is transferring more and more positions to Chicago, while AFSCME and other unions sit back and let it happen. There is no protection from this administration's wholesale slaughter of the downstate workforce.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Rich Miller — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:32:53 -0000

CF, it requires three-fifths to pass a budget. So, you're absolutely wrong that the Repubs are "completely powerless" now. And, frankly, I don't care what you post at the SJ-R. lol

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Crimefighter — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:20:11 -0000

To the folks that are gonna say the Republicans are responsible for any state government shutdown, I said it in the comments on the SJ-R article, I'll say it here, I will walk up to you and call you a bald faced liar. The Dems control everything and they had plenty of time to get it done, they will be held solely responsible. The state GOP is almost completely powerless to do anything in Illinois now.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Southern Illinois Voter — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:15:48 -0000

Cassandra is like a broken record - heard that, heard THAT....move on... All she does is bash state employees & gripe about their health care.

Huh? I can answer your question I'm sure - no she hasn't, or she wouldn't even have those thoughts. This is from someone who spent 27 years as a State employee. The last 2 under a ship of fools.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Little Egypt — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:13:27 -0000

I'm beginning to believe some of the posters here are correct - Blago wants a State shutdown. Why, I can't figure out because he's looking pretty sad as the supposed leader of our state. But I have faith in that little bugger that he can turn any negative political event into a positive campaign ad.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Huh? — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:05:05 -0000

All I can say is that I am glad that I no longer work for IDOT. I no longer have to worry about the threat of no pay check or getting unpaid furlough days.

Cassandra - I have a question for you - have you ever worked for the State of Illinois? If so what department?

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

"Fed-Up" — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:54:31 -0000

Cassie - as a state employee who has had one raise in 6 years and holds a second job to pay for the elevated Ameren rates...perhaps some state employees are overpaid and underworked but the ones I see, including myself, watch contractual workers get more than we do per hour; we receive no raises and I guarantee you the work doesn't stop because we lose people.

A shutdown will really hurt many people who count on their paychecks for mortgages and other bills. I know I certainly can't save anything on my salary and I have several graduate degrees to back up my being "overpaid".

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Fan of the Game — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:52:00 -0000

Oh, for the days of Donnie Snyder at IDOC...

But, the shutdown is likely to happen simply because Governor Blagojevich refuses to back away from his proposed projects, and Sen. Jones seems to be following the governor's lead. If Sen. Jones were to see the writing on the wall and get the senate to pass a budget, then a shutdown might be avoided.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Cassandra — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:51:01 -0000

Well, I'm not particularly sympathetic. As far as I know, sympathy is not a requirement for one's relationship to or opinion of one's state (or local, or federal) government.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

ANON — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:36:08 -0000

No Cassandra, you also said "I am not particularly sympathetic towards state employees, whom I view as overpaid and underworked (way underworked)." You conveniently forgot that part.

Re: Shutdown rumors persist, inflamed

Cassandra — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:21:31 -0000

I'm back.

And I'm not talking about the front line jobs although there would be fewer prison guards needed
in those types of jobs if the US (and Illinois) had more sane and less racially discriminatory sentencing practices. That's because there would be a lot fewer people in jail. And the jobs themselves might be less difficult and dangerous if prisons were better equipped, less crowded, and run by professionals instead of political hacks.

No, I'm talking about all those "management" jobs
that surround those frontline workers. Management jobs are far more available to patronage hires (frontline jobs tend to be unionized, and hiring is regulated by union rules) and the job descriptions can be written so as to require a minimum. Assuming that the front lines have some ability to do their jobs, why do they need so many managers to follow them around. They don't, probably.

Everybody is missing my point here, anyway. I said I thought it was manipulative and cruel to threaten state workers with a shutdown. And I said the money needed to pay them is there, even if the pathway to it is blocked by self-serving pols.And I said that incarceration in Illinois is disproprotionately inflicted up on African Americans. Nothing new or controversial there.