Day 308: More Kumbaya, Less Leadership

The Senate passed a bill for more higher education funding. It seems that they’ve decided on a formula for getting some funds into the starving state systems:

The winning formula: spending bills that aren’t tied to items on Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s pro-business, union-weakening “turnaround agenda” but are tied to specific revenue sources.

“It’s worked in the Senate, and I strongly encourage the House to do the same as we have done,” said Sen. Pat McGuire, D-Joliet, chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, “because it’s the best thing to do — the best way to move forward, obviously, in a bipartisan manner — for all the people of Illinois.”

(Republican Senator Jason) Barickman, who represents Illinois State University, called the legislation “yet another small step forward, but an important one.”

“We’re demonstrating an ability to work together in a bipartisan manner,” he said. “I think there’s a blueprint here for how we can continue to work together on all the various things that are important to our state and ultimately get a budget passed for this next fiscal year.”

Well, he’s right in that they can get a budget passed if they follow the formula mentioned earlier: Ignore Rauner’s “turnaround agenda.”

Of course, they’ve had the ability to do so for 308 days and counting now. Budgets and appropriation bills have been passed by the legislature previously, but — surprise! the GOP minority in the house refused to vote to override the governor’s veto.

The claim is that the new money is tied to funding.

NEWS FLASH!

The spending would be covered by letting the state off the hook for repaying money borrowed from special funds to plug holes in last year’s budget.

Pro-tip: Robbing Peter to pay Paul isn’t “funding.” It’s cooking the books and a recipe for continuing budget chaos.

Don’t get me wrong, if this funding measure passes, I’ll be pleased that higher education is getting another meal after being starved for 10 months. But the additional funds would still represent only 60 percent of what the system received in 2015. So, effectively, our alleged Governor Bruce Rauner, who loves to tout his commitment to education, has maneuvered into place a 40 percent cut to higher education spending in one year.

And there’s still a funding bill for social services awaiting House approval.

None of which is a budget. And none of which will alleviate the immense shame Illinoisans feel toward our political class in Springfield, especially those enabling a governor who seems intent on destroying the state.