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From my pal, Mark Stefanik:
The war for our rights is far from over, but the GA’s salvo of dud bills did more damage to that chamber’s prestige than any session in recent memory.
Schemes to excuse their malfeasance and renege on pension covenants failed.What a pack of Wily Coyotes.A bill to recognize same sex marriages fails in the House after passing in the Senate.What a flock of poliboobs.And yet, they still manage to pass a bill allowing concealed weapons in a state rife with violence.What a shame for Illinois.They’re reloading already.Senator Danny Bisstake gives fair warning. He’ll re-submit his bill “57” times to get it passed.Clearly, Dan relishes his role as a pension destroyer.Representative Tom Cross trots out the bogeyman of Moody’s bond ratings. They’ll downgrade us again, he warns.First of all, and I wish this would get more play in the media, screwing our pension does not fix Illinois’ fiscal woes. New and just revenues are required. Tommy probably knows that, but ‘THE PENSION IS THE PROBLEM’ remains the dominant talking point.Secondly, Moody’s? Really? Aren’t they the boys who paved the road to the Great Recession? They’re crafty, immoral bastards, but noone ever said they were dumb. They know the pension isn’t the core problem. Cross’s gambit will, at best, placate them. Increased revenues, on the other hand, would put these reptiles into a good Moody.Stakes are high. Issues are clear. I hope everyone has time to recharge.
Fred Klonsky 
I was hoping for a great drawing of Wily Coyote.
How about a video instead?
Fortunately or unfortunately there were no winners this time around. My fear is in the next legislative session they’ll come back at us with a vengeance and with gloves off. In addition to all of us doing what we’ve been doing the last several years with regard to contacting legislators, etc, I wonder if there is any way to start a movement to have the state undergo a forensic audit to determine where every penny has actually gone over the last 50 years when “pension holidays” were taken, etc., by having it on the ballot so voters so could vote on it. With the pension bloggers’ influence with their followers, perhaps the thought of what a forensic audit might reveal would give the legislators something to consider when plotting their next moves against us. It might also enlighten the general public as to why “Illinois is broke.”