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Following the General Assembly’s failure to pass an unconstitutional pension bill, the legislature assembled The Gang of Ten to try and put something together.
Governor Squeezy ordered the committee to come up with something by yesterday.
Chairman Raoul told Squeezy’s representative, Budget Director Jerry Stermer that he was offended that Squeezy wouldn’t testify even though Raoul had invited him to.
When Squeezy’s deadline passed he ordered that the members of the House and the Senate will not receive their paychecks and benefits.
I feel their pain.
Squeezy is apparently trying to set a Guinness Book of World Records for attempts at violating the law.
Republican Comptroller Topinka doesn’t think Squeezy can legally withhold paychecks and benefits.
Her views on withholding pension checks and benefits is another matter. She hasn’t expressed an opinion about that.
As for me, I would rather the legislature not be paid and I get my promised pension check.
I earned mine. The General Assembly cannot make the same claim.
Meanwhile The Madman sounds like he is supporting Squeezy on the paycheck issue.
He claims that the only one’s working in Springfield, other than him, are Elaine Nekritz and Republican Leader Tom Cross.
Now that is some three-way.
Try and get that picture out of your head.
And a major burn on Senate President John Cullerton.
The Madman may be Godfather to one of Cullerton’s kid, but Cullerton shouldn’t be surprised to find a horse’s head in his bed some day soon.
It is lawless in Springfield.
Fred Klonsky 
We are watching the superficial skirmishes of a corporate coup that us taking over our country. The corporate cabal knows what it wants and it does not care what it has to do to get it — democratic due process is nothing but a minor annoyance to sweep out of the way. The good politicians, those who stay bought, are not the sort of people who have the guts to do these things on their own — they wouldn’t dare do what they are doing if they had not been promised to be taken care of when they are done with their dirty deeds.
Taken care of …
They should be careful what they wish for …
Sounds like a good plan…in lieu of us losing our earned benefits, why shouldn’t they lose theirs? And…there are many reasons…help me list them!!!
HAWKS WIN!!!! Sent from my iPhone
Gotta love IL politics. Between Gov. Squeezy, Madigangster and others, it makes for strange bedfellows and lots of Ménage à trois and other sordid alliances.
Unfortunately the aforementioned fall on the backs of hard working state employees whose only mistake was naively believing in the promises/contracts the state made to them decades ago.
Fortunately the legislators shouldn’t suffer too much from a pay freeze–after all their jobs are only part-time. Gov. Squeezy seems to be the only full time executive employee who has a house paid by taxpayers and an expense account to cover incidentals so he’s not affected by his bully tactics.
If Gov. Squeezy can summarily freeze legislators’ pay, why does he need to a committee to do pension “reform”? He can just do this on his own and freeze our benefits. Just think how much money he’d save the state!
If Gov. Squeezy doesn’t watch out, he’ll be quickly squeezed out of office come election time.
Too bad we do not have term limits. The whole group is incompetent. Who would go into teaching today knowing what can happen to one’s pension? Who would vote for these clowns or thieves?
And–inquiring minds want to know–did my eyes deceive me yesterday (I was watching the 9:00PM News), or did the Gov duck out (& it looked like a Madigan move–attempting to sneak out, but being caught by others calling after him!) of a session or meeting in a snit (looked as if he were actually growling!)? Fred or someone, please answer! It appeared to be hilarious, just like the footage of Mike running away from Chuck Goudy!