Blag threatens layoffs.

[davsand]

In LBN there is an article about Blag threatening layoffs--5000 of them, in fact... http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x571535

SPRINGFIELD -- In a brass-knuckles negotiating ploy, Gov. Blagojevich threatened Thursday to pink-slip as many as 5,000 state workers -- if lawmakers don't raise certain taxes and fees and cut corporate tax breaks to balance the upcoming state budget.

His administration insisted it didn't want to preside over what is believed to be the most massive layoff spree in state government history, but stiff legislative resistance to his funding alternatives require cuts in headcount to be considered, aides said.

The idea set off a buzz at the Statehouse and claims of betrayal from the largest union representing state workers, which backed the governor in 2002 on a campaign promise not to lay off state workers to help balance the budget..."

Full article here:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-blago211.html

If Blag pisses off the unions, I'm wondering if he can even consider running for re-election. That 66% approval rating the Suntimes cites in the sidebar just doesn't make sense to me. I don't know many folks who ARE pleased with him right now. This leads me to a speculation:

IF Blag has Chicago mad at him along with organized labor, could Dan Hynes beat him in a primary race? They'd split Chicago out (remember, Blag did not carry Cook last time) and Hynes carried something like 85 counties in his Senate primary against Obama...

I think this is worth watching. What do YOU guys think?


Laura

[madrchsod]

1. there`s alot of prison guards

in Vandalia that won`t vote for him..blago has alot to learn and it will be interesting if he gets a second term- he`s pissing off alot of people. hynes had better name recognition out here in northern il than blago did.
northern il will go solid for bush and ryan..so i hope the rest of il will carry obama and kerry ,otherwise we will loose the state just a few months ago we thought would be solid democratic...out here it`s "obama? what the hell is that"? oh yes -that`s my local democrats saying that

[gatlingforme]

2. I can't figure out what Blag is thinking sometimes, he has

pissed off quite a few people around here. I am beginning to wonder who he is for, the people in all of Illinois or his close allies. His "ethics" board is a joke. But, I do like the fact that the local governments have to adopt an ethics ordinance. It's a little nebulous but it's better than nothing.

[davsand]

3. Well met, gatlingforme!

Oh that "ethics' thing was such a joke, IMO. They made such a big deal about it--but the same newspaper reporting that reported that the Senate was trying to cut a deal between the GOP and the Dems to allow Bush on the ballot in Illinois in November since the GOP nominating convention was past the Illinois deadline.

The Dems wanted the GOP to agree to waive fines for specific Dems who had not filed election reports correctly and on time. The deal fell apart and bush didn't make it on the ballot at that point, but that really made the whole ethics thing look so cheap...

What "region" of Illinois do you hail from? I'm up by Champaign Urbana!


Laura

[gatlingforme]

4. Kane County Dem here

My county resides next to DuPage County which is the epicenter for Republicans in Illinois. Kane gets the Republican overflow from DuPage. :hi:
I hope your region has less dispairity then mine. We need a mass exodus of Republicans and major migration of more Dems.

[laylah]

5. Ethics board?

MUCH more than a joke...I sent PROOF, hard-copy proof, of unethical behavior by the DOC to the Inspector General only to be told that "...this isn't our area". The people, the abusers of authority in this administration wouldn't know honor OR integrity if it bit them on the hiney! They lie, they cheat, they spin, and they don't give a damn about the regular joes OR jenns. I speak out against them every chance I get...in the grocery line, at the gas pump, in restaurants, shopping, etc. I do NOT like these people...they don't play fair and they don't give a damn!:mad:

Jenn

Edited to tell you my location...the QC area :toast:

[yagotme]

8. Yes, I'm familiar

with the "ethics" test. A waste of taxpayer dollars, in my opinion. So, you take the test, anyone with half a brain can pass it, and now you have a certificate on file in Spfld that you are now "ethics trained". Which means, if you do anything shady politically at work, they can lower the boom on you. Why not put out a memo (which there are tons of them around anyway), incorporate it into the annual training, instead of taking special time out of the workday, and you can still lower the boom as they can now.

[Radical Activist]

6. A good way to piss off Springfield.

Which depends on state jobs for the local economy. Sangamon was one of the only downstate counties to vote for Obama in the primary. I can't see them doing any favors for Blago if he has a Dem opponent in the primary.

Its too bad there isn't more Democratic talent downstate to run against Blago in the primary. Has anyone else heard the rumor that Lisa Madigan might run for Gov?

[davsand]

7. I'd heard that about Lisa.

I dunno how much stock to put in it, however.

We were speculating a while back that Hynes is in a great spot to challenge Blag in this primary--especially since Hynes ran SO strong downstate in his Senate primary. If Chicago split out (and you know it will--Blag pissed a lot of them off over the whole Casino thing) then downstate comes into play.

A rumor I did hear in the Primary was the Blag was pissed at Hynes and his folks over the whole issue of who they backed in that primary between Blag and Vallas back when Blag won the Dem nomination for Gov. I was told (and I never got it confirmed so it is a rumor!) that Blag said his people could work anyone they wanted in this last Senate Primary AS LONG AS IT WASN'T HYNES!!!

IF they have no love for each other already, it makes it easier for Hynes to run.

The sticking point I see there is if Madigan has it in the back of his head that he wants the Governor's Mansion for Lisa in a few years. IF that is the case, no way Mike Madigan will do anything to help anybody replace Blag. He'd WANT Blag to remain vulnerable, and in fact, might not be terribly unhappy to see the Repubs back in control for four years...

[yagotme]

9. It's my understanding

that Madigan and Blago aren't getting along too well right now anyway. A picture and caption from a newspaper (don't know which one, title was torn off) had Blago saying that Madigan was part of the budget problem. That probably flew like a lead balloon in the Dem side of the house. I think Blago is ticking off too many people, many in his own party, and is cutting his own throat when election time comes around.