Illinois surpasses 20-day mark without a budget

By Christopher Wills

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s plan to chop $500 million out of the state budget could affect emergency equipment for police and fire departments, services for the disabled and even efforts to clean up drinking water.

Illinois marked 20 days without a budget Monday, a situation that’s holding up hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to schools and payments to private companies.

Legislators approved a budget Aug. 10, but the Democratic governor hasn’t signed it. He says he intends to cut $500 million in “pork and special interest spending” first – particularly money set aside for lawmakers’ favored projects.

“Some are clearly outrageous. A lot of them are dressed up to look reasonable. But collectively they reflect too much spending on the wrong priorities,” Blagojevich said last week.

An Associated Press review of the budget shows plenty of vague or questionable projects.

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Elk Grove Village, for instance, would get $20,000 to host a sister city delegation from Sicily, Italy. A Chicago music and modeling company named TaeSue would get $23,750. The Springfield Figure Skating Club would get $40,000.

But most of the more than $150 million in “member initiatives” would address fundamental needs.

Nearly $850,000 would be set aside for rescue equipment and emergency services, including $250,000 for a mobile command center in Crystal Lake and $20,000 for police and fire equipment in the little village of Union.

At least two towns, Grand Ridge and Rossville, would get money to help remove arsenic from their water systems. Another, Morris, would get $75,000 to maintain a filtration system that removes radon from the water.

Morris Mayor Richard Kopczick rejected the notion that his town’s grant was “pork.”

“We’re not looking at building a ‘bridge to nowhere’ here. This is for the health and safety of the community,” he said.

Dozens of schools would get grants for classes, technology, repairs and playgrounds. In fact, playgrounds – including two that serve disabled children — account for more than $1 million of the legislative projects.

A central Illinois organization that serves people with cerebral palsy is in line for $50,000 to buy equipment that lifts people out of their wheelchairs. Right now, United Cerebral Palsy Land of Lincoln offers day services for 62 people but has only one lift.

“When we found out it might be vetoed, we were dismayed. I was just in shock,” said the group’s president, Brenda Yarnell. “This is not fluff. We would welcome the opportunity to show anyone the work we’re doing and see how difficult it is.”

The governor, appearing in Chicago on Monday, refused to comment on the budget or his veto plan. His press office did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Last week, he left the door open to saving projects requested by Senate Democrats. Senate President Emil Jones has promised to block any efforts to overturn Blagojevich’s veto.

The budget was supposed to be approved by May 31, but it was delayed by disagreements among Democrats who control the governor’s office and the General Assembly. Just before the new fiscal year began on July 1, officials approved a one-month budget extension. That has now expired.

The state has missed two school aid payments totaling more than $340 million, Comptroller Daniel Hynes said. Hundreds of millions of dollars in other payments have also been delayed, including $600,000 in worker’s compensation and $2.5 million in law enforcement training grants.

“The clock is ticking,” Hynes said in a statement. “The governor must act immediately to provide relief.”