Chief of Staff Jerry Stermer and Governor Pat Quinn meeting with women lawmakers.
(Springfield, IL) — April 29, 2010. State Rep. Karen May (D-Highland Park) reports via her Facebook Page that Governor Pat Quinn, and chief of staff Jerry Stermer today met with the Conference of Women Legislators about funding for day care, mental health services, alcohol and drug dependence and women’s health initiatives.
In Quinn’s proposed budget, the Governor cuts $90 million or 25% of the budget for community health services which will toss approximately 72,000 people out of care, according to the Administration’s own estimates.
Additionally, Quinn is planning an 8% cut to substance abuse prevention and treatment services which eliminate treatment for 2,500, including 1,000 women. These cuts come on top of 17% last year which saw 7,000 people lose care.
Let’s see if COWL makes any progress with Quinn on these issues. Given the Governor’s low standing among women voters in polls during the primary and now general election, Quinn has every incentive to attempt to satisfy these lawmakers’ concerns.
We’ll see.
Gov. Pat Quinn
It only took me 69 years to become an overnight sensation, thanks to David Ormsby tagging me as one of the grand old men of Illinois politics. (Along with Don Rose I would suspect and hope).
I must say I find it strange that Quinn’s poll numbers are low with women in light of Bill Brady’s pro-life position. But Brady is being given license from the right wing to soften some of his social positions. Its amazing how winning becomes important in times like these.
In any event New York is providing a marvelous refuge from the aggravation of Illinois, though I would never have embarked on my senatorial escapade if Dan Hynes had won the gubernatorial primary or if a competent Democrat had run in New York.
I accidentally found a Republican who would beat Schumer in a general election but they don’t have the brains to go after her. Yes its a her.
Americans don’t like all the power being held by one party. If I had a choice I’d give up the U.S. Senate before the House (one reason is they don’t redistrict the Senate, secondly if we couldn’t operate effectively with 59 or 60 votes, having only 48 or 49 would not be a disaster, and third, I don’t want to give up Nancy Pelosi. What a terrier she is!) With Democrats controlling only the House going into 2012 Obama has a better chance of being re-elected, though I’ll bet on him regardless. Any Republican can beat him until you give that person a name. I’m getting a lot of calls from Gingrich,for example, most pretending to be substantive polls. He ought to get a job with the Clinton Foundation.
If my Senate gig doesn’t work out I’m going to do what I can to especially re-elect Bean, Foster and Halvorsen as well as Seals. Also you have to admire the irrepressible Scott Harper; even if it takes him five times he shouldn’t stop. He’s the average man’s Harold Stassen, and like Bill Proxmire he will eventually win.
Now what did all this verbiage have to do with the opening subject? Not much.
Posted by Philip Krone | April 28, 2010, 12:08 PM