While he’s been a nightmare for everyone, Blagojevich’s scapegoating of state workers for 6 years has been especially disgusting.
Statement of Henry Bayer, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31, the largest union of Illinois state employees:
“The removal of Rod Blagojevich should be a beginning, not an end. Now leaders must restore faith in state government, reverse cuts to its services and raise revenue to pay the bills.
“State employees work hard to provide the essential services Illinois residents rely on. Over the past decade, two Illinois governors have failed to reflect that commitment to public service. They neglected fiscal responsibility, damaged the quality and efficiency of state services and undermined public confidence in the integrity of government.
“Today the state of state government is bleak. We face billions of dollars in bills for Medicaid providers and pension obligations, failing schools and crumbling infrastructure, shuttered parks and dangerous prisons. The ranks of state workers have been drastically depleted, with those remaining facing forced overtime, huge caseloads and long service backlogs. And our broken tax system can’t support the reinvestment we need to confront these challenges.
“Our union and the nearly 40,000 state employees represented by AFSCME want to work with Governor Quinn and the legislative leaders to rebuild a state government that better serves Illinois residents, appropriately stewards their tax dollars and regains their confidence. It won’t be easy, but we can do it—and we must.”
While the Governor has gone he did leave one-delayed action bomb someplace over at the General Assembly, a tax increase.
It will be interesting to see how this issue is handled by the General Assembly and the media. Will there be an honest discussion of the need for a tax increase (a need that has been there for several years) or will there be hysterical discussion about Blagojevich’s prediction coming true.
Blagojevich gone.
Tax demagogues alive and well.