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State employee union warns of shudown's "great harm"

Posted July 23, 2007 11:00 pm

Doug Finke

With time running out to avoid a shutdown of state government, the largest state employee union is asking top officials to approve another one-month budget if there is no agreement on a permanent spending plan.

Henry Bayer, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, sent letters to Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the four legislative leaders asking them not to let state operations grind to a halt after the current temporary budget expires July 31.

"If a full-year budget cannot be agreed upon and passed in the very near future, another one-month budget must be approved," Bayer wrote. "State employees and the citizens who rely on their services should not be help hostage to the ongoing budget impasse."

Bayer said a shutdown will "serve no one and in fact do great harm to all of our citizens who rely on essential state services and to the tens of thousands of state employees who provide those services."

That threat is looming, though, with just eight days left before the state loses its authority to pay its bills. State government is only operating now because the governor and lawmakers approved a one-month budget in late June when the state was first faced with the threat of a shutdown.

There was no meeting Monday between Blagojevich and the four leaders to discuss a budget, short term or otherwise. The governor was in Chicago signing a statewide smoking ban into law, while House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President Emil Jones, both D-Chicago, spent most of the day on a fly-around to promote an electric rate relief bill.

In the past few days, various legislative leaders have warned that more and more rank-and-file members are upset about the lack of progress on a budget for the full fiscal year. They've warned that there may not be enough support for another one-month budget. Some, like House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, and Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville, have said a shutdown may be the crisis that finally forces serious discussions.

"Tom has consistently said we should try to do a 12-month budget," said Cross spokesman David Dring. "There seems to be some discontent among members to do another one-month budget."

"There is sentiment among some members that (another one-month budget) would take the pressure off, that the only way to get a resolution is to have a deadline," said Watson spokeswoman Patty Schuh. "A shutdown is not in anyone's best interest, but there may be members who do not support another one-month budget."

Both Watson and Cross are careful to say they do not want to see a shutdown.

AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall said it is unacceptable for anyone to view a shutdown as a way of forcing a budget compromise.

"You don't play games with the livelihoods of state employees," Lindall said. "You don't deny vital services those employees provide as a way to exert political pressure."

In some cases, like staffing state prisons and other public safety jobs, work would continue even if government is "shut down."

"In that case, you are asking individuals to work without pay. It is not acceptable," Lindall said.

Spokesmen for Jones and Madigan said both men continue to work on crafting a full-year spending plan.

Doug Finke can be reached at (217) 788-1527 or doug.finke@sj-r.com.

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