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originally posted by: HomerinNC
a reply to: Phage
Exactly!!!
They are shooting themselves in the foot doing this
Besides, doesnt the lottery winnings come FROM the lottery, not the state's budget?
originally posted by: SlowNail
a reply to: MrSpad
Politics or not, isn't it illegal to offer prizes that don't exist? By that logic, isn't the governor committing fraud by not releasing funds and therefore open to suits from every lottery player, regardless of whether they won or not? They were ensnared in a fraud trap, after all. I manage that's how it would go down, had the shoe been on the other foot.
originally posted by: sdcigarpig
Yeah, that is going to hurt the state big time. All it is going to do is simply take a few of the Lottery winners to turn around and sue the state of Il and win in court, force it up to where the state has no choice but to pay up. So that 250 thousand dollar win could cost the state 2.5 million in legal fees.
The state is more than $5 billion behind in paying its bills. It has the worst credit rating of any state. It has the worst unfunded pension liability of any state. There was not enough support for raising taxes, nor was their enough support for a doomsday budget. Still, lawmakers approved a $35.7 billion budget. Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton acknowledge that this budget borrows $650 million from special funds that will drive up the bills taxpayers ultimately must fund. This budget postpones paying $380 million state worker health insurance bills that taxpayers ultimately must fund. This budget diverts $650 million in funds that had been going to pay down unpaid bills that taxpayers ultimately must fund. Yet, lawmakers voted to start paying themselves again for 12 furlough days they had been taking. In other words, they boosted their own pay by $3,100 to $67,836 per lawmaker. Most actually are paid closer to $78,000 for their part-time jobs because most of them get another $10,000 for committee chairmanships. In the spending plans approved before politicians adjourned was $10 million to renovate the Uptown Theatre in Chicago. There was $35 million to build a grade school in Madigan's district. There was $500,000 for a car racetrack near St. Louis. There is a bill that could allow Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to raise cell phone taxes by $1.40 per month. The budget includes $50 million in funds for Chicago Public Schools and another $50 million in back pay owed state workers. There's money authorized, according to the Chicago Tribune, for more Capitol renovations, for the Glen Ellyn Park District, a Puerto Rican Cultural Center, a Little League in Blue Island, windows for a Chicago church and more. Both Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn and Republican nominee Bruce Rauner already are using the budget crisis to try to raise campaign funds and support. Quinn wanted a permanent tax increase. Rauner has refused to provide details for how he would solve the crisis.
originally posted by: HolgerTheDane2
Is it me reading American politics wrong, or are there a large number of incidents, where Republicans are purposely blocking Democrats with the express purpose to make people thing it's the Democrats fault?
originally posted by: HomerinNC
a reply to: Phage
Exactly!!!
They are shooting themselves in the foot doing this
Besides, doesnt the lottery winnings come FROM the lottery, not the state's budget?
originally posted by: skunkape23
If I won the lottery, I would get paid. We could do it the easy way or we could do it the hard way.
originally posted by: carewemust
Once the state budget standoff ends, the lottery winners will be at the back of the payment line. It's ironic that the state lottery advertisements on radio and TV are still running strong here.