In the News

News-Sun, August 16, 2007

State Rep. Kathy Ryg, D-Vernon Hills, was on the mark when she said of the record-breaking 11 weeks of the overtime budget session in Springfield: "We should have done better." If so, Ryg shouldn't accept the pay raise legislators will receive, despite the fact she voted against the final budget document.

None of Lake County's lawmakers, nor Gov. Rod Blagojevich for that matter, should belly up to the pay hike package that was part of the budget deal the governor snuck into law in the early morning hours the other day. The pay hike takes the governor's salary from $150,691 to $165,138. Lawmakers' annual salary jump from $57,619 to $63,143. We don't think any of these do-nothing folks earned their previous pay, let alone earning a merit raise.

So far, the only county lawmaker who says she will not accept the pay raise is state Sen. Susan Garrett, D-Lake Forest. Instead, she will work with local high schools to develop and fund a scholarship program for special education students who will be going on to college. Said Garrett: "I did not approve of this pay raise, and I don't feel that it would be appropriate to put the money to personal use. I think it's much better spent to encourage and support the efforts of deserving special education students."

If they had any guts, the county's other lawmakers should do the same for they accomplished but little in 11 weeks. It will be interesting how they will spin this year's stint in Springfield come primary election time which begins earlier because of the Feb. 4 presidential primary.

Blagojevich himself pulled a fast one Tuesday on the Legislature, brazenly proclaiming that he can spend a half a billion dollars without the consent of lawmakers. It was the act of a dictator, not a democratically elected governor, and he should be embarrassed. Not that he is.

The governor's tactics and his stubborn refusal to abandon an unpopular and expensive universal health insurance plan alienated so many lawmakers from both parties, yet he announced Tuesday that he would use his line-item veto to chop $500 million in what he called "pork and other special-interest spending." He didn't provide much in the way of specifics. And he said he would use his executive authority to expand health-care programs to the tune of $463 million -- not as much as his original $3 billion plan, but still a chunk of money.

Whether that is unconstitutional or not, it's clearly undemocratic. The representatives of the people soundly rejected the governor's health-care expansion. Now he says he can do it by mandate.

That's a scary tack. A governor who doesn't think a legislature is necessary? Sounds like Rome in 46 B.C. Hail, Caesar.