The Daybook From Home

The Daybook From Home

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Banter Before Business One of the perks of getting to work at 5 AM is getting home early as well. ‚ It’s 3:53, and I’m at home on my couch, while many of you are at work. ‚ Still others are working from home, and it’s this group that caused a bit of a stir earlier on. ‚ I wont re-hash, but it made me decide to give the whole “working from home” thing a test-run, so here we are. ‚ So far, so good. Premiere of the Post-Blago Budget Reaction is pouring in now to the Quinn budget address. ‚ The Governor laid out his proposal to raise the state’s flat income tax and cigarette tax, and up some other fees to bridge a massive budget deficit ($11.5 Billion, at last count), while also expanding certain tax deductions, which he says will help people who are struggling to get by. As far as reaction, Republicans are not ‚ on board, ‚ so says our man in Springfield, Sean Crawford. ‚  But, as we know, the Republican pols’ opinions don’t really matter a whole lot in the Statehouse these days. The second biggest force in Springfield (behind Sean Crawford) is the Democratic party, led by House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton. ‚ Cullerton tells me he’d really like a gasoline-tax increase (something Quinn explicitly came out against today), and wouldn’t really give a thumbs up or down on the Quinn proposal. Madigan’s office won’t really reveal its hand either, saying they have to take a hard look at things. Since I’m at home, I can’t post the story on our “actual” website, so here’s a blog exclusive from my email inbox, in script form: Blog exlusive from Omar’s inbox: from: Crawford, Sean P <*****@***.***> to: ipr@****.*** date: Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 3:31 PM subject: Budget Wrap - Statehouse ftp
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has laid out his budget plan to get the state’s finances on track.‚  But lawmakers have yet to get on board.‚  Sean Crawford reports: ( :58‚  soc) During his budget address… Quinn cautioned the General Assembly that the state won’t be able to cut its way out of the financial crisis.‚  He called such thinking mean spirited and says it would lead to layoffs … as well as to children and the elderly losing access to health care… QuinnA‚  ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  :07‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  (Now I don’t believe the people of Illinois support a harsh and mean spirited doomsday budget.” Governor Quinn says an historic budget deficit forced him to propose hikes in the income tax…‚  vehicle registrations… cigarette purchases and call for employee furloughs and major changes in government pensions. But Palatine Republican Senator Matt Murphy says he doesn’t buy Quinn’s claims about further spending cuts Murphy1‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  :‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  “They’re not easy and I’m not here to say it is.‚  But you can either raise taxes that will put more people out of work or you can balance the budget like everyone is having to do at home..” Lawmakers will debate the budget plan… and likely make changes to it… over the next couple of months.

OK this working from home thing is getting kind of hard. I have five fewer TVs, a much slower internet connection, and a diminishing ability to think and/or stay awake. ‚ Other than that, it’s pretty much all upside, what with the couch, quiet surroundings and ability to do whatever I want with no one watching. I think we have a winner.

But wait, how can I prep Lisa Labuz for newscasts tomorrow morning from my kitchen table? Now I remember why I can’t work from home. If only I could build a radio station in here, then I’d have it as easy as the web team! Why is life so unfair?

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