What is causing the gridlock in IL? Split government? And even if so, why is it impossible for them to reach a compromise given the stakes and the damage?
Stubbornness in raising taxes to where they should be to sustain the state.
The new (in 2015) Governor Rauner (R) inherited a financial time bomb, and proposed massive cuts across the board as a way to "balance the budget." Since '08, there have been cuts that totalled almost a trillion dollars statewide in education funding, and Rauner demanded more. Cuts were mainly to "social" programs that benefited minorities (Medicaid; CTA, PACE, and METRA (public transportation); higher education, you know the usual slash and burn plan).
Michael Madigan (D), a LONG term career politician in Illinois is the Speaker of the House for the Illinois Senate. Madigan has proposed putting the taxes back to where they were, or higher, eliminate tax credits for corporations, reclaim lost income from companies that skirt Illinois rules (See also: DNC playbook circa forever).
Both have ego's the size of Texas and neither wants the other side to win.
Daily Kos has a lengthy writeup about it.
https://m.dailykos.com/story/2015/7...ois-Budget-Deficits-Rauner-Won-t-Tax-the-Rich
The irony here is Rauner has asked for a compromise bill to come through, sure he'll reject it, but he's looking to work. Madigan has refused to push anything to the Governor unless it's 100% his way.
Not helping matters is that the legislature has passed band-aid bills to at least keep doors open and lights on, without fail in last second negotiations. To anyone not keeping up with the news, everything appears just fine. But, the State of Illinois is still hemorrhaging money at a rate set in 2014, with no adjustment to taxes or some services to make up the deficit.
Suburban schools are threatening to not reopen this fall (They also threatened last summer only to get a stay of execution).
IDOT spent easily over ten million dollars to pay construction crews to remobilize to their worksites after telling contractors that June 30th was it last year and to pack up as if it's a winter shutdown. We're once again being told to treat June 30th as our last day.
The DMV refuses to mail license renewal information because the cost is a drain to their budget, with only enough finances being given to minimum operate the agency.
But to John Q. Public, all he'll see is the convenience of no road construction for a week (or much longer).
