Hitting legislators in the wallet- an idea whose time has come

CHICAGO (AP) - Gov. Pat Quinn suspended Illinois lawmakers’ pay on Wednesday, following through on his warning of consequences if they failed to come up with a solution to the state’s nearly $100 billion pension crisis. The Chicago Democrat said he used his line-item veto power in a budget bill that was on his desk, and vowed to not accept a salary himself until a deal has been reached. Lawmakers, who receive an annual salary of $68,000 and additional pay for leadership positions, would have to vote to reject his changes if they want to get paid. Quinn, who has made pension reform his main focus for nearly two years, said he wanted to spur lawmakers into action.

When legislators dawdle and engage in political gamesmanship when events call for making tough decisions, it’s easy to understand why We The Sheeple get frustrated. The worst example of this, of course, is Congress, where Republicans have raised obstruction, hyper-partisanship, and lack of compassion to new heights- or depths, depending upon your perspective. Illinois’ legislators are demonstrating themselves to be no different in terms of their willingness to fiddle while Rome- or in this case, Illinois- burns.

In most instances, there’s little if anything anyone can do about legislators more interested in posturing than in doing the job they were elected to do. That’s why I was so excited about what Gov. Quinn has done in Illinois. Say what you will, but Quinn has succeeded in getting the attention of Illinois legislators, who are understandably (though not necessarily justifiably) angry at the Governor. Think about it, though; what choice did Quinn have? While legislators continue to dawdle and procrastinate over finding a solution to pension reform, the people of Illinois are seeing their state fall ever deeper into the financial abyss. Quinn recognizes the severity of the problem, even as legislators continue to engage in what can really only be accurately described as mental masturbation.

I admire Quinn’s willingness to use the power available to him to shake up the established (lack of) order. If you want to prod a herd of legislators into something resembling action, what better motivator is there than hitting them in their pocketbook? Whether appropriate or not (and Quinn’s managed to anger legislators on both sides of the ideological Maginot Line), Quinn’s financial squeeze on legislators is probably his last best option. If it gets Republicans and Democrats to sit down and finally hammer out a compromise, then Quinn’s act will be hailed as a stroke of brilliance. If legislators continue to fiddle and fuss while accomplishing nothing of value, then I’d have to assume they’re beyond hope…and that the people of Illinois are well and truly screwed.

Would that President Obama had the same power; I’d love to hear the impotent bleating and caterwauling that would result if he took action similar to Quinn.