Legislator describes vexing impasse

Rep. Suzanne Bassi met with business leaders on Tuesday morning in Hoffman Estates to talk about her frustrations with the current deadlock in the Illinois legislature.

Sitting down with area business people at the Hoffman Estates Community Bank, the representative of the 54th district told those gathered that she blames many of the legislative problems on a lack of leadership by Gov. Rod Blagojevich and others.

"The atmosphere is toxic," Bassi said. "I don't think government could get any worse than it is right now."

The Palatine Republican said, be it by criminal indictment connected to the pay-for-play scandal or recall legislation, she would rather have "Humpty Dumpty" in the governor's mansion than Blagojevich.

The nine-year veteran of the legislature in Springfield added that she thinks Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn could "bring people together."

Serious budget shortfalls exist for health care, public aid and infrastructure, Bassi said.

Speaker Michael Madigan's spokesman Steve Brown later on Tuesday said Republicans have been holding up capital spending proposals by voting against several funding ideas, including selling the lottery.

"It's up to Suzie Bassi to say how she would deal with this," Brown said. "There's no argument that we need a capital spending bill, but (Republican leadership) keeps saying no."

State officials project a $750 million budget shortfall for this fiscal year, ending June 30. Besides finding a way to patch that hole, legislators will need to devote an additional $750 million to the state's pension systems in the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Finally, while most legislative leaders and lawmakers favor a major construction program to shore up Illinois' infrastructure, they have not agreed on a way to pay.

"Both parties have to get off their duffs and work together," Bassi said. "This is just not doing it, and it's really dangerous."