Marathon Pundit: Quinn's panic-peddling budget

Rod Blagojevich's onetime running mate, Governor Pat Quinn, is panic-peddling his proposed state budget by threatening Illinois' school kids. Informed entities, such as the Chicago Tribune, know better.

•Pension reform

Quinn's booking $300 million in savings on state employee pension obligations. That suggests Democratic leaders plan to pass an extremely modest tweak in pension benefits, and call it "reform." It will affect only people who are hired by the state in the future. If that's what the leaders do, that will be a sham.

Business leaders at the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago have set out a broad proposal for pension reform for current and future employees that would save the state $2 billion a year. It wouldn't touch benefits for retirees, but it would set higher retirement ages and lower cost-of-living increases and other savings. That has to be done and everyone — everyone who relies on this state to teach their children and protect abused kids and lock up criminals — should demand it.

•Capital spending

The state has some $500 million a year targeted to pay the borrowing costs of its $31 billion roads-and-bridges plan. That money should be used to ease the budget crisis. Quinn doesn't want to touch the capital program — he says its essential to provide jobs in Illinois.

But remember, his budget slashes money for local schools. So he's going to bankroll temporary construction jobs while he gets teachers fired. We know Quinn and lawmakers are eager to take credit for public works projects. But this state is in crisis. It can't pay its bills. The governor's going to get teachers fired. The ribbon-cuttings have to wait.