Kay: Leader Currie, I believe you were presenting the bill yesterday. So I'm going to Page 7 and I'm asking, when you have a state that's penniless, why you'd be looking at a pilot program at this point and time for $2.6 million?
Currie: Because it has value.
Kay: I see. How about Page 13 Section 120, the sum of $750,000 for the fairgrounds in Du Quoin. Is that something we spend when we're penniless? Does that have value?
Currie: Continuing appropriation.
Kay: Well, does that have value?
Currie: Clearly it did or it would never have been in the budget.
Kay: How about Page 14, $852,400 for contractual services. Can you tell me what that consists of?
Currie: This is a Department of Agriculture contract. I believe it has appeared in budgets before, I believe, in the mission of the state's Department of Agriculture.
Kay: Well, my question is, though, when you're broke, when you're penniless, is this an essential element of a budget?
Currie: Apparently the governor proposed this. Maybe you should ask him.
Kay: Well, he didn't propose it twice because you've got another $476,500 in there and it's for the very same thing.
Currie: (No answer)
Kay: Well, let's move on. Let's look at Page 8. How about entertainment contracts for $696,000? Is that useful?
Currie: Yeah, I believe this is the state fair. I believe we did this last year as well. I believe it was in the governor's budget.
Kay: Well, we've done the same thing every year, leader, and that's why we're in the hole we're in. That's why I ask these questions. Certainly, certainly, when you're talking about $7 billion in the hole and more, counting, we ought to be giving this some thoughtful, I think, more thoughtful concern, don't you?
Currie: Why don't you speak to the local representative in whose district that fair appears?
Kay: I'll do that. I'll take that under advisement. Page 17, awards to livestock breeders for $221,000. Essential?
Currie: Cost of the state fair in the governor's budget.
Kay: We're penniless. Awards and premiums, $483,000. Useful?
Currie: Same answer.
Kay: Excuse me. There's another ... there's another line item for the same amount so I guess we're off on our accounting already. So the total here is $883,500 and this is all useful to you when we're in a deep hole, right?
Currie: Following the governor's lead.
Kay: Which governor?
Currie: I think his name is Rauner.
Kay: Page 18. Yeah, well, I can give you the history on a couple of other governors, too, so we don't want to go there today, though. Page 18, breeders fund grant money of $1.1 million. Useful?
Currie: Ditto.
Kay: When you're broke.
Currie: (no answer)
Kay: That's nonresponsive. Breeders fund, $1.6 million. Same answer?
Currie: Ditto.
Kay: Another allocation here for the Department of Agriculture doesn't state what it's for: $1.7 million. What's that for?
Currie: Ditto.
Kay: What's 'ditto' mean? Useful? Not useful? Did you read this, leader? Have you read this budget? Have you read all 534 pages of this?
Currie: Yes.
Kay: How recently?
Currie: Yesterday.
Kay: And did you know our state constitution says that each representative is to have one of these on their desk before a bill is passed? Did you know that? That's in our constitution. My goodness. Let's talk about, uh, let's talk about some pretty big money here. How about rehabilitation of county fairgrounds for $1.3 million. Is that necessary?
Currie: Ditto.
Kay: How would you know that? How would you know that? Have you talked to the county fairground people?
Currie: (no answer)
Kay: Well, how about let's move on. We're having some trouble here getting a consensus as to what's useful and what's not. How about fair and state fair horse racing for $329,000 when you're broke?
Currie: Clearly some people have thought over the years that the state fairs are valuable and I can only say one more time representative, "Ditto," and may I just suggest to the chair and to the body that if you're going to go through the budget with one line after another, my answer will continue to be "Ditto" and I don't know that that is a useful expenditure of scarce legislative time.
Kay: Here's the problem and I won't, I won't, put the body through this. It's pretty obvious you've never run a business. You've never had to account for money and debt has no impact on you whatsoever, especially when it has to do with taxpayer funds. I'm not going to go through this. This is simply embarrassing.
