Are the grownups asserting themselves?
Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* After initially casting petulant aspersions on the US Department of Justice’s request to delay testimony by subpoenaed witnesses before the Legislative Audit Commission, today’s editorial says the Commission should abide by the request…
Lawmakers have little choice now but to abide by the U.S. attorney’s request that they don’t conduct interviews. If they pursue this, their subjects are just going to refuse. Federal prosecutors have not, though, tried to curb the lawmakers’ investigation of documents related to the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative.
* Now, let’s look back at this excerpt of a June 4th Trib editorial…
Quinn wants Rauner to issue an austere budget plan so Quinn’s plan isn’t the only politically perilous one on voters’ radar.
Rauner plainly sees no reason to oblige for now. He’s surely relishing last week’s projection by the political numbers geeks at FiveThirtyEight.com: Early polling suggests that Quinn has a 25 percent chance of winning — and a 75 percent chance of losing — on Nov. 4. Of all the states with elections for governor this year, only Pennsylvania now has a higher likelihood than Illinois of switching parties.
Rauner will have to get more specific about his spending priorities. Voters aren’t paying much attention in June to an election to be held in November. But come fall, if Rauner doesn’t get into the dirty details, he’s going to invite comparisons to 1968 and Richard Nixon’s so-called secret plan to get the nation out of the Vietnam War.
* From an editorial this week…
At arguably the worst moment in Illinois’ two centuries of statehood, Quinn has signed a fictional state budget for the current fiscal year; Rauner offers no prospective budget at all, only talking points. Both of them are failing the people of Illinois.
Ask yourself: What, other than stern platitudes, has Quinn told you he would do differently to revive Illinois, its government and its nationally high unemployment rate? Instead, Quinn’s campaign is focused on shrill attacks on his opponent rather than a case for giving Quinn yet another chance to … do what else?
And ask yourself: What has Rauner told you he will do to broadly reconfigure state government, its financial obligations and the retirement systems that strangle its spending on other priorities? Rauner’s campaign so far has been a thin gruel of “Elect me — I’ll think of something” and “The failed incumbent is too weak to manhandle the other Democrats who run this state.”
- Norseman - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 10:46 am:
Maybe they took their meds.
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 10:51 am:
None of the above in 2014.
And did I see correctly on the twitters? Rauner is reviving the idea of a gross receipts-services tax under the guise of a different name? Taxing attorneys, public relations and telemarketing?
- PublicServant - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 10:51 am:
To late. The Chicago Tribune has become the American Pravda.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 10:56 am:
FKA, the plan will be released in full in just a few minutes. Let’s hold off discussing it until then.
- walker - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 11:02 am:
“Ze Plan, Ze Plan”
- CircularFiringSquad - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 11:03 am:
Tribbies shuffled grown-ups out long time ago.
Now they are getting shuffled into a spin-off that has the dead tree company paying money to the TV company…Guess end is near.
Also guessing that while they are not printing results they are much further along on the search of BizWiz scams and as reported earlier it is not pretty….a little trip through the places where Mitt sat on the board sees the sad story of a leading subprime predator who led the nation in going broke during the Bush Depression, firms with big lay-offs and regulatory scandals.
Not only does Mitt have no plan and no understanding of what details are needed; his only possible credential is soiled beyond repair.
There is no there there.
Once upon a time Tribbies would have checked this in advance. Today they think they can bluff everyone. But there are few buyers.
Now the Tribbies and GOPies are left with a left leaning BizWiz with soiled pants and no time to replace. Wanna bet WhackyJack is looking over this grateful he took the early checkout?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 11:03 am:
“Are the grownups asserting themselves?”
In other words, has someone clipped the wings of Big Brain Bruce and Statehouse Chick? They’ve been leading the hysterics parade.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 11:04 am:
And since the discussion has been opened, I think taxing the bill of rights is a bad idea.
How about a sales tax on financial services fees instead?
LOL
- Apocolypse Now - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 11:18 am:
Rauner has no reason to issue specifics this early in the campaign. Quinn’s plan is out there and is an easy target. Better for Rauner to wait until later in the fall.
- Bill White - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 11:20 am:
Illinois ranks 49th in sending dollars to the US Treasury and not getting dollars back from the US Treasury.
Income taxes and real estate taxes are tax deductible on Form 1040 for most middle class people. Sales taxes, service taxes, storm water utility fees (a/k/a “rain taxes”) are not deductible.
Shifting away from income tax and property taxes will drain more money from Illinois by sending it to Washington D.C.
- Bill White - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 11:21 am:
=== Rauner has no reason to issue specifics this early in the campaign. Quinn’s plan is out there and is an easy target. Better for Rauner to wait until later in the fall. ===
Exactly right!
The less time people have to read the label on the snake oil, the more likely they will be to buy it.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 11:26 am:
@FakeStatehouseChick - why all this adult change of heart? “Simple”. Even the Ed Board got dizzy with all the 180s #NoSchrillShillThisTime
To the Post,
I actually enjoyed both Quinn and Rauner getting the “call out”. If this race really is the “lesser of two evils” or “change gor change’s sake”, then how about less us know both evils, and let us see what the change looks like compared to the status quo.
“More like this, please.”
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Jul 17, 14 @ 11:31 am:
What are the policy ideas of caterwaulers like the Trib editorial board and Madeleine Doubek, beside excessive hand wringing over taxes and pension reform that is likely to be found illegal?
I would like to see plans from those who complain the loudest.