* Bruce Rauner was asked yesterday whether he thought that education should receive more money from the state. His response…
“I do believe it should have a higher percentage coming from the state, yes I do.”
* He also said this…
“We should have billions of dollars every year as part of our budget process…(to) maintain and expand our infrastructure,” Rauner said.
Rauner said he can do this by ending diversions from the Road Fund. However…
The state puts gasoline taxes and vehicle fees into the road fund. Last year, a state audit found that $1.5 billion was diverted from the road in the 2012 budget year. Auditors, however, cited as diversions such items as $419 million in debt payments to cover previous construction projects as well as millions of dollars more salaries and benefits for workers involved in related project work.
In addition, $26 million in subsidies for the state’s Amtrak routes and nearly $18 million for the Regional Transportation Authority to cover reduced fares came out of the road fund that year.
* And, of course, there was his pledge this month to increase funding for IDNR.
And he’s gonna do all that how? By slashing taxes, of course.
Right.
Tell me another fairy tale.
- Not Rich - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 10:50 am:
It is great campaign rhetoric that the uniformed casual voter just loves. Hey, it worked leading up to the primary. All of us educated CFax blog followers no it is all horse sh*#.. Now the interesting thing is some of uncle Brucie’s followers in the GA that are buying all of of this (we know who they are), will they be in for a surprise when he can’t deliver on all of these false promises..
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 10:51 am:
Bad politics give us bad government.
We are all adults here.
How about some truth?
If you can’t tell it to us straight, how about having your buddy Governor Chris Christy fly over and show you how it is done.
We need a governor who is going to treat us with respect and tell us what the hell is happening.
- Big Muddy - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 10:55 am:
Apparently math is hard for BVC. On Nov. 5th some hard realities are going to set in for some folks, no matter who wins.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 10:56 am:
Uniformed casual voters are just as smart as informed CapFax readers. Both like to be spoken to by their leaders like they have a brain. Both understand that money doesn’t grow on trees. Both understand that something has to be done.
Dismissing them as sub-voter is lying about them.
- DuPage - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 10:58 am:
It seems the Rauner campaign relies heavily on the motto “A sucker born every minute.”
- Big Joe - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 10:59 am:
Same old story with Brucie. Lower the amount of tax revenue coming into the state, and still spend more. Just can’t happen. What is so hard for people in this state to understand about that? Are the Illinois voters that thick between the ears to swallow his baloney? Frustrating.
- Langhorne - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:01 am:
Voters want, want, want, all the goodies, but dont want to pay for them. Make the other guy pay for them. Lets go to town and buy magic beans.
How can rauner make millions, if he cant do basic math? Oops. Wrong word. He is a salesman who wont let the real math interfere w the sales pitch.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:01 am:
1) the video was pure genius in the context, made my morning. As a kid , I enjoyed those and the irony of the tales.
2) To the Post,
At some point, governing takes over. Otherwise, the GOP version of Blago will try to work against everything, while trying to woo everyone, and accomplishing nothing.
Governing is a “we” thing, and given these spending priorities, Rauner will be stuck with the “Royal We” as one by one, those ILGA members, you know the ones with fears, weaknesses, vulnerabilities… those members will abandon him.
Remember, between Rauner and Slip and Sue, Rauner is the one who knows how to run the 5th largest state…to govern.
Rauner’s thoughts on governing are pathetically dangerous, and indeed a fractured fairy tale.
- Sir Reel - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:02 am:
This pandering is getting tiring.
Does he really think he can grow the economy enough to pay for all his promises? Good luck with that.
Maybe he still believes he can cut State pension systems payments through a switch of retired and current employees to a 401 system. Fat chance.
Maybe he’ll just say anything to get elected. Bingo.
- PolPal56 - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:02 am:
Brucie: “Watch me pull a rabbit outa my hat.”
- F.B. - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:02 am:
I’m wondering if all of Bruce’s over promising and fairy tales are giving Quinn an opportunity. Maybe a chance to reprise his “you know me” ads from four years ago? His “clean” reputation has taken some pretty big hits with the NRI and IDOT controversies, but maybe he can still do one of those look-straight-into-the-camera ads and make the argument that he can be trusted to tell the truth and not blow smoke up everyone’s rear while his opponent just tells everyone what they want to hear.
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:05 am:
He is following the example set by other politicians over the years, which we in the media and ballot booth have repeatedly let them get away with.
We know that if Mr. Rauner wins, he will not govern as he campaigned. It is impossible to follow through on his promises while also reducing taxes. So, how would he govern? That is the mystery, and we may go to November knowing less about the answer to that question than almost any prior candidate.
- Not Rich - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:06 am:
Everyone wants to go to heaven, NOBODY wants to die..
- SAP - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:07 am:
That trick never works.
- ABC - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:11 am:
Rich - hopefully you will shame other media outlets to also cover this very real lie being told by Rauner to the voters in Illinois. His numbers are not even close to adding up and the reality is that K-12 education will suffer greatly if Rauner is elected Governor even as property taxes skyrocket to make up for past skipping on police, fire and other public sector pension debt…I suspect this type of flim flam helped him become a billionaire but hopefully others in the media will point out the flaws like you have so the voters can make a truly informed decision.
- drew - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:14 am:
I’m sorry, but anyone who believes that all these budget items can have increased funding while lowering taxes IS uninformed.
- Bluefish - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:15 am:
We want to drive a Mercedes Benz.
We want to pay for a Yugo.
Bruce is the used car salesman selling it to us.
- 100 Miles West - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:15 am:
The reason voters believe Rauner is that they also believe that there are billions to be found in the “waste, fraud, and corruption” line in the state budget. I believe Rich has previously posted the polling to back this up. Yes, there is waste, fraud, and corruption, but not billions of dollars. Many of these same voters believe that welfare recipients get cash money from the state and spend it on booze and drugs. This block of voters, which includes republicans and democrats, are to put in nicely, uninformed.
- Norseman - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:15 am:
Let’s not forget the property tax freeze that he will impose with his magic wand that will not have an adverse impact on education.
He’s selling us all a bill of goods. I fear that we’ll be seeing a soaring bill for goods that turn out to be shoddy at best, non-existent at worst.
- Been There - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:18 am:
Plenty of others have been voted into office with just rhetoric…… Read my lips…etc. Then they say they just found out it was actually worse than they thought. Oh my. So sorry but I will actually have to do what I said I wouldn’t.
- Jorge - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:24 am:
Rauner will just pay for all of this himself through one of his various accounts in the Cayman Islands.
- Phenomynous - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:28 am:
Make fun of fairy tales all you want, but the reality is that the FY 15 budget was created to be contingent on a tax increase. No hard decisions were made. The ball was punted to see what happens after November. People will have to own that budget and the people that crafted, voted for it, and signed it will eventually have to answer for it.
- Willie Stark - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:29 am:
Where are all the Raunerbots on behalf of their sweet prince (since this is about fairy tales)? Early start to Labor Day, or an acknowledgement the math just doesn’t work? Can’t defend the indefensible.
- MrJM - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:31 am:
Will Bruce Rauner promise everyone two birthdays and three Christmases before or after October first.
– MrJM
- Bill White - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:34 am:
=== Let’s not forget the property tax freeze that he will impose with his magic wand that will not have an adverse impact on education. ===
Nah.
If we would only unleash the magical power of the free market every child in Illinois would receive an above average education at about half the cost of what is being extorted from the taxpayers today by those greedy, greedy teachers unions.
If not, it must be the parents fault.
/snark
- Makandadawg - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:37 am:
“I do believe it should have a higher percentage coming from the state, yes I do.”
A higher percentage does not
always mean more money.
- PoolGuy - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:37 am:
if he has downstate all locked up, then is he going back to Cook County to offer free helicopter rides for every commuter if he wins?
- nobody - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:38 am:
I’ve also got a bridge for sale in Brooklyn.
George Parker (1870–1936) was one of the most audacious con men in American history. He made his living selling New York’s public landmarks to unwary immigrants. His favorite object for sale was the Brooklyn Bridge, which he sold several times. He convinced his marks that they could make a fortune by controlling access to the roadway. More than once police had to roust naive buyers from the bridge as they tried to erect toll barriers.[1]
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:39 am:
Bullwinkle: “But here, cleverly disguised as a bomb, is a bomb.”
- Anyone Remember - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:43 am:
“Rauner, however, also opened the door to borrowing — the traditional way public works projects are paid for — as well as public-private partnerships for unspecified projects to help pay for new infrastructure and infrastructure repairs.”
In Indiana, Mitch Daniels used that approach to propose all new roads be toll roads, not free.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Indiana_Toll_Road
In Texas, Rick Perry’s now deceased Transportation Commissioner, Ric Williamson, using that approach made existing roads into toll roads.
http://www.corridorwatch.org/ttc/index.htm
Is this what Baron Von Carhartt means?
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:47 am:
Bullwinkle: You just leave it to my pal Rock. He’s the brains of the outfit.
General: And what does that make you?
Bullwinkle: What else? The executive.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:56 am:
Say goodbye to Illinois, and welcome Kansas.
- Phenomynous - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 11:59 am:
The REALITY is that the FY15 budget was designed to be contingent on a tax increase.
- Phenomynous - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:05 pm:
Double post haha. My bad.
- Aldyth - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:13 pm:
Rauner must have access to magic beans.
- lovecraft - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:16 pm:
Unfortunately, many voters are not adults. They are peevish children who will vote this charltan into office because he promises them they can have it all and not have to pay for it.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:22 pm:
Wait a minute — where’s my free pony?
The dude’s a salesman, but what he’s selling is snake oil.
From the get-go, Rauner has demonstrated time and again that he thinks voters are stupid and that he holds them in complete contempt.
And, just as they did with Blago, voters just might get what they deserve in Rauner.
- Calling u out - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:22 pm:
Why would BR say ANYTHING about the state budget and offer any specific ideas? When he does, PQ and cronies all jump all over it, spinning if screaming that won’t work. However I cannot believe we, the tax payers of Illinois, wouldn’t want to try something! To set hear and read …raise taxes… Raise taxes, then hide behind oh there’s nothing else we can do.. Ur just as much of the problem as the law makers. Come on I know there’s a bunch of gov waste just nobody wants to give up their pork!! I’m fed up with same ol same ol politics… Maybe we do need a fresh start!
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:25 pm:
===To set hear and read …raise taxes… Raise taxes,===
Yep, that’s exactly what Bruce is saying here. If you don’t get that you’re being played for a fool, then you are a fool… Fool.
- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:32 pm:
Hey Bruce, why don’t you ask Sam Brownback how this idea is going over in Kansas?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:36 pm:
–Why would BR say ANYTHING about the state budget and offer any specific ideas?–
Boy, that’s a tough question, a real brain-teaser. I’ll take a wild stab at it:
Because he’s running for governor?
The dude has no social agenda or fiscal agenda but he should get the Big Chair. Why is that? Does he have his own set of novelty scissors for cutting ribbons?
But your sense of victimization is noted. Life is so unfair when candidates for governor are tormented with questions as to what they would do as governor.
- VM - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:36 pm:
“I do believe it should have a higher percentage coming from the state, yes I do.”
OK, maybe reading too much into this, but it strikes me as odd that Bruce Rauner used the word “percentage” to qualify what he means by more state spending. (@Makandadawg also saw this.)
And really reading way too much into this, there is a certain consistency between saying that he wants to freeze property taxes (which is in reality a huge cut in local revenues since apparently he means freezing individual property taxes rather than freeze levies). That would cut the amount that can be locally raised to pay for schools, which in turn leads to an increase in percentage of state funding — even if the dollar amount of state funding goes down.
He’s either too clever by half or not even half-witted. Hard to say which right now.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:37 pm:
===strikes me as odd that Bruce Rauner used the word “percentage”===
He used the word because he was asked about the word.
- admin - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:42 pm:
The Chicago Tribune and other pro-Rauner outlets refuse to cover the issues. Rauner has no plan. The media are MIA.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:48 pm:
So much for the attempts at parsing the word “percent” https://capitolfax.com/2014/08/28/rauner-doubles-down/
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:48 pm:
===However I cannot believe we, the tax payers of Illinois, wouldn’t want to try something!===
…but you don’t care if the numbers don’t work? Change for the sake of change?
You don’t care that the promises that Rauner is making will probably never materialize because of truly fundamental aspects of governing and budgeting?
“I don’t care, we need change!”
…yikes.
- MikeMacD - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:51 pm:
Magic may not be required if the pension payments are skipped or deferred.
I don’t recall reading if anyone has ever asked Mr. Rauner about that possibility.
- Left Leaner - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 12:52 pm:
Ducky - Good call on the Sam Brownback and Kansas comparison. Similar rhetoric turned policy created a wreck there just like it would do here.
- RNUG - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 2:27 pm:
Rauner’s revenue plan:
Preach a little gospel, sell a couple bottles of
Doctor Good
- Percival - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 2:42 pm:
I’m trying to think of a politician who lost ground in an election by telling the voters what they wanted to hear. I haven’t come up with one yet.
- walker - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 3:03 pm:
The Illinois economy must really be booming for Rauner to count on that level of “growth”.
- Enviros-Anon - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 3:12 pm:
People will vote their pocketbooks, that is, they will vote in their financial best interests.
But are voters more concerned about higher taxes or having their jobs outsourced to Asia and/or filled here by workers with H-1b work visas?
- RNUG - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 3:16 pm:
Voters have not been told they will lose their jobs. Voters have been repeatedly told they are overtaxed, so they will believe that.
- FormerParatrooper - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 3:43 pm:
Elections are about promises. The trick is to hope people forget those promises or being able to blame the guy before you for the problems being worse than anyone thought and you have to retract your promises.
Can he cut taxes, freeze property tax and all the other things and increase funding at the same time? I doubt it.
I would like both candidates to sit down and tell the truth with rhetoric and sound bytes. Tell us the real deal. But I fear I expect too much.
- FormerParatrooper - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 3:44 pm:
Without rhetoric. Hate my phone.
- Calling u out - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 3:51 pm:
The last three governors has made voters out for a fool! In my mind I’m almost ready to try a successful business man over career politicians to try and lead this state. Can BR do any worse? I don’t know things are pretty bleak right now. In my opinion nobody’s numbers are going to add up somebody will always be their to say that won’t work! I know that 50 million spent on a horse hockey plan would have been a great amount to start paying down debt!
- Anyone Remember - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 4:07 pm:
Calling u out
=The last three governors has made voters out for a fool!=
The last two gubernatorial candidates to be completely honest with Illinois voters about fiscal matters were Dawn Clark Netsch in 1994 and Richard Ogilive in 1972. We see how well that worked.
- flea - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 6:40 pm:
maybe he is used to dealing with way to many zero’s on the end of his numbers and he no longer knows what it means?
- Enviros-Anon - Thursday, Aug 28, 14 @ 9:16 pm:
“Voters have not been told they will lose their jobs.”
I expect this campaign message to come after Labor Day.