Rauner still on the warpath
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The governor made two speeches yesterday. One was in Pontiac…
“You choose” was the motto of Gov. Bruce Rauner in an address Monday at the Livingston County Courthouse.
From union rules to public employee pensions to term limits for elected officials, Rauner promoted local control in a 15-minute speech that raced through his post-election agenda.
The Republican governor specifically said he does not support the idea of making Illinois a “right-to-work” state — one where unions can’t make employees of a specific business pay union dues — but added certain areas of the state need to function that way for Illinois to attract businesses currently going to neighboring states with “right-to-work” laws.
If the Legislature passes a proposal to allow those areas — which Rauner calls “economic opportunity zones” — he said, “I’m going to Indiana, and I’m getting companies to move to Livingston County.” […]
“The state orders you in how to do your teachers’ pensions, your police officers’, your government workers’,” he said. “You should decide that.”
More from Pontiac…
“I want you to have the power to control your future. That’s the key to turning our state around. If you want your teachers to be in the union and pay dues, terrific, have it, keep it. If you don’t, you shouldn’t have to force them to join a union. And you should be able to decide what you collectively bargain with your teacher’s union. You decide. Springfield doesn’t decide. Special interest don’t decide. You decide,” said Governor Bruce Rauner.
* The other speech was in Mundelein…
Although Rauner didn’t explain in much detail, he said he plans to introduce 12 bills over the next year that will change the way government works. […]
“I want local voters to take the power over collective bargaining in your schools, municipalities, county and state,” Rauner said. “If you’re happy with status quo, then fine. Keep it. I won’t stop you. But if you want to even the playing field, I’ll stand with you.”
School districts typically cannot survive a teachers strike of 10 days or more, Rauner continued, saying the administrators have little leverage to bargain with.
“I’m not anti-teachers; I just don’t think they should have unlimited power,” Rauner said.
* The governor also refused to take questions from reporters…
Rauner posed for photographs with club members but refused to answer questions from reporters after the speech.
“No gaggling,” he told the Daily Herald.
When one reporter asked him about his political agenda while he was buying a Rotary raffle ticket, he asked her if she planned to purchase a ticket and ignored her questions.
- Juvenal - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:00 am:
How about a home rule law allowing counties to cap executive compensation?
- Aldyth - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:08 am:
Sounds like Rauner wants to decide.
- chi - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:15 am:
Can local governments choose to impose a wealth tax millionaires? Can they opt out of paying workers comp? Let’s just divide up Illinois into 102 states so we can all do some competin’ and turn ourselves into Alabama.
- Obama's Puppy - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:15 am:
Classic, lets divide the community and pit the middle class against each other while Bruce and his buddies keep rolling in the cash. Campaigning one way and governing another what a fraud.
- Bocephus - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:16 am:
Teacher Unions are not the problem. The real problem is that with more than 800 school districts in Illinois you also have over 5000 local school board members. How many of those school board members are retired teachers, married to teachers, or even work as active teachers in other neighboring school districts. If Team Rauner really wants fair collective bargaining for schools, then run some legislation that eliminates conflict of interest on school boards.
- illinoised - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:16 am:
I hope he keeps up with his assault on the common man, in the hopes that emboldens the General Assembly to grow a collective backbone to put him in his place.
- Westward - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:17 am:
The real problem is social media…for reals tho.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:19 am:
===auner posed for photographs with club members but refused to answer questions from reporters after the speech.===
You’re the governor now, “ruling” by the lectern, or not allowing yourself available to either clarify for yourself, or assist in helping the press understand you, leaves the interpretation of your own words to be made by others.
Governor Rauner, don’t conplainabout the coverage you get, or the interpretations you get when you refuse, outright, to take questions.
Your less than 60 days in your Administration and already you and your chosen Lt. Governor, ate in a bunker mentality?
I do find it cimical that the narcissistic responses like “I’ll take the arrows” is the tact used by a governor unwilling to have a dialog with press about statements made in real time. You can’t be a leader and be narcissistic about the trials of leadership when you refuse to be front and center to respond and stand up for your words and actions in the moment.
Is Governor Rauner “that governor” that threatens and hammers and shakes for his own personal agenda, at the risk and peril of others, and then “hides in the bathroom” when standing up for the unpopular can’t be easily responded to by cheeky one liners or boiler plate dot points?
Is Governor Rauner hiding…in plain sight?
Rauner may be, but ask those who must carry his water with “green lights” and local press questions. Is that leadership? Is that leading? Is that governing?
I’d wonder that too, but I better buy a raffle ticket and keep my questions to myself.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:22 am:
Is there an Illinois governing purpose to any of this, or is it just to get ego-stroke harrumph-harrumphs from the WSJ edit board?
Waste of time. Scott Walker already already won that beauty contest, the best Rauner can hope for is Gov. Uncongeniality.
Not taking questions continues to be telling. He does not trust himself to go off script, think on his feet and match wits with the dreaded Illinois press corp.
- Walter Mitty - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:25 am:
Bocephus…the issue starts and ends at 800 districts.Too many. You want local control, it’s going to cost us lot’s of money soon. Cost shift. For every example you have others can cite just the opposite and actually 3-1. Someone with an ax to grind.
- Em - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:26 am:
Sounds like he is already fed up with the media. Too bad, Bruce. You bought the job, now deal with it.
- highspeed - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:28 am:
consolidate the districts, cap the rising cost of superintendants.
- Carhartt Representative - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:34 am:
=Can local governments choose to impose a wealth tax millionaires? =
Now, that’s crazy talk and class warfare.
- Big Joe - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:37 am:
What is funny is how uninformed the gov. is about teacher’s unions. No teacher is forced to join the union that represents them. Even those that decide to join are not forced to contribute to their lobbying body. So, let’s get this right Gov. Teachers are NOT FORCED to join, or contribute to their lobbying group. It’s getting old already, readin about how little you know about things.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:38 am:
It would be nice if Governor Rauner could stop his all out assault on working people and mention his rich buddies once in a while. The silence on that front has been deafening. He’s asked plenty of people to sacrifice. Not a peep about sacrifice from those with the most money. He seems to be hell bent on taking the state’s woes out on those that can least afford it.
- Frenchie Mendoza - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:44 am:
So the whole “unions are not my agenda” and “we have no agenda” was a lie?
Rauner lied. He lied to win the election.
Not only were they on the agenda — but they were *the* agenda.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:45 am:
“If you don’t, you shouldn’t have to force them to join a union.”
You don’t force anyone to join a union. What part of fair share fees does Rauner not understand? It’s real simple. You pay for the contract from which you benefit, and the administration of the contract.
“And you should be able to decide what you collectively bargain with your teacher’s union.”
You do decide, and it’s democratic. You have to care and get involved. If you don’t like
At least Walker and other governors legally ended fair share fees, through the legislature and courts. Rauner is illegally ending fair share fees for public unions, by blatantly violating current contracts and labor law.
- Loop Lady - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:46 am:
This is not corporate America where you can hide behind a spokesperson Bruce…you are a public person who must remain accessible to the press…not ready for primetime eh?
- Carl Nyberg - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:49 am:
Should local government have power to exclude corporations that have broken the law or harmed communities in other places?
Should local communities be able to exclude banks that committed fraud that contributed to the Financial Crisis from lending?
Should local communities be able to exclude companies like BP that have caused major environmental damage?
Should local communities be allowed to ban firearms?
Rauner’s version of “local control” is just a focus group tested version of union busting.
- forwhatitsworth - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:51 am:
== “I’m not anti-teachers; I just don’t think they should have unlimited power,” Rauner said.==
== Special interest don’t decide. You decide,” said Governor Bruce Rauner. ==
Rauner’s words reek with hypocrisy and outright dishonesty! Teachers never have, and never will have unlimited power, but there is a thing called collective bargaining that Rauner wants to wipe out. Also, special interests decide EVERYTHING in politics. Rauner just doesn’t want certain interests having any input!
- AnonymousOne - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:52 am:
If teachers had the unlimited power to run the whole state of Illinois, why is Bruce making 60 million and year and the average teacher makes microscopic amounts of money comparatively? Where’d their power go? What is their power running? Mind control?
- Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:53 am:
== you should be able to decide what you collectively bargain with your teacher’s union==
What does this even mean? Would a school board be given the sole authority of what can be bargained? I’m sure they would go with “the color of paper the contract is printed on.”
- Jocko - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 10:04 am:
Since Bruce is all about cost-cutting, he should eliminate the position of press secretary. It doesn’t look like he has much need of her.
“I’m not anti-Rauner, I just think he should be intellectually honest and open-minded.”
- AnonymousOne - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 10:08 am:
I think Bruce didn’t do very well in school. Authority issues?
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 10:10 am:
Chi and Carl are on to some other local options that I’m sure the governor will get behind based on his stated deeply held principles.
As a state rep, Jim Edgar proposed a local option income tax. Let them decide.
And, of course, the governor will push for a “may issue” conceal carry law, and allow home rule communities to decide on that. Such laws have been upheld in other states by federal courts after McDonald and Heller.
- Livingston Co. - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 10:11 am:
The local economy was a lot better before the UAW took a 2-tier wage structure from Caterpillar. Interlake already gone. Huge fear of prison closure proposals over the last decade. Rauner’s proposal is to intensify those conditions. But we’ll have choice, so everything will be ok…
- Walter Mitty - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 10:12 am:
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. No matter if you agree with this stance or not. The hypocrisy is not going to be lost on average people. The savings this state needs are not only found here.
- Billionaire Rampage - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 10:13 am:
I’d like to hear more from Gov. Bruce on his number one contributor, Kenny Griffin. How will Mr. Griffin benefit from Gov. Bruce’s policies? Are they in business together?
Here’s a little info about Kenny:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102447335
- dupage dan - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 10:21 am:
=== Obama’s Puppy - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 9:15 am:
Classic, lets divide the community and pit the middle class against each other while Bruce and his buddies keep rolling in the cash. Campaigning one way and governing another what a fraud ===
Classic - the continual use of the phrase “middle class” to describe a small portion of the actual middle class, unionized state employees. Outside of public employees, very few folks are members of unions across the job spectrum. I’m sure all those folks who are in the private middle class are pleased that they are lumped in with the folks who receive a guaranteed pension and platinum level medical benefits. As a gov’t employee I have listened to my tone deaf co-workers who have even tried to justify their benefits to the tax-payers who pay for it. The looks on the faces of the “other” middle class is revealing.
- ZC - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 10:25 am:
Bruce, Bruce …
This kind of politics only works when you -already- control the state House and Senate, like Walker did in Wisconsin. Then you lightning-strike and kneecap organized labor, public opinion be damned. Ram it through! Once the dues are eliminated then collective action dilemmas kick in and the unions kind of collapse on their own.
But if you don’t control the legislature, and in fact Dems have huge super control there, then you’re kind of riding around IL talking to yourself.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 10:31 am:
Gee, DD, how do you live with yourself accepting that unjustified guaranteed pension and platinum level health benefits? The self-loathing must be unbearable.
- From the 'Dale to HP - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 10:36 am:
Nearly two months in and still shocked Rauner doesn’t realize he wasn’t elected to bust unions. Wasting so much political capital on something that few people voted him into office for and has little chance of succeeding on. He’s becoming a bigger and bigger political disaster by the day.
- TGS - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 10:49 am:
I know some Kentucky counties think they have the legal ability to do this. Maybe Rauner is hoping a county or two will do that and he’ll support their case somehow through the courts? I wish we new more specifics.
- anon - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 10:56 am:
== you shouldn’t have to force them to join a union ==
Rauner persistently misstates reality. Teachers aren’t forced to join the union, though they can be required to pay their fair share for the costs of representation. Union members pay higher dues than nonmembers.
- anon - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 11:08 am:
== As a state rep, Jim Edgar proposed a local option income tax. Let them decide.==
That purported tax haven to the east — Indiana — permits its counties to impose a county income tax. Gov. Rauner should tell us whether, say, Chicago or the county of Cook should be permitted to have a local option for a (graduated) income tax.
- archimedes - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 11:10 am:
Hey - he said he would “shake up Springfield.” He didn’t say he would put anything back together after shaking it all apart.
- DuPage Dave - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 11:14 am:
Rauner is seemingly determined to burn up any and all goodwill in his first 60 days. He’s shown no capacity for the work entailed in actual governing. He appears to believe that you just keep campaigning for the duration of your term.
Nothing he’s proposing will get out of the legislature, but he keeps going around the state acting as if he’s a leader. Geez Louise.
- Mama - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 11:22 am:
Changing the pension protection clause of the state constitution would have to be done at a state-wide election. He is planning to ask voters to eliminate the pension protection clause in the 2016 election. This is why he is spending time brain-washing the IL voters to believe the IL constitution protection clause must be eliminated. Remember he said, “his first year priority is to take down the unions.”
- langhorne - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 11:22 am:
quit wasting time, energy, and the publics attention on stuff that will never pass. he wont answer questions bec that weakens the story he wants to put out there.
its the FY 15 budget, stupid.
you were inaugurated january 12. special budget powers were/are “days away”. maybe we should start a “days away” clock.
- veritas - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 11:25 am:
= If Team Rauner really wants fair collective bargaining for schools, then run some legislation that eliminates conflict of interest on school boards =
Yes, of course - It’s the blood sucking teachers and their intricate web of board member relatives that are bankrupting our state. C’mon
- Sangamo Sam - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 11:30 am:
==The state orders you in how to do your teachers’ pensions, your police officers’, your government workers’==
OMG! He sounds like Archie Bunker only with nine houses, a VW van and some pocket change.
- jazzy - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 11:31 am:
I would love to see his travel vouchers for his trek around IL. His executive order an travel that was not necessary. Really Bruce is all this bashing slight of hand needed. Also, in his little who am I the $18 watch guy. BR says”and I stay in the cheapest hotel rooms I can find when I am on the road”. I think in interest of accountability he and from read all political personal should have their travel vouchers made public.
- Frenchie Mendoza - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 11:32 am:
I hope legislators read this blog. I hope they understand that despite Rauner’s wealth — and paid-for influence — his is a downward spiral. We’re not Indiana. We don’t want to be Indiana.
I hope folks understand that.
- jazzy - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 11:39 am:
This guy has no understanding of how the state works…hey, is there a “How to run a State for Dummies” book?
- Mokenavince - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 11:43 am:
A couple of things I would like to see done. 1 cut the number of governments. Township’s are obsolete in my opinion.2 Our work’s comp is out of whack it needs, tort reform and causation reform.
Indiana is not a model for anything, but we must address pension reform.
- Mama - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 11:46 am:
++Rauner lied. He lied to win the election.++
Well… DUH!! You are right - - he would not have won if he had told the truth. The truth is also reason he will not answer questions today. If he shows his hand, people will not go along with what he wants them to do.
- jazzy - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 12:05 pm:
Other entitis have pensions…we need to look at what they did right. Oh like funding it….Pension reform….true we need to look options but to say..I know you have worked for the got for decades but…because your pension was not funded by the govt….yeah yeah we know you have paid into your pension…but really who cares…your pension and probably the money you put into it should just go away….Pension reform…sure..kinda like asking someone to just say sure…take everything I have worked for. If they want pension reform then create another tier and stop wanting to hack with what is in the constitution. Wake up people if he does what he wants we will all be living in the “company store”
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 1:17 pm:
=Indiana is not a model for anything, but we must address pension reform.= The pension is not the problem. Funding is THE issue.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 1:23 pm:
Indiana, one of the moist miserable places to live, with wages and household income below the national median…. that is our role model for jobs and work?
Why not use china… they have lots and lots of work; we can use upton sinclairs the jungle as a model for our business expansion and growth.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 1:37 pm:
==“No gaggling,” he told the Daily Herald.==
Are they sure he didn’t say no giggling?
- Mitch59 - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 1:38 pm:
I was not forced to join a union! My choice!
- Exit 59 - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 4:05 pm:
Teachers bargain with elected school board members, are teachers supposed to bargain with each individual in the district? Isn’t the school board the people’s choice? I’m not understandin what he’s sayin.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Tuesday, Mar 3, 15 @ 4:27 pm:
“No gaggling,” he told the Daily Herald.
Still doesn’t understand how it works.