67 Comments - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:32 pm: ===Governor Rauner is committed to enacting a true balanced budget and real reforms to grow the economy and free up resources to protect the most vulnerable.=== The February Budget proposed by Governor Rauner says otherwise… Maybe I could find that Rauner proposed budget at the Illinous State Museum… - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:33 pm: This isn’t new, is it? Has the Administration already begun summer reruns? - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:35 pm: I think we already read this one before. Isn’t this the one when Rauner and Ethel work on a chocolate candy line trying to box them up and end up stuffing them down their blouses? - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:36 pm: No wait - this is the one when the shark gets jumped! - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:37 pm: I always loved Benson. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:37 pm: Leaving the legislator CR for pay in place, while refusing to pass the same type of bill for State workers is stupidly leaving this issue up on a tee for Rauner to pound. - Politix - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:37 pm: Why a statement on this again? Weak sauce in contrast to all the budget overrides the senate pushed through today. Odd. - Tournaround Agenda - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:37 pm: Why is the state spending money on Trover? He should have been paid on a freelance basis to draft one generic statement, with blank spaces to insert the buzzword of the week. - Whatever - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:39 pm: Well, Trover and the Rauner Admin. are right on this one. The Dems. should know better than to pass a budget with legislative salary increases, especially given the state’s fiscal condition. To mix metaphors — both tone-deaf and terrible optics. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:42 pm: ===“Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls will leave town without a responsible, balanced budget and without any reforms while taking a pay raise for themselves.”=== I thought Brooke Anderson left state government… Isn’t this a line from a Pat Quinn press release? Those state computers keep everything… - D.P.Gumby - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:42 pm: If Trover issues a press release and it doesn’t say anything new, is it really a press release? - PublicServant - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:43 pm: More like a distress release. - hot chocolate - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:44 pm: I think there’s one HDem in particular that Speaker Madigan doesn’t control that could help change the landscape here. Thought I remembered reading something about it in today’s edition of cap fax. Can’t remember…last name rhymes with “cranks” I think. Anyway, back to the Committee of the Whole. - downstate commissioner - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:45 pm: Well, what choice do the Democrats have? They don’t get all of that extra money that Rauner is handing all of the Raunercrats… - Thoughts Matter - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:48 pm: Stop with the press releases. They sent you a budget, you vetoed it. They are sending you a temp budget. They’ve voted several times on parts of your turnaround agenda- and it’s failed. Your keguslatirs all voted present. Now read up on line item vetoes and stop campaigning . You are turning this Republican into a Democrat. - XDNR - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:49 pm: Blah, blah, blah! Just want to know was this Rauner, Trover or CK that said this? - Thoughts Matter - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:49 pm: Can’t type by phone. Legislators rather than the garbage that got typed above. - Politix - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:49 pm: Um Lance, you know the House Repubs got raises too, right? - Team Sleep - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:53 pm: Between this press statement and MJM’s press conference this afternoon, I’m pretty sure we’ve entered into Political Funny Farm. - MyTwoCents - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:53 pm: The Rauner administration had better be careful decrying the pay raises unless he plans on no pay raises for his superstars for the next 4 years. - Stopped Making Sense - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:54 pm: Thoughts Matter: I liked “keguslatirs” ! - Commonsense in Illinois - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:58 pm: Yawn… - Wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:58 pm: –Gov. Rauner is committed to enacting a true balanced budget…..– Well, Lance, that is news on July 15. Will the governor and his superstars care to take questions and elaborate as to what they think that should look like? No hurry. Work at your own pace. And Lance — mix it up a little bit. Your canned releases sound like a script of “The Stepford Wives.” - Just Me - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:01 pm: I thought it was unfair for Quinn to complain that legislators were getting paid, but it is completely fair for Rauner to complain that legislators are getting raises. - Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:02 pm: Vman, you have made me laugh out loud at least 3 times today. Whatever you’re on, keep taking it. To the post; Mr Rauner, I do believe the legislative pay rules were put in place because of some other tyrannical governor’s actions. I do apologize that you couldn’t be the reason that these rules are in place. Keep trying though, I am sure there will be further rules propagated to keep you from doing as much damage as your predecessor. Warmest Regards. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:06 pm: …meep - meep… “Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls will leave town without a responsible, balanced budget and without any reforms while add issue here. That’s unfair to taxpayers and the people they represent. It is time to stop protecting the political class at the expense of the middle class. “Everyone knows the status quo is broken and Illinois needs to change. Governor Rauner is committed to enacting a true balanced budget and real reforms to grow the economy and free up resources to protect the most vulnerable. The legislature should join the governor in committing to move the state forward.” “…meep - meep…that is all…MEEEEEEEEEE” - Wensicia - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:07 pm: I don’t hear Rauner offering to cut the pay raises he gave to his “Superstars” when he hired them, if this is a problem without a budget. - William - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:09 pm: MJM, cracks in the facade. Mary Ann, she’s her own favorite subject. - @MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:09 pm: “But I said, ‘thank you’…” — Mike Madigan – MrJM - blah - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:10 pm: == Whatever - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 2:39 pm: The Dems. should know better than to pass a budget with legislative salary increases, especially given the state’s fiscal condition. == Read the bill. The budget passed by the both chambers did not increase pay. The line item for General Assembly pay this year is the same as last year. - Walter Mitty - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:12 pm: Well… Many good points… But right now, until real services stop. Or people don’t get paid… Rauner is ahead. I will be called a raunerite for stating the obvious. But when the speaker refuses to answer why they get paid and nobody else, the speaker is losing…. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:14 pm: Hey Ahern - your bucket isn’t full until one of us writes a song parody about you. What’s your favorite pop song that isn’t, “Hotel California”? - Rod - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:15 pm: Really this is getting absurd. The idea that the House is in continuous session is absurd. The Speaker, the Senate President, and the Governor need to meet at the Union League Club in a nice quite room and start splitting the baby in half. Every one gets screwed, public sector unions, not for profit providers, recipients of state services and Republicans that wanted to implement the Scott Walker agenda. This is absurd even fewer and fewer of the members of the Assembly are showing up for these pointless sessions. - Anon - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:16 pm: Rauner should line-item this temporary budget down to whatever he wants the real budget to be and force the legislative “leaders” to counter with revenue and one of his “reforms”. The standoff isn’t working for anyone right now. Until he takes action, I don’t see Madigan feeling any real pressure. They can keep saying “use your veto” while he says “pass your tax increase” and we stay in the ring just moving in circles. - DuPage - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:17 pm: Rauner has proven his value to the state is worth every cent we pay him. He said he is not taking any pay, so that seems about right. By not extending the income tax Rauner saved a million off his state income tax, and you can’t put a price tag on the pain and suffering he is inflicting on the state’s most needy and helpless citizens. - One of the 35 - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:20 pm: Arrogance in either a Governor or a Speaker is unbecoming to the people of Illinois. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:21 pm: ===Hey Ahern - your bucket isn’t full until one of us writes a song parody about you.=== It’s a Rite of Passage. I defer to the master, - VanillaMan - - Politix - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:24 pm: “But when the speaker refuses to answer why they get paid and nobody else, the speaker is losing….” Not for lack of trying. Rauner’s veto pen’s been working pretty well. - John A Logan - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:25 pm: Great….now I am going to be waiting all afternoon for the VMAN lyrical masterpiece…the suspense is killing me. - Ben Franklin - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:29 pm: Quote from NBC Chicago. Feb 18, 2015: “Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan both said a deal on eliminating the current budget deficit is within reach.” - Juvenal - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:42 pm: === why they got paid and nobody else === I believe the Comptroller’s Office got paid today. - Under Further Review - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:44 pm: Is it correct that our part-time legislators are among the highest paid in the USA? It has been a long time since I have seen a state by state comparison as to legislative pay scales. Illinois used to provide substantial compensation to its legislators as opposed to other states. - Ghost - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:50 pm: Can somone ask lance trover how eliminating union rights, prevailing wage, or work comp benefits is other then a nuclear strike against the middle class? Or why the current administration has the highest pyaroll for it people in the state why demanding the workers get cuts? - Just Me - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:50 pm: Under Further Review — I get upset whenever anyone says being an Illinois legislator is a part-time job. If a legislator missed a hearing or session day because of their “real” job they would be in big trouble. These days state government is so complex it almost demands your full-time attention. I’ve long believed we should amend that part of the Constitution and raise our legislator’s pay. It would also make it easier to recruit thoughtful and independently minded candidates. - Michael Westen - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 3:54 pm: Last week the Raunerites complained that the payroll system is antiquated and out of date. Apparently so is the press release system. - Anon - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 4:05 pm: If this temporary one-month budget is for $2.3 billion, my simple math makes that $27.6 billion for 12 months. That’s well short of the budget passed earlier and vetoed by the Governor. What is missing in the temporary budget? - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 4:06 pm: Hey Mary Ann. What’s your game now? Can anybody play? (Nod to Hollies) - Huh? - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 4:10 pm: Remindso of when I worked nights at a hospital. Same thing, different day. The only relief was stopping at the 7am bar across the street and having a drink with the nurses and respiratory therapists. It is time for trover to get a new script. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 4:11 pm: ==That’s well short of the budget passed earlier and vetoed by the Governor. What is missing in the temporary budget?== It’s an emergency budget that doesn’t fund everything that will eventually need to be funded, so simply multiplying by 12 doesnt tell the whole story - Enviro - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 4:14 pm: The governor should have the courage to ask for the state income tax increase Illinois needs to pay state government expenses. This afternoon Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle won approval for the 1% increase in sales tax by a vote of 9-7 with one commissioner voting present. This took courage. Now Cook County can pay their bills and stop increasing their debt. This is what Illinois needs to do. This and more budget cuts. - Juvenal - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 4:31 pm: The real story hear is that the Speaker is having press conferences. That is not good for Team Rauner. - A guy - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 4:42 pm: Juvy, explain why having press conferences in good for the Speaker. I sure don’t think it is. - Ahoy! - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 4:44 pm: I’m sure they think they’ve earned the raises since they are “working” longer. - Rod - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 4:49 pm: Juvenal while we all find the Speaker entertaining he is really saying nothing new at all. For example he was asked if he thought he could muster 71 votes to override a veto today he said he didn’t know. He thought maybe the reporter could answer the question better than himself. The theater of the absurd would be an appropriate description of both the Speaker’s conference today and press comments released by team Rauner. - thoughts matter - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 4:58 pm: Under further review- We are the 5th largest state in the US, we should be one of the highest, best in every category. So if we are paying our legislators the 5th highest salary (which I think is what it is), then that would be appropriate. They are not part-time legislators. The session is part-time. They hold office hours, attend various events, read legislation, meet with various people when they are not in session. I would consider it a 24/7 job. I do not have any problem with their compensation. I certainly wouldn’t do their job for what they get paid. I just wish they would DO it better. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 4:59 pm: That Ahern bucket list is going to have to wait until I figure out which song she wants. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 5:03 pm: - VanillaMan -, Start by looking at cuts from the “Thelma & Louise” soundtrack… - Motambe - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 6:30 pm: Thought Matter: I thought “keguslatirs” referenced the new Happy Hour law. - Under Further Review - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 6:57 pm: I asked the question about how Illinois currently compares to other states in terms of legislative compensation. Years ago, Illinois provided fairly generous legislative pay as compared to other states, but I asked the question because I do not know if that is still necessarily true. Perhaps other states have increased their legislative salaries. It is a part-time job as evidenced by the number of legislators who manage to hold other positions of employment. Unfortunately, there are too many who hold other government jobs which can create pension issues related to double dipping. @Just Me: Years ago, the same arguments were made as a justification for aldermanic pay increases. It was reasoned that the City Council members would be less inclined to engage in grafting if their salaries were better. As I get older, I recall when aldermen received much less in the way of wages. It was a part-time position and few people objected to the fact that aldermen operated taverns, owned funeral homes, sold real estate and insurance or practiced law. Oddly enough, in the old days, the aldermen seemed more constituent oriented and accessible. Pay raises did not improve job performance or put an end to public corruption. Maybe someone will have an answer to my original question later on. I will admit that there seems to be a geographic divide in that legislators from some regions are much more visible and involved in their districts than is the case in Chicago and Cook County. - Going nuclear - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 7:28 pm: UFR, Try googling “legislative compensation” and “states” and you should be able to find the information you are seeking. - No Longer A Lurker - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 8:06 pm: Under Further Review, Google is your friend for the answer you seek. See the following link. http://ballotpedia.org/Comparison_of_state_legislative_salaries - DuPage Don - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 8:07 pm: -VanillaMan- “Come on, Marianne” Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons circa 1967! - Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 8:29 pm: The Illinois constitution requires the Governor to present a balanced budget, not the Speaker. Rauner said he is willing to increase taxes but only regressive taxes, which will have a minimal impact on Rauner and his .01 percenters and cost the middle class and the poor millions. - AnonymousOne - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 8:51 pm: It sure is nice to see their feet held to the fire for a change. They have a tough job? Everyone has a tough job if they’re doing it right and well! But who’s gotten us into the financial mess we’re in now? People who run for office know the depth of responsibility they’re taking on. Once elected, does the job prove to be so incredibly difficult that one’s ethics, morals and principles get too muddied to think straight and do the right thing? What a mess they’ve gotten so many people into. - Just Me - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 9:35 pm: Chicago 20 — the Illinois Constitution also provides that the General Assembly pass Constitutional legislation, and the Constitution requires a balanced budget. They’re both at fault here. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 11:46 pm: I’m sorry. I must admit that I don’t know those songs. - Under Further Review - Wednesday, Jul 15, 15 @ 11:56 pm: Thank you for the responses. It looks as if Illinois currently ranks third in terms of compensation following California and Pennsylvania. Members of the General Assembly receive salaries that would be satisfactory to many. Additionally, they receive per diem expenses while in session. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.