* From an August 28th Chicago Tribune editorial on the AFSCME bill entitled “Don’t cave to Madigan: Why independent Democrats should put taxpayers first”…

Consider Rep. Carol Sente of Vernon Hills, who’s been pro-business and budget-conscious. She sponsored a 2011 bill that became law and assures that contracts governors and other statewide officials cut with unions only extend through their terms and don’t hamstring their successors. AFSCME leaders fought her, but she stood up to them: “When a governor comes in, it’s a new term. We want the opportunity for him or her not to have their hands tied,” she said at the time.

A House override this week clearly would tie Rauner’s hands.

Sente voted for the bill in May, but everyone knew Rauner would veto it. It was a safer vote then than it is now. Will she vote to override? We’ll see. She and other swing Democrats are tight-lipped.

Adding to the intrigue: Sente faced a tough re-election campaign last fall against Republican Leslie Munger, whom Rauner later appointed state comptroller. The Democratic Party of Illinois, chaired by Madigan, spent more than $300,000 defending Sente’s seat.

* Two days later, this full-page ad appeared on the back page of the front section of the Chicago Tribune…

       

76 Comments - Austin Blvd - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:10 am: Big money threats. Our state legislators are now threatened by big money and corporate interests. It is sad. - DecaturGuy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:11 am: synergy or collusion? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:12 am: If the Labor Movement blows this opportunity to send a message to Rauner, then the idea of collective bargaining eventually falling becomes more and more unstoppable. - walker - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:13 am: –”One vote could cost taxpayers $4 billion.”– Really? The fiscal impact of this vote cannot mathematically be anywhere near that. Now we know how Rauner’s going to spin the tax increase. - Team Sleep - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:18 am: I just wanna know how much that ad cost. I know that a similar ad in the St. Louis P-D is anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000. - Cassiopeia - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:20 am: I think both sides have simply lost their minds. - Amalia - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:22 am: it truly looks like a parody. this is getting sad. - Big Joe - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:29 am: For me, personally, when I see an ad like this, I automatically go the other way. I resent buying votes by big spenders that only want to use politics to put more money in their pockets. Rauner bought the governorship, now he and his cronies want to buy every decision in IL government. He will do anything to destroy the middle class in IL. He must be stopped from doing anything that he wants to do to the common citizens. He just wants to take care of the 1% elite in the state. - Norseman - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:30 am: As someone mentioned in another post on another day that Rauner is going to attack Democrats whether they vote with him on this or not. If the Dem lives in the safe district, it Rauner doesn’t matter. If you’re in a competitive district, Rauner can’t give you a pass or his legislative allies will have a fit. This override needs to get done to slap some sense into the frat boys. - illinoised - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:34 am: Class warfare is a rough game. - Honeybear - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:38 am: Cass- I can certainly understand that it looks like that. But both my spouse and I work for the state. If Rauner wins this we’ll be forced to strike. If Rauner wins this we really will be stretched to afford healthcare for our family. God help us if my daughter breaks another bone. (our out of pocket when we were insured with a similar plan was 5k! It took years to pay it off. I was a chaplain at the time and didn’t make much) Look, we are so jacked up because so much is at state for so many. If Rauner wins this 360,000 people will have the same problem (the number of individuals whose healthplan is pegged to AFSCME, includes family members, university employees and their families as well) This is huge - Georg Sande - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:39 am: -”If the Labor Movement blows this opportunity to send a message to Rauner, then the idea of collective bargaining eventually falling becomes more and more unstoppable.”- Right, Willie. After inking a deal with the Teamsters and with 2 tolling agreements (the parties are supposed to be bargaining now, but why would AFSCME do so with the over-ride pending?) with AFSCME, your hyperbole makes so much sense. About as much sense as your typical passive-aggressive claims of being a Republican. #Shill - Xavier Woods - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:40 am: Classic Rauner. Only he can give members of the GA campaign contributions before tough votes, but when someone else does it, they get attacked in the newspaper, are corrupt, and are subject to mass hysteria. This guy is absolutely unreal and is living in a complete alternate reality. - X-prof - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:40 am: Sente responded to the ad last night during a CLTV interview. Toward the end of the interview She announced that, after careful research and consideration, she will vote YES for the override. Vote counters take note. - Demoralized - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:41 am: ==we’ll be forced to strike== Nobody is forced to strike. You would be free to cross the picket lines if that happened. I know my family members are going to. And I suspect many others will as well. The Governor knows if AFSCME goes on strike (which would be a terrible tactical mistake in my opinion) that it is likely that many employees will cross the picket lines because they can’t afford not to work. Then he can use that as a PR issue to say that even the workers don’t support AFSCME. AFSCME should have told the Governor that they are willing to take the Teamsters deal and called his bluff. He said he wanted a similar deal. AFSCME should put it on the table and see what happens. Then we’ll know if the Governor is serious about settling this or not. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:43 am: - Georg Sande - Was AFSCME given, directly and specifically, the exact same contract as the Teamsters? Why or why not? Please, - Georg Sande -, either know of what you speak, or learn why things are the way they are to speak to them knowledgably. - AC - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:46 am: Xavier Woods - corruption in Illinois has been redefined based in the individual rather than the behavior. For example, if Madigan were to save the state from a credit downgrade, it would be corrupt, and if Rauner were to say “We’ll hurt you and your family” it wouldn’t be corrupt. Didn’t you get the memo? /s - the Other Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:49 am: The Trib editorial makes sense only if you believe that an arbitrator would reject Rauner’s final offer by saying the AFSCME final offer is more reasonable. In other words, if you believe the Trib ed board, what Rauner is offering is not reasonable and this unreasonable offer needs to be protected from an arbitrator. If the offer really was fair and the union was being unreasonable, the arbitrator presumable would go with the Rauner offer, no? (I don’t buy this stuff about arbitrators being union stooges; it’s just rhetoric with nothing behind it.) - Waucondan - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:56 am: According to her interview last night, yes, she is for sale. She admitted that this bill is a dig at the governor, and she admitted that her constituents want this vetoed. So yes, she is for sale. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 10:59 am: - Waucondan - I know it has to be tough saying all that and breathing through your mouth and all, but you forgot “Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls…” Take a breath next time and get all the talking points out, you’ll feel better. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:00 am: Why don’t they put Rauner’s picture along with the Republican minority leaders from each chamber. Then, he can look at his own face in the paper as a hypocrite. - Trey45 - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:01 am: Why don’t they put Rauner’s picture along with the Republican minority leaders from each chamber. Then, he can look at his own face in the paper as a hypocrite. - Trey45 - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:01 am: Sorry for the duplicate comment. - DuPage Bard - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:04 am: Will the election ever end and actual legislating occur? - DuPage Don - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:09 am: -X-prof- ===Sente responded to the ad last night during a CLTV interview. Toward the end of the interview she announced that, after careful research and consideration, she will vote YES for the override. Vote counters take note=== Gotta love MJM’s whip operation even though I’m repulsed by it!!!! Dems are going to have to spend a helluva lot more than the $300,000 they dropped into her race last fall in the next cycle. Buh-bye, Carol! - A Jack - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:10 am: Yes, the election will end as soon as SB1229 is overridden. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:11 am: ===Gotta love MJM’s whip operation even though I’m repulsed by it!!!! Dems are going to have to spend a helluva lot more than the $300,000 they dropped into her race last fall in the next cycle. Buh-bye, Carol!=== You know how elections work, right? You can’t beat somebody with nobody. - Team Sleep - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:18 am: Hold on - if what Waucondan said is correct and Rep. Sente’s constituents have told her not to vote for an override, then shouldn’t we be piling on her? After all, we all clapped and cheered when Senator McCann “penned” the heartfelt beginning to his weekly e-newsletter and said that he supported his constituents. So the opposite should be true here, correct?! - burbanite - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:26 am: Can any one confirm if what Waucondan said is correct? If it is, then you are right Team Sleep regardless of my feelings on the override. I let my legislators know how I felt and it is my expectation that they will vote what the majority of their constiutents want. - A guy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:28 am: Here’s the Daily Herald take: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150831/discuss/150839861/ - tominchicago - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:32 am: I am sure that Madigan and the Dems would be worried if anybody actually read the Trib anymore. - X-prof - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:34 am: @Team Sleep == Hold on - if what Waucondan said is correct … == Watch the video and decide for yourself. In my view, Waucondan’s description of the interview lies in the realm of half or incomplete truth. She explains the reasoning in her decision in considerable detail. I find no basis in the interview for W’s conclusion that her vote was bought. She reported cajoling and pressure from both sides. - X-prof - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:35 am: Link: http://cltv.com/2015/08/31/il-house-to-take-a-chance-on-veto-override-vote/ - Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:37 am: Looks like the work of the church of the subgenius? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:38 am: Well, - A Guy -, if the Daily Herald says it… lol. - Obamas Puppy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:49 am: Im sure Bruce has the receipt for the Tribune. - A guy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:50 am: Willy, just offering it up for your viewing pleasure. Editorials are just opinions. Agree, disagree, it’s up to you. - burbanite - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:52 am: Thank you X-prof, listened to it, taken in context I am not going to criticize her choice. - Honeybear - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 11:56 am: -AFSCME should have told the Governor that they are willing to take the Teamsters deal and called his bluff- Did you know that the Teamsters deal was not offered to AFSCME? Did you know that comparing the Teamsters contract with the AFSCME contract is like comparing apples and elephants? Did you know that the Teamsters were not negotiating their healthcare plan (unlike AFSCME in which 360,000 people depend)? Did you know that the Teamsters contract is TERRIBLE! Paycuts, reductions in rights, etc. Did you know that one of the chief negotiators of the Teamsters deal was just appointed to the Illinois Labor Relations Board by Rauner? (kinda sounds like quid pro quo) You really don’t know what you’re talking about do you? OBVIOUSLY YOU DON’T! - Mason born - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 12:01 pm: DuPage Don So if she votes no Rauner won’t try to pick up the seat? I understand your convinced the general public is behind Rauner and anyone nit toeing his line is doomed. I wish the populace of this state paid that much attention. Part of the problem with the Rauner approach is anyone that doesn’t toe his line 101% is going to face a determined assault on their seat. It isn’t like the R’s can vote their conscience and just have to carry his water this one time. He sees them as employees whose singular job is to serve his desires ahead of everything before their constituents or personal convictions. I’ve given him the benefit of the doubt till now. Let’s call a spade a spade he wants to be a dictator in all but name. - reasonable - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 12:10 pm: The obvious irony here is that Rauner accuses people of following Madigan, so if these people vote no, are they following Rauner? - Honeybear - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 12:10 pm: -Nobody is forced to strike. You would be free to cross the picket lines if that happened. I know my family members are going to.- Says a lot about your family - DuPage Don - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 12:27 pm: -Mason Born- Take the egos and personalities out of the equation for a moment. Sente barely beat Leslie Munger with almost half a million dollars poured into her race from MJM. Now he opponent (whomever that is) will now have the override vote as an issue to use. That’s my point. Her district does not fit her decision to override. Provincial politics 101 - Austin Blvd - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 12:31 pm: Rauner, Newspaper Industry, Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois GO, Durkin, Radogno vs. Madigan. Who pray tell does Madigan represent? - Mason born - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 12:38 pm: DuPage Don I’ll yield that you know her district better. My point is on the face of it she will face the Rauner money machine either way she votes. She might as well do whatever suits her best. She may have decided to be yes simply as a response to the overtop rhetorical assaults of the gov. I also don’t thinl this override has the downside on a yes vote it’s a bit in the weeds. If it works then both sides ink a deal before arbitration and all this noise looks senseless, even if it goes to arbitration both sides are liable to be close in fear of having their proposal rejected so an override equals status quo. Now if it fails and a strike causes a hard shutdown v. this soft business as usual shutdown it may matter more who didn’t vote to override. - walker - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 12:51 pm: Rauner claims this one vote will cost $4B in new taxes. (Hint: mathematically impossible under any scenario.) What if he wins? How will he explain the new multi-Billion tax increase then? - Amalia - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 12:52 pm: interesting that this is in the Trib. and interesting that the Daily Herald and the Sun Times are now partnering on some reporters. - burbanite - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 1:11 pm: When is the big vote going to happen? - HangingOn - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 1:12 pm: ==How will he explain the new multi-Billion tax increase then?== I bet it will include “Madigan and the legislators he controls…” - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 1:15 pm: ===I bet it will include “Madigan and the legislators he controls…”=== It will be all 67 GOP GA members “green”. No one will be spared. - Austin Blvd - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 1:18 pm: Who’s sticking up for Madigan. Ever? - HangingOn - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 1:18 pm: ==It will be all 67 GOP GA members “green”.== You mean Rauner won’t order them to vote against something and then approve it again? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 1:28 pm: ===You mean Rauner won’t order them to vote against something and then approve it again?=== Nope. Rauner needs, not an option, revenue. Madigan and Cullerton will demand, in Caucus politics, all GOP members in both chambers to be green to get that revenue passed? “Why?” It would be malpractice by the majority NOT to demand the minority caucuses to carry the water for their Governor. Nope, it’s all “green”; McSweeney, McCarter, Sandack, Ives, no one spared, everyone “green”, a vote to “revenue” - QOTD - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 1:31 pm: QOTD of the day Rich, will the House override the veto of SB 1229? - Mason born - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 1:32 pm: Oswego Willy Pesonally I’d like Madigan and Cullerton to excuse McCann and any R that votes yes to override tomorrow by name. After all the more resources Rauner uses to get his heretics the less available to hit dems. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 1:36 pm: - Mason born -, That would be the master stroke by Madigan and Cullerton, wouldn’t it? Well done, wish I had thought of that. Perfect example, BTW, how Caucus Politics can manipulate roll calls for both punishment AND reward. - Wordslinger - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 1:55 pm: Walker, that $4 billion claim is just a flat out lie, not justifiable in any reasonable way. A non-partisan, think-tank lie, of course. - Austin Blvd - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 1:59 pm: Whatever Rauner stooge or think tank came up with $4 billion should have used $5 or $6 billion due to the current hole caused by Rauner’s intransigence. It’s his hole. His shortfall. - DuPage Don - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 2:14 pm: While Rome burned Nero fiddled……Nero in this instance, “with kindest personal regards,” is Michael J. Madigan. Anyone whose lived in this state for longer than two weeks knows it! - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 2:18 pm: Oh - DuPage Don -, Mrs. Rauner’s Ounce of Prevention blames Governor Rauner. Ounce of Prevention knows Rauner owns this and asks people to call Governor Rauner. Maybe you need to ask Ounce and Mrs. Rauner who owns this… - Enviro - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 2:30 pm: ==While Rome burned Nero fiddled== In this case Nero could be both the legislature and the governor. - DuPage Don - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 2:33 pm: OW - you can’t be here (Springfield - not bucolic DuPage County) since 1971 and not be at least part of the problem. 1 9 7 1 ……. When Joy To The World by Three Dog Night was Billboard’s number one Hit. Geez, I can’t stress that enough!! - Austin Blvd - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 2:43 pm: Rauner still thinks the Dems are going to buckle and send him a tax increase. - GOP Extremist - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 2:51 pm: So now the Governor is promising to extract $4 billion out of the current contract with AFSME. This is considered reasonable and bargaining in good faith?? What a joke!! - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 2:54 pm: - DuPage Don - Can you be more lazy? You do know Madigan leads 1/2 of one-third of Illinois government, right? Isn’t being a victim… tiring? … and the gas prices… and, and, and… Milk and egg prices… Read McKinney in Crain’s. Get some perspective. Report back to the class. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 3:02 pm: === Sente barely beat Leslie Munger with almost half a million dollars poured into her race from MJM. Now he opponent (whomever that is) will now have the override vote as an issue to use=== First, Sente won by five percentage points last year. That ain’t “barely.” Second, 2016 is a presidential year, meaning far more Democrats will almost definitely be voting. The last prez cycle, Sente beat then-Rep. Syd Mathias by 12.5 points. Don’t count your chickens. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 3:07 pm: To add a bit more context. Last year, about 28,000 ballots were cast in Sente’s race. In the presidential cycle, 39,000 ballots were cast. That’s some very tough math to overcome, dude. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 3:11 pm: ===OW - the day I start taking cues from Ann Liston’s husband…=== Wow. The fact you dismiss someone who is universally regarded as one of the best in understanding Illinois and her politics speaks moe to you than any snark I could come up with to dismiss your dismissiveness. Dave McKinney is beyond reproach. I feel bad for you. You just can’t see what you won’t accept. To beating Sente; Again, can’t beat somebody with nobody. How all that recruiting goin’? - Mason born - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 3:30 pm: Willy You’re recruiting comment brings up something I’ve wondered about. Who in the world would want the job when you are essentially Rauners bought and payed for vote? You aren’t going to have the oppurtunity to do anything besides what Bruce tells you. Unless your a Rauner true believer what’s the upside? I don’t think his true believers can win. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 3:35 pm: - Mason born -, Funny thing is about recruiting. Recruiting is all about the micro things, and making the macro… seem micro. It’s a skill. It’s an art. Rauner needs 20 to spend his $20 million. “How is that recruiting goin’?” - Norseman - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 3:48 pm: === Who in the world would want the job when you are essentially Rauners bought and payed for vote? === See the membership of the formerly GOP House and Senate caucuses (now known as the Rauner caucuses) for a clue. - DuPage Don - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 4:07 pm: “How’s that recruitin’ going?” How the hell would I know? I actually work for a living! - Mason born - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 4:15 pm: Norseman Fair point. I personally wouldn’t want to deal with this governors titanic ego. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 4:18 pm: - Norseman - You win. Well done. ===How the hell would I know? I actually work for a living!=== I think the recruiters also work for a living. If you have a point, please make it. - Mary Sunshine - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 4:22 pm: @Austin Blvd Are you kidding ? Try this: The “Rauner Combine” vs. 99% of the people of Illinois… - Norseman - Tuesday, Sep 1, 15 @ 4:37 pm: Mason born, you take the role as a responsibility. Others with huge egos enjoy the status and what power they are granted by their benefactors. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.