* Illinois Radio Network…
If legislative leaders and Gov. Bruce Rauner are going to meet in public on the budget stalemate, who should set the agenda? The answers you get depend on which party you’re asking.
The same civic advocacy groups who asked for a public meeting to be held want a “bipartisan agenda” to guide it. State Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) agrees that one person shouldn’t determine what’s going to be discussed.
“There’s a lot of issues, a lot of budgetary items, and I really hope that they’re each given an opportunity to submit what they would like to talk about,” Bertino-Tarrant said.
State Rep. Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove) disagrees, saying it’s the proper role of the governor for Rauner to set the agenda for a meeting with legislative leaders.
“That’s just the way it is, whether it’s Gov. Rauner, Gov. Quinn, Gov. Blagojevich, et al, that’s the person who should set the agenda, call the meeting, and get things going,” Sandack said. “If we’re going to squabble over an agenda, man, we really have lost our bearings.”
OK, first of all, Rauner didn’t actually “call the meeting.” The goo-goos called it. If we had waited for the governor to call the meeting, it wouldn’t have been called.
And what’s the big deal about a bipartisan agenda? Does literally everything have to be set by the governor? Perhaps that’s been part of the problem here all along?
* Fox Springfield…
“Somebody said, let’s have a big group, let’s get all four of the leaders and you in a room and turn the TV cameras on. Oh, great. Talk about posturing. Now everybody’s going to posture. What human being likes to negotiate in front of a camera and make a compromise on TV? People don’t do that. Whatever. I don’t think it’s going to matter much,” said Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) Illinois.
OK, I don’t totally disagree, but then why did you even agree to the meeting? And why did you say back then that you were “happy” to host the public meeting, and why did you call the development “excellent news”?…
Over the last few weeks, I’ve met with each of you individually to try to move beyond this impasse. I believe it’s time for all of us to meet as a group, and thanks to the invitation of a few advocacy groups, I understand everyone has availability on Wednesday, November 18 from 9:30 AM to Noon and is interested in a public meeting. This is excellent news.
* Pantagraph editorial…
The key to ending the budget stalemate, at this meeting or any other time, is for Rauner and Madigan, primarily, to focus on what is possible.
Truer words were never written.
- Solid Dwight - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:38 am:
In Bloomington, Rauner insisted that he personally meets with Madigan and Cullerton every few days.
That doesn’t seem to jive with what Madigan and Cullerton say.
- Ray del Camino - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:38 am:
Downplaying expectations. Never really wanted to talk about the budget in the first place. No surprise here. The same rigid ideology driving the same inept attempts (or non-attempts) to govern.
Pitiful.
- doofusguy - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:40 am:
Wonder when the proposed agenda is going to be sent out - on the 17th?
- Concerned - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:41 am:
So what Sandack is saying is that Rauner owns this situation. He gets to decide, so therefore he owns.
- Frenchie Mendoza - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:43 am:
Is there going to be a moderator? Will this be structured like a debate with someone guiding?
Or will this be the grandly awkward four folks sitting around a table?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:44 am:
===The key to ending the budget stalemate, at this meeting or any other time, is for Rauner and Madigan, primarily, to focus on what is possible.===
This. All day. Please?!
When Rauner hijacked the meeting and learned more that the Turnaround Agenda is not only required, but the Turnaround Agenda wasn’t the reason the Go-Gos called Rauner to actually meet,
Rauner decided his hijacking failed, so Rauner has to make darn sure… the meeting fails too.
More scorched earth, by Rauner’s own choice.
Period.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:44 am:
The Governor could have set up a meeting in June, July, August, September, or October, with his own agenda. What is/was stopping him?
- DuPage Bard - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:50 am:
So now that Sandack has said it’s the Governor’s responsibility for the meeting can we at least agree the Governor “owns” this? At some point he has to be responsible for something, right?
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:51 am:
Perhaps ILGOP believes that since their agenda cuts out needy citizens over taxpayers, their constituents can wait out any impasse. To ILGOP, beggars can’t be choosers, so they don’t care that they have hijacked government from serving citizens that need services.
ILGOP doesn’t believe that government is meant to serve citizens - it seems that they believe that it is government’s job to make taxpayers happy. So if Rauner can replace Illinois government with a Wal-Mart operation, ILGOP believes everyone wins.
Lower taxes, always.
Just ask Mississippi how that’s working out for them.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:53 am:
You can’t be enthusiastic when your guy is Rauner. Bruce has proven that he is out of his league with all this governing stuff.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:56 am:
the Dems should just come to the meeting in a serious manner, with Rauner’s budget that he outlined in February. Use that as a starting point.
- Name Withheld - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:58 am:
===The key to ending the budget stalemate, at this meeting or any other time, is for Rauner and Madigan, primarily, to focus on what is possible.===
The problem is that anything is possible - it just depends on how you leverage the crisis.
- Mama - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:59 am:
“focus on what is possible” That is great advice!
These suggested questions needs to be answered with facts and the ‘$’ amounts:
1. What is possible without union busting?
2. What is possible without a tax increase?
3. How much of a tax increase will solve the states problems?
4. How does Rauner’s RTW agenda solve the state’s financial problems? (We need to see actual $ amounts.)
5. How many cuts can be made ‘without hurting’ quality education programs, college students, senior citizens, the disabled, and everyday state services rendered to the public?
6. Bottom line: What is both sides willing to give in order to reach a budget deal?
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:59 am:
The ed board folks at the Pantagraph wrote the most down-the-middle statement possible. With hysteria running high on sides, that is greatly appreciated.
- Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 10:00 am:
===Just ask Mississippi how that’s working out for them.===
Well, as long as they can still drink a beer while driving, they don’t seem to care about much anything else. LOL
- Big Joe - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 10:03 am:
Totally agree with DuPage Bard. Rauner wants to “own” this, so finally he will “own” something.
- walker - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 10:07 am:
Rauner’s in a tough spot if this is televised or recorded for broadcast. This could be his opportunity to make the case clearly to the general public that his Turnaround agenda items are worth the current but temporary pain — because Illinois is n such a disastrous state.
But Rauner’s not an especially good performer off script. He can bad mouth a lot of things about Illinois, but people don’t want to hear that from a sitting Governor. He has yet to define just what a great future will bring, other than being “not the status quo.”
He only succeeds if he sticks to a carefully crafted speech, and doesn’t respond to budget specifics.
The Dems’ will have problems if the meeting agenda remains stuck in the “failed” past, and deals only in generalities. And they must avoid being viewed as simply picking apart the Governor on things the public is not that interested in.
Mostly expect misdirection, avoidance, and playing to the cameras. This meeting itself cannot produce any budget agreements.
On the other hand, it can be a prod, even now, for interested parties to be meeting out of sight to actually do something.
- Mama - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 10:10 am:
“leverage the crisis.” Leveraging a crisis is 100% non-productive!
We need to leverage “solutions” not crisis!
- Norseman - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 10:10 am:
Yes. If Rauner did his job there would have been meetings before this.
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 10:14 am:
If the Governor needs to set the agenda, then how about he presents his budget, and it is of course balanced (without any of the phony baloney pension savings) - and then the conversation can start from there.
- Mama - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 10:14 am:
Add #7. Why is an approved state budget important for FY2016 or any fiscal year?
- Langhorne - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 10:22 am:
—Its the proper role of the governor for Rauner to set the agenda for a meeting with legislative leaders.—
Bunk. If the gov sets the agenda, it turns into a pep rally for the TA. The gov, for whatever reason, is content to wait til january for a budget, if then.
—if we’re going to squabble over an agenda, man, we really have lost our bearings.”—
Exactly. But it is deliberate, starting w rauner, and supported by the gop caucuses.
- Sangamo Sam - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 10:30 am:
==Does literally everything have to be set by the governor?==
Yes and that’s a real problem. The Governor sees himself as The Alpha Male. It’s a carryover from his years in private equity where his word was final. We’re seeing how well Alpha Male thinking works when you think that government can be run just like a business.
- Sir Reel - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 10:48 am:
This is so pathetic and so predictable. As 360 Degree said, the Governor has had months to meet. Nada. Then organizations ask for a meeting and he doesn’t want to look bad so he says, sure. Then the drip of negativity.
- morningstar - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 10:50 am:
This fiasco makes the 1968 Paris Peace Talks look civil by comparison…(or maybe those focusing on the agenda question just haven’t gotten around to thinking about more critical issues like the shape of the table for the meeting.)
- Flynn's Mom - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 10:55 am:
OW, do you see a Dad’s Home State episode here? BVR and the four tops in a publicly televised meeting discussing the budget and who knows what else, while Diana and her state employee are watching from the mansion as Diana home offices for the day? Meanwhile the rest of the Rauner clan contemplate not coming to dads home state for Thanksgiving.
- Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 11:03 am:
This sounded good when proposed. A bipartisan, mutual agenda is necessary imho.
But this is now shaping up more like a public debate than a public meeting.
We know how well public debates encourage civility and cooperation.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 11:14 am:
- Flynn’s Mom -
Usually there are certain “triggers” that the producers of the program want filmed, working around the main characters. We’ll see
There’s already a “very special Thanksgiving” episode in the works, with the chickens and a few cameos, I think I leaked tat out. Remember, it’s filmed in real-time, so anything can happen after the set-up. When I read the concept, I wept.
- Casual observer - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 11:19 am:
Can’t they meet privately for a few hours before letting cameras and reporters in? They can each explain how they think the meeting went and what they agreed/disagreed on.
- archimedes - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 11:47 am:
It would be a more productive meeting if the Dems came with an analysis of Rauner’s “structural reform” items. I realize Rauner hasn’t itemized these very well and has not described the ROI.
However, Rich did a nice analysis of the Prevailing Wage proposal using an independent source. More like that.
Maybe limiting prevailing wage requirement to projects in excess of $250,000 or something would be a compromise (even though it doesn’t save much money).
Maybe the Local Control of Collective Bargaining is too much too soon - but maybe certain elements of collective bargaining by local government could be reserved as management right (staffing levels, assignment, etc.) and still preserve bargaining for wages, benefits, etc. Give local government flexibility - if not direct control of costs.
Anyway, ignoring Rauner’s remaining Turn Around Agenda items (he did drop Right to Work) will get us nowhere - kind of where we are now.
- Educated in the Suburbs - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 12:04 pm:
” Does literally everything have to be set by the governor? Perhaps that’s been part of the problem here all along? ”
More proof CEOs have no business in government and the skills don’t translate.
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 1:34 pm:
More vague words were never written Rich. What’s possible is in the eye of the beholder.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 1:53 pm:
Gosh my governor has proformance anxiety showing off his baddest negotiation skills,a human being actions should be the same in public and private
- BeenThereB4 - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:02 pm:
If the Gov. insists that private meetings are more productive, and I don’t disagree, then why didn’t he call any in the last 5 months.
This public meeting will accomplish one important thing. When the Governor answers every proposal with “pass my turn around agenda,” it will become clear that this is a hostage situation.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 9:56 pm:
It’s simple.
As the governor has told us, negotiations have been ongoing for months, progress is being made, he’s sorry about what’s happened, he and Emanuel and Cullerton could have solved this if not for Madigan, until it was if not for Cullerton, until it was if not for Emanuel, he didn’t want the meeting, but he wants to set the agenda for tne meeting where nothing will happen, and maybe things will happen in January.
All in good faith. Always.
What’s so hard to understand?
- Norseman - Tuesday, Nov 3, 15 @ 11:45 pm:
This is so amusing. The Goo Goo’s send out an invite to a meeting. Much to the frat boys’s surprise, Madigan and Cullerton accepted. OMG, they now have to worry about a response. After frantic calls to his employees in the caucus, they decide on a plan. Rather than declining and setting up earlier meetings to show action. They decide to own the meeting. Rauner will LEAD!. That will show the public his power.
It’s Day 126, nobody expected this goo goo meeting that Rauner now owns to lead to an agreement. We were just hoping that this would generate continuing discussions to end the impasse. Discussions that have not be occurring up to now.
Now Rauner wants to make fun of HIS meeting. Do we now take this as an admission that he can’t partake in any meaningful dialogue with the other leaders because he’s outclassed. Should we say this demonstrates a failure of his leadership. IMO, it does.
Clearly there is no leadership coming from the 2nd floor. The only thing we have been getting from Rauner up to now is “posturing.” It looks like we’ll continue to get Rauner posturing as he seeks to minimize HIS meeting.
Sigh!