* From SEIU Healthcare…
An internal document that was forced [out] earlier this week by Attorney General Lisa Madigan to SEIU Healthcare Illinois shows a bizarre and oftentimes clownish approach to budgeting by the Bruce Rauner administration.
Belying his reputation as a shrewd businessman, the 47-page slide show created by $300,000-per-year hired hand Donna Arduin (attached) is rife with misspellings, comic sans font, two pictures of a bear, an image of Ronald Reagan and a racially-loaded statement about government and assertions that the Illinois State Fair, home healthcare for people with disabilities, the state university system and state museums are wasteful.
The sloppy presentation foreshadows Rauner’s disastrous approach to the budget and was authored some time in August. The administration fought its release, and for good reason.
The embarrassing communication was first reported on by Crain’s Chicago Business. Read about it here.
Said SEIU Healthcare Illinois Executive Vice President Greg Kelley:
“While cutting child care for working families, Bruce Rauner was wasting taxpayer dollars to create a right-wing motivational seminar that is more interested in Ronald Reagan than the people of Illinois. It is no wonder that he fought for months to keep this embarrassment from the public.”
“In the midst of a budget crisis he created, Bruce Rauner should explain why scarce public money was spent on this thing.”
* I don’t see it that way, but SEIU says the “racially-loaded statement” is the Reagan quote in Greg Hinz’s story…
The PowerPoint was used to train state budget analysts by Donna Arduin, a high-priced and controversial consultant Rauner used in the first months of his tenure. The document was Arduin’s—not Rauner’s—and it has a certain locker-room quality you might expect for something designed to get through to a bunch of newbies.
That being said, the presentation at one point seems to suggest that the Illinois State Fair, state museums and state parks all ought to be closed if they can’t pay for themselves. And it clearly sends a message to state universities, noting, “Nationwide, only 50 of more than 580 public four-year institutions graduate a majority of their full-time students on time.”
Beyond that, it includes an eyebrow-raising quote from the late President Ronald Reagan: “Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.” That’s worthy of note, given that other sections of the training guide urge the young analysts to “be opinionated” and push back against agency heads.
Another eyebrow-raising quote in the PowerPoint: “Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”
Rauner spokesman Lance Trover is blowing off the document as being of little value. “All I see here is an engaging and educational briefing for younger staff on how to always be focused on good policy outcomes and cost efficiency when developing a budget proposal. The media obsession with Donna Arduin borders on the surreal.”
The document is classic Arduin. Most of it was pretty good (budget analysts have been pushing back on agency heads forever because, you know, it’s their job), but then she just couldn’t resist including snarky, goofy stuff like most everything mentioned above.
Click here to read it.
- Jack Stephens - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:25 pm:
Right Wing Nut Jobs ALWAYS misquote Reagan.
Here is the actual quote:
“In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
January 20, 1981: From Reagan’s Inaugural Address.
Note the first clause: “In this present crisis….”
Reagan did NOT say in perpetuity that Government was the problem, just in the present crisis.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:30 pm:
–Another eyebrow-raising quote in the PowerPoint: “Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”–
Like “squeeze the beast” and “shakeout,” helps make clear the motivation for the newly created status quo.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:36 pm:
===The media obsession with Donna Arduin borders on the surreal.===
The governor’s obsession with Donna Arduin borders on the surreal. There, fixed that for ya.
- Just Me - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:36 pm:
The underlying message is fine, but the delivery is not worthy of the expense in creating it.
- Poolhall Richard - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:36 pm:
“Be Respectful of your Role as Governor’s Staff
In Meetings
In Public”
CC: Goldberg, Rich
- 47th Ward - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:37 pm:
Oof. She got paid $300,000 for mailing this in? I’ve seen college undergrads put together a better management training presentation than this. BHAGs? Really? At least she didn’t use the word “synergy” or tell anyone to “think outside the box.” What a waste of time to have to sit through this garbage.
Arduin is one dim Superstar.
- JS Mill - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:37 pm:
Our high school students would be embarrassed if they put something like that together.
Donna Arduin- Over priced, over paid, over-hyped
- Anon221 - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:38 pm:
Surely, surely, she doesn’t believe the Mark Twain quote was not a warning snark ?!? If she believes that is “gospel”… oh my!
The concentric circles slide was a hoot. I could see her pausing there for several minutes, dimming the lights, and in a soothing voice saying, “Look deeply my pretties, deeply.” More seriously, a venn diagram for interactions would have made more sense that staying in distinct circles of knowledge.
Overall, if this was for a class project, maybe a C and freshman level. We really got our 300 g’s worth!
- Henry Francis - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:42 pm:
They are to serve “taxpayers”(p.5). Not citizens.
This distinction seems to be the basis of just about every decision made by this administration.
- AC - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:50 pm:
That PowerPoint makes big newspaper online comments seem informative and insightful by comparison. The entire administration could use a huge dose of self awareness, or maybe just a little bit of shame.
- @MisterJayEm - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:51 pm:
Comic sans?
‘Nuff said.
– MrJM
- Macbeth - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:51 pm:
Arduin is not a visual superstar — that’s for sure.
Whatever the content, the PowerPoint looks like it was authored by a 10 year old.
- So Blue Democrat - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:51 pm:
This is a prime example of the so-called talent the Governor has hired. I have worked in state government for 25 years and I have never seen so many incompetent political hacks at state agencies. They also are afraid of their shadows (Governor’s Office). This would be a great stort for the news media.
- AC - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 1:55 pm:
==Overall, if this was for a class project, maybe a C and freshman level.==
If standards have slipped that far in the 25 years since I was a freshman college student, then we are in even more trouble than I thought.
- Anon221 - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:00 pm:
AC- unfortunately, in some areas they have.
- Gumby - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:02 pm:
“The media obsession with Donna Arduin borders on the surreal.”
And the governor’s obsession with unions IS surreal.
- Anon - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:07 pm:
If only we would adopt the Governor’s reforms we would be more like Indiana and growing manufacturing jobs. Ooops
http://www.indystar.com/story/money/2016/02/10/carrier-move-indy-unit-mexico-eliminate-1400-
jobs/80181804/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=
- NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:08 pm:
As a loyal Republican I have to say this is a pitiful presentation.
- Watchman - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:12 pm:
“Bizarre”, “clownish”, “belying his reputation”, “sloppy”, “right-wing motivational seminar”, etc
Every recent press release from SEIU, AFSCME, and CTU reads like a overhyped campaign mailer. Was this a product of the SEIU political team? Or were all members’ dues used?
And you wonder why the US Supreme Court is likely to rule that all public sector union activity is inherently political.
- SAP - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:13 pm:
==People are Willing to Pay Taxes for Good Results== So the Governor’s crew is scrupulously avoiding good results so the Governor won’t raise taxes?
- Soccermom - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:15 pm:
This shows us the kind of ill-educated, ill-informed, ill-equipped people this Governor is putting in charge. Horrifying.
- So Blue Democrat - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:18 pm:
Anon
Indiana is not doing so well in terms of the median household income. It is 15% less than Illinois based on the Census Bureau website. This is what the Governor wants to be like his Governor pal in Indiana.
- Earnest - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:35 pm:
It’s Management 101. If our budget analysts don’t already know this and aren’t capable of doing something better themselves, we could be in trouble financially. oh, wait…..
I don’t think it should be a major issue, but I would personally want to know the verbal content that goes with the slide of the woman running to the bathroom holding her rear and the other of a woman throwing up when faced with a stern-looking man. Again, I don’t see an issue, but would feel better to know.
- Waffle Fries - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:36 pm:
A consultant will use my watch to tell me what time it is.
Thanks for sharing the powerpoint, it made me smile.
- Crispy - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:37 pm:
Simultaneously laughable and repellent.
“Get a job.”
- D. Arduin
- northsider (the original) - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:40 pm:
The “Pure Michigan” slide reminded me of Flint.
- Norseman - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:41 pm:
Curious to see Demoralized’s reaction or that of others who have had dealings with the GOMBies.
- RNUG - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:52 pm:
That presentation wouldn’t have passed muster as a paper in my high school.
And we paid $300K for this?
- Customer - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 3:30 pm:
The slide that states “Nationwide, only 50 of more than 580 public four-year institutions graduate a majority of their full-time students on time” includes a picture of the Beckman Institute on the UIUC campus. It doesn’t bother to note that UIUC graduates 71% of its undergrads in four years and 83% in five years.
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 3:32 pm:
i think of this a little differently. I think a presentation like this has two goals. First is to present a new administrations philosophy and second to do so while getting buy in from staff that may have been doing this work with previous administrations. And on the second I think the lighter and more casual approach might serve you well. I do not agree with the philosophy presented but I have seen other administrations use much more patronizing and insulting approaches to “educating” their staff that they paid for later.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 3:37 pm:
Anonymous +1
- AlabamaShake - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 3:43 pm:
**- Watchman - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 2:12 pm:
“Bizarre”, “clownish”, “belying his reputation”, “sloppy”, “right-wing motivational seminar”, etc
Every recent press release from SEIU, AFSCME, and CTU reads like a overhyped campaign mailer. Was this a product of the SEIU political team? Or were all members’ dues used?
And you wonder why the US Supreme Court is likely to rule that all public sector union activity is inherently political.**
You do know that SEIU Healthcare doesn’t get any fair share fees, right? So all their dues can be used for political purposes?
- ddd3 - Friday, Feb 12, 16 @ 4:16 pm:
test