* Twitters…
….Adding… More…
…Adding More… Heh…
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Chicago State University…
Chicago State University is a public institution, and as such, does not take sides in partisan disagreements. Currently, several varying proposals to address the funding crisis in higher education exist in the General Assembly. The official position of the Administration and Board of Trustees of Chicago State University is that University officials will not participate in news conferences regarding any of these proposals in the middle of an election.
At no point have any CSU officials had conversations with any of the four legislative leaders that included direction about which bills to support or not support. We support any legislation that will provide direct, adequate funding so that we can continue providing our students with the affordable, quality education they deserve.
*** UPDATE 2 *** More…
*** UPDATE 3 *** From the CSU press release above…
The official position of the Administration and Board of Trustees of Chicago State University is that University officials will not participate in news conferences regarding any of these proposals in the middle of an election.
News conferences and rallies must be different things…
A rally was held Sunday at Chicago State University to urge state lawmakers to take action so that public universities can receive their funding.
The rally, which was attended by former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, comes one day after CSU sent notices to all of its 900 employees that layoffs would happen if the South Side university doesn’t receive its state funding. […]
“We will never allow Gov. Rauner, or others, to take this great university from Chicago State University,” said Sen. Monique Davis, D-Chicago. […]
“The word commencement means beginning so we are going to be celebrating the beginning of the new Chicago State University, this crisis notwithstanding, we’re going to be here,” CSU President Thomas Calhoun told the crowd.
Emphasis added.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 1:37 pm:
Speaker Madigan and the Education Bureaucrats he controls.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 1:39 pm:
Can we watch this press conference somewhere/how?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 1:43 pm:
To the Post,
So Rauner is evolving into Queeg whenever questions of his apparent ineffectiveness is at play?
I ask Tony Arnold..,
Did Gov. Rauner pull two steel ball bearings out of the Carhartt and trill them about while giving that quote?
Geez, Louise, what a feckless governor Rauner is, and according to the Illinois Constitution, his powers are arguably one of the strongest compared to other governors in America.
“Ah, the Strawberries, that’s when I knew I had Madigan and his network… of all these people he controls… ”
Pathetic
- Joe M - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 1:43 pm:
Maybe I’m dreamin this, but hasn’t Governor Rauner told people not to support funding bills unless he supports them. Seems like I even remember him giving out a lot of money to GOP members to accomplish that.
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 1:44 pm:
The State of Illinois managed to fund public higher education for 150-plus straight years through Civil War, Depression, recession, etc.
The governor would have you believe that it’s a coincidence the first failure to do so happened in his first year in office.
- Huh? - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 1:44 pm:
So who told the university officials not to support any funding bill that don’t come from Mr. Madigan?
- Anon - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 1:44 pm:
Just watched this at lunch. My main take away is if you ever have a private conversation with the governor and mention the Speaker it’s no longer private.
Kudos to BR for calling out trump.
- Give Me A Break - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 1:47 pm:
Just saw SIUE is cutting men’s tennis and women’s golf due to the budget impasse. Looks like 16 kids are impacting. Men’s tennis has been at SIUE since 1974 and women’s gold since 1998.
- Because I said so... - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 1:50 pm:
Did the governor happen to mention Dunkin’s bill? The one that doesn’t have a snowball’s chance?
Yep, if I was a university president, I sure would put all my faith in that saving the day. The bill doesn’t even list which universities would receive funding let alone any Dunkin’s caucus supporting it.
- ash - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 1:53 pm:
I held a press conference, so no need to fund anything. I’ve spoken on it and that’s all that matters.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 1:55 pm:
What woukdve governor say, if facing these issues?
(NOTE: A governor willing to be governor and willing to keep a state while.)
“Yeah, all of this is quite disappointing but we all need to work together, me included. I need to build some consensus and the Legislature needs to be part of that consensus to find the votes to get this done. I’m realistic, we all need to be realistic, but closing universities or universities should never be a real possibility”
A Governor would understand that, but, as noted, a governor wouldn’t sit and allow, even encourage the decimation of the state’s higher ed and be a purposeful passenger to the demise.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 1:57 pm:
“Yeah, all of this is quite disappointing but we all need to work together, me included. I need to build some consensus and the Legislature needs to be part of that consensus to find the votes to get this done. I’m realistic, we all need to be realistic, but closing universities or folding universities completely should never be a real possibility”
- VanillaMan - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:05 pm:
Bruce Rauner is a failure. A deliberate one.
- illini97 - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:08 pm:
These students will look back on this someday and say, well at least we got prevailing wage removed. Whew!
- Mama - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:09 pm:
I feel Rauner is allowing universities to close because he thinks he can get people to blame Madigan for the closing of IL Universities. If they blame Madigan they will vote him out of office. This move by Rauner appears to be a chess match - one that comes directly out of the Tea Party’s playbook. He does not care who he hurts to get what he wants.
- illini97 - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:14 pm:
Mama, the problem with that strategy is that I cannot vote Madigan in or out from my district. I can, however, watch SIUe be harmed and then make voting decisions on the Republican state rep in this district.
- ILPundit - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:14 pm:
Rich — You missed the best li(n)e of the press conference:
Paris Schutz @paschutz 48m48 minutes ago
.@GovRauner: Cullerton told me “I’ve lived in Madigans shadow so long, I’m not stepping out now.” #chicagotonight
- cdog - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:14 pm:
Once again, Rauner is projecting onto others what he is actually doing. His GOP soldiers are not allowed to vote for anything unless told so. Duh.
The shift in the pardigm of the culture of leadership will be felt for years. Follow your leader, who manipulates truth for his
ends, or else. (just look at the messaging of the negative dark money campaign ads) Do the same to the people whom you lead and supervise.
As discussed in another post today, the America built on compromise and respect is in the hands of some arsonists.
- jerry 101 - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:17 pm:
Aren’t university presidents appointed by the Boards of the universities? Doesn’t the Governor appoint the University Boards?
Good lord, he’s a gosh darn broken record player. “Madigan…Madigan…Madigan…Madigan…”
He’s going to let the entire higher ed system collapse. This guy just won’t do his job.
- IllinoisBoi - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:25 pm:
Has there ever been a governor, in the history of the United States, who deliberately and maliciously set out to destroy the economic, cultural, humanitarian and educational institutions of his own state just to advance his own selfish agenda? (OK, apart from Scott Walker and Sam Brownback…)
- burbanite - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:37 pm:
Waiting for the update with Cullerton’s denial of the statement @ Ilpundit 2:14.
- TinyDancer(FKA Sue) - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:49 pm:
It’s recess time again on the kindergarten playground.
W-a-a-a-a-a! He took my c-a-a-a-n-d-y!
I’m tellin’!!!!!
A lot of denyin’, whinin’, deflectin’, and blamin’……
Are there ANY adults left in the Republican party?
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:50 pm:
Madigan threatened to cut off funding to higher ed? What funding? I thought they WERE cut off.
Who vetoed a full higher ed funding bill 8 months ago because it wasn’t at the level HE wanted? Whose current funding proposal is so insufficiently low that he can’t even get legislators in desperate campus towns to support it? Oh, right, also the Governor.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 2:59 pm:
Great.
Now Rauner is the pickpocket in “Casablanca”?
“Vultures, vultures everywhere.”
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:05 pm:
Oswego Willy @ 1:43 pm ==So Rauner is evolving into Queeg whenever questions of his apparent ineffectiveness is at play?==
The way he runs and hides every time an actual cut in spending is about to be pinned on him could certainly earn him the sobriquet of “Old Yellow Stain.”
- The Dude Abides - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:05 pm:
@cdog, you nailed it. Rauner made it clear to GOP members that he would cause them problems if they didn’t do as they were told (see Sam McCann). If these reports are true then Madigan would be playing by Rauner’s rules and Rauner is protesting.
- Whatever - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:06 pm:
3:05 was me.
- NSideLady - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:09 pm:
This governor is starting to sound a bit desperate. What about the bills that BVR has vetoed because they aren’t part of his TA? He’s making MJM look like the adult in the room.
- illini - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:21 pm:
I only have a small number of “hot button” issues, but higher education and my alma mater are at the top. What BVR has done in this past year to the state of higher ed in Illinois is disgraceful, indefensible, intentional and perhaps damaging beyond repair
I could detail the cuts my local CC gas been forced to make, but those horror stories could be repeated state-wide. The total lack of a budget, no state funding since last June, no MAP grants, and yet another proposed 30% reduction to higher ed says a lot about where our Governors priorities are!
His spin and his condolences mean nothing. We are all feeling the pain he has inflicted in so many areas and our state is the biggest loser.
- Annonin' - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:22 pm:
Sounding…..Blagoofian to us
- Me too - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:33 pm:
Next up, he’ll talk about how Madigan is behind chemtrails and has his own fleet of black helicopters which silently hover over the mansion at night. He has MDS something fierce. I’m beginning to think he is utterly confounded by the idea that everyone isn’t on his side. He’s so used to everyone saying, “yes sir, exactly sir” that he automatically thinks everyone agrees with him. When people don’t, it is because Madigan has gotten to them, or the unions have brainwashed them. We should all just trust him, like that guy he sold “computer parts” to.
- Ghost - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:03 pm:
Rauner knew that Rich worked for Madigan, so he has good info…. and never repeats basseless gossip as truth, cause he is the gov…. /cough
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:08 pm:
“I cannot vote Madigan in or out from my district.”
Which is why Madigan has exercised the discipline and restraint and never sought higher office for himself. His power is concentrated in his own district and ward where he is safe and secure on election day.
- Norseman - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:13 pm:
Anonymous - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 3:05 pm, please pick a name so we can give you the proper credit your nicely done snark.
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:26 pm:
Annonin’ is, regrettably, spot on. So much Rod in these actions.
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:46 pm:
–GovRauner says Madigan threatened to cut off funding to higher Ed in the final budget if they supported any @GovRauner proposals–
–.@GovRauner on why he believes schools are bowing to Madigan: he’s got spies everywhere #chicagotonight–
Are you sure it was Madigan, and not Lloyd Braun?
Back in the real world, the General Assembly passed a higher ed budget last May. The governor vetoed it and hasn’t advanced a funding idea since then.
- Anon - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 4:47 pm:
So when is the press or someone going to question the Governor about all these lies?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 5:04 pm:
Rauner can cite any specifics as to how all this spy stuff works, if like to hear it.
If Rauner says loops in a hanging lightbulb and hollow black chess queens…
- Peon - Monday, Feb 29, 16 @ 8:46 pm:
Bargaining with no leverage always falls apart when the pressure mounts. News conference sounded desperate - perhaps we are finally entering the end game in the next month or so.