40 Comments - MSIX - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:58 am: =…the same lousy government they’ve had for the last several years.= Hasn’t she been a part of this lousy government for those years? Just sayin’. - steward - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:00 am: If the people wanted those reforms so bad, why didn’t Rauner run on a platform of those reforms in the general? /s - Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:01 am: And Rauner ran on this platform of social-service, higher ed, and labor decimation? My recollection — and correct me if I’m wrong — was that Rauner had no opinion of these issues. They weren’t on his agenda. Here’s my quote of the day: “I guarantee you Rauner would not have won had he run on a platform of social service, higher-ed, and union decimation.” Right, Radogno? - From the 'Dale to HP - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:03 am: But at least the government was able to pay its bills and kind of worked when it did have more money, Sen. Radogno. - Old Time Revenuer - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:04 am: Introduce a bill to cut out the lousy parts of government. Should be easy, yes? :p - Norseman - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:04 am: === … people of this state are not willing to pay more money for the same lousy government === The problem is that people of this state are not willing to pay more money for any government. However, they continue to want government to do more. So we have politicians who are all to happy to use poor fiscal practices to accommodate those competing desires. - One hand //ing - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:06 am: Yeah! Now, a state where huge corporations can pay me less, dump me at the ER on my own dime when I am no longer able to sell my labor, and keep me from talking with my coworkers about possibly improving our station in life? I’d totally pay more for that. Yes sir! We, the people, are so fortunate to have Christine and Bruce to speak for us! - Belle - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:08 am: I am fairly certain that at least 50% of us are tired of the grandstanding and want a budget. We look like a State packed full of morons. - Anonymous - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:08 am: Steward, he did. You may want to use that Google thingy. The Dems compromise, Rauner will give them that “revenue enhancement.” Ball is in the Dems court. - Honeybear - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:09 am: Fine, Leader Radogno, let it all burn to the ground. Certain parts are almost there anyway. Let’s go back to the days of bone-crushing poverty, homeless hungry and suffering seniors, and the disabled discarded. Sure, the churches will take care of them right? This is simply rank, malignant callousness perfidiously disguised as a governmental critique. Didn’t you just call for social services to be “shaken out” or something like that. That was a true statement. You just simply want the death of social services so that you don’t have to take responsibility for cutting and gutting the programs. God have mercy on your soul. - wordslinger - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:10 am: Feel free to get specific about anything any time now, Sen. Radogno. Sell it, like the big boys and girls do. It’s only May 23, 2016. - Out Here In The Middle - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:11 am: Norseman — You nailed it! - Grandson of Man - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:13 am: It’s not so much about the two branches of government failing. It’s about helping students, funding social services, paying bills, etc. That is what this current government is failing very badly at. This governor had ample time to realize the political realities and possibilities of this state. Instead he wasted much of it pursuing IPI wish list type of stuff and trying to hit a home run instead of working on what was available–workers comp reform and property tax freeze. - Anonymous - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:13 am: Does that mean you are resigning from the senate Christine? Correct me if I’m wrong but you’ve not only been a senator for quite awhile but also a senate leader, no. - Shemp - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:14 am: As if it isn’t a fair point? Our neighbors may pay more income taxes, but some of them sure as hell get more for it when you see their infrastructure and capital programs. I don’t want to pay their rates without their r.o.i. - Oswego Willy - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:16 am: ” - Anonymous - ” No, Rauner didn’t run on 1.4% or $500+ million to undercut Unions. Maybe you should take your own advice and search that. - Juvenal - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:23 am: Today’s Number: 16%. That is the percent of Illinoisians who are willing to pay higher taxes if they are attached to the Rauner Agenda. I suspect the percentage of Senate and House Republicans who are prepared to vote for both is in the same ballpark. And that is the problem. The turnaround agenda reduces the popularity of a tax hike. If Radogno and the GOP want to build support for additional revenue, they need to show cuts, not rollback worker protections. - El Conquistador - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:25 am: Then resign Ms. Radogno and allow someone who’s not lousy lead. - Michelle Flaherty - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:35 am: To be fair, she’s been saying that for at least the past 10 years. - Cook County Commoner - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:38 am: Perhaps, the better question is whether the people of Illinois have the additional money for more taxes. And, if they have it now, will they continue to have it after new business taxes and fees and other “tax the rich” ideas are implemented. Norseman, above, observes that folks want all the government services but don’t want the bill, so the politicians accommodated that. Seems like he’s okay with a parent that overfeeds a child to shut him up. My aging naiveté still adheres to the ideal that oaths of office mean something, and rewarding bad behavior (with more tax revenues) will just encourage more of the same. - Georg Sande - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:38 am: Radogno nailed it. - LINK - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:44 am: I could have sworn I commented on a tweet from either her or ILGOP just last week here when an abbreviated one appeared in the Live feed or whatever it’s called. In any case, it read/reads like she is blasting not only Dems but herself, other Republicans, Governor, etc….. - Norseman - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:46 am: === Seems like he’s okay with a parent that overfeeds a child to shut him up. === “Seems” is an assumption by you and not a statement from me. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:59 am: Illinois has the highest unemployment at 6.6 percent of any state. Yet we have the majority of the General Assembly refusing to acknowledge our terrible business environment. They just want to pass a tax increase with no reforms. - Mama - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:07 am: “They just want to pass a tax increase with no reforms.” Lucky Pierre, what do you think the reforms will do for Illinois? - Wensicia - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:09 am: Same lousy government? Actually since Rauner took over it’s worse. I hope she’ll take credit for that since she fully supports his failure to do his job. - Peoria Guy - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:26 am: Hear, hear Lucky Pierre - Enviro - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:42 am: Illinois government should stop letting corporations keep their employees’ state income taxes. Let’s start there for reforms. - AnonymousOne - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:42 am: So are we better off today than 2 years ago? And what exactly did Rauner aspire to do when running for this office? Some obscure statement about shaking things up? With no plans of what would be shaken? I guess we voted for the obscurity and look how lucky we’ve been. As for raising taxes? What in heaven’s name do you think has gotten us into all this financial mess? Too much revenue? - Echo The Bunnyman - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:51 am: What is truly terrifying to me as both sides play “blame” … Goldman just downgraded Stocks to Neutral. There is a delusion on both sides we are doing well as an economy. What happens if the economy slows more? What will the cost of our debt become? I have thought for a long time, there is a resistance to get our “house in order” because the simple math suggests with cut’s and tax increases we will never get to the finish line. What is the Illinois Constitution for Pensions say if we truly become insolvent? What would the Supreme Court of The United States rule if they ever had to take up such an argument? Would the Feds step in before that to assist? There are signs that our economy may not be in terrific shape, the lack of real solutions only adds to the paranoia. You can’t cut your way out of the mess and you can’t raise taxes beyond a certain threshold before we fall apart. The pettiness on both sides is arguing over what song to play while the titanic sinks… Rip me apart now… - Juvenal - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 12:25 pm: The biggest drivers of unemployment are cuts in the number of govt. employees, sluggish home construction, and layoffs by nonprofits that contract with the state. As for manufacturing, when income taxes were high, we were adding manufacturing, but since Rauner was elected and the tax rate was lowered, we have started losing manufacturing. - Fool On The Hill - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 12:45 pm: Rauner has created an unstable business environment and is driving the unemployment rate for our state higher than our neighbors. Business was here before reforms and if they leave they will come back once the situation has stabilized. The argument that these reforms are the only thing that will grow business in the State is wrong. Business looks at lots of factors and Illinois offers lots of attractive features. They just cant abide uncertainty. - Touré's Latte - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 12:55 pm: Radogno knows bad government, all right. The problem is she is clueless about good government. - Excessively Rabid - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 1:54 pm: ==I guess we voted for the obscurity== A lot of people voted to get rid of Quinn, or in my case, voted for a friend because I sure didn’t want Rauner either. Given a do over, I’d vote for Quinn. Ick. - Excessively Rabid - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 1:56 pm: …and under my system, which starts with term limits for the executive branch like those for POTUS, Quinn wouldn’t have been able to run and we would have had a different choice. I won’t claim better, no knowing. - titan - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 2:37 pm: “I guarantee you the people of this state are not willing to pay more money for the same lousy government they’ve had for the last several years.” Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno. That horse may be pretty much out of the barn at this point. The question is rapidly becoming “are the people willing to pay more money to avoid having seriously worse government, or none at all, very soon?” - Enviro - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 4:19 pm: Excessive@ 1:56 pm: ==…and under my system, which starts with term limits for the executive branch like those for POTUS, Quinn wouldn’t have been able to run…== Patrick Quinn served as Governor from 2009 until 2015. He did not serve two full terms, so Quinn would have been able to run for reelection even if we had term limits in Illinois. - RNUG - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:29 pm: == The Dems compromise, Rauner will give them that “revenue enhancement.” =+ There is zero, repeat, zero credibility or trust behind that statement. - RNUG - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:35 pm: == “I guarantee you the people of this state are not willing to pay more money for the same lousy government they’ve had for the last several years.” Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno == An opinion doesn’t cancel out math. - Rabid - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 5:36 am: Aunty Entity needs some soul searching for structural reform self imposed term limits Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.