103 Comments - 47th Ward - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:22 am: The Democrats in the House did their job. They passed a budget. You can argue that they did a bad job, but you have to admit that they acted. The Governor, on the other hand, hasn’t even stepped to the plate nearly two years into his term. One side isn’t doing its job. The other is doing its job poorly. - Juice - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:23 am: Yeah, except the Republicans aren’t for reducing Government spending either, just fiscal and accounting gimmicks to kick the can down the road and avoid making any difficult decisions. - Archiesmom - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:25 am: Steans +1 - Storm Cloud - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:27 am: “you have to admit that they acted” Yes, we admit that they acted. Congratulations. Wow. Is that the bar? - Formerly Known As... - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:27 am: When anger and pride blind you to logic and compromise, you lead your caucus into mistakes. There is a reason he lost 8 Democrats on this =budget= vote yesterday. This was another over-reaction by the Speaker, and it is costing him support. - Nick Name - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:28 am: “‘Reducing state government spending’ was cited as the top concern for voters in 23 of the 24 districts.” Crafting a budget is the best way to do that, something that Rauner has consistently prevented from happening, up to and including refusing to perform his constitutional duty. Dems need to really, really play that up. - Anonymous - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:30 am: @ 47th Ward…..The House didn’t come close to doing their job last night. They broke their own House rules in order to get that through. When their some of their own members didn’t know what they were voting on, that’s a big problem. - wordslinger - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:31 am: –“There’s not the revenue to support it, and it delays us to getting to a real solution.”– Well, God forbid there should be any “delays” getting to “real solutions.” Is that a gag? Don’t hide your light under a bushel. Make public your “real solutions” without “delay.” - Anonymous - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:32 am: Ya keep wishing/thinking the Speaker doesn’t know what he is doing……That always has worked for those who have underestimated him in the past. - illini - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:33 am: We are still waiting for our Governor to submit his balanced budget proposal!!!! Just saying. - Storm Cloud - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:33 am: Also, there’s this: (b) The General Assembly by law shall make appropriations for all expenditures of public funds by the State. Appropriations for a fiscal year shall not exceed funds estimated by the General Assembly to be available during that year. (Source: Illinois Constitution.) - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:33 am: Edgar Ramp… Quinn Tax “Pat Quinn failed… ” Governors… Even Rauner before he raised his hand and took the oath… Governors… Governors own. - Anonymous - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:34 am: A vote for a Democratic state legislator, is a vote for their boss Nike Madigan, and his policies of tax, borrow, and spend. - Anonymous - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:34 am: Excuse me, make that Mike! - Annonin' - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:35 am: Nice poll..too bad they did not mention the huge anchor BigBrain is for the GOPies…but then certain outlets don’t cover that topic anymore - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:35 am: “Is there an echo here?” - Storm Cloud - Read Article VIII, Section 2…. … (a). You and - northshore cynic - get back to all of us on whatcha find. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:37 am: “Fire Madigan 3.0″ is not… helping ” - Anonymous - ” but IPI would love if you’d buy an “Obey” t-shirt so Tillman can save some face. - Mike Cirrincione - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:37 am: Still waiting on Bruce’s Constitutionally Mandated Balanced Budget, per the Constitution of the State of Illinois I swear I hear Republicans always talking about how they adhere to the Constitution. - Delimma - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:38 am: Any Democrat who complains about revenue needs to get the memo. All cuts to spending are a result of the governor’s office refusing to spend money on x, y or z. Any lack of revenue is a result of the governor’s office failing to ask for necessary revenue to fund the spending that wasn’t vetoed. - One hand //ing - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:40 am: Democrats only “walked into a trap” if we assume Rauner was somehow going to give them a pass on the budget before this bill. Every Democrat is going to be hit with over-the-top claims about how fiscally irresponsible Rauner thinks they are, regardless of how they’ve voted. That’s how this game works. - Delimma - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:42 am: Memo #2, the only reason taxes might go up is because a balanced budget was never proposed by the governor, so we have been stuck with spending levels and court decrees we would have never had if a balanced budget had been proposed. This really isn’t that hard to message. - The Captain - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:42 am: So the biggest unbalanced budget in history with no reforms to create jobs would be a disaster for Democrats in the fall. Let’s say for argument sake that everything the Dems have done and/or will do in May is the worst case scenario for their November election chances, is it enough to flip both chambers? It appears that the only way the Turnaround Agenda is passing is if they Republicans take control of the legislature and right now I’m highly skeptical of that happening. Unless the Republicans take over at least one (and they’d probably need both for things to actually change) the factors at play right now will be the same factors at play the day after the election and for the rest of the Governor’s current term. - AC - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:43 am: ==IPI would love if you’d buy an “Obey” t-shirt== I still want one, it has an ironic appeal that goes well beyond IPIs understanding. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:45 am: ===still want one, it has an ironic appeal that goes well beyond IPIs understanding.=== That’s why Tillman is inept and 60 people showed. IPI thinks people are laughing WITH them… That’s fun too. - Saluki - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:46 am: Madigan will suffer from this one. He will survive it, the caucus will come back together, but he handed the Republican’s some fodder, and took the heat off the governor for a day or so. I am not sure what the long game is here, but you can bet that there is one. - Norseman - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:49 am: HDem response - we only voted for a $13.5 billion in GRF, the rest is being spent by the courts. Hopefully, we won’t need to see that response. If so, we’ll see how effective it is against the Rauner onslaught. - Ahoy! - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:50 am: In the war between Rauner & Madigan, I would have to say that Rauner so far is winning mainly because he has caused Madigan to pretty much loose his mind and become irrational. Madigan is a changed person and unable to handle current realities. Of course like all wars, the people not at the top are the real victims, even on the winning side. - Andersonville Poet - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:54 am: Steans doesn’t know a working-class person whom hasn’t cut her grass and now she’s throwing the House Dems under the bus? I guess when you get handed everything in life, including a banking family trust fund, it is hard to not exemplify a certain limo-liberal sense of personal entitlement. - Rich Miller - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:54 am: ===but then certain outlets don’t cover that topic anymore === Can’t cover what doesn’t exist, and you people haven’t shared any polling data with me in a very long while. So, bite me. - AC - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:55 am: To the post, I’ll attempt a milder restatement of my earlier comment that didn’t make it. There’s a winning play that Rauner could make, but he is unwilling to fulfill his constitutional duties by proposing a balanced budget, or take ownership of cuts and revenues. Given that reality, I don’t think this is much of a trap. - A guy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:55 am: Steans is right. Here’s the new strategy….”Make ‘em an offer they have no other choice than to refuse”. Even the most uninformed are catching on now. This was utterly stupid. - Juvenal - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 10:59 am: @Storm Cloud: Yesterday’s budget wasn’t unbalanced. It only appropriated $13 billion from GRF, far below projected revenues. - Anonymous - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:00 am: ==The Democrats in the House did their job.== Their job was to pass a balanced budget. They did not. Hence, they did not do their job. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:01 am: ===Their job was to pass a balanced budget. They did not. Hence, they did not do their job.=== Then Rauner should veto, and own his veto. Rauner can also make the cuts too… Rauner isn’t a passenger. - jeffinginchicago - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:01 am: Never been that impressed with Steans before. I will write her and thank her. Maybe she and Cassidy (a HDem no vote) can put together a realistic budget. The A(ndersonville)Team could be on it. - Paperback - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:02 am: @ Anonymous ==Their job was to pass a balanced budget. They did not. Hence, they did not do their job.== Actually, it’s the Governor’s job to submit a budget proposal. He did not. It’s the Governor’s job to submit a balanced proposal. He did not. Hence, he did not do his job. Questions? - Jose Abreu's next homer - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:02 am: My son cleaned his room the other night. He threw everything into the closet, but now his room appears to be clean. I suppose my son did his job. (When the closet door opens, trouble.) - cdog - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:04 am: When did the Democrats decide to complete abdicate any sense of fiscal responsibility? As an independent, who really is not impressed with either party, this was not a strange and foolish move by Dem leadership. By doing this type of stunt and appearing completely incompetent, they are by their own default making the GOP appear to be the fiscally responsible party. Dems are being led down a dark alley, and appear to be forced to drink some strange brew. Keep negotiating, give both the headcases something to claim as success, and let us start digging out from this mess. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:05 am: - Jose Abreu’s next homer - Maybe if your son ignored cleaning his room to begin with… and then… your son tried to convince you his sister/brother should do it for him, you’d buy that? - Illinois Bob - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:06 am: Just curious, Oswego. How much do you think taxes should be raised and what spending level from the GRF would you like to see enacted? Not a flame. I know what you don’t like(anything from Rauner) but where do you think revenues and spending SHOULD be? From your posts I assume you’ve thought this out… - Rod - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:06 am: Senator Steans talks a good game but neither she nor any other Democrat Senator has a revenue bill that will not be vetoed by the Governor unless the revenue bill agrees to his proposed labor reforms. Her comment is as useless as was the bill she was criticizing. There is no real solution in sight unless she and her co-thinkers in the Senate are willing to sell out in particular the rights of unionized public sector workers. I have seen no indication that she is will ing to allow local governmental bodies to ban collective bargaining rights which is the price being asked for a “real solution.” I am very tired of her attempts to be the big girl in the room and promote a deal when she is not willing to throw the public sector workers under the bus which the price to be paid according to both Durkin and Radogno based on their comments this week. If she is willing to make a deal on Republican terms, then say that so her voters know who they are voting for. In that case she won’t be the progressive darling they thought she was. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:24 am: - Illinois Bob - Hit the Search Key, I explained it, often. Thanks. - pundent - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:31 am: Illinois Bob - I’d be more interested in hearing Rauner’s opinion on where he thinks spending and revenue should be. He is the governor after all. It’s not rocket science. An unbalanced budget has been presented to him. He holds a veto pen. The only person preventing him from using it is himself. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:32 am: ===I’d be more interested in hearing Rauner’s opinion on where he thinks spending and revenue should be. He is the governor after all. It’s not rocket science. An unbalanced budget has been presented to him. He holds a veto pen. The only person preventing him from using it is himself.=== Yep. This. - Norseman - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:38 am: There’ll be bigger trap facing both parties if there is no agreement on taxes by May 31. A tax increase will not pass when super-majority vote is required. Given the deficit and other problems caused by the FY 16 impasse, I can’t see how a budget can be crafted with the usual tool chest of smoke and mirrors. And a budget will have to be crafted this year because K-12 will not be funded and/or the courts may turn off the state worker pay spigot. - illini - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:47 am: There are many who agree to disagree on this blog, and I am including the trolls, Raunerites, frat boys, and the intellectually dishonest who rightfully post their comments. Many of us can deal with honest disagreements of the “facts” - its just a matter of everyone agreeing on all the facts. Yet, there are a small group who are especially adept at calling out those disingenuous commenters and asking them to back up their remarks. Thank you Rich, and notable other posters, who help to keep this an honest forum. - SAP - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:47 am: ==And a budget will have to be crafted this year because K-12 will not be funded and/or the courts may turn off the state worker pay spigot.== Yup, this is what takes the FY17 budget impasse to a whole nother level. - Annonin' - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:54 am: Can’t cover what doesn’t exist, and you people haven’t shared any polling data with me in a very long while. So, bite me. Could make a comment like “left my magnifying glass home so can’t oblige,” but that would be rude. So let’s just focus on the side leading their claims with poll numbers and the disapproval on the BigBrain. The loopey-dupey crowd has the data tell them to “share” - Juvenal - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:11 pm: #winning? Really?? 17 months on the job and that’s still all we got. Atleast Norseman recognizes you can’t just hit “FF” and skip to November. This isn’t xFinity on Demand. A whole lot of things are bound to happen between now and then, including most all state employees being furloughed, universities being closed, and public schools not opening. If you still think that “cutting state spending” will be a top issue AFTER people see what cutting state spending actually looks like, you must be new to state government. Oh, wait. You are. Well, try imagining Kewanee Correctional uproar happening in Chicago and 8,000 other towns all at once. Because outside of Chicago, the public schools are often the largest employer in town, unless there is a prison or a college. Sweet dreams! - Jack Kemp - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:27 pm: Where’s the line for the Kool-Aid? Paperback, get a clue. The Governor’s proposed budget has been publicly available online since February. Oswego Willy, had he been “keeping up,” knows that the Governor offered in plain English to take the arrows for the cuts needed in order to actually balance the budget. Similarly, he knows the Governor doesn’t have the ability to balance the budget by cutting the few line items not ordered and directed by statute. He knows that the House and Senate have identical bills that would give the Governor executive authority to make the necessary cuts. “Who” would be left to shoulder that burden other than the Governor? And why are those bills still just sitting around? If that’s the path forward, maybe the GA should give him the green light. Those of us still waiting in line for the Kool-Aid know what the actual preferred path forward is. - Illinois Bob - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:29 pm: @pundent As I’ve posted many times before, I agree that Rauner needs to take the lead here and put together a spending and revenue plan. I’m sure that Oswego could come up with a better one, though (just ask him). Oswego, I did the search but didn’t find anything specific from you on spending and budget numbers. I did find the picture of the back of your head on capitolfax, though. You look a lot younger than I expected. The only way I could see you having the time to spend blogging all day is if you’re off on disability or a teacher on early retirement, which would explain a lot. I certainly hope the case isn’t the former. - burbanite - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:30 pm: Can the Gov not veto just everything from k-12 like last year? Is there a reason people on here seem to be saying this is different than last year? - Tough Guy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:30 pm: Why don’t all the great Republican leaders and members of the GA step up and provide a list of all the things they want to cut to bring spending in line with revenues. That’s not so hard now is it? - SAP - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:39 pm: Burbanite: The reason is that k-12 is in the same bill as the rest of the budget this year. Last year, k-12 was a separate bill that could be signed while the remainder of the budget got vetoed. - Anonymous - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:41 pm: The Governor issued his budget in his budget address this year. Granted it was not balanced, but that is the part that needs to be negotiated with the Dems. Tax increases and structural reform of state government and Illinois business reforms. Otherwise will be coming back next year for more tax increases and significantly increases IN spending. Spending can not grow faster than revenue growth. - Nick - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:42 pm: @Tough Guy, It would expose them to the political damage for advocating cuts with the credit of making it happen. @burbanite It is different this year because last year the K-12 budget was a separate bill. Yesterday the K-12 budget was put in the same bill as other items. - Daniel Plainview - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:46 pm: - “Reducing state government spending” was cited as the top concern for voters in 23 of the 24 districts. “Creating jobs” was cited as either the top concern or second highest concern for voters in 20 of the 24 districts. - So, apparently from this anonymous “top GOP source”, who provides no data backup, the top issue in 23 of the 24 districts is a general “reduce state spending”, and in the remaining 1 it’s a general “create jobs”. Yet, as we’ve seen time after time, everyone likes cheaper government except when they see the specifics. Maybe you can ask one of these superstars to go on the record, and show their work. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:48 pm: - burbonate - Then Rauner will own the Veto again. Can’t do that. ===Oswego Willy, had he been “keeping up,” knows that the Governor offered in plain English to take the arrows for the cuts needed in order to actually balance the budget.=== See FY2015 Fix. What else ya got? ===Similarly, he knows the Governor doesn’t have the ability to balance the budget by cutting the few line items not ordered and directed by statute.=== Rauner has yet to have a budget at all. Rauner can do lots, Governors aren’t victims or passengers. Rauner coujd offer a balanced budget, no revenue, but Raunef already said he won’t cut, no… the same day Rauner talked of big long term gain. Anything else? ===He knows that the House and Senate have identical bills that would give the Governor executive authority to make the necessary cuts. “Who” would be left to shoulder that burden other than the Governor? And why are those bills still just sitting around?=== I can’t help the Legislative Shop of the Governor is inept? I also can’t help that they can’t count to 60 or 30. ===If that’s the path forward, maybe the GA should give him the green light. Those of us still waiting in line for the Kool-Aid know what the actual preferred path forward is.=== I’ve been a 60 and 30 no poison pill, no hostages advocate for… ever. Seems reasonable. Doing the doable. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:52 pm: ===The only way I could see you having the time to spend blogging all day is if you’re off on disability or a teacher on early retirement, which would explain a lot. I certainly hope the case isn’t the former.=== It’s neither. None of those. You are awful at hints. I fed you. I’m done with you. I answered the revenue question from you at least twice already. Your ignorance is either you don’t read or you are desperate for attention. I’m guessing the latter. - BumblesBounce - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:56 pm: Jack Kemp - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:27 pm: “The Governor’s proposed budget has been publicly available online since February” Has the GOMB drafted appropriation bills to implement the govenor’s recommendations? - OldIllini - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:58 pm: ==I fed you. I’m done with you. I answered the revenue question from you at least twice already.== Sounds like OW is dodging the question - Last Bull Moose - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 12:58 pm: I think passing an unbalanced budget was a mistake. A simpler message would be; When the Governor submits abbalanced budget, we will amend out non budget items and give it an up or down vote. - Demoralized - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:03 pm: ==or a teacher on early retirement, which would explain a lot== I don’t think you can make a comment without exhibiting your absolute hatred for teachers. What the heck is your deal? Did a teacher pee in your cheerios at some point in your life and you’ve made it your mission in life to get all of them? - Demoralized - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:03 pm: ==Has the GOMB drafted appropriation bills to implement the govenor’s recommendations?== Yes. They’ve been out there since February. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:05 pm: Ugh. I responded numerous times… I would’ve followed the plan of not letting the tax sunset but pass that FY2016 would have been the same, FY2017 would’ve split the difference between the high and the past level, and FY2018 would see the other half sunset, to levels we see now. I’ve said this at least a half dozen times. FY2016 - Hold the level. FY2017 - Cut the Difference FY2018 - Original Level. It gives enough time to make serious, serious cuts, and gives ample warning, and as a “Governor”, during my re-election I can run on cuts in both spending and taxes. Geez, Loiuse, lol - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:07 pm: - Demoralized - I feel bad for “Bob”. Not realizing you’re a one-trick pony is not a way to see life. - BumblesBounce - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:20 pm: Thanks Demoralized! - burbanite - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:24 pm: Thank you! - Illinois Bob - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:27 pm: @Oswego Hate all you want, but I was looking for some numbers for budget and revenue, not generalizations. Which “level” do you want to hold this year? The latest $40 billion plus number, the Rauner number, or one of the earlier Madigan numbers? My personal opinion based upon what I admit is superficial examination of past budgets is that $32-34 billion in spending is very doable if priorities are set in the best interests of Illinoisans, and if “needs” are satisfied instead of political “wants”. IMHO the key is to come up with policy to slow or stop the growth of government spending after getting those “needs” taken care of, like the common sense expenditures for family in home care. I know you won’t agree, but I think K-12 an higher ed could get a lot axed, but there needs to be a plan and appropriate legislation and cooperation to cut where it hurts the service users the least. It’s a tough job, but every service company does it continuously. I think this is a Rauner job. Not much you can do about Medicaid or other Fed cost sharing programs. The big thing in a three year plan as you’re proposing is to get the new pension costs shifted to the local schools and municipalities so that it becomes part of compensation for the employees, as it always should have been. I could also see requiring each public university to come up with a cost and tuition reduction plan as a necessary part of getting state funding. Getting a benchmarking model from other well run state or private universities would be helpful start, but not for this year. I think that expanding the taxes to services is tolerable given that many states do that already and it wouldn’t apply to services provided to out of state customers if it’s crafted properly. Bottom line is that we need a “freeze” in operational spending to some recent year..2010 indexed to inflation perhaps, and go from there. If Illinois were a business the path would be clear for this management, but limiting the politics in the process may be impossible given the current Springfield mindset. - CEA - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:37 pm: Time’s up, guys. Cut services, raise taxes, and bring a constitutional amendment to enable pension reform. Tell your constituents who don’t like that plan that they’re really going to love sovereign default. Does anyone in Springfield understand the difference between politics and leadership? - Huh? - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:41 pm: I am going to ask a silly question prefaced by an observation. Observation - The Republicans are blasting the appropriation bill as being wildly out of balance. Silly question - How can anybody say that the appropriation bill is out of balance when we haven’t seen the associated revenue bill? All we know is a spending plan has been passed, we don’t know where all the money is coming from. The GA could very well pass a tax increase and provide sufficient funds to pay for the appropriation bill. - Juvenal - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:51 pm: Apparently its everyone’s job to come up with a balanced budget - including Oswego Willy’s - except the governor. - pundent - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:51 pm: =Does anyone in Springfield understand the difference between politics and leadership?= Yes. But if you were to ask anyone I would expect that they would all claim that they are demonstrating leadership and the others are engaged in politics. - Keyser Soze - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:52 pm: Solomon would budget for all court mandated spending and then cut $7 billion from everything else, judiciously spread across the board. It can be done with Excel. - Union Leader - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:54 pm: I said this the other day, I am so frustrated with this mess in Springfield. Why doesn’t the Governor just do his job and propose a budget? Why doesn’t the GOP in the House, led by Durkin and Sandack tell the Governor, “Hey Bruce, you are WRONG!” For crying out loud, somebody, PLEASE DO YOUR JOB! - Union Leader - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:56 pm: @ OW 1:05pm +100 - Illinois bob - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 1:59 pm: @Oswego I just posted something more specific regarding a plan for getting the budget in order. It’s more of what I was looking for from you, but likely with different priorities. Hope Rich let’s it post. BTW, I REALLY don’t need your attention, or that of anybody on this blog. I post things because there are many knowledgeable people here and I’d like their thoughtful critique on my ideas to make Illinois government more effective and better managed for it’s people. The personal insults Rich allows for “immoderate” ideas I simply ignore. This blog could be so much more if it got into real budget debate based on facts instead of just politics, but it is what it is. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 2:00 pm: - Juvenal - Watch out, you could be next! - Illinois Bob - While you may crave attention, I do think you don’t take hints well either… I fed you. I even responded after someone else asked. ===The only way I could see you having the time to spend blogging all day is if you’re off on disability or a teacher on early retirement, which would explain a lot. I certainly hope the case isn’t the former.=== I can’t think of a reason TO engage you. Clear enough? Good luck. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 2:05 pm: ===The personal insults Rich allows for “immoderate” ideas I simply ignore.=== Hmm. ======The only way I could see you having the time to spend blogging all day is if you’re off on disability or a teacher on early retirement, which would explain a lot. I certainly hope the case isn’t the former.=== Tend to your own house. OW - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 2:10 pm: - Union Leader - Thanks. Keep in mind plops like above can be moved with Labor galvanized in the macro, but act in the micro. Good luck. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 2:11 pm: Ugh… “polls” Apologies - illini - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 2:36 pm: Willy - you sure seem to be a lightning rod on this thread as well as a few others today! We may not always agree - I am a fairly solid D, and I know you are a R ( although not a Raunerite ), but I do appreciate your passion for honest dialogue and your disdain for shallow, dishonest and pandering demagoguery that others are allowed to post. Snark is appropriate to many detractors, yet you make your point. I’m not certain that some of your detractors appreciate your pointed retorts. Just wishing I could be as knowledgeable and as quick witted as you are. Remember - Don’t feed the Trolls. I know that is incredibly hard to to do, but we can only try! - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 2:53 pm: - illini - Thanks for your very kind words. I look at it this way… This is a great place, and if thoughts I have move the subject along, that’s good. Not everybody is going to agree with you when you take a side on an argument, but it’s the arguement that should be hashed out. Crazy times. - illini - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 3:00 pm: Crazy Times - Exactly - Formerly Known As... - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 3:01 pm: ==Their job was to pass a balanced budget.== The GA has not done their job in 4 years. Democrat or Republican governor, tax increase or no tax increase, it makes no difference to them. 2014 out of balance budget 2015 out of balance budget 2016 no balanced budget or budget 2017 no balanced budget or budget (yet) - Illinois Bob - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 3:04 pm: @Oswego Wow. I say I hope you aren’t home due to disability and you diss me. Nice guy. Oswego, I asked you for your opinion on your solutions to budgeting, and you dump on me. I respected your opinion, a mistake I won’t make again. I had thought as reasonable people, we could come together and come up with things for the pols who read this to consider. I was wrong. I will not seek you out or criticize you on this blog again, nor seek to engage you unless you bring me into it by attacking me. That aside, I swear on the souls of my grandchildren that I will not be the one to break the peace we make here today. (No hug required) - Formerly Known As... - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 3:09 pm: ==Can the Gov not veto just everything from k-12 like last year?== @burbanite - he can. There are four kinds of vetoes. Total veto, Amendatory veto, Item veto and Reduction Veto. Multiple choices would leave K-12 funding in place. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 3:17 pm: - Illinois Bob - There was no peace made, this isn’t a scene from the Godfather. You consistently say the same things about me (state worker, teacher, union) even right after I tell you they aren’t true. There’s no honesty in your arguing. That is why you fail, and that you can’t see your insulting way. If you wanted honest dialogue, even in this Post, you never would, continue to, make assumptions you know are false or you ignore when me (and others) tell you they are false. - Illinois Bob - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 3:22 pm: I’ve learned my lesson, Oswego. I won’t bother feeding your trolling again. Do what you want. Geez, lighten up Francis…. - @MisterJayEm - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 3:23 pm: “This blog could be so much more if it got into real budget debate based on facts instead of just politics, but it is what it is.” You don’t like it? Who’s keepin’ you? – MrJM - Anonymous - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 3:47 pm: Oswego: Do us all a favor and turn your computer off for a day or two. Don’t you have a job? And please avoid using the word ‘own’, it means nothing. I wish I knew have as much about anything as you claim to know about everything! - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 3:52 pm: “- Anonymous - ” (Ugh) No one is forcing you to read it. - Honeybear - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 4:46 pm: Congratulations OW, I think you just qualified for Irritant of the Year! Man were they on you like a rat on a cheetoh today! - Honeybear - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 4:47 pm: You know you’re underneath the armor when they start asking what you do for a living! - Honeybear - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 4:49 pm: I actually think IPI hired some folks to troll this site and do battle. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 4:54 pm: - Honeybear - I think it has loads more with the heightened tensions if everyone than me. The frustration is palpable. Now there’s robocalls. I’m lucky to have a place to hang. Tomorrow frustrations made land elsewhere. - Mama - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 5:24 pm: - AC - @ 10:55 am: - +1 - Liberty - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 7:11 pm: Where are all the Republican Rauner cuts? All I see is billions in more debt… - illini - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 7:43 pm: “Irritant of the Year!” Honeybear, you are right. Yet, you and a few other passionate commenters could compete for that moniker as well. What I appreciate about this blog is that Rich largely allows me and a lot of others comment on any topic that interests us, so long as it is kept within the bounds of relatively civil propriety. It is up to you, Willy, Wordslinger and some others to call out the hypocrites and game players for what they are. Keep it up! - Tough Guy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 8:58 pm: OW-Stay the course! - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 9:11 pm: - illini - and - Tough Guy - Rich does s good job policing, the rest is up to all of us, and that includes being consistent. Thanks. This place is great because of the collective body, that’s cool. - Rabid - Thursday, May 26, 16 @ 11:17 pm: What trap? The govenor is in a corner now being poked with a stick for fun. It’s his turn now for a knee jerk reaction robo calls - Anonymous - Friday, May 27, 16 @ 12:39 am: == bring a constitutional amendment to enable pension reform. == Non-starter because contract law, both state and federal, would still protect the existing employees and their pensions, just like it did prior to 1970. In fact, the IL SC has cited some of those pre-production clause cases in their decisions upholding pension protection. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.