34 Comments - James - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 3:46 pm: Absolutely NO chance at a a deal before July 1. Madigan has no incentive to bargain plus in his mind he has nothing to lose. After the election he feels he’ll have his working supermajority and will be able to get whatever he wants. I personally don’t believe the working groups are that close. As a higher ed employee this is all very familiar rhetoric where Rauner will say to the media that the Dems walked away from a super close deal without there ever really being a deal that close. - Annonin' - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 3:47 pm: We always thing the road to the Grand Bargain should be paved in $2 million in C* negative GOPie ads….sheer genius. - Oswego Willy - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 3:48 pm: There’s a chance only if trust all of a sudden mirrors rhetoric fed to the public. If all messages start to mirror a stand down, then yes. If Ads and press releases, and blaming and a refusal to be a partner and accept a partner, then no, there will be NO chance. - SAP - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 3:48 pm: I hate to sound like a nattering nabob of negativism, but no. I do not think the leaders wan peace. Maybe a few weeks of state employees not getting paid or a few schools closing or a few people dying will force action. - Anon221 - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 3:48 pm: No, with a very heavy heart. Even if Madigan hadn’t pushed the budget bill through, I truly don’t believe Rauner and Co. Would have been sincere about having that Grand Ole Bargain, either. Some sort of poisonous move in order to place Reforms before the Budget would have been rolled out at the final moment. We are headed into 3/5ths territory, and it will just drag on and on until sometime after the General. But even worse for all of Illinois because the nastiness level is going to go up 100 fold. It will be whatever if left of the 3 Cs to get any monies out the door. - Norseman - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 3:53 pm: If they don’t pull the magic rabbit out of the hat by June 1, then it depends on your definition of a deal. No, if you’re talking about a complete budget deal. Possibly, if a deal includes a short-term budget to tide them over until after the election. - Norseman - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 3:55 pm: Forgot to explain my no. Reason is that hearts will harden after May 31st and will be in the mood to fight it out in the elections. They may do a short-term budget to ensure the electorate doesn’t have to deal with babysitting the kids from Aug./Sept. to Nov. - cdog - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 4:03 pm: I think there is a chance. It will take a little sacrifice, especially from Rauner understanding that he doesn’t have the votes and probably won’t have the votes after November. Looking forward to Madigan publicly stating on what he is willing to compromise. If he would only broadcast a little more besides his version of “word salad.” We know he won’t compromise middle class, blah, blah, blah, but what will he compromise? The more reasonable that answer and position, the more unreasonable the crazy leader of the ILGOP will continue to look. - The Reality - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 4:14 pm: There will be no deal ever. Not July 1st. Not January 1st. Not 2019. There will be a budget once one side or the other achieves total victory. Not before. - Wensicia - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 4:16 pm: Both sides are more interested in political leverage before the upcoming elections than reaching a Grand Bargain. Maybe something interim to support education and social services? But, a complete budget, no. - Coach - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 4:27 pm: No chance at all! Its like 3 schools meeting at the beginning to consolidate and at the first meeting one school says the only way we will consolidate is to have the new school in our town. The result is the other two schools leave and thus the of the possible consolidation of the three schools. I think the Gov. was like the first school in that at the first meeting held on a budget agreement he stated the only way we can have a budget is you passed my turnaround agenda! First that is not how you compromise. You both come to the table with nothing in stone and go from there. My prediction is nothing will be done till after the election. If the Democrats win more of a majority then they will have the upper hand. If not then you will see an impasse. The only way this will get solved is if the schools are closed and not able to open in August then you will see huge chaos in this state! - DuPage - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 4:44 pm: No chance, unless the state finds billions of dollars they didn’t know they had. They have already taken all the money in their “sweep” of funds, so I think they are down to “nothing” left. - Big Ern - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 4:55 pm: Maybe. There were rumors in April that maybe the AG would shut down state government for real. That might make something happen. Probably would make for an uncomfortable Sunday dinner at the Madigan’s. - Blue Bayou - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 4:56 pm: Someone just do the simple math. How much has it cost IL to “save” all of that money AFSCME and other unions get in fighting for wage increases that go directly back into the IL economy? - Oswego Willy - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 5:06 pm: ===How much has it cost IL to “save” all of that money AFSCME and other unions get in fighting for wage increases that go directly back into the IL economy?=== If it’s so simple, what is the number? Ugh. - an independent - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 5:41 pm: Totally agree with James. What possible reason would Madigan have to give in? And it would be giving in, not compromise. Is Rauner going to stop robocalls, term limits, change in redistricting, declaring impasse, on and on? On the other hand, as the disaster unfolds Rauner and company will take the hit. Can anyone tell us why Madigan should play ball with Rauner other than shoving the bat up his….? - Lucky Pierre - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 5:45 pm: If a suburban democrat wants to be reelected they are going to have create more of a divide from Madigan that voting no on the 7 billion dollar unbalanced budget - Chicago Taxpayer - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 5:48 pm: No chance in hell on budget. Madigan has won, knows he’s won, and wants to collect his spoils in November. The only question is whether they’ll agree on an education appropriations budget, since closing schools statewide could have unpredictable political consequences for both sides. - Theriot - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 6:40 pm: July 1st but what year? - Mouthy - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 6:42 pm: No, the peasants (me included) haven’t lit the torches yet.. - DHSJim - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 7:18 pm: No. Deal won’t be reached until after the election when the Dems pass their own budget with tax increase and override Rauner’s veto. - Pelonski - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 7:40 pm: I don’t see how they get a deal done by then, and that includes any short term fix. There is no reason for the Democrats to agree to a short term budget deal to bail Rauner and the Republicans out through the election. If the schools don’t open, the budget becomes the #1 issue in almost every district in Illinois. At that point, the issues in play will come into focus, and I think the Democrats believe they are on the winning side of that discussion. Most voters could care less about restricting collective bargaining, fixing worker’s comp, and many of the other Turnaround agenda items. - Winnin' - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 8:42 pm: No. Political flyers and digital ads are the priority. - Foster brooks - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 8:51 pm: Republican leaders said no budget til 2018 I believe them - Dandy Edward - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 8:54 pm: No,,I do not think their will be a deal done before July1st. unless Madigan is willing to compromise. Rauner has nothing to loose he is not in this for a political career. - Hit or Miss - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 8:56 pm: There is almost no chance by July 1. Only another partial budget for education has a good chance of passing. The best chance for a complete budget is if the Democrats pick up some seats in the fall election. They will write their own budget with a tax increase and override a veto. - Almost Oak Park - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 9:26 pm: Trump polls boffo big outside of Cook County. If I were Rauner, I’D roll the dice on Trump coattails wiping out non-Cook Dems. His leverage is approving a tax hike, and I wouldn’t give that up unless I got the full Turnaround Enchilada. - Railrat - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 9:35 pm: No chance all the big shot Union folks a no show ! Checks must have been cashed beforehand ! - Almost Oak Park - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 9:36 pm: To elaborate, most voters will vote for the state rep of the same party of their Presidential votes, regardless of what’s happening in Springfield. Hillary will win Illinois by racking up huge majorities in solid blue Democratic districts. However in all the marginal General Assembly districts, Trump will be getting mid 50s and electing a lot of GOPs to Springfield on his coattails. Come November the unions will be kicking themselves for not urging Dem caucus members to accept the overtures Rauner made in the working group process. - Mama - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 10:21 pm: I think there will be a budget deal on June 31st. Why? Both sides need to look good for the general election. - Liberty - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 10:29 pm: No, its a battle for the hearts and minds… - btowntruth - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 10:48 pm: - Railrat - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 9:35 pm: No chance all the big shot Union folks a no show ! Checks must have been cashed beforehand ! ================================================= Could you repeat that in English for us please? - btowntruth - Sunday, May 29, 16 @ 10:49 pm: I vote no for the same reason that Winnin’ gave. - Rabid - Monday, May 30, 16 @ 7:54 am: Yes, when sandack introduces the tax hike,tweets tax hike mike was right Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.