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It’s not my fault!
Friday, Jul 15, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller * The official reaction to yesterday’s COGFA projection that the stopgap budget Gov. Rauner negotiated and signed into law has a nearly $8 billion built-in deficit…
There is no doubt that this state has had years of spending problems and mismanagement. Can’t argue with that. And there has been plenty of court-ordered spending and automatic spending on things like bond payments. * However, before the income tax hike partially expired, the state was whittling down its pile of bills and its payment cycle was under 30 days. But the Democrats allowed the tax hike to expire after Rauner was elected and then nobody could agree on a real budget, so now we’re in this freaking awful mess. As a commenter noted yesterday, during the past year our state’s social service system has been whacked hard and our universities have been hobbled and all we got out of it is an $8 billion deficit and a projected $10 billion bill backlog and a six-month late payment cycle and no substantial economic reforms. And this happened under which administration?
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- Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:33 am:
Quinn.
Right?
Gotta be Quinn.
Couldn’t possibly be anyone else.
Right?
- Honeybear - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:34 am:
Exactly so Rich, exactly so.
- Nilwood - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:36 am:
And I have friends and neighbors who believe Rauner is doing a good job because he’s controlling spending.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:36 am:
“Things have always been bad, but we’ve made them far worse.” Good response, Cath.
Because all those things that you have listed, are going on to a greater degree now. A higher level of mismanagement, the most out of control spending the state has ever seen, and I don’t seem to recall much court ordered spending before this administration.
- Norseman - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:36 am:
Rauner good at pointing figures, not at governing.
Too bad folks unknowingly voted for a man on a mission to destroy unions, not a man who will govern and solve problems.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:37 am:
===As a commenter noted yesterday, during the past year our state’s social service system has been whacked hard and our universities have been hobbled and all we got out of it is an $8 billion deficit and a projected $10 billion bill backlog and a six-month late payment cycle and no substantial economic reforms.
And this happened under which administration?===
Governors own their choices.
“Pat Quinn failed” was about exactly that… Governors, in their tenure, owning choices they make, and can only make, because governors dictate those choices.
The Rauner Word Jumble will probably say…
30 years… “Democrat Rule”… Mike Madigan… Super-Majoroty… Unbalanced budgets… “waste”… needed reforns… (and my new favorite)… Taxpayers.
Governors own, they always do.
“Who”, besides Rich Miller, is going to point out this truth?
“Who?”
- Anon - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:37 am:
===And this happened under which administration?===
My dear great aunt that just celebrated her 90th birthday and I were talking last week and even though she voted for Rauner and has a Rauner bumper sticker on her car, she was complaining about how Madigan was an awful governor.
- Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:37 am:
“I ran out of gas! I had a flat tire! There was an earthquake! Locusts! It wasn’t my fault!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZqfxoCYfxw
- Allen D - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:39 am:
=== its pile of bills and its payment cycle was under 30 days. ====
Not completely true, our vendors bills have never been paid any less then 120 days out to as much as 180 days during that time… we answered angry vendor calls all the time, they would cut us off until payments caught up to under a certain threshold and turn us back on and see-saw like that all the time…. I will give you that some of the Departments bills may have been payed on time, even our vendors were getting monthly payments, just that those payments were always drastically in arrears.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:40 am:
Under Rauner, the state’s annual deficit spending is growing faster than ever before.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:41 am:
Rauner told the Democrats to allow the tax hike to expire. They obliged.
- Juvenal - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:44 am:
Rich -
You are being a Poindexter again.
I feel an editorial coming blaming…yep, Madigan.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:44 am:
The Democratic leadership publicly advocate for cuts and revenue to solve the number one problem in the State of Illinois- the budget deficit.
Their budget proposals does not address either cuts or revenues, but they are quick to criticize the Governor’s proposed “draconian” cuts.
- Henry Francis - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:50 am:
Always taking the arrows. The Guv is a regular St. Sebastian.
- Nick Name - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:51 am:
“The Rauner Word Jumble will probably say…
30 years… “Democrat Rule”… Mike Madigan… Super-Majoroty… Unbalanced budgets… “waste”… needed reforns… (and my new favorite)… Taxpayers.”
Don’t forget “collectivist.”
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:51 am:
===the Governor’s proposed “draconian” cuts.===
See: “Pat Quinn failed”
Governors own… even their cuts.
- CharlieKratos - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:52 am:
OW, you forgot “collectivist”.
- Jocko - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:52 am:
I miss the days of PowerPoint Bruce, who’s secret plan (besides funding P-12) was to sit on his hands for 18 months.
I’m hoping to see Durkin, Radongo, Ives, and Sandack’s signatures on mid-November’s tax increase, but am resigning myself to seeing Bourne and Welter’s.
- Illinois bob - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:52 am:
Can’t protect Rauner here.
Madigan and Cullerton’s intransigence to real reform should have been expected.
Madigan and Cullerton’s callously letting social services, and those needy individuals receiving them, suffer to protect their union, trial lawyer and contractor cronies should have been expected.
Letting Illinois become a financial disaster to protect Madigan and Cullerton’s political class should have been expected.
The solution SHOULD have been for Rauner to submit a balanced budget cutting all the Madigan and Cullerton goodies to the bone (INCLUDING K-12 education), and letting the Dems propose how to increase revenues to get their goodies back.
Is it too late for Rauner to shift gears and do that now?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:54 am:
- Nick Name -
That “my bad”…
Collectivists is in the “Rauner Word Jumble, 3.0″ and I just plum missed it.
Apologies.
- Mama - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:55 am:
Rauner failed!
- Langhorne - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:01 am:
“The problem goes back years, blah, blah…yet in just 18 months we have made things much worse, and at an accelerated pace. “There, fixed it for ya, ck.
- Mean Joe - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:01 am:
Where is my comment sent over five minutes ago. I guess in future I need to copy my comment if so I don’t have to spend five minutes retyping.
- City Zen - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:03 am:
==before the income tax hike partially expired, the state was whittling down its pile of bills==
Shouldn’t that pile have been completely whittled by then? The state collected way more than enough from the tax hike to pay off those bills. The problem was the new revenue wasn’t balanced with measured cuts so that the backlog wouldn’t continue to grow upon the expiration of the hike.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:03 am:
===Where is my comment sent over five minutes ago===
Held in moderation for its rabidness.
Copy all you want. That comment ain’t getting through the screens.
So, tone it down.
- Louis G Atsaves - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:04 am:
After the Democrats allowed the temporary tax increase to expire? What was their plan other than to say no, no and no?
Nice to know that our finances under Quinn were so wonderful but I seem to recall massive fund sweeps to finish out his last fiscal year.
Who “owns” this budget and financial ruin? The Governor, the Legislative Leadership and our elected legislators and elected officials. Solutions forthcoming from the Treasurer? Do we have a treasurer?
Anything other than spreading the blame to all of them is nothing more than dishonest political spin. Including blaming only Rauner.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:06 am:
===Is it too late for Rauner to shift gears and do that now?===
Probably. He used all of his political capital to force the state to not have a budget. I don’t think there will be a democrat left that will do anything for him or with him. He will be completely ineffective for the remainder of his time as governor no matter how long that will be.
- Arock - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:07 am:
Yes, if he has failed then I guess you guys were also criticizing Obama the first two years of his Presidency when the Country was still in a downfall, which I guess you probably weren’t. As all we heard during his first term is that it is Bush’s fault.
- Sir Reel - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:08 am:
If court-ordered and statutory spending are the problem, how many bills did Rauner (his minions) introduce to solve that problem?
- LessAnon? - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:10 am:
That part where you point out no economic reforms is key to the whole thing. If we had economic reforms, we likely wouldn’t have all the other mess.
- Mean Joe - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:13 am:
Rauner likes to compare IL to Wisconsin and Indiana. He needs to explain whey our reasonable 5% state income tax in place for 4 years was specifically requested by him to let it expire when comparing higher rates at other states. We need a constitutional change to permit a graduated income tax and then reform income tax to appropriate rate structure and to include services. This is at least a 5 year fix to balance the budget, excluding long-term pension issues.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:14 am:
===After the Democrats allowed the temporary tax increase to expire?===
Oh - Louis G Atsaves - LOL…
Rauner personally lobbied and requested the tax to expire.
Had Rauner NOT asked, you’d have a huge point to make.
Making it now is arguably being willfully ignorant.
Rauner blew up your point. If you’d like I’ll point out where Rauner asks and thanks the Democrats too. lol
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:17 am:
Arock, nice victim mentality you got there.
- Norseman - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:33 am:
=== I’m hoping to see Durkin, Radongo, Ives, and Sandack’s signatures on mid-November’s tax increase … ===
Jocko, I doubt we’ll see mid-Nov vote. The vote requirement is too high to get a tax increase passed. A comprehensive budget will also require extensive negotiations. This will be extremely problematic because Rauner is putting the poison pills back into play. Plus this election will be extremely brutal so folks will need to cool down before coming to the negotiating table.
The only thing I can see getting approved during veto session is pension change. Both parties want that.
- Not quite a majority - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:37 am:
It’s a pain to be old, but I have to note that we’ve had ‘court ordered payments’ in this state going back to the ‘hallowed’ days of the Thompson Administration in special ed and Edgar was under a ton of orders for DCFS. So please, when you start pointing fingers, remember to rewind the tape a little farther.
- Sense of a Goose - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:47 am:
Arock, what specific budgetary plan has Rauner put forth to right the ship? He would be given a grace period if we ever got wind of the plan.
- Norseman - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:55 am:
Louis, what was Rauner’s plan. Oh, he telegraphed that years before which was that he’d take hostages to force Dems to kill unions. How’s that plan worked out Louis. We’ve now in a bigger hole, with lower credit ratings, the destruction of social service agencies, IL students being forced to leave for other state schools and a million people losing services.
Rauner has been a failure in all, but the propaganda department.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:57 am:
- Norseman -
+1
- Demoralized - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:57 am:
At what point does the Governor accept the responsibilities of being Governor. We’re 18 months into his term so I’d like to know at what point the line is crossed when he actually decides to become Governor.
I’m thinking the Governor has talked to my kids. Nothing is ever their fault either.
I get that he’s not solely to blame. But these attempts to deflect all blame are just getting ridiculous.
Again, if he’s that incompetent that he can’t get anything done because Madigan is being mean to him then just resign. I’m tired of the whining.
- ILPundit - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:05 am:
When we talk about how the democrats “let the income tax lapse”, can we also note that the then-Governor Elect launched a campaign right after the election pressuring the lame duck General Assembly to not lift the sunset on the income tax.
Extending the tax hike was never an easy lift, but Gov-Elect Rauner raised the heat to make it nearly impossible. He wears a good part of the jacket for that,
- Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:12 am:
—
Rauner has been a failure in all, but the propaganda department.
—
Yep. And that’s the Illinois GOP in a nutshell. Great sticking to messaging, but ineffective at solving problems.
My question: even if, say, tomorrow — literally tomorrow — every one of Rauner’s “reforms” are enacted: how long would it take the state to “turnaround”?
Assume Rauner has 28 more months in office. Would the “reforms” at this point be even something he could campaign on and point to significant results?
I ask - I don’t know. But it seems too late in the game now.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:12 am:
===Extending the tax hike was never an easy lift, but Gov-Elect Rauner raised the heat to make it nearly impossible. He wears a good part of the jacket for that,===
“Extending the tax hike was never an easy lift,… ”
It was never going to be the lift. Once Rauner won, extending wasn’t necessarily on anyone’s mind.
“… but Gov-Elect Rauner raised the heat to make it nearly impossible.”
Actually, that was unintended “cover” Rauner gave to the move of letting the tax rate sunset. It then was framed that the GA “obliged” a Rauner want. Sadly.
“He wears a good part of the jacket for that,”
It’s kinda true. It’s more accurate that a rookie mistake allowed Rauner to get sucked into a move that was going to be made regardless.
With respect.
- SAP - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:14 am:
First rule of hole digging: When you are in one, stop.
- Norseman - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:15 am:
ILPundit & OW - Excellent points.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:16 am:
–Nice to know that our finances under Quinn were so wonderful but I seem to recall massive fund sweeps to finish out his last fiscal year.–
$1.6 billion is the number you’re looking for, Louis (just kidding; you can go on and on for months about budgets and “reform” and never reference a number).
I recall the backlog of bills being cut from almost $10 billion to $4.3 billion during the Quinn administration.
Don’t take my word for it; last month, the Rauner administration bragged about that fact when they were pitching the rating agencies.
http://www.illinois.gov/gov/budget/capitalmarkets/Documents/Presentations/June%202016%20Summary%20of%20Ratings%20Presentation.pdf
- One To the Dome - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:21 am:
ILPundit is right on point. Rauner ran on that the 2011 lame duck Democrats voting for a last minute income tax and 2014 should not to renew. Well he got his wish. Gov Elect Rauner did speak that he was “open” to additional revenues, after his reforms. The reforms have gone nowhere and the trust level has evaporated. So what he now “open” to (besides cuts) to bridge the gap UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION?
- Nick Name - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:23 am:
“Nice to know that our finances under Quinn were so wonderful but I seem to recall massive fund sweeps to finish out his last fiscal year.”
His last fiscal year was the year the temporary tax increase was due to expire — in the middle of the fiscal year.
Yes, blame Quinn and the GA for sunsetting the tax hike in the middle of a fiscal year, but the fund sweeps were because of the expiration date, not because of the tax hike itself.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:30 am:
No matter how CK and the team spin this and try to blame prior administrations, general assemblies or the ghosts of Illinois past, Rauner owns this mess.
BVR wanted the job, was elected to the position and now he owns the baggage that came with the job as well as all the items acquired during his first 18 months in Springfield.
- Honeybear - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:43 pm:
Blog guru’s I have a question, like Rauner, I am new to government. s/ the truth is I became interested when Rauner to the helm. Here’s my question that I hope someone can answer. How did they push through the temporary tax increase? What was the leverage then? I think by googling that the “reason” was the bill backlog, but what were the mechanism to make it happen? I’d like to know so that I might have a baseline for what happens in the future with any hike. Thanks!
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:03 pm:
“Finances under Quinn were so wonderful”
Why has Illinois had one of the weakest recoveries from the great recession despite having so many advantages as a state- universities, industry, location etc. and why do we lead the nation in unemployment?
- A guy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:04 pm:
HB, you’ll get a few different answers I suspect. But the impetus as I remember it was to improve the backlog and catch up on pension payments.
It did in fact, do both of those things. They had all the motivation in the world to keep it, but only one motivation to remove it. The motivation to remove it has been a miserable miscalculation.