74 Comments - Arsenal - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:46 am: That’s an attainable goal with a clear and workable compromise. But he’s probably poisoned the well. - 47th Ward - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:47 am: How much will redistricting lower the projected $47 billion deficit? - hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:51 am: Pass an independent redistricting map, Dems. Much better than risking Republicans getting to draw it. - 47th Ward - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:51 am: Pardon, I meant to ask how much WC reform will lower the deficit? Instead of $47 million, it will be how much? Does GOMB know? Anyone? Bueller? Tick-tock. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:51 am: Workmen’s Comp was always part of doing the doable. Requiring Workmen’s Comp as a condition TO a budget is still agreeing to the hostage-taker’s demands. We need a budget. Any reasonable governor would WANT a budget, but Rauner isn’t a reasonable governor (See 2015 and 2016). You know, Governor, if you had 60 and 30 to show off in that meeting, you’d look… competent. The budget is the ONLY priority that should be important. That it’s not speaks to Rauner’s lacking. - Not It - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:51 am: Reminds me of Quinn constantly saying he was working day and night on a dozen different issues. - Just Saying - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:53 am: OW: You’re showing your age. It’s WORKERS’ comp…not WORKMEN. - Lech W - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:54 am: Totally makes sense - nationally the GOP took over the majority of state legislatures prior to the 2010 redistricting - look at the results - a swing to GOP rule in both house’s and the Presidency. - Anon221 - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:54 am: Going to have to focus on the insurance companies, not just causation. Is he willing to do that- to foist some of the responsibility onto a large business sector? And term limits bills… really. Drop it. Show some leadership and governance, and do the WC. Make that a showcase until 2018. Allow us as voters to take up the term limit issue on the office of governor then. - Team Sleep - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:55 am: W.C. reform & term limits for a tax hike & Rep. Will Davis’s corporate tax/credit reform. Even with gaining a net of 4 seats in the House we still cannot control the legislative narratives. - Gruntled University Employee - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:56 am: Work Comp reform and redistricting are doable, throw in 90% Republican green lights on the tax increase and it’s a done deal. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:57 am: - Just Saying - I’m ancient, there’s no doubt about that! To comments, Agreed, how will these wants reduce the state’s deficit? I’m confused. - Rabid - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:57 am: I don’t want my vote restricted term limits check out Tuesday last week - illinoised - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:58 am: The budget is third on priority list. Same stuff, different day. - illinoised - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 11:59 am: Maybe we will get a budget in 2018, a bicentennial gift from Rauner. - JS Mill - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:03 pm: So his priority is an election that is two years away and not righting our fiscal house? Since politics and not governing is his priority, If I were an ILDP member of the ILGA I would hammer him mightily on this one. - Rogue Roni - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:03 pm: This has as much likelihood as bringing manufacturing to Illinois as the Turnaround Agenda - siriusly - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:05 pm: Redistricting reform is a good idea- but it should include the local govts too. Plenty of Republican controlled municipal and county governments draw their own districts. If competition is good for Democratic legislative seats it surely is good for Republican local government districts too. What’s good for the goose . . . - Great Caesar's Ghost! - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:07 pm: If you look back over the last two years the Governor’s “priority” has changed practically every week depending on who he’s speaking to or has spoken with. It’s hard to negotiate when the target keeps moving. The “Turnaround Agenda” has little to do with economic growth. This blog has quantified the expectations and have come up with minimal impact. Rather, the “Turnaround Agenda” is a compilation of “stuff” that Republicans have been trying to pass for 40 years. All the rhetoric citing the need is whipped cream on horse puckey. - Nick Name - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:08 pm: “But he’s probably poisoned the well.” Yup. Who’s next in line for an IPI-funded “documentary”? - wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:08 pm: Take your time. Don’t rush into any hasty decisions. Just more evidence that squeeze the beast is the real objective. Only a lunatic would willfully inflict this much damage — tripling unpaid bills, reneging on contracts, tossing thousands out of work, wrecking universities and community colleges — for a term-limits bill and workers comp changes. Rauner’s not a lunatic, he knows what he’s doing. He’s just profoundly dishonest about it. - A guy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:09 pm: You want some “budgetary” meat to go inside the “reform” bun? You get worker’s comp and redistricting. Neither should be controversial for these two sides to deal with. The issues may have some controversy, but the desire to do them should be common. - Ghost - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:10 pm: I am ok with doing workers comp reforms as part of a complete budget. OW I dont disagree with you, but there comes a time when we allow others to save face so we can reach a solution. - RNUG - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:13 pm: Redistricting he can get. Pension reform he can’t because Tier 2 WAS the legal pension reform. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:14 pm: I think before we pretend all this “reform” reshuffle means anything… What is Rauner going to sign with a budget? It’s baffling. “Look at the shiny objects” but what will K-12 funding look like? Higher Ed? Social Services? Am I suppose to now acknowledge Rauner really, honestly, truthfully, cares nothing for this state but WC and Redistricting? I can’t think of a governor that just flat out refused to discuss budgetary monies and policy behind agenda ridiculousness. It’s like Rauner saying, “I’ll care about the state, after… ” That’s heartless. Plain and simple. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:16 pm: –You want some “budgetary” meat to go inside the “reform” bun? You get worker’s comp and redistricting.– You should read the post. The point of it is that redistricting and pension “reform” are no longer the priorities. And I’m pretty sure that “budgetary meat,” is a Constitutional requirement, while “reform buns” are not. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:24 pm: - Ghost - It’s one thing to trade in good faith for a resolution. It’s another to give in to hostage takers in hopes they don’t try to hold up other things because they know you’ll cave sooner or later. The give of WC is ok, it “works” (no pun intended) but waiting until that comes first or only until Democrats do the lift… not the way to run a railroad. Budgets actually help states. WC’s ROI? Hmm… With respect. - Thoughts Matter - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:26 pm: My number 1 priority request is a budget. Not that anyone cares what I want. Plus, why is he handing out bills On workers comp and term limits if those aren’t his top priority. - bothanspy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:30 pm: More of the same from Rauner. You can make the argument for Worker’s Comp, but redistricting as a precursor demand for a budget is completely fiscally irresponsible. - Annonin' - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:41 pm: At 12:38 BigBrain was uncorkin’ the free beet he got from Kasich…guessin’ the party lamp is on as he preps for the big trip to Rome….btw is he drivin’ - Hit or Miss - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:44 pm: ===The Governor says redistricting should be the number one priority of lawmakers when they return to Springfield after the election in November. […]=== Whatever happened to issues like workman’s comp., term limits, tort reform, right to work, etc.? ===Rauner did say the second priority should be pension reform,=== Other than Tier Two, which we already have, the courts have probably eliminated all of the other ‘reform’ possibilities. Is it not time just pay what is owed to the pension plans and move on to the other important issues facing the state? - Midway Gardens - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:47 pm: When increasing taxes on businesses as any budget deal is going to do, it would be helpful to go to the business community with some business friendly reforms. - Huh? - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:47 pm: New demands. Same hostages. I changed my mind, since I can’t get pizza, I want cheese burgers and fries. Nothing has changed. Same old 1.4%. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 12:55 pm: –When increasing taxes on businesses as any budget deal is going to do, it would be helpful to go to the business community with some business friendly reforms.– I bet Illinois businesses would think it super-friendly if the state paid them the billions they’re owed. In my experience, lot of talk in business about account receivables, term limits not so much. - d.p.gumby - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:06 pm: Good. A U.S. Constitutional Amendment requiring all state redistricting and apportionment of legislative and congressional districts to be done by non-partisan commissions. Must be done nationally as no state will unilaterally disarm. Be a leader Brucie. - Chicagonk - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:07 pm: Working in the insurance industry and being quite familiar with what drives Illinois work comp costs higher than surrounding states, I think we should be very wary of any work comp reform proposal that Rauner and Madigan might agree to. Litigation in work comp should be a rarity, yet it isn’t in Illinois. It’s amazing watching a claim in Illinois develop from a strained back muscle to a spinal fusion once an attorney gets involved. - A guy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:09 pm: ==And I’m pretty sure that “budgetary meat,” is a Constitutional requirement, while “reform buns” are not.== You’re right Sling. Now explain to the class why that matters in this place and time. He’s gonna get something. - Pundent - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:10 pm: Am I supposed to believe that Rauner and his friends spent tens of millions of dollars to fix the workers’ compensation system? Really? Where was the IPI documentary on that? This has always been about destroying the democratic party and the institutions that support it. I’m not offering an opinion on the objective but let’s at least call it what it is. - pool boy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:13 pm: Which ever way the wind blows. His top priority tomorrow will be trying some Elliot Ness beer. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:16 pm: So… Rauner getting “something”… … at the cost of purposely hurting 1 million Illinoisans, the closing of some social services, agencies laying off hundreds that help in social services, and dismantling higher ed, like $750 million towards UIUC that never go there… … for WC… for “something”? That’s heartless, personified. - RNUG - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:18 pm: Re the Work Comp reform, I suspect it will no long be his 1st priority IF the bill requires the insurance companies to cough up the savings they received from the past bill AND forces them to pass on all savings from any changes in the new bill. That’s part of what I would ask for in any Work Comp bill if I was in the GA. - CEA - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:23 pm: You know what would be a pretty good #1 priority right about now? PASSING A BUDGET. Just saying. - Handle Bar Mustache - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:24 pm: Greg Baise of the IMA explained his interest in Work Comp changes: “…Illinois employers are forced to pay an average compensation of $439,858 for an arm injury compared to the national average of $169,878 … the doctor who gets paid $2,574 for a rotator cuff arthroscopy under Medicare turns around and charges a whopping $7,856 for the same exact surgery when it’s paid for by workers’compensation… the employer [should not] be on the hook for 100 percent of the cost of an injury when they are not the primary, or even the major cause of the accident” The IMA was Rauner’s top biz association contributor in 2014. Almost a half mil. (I know, nothing in Raunerworld. He can’t be bought, etc.) Even if you gave the IMA every WC change they seek, they offer little more than political cover for a Gov who has used two years in office mostly to harm others. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:25 pm: At this point holding the budget hostage is like keeping dessert from your kids until they eat their vegetables, only it was actually the vegetables you were keeping to begin with and now those vegetables have been sitting on the table for the past year and a half. - Bobby Catalpa - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:28 pm: — Just more evidence that squeeze the beast is the real objective. — Yep. And Rauner admitted it. He can cut by himself. He doesn’t need any legislative assistance. Essentially, it’s Rauner — not Madigan — who’s running out the clock. The goal for Rauner’s tenure is to cut as much as possible — and blame everyone else. If folks can’t see that, they’re blind. Rauner’s here to gut services, gut higher ed, and gut unions. And he’s able to do that solo. What’s astonishing is that people like it. Not the people that suffer the cuts — but the people who voted for Trump and want something different. Rauner is it. - Cubs in '16 - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:30 pm: ===Re the Work Comp reform, I suspect it will no long be his 1st priority IF the bill requires the insurance companies to cough up the savings they received from the past bill AND forces them to pass on all savings from any changes in the new bill. That’s part of what I would ask for in any Work Comp bill if I was in the GA.=== I made the same suggestion here a couple of weeks ago. You can lower the insurance companies’ costs all you want but if they’re not going to be passed on to the employers it’s like spitting into the wind. - Handle Bar Mustache - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:32 pm: ==people like it. Not the people that suffer the cuts — but the people who voted for Trump== Most people in Illinois didn’t vote for him. - Juvenal - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:32 pm: Give the Dept. of Insurance regulatory authority to order a reduction in rates. Just because employers are required to have worker’s compensation insurance doesn’t mean that insurance companies are free to gouge them. - Which one - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:33 pm: Isn’t the budget a constitutional responsibility?? Wait never mind.., - A guy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:35 pm: Willy, I suspect the Gov’s team wouldn’t use any of your press releases on the subject. Hard to argue that all those people who were “hurt” benefited from any protection from the other side. You know, the crew that’s been running the show for quite a while and been reduced to mere obstructors for the past 2 years instead of full on destroyers for the previous 12. Nah, no selfishness among that merry band of do-gooders. C’mon man. He’s not going to now say: “Well, it’s been two years. I tried. Spent tens of millions of my own treasure. Made my party members risk votes Willy advised against. I guess the sawed off, pounded down, little apple eater is too much for me to take on. So, let’s just go ahead and double our income taxes, make ‘em progressive and throw a kicker millionaire tax in there if someone gets too successful and beats the system. Especially those rotten Schedule C creeps. They knew the risk. In the meantime, we can just forget about any pension reform. We’re storing the money in 3-4 generations of pockets and cribs right now. This government stuff is just too hard. Can’t beat ‘em, so we just need to join ‘em until there’s nothing left to save”. Not sure I see that coming down the pike. It’s a little snarky, but it sure seems to represent a composite of your solutions. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:41 pm: Here’s what I know… Diana and Bruce Rauner spent $46+ million to hurt Illinoisians as Bruce Rauner suggested be the game plan in 2012. In the end, after two years of driving a wedge into Diana Rauner’s party, unfunding higher ed, refusing to pay on signed social service contracts, after vetoing all funding outside K-12, then signing a stopgap $8 billion out of whack, for only 6 months, Bruce Rauner now feels that WC, according to you, is “something” that all the pain and suffering was worth… … and even then… a budget isn’t guaranteed to pass. That’s about as heartless a governor cam be… but… “something” is better than still destroying Illinois? “Thanks Rauners” - RNUG - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:42 pm: == … the doctor who gets paid $2,574 for a rotator cuff arthroscopy under Medicare turns around and charges a whopping $7,856 for the same exact surgery when it’s paid for by workers’compensation… == Not sure that comparing to Medicare is valid since Medicare dictates the payments to the Doctors and hospitals, who have to make up any shortfall by over-billing other users of their services. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:45 pm: Well, yes, but he should forget about pension reform although i understand the need for politicians to pretend. The growing segment of the population without defined benefit is never going to be happy with that budget item. - Earnest - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:48 pm: More distraction from his intentional destruction of human services and higher education. More lack of a coherent counter-message from Democrats to bring some focus to priorities. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 1:50 pm: Pension reform. Hmmm. Tier 2 is a pension wasteland but apparently that isn’t enough. Perhaps the solution would be to disontinue all payments to pensioners, hoard the money for others (again) and turn all retirees to SNAP and Medicaid. Only problem is, folks, you’re still paying for them. - Gary from Chicagoland - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 2:05 pm: Wasn’t the pension reform so important to DaGov that he placed a sunset clause of January 2017 of $200 million budgeted for CPS? If no pension reform soon then no $200 million to CPS. Shouldn’t that get lots of attention for this budget? If so, I’m sure the IL Supremes will give that pension reform lots of attention later. - A guy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 2:17 pm: ==Bruce Rauner now feels that WC, according to you, is “something” === You’re right Willy. Let’s sell him your way where he gets absolutely nothing. If it all means so darn little, why are your heroes in the other party fighting it. All of it. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 2:26 pm: I’ve always said, check, WC is the natural give. My beef, and since “my heroes” have their own reasons, is after 2 years, and both Rauners funding nothing that is 60 and 30, has enough damage been done to make the amount of people hurt…ok… for a result that was seen almost a year ago? That’s “my” beef. The Rauners, if they are heroes, aren’t mine for that price. At this point, maybe after all the negative Rauner inflicted in a game that isn’t bean bag… maybe Rauner went so far that even Rauner is trying to find where governing can occur. I’m not a Democrat, or with the Democrats, so their thinking, I dunno, I just know mine. - JS Mill - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 2:34 pm: All the governor has to do to sway many opinions not already buying the TA narrative is provide a little clean evidence of an ROI in the form of data. COGFA or GOMB should be able to do that. That is ALL he has to do. Why hasn’t he done that? Should be a no-brainer for a numbers guy like him. No snark. Put up the numbers, there really isn’t a need for any other discussion. - Joe M - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 2:41 pm: Rauner’s reforms have always been a moving target, both in the number of reforms he requires - and what reforms he says he must have on any given day. That is why it is not a good idea to negotiate with hostage takers. Give him one or two - and three or four more will sprout up. Deal with the budget - then separately deal with each his reform proposals on their merit - not because they are his hostage tools. - BK Bro - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 2:42 pm: Not having a budget probably hurts dem’s more than rep’s. GOP picked up seats in 2016 election. Not having a budget is not impacting them negatively in a political sense. Although crude, not having a budget probably IS downsizing State govt. - Wondering - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 2:45 pm: I am wondering….what is he looking for in the way of pension “reform”? Do we know? - walker - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 2:49 pm: Call me naive, but this is a hopeful statement. Hopefully Rauner sticks with his two top priorities for more than a week. Part of the problem dealing with Rauner this past year, is that he shifts his top potential gives and takes, like peas under cups in a monte game. Maybe he’s ready to actually deal this time. - walker - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 3:11 pm: Remember, the top reason given by companies for choosing not to consider Illinois right now, is the lack of a budget, and the instability that projects. WC and TR could be nice-to–haves; but a budget is a must-have, even for this narrow goal. - Huh? - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 3:18 pm: The governor wants a new budget. He gets workers comp reform and the democrats get a tax hike? What is in it for the democrats? - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 3:21 pm: - Huh? - All the Raunerites will be Green on the tax hike, less maybe McSweeney, but Raunerites, even the “No Tax” Raunerites WILL be Green… … and Rauner will sign the “Rauner Tax Hike” clean too. - 47th Ward - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 3:35 pm: ===What is in it for the democrats?=== Human Services and Higher Education apparently. - Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 3:39 pm: If I had not seen action within agencies to improve operations and services I would think that Rauner was purely destructive. I am still not sure that he cares if there is a budget. - Huh? - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 4:07 pm: OW - The Huh? at 3:18 is not the same person at the Huh? at 12:47. The second Huh? is a handle poacher. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 4:13 pm: - Huh? - Thanks, appreciate the heads up - wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 5:10 pm: –Part of the problem dealing with Rauner this past year, is that he shifts his top potential gives and takes, like peas under cups in a monte game. Maybe he’s ready to actually deal this time.– Grifters running the shell game profit off those who think one time it will be legit. - Regular Joe - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 6:20 pm: Rauner says we need to bring reforms so Illinois can create jobs. Then why offer a large contract to a Canadian company for administration of the new benefits plsns he wants to implement? State rax dollars go out if the countty. Pension reform, guv should stop appointing former legislators to normal state employees pension system covered positions since Poe, Brauer, and Rosenthal, will get enhanced pensions as a result of these appointments. Normal state pensioners aren’t so lucky - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 7:02 pm: Willy you keep repeating Rauner needs 60 and 30 as if an agreement would bubble up from the mushrooms. You know as well as I do how absurd that is. The fact there have been zero concessions to Rauner is all on the Speaker No way any Dem is crossing Madigan unless they want to open a Dunkin Donuts - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 16, 16 @ 7:09 pm: ===Willy you keep repeating Rauner needs 60 and 30 as if an agreement would bubble up from the mushrooms.=== Nope. Rauner as Governor needs to find those votes. Luckily, Rauner hasn’t alienated members so badly, finding 17 Democratic members to side with him should be “simple”. Heck, Leader Durkin even said Democratic members want Rauner changes, so, governors have ways, and governors need 60 and 30. Same. As. It. Ever. Was. No new bar, no extra hurdle for Rauner. Same. Same as every governor since the 1970 constitution. ===No way any Dem is crossing Madigan unless they want to open a Dunkin Donuts=== But Leader Durkin himself said Democratic legislators are of wanting a deal. Rauner should get them to support him publicly. That would show everyone. It’s about 18% snark, 58% truth, and 33% sympathy to your own point to the politics. But, it’s up to the governor… how bad does the governor want a budget? Does this governor even WANT a budget? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.