I was disappointed. It sure seemed to me to be an attempt to move the goal posts. Cullerton gave him a lot in the Senate package, but Rauner wants more. Not surprising, but not helpful either.
Who was it that said, “any man that won’t take half a loaf wasn’t really hungry.”
To me, it just doesn’t feel like Rauner wants a deal.
Take it from old Blue. You can never, ever balance a budget raising taxes and relying on cost saving reforms. Never. Ever. WE NEED EXPENDITURE CUTS TODAY. NOT TOMORROW.
- Henry Francis - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:38 pm:
The overwhelming majority of his actions (not words) since becoming governor have supported the notion that he doesn’t want a deal. This speech did nothing to suggest anything has changed. Heck, his well of ideas is so empty he is bringing up small potatoes like selling the JRTC and adding 200 new ISP that he initially brought up awhile back (and has gone nowhere with). What, no mention of all economy growin Intersect has been responsible for over the last year?
On speech- Be. Prepared. Have a large print copy of your speech and/or your reading glasses, and don’t skip a beat when the “Russians” attack. It was embarrassing for our state.
Overall- the ILGA is going to have to come to terms of Going Around Rauner if they want this state to survive. He will always move the goalposts because he can and will. GA members need to look in the mirror and ask, “Is my political career more important than my state?” People, we have made national news (at least on NPR)this morning and afternoon! “Trump” cover won’t last forever. Fatigue is setting in on the national news, and now that Illinois has “made history”, we’ll start being more of a focus.
Totally confirmed my fears of a long shutdown. Movement on the DEMS part only encouraged up hold out during a shut down
Funny thing though. Many superstars are financially vulnerable as well. They will abandon Rauner en masse when Lisa Madigans nuke blows. Doomsday clock gets set tomorrow.
Honeybear, what’s your guess for when the appellate court will rule on AFSCME’s stay motion? Do you think they’ll wait for some other event to play out first or will they go first?
Funny thing though. Many superstars are financially vulnerable as well. They will abandon Rauner en masse when Lisa Madigans nuke blows. Doomsday clock gets set tomorrow.
There is a lot of waste in state government, but not so much to cover a $11 billion deficit. I think a 10-15% cut across the board at most agencies is doable with no noticeable problems. I will give you a prime example. Illinois, because of its corruptible past, wants Riverboats to be staffed with anywhere from 10-15 agents. Their job at the Riverboat is “regulatory” (audits, backgrounds, patron complaints, etc). 99% of the arrests are handled by the locals (once in a while, a felony is processed by IGB Investigations Unit). This is duplicated in the Video Gaming Section. Nevada does not keep agents at every casino. In fact, Nevada has central Gaming Board posts from where the agents are dispatched. The Illinois Gaming Board could easily lose half of its workforce (now consisting of over 200 agents), and still function normally. 100 agents at approximately 100k salary a year (average) is $10,000,000 a year in savings in salaries (not counting future pension costs).
Laugh riot startin’ when Durkie whined about fake news signs…then BigBrain yuked it up on his balanced budget and ended with the Foir Deal Shameal plan….The Stooges and Marx Brothers could not have done a better job
1. Did he really say $19 billion more in revenue over a 15 year period? So is that fair to say about a billion and a quarter dollars a year? And he’s proposing a budget with a $4.5b gap, a year after proposing a budget with a $3.5b gap?
2. His budget book points out that FY16 lost $2.825b largely due to the expired income tax, which isn’t that far off of his magical $3.5b in last year’s proposed Working Together (which, sidebar, I nominate as a permanent budget fixture line, even if its at $0 for a real governor next time)
3. Can a constitutional expert please tell me what happened to our Governor’s amendatory veto? It must be missing somewhere, still. Someone get Ol’ Yeller on it.
=== Nearly $5B out of balance and relying on fictional pension savings again. ===
The GOP will lambaste the majority party for passing an “unconstitutional” unbalanced budget, but will utter nary a word about the governor’s unconstitutional budget proposal.
“$50 million in my political fund and ownership of fake news organizations and the Tribune will help me convince you that I have done all I can and that this mess is all Madigan’s fault.”
== There is a lot of waste in state government, but not so much to cover a $11 billion deficit. I think a 10-15% cut across the board at most agencies is doable with no noticeable problems. ==
Quinn for the last several years did cut agencies about 10% per year. You may be able to try one more cut, but there isn’t much left without reducing services.
Now it is a legitimate point to discuss what services the State should be delivering, but reducing services through fiat and starvation may not be the best way to have that discussion.
Embarrassing. That was a speech you give right at beginning of your term, not going into 3rd year of doing nothing. Horrible. Teleprompter failing was apt metaphor for this governor’s totally dysfunctional tenure.
- Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:18 pm:
RNUG is too generous. DNR is crippled. DCFS has to change practice to cut further. And I don’t see DCFS management capable of doing that.
Added problem is meeting Federal standards to qualify for matching funds. Not much wiggle room there.
We talked about losing Federal Funds the other day. More State cuts lose more Federal dollars.
I guess those “job creator” manufacturers of the future won’t need chemical, mechanical, computer and electrical engineers. Just high school graduates, pulling levers all day long.
Just as with his labor policies, Rauner has a reactionary’s vision of a return to the manufacturing practices of the Harding Era.
But I don’t think the investors who will be financing factories see things the same way. Not in this country, anyway.
Yes! Not a word about Higher Education but he took the time to tell us that ‘term limits’ are preventing business from coming to Illinois. Think about that.
The Illinois Gaming Board could easily lose half of its workforce (now consisting of over 200 agents), and still function normally. 100 agents at approximately 100k salary a year (average) is $10,000,000 a year in savings in salaries (not counting future pension costs).
In this example I believe they are state employees (troopers and revenue) who’s salaries are being paid by the casinos (fees to the gaming board). Most have seniority and can not just be terminated. They would have to be allowed to transfer to other positions within their agencies. The state has done this with so many other positions, of chasing for someone else to pay for employees, in order to cut cost, that by re-assigning them their salaries would now have to be paid by the state. Thereby adding more cost to the tax payer. You are correct about the future pension cost, however no matter where they worked pension cost would still be the same.
He’s still refusing to do his job while insisting all others follow his orders in doing their jobs. He’s still accepting failure for this state and its many needed social programs and educational institutions if he doesn’t get his way. Nothing new here.
Let me compare the Governor’s personal and business finances to that of the state of Illinois…hmmmm wonder who I should follow Rauner’s success or the states financial catastrophes?
–Let me compare the Governor’s personal and business finances to that of the state of Illinois…hmmmm wonder who I should follow Rauner’s success or the states financial catastrophes?–
Do you see some rational fiscal plan at work over the last two years, Einstein? What with the massive deficits and the tripling of the backlog of bills and such?
Do you have to take off your shoes to count to 20?
–“This isn’t about pointing fingers or assigning blame,” the governor said to some laughter from Democrats during his address in the Illinois House chambers. “We are where we are. It’s not about the past; it’s about how we move forward together.”–
If that’s the case, what’s the count on those who got fired from the Rauner propaganda machine across all platforms — public, private, tronclodyte?
Apparently, you one-trick ponies are no longer needed.
“But once again, the possibility of compromise fell victim to partisan divides. By the end of the last legislative session, the majority in the General Assembly couldn’t agree on any kind of budget – balanced or not.
This isn’t about pointing fingers or assigning blame. We are where we are. It’s not about the past; it’s about how we move forward together. It’s not going to help us move forward if right after this speech, Democrats run to the media claiming we’ve never proposed a plan to balance the budget. And it’s not going to help us move forward if Republicans run to the media to point out that the Democratic legislature’s never passed a balanced budget.”
He blames the General Assembly and notes that it’s the Democratic majority that won’t pass a balanced budget. The gymnastics required to repeat that thought and expect sentient adults to buy it is, well, impressive.
“I won’t play the blame game. It’s the Democrats’ fault.” Lol.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:28 pm:
1) When the Speaker has the best line during your speech, you’re doing it wrong.
2) Laugh lines are only working when the laughing is when you want the audience to laugh.
3) “No pointing of fingers” yet Rauner still blames labor for ills of the state.
4) When a governor has no budget, a governor has no successes. Rauner should remember this come petition time.
…
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:28 pm:
I was disappointed. It sure seemed to me to be an attempt to move the goal posts. Cullerton gave him a lot in the Senate package, but Rauner wants more. Not surprising, but not helpful either.
Who was it that said, “any man that won’t take half a loaf wasn’t really hungry.”
To me, it just doesn’t feel like Rauner wants a deal.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:29 pm:
Another year of budget impasse.
- Mike - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:29 pm:
#OneTermBruce
- Bobby Catalpa - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:30 pm:
—
To me, it just doesn’t feel like Rauner wants a deal.
—
He doesn’t. He never did. His goal has always been to cut. He’s said that he only needs the legislature to spend, not to cut.
- FormerStaffer - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:30 pm:
Is there an actual budget document available? Some of us from a long time ago actually miss flipping through the Budget Book. #nerd
- blue dog dem - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:33 pm:
Take it from old Blue. You can never, ever balance a budget raising taxes and relying on cost saving reforms. Never. Ever. WE NEED EXPENDITURE CUTS TODAY. NOT TOMORROW.
- Henry Francis - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:38 pm:
The overwhelming majority of his actions (not words) since becoming governor have supported the notion that he doesn’t want a deal. This speech did nothing to suggest anything has changed. Heck, his well of ideas is so empty he is bringing up small potatoes like selling the JRTC and adding 200 new ISP that he initially brought up awhile back (and has gone nowhere with). What, no mention of all economy growin Intersect has been responsible for over the last year?
This guy really has nothing.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:41 pm:
Budget Book- https://www.illinois.gov/gov/budget/Pages/default.aspx
On speech- Be. Prepared. Have a large print copy of your speech and/or your reading glasses, and don’t skip a beat when the “Russians” attack. It was embarrassing for our state.
Overall- the ILGA is going to have to come to terms of Going Around Rauner if they want this state to survive. He will always move the goalposts because he can and will. GA members need to look in the mirror and ask, “Is my political career more important than my state?” People, we have made national news (at least on NPR)this morning and afternoon! “Trump” cover won’t last forever. Fatigue is setting in on the national news, and now that Illinois has “made history”, we’ll start being more of a focus.
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:41 pm:
When’s it start?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:42 pm:
Encouraged because he didn’t blow it up. He seemed to lay out some additional parameters although term limits is silly and not productive.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:43 pm:
Willy nails it!
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:43 pm:
Totally confirmed my fears of a long shutdown. Movement on the DEMS part only encouraged up hold out during a shut down
Funny thing though. Many superstars are financially vulnerable as well. They will abandon Rauner en masse when Lisa Madigans nuke blows. Doomsday clock gets set tomorrow.
Hold on folks. It’s about to get ugly ugly ugly
- MOON - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:43 pm:
It has always been my belief that Rauner will never submit a budget or sign a budget unless his Turnaround Agenda is included.
The “Grand Bargain” is dead. Rauner does not believe in compromise. It’s his way or the highway.
Freezing real estate taxes will just put schools and municipalities further in the RED.
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:44 pm:
I’ll also endorse Willy.
When the success of your speech relies on a Speaker Madigan laugh line …
- X-prof - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:47 pm:
Capt. Ahab: I’m still hunting that whale. And BTW, Lisa, keep your stinkin’ mitts off my harpoon.
- Consideration - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:47 pm:
Nearly $5B out of balance and relying on fictional pension savings again.
I guess the General Assembly will ignore this one, too.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:49 pm:
It’s hard to see anything there that’s going to break through politically or be very meaningful legislatively.
- Anon - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:49 pm:
Honeybear, what’s your guess for when the appellate court will rule on AFSCME’s stay motion? Do you think they’ll wait for some other event to play out first or will they go first?
Funny thing though. Many superstars are financially vulnerable as well. They will abandon Rauner en masse when Lisa Madigans nuke blows. Doomsday clock gets set tomorrow.
Hold on folks. It’s about to get ugly ugly ugly
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:50 pm:
“Government has to live within its means and we must control spending. Now here is a list of things I want to increase spending on…”
Oh, and Governor, when people say you really stay on script they don’t mean it literally or as a good thing.
- IGB - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:51 pm:
There is a lot of waste in state government, but not so much to cover a $11 billion deficit. I think a 10-15% cut across the board at most agencies is doable with no noticeable problems. I will give you a prime example. Illinois, because of its corruptible past, wants Riverboats to be staffed with anywhere from 10-15 agents. Their job at the Riverboat is “regulatory” (audits, backgrounds, patron complaints, etc). 99% of the arrests are handled by the locals (once in a while, a felony is processed by IGB Investigations Unit). This is duplicated in the Video Gaming Section. Nevada does not keep agents at every casino. In fact, Nevada has central Gaming Board posts from where the agents are dispatched. The Illinois Gaming Board could easily lose half of its workforce (now consisting of over 200 agents), and still function normally. 100 agents at approximately 100k salary a year (average) is $10,000,000 a year in savings in salaries (not counting future pension costs).
- Doofman - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:52 pm:
“The teleprompter cuts out, Attorney General Lisa Madigan hands him her paper copy of his speech.”
Pretty much sums up the whole situation
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:53 pm:
Laugh riot startin’ when Durkie whined about fake news signs…then BigBrain yuked it up on his balanced budget and ended with the Foir Deal Shameal plan….The Stooges and Marx Brothers could not have done a better job
- EVanstonian - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:53 pm:
1. Did he really say $19 billion more in revenue over a 15 year period? So is that fair to say about a billion and a quarter dollars a year? And he’s proposing a budget with a $4.5b gap, a year after proposing a budget with a $3.5b gap?
2. His budget book points out that FY16 lost $2.825b largely due to the expired income tax, which isn’t that far off of his magical $3.5b in last year’s proposed Working Together (which, sidebar, I nominate as a permanent budget fixture line, even if its at $0 for a real governor next time)
3. Can a constitutional expert please tell me what happened to our Governor’s amendatory veto? It must be missing somewhere, still. Someone get Ol’ Yeller on it.
- Anon - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:55 pm:
=== Nearly $5B out of balance and relying on fictional pension savings again. ===
The GOP will lambaste the majority party for passing an “unconstitutional” unbalanced budget, but will utter nary a word about the governor’s unconstitutional budget proposal.
- illini - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:56 pm:
Copied from my post on a different thread —
And not a single word about Higher Education.
Good luck EIU, Chicago State and all the other Regionals and Community Colleges. Not to mention my Alma Mater that is past due close to $1 Billion.
Great way to grow our state.
Sorry, I forgot, “term limits gets job creators excited”. Prove it!
- Winnin' - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:57 pm:
“$50 million in my political fund and ownership of fake news organizations and the Tribune will help me convince you that I have done all I can and that this mess is all Madigan’s fault.”
- RNUG - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:59 pm:
== There is a lot of waste in state government, but not so much to cover a $11 billion deficit. I think a 10-15% cut across the board at most agencies is doable with no noticeable problems. ==
Quinn for the last several years did cut agencies about 10% per year. You may be able to try one more cut, but there isn’t much left without reducing services.
Now it is a legitimate point to discuss what services the State should be delivering, but reducing services through fiat and starvation may not be the best way to have that discussion.
- d.p.gumby - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:06 pm:
“budget address”…thanks for telling me that’s what that was…
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:06 pm:
(Tips cap to - Norseman - and - Michelle Flaherty -)
- illini -
Rauner is advocating the collapse of Higher Ed.
Anyone confused by this, check out the “numbers”, and start with 2 years at zero funding.
- walker - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:08 pm:
Listened to Rauner’s address while driving on the expressway. Almost had to pull over because it made me physically ill.
Did Radogno know that all her hard work at deal-making just established a base for further “negotiation?”
Is there a CEO on earth that would put Term Limits on his checklist when reviewing states for possible relocation?
Is the best strategy for a Governor in this state not to govern, but rather to sit back and just continually say “not good enough?”
I haven’t been around forever, but I have never seen any governor, of any party, act like this one.
- Rabid - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:14 pm:
Where are these excited job creators I can ask? Yea that’s the ticket
- NorthsideNoMore - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:15 pm:
It’s Ground Hogs Day all over again. Wait Didn’t I just say that?
- GOPgal - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:17 pm:
Embarrassing. That was a speech you give right at beginning of your term, not going into 3rd year of doing nothing. Horrible. Teleprompter failing was apt metaphor for this governor’s totally dysfunctional tenure.
- Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:18 pm:
RNUG is too generous. DNR is crippled. DCFS has to change practice to cut further. And I don’t see DCFS management capable of doing that.
Added problem is meeting Federal standards to qualify for matching funds. Not much wiggle room there.
We talked about losing Federal Funds the other day. More State cuts lose more Federal dollars.
- Dome Gnome - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:26 pm:
My favorite part was when he mispronounced the word “Illinois.” That said it all.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:28 pm:
–And not a single word about Higher Education.–
That speaks volumes, does it not?
I guess those “job creator” manufacturers of the future won’t need chemical, mechanical, computer and electrical engineers. Just high school graduates, pulling levers all day long.
Just as with his labor policies, Rauner has a reactionary’s vision of a return to the manufacturing practices of the Harding Era.
But I don’t think the investors who will be financing factories see things the same way. Not in this country, anyway.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:35 pm:
I think it’s lame that the governor of Illinois can’t speak for nearly two minutes on his own budget proposal unless he’s reading a script.
Seriously, is he that uninformed about his own policies or are they so insincere that there was no reason to commit them to memory?
- Professor - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:35 pm:
Yes! Not a word about Higher Education but he took the time to tell us that ‘term limits’ are preventing business from coming to Illinois. Think about that.
- Northsider - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:35 pm:
More of the same from a failed governor.
To paraphrase a certain house motto: 2018 is coming.
- Rabid - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:44 pm:
Somebody in palm springs wants to bring jobs to Illinois but can’t because of term limits?
- Obamas Puppy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:58 pm:
Im for limiting this Governors term to one.
- sal-says - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 3:18 pm:
‘Successes’?
Here’s one from bcrnews: “Governor announces more than $1 million in recreational trail grants”
Gotta spend on those critical, important stuff! Budget stuff, nah!
- Fairness and Fairness Only - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 3:27 pm:
My first thought is that I want to see “Less Talk, and More Action” from all parties.
- Flynn's mom - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 3:27 pm:
Time waster
- Rabid - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 3:43 pm:
Think about it
- ejpp - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 3:56 pm:
The Illinois Gaming Board could easily lose half of its workforce (now consisting of over 200 agents), and still function normally. 100 agents at approximately 100k salary a year (average) is $10,000,000 a year in savings in salaries (not counting future pension costs).
In this example I believe they are state employees (troopers and revenue) who’s salaries are being paid by the casinos (fees to the gaming board). Most have seniority and can not just be terminated. They would have to be allowed to transfer to other positions within their agencies. The state has done this with so many other positions, of chasing for someone else to pay for employees, in order to cut cost, that by re-assigning them their salaries would now have to be paid by the state. Thereby adding more cost to the tax payer. You are correct about the future pension cost, however no matter where they worked pension cost would still be the same.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 4:15 pm:
He’s still refusing to do his job while insisting all others follow his orders in doing their jobs. He’s still accepting failure for this state and its many needed social programs and educational institutions if he doesn’t get his way. Nothing new here.
- Wednesday morning - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 4:32 pm:
My comments are mostly unpublishable. Just add some adverbs in front of these words: dishonest, irresponsible, and embarrassing.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 7:55 pm:
Let me compare the Governor’s personal and business finances to that of the state of Illinois…hmmmm wonder who I should follow Rauner’s success or the states financial catastrophes?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 8:09 pm:
–Let me compare the Governor’s personal and business finances to that of the state of Illinois…hmmmm wonder who I should follow Rauner’s success or the states financial catastrophes?–
Do you see some rational fiscal plan at work over the last two years, Einstein? What with the massive deficits and the tripling of the backlog of bills and such?
Do you have to take off your shoes to count to 20?
I don’t even want to know how you get to 21.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 8:26 pm:
–“This isn’t about pointing fingers or assigning blame,” the governor said to some laughter from Democrats during his address in the Illinois House chambers. “We are where we are. It’s not about the past; it’s about how we move forward together.”–
If that’s the case, what’s the count on those who got fired from the Rauner propaganda machine across all platforms — public, private, tronclodyte?
Apparently, you one-trick ponies are no longer needed.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 9:46 pm:
From his remarks as written for delivery:
“But once again, the possibility of compromise fell victim to partisan divides. By the end of the last legislative session, the majority in the General Assembly couldn’t agree on any kind of budget – balanced or not.
This isn’t about pointing fingers or assigning blame. We are where we are. It’s not about the past; it’s about how we move forward together. It’s not going to help us move forward if right after this speech, Democrats run to the media claiming we’ve never proposed a plan to balance the budget. And it’s not going to help us move forward if Republicans run to the media to point out that the Democratic legislature’s never passed a balanced budget.”
He blames the General Assembly and notes that it’s the Democratic majority that won’t pass a balanced budget. The gymnastics required to repeat that thought and expect sentient adults to buy it is, well, impressive.
“I won’t play the blame game. It’s the Democrats’ fault.” Lol.
- peon - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:17 pm:
As the quotation goes, he has “learned nothing and forgotten nothing”.
CEOs do not good politicians make.
- Rabid - Thursday, Feb 16, 17 @ 5:00 am:
Comical fable