Correct diagnosis, but the cure is lacking
Tuesday, Jun 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bill Daley told the Tribune he may announce his intentions for governor within a “week or so” because of the spring session pension debacle…
“I’m more seriously considering this by virtue of the debacle that seemed to happen with this legislative session,” said Daley, who said he will let his intentions be known about running for governor within a week.
Daley said a dynamic leader would have brought together the two differing plans put forth by fellow Democrats Madigan and Cullerton rather than leave Springfield with a stalemate.
“They both had different ideas on this bill. So who’s the one who’s supposed to forge a compromise? The governor,” Daley said.
He’s exactly right, of course. When two legislative leaders are at loggerheads, it’s up to the governor to sort things out. Quinn can’t do that. He’s just too weak.
* Again, he’s spot on…
“I’m just stunned that this place is totally dysfunctional,” Daley said of the statehouse. “We have a governor who is like an observer, ‘It’s the legislature’s fault.’ Well, the legislature is supposed to compromise by virtue of the governor bringing the compromise together.” […]
“Squeezy the Python was there, and he couldn’t squeeze anybody,” Daley said, referencing Quinn’s cartoon character designed to illustrate how pension costs squeeze money from state programs. “The governor couldn’t squeeze anybody. . . . Is that how things are going to work? We’re looking at another five years of this? I don’t think so.”
* But this shows that he may not yet have his arms around the problem…
“I think Madigan’s plan was the most realistic to help make this state fiscally sound,” Daley said.
Maybe it was more fiscally realistic, but it isn’t politically realistic as long as the Senate President is sticking to his guns.
But, hey, siding with the Speaker when you’re not in power is the path of least resistance for now.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 11:54 am:
More blah, blah, blah. Both bills were nothing but 1 to 3 years stop-gap measures. The politicians are still seeking a solution to the wrong problem.
- Jim - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 11:56 am:
Daley sounds like an awfully brave man bashing Quinn, not at all like the guy who’s so afraid of Lisa Madigan
- Chavez-respecting Obamist - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 11:56 am:
I have never voted for a Daley and have no plan to start doing so in the future.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 12:05 pm:
Who’s Daley’s running mate going to be? Chris Kennedy?
Seriously, where does Bill Daley think his base of support is? It sure ain’t among anyone who has to feed a parking meter.
I think he likes the sound of his own voice and being in the papers. But his power was always derived from someone else.
- been there - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 12:15 pm:
Rich says,”But, hey, siding with the Speaker when you’re not in power is the path of least resistance for now.”
Especially when the Speaker’s also the state party chairman.
And no, I don’t think I’ve ever voted for a Daley either. Or for a Quinn.
- Thomas Paine - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 12:17 pm:
Daley and the President never seemed all that close especially after the way he was eased out. I don’t see how he calls the Whitehouse to advocate for a bill in the IL house and as a former chief of staff he realizes this issue doesn’t merit a busy president’’s time.
- Worth - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 12:17 pm:
Because Bill Daley’s experience in the executive branch as Chief of Staff proves how very effective he can be in ending political stalemate through leadership and compromise.
- Union Man - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 12:23 pm:
If Daley is buds with MJM, he’ll lose the union votes. All state pensioneers with not support him!!
- shore - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 12:28 pm:
the suburbs are really hoping he runs so that they can stick it to him for his brothers parking meter deal.
- Bill White - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 12:31 pm:
=== He’s exactly right, of course. When two legislative leaders are at loggerheads, it’s up to the governor to sort things out. Quinn can’t do that. He’s just too weak. ===
Absolutely true.
But what special talents does Bill Daley have that would allow him to better persuade Madigan and Cullerton to come to terms?
- anon - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 2:04 pm:
If Lisa Madigan has a family issue, Bill Daley has a doozy too with his brother’s large pension. Not to mention that a man who himself pulls more than 15 million a year in benefits including pensions might be a poster child for the argument that “pension reform” is nothing more than “theft for the rich to avoid taxation argument.” http://preaprez.wordpress.com/2013/06/04/one-daley-attacks-public-employee-pensions-the-other-collects-a-huge-one/
- walkinfool - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 2:10 pm:
There’s no doubt that the Madigan plan was more “fiscally sound”, and certainly well beyond a 1-3 year “stop gap”.
That didn’t necessarily make it the best plan. There’s much more to a successful plan than the financials.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 2:18 pm:
walkinfool @ 2:10 pm:
They weren’t goign to use the “savings” to fund the pension systems; they were going to continue the unsustainable spending. Go read the Martire budget and tax analysis; it’s clear both pension bills were just stop-gaps.
- Stormy - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 4:11 pm:
Bill Daley for Governor? Brother Daley certainly is a nice guy but Leo Durocher duly noted where nice guys wind up. He managed to answer the phones for the President but when his boss began to slip he thought the saying was, “When the going get’s tough: get going” and caught the first plane out of Washington. We can wish him luck but it is hard to believe he will issue standing orders to Speaker Madigan to shape up and whip Senate Prez Cullerton into line in addition to all the legislators genuflecting when he enters the chambers for his State of the State message.
- Truthteller - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 4:24 pm:
Instead of attacking the state’s pension problem, Daley should run for Mayor of Chicago against Emanuel and clean up the Chicago pension mess created by his brother Rich.
Then he can move up to Governor, and take care of the state-funded systems.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 4:50 pm:
word, the Daley/Kennedy match is a dream ticket, all right.
In their own dreams.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 5:04 pm:
AA, I have the slogan:
Daley/Kennedy 2014: This time, we might mean it.
- walkinfool - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 8:18 pm:
Good advice RNUG. Always good comments from you.
I like Ralph and follow his group’s work pretty closely. I also look at many of the analyses from other interested groups. Differences are always driven by differing assumptions, and sometimes influenced by the organization’s goals.
My net has been that the Madigan approach could get us about 70% “there”, or over 80% if his cost shifting occurs over time. “There” only works with continued spending caps, continued Medicaid cost control, a permanent retention of the income tax rates, and moderate economic growth.
I think those are achievable, but who knows? I’m pretty sure that a graduated income tax isn’t in the cards, nor is cutting other expenses much more each year than has been done the last two years.
- Just The Way It Is One - Tuesday, Jun 4, 13 @ 8:24 pm:
Not impressed by Daley’s insulting comments at all–make him look arrogant, and, in truth weak himself. But go ahead in jump in Billy. When Lisa does as well, you are clearly handing the Dem. Nomination either back to Pat Quinn or Lisa–it actually wouldn’t be unlike 1983 when Harold defeated both your brother and Jane Byrne for Mayor of Chicago–3 way Races end up with strange results haughty ones like yourself don’t intend (but I’m sure you’d reject every word I say anyway, Billy, just just go ahead and we’ll see where the chips fall in the end for you, the Savior/Pentultimate Problem Solver of all Illinois ills…yeah right…!