* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
Gov. Bruce Rauner didn’t completely close the door to higher taxes last week during a speech at the University of Chicago, but he made it very clear with what he said and what he did that he wants huge state budget cuts.
“We have every reason to thrive,” Rauner said during the speech. He then laid out his reasoning for why the state is on a “fundamentally unsustainable path,” pointing his finger at the “policies and the politics mostly coming out of Springfield [which are] really at the core of the problem.”
“The politicians want to talk about ‘Well, let’s raise the income tax to fix the debt or the problem,” Rauner said. “Raising taxes will come nowhere near to fixing the problem and in fact will make part of the problem worse and just kick the can down the road… This is the critical lesson that we’re seeing. We’re on an unsustainable path, we need fundamental structural change and raising taxes alone in itself isn’t going to fix the problem and in a lot of ways it’s going to make it worse.”
Rauner said the budget was “out of control,” and that the state has suffered “complete mismanagement.”
“Just raising taxes to try to fix that? No chance. No chance,” Rauner said.
Notice how he said “just raising taxes,” and “raising taxes alone.” Those are usually phrases uttered by politicians who are keeping the door open for higher revenues, however slightly.
But what is crystal clear is that he won’t ask for any more revenues without first making deep and even drastic cuts.
The new governor pointed to flat population growth and flat job growth as the roots of the problem. Without “booming” growth, he said, Illinois can never dig itself out of the hole it’s in. And Rauner has always said that high taxes are a hindrance to growth.
Rauner singled out two items for his chopping block. First up, Medicaid spending.
“When you realize our job growth is flat, how do you pay for it?,” Rauner said of Medicaid. “I want to do that, but that is not sustainable.” Medicaid, which pays for everything from childbirth to nursing home care. consumes a quarter of the state’s operating budget, and despite some real reforms almost two years ago, costs are continuing to rise. And that’s a problem when next fiscal year’s budget deficit is being pegged at a whopping $9 billion.
Rauner also claimed state employees make too much money, saying that they earn more than private sector workers (which AFSCME rejects, pointing to a recent University of Illinois study) and are the third highest paid in the country. The numbers of state workers are declining, Rauner said, but payroll costs are still increasing. Their health insurance is based on “low contributions” from workers, but has a high cost. So, while workers aren’t chipping in much, “you’re chipping in a lot,” he told his audience.
AFSCME’s contract expires later this year, and those negotiations are going to be rougher than we’ve ever seen. Governors going back at least to Dan Walker have done what they could to try to appease the union and win its support, but Rauner repeated his contention that those mutually beneficial relationships were “corrupt.”
Also last week, Rauner announced he had hired Donna Arduin to be the state’s new Chief Financial Officer. Arduin is infamous for her ideological position that tax cuts and budget cuts are key to turning around state economies. Her consulting business partner is Arthur Laffer, whose economic theories were used by former President Ronald Reagan to justify tax cuts during a recession and a major defense buildup.
Arduin’s consulting firm’s most recent high-profile project was Kansas, where tax cuts have created gaping budget holes and a sputtering economy. Rauner said during a campaign debate that he didn’t want to follow Kansas’ lead, but, for now anyway, he seems to be heading at least partially in that direction.
Arduin is also credited for the job she did in California under Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. But it took Schwarzenegger’s Democratic successor Jerry Brown to cut programs to the bone, which finally convinced Californians to support higher taxes. California now has a budget surplus.
She has had successes, Michigan and Florida being two of them. But those successes came with a whole lot of pain inflicted on the poor.
Illinois voters clearly wanted a change last November. They’re gonna get it.
* And speaking of Arduin, here’s another passage from that profile we discussed about her on Friday…
On Saturday, after watching Duke win the second-round game in the NCAA tournament, Arduin heads for the airport to fly back to Tallahassee. Waiting at a red light, she looks through the window at a homeless man sitting on the curb, holding up a cardboard sign that reads “Anything helps—Smile—God Bless.”
It’s an uncomfortable moment. The homeless man sees her, they make eye contact, he smiles, she looks away. Then, she turns back and, too softly for him to hear—but with conviction—says, “Get a job.”
Discuss.
…Adding… Crain’s…
With a nearly $36 billion budget, including $4.50 billion in federal funds, you’d think belt-tightening could make up the $1.5 billion shortfall Illinois faces between now and July 1, but it won’t come close.
More than half of state spending can’t be touched without changing laws, reneging on bonds or shortchanging pension contributions and digging the state’s $111.18 billion pension hole even deeper. With the fiscal year more than half over, fixing the deficit would take spending cuts of almost 20 percent in nearly $8 billion in discretionary spending remaining through the end of the fiscal year.
Subscribers know more about that 20 percent.
…Adding More… Should the 60,000 homeless kids get jobs as well?…
Perhaps this will be the year that the Illinois General Assembly approves money for a homeless education program.
“The superintendent’s recommending $3 million,” chief financial officer Robert Wolfe told the Illinois State Board of Education. “This is a request that the board’s put in for the last two or three fiscal years, and it hasn’t been funded.” […]
The board’s financial committee chairman, Jim Baumann, said there are perhaps 60,000 school-age children among Illinois’ homeless.
- Demoralized - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:45 am:
I pointed out that passage an Arduin and the homeless guy on Friday. It’s easy to cut services for the poor when you have disdain for them.
- Anonymous 88 - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:48 am:
Thanks for leading me to read that entire profile last week, Rich, when you first quoted from it. The fact that Arduin made such a cold-hearted remark while a writer was sitting in the car with her has to give one pause. Maybe she figured it would be a puff piece (after all, it was to appear in her alumni magazine). In any case, she put her disregard for the poor on display. I’d like to believe Rauner will temper her instincts with his own concern for low-income folks, but his background does not make me optimistic.
- Stones - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:54 am:
She sounds like a real piece of work.
- winner - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:55 am:
IMO, As I walk the streets of Chicago everyday I see many people begging for spare change. Many of these people are homeless and in desperate need of help. On the other hand I pass many others who are out there asking for spare change because they can make more than they can by trying to find a job. This is coming from them, not my opinion. Its all cash no taxes. Sorry I have no sympathy for those people.
Get a job!!!!
- VanillaMan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:57 am:
First off, the article on Arduin is eight years old and doesn’t appear to have been intended to be flattering. I noticed this the last time you referred to it and didn’t care to comment on something that dated, yet relevant to our discussion. But this has to be mentioned. Finally, I would not expect any collegiate publication to report on her without bias, as well.
That said, she has to convince a state as BLUE as California to follow her lead, and when she had the shot in California - she failed.
So what we see with Arduin are attempts to implement draconian cuts within state budgets, and depending upon the state, had met with various degrees of successes and failures.
This is Illinois, not Kansas.
Rauner can believe that he can cut his way towards fiscal health, but he cannot. He probably knows this too, but before he comes hat in hand to Illinois tax payers, he wants to be seen as having made an attempt to shut down any waste within the state government.
Being a Democrat meant that these cuts and waste could be done without fanfare. Being a Republican means trumpeting and threatening to do the same. With a voter base among those favoring government, means handling waste and cuts tactfully and quietly, so Democrats handle it this way. With a voter base among those fighting government, cutting waste and government is done with a lot of braggadocio, so Republicans handle it this way.
Rauner probably isn’t going to win votes among his socially liberal supporters with this tactic. The only way he wins, if he actually succeeds in stimulating the economy. Governor Rauner should probably ask former Governor Schwarzenegger how well this worked out for him.
I suspect Rauner to end up more like the old GOP California governor, than the current Kansan governor - an electoral oddity whom voters have learned to accept in position, but whose policies they politely ignore.
- PublicServant - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:58 am:
When you attend the IPI Christmas party, hiring ideologues shouldn’t be a surprise. Kansas, here we come.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:59 am:
===It’s an uncomfortable moment. The homeless man sees her, they make eye contact, he smiles, she looks away. Then, she turns back and, too softly for him to hear—but with conviction—says, “Get a job.”===
No one can say Rauner didn’t warn you.
===AFSCME’s contract expires later this year, and those negotiations are going to be rougher than we’ve ever seen.===
No sympathy for the Unions. Not one ounce.
You had two chances to prevent “this”.
Elections have consequences. The Uniims sat in their hands in the Primary, and all I heard was “Anyone but Quinn”, “I’m voting against my Union”
I feel for those needy in the state, but, Rauner now owns the ILGOP GA members. For $20 million, either “helping” or hurting, again, good or bad, elections have consequences.
Note: all those millions and millions Rauner donated to the poor and needy…welp, that won’t make up for these cuts, or show compassion as a governor.
- alas - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:00 am:
The mega-rich, along with their wannabes, minions (like this one), and shills will not worry about poverty, decent wages etc. until they fear being overwhelmed by hoardes of angry victims of their greed. Time to break out the old Eat The Rich button.p
- 75th district - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:01 am:
Wow shocker! Billionaire goes right after the poor via medicaid cuts…
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:02 am:
When you cut IDOT, we have to live with more potholes. When you cut DNR, we have to live with shorter hours at the parks. When you cut Medicaid, we have to live with …. people delaying care? people dying? people being evicted from nursing homes? Are we really prepared to say that’s the kind of society we are?
- Gooner - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:03 am:
The interesting thing about the Arduin appointment is that her record is not very good. Kansas ranks as a great failure. They took a state that was doing well and really did damage.
Rauner had a reputation — at least according to his telling of his bio — of success. It seems odd that he would select a person best known for failure.
Which leads to another question — how does Gov. Rauner define success? His campaign seemed to be based in part on rejecting tea party orthodox. He tried to avoid playing the role of Mitt Romney of viewing the poor as evil and lazy.
But this selection shows that maybe there is more to it. It seems like me may view cuts to poor people as an end in themselves, since as we’ve seen in Georgia and Kansas, those cuts do not seem to lead for overall economic success for the states in question.
- Steelerfan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:04 am:
It is fair to believe that people have some responsibility for their actions in life. However, it is delusional to blame people for all that comes their way in life. To embrace such delusion establishes the framework required to believe you are right when you take action that causes harm to others.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:05 am:
People like her (and Rauner) seem to feel contempt for anyone who isn’t of their own financial status. Why feel animosity toward working! union folks? They are contributing to this economy by……….working! What’s the problem? As far as the homeless folks, easy to tell them to get a job. Those in higher positions ought to give them a job. But no, that would take their judgmental fun and feeling of superiority away, I guess.
- 75th district - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:05 am:
He should have told the poor people that he was handing out Turkeys to ” here enjoy this turkey oh btw I’m cutting your medicaid. Happy Thanksgiving!
- Third Reading - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:06 am:
With apologies to the Silhouettes:
Homeless Man Sitting on the Curb:
And when I go back to the house
I hear the woman’s mouth
Preaching and a-crying
Tell me that I’m lying
About a job
That I never could find.
Donna Arduin:
Sha na na na - ha ha ha ha ha
Sha na na na - ha ha ha ha ha
Sha na na na - ha ha ha ha ha
Sha na na na - ha ha ha ha ha
Dip dip dip dip dip dip dip dip
Mum mum mum mum mum mum
Get a job
Sha na na na - ha ha ha ha ha
I’m outta here.
- Demoralized - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:13 am:
In fairness, if you are going to deal with a budget hole the size of Illinois’ budget hole you have to go where the big money is, and Medicaid is one of those places. My issue with Arduin is here apparent lack of a social conscience with regard to the issue of cutting services for the poor.
- Demoralized - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:13 am:
“her” apparent lack . . .
- Jorge - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:16 am:
Welcome to the gilded age Illinois.
- anon - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:17 am:
I guess compassionate conservatism is dead. Instead, the meat cleaver will be taken to health care for the poor.
- anon - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:19 am:
The state economy should start booming any time now that the huge tax cut has taken hold. IL now has the third lowest income tax rate among the 41 states with an income tax. If the supply siders are right, happy days are right around the corner.
- walker - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:21 am:
More than 50% of homeless in the Chicagoland suburbs, who receive shelter on these cold nights, in fact currently or have recently worked part time, usually at minimum wage(or less). The panhandlers are a tiny fraction, and aren’t in now way representative of any economic issue.
- Shanks - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:23 am:
I get Rauner wanting to after the unions…problem is, state workers are the ones that will feel the axe.
Only over paid workers I am aware of are politicians.
- Michelle Flaherty - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:24 am:
Homeless bashing after a Duke game.
Compassionate and competitive.
Just as promised.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:27 am:
===That said, she has to convince a state as BLUE as California to follow her lead…===
But - VanillaMan -, Rauner is “light blue”, remenber? I can point out that if you’d like…
Illinois is not as blue as California, arguably.
We had an election with 2 of 3 statewide races going to Republicans, and the Congressional delegation has a split Senate, and only a 10-8 Democratic advantage.
I will say this - VanillaMan -, you are consistently contradictory.
- Cassiopeia - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:28 am:
I anticipate that Rauner will cut the bureaucratic middle management in most agencies and not the actual workers. There are a lot of AA’s, SPSA’s and PSA’s that will not have much effect on the actual work in the agencies when they are eliminated.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:28 am:
Can-not win. If you work, you’re making too much money. If you don’t work, shame on you. You should be making money. But not too much.
- Out Here In The Middle - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:34 am:
“If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn’t help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus is just as selfish as we are or we’ve got to acknowledge that he commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition. And then admit that we just don’t want to do it.” Stephen Colbert
- Wordslinger - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:38 am:
Who says he doesn’t have a social agenda?
Screwing the poor out health coverage looks like a social agenda to me.
So does beating down state employees. Looks like you folks are really in the barrel this time.
A guy like Rauner is going to want “measurables’” and that means reducing head count.
- ZC - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:44 am:
Ideally economists are supposed to have hard heads and soft hearts.
Ms. Arduin so far looks like the anti-economist.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:46 am:
“No sympathy for the Unions. Not one ounce.”
With due respect, you think it was easy to GOTV for someone as unpopular as Quinn, even among union members? Many union members were busting their behinds to GOTV for that nag of a candidate.
Nice optics, when it comes to Medicaid cuts–a multimillionaire whose businesses collected Medicaid in nursing homes and long-term care homes all over America wants to first slash the poor.
As far as Medicaid, tax increases, cuts, unions, state workers and economic/fiscal philosophy, the stage is set for a big debate. It’s time that this plays out in a big way.
- Amalia - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:47 am:
It’s gonna get Arduinous.
- Fred - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:48 am:
Maybe she was just singing that 80’s Bruce Hornsby song, “The Way It Is.”
“The man in the silk suit hurries by
As he catches the old lady’s eyes
Just for fun he says, ‘Get a job.’”
- ChiTown Seven - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:49 am:
Arduin’s ‘get a job’ remark shows a shocking degree of heartlessness and ignorance that bodes ill for Illinois. Many people who live on the streets are in the throes of mental illness or uncontrollable addiction or both — to say ‘get a job’ to such a person is like saying ‘learn to swim’ to a kid who is drowning. People like Arduin are fools to believe that one can stop the effects of mental illness and addiction by a simple act of will. The number one lesson of A.A. is that diseases such as these cannot be treated without help.
is son the
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:53 am:
Can’t speak to 60 million and how it might run out, but we are all one illness away from financial hardship. We don’t get to choose. Those who sit in judgment need to remember they might not know everything they need to know in order to come to the conclusions they come to. There is often a story that accompanies the downtrodden and sometimes that story has nothing to do with effort or motivation.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:02 am:
Grandson of Man -,
With respect,
They waited way too late to help take Rauner out in the Primary. Further, day after day I kept reading, “I’m a union state employee and I’m voting for Rauner…Quinn is awful…”
Welp, Quinn’s gone. They got Rauner.
They had their chanceS, they blew it.
Elections have consequences.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:02 am:
Is CFO subject to confirmation? I assume not but wasn’t sure.
- illilnifan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:08 am:
Interesting how state workers are overpaid and salaries are higher than private sector, but when Rauner defended the salaries of the new hires he said he had to offer them such high salaries to be competitive with the private sector. That is pretty skillful speaking out of both sides of his mounth.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:15 am:
Bashing the wealthy or claiming that the new administration is heartless will not win over the political support needed to defeat it. I don’t care what some old biased article about the new CFO alleges. I care about what she proposes and who she finds to support those proposals. Her record isn’t all that great. If she is supposedly an axe-swinger, her record indicates she cuts off her own legs swinging it.
Accusing the new administration of not having a heart won’t stop a party that doesn’t find that accusation damaging politically. These people aren’t Democrats, so stop thinking like we’re dealing with them. To stop Republicans, you have to debate them by thinking like them. This means accepting that we have a problem. This means respectfully disagreeing with their policies by finding a means to use their policies to reach our common goals without compromising your own principles, if those principles are threatened by those policies.
Voters are aware that they’ve given the Democrats carte blanche in running Illinois for the past decade. For whatever excuses you so choose, the past decade has not good, especially for a state as great as this one. So they’ve given this guy a chance to do something, while leaving the rest of the political power with the Democrats. If I was a Democrat, I would do what I could to turn this guy into a gubernatorial plus for my party by coopting him on more issues than he already finds in common with the Democrats.
The Rauners has sunk literally millions of dollars of their own wealth and years of their own lives disproving that they are heartless. Craft a better argument against them, a Republican-based argument.
- A guy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:16 am:
If…there is to be any hiking of tax, it will have to be done with a backdrop that makes it obvious that every possible area with room for cuts has been addressed. Californians only agreed to more revenue after seeing clearly that waste was being eliminated.
- fed up - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:16 am:
No one has seen the plan yet lets rip it. Also lets ignore the people who brought us here. Madigan, Cullerton, Quinn, Emil Jones, Blago, problems this big could of been prevented or mitigated if these people were responsible to begin with. Two weeks in lets see what the plan is but no I doubt I will be thrilled either but its like smoking two packs a day for thirty years then being upset about Chemo’s side effects.
- cover - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:17 am:
= Is CFO subject to confirmation? I assume not but wasn’t sure. =
Your assumption is correct, the Governor’s Office staff are not subject to confirmation.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:17 am:
“They waited way too late to help take Rauner out in the Primary.”
No argument from me on this. In the Primary, the unions made the mistake of not going after Rauner for his ties to Emanuel and other Democrats. They chose the wrong strategy , and it cost them.
During the General, many union members pushed hard to get Quinn reelected, but it didn’t work. Some of course chose to swallow their dislike of Quinn and volunteered to help him. Others would not vote for him.
The ILGOP is now basically owned by a few very wealthy people. This is the natural progression of a party who will stop at nothing to protect the wealthiest from paying more in taxes. Enjoy your party.
- Peoria Guy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:17 am:
Nobody said it would be easy. There is no easy painless way out of the mess IL politicians put us in.
- Cassandra - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:21 am:
Cutting middle management, an approach I can certainly support, might not be so easy, since in Illinois state government, many if not most are in the bargaining unit, thanks to Blagojevich/Quinn mostly, I think, Blagojevich. Union layoff rules are complex and a layoff chain (with higher-seniority employees bumping lower-seniority employees in order to retain their jobs, according to contract) can be disruptive to the workplace. If the union decides to stick with the letter of the layoff rules, instead of making common-sense concessions, these moves can take a long time as well.
In the 21st century, as we have been reading ad nauseam, mid-level (skills, education) jobs are going the way of the dinosaur. But the decline is probably much slower in the public sector. Whatever their labor philosophies, Rauner, Arduin, et al will have to deal with that.
Meanwhile, I wouldn’t mind if they took a look at the clawback provisions for nursing home residents whose fees are paid by Medicaid. I have heard a number of (admittedly anecdotal) accounts
of families removing assets from consideration, often with the help of attorneys experienced in the field. It’s fine to have Medicaid pay for nursing home care for the middle class and the affluent. But we need to be transparent about it, and probably raise taxes for it as well.
- foster brooks - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:22 am:
They waited way too late to help take Rauner out in the Primary. Further, day after day I kept reading, “I’m a union state employee and I’m voting for Rauner…Quinn is awful…”
Welp, Quinn’s gone. They got Rauner.
They had their chanceS, they blew it.
Correct OW. Cant wait to hear the quinn haters complain when he raises their health insurance 500%
Elections have consequences.
- Soccermom - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:29 am:
I used to hit the Starbucks on my way to work every morning (a few jobs ago.) There was a homeless guy who used to hang out in front. Most days, I’d give him my extra change. He was always very pleasant — cheerful, with no apparent mental illness — and I sometimes wondered why he couldn’t find work, given that he seemed bright and unimpaired.
Then one morning I got in a bit early. So I offered to buy him breakfast. We went into the Starbucks, and I asked him what he wanted.
He pointed at the pastry case and said “That one.”
I said, “The old-fashioned cruller?”
He pointed again and said, “That one.”
And I realized — duh. He can’t read. That’s why he can’t get a job. He can’t fill out an application.
Sometimes, my life feels difficult and unfair. Then God brings me face-to-face with the incredible privileges that have blessed my life, and makes me realize that I have a responsibility to give back to the society that has given me so much.
Have a nice day, Ms. Arduin.
- Chris - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:30 am:
“a multimillionaire whose businesses collected Medicaid in nursing homes and long-term care homes all over America”
Clearly, the reimbursements rates weren’t sufficient to provide adequate care and a profit (after servicing the acquisition debt)…
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:31 am:
=== I wouldn’t mind if they took a look at the clawback provisions for nursing home residents whose fees are paid by Medicaid. ===
Don'’t know how actively they’ve been doing it the last few years, but they were pretty aggressive in the early 1980’s
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:36 am:
That last passage in the story was revealing and nasty.
As is the failure of our prior Democratic Governor and legislature to fund those homeless education services.
- Gooner - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:37 am:
Thanks for posting that Soccermom. Many people just don’t get it.
For what it is worth —
I’ve been pretty lucky in my life. Most of my years have been pretty good, but a few have been rough (far from homeless, but definitely times where lunch was a luxury).
What people like Arduin don’t seem to get is that in the years I was hanging out at Four Seasons (Maui, Lanai, Costa Rica and I really liked the spa at the FS here in Chicago) and in the years that I knew dropping $8 on lunch was a bad idea, I was working equally hard. In fact, the tough years may have the ones where I had to make the most effort.
This idea that “poor people are lazy and are worthy of our disgust” that seems to have is really a character flaw for her. She doesn’t seem to have a concept as to basic humanity.
In fact, if things were fair, based on her Kansas experience she’d have to find a new line of work. But she will never understand. She will continue to believe she got there on merit, while the poor got there because of lack of merit.
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:37 am:
- Out Here In The Middle - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:34 am:
Not taking a position on either side here, but there is also a line or two in the Bible to the effect that you have to work if you want to eat. We had quite a discussion about charity, etc. this past Sunday school session and that line was part of the bibical citations.
- Langhorne - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:41 am:
Interesting choice of audience for rauners speech–smart grad students. I suppose he couldn’t go before a business group, or they would look heartless agreeing with him.
Medicaid cuts: he can try to go after enrollment and eligibility. Not easy. Delete “optional” services, like dental, eye care, etc. Difficult and may not be cost effective.
Charge employees more for less health coverage, cut their pay, and order them to rally round the new boss.
That pew salary study (anyone got a link?) might be a sufficient guidepost for a political commercial or making a decision in a private business. But this is govt–it has to stand up to public scrutiny.
- Chris - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:43 am:
“It seems like me may view cuts to poor people as an end in themselves, since as we’ve seen in Georgia and Kansas, those cuts do not seem to lead for overall economic success for the states in question.”
What, precisely, does Arduin have to do with Kansas or Georgia??
She worked with the budgets in Michigan, New York, Florida, and California.
Yes, her partner Laffer is the architect of the Brownback tax cut plan in Kansas, but they aren’t the same person, nor is Rauner Sam Brownback, nor Illinois Kansas.
A different Rauner hire was the COO of Georgia–I can’t find any criticism of him in that role.
So, I don’t really get the tie to (clearly problematic) Kansas or supposedly-problematic-Georgia. Smacks me as being like comparing Chicago to Detroit.
- Concerned - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:48 am:
What happened to Rauner wanting state employees to keep more of their paycheck?
I guess what he meant was he wants them to keep “a higher percentage” of their soon to be smaller paycheck once hee get rid of that pesky union and union dues.
- Fiscal Con - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:49 am:
Is there no understanding that cutting Medicaid is one of the least effective cuts a budgeteer can make? First, because of federal matching funds, every dollar of state money brings in 50 cents of fed dough; which means your net cut is much smaller than a cut elsewhere while causing great harm to recipients. Second, a large percentage of those funds go to low-wage workers who immediately put that money back into the economy; thus a major cut impacts a lot of spending and harms the greater economy. Shouldn’t we be maximizing both of these positive Medicaid effects rather than slashing away at them? Not to mention the human toll.
- Chris - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:51 am:
“What happened to Rauner wanting state employees to keep more of their paycheck?”
Isn’t that just Scott-Walker-code for “no more union dues”?? Thought that was pretty clear.
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:52 am:
It’s pretty obvious State employees will be a major target to the extent possible. And I’m not listing anything that hasn’t already been tried in the past 10 years.
I’m going to assume the ISC will say the pensions are off limits, so the easiest thing to go after will be the remaining employee benefits. If I were still a state employee, I would expect, at minimum, to end up with no raise for the foreseeable future, no cost of living increase and greatly increased cost of health insurance. I would also expect the cost of any other benefit to increase. Plus, if Rauner can’t get the salary reductions he wants through the union contracts, they may try a back door approach of more and longer furlough days.
Bottom line: IMO, the employees should adopt a siege mentality and prepare for what is most likely coming. Unfortunately, for Rauner, having roughly 50,000 state employees plus all the teachers, etc. drastically cut spending will be a big drag on his attempts to improve the economy.
- Yatzi - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:57 am:
Cassandra - many SPSA’s are not in the union and are not political - it is an artifact of the position realignment under Gov Edgar - some of us were approached by the state wanting our help - we also have gone a very long time without a raise - 10 years ago I was offered (not my request) a position at 50% more than I currently make - I stayed in Illinois because this is my state - and I care. Please stop the broad brush bashing -
- Wordslinger - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:57 am:
RNUG, your scripture needs a little context..
“He who will not work, neither shall he eat.”
In that letter, Paul was trying to straighten out some Thessalonians who thought they could goof off because they believed the Second Coming had occurred and the Kingdom of Heaven was upon them (so why work?).
It wasn’t an admonition against caring for the poor. Jesus in The Gospels is very clear on your duty there.
- logic not emotion - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:57 am:
Regarding those homeless on the street corners… Back in college, I picked up a hitchhiker, heard his story, took him to my college apartment cooked him a meal and gave him $20 to help him out. In hindsight, I was a really naïve country kid and that situation could have turned out really bad. My spouse and I have often given people with the homeless/hungry/no gas signs money or food. I don’t do that much anymore after hearing of the scammers and seeing that “hungry” person for whom you just bought a nice meal to go throw it uneaten in the trash can while you were pulling out the drive.
To be fair, to balance the budget, he is going to have to cut areas that hurt or raise taxes or both.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:57 am:
Gooner - very well said. If there were a ==like== button, I’d hit it 10 times for that comment.
- PublicServant - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:58 am:
===Bottom line: IMO, the employees should adopt a siege mentality and prepare for what is most likely coming. Unfortunately, for Rauner, having roughly 50,000 state employees plus all the teachers, etc. drastically cut spending will be a big drag on his attempts to improve the economy.===
RNUG, I agree that employees ought to be cutting back. Should have been since the election basically. But far from being “Unfortunate for Rauner”, his austerity policies in the demand starved economy that we are in, will be very unfortunate for Illinois economic outlook, and will be much more unfortunate for everyone else. No matter what happens, Rauner will be fine.
- low level - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:58 am:
Free advice:
Donna, unlike Kansas, you do not have a GOP legislature to pass what you really want to do. And there is no supermajority requirement in IL like there was in CA when you were there to pass a budget.
As a matter of fact, the only supermajorities that exist in IL belong to the opposition party.
Therefore, if that is really how you feel about the homeless or any other social program, I would advise you to keep those thoughts to yourself…. especially before you meet Sens Cullerton, Harmon & Trotter and Reps. Currie, Feigenholtz and Monique Davis.
Just to name a few. Best of luck. You’re going to need it.
Sincerely,
Low Level (bureaucrat)
- facts are stubborn things - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:01 am:
@- Out Here In The Middle - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:34 am:
Understand your position, but would like to add the following biblical advice. “give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime”. The difficult part is giving a man a fish to help out, but not allowing the man who can fish to get by not fishing. The best program to combat the poor is a job. Now of course, there are times we all may need help and there are a few who can not help themselves. How you construct programs to help without enabling/hurting folks in the long run is the key. The old, make sure it is a safety net and not a hammock.
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:05 am:
- Wordslinger - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:57 am:
Good point. I should have included that.
- facts are stubborn things - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:06 am:
@RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:52 am:
Agreed. I also believe this is the path to effecting pensions for those still working. If you have 4 years left to work and you do not get any raises in those final 4 years your pension is going to be much lower for the next 30 years then it would have if you received 3% raises each of the 4 years. Also, there might be room for a negotiated increase in pension contributions in exchange for better treatment on job security and health care premium payments, and health care benefits etc. I agree with you that we must assume ISC will take pension reform off the table, but if you are a current employee there is much left to be negotiated that may effect the pension system.
- illilnifan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:09 am:
Also retiree health care….since premiums can’t be charged for many retirees the only other way to reduce costs would be to increase co-pays, deductibles and co-insurances so I anticipate those will show a significant increase to the maximum allowed under ACA ($6500 out of pocket for singles and $12500 for families).
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:11 am:
- illilnifan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:09 am:
That’s already been done when the State forced everyone 65 up into giving up original Medicare and going to a Medicare Advantage program. Cheaper for the State and more expensive for the retiree.
- Wordslinger - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:14 am:
Facts, as a matter of fact,”…… teach a man to fish….” is not from the Bible.
- olddog - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:14 am:
=== It’s an uncomfortable moment. The homeless man sees her, they make eye contact, he smiles, she looks away. Then, she turns back and, too softly for him to hear—but with conviction—says, “Get a job.” ===
Kind of reminds me of Gov. Rauner’s conversation with Diane Ravitch about charter schools:
“As might be expected, he celebrated their high test scores, and I responded that they get those scores by excluding students with serious disabilities and English language learners, as well as pushing out those whose scores are not good enough. Surprisingly, he didn’t disagree. His reaction: so what? “They are not my problem. Charters exist to save those few who can be saved, not to serve all kinds of kids.” My response: What should our society do about the kids your charters don’t want? His response: I don’t know and I don’t care. They are not my problem.”
Same mindset.
Source: http://dianeravitch.net/2014/01/16/candidate-rauner-in-illinois-supports-charters-lower-minimum-wage/
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:15 am:
- illilnifan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:09 am:
should have noted … they took the step you described, maybe not the extent you described. Have to wonder how far they can push it before there is another court case claiming it had reached the point of diminishment because, in effect, the retiree was paying most of it.
- Juvenal - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:16 am:
Pretty easy to quip about teaching a man to fish when you have a membership at Orvis and can afford a fly fishing guide.
The problem with Republicans is that they think the solution to everything is teaching everyone how to fish.
Most people will figure it out; most folk’s problem is that they don’t have a fishing pole or any bait.
- Norseman - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:17 am:
Big cuts need to come from big pots of money. That would be Medicaid, education, transportation and pensions. He says he’s for increasing education. There are a lot of federal restrictions on what you can cut from Medicaid. Pension cuts violate the Constitution. Reducing pension contributions worsens unfunded liability. Cutting transportation harms the infrastructure the Gov wants to improve. Finally, the General Assembly majority is going to look askance to cuts affecting the poor. Liam Neeson has a great line in his latest movie that seems all so appropriate here. That is: “GOOD LUCK!”
- low level - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:18 am:
Also, last time I checked state workers pay taxes also. Correct me if I’m wrong on that Governor.
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:23 am:
The other thing I see coming down the road (and something I think I’ve mentioned before) is a whole bunch of lawsuits against the State over some of the coming changes. Politically speaking, it’s going to be an interesting year.
- illilnifan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:27 am:
RNUG thanks I am just looking at all this since the big 65 is coming my way soon…I also wonder how far they can push it…not sure if by Medicare law they can make the costs more than what we would be hit with having just Original Medicare. The bad part of making the state plan a MA plan is we are prohibited from buying a Medigap policy that would cover these out of pocket costs. So the choice for retirees will be free state coverage (with dental and vision and high copays and deductibles) or pay for a Medigap and not have dental and vision. I have a feeling free may eventually be too expensive.
- facts are stubborn things - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:28 am:
@Juvenal - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:16 am:
=Pretty easy to quip about teaching a man to fish when you have a membership at Orvis and can afford a fly fishing guide.=
That is why I indicated that the key is figuring out who needs a fish and who needs to be taught or in some cases not providing so many fish that they don’t have to figure it out. I think it is the all adage all things in moderation and the key to it all is balance. I think you make a valid point to a degree. I was not handed a fishing pole but I did have parents who already were fishing and I knew and was shown how to get that pole etc. — then I really got good at fishing and worked may up earning more and more money to get that nicer pole and lots of training (college degree etc.) to get this fishing deal down. Many folks don’t have that advantage, and many had more. I do think in some cases, out of a sincere desire to help, we do make it too possible for some (hard to separate out of course) to get by without ever having to figure it out or perhaps we have taken away the motivation it may take for some to go get that fishing pole. Necessity is the mother of invention. I also believe it is important to provide help so that everyone has opportunity. It is also and economic truth that the more you subsidize something the more of it you tend to get. Thais is very simplistic, but must be a part of any discussion when it comes to a proper level of help. Listen, I get it when it comes to how hard it is to make changes (proper changes) so that we help those who need it most and don’t in the long run hurt those who don’t.
- Norseman - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:29 am:
RNUG, I know MC folks who retired at the end of the year to prevent the diminishment of their annuity due to the furloughs and salary freeze imposed over the Blago/Quinn years. There should be a lot of folks pondering retirement if they can. Things aren’t going to get better for you.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:30 am:
Many people just don’t get it.
Don’t think so poorly of others unwilling to see government use Christian ethics as a selling point in support of their policies. Government has been turning into the replacement for those money changers whose tables were kicked over by Jesus.
If higher social taxes got you in front of the line before St. Peter, that would be news to him.
Being a cheerful giver does not mean being cheerfully taxed, even when told by the taxers that it is for a Christian purpose.
Christian churches are struggling to get enough for their social programs due to a belief among many that it is their government’s responsibility to provide for the poor or that their taxes make them absolved from charity.
A cheerful giver is one enriched by voluntary charity, not mandated by taxation under penalty of jail time.
You can easily be a socially conscientious Christian and oppose being taxed to support socially conscientious community programs.
- facts are stubborn things - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:32 am:
@Juvenal - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:16 am:
I think in some cases you are correct, we need to help people get a fishing pole. That is part of the help idea. teaching a man to fish may include making it possible for them to have a pole. The key is you don’t just keep handing someone a fish. I believe, for the most part, if someone really wants a pole and wants to learn to fish there are programs and opportunity for that person.
- ??? - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:33 am:
I guess “compassionate” means insulting the homeless under your breath, rather than in their face and loud enough for them to hear. :-/
- MOD - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:36 am:
Gov Rauner needs to be more aware of his duplicity when it comes to compensation for state employees. In the same day he criticizes state employees for making more than their private sector counterparts (which was demonstrated to be false once education is factored in), he defended the salary of his wife’s Chief of Staff by saying that you have to pay people well if you want the best people to take challenging jobs. He even said they are taking large pay cuts from their private sector jobs to join his administration. He missed an opportunity to show he understands that concept by fronting the cost of his wife’s staff out of pocket instead of creating this inconsistent message.
- Demoralized - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:38 am:
==You can easily be a socially conscientious Christian and oppose being taxed to support socially conscientious community programs.==
Jeez VMan, you really had to twist yourself into a pretzel to get that conclusion.
- Wordslinger - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:41 am:
The largest Christian social service agencies in the state receive the great majority of their funding from government contracts and grants.
- east central - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:47 am:
My guess is that Gov. Rauner is going to propose draconian cuts in an attempt to force the Democrats to take primary responsibility for a substantial revenue increase.
For many of the citizens of the State this is a dangerous gambit, as the Democratic legislators may be forced by political concerns to avoid blame for a tax increase.
However, I would expect the Democrats to rework the cuts to hurt Republican districts to the maximum extent possible.
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:55 am:
- illilnifan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:27 am:
There are pros and cons to the MA plans the State offered. If you are healthy and don’t use a lot of services, it won’t cost you very much. If you use a lot of services, you will definitely notice it. But if you are really sick and end up with a lengthly stay in a medical rehab facility, it has a co-pay from day 1 but the MA plan does not have a day limit as long as you are “showing improvement”. So it just depends on a given situation.
And you are right, if it gets too expensive, original Medicare plus a indepenent supplemental could be the way to go … and probably what the State planners are hoping we will do without challenging it in court. We’ll have to see what the new team does, but I know the former head was extremely adament she could charge for retiree health insurance because they had gotten away charging for dental for years (really, a different issue but she didn’t want to hear); I don’t think they changed their mind even after the Kanerva ruling.
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:59 am:
- illilnifan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:27 am:
Don’t know your exact situation, but assuming you’re a state retiree and have a spouse, under the current rules you don’t have switch to a MA plan until both out you are 65.
- Secret Square - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 12:04 pm:
“You can easily be a socially conscientious Christian and oppose being taxed to support socially conscientious community programs.”
I would rephrase this to say “Socially conscientious Christians can differ considerably among themselves with regard to HOW MUCH responsibility for caring for the less fortunate belongs to government as opposed to individuals or private organizations.”
Just for the record, one very “socially conscientious Christian” who thought “being taxed to support socially conscientious community programs” was a bad idea was Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker movement, whose social justice credentials are about as solid as one can get:
http://www.crisismagazine.com/2013/the-dorothy-day-few-of-us-know
Not saying I agree with her on everything, just pointing out that there are different ways to approach this issue.
- Skeptic - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 12:19 pm:
I could also see being opposed to taxation for social services and still be a conscientious [insert any group affliation] by donating voluntarily. And perhaps donate even more than would have been taxed.
- Cheswick - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 12:22 pm:
About those state employees, is Bruce going to personally tell the 1,000 or so judges (supreme, appellate, circuit, associate) that they are overpaid? Standing by for him to let them down easy.
- Griz - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 12:26 pm:
All pensions capped at 100k. Cash reimbursements for pensions over 100,000. Raise the state tax and state employee contributions for benefits. 20% cuts across the board. We are wasting time and time is money in Illinois. Get it done. across the board.
- Demoralized - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 12:34 pm:
==All pensions capped at 100k==
Can’t do that for anybody already making over that amount and I’m not even sure you could do it for people currently working. Would have to wait and see what the Supreme Court says in their ruling.
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 12:34 pm:
=== All pensions capped at 100k. Cash reimbursements for pensions over 100,000. Raise the state tax and state employee contributions for benefits. 20% cuts across the board. ===
Based on previous ISC decisions for government employees, it is highly likely most of those changes would be found a diminishment and unconstitutional. If I took the trouble, I could list specific cases against arbitrarily cutting or capping the pay upon which the pension is based.
You can’t just change the terms for any already employed state employee.
- D.P.Gumby - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 12:42 pm:
I have a hard time listening to someone making $60 million a year say state workers make too much money! And his new hatchet-woman doesn’t seem to be that successful. I suggest that Kansas and Greece should have taught that the notion of austerity leading to a revitalized economy are myths. Obama’s revitalized US economy would be even stronger had not the Tparty and Rep. not served as a constant drag.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:18 pm:
Jeez VMan, you really had to twist yourself into a pretzel to get that conclusion.
Nonsense. You assume that I use a similar means of reaching that conclusion as you. It is pretty straightforward.
Giving to charity voluntarily is doing the Lord’s work. Expecting government to make everyone do it under penalty of law, isn’t.
- Rusty618 - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:24 pm:
@RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:52 am:
==they may try a back door approach of more and longer furlough days==
Last week SIUC employees just won a fight against forced furlough days from 2011, and will be getting back pay. Also there are some critical agencies in the state that would have detrimental effects from any forced furlough days. It might work some agencies though.
- Demoralized - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:25 pm:
@VMan:
When you can get everyone to give enough to charity to take care of all of the needs out there then I’m right there with you. Until then, it must be the government’s job to pick up the slack.
I live in the real world.
- Demoralized - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:26 pm:
Also, you might want to tell places like Catholic Charities they aren’t doing the Lord’s work by taking all of that money from the government.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:27 pm:
===When you can get everyone to give enough to charity to take care of ===
It’s much cheaper to do social services through these private groups because they all raise donations to help cover operating expenses. And they can barely do that. Handing over everything would be an unmitigated disaster.
- sparky791 - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:32 pm:
Griz, is that short for Grinch?
- DuPage - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:42 pm:
@MOD11:36=He missed an opportunity to show he understands that concept by fronting the cost of his wife’s staff out of pocket instead of creating this inconsistent message.=
His wife’s staff? WHAT?! Are you saying he is spending state money on a staff for his wife? That would be improper. I think they are supposed to get some State Police bodyguards, but anything more would not be state responsibility.
If he is funding her a staff out of his own money, that is fine, how he spends his own money is his own business.
- Federalist - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:43 pm:
The costs of nursing homes for the elderly under Mediciad on welfare is absolutely staggering. It is interesting, at least to me, that Medicare for which one contributes a working life does not provide it. Yet, the welfare medical program Medicaid does provide it. Will Rauner take this on despite the nursing home lobbyists who benefit from this? Stay tuned.
Over 50% of the births in this state are provided by Medicaid. Perhaps Rauner’s wife, who wants to make children issues are part of her unofficial duties should take the lead on reducing this state and national crisis. Most likely, she will take on soft, fuzzy issues that create no waves but are of little real impact.
- Wordslinger - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:44 pm:
Last year, Catholic Charities of Chicago received 82 percent of its revenues, $163 million, from government fees and grants. Charitable contributions didn’t cover all of the administration costs.
Lutheran Social Services received $71.6 million from government sources, 67 percent of total revenue.
- Uncle Buck - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:01 pm:
Although I don’t agree with what she said because she has no idea of his situation. One thing I have found out is some of these homeless people are drug addicts and they are only out to get spare change to get a fix but, there are some that actually want to get a job but, they are just in a pickle and can’t get a break. I would not want someone with that kind of attitude in charge that I can say for sure. Will the next person please stand up for the job.
- Ginhouse Tommy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:03 pm:
I smell big trouble with the budget battle. The Governor wants big cuts and will attack politically connected people who make too much money. That’s about 35 to 40% of the payroll. Their sponsors won’t stand for that. Expect both chambers of the GA to have some rather heated debates. State house reporters might get some earplugs and get ready for writers cramp. When the cuts are proposed, as they say in UFC in a big fight, “Here we go.”
- Peoria Guy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:01 pm:
It is easy to point our where the cuts should not be—not so easy to determine where they should be. Everybody has their sacred cow.
Pain will be everywhere. It has to be.
- Snucka - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:31 pm:
Reading this story brought tears to my eyes, and then a wave of nausea seized me. These people are savages, and I only hope that Democrats in Springfield can protect the most vulnerable citizens from the attacks that are coming. These next several years are going to be emotionally wrenching.
- Ginhouse Tommy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:46 pm:
Peoria I would tend to agree. Misery loves company and if this article is correct Bruce the axeman will make sure everyone hurts. I’m sure that a lot of management people are sweating.
- Last Bull Moose - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:56 pm:
There are so many elements to this discussion.
BR needs a proven slash and burn type on his senior staff. He needs to know that even unreasonable or unworkable options were seriously examined. This increases his comfort level and helps sell the final package.
So far it appears GOMB has not made stupid cost cutting requests. Reality is better than rhetoric.
Sorting out the needy from the scammers was hard for our Board of Deacons, and we did not have to follow formal rules. I pity those who must do it in government.
- steve schnorf - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 4:17 pm:
These people aren’t “savages”. That’s about as silly a thing as I ever see on this site. The Governor is bringing into his administration people with substantial experience and a variety of views, both regarding philosophies of government generally, and on how to address Illinois current budget problem specifically.
Not every staff suggestion will be followed and not every position paper or briefing will make it into final policy.
But in my mind so far, so good. I haven’y heard any final positions or policies announced that I think are bad. Have you?
- low level - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 4:36 pm:
Vanilla Man - that is the most ridiculous “Christian” position on this subject I have ever heard. Do you have any theological source that might back up that statement?
Look at Rep. Reid Ribble’s (R-WI) questioning of one of the Nuns in the Bus last year for her response to his questioning along those same lines.
- Peoria Guy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 4:41 pm:
Yeah, I am glad you said it. Hyperbole run wild.
@schnorf These people aren’t “savages”. That’s about as silly a thing as I ever see on this site.
- low level - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 4:47 pm:
http://wonkette.com/524324/congresscritter-yells-at-nuns-about-how-poor-people-are-all-their-fault
But I mean, hey VM. A very charitable view you have, not backed up by any theologian that im aware of. But to each his own. One thing is for certain and that is we all pass away at one point or the other to face whatever God we understand.
That being said, you must be reading from a different Bible than I was taught.
- Midwest Mom - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 5:03 pm:
“They are not my problem. Charters exist to save those few who can be saved, not to serve all kinds of kids.” My response: What should our society do about the kids your charters don’t want? His response: I don’t know and I don’t care. They are not my problem.”
Unbelievable. I tried to talk my mother out of voting for Rauner. I don’t know where or how her sweet, compassionate mind was turned.
Thanks, Soccermom, Demoralized, and Wordslinger for your remarks. Always a spark of hope there that I’m not alone.
- low level - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 5:25 pm:
Midwest Mom - the good thing is most people understand that Ayn Rand was a fiction writer totally out of touch with reality.
But does our new Governor understand that???
- Smitty Irving - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 5:47 pm:
Arduin - her attitude Rich mentioned last week during her stint for Arnold. “Breaking the entitlement mentality” … uh, those laws were voter initiatives, not legislative statutes. You work for the voters. Her attitude is a cross between King George III and Marie Antoinette.
- Snucka - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 5:56 pm:
“They are not my problem. Charters exist to save those few who can be saved, not to serve all kinds of kids.”
Savages.
- RNUG - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 6:46 pm:
=== You work for the voters ===
At this point, I think there is only one Illinois voter she will be worrying about …
- VanillaMan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:09 pm:
I don’t read wonkette, because she is usually wrong about most important things.
- madison - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:44 pm:
Perhaps Rauner feels that if he cannot pare the pension benefits per ISC at the top he will do so at the bottom instead? A lot of tier 1 employees could be on the chopping block here, and an impasse with AFSCME would add to that number EXPONENTIALLY. no contract? No Problem! The first level of scrutiny should have been to Oswego Willy for the nomination. The next should be the Rauner nominees to the Illinois Labor Relations Board.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:56 pm:
- madison -,
With much humility and respect;
I’m nobody, nobody sent.
- anon - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:49 pm:
Oswego Willy is right on target. Elections have consequences. I was shocked at so many union employees at my State Agency that were voting for Rauner. I hope too many people do not suffer. We need cuts. However, I fear the worse.