89 Comments - Anon - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:18 pm: I give him a 5 - since he hasn’t yet accomplished anything, he hasn’t yet screwed up anything. Keep up the good work! - Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:20 pm: Couldn’t bring myself to vote 1, so I voted 2. Took one good step with medmar. But his talk, act, and dress have all been atrocious. Some good hires, a few bad ones. Overpaying for talent while railing against regular state workers’ pay not endearing. - Anyonymous77 - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:22 pm: He’s been in for less than a month and we’re already grading him? Has he really done anything? No matter your opinion, it’s silly to grade him this early into his term. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:23 pm: ===we’re already grading him?=== We started that two weeks ago. - vince glothor - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:24 pm: What has he done? Nothing to judge him on other than his appointments. Which while “outside the box” will never accomplish anything.. - Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:24 pm: He is laying out his agenda and doing so without rancor. It is a good start, even though I may not agree with everything he has said. He tripped up with the salaries. Shared sacrifice means just that. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:25 pm: Gave it an easy 3. The appointments are his, his shop. The SOTS was his last chance to be as vague as he wanted, or as pointed as he felt he needed. Today, it’s a 3. There’s little that is overly exceptional, and little that can be considered a failing. I am not at all amused at the handling of the GOP Caucuses, which takes an above average 4, to a pedestrian 3. The politics and mixed signals will be his weak points. It’s too early to see if they become an Achilles’ Heel. It’s a 3. Now in two weeks… - Shoedoctor - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:25 pm: Yes we finally have a Governor who is willing to call out how we are the most financially troubled state in the country. We cannot afford 7,000 units of local goverment. Property taxes up 33% in 10 years but incomes are down. Neighboring states growing jobs at least 6X better than we are. Forget all that, let’s just talk about how he leaves off the letter G. - Say It Ain't So!! - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:25 pm: Gave him a “2″, seeing how he is still learnin’ how to pronounce words that end in “ing”. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:26 pm: ===let’s just talk about how he leaves off the letter G. === We’ve had one post about that. One. We’ve had tons of posts about substantive issues. Bite me. - Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:28 pm: He has some good ideas, but his background in big business looks like it is overshadowing his urge to do right by the state. Focusing on union-busting and demonizing state workers will not balance the budget, but it will burn bridges to potential allies in the effort to straighten out the state’s finances. The other disturbing trend is the apparent hypocrisy: State workers make too much, but I’m going to pay my staff well in order to get good people. We need to do things differently & cut non-essential functions, but my wife needs a chief of staff. Unions should not be able to contribute to campaigns because they might expect a benefit, but rich folks and the governor can spend all they want. The last point is especially ironic and disturbing given that he his already using his $20 million to threaten legislators - what happened to having independent branches of government? I’m hoping things will come down to something reasonable, but my hope is quickly fading. - Ghostbusters - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:29 pm: 1 - primary/red meat version of Rauner since Inauguration shows he didn’t take the time between Election Day and Inauguration Day to learn how to govern. The state needs ideas, not reheated Koch Bros talking points. - William j Kelly - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:29 pm: This guy is so bad even dick Uline will stop writing million dollar checks to the IPI 5o1c3 to push this bull….. - George - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:31 pm: Im confident that he will not take this advice, but Rauner should meet with George Ryan, He was highly successful with the Legislature. He knew them and they knew him. He got Republicans and Democrats to support tough efforts. He would be a great source of guidance for the new Gov. - A guy - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:31 pm: I rated it a 4. He’s calling them as he sees them and acting with sufficient prudence. Put together a strong team. Some people like some, others don’t. That’s the way it works. The RPMs are increasing with time. At this moment, I say 4. - Wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:33 pm: No vote. He hasn’t done anything yet. That’s not a knock, he just got there. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:34 pm: To the salaries and today’s “rating”, That’s the politics for me. If Rauner can’t grasp the Optics driving the Politics, that will be tough on him as the months go on. It’s up to the Unions and others to make their case it’s a failing, I see it as an Optics failure causing the politics to be refocused. It’s a 3 because of it. Rauner’s shop, gotta eat the fallout. - relocated - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:34 pm: I give him a 2The moderate pre-election language on labor issues have been supplanted by hard core anti union stump speeches and demonizing state employees. Filling top positions with imported talent with no grounding in Illinois politics seems to duplicate the tone deaf moves of Blago and Quinn. - 1776 - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:34 pm: Got a 4. Putting together decent staff. Professionally handled medical marijuana which was the first (and not the last) mess dumped in his lap. Took off points for the sloppy rollout of the first lady’s COS. Strong, pointed SOTS speech with clear goals and policies. We’ll see how he handles the child care issue. - LizPhairTax - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:34 pm: I gave him a 1 for similar reasons to Ghostbusters So he bought his way into the Jeb Bush VP sweepstakes. Good for him. - Summerwind - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:36 pm: Should start by saying although I was for Quinn, I’m really rooting for Rauner to succeed - we need it. I give him a 3 because there does seem to be some element of confrontation so far in his approach, which I tend to shy away from (personal preference). - Suburbanon - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:37 pm: I gave him a 3 because it was both predictable and foolish. Predictable that he would throw out red meat for the conservatives, but foolish to think he could accomplish very much with a Democratic controlled Legislature. And, if he tries to do it by Executive Orders, then he is no better than Quinn, his punching bag. He has to make tough decisions on the budget - and get support for what he’ll have to do - so what is the upside to his act? It doesn’t make sense. - Deep South - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:40 pm: I give him a 2 even though its so early in the game with this guy. The optics of saying state employees make too much money while paying his staffers more money than those in the previous administration, trying to hide costs by listing staffers in different departments and hiring an aide for his wife are just horrible. He’s got a steep learning curve to overcome. - Aldyth - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:41 pm: Meh. Too soon to determine. - Shoedoctor - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:44 pm: Gratuitous insults like “bite me”will be deleted unless you are the moderator. - RNUG - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:47 pm: Gave him a gentleman’s 3 … too early to tell. - Anon - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:47 pm: Could’ve been a 5 but I’m givin’ him a 4 since he’s giving his staff high salaries. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:47 pm: - Shoedoctor -, You can say whatever you want on your own blog… - Enviro - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:48 pm: No vote. So far the “sacrifice” is only shared by low and middle income citizens. I’m waiting for more information before voting. - Shoedoctor - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:50 pm: Oswego Willy you are right and I do enjoy reading this blog. My question is why is all the heat on Rauner and not Cullerton and Madigan. Why shouldn’t they be forced to come up with solutions to the budget problems and move from their positions. - Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:52 pm: I give him a 2. Where is he going with education? More money, less unions. - Sangamo Sam - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:53 pm: I gave him a 3. I’m still on the fence. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:55 pm: - Shoedoctor -, The role of the governor is to propose. The role of the legislature is to act upon the proposals, pass legislation and a budget. The governor then signs, vetoes, and works as the Exevutive of the state. You want Rauner to be Governor, that’s what governors do. When Rod failed, the legislature cut him out. The same with Quinn, even giving a lump sum budget. It’s on Rauner right now. Comes with the gig. - slow down - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:56 pm: Hard to give him anything better than a 2 while he clings to the campaign fantasy that he can increase funding in education and various other spots without an increase in revenues and simply by making discretionary cuts. - Gooner - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:57 pm: 2 Some terrible appointments. When Meeks to education is not your worst, you are pretty bad. The COS to his wife was terrible. Still, the worst was bringing in people who screwed up other states. There has been way too much pandering to the far right. He ran as Kirk and he’s governing as Obie. He’s saved from a 1 by some attempts to reach out to rank and file. - Judgment Day - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:57 pm: 3. Only reason is that at least there are people talking and passing ideas back and forth. So that’s something. Let’s see what happens in another 3-4 weeks. - Millie K. - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:58 pm: Giving I’m a 4+…..he is trying and at least using some common sense. Something has to change in Illinois and at least this is a start! - Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 1:59 pm: ===My question is why is all the heat on Rauner and not Cullerton and Madigan.=== Please see this headline: https://capitolfax.com/2015/02/05/another-democratic-budget-land-mine-is-about-to-explode/ Now quit whining. Victims are not appreciated here. - Norseman - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:07 pm: A 2. Some of his appointments saved him from a 1 for his vilification campaign. - VanillaMan - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:11 pm: I originally went with a 1, but OW reminded me of some of his staff choices, and some of them have been better than 1. So I gave him a 2. That is about what I gave Pat Quinn. The problem he’s had is that he hasn’t been making friends out of his enemies. He is a solo act in Illinois leadership and he can’t buy himself enough support to make his radical proposals pass. Yet he went on and on, burning bridges. He is acting like he can campaign his way through the term when we need to see results. 2 - and that is only because of OW, who I believe is a huge fan to the point where his license plates say “RNRBOT”. - 2 Cents... - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:15 pm: I’m with “Pot calling kettle”. Hypocrisy on many levels is the theme thus far. And on that note, other than the players, nothing has really changed. Looking forward to real plans and the budget address. Then the work begins. I think Madigan said it best…to paraphrase – let’s see the plans and then we start negotiations. For now, Rauner gets a 3 – he has been average at best. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:15 pm: ===…who I believe is a huge fan to the point where his license plates say “RNRBOT”.=== I just got an old trashcan van, so I thought the plate made sense… - Wensicia - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:15 pm: 2. Too many mixed messages, while still hedging on solutions. - no suprise - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:20 pm: I voted a 3, I like the democracy I see with him but his idea seem to be way off the scale. Only time will tell. - Yatzi - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:20 pm: I gave him a 2 because you have to be Blago to be a 1. He does not know what he does not know -Madagan and Cullertoon will take him to school. but he has lost touch with the middle class - and his beating on state workers is cruel - especially for those without raises for more than a decade. - Samurai - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:38 pm: Gave a 3.5. He has made some good appointments and has been more inclusive. He is still getting his sea legs; but, time is near for walking the talk and for rolling up the Carhartt sleeves. - MrJM - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:43 pm: After awarding him a full point for remaining unindicted, he gets a 2. – MrJM - sal-says - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:43 pm: Zip; zero. Been in office for over 3 work weeks and still no details, no how to’s, nada. Other than vilifying middle class State workers and repeatedly demonstrating his hypocrisy from his wife’s CoS on. - Pot calling kettle - hit the nail on the head. == He’s got a steep learning curve to overcome. == If he hasn’t learned optics by this time as a ’successful’ businessman, he either can’t or chooses not to. And, he’s hired some folks with experience and knowledge of government. == …..he is trying and at least using some common sense. == Make the little/middle class guys & gals go back to the poverty level? - Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:46 pm: Gave him a 4. My brief contacts with his new staff have been positive. He loses a point with the excessive and rather pointless union bashing. But “Incomplete” would have been a more appropriate grade at this point. - walker - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:49 pm: Started with continuing 1, only because 0 wasn’t available. Med-mar decision a 5. Appointments a 3. SOTS a 3 vs. low expectations. All in a 2.5, but the game hasn’t really started yet. - NewWestSuburbanGop'er - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:52 pm: I gave him a two (2). The real Rauner emerged during the Primary, went silent for a bit during the Election and now is back in full force. He has been saying it all along-he is anti-union and pro-right to work. Empowerment zones my ass! For those of you who think he is the next coming, I’ve got news for you, it will be very ugly in the future if he is allowed to accomplish some of his plans. Wait… we are still waiting to hear specifics. Ooops! Time for a third party in Illinois- a worker’s labor party perhaps? Not just union workers but all workers who are being left out in the cold by their companies and are being stripped of their benefits. Don’t go after the public sector unions for the benefits they have fought for- go after your employers and fight for your rights! - Secretariat - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:57 pm: Compared to PQ his willingness to visit the 3rd floor is an improvement - doofusguy - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:58 pm: 1 - what Ghostbusters said - plus Scott Walker’s playbook won’t work in IL - Mokenavince - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 2:59 pm: I gave him a 3 we need about 100 days to see what’s really going to happen. - Black Ivy - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 3:07 pm: 5. I sleep better at night knowing that Governor Quinn has been escorted out the door and Governor Rauner is now at the helm of the State. Forge ahead, Governor Rauner, forge ahead. - Sunshine - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 3:09 pm: 5 He hasn’t screwed up anythin substantial yet and for that I a him a hih mark. - Arizona Bob - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 3:09 pm: I gave him a 4. He’s the first Governor since Edgar to be honest about the expense of Illinois government and not just present phoney baloney accounting to hide political cowardice in addressing spending issues. He’s come out and attacked a number of “sacred cows” that needed to be attacked. His appointments have been smart and competent, and they’re not taking the job just as a patronage resting place as so many Quinn appointments did. I know at this point it’s been more talk than action, but he’s the first Guv in decades to turn the conversation in the right direction…. - 47th Ward - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 3:15 pm: I was ready to vote 5 when this post first went live because Rich’s text said “on a scale of 1 to 10″ and the vote box thingy only went to 5. I thought that was pretty funny, but Rauner gets a middle grade for now. He made his appointments. His SOTS was amusin if not necessarily illuminatin. Can’t wait to hear his budget speech. - Past the Rule of 85 - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 3:17 pm: Gave him a 2. In hindsight I probably should have given him a 3 since a 1 equals Blago and he’s not yet there. Attacks regular state workers while overpaying his anointed superstars. Blaming the state’s financial problems on the unions. Still campaigning, not governing. Haven’t seen any plans only slogans. - Out Here In The Middle - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 3:21 pm: 2. So far he is not a governor but he’s still playing one on TV. - Not Impressed - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 3:22 pm: His rhetoric about working together doesn’t jibe with his threats to his own party’s lawmakers at Saputo’s. Makes it difficult to trust him. - NovMan - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 3:46 pm: Still in campaign mode. Put your Governor pants on. - Del Clinkton - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 4:07 pm: Proof that “they’re not taking the job just as a patronage resting place as so many Quinn appointments did.” - Anonlurker - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 4:10 pm: 2. Voted down for state worker attacks, union bashing/busting, high pay to his new hires, Arduin hire, IPI hires. Seen nothing of substance. - Demoralized - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 4:11 pm: ==5. I sleep better at night knowing that Governor Quinn has been escorted out the door and Governor Rauner is now at the helm of the State. Forge ahead, Governor Rauner, forge ahead.== Is this person a paid Rauner staffer? Because we’ve been getting these kooky rah-rah posts forever now. +++++++++++ To the post - I give him a 3. Hasn’t had a chance to do much of anything that would lead me to give him a 5 or a 1. Reserving judgment. - Rod - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 4:15 pm: Before the State of the State I would have given him a 2, after that a 1. Its revealing that on this blog at least right now about 48% of the responders see the Governor’s performance thus far fairly negatively, 22% let us say see it as acceptable, but only 19% positively. The Bruce Rauner of the State of the State speech was the hard core conservative union buster who has a non-union charter school named after himself. The Bruce Rauner of the campaign was a toned down conservative that did not want to talk about right to work laws, or make pronouncements that state workers on average were over paid. We have seen this picture before. - Stones - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 4:42 pm: I gave him a 2. He’s finally started discussing his concepts but we’ll see if he can accomplish anything in the next months. - Tough Guy - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 5:03 pm: Tired of problem pointing. Time for solution solving - Mama - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 5:06 pm: I gave him a 3 because he shared a couple of ok ideas, but his numbers don’t add up. - Honeybear - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 5:07 pm: Going after the unions was a huge mistake. If he’d kept silent he could have split the union. DOC AFSCME members would the upper hand “See Rauner is better than Quinn”. Instead the DOC union members I just talked too are feeling betrayed by yet another Governor. They aren’t falling for the “we’ll hire more CO’s”. To quote one Sargeant “Sure you’ll hire more. When we’re out on Strike!” - Nearly Normal - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 5:09 pm: 2–It’s early but disappointed that Rauner has strung together a bunch of primary bullet points without substance. Also the optics in regards to the salaries for his new team are unsettling when he claims we all need to have shared sacrifice but not on his team. Salaries could have been lower to start and then increase–just like his minimum wage proposal! - Excessively Rabid - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 5:36 pm: I said 3. Not impressed so far. Pretty tired of the notion that the way to save the state is to renege on pension obligations. And if he’s going to run it like a business, well, he never ran a business, just bought them, gutted them, and sold them. He may still be OK in the end. At least he goes through some of the motions of trying to get along with people. - JS Mill - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 5:38 pm: 1. Too much double standard/hypocrisy. Too much money for staffers no matter what account you pay them from. - E town - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 5:51 pm: I voted 4. I think he has shown a willingness to reach out to both sides of aisle at this point and it appears he has done some research before just blasting things up. He knows he has a Democratic legislature with super majorities so he has to deal to get things done - Odysseus - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 6:41 pm: I gave him a 1, because he’s demonstrated that he’s not serious about solving any of the problems facing the state. As noted, it’s Red Meat talking points with no rational substance. - DuPage Dave - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 7:28 pm: Gave him a 1 because he keeps blaming state workers for all the state’s problems. I’m a non-union state worker but the union bashing is beyond the pale. Particularly since he knows (I’m assuming) that no anti-union bill will ever pass this General Assembly. So if you can’t pass an anti-union bill, why lead off your term with that as your #1 issue? It boggles the mind. There’s no 5-dimensional chess game going on here. There’s nothing for Rauner to gain by going so hard against the unions and being totally powerless to accomplish anything. Plus- and this is not a minor point- Rauner really seems to think that Illinois should be more like Indiana. No one else in Illinois wants to be more like Indiana. What’s wrong with this guy? - Hhood - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 7:48 pm: 3 why. He sent out your services are not longer needed. But. Then did not let people go he put them right back in the jobs they were performing. The political hires of the past have not gone away as promised. If he does not get rid of the deeply imbedded blago and quin hires as promised he will loose my respect and every other person who is watching. - Lascaux - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 7:56 pm: He’s the worst because he is running down the people of Illinois. He is attacking his own soldiers — the employees of this state. They have children to feed, bills to pay, modest middle class dreams. He is a fraud and immune from it all because he is very, very rich. - aufjunk - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 8:29 pm: 2, and I think I’m being generous. So far, Rauner seems to be Blago warmed over- both were/are self-obsessed, both have refused to listen to good advice, both have devoted themselves to minor issues without considering whether or not they should be working on something more important, both blithely acted in ways they had criticized others for having acted. The defining moment that will separate them will be when Rauner is faced with a crisis and finds a better coping mechanism than locking himself in a bathroom. - Nilwood - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 8:40 pm: 2 I see his BoB picks as positive, so far, but not much else. - Amalia - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 8:46 pm: Meeks. Arduin. bigger salaries for his staff. I only gave him a 1 cause a 0 was not on there. he is exactly as advertised…heartless corporatist. - Large Mammal - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 9:08 pm: I give him a 2. He’s either arrogant or naive, or both, to think his package of reforms should be adopted in toto. All in all, everything he’s done so far has been in campaign mode. - Ex Suburban Mayor - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 9:19 pm: Saputo’s festivities should earn him a 10 - Robert the 1st - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 9:21 pm: Not to be offensive… but can we have a poll of how many posters work for the state or currently collect a state pension (or are married to the like)? And see how many are privately employed, or better yet, own their own business? - Ex Suburban Mayor - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 9:21 pm: I meant to indicate minus 10 (Saputo’s) - Iron Duke - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 9:29 pm: I have respect for Rauner because he does not need this job or any other. He does not probably even care if he is reelected. Illinois has been business as usual for too long and we are reaping the consequences of 12 years of one party rule. A state that is bankrupt but still sends Cullerton and Madigan back to “fix” things. He said he was going to shake up Springfield which will definitely aggravate the people who benefit from business as usual. - Hhood - Thursday, Feb 5, 15 @ 10:16 pm: I have worked for the state for 22 years and I do not believe the majority of the post here are state workers. They are trying to stay out of the fray. The poster who thinks they are has no real idea who the bulk of state workers are. Cooks janitors clerks computer programmers ect. These people expect Bruce to keep his word at idot and revenue not what he said everywhere else. The man says something deferent depending on his audience - Mister M - Friday, Feb 6, 15 @ 7:32 am: Gave him a 2. Agree with Wensicia. Has gone back to scapegoating gov’t workers and unions. The rhetoric about pay and benefits does not mesh with the facts in recent studies. Has been light on details - still. - Formerpol - Friday, Feb 6, 15 @ 9:12 am: 5. He’s advocating needed, radical change. He’s not afraid to step on toes. That’s what this state needs. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.