57 Comments - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:20 pm: “Senator, we’re lemmings. Lemmings don’t talk.” - Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:22 pm: Just like their hero, flashy facade with nothing beneath. They and Rauner wouldn’t know courage if it bit them in the ass. - Wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:23 pm: “Do we get paid more to talk? No? Outta here….” - illini - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:24 pm: I am not certain I understood the only comment or the reference for “How many deaths are acceptable?” - Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:25 pm: Sen. Haine to Raunerettes: get off my lawn! - Big Joe - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:25 pm: They were paid to show up, not testify. I am sure that they would have no idea how to fix Illinois either. - The Way I See It - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:26 pm: Tough choices = someone else’s ox gets gored - Anonymice - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:27 pm: Four young bros trying make their point without the capacity or ability to defend their initial thought. It’s like the internet incarnate. - ThatOneGuy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:30 pm: Be careful your balanced reporting is in jeopardy…sarcasm implied - Streator Curmudgeon - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:34 pm: Flunkies ‘R Us. - John A Logan - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:35 pm: Perhaps they should contact the “International Sign Holders Union” for guidance. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Internation-Sign-Holders-Union-ISHU/183903768331835 - Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:37 pm: Lest we forget the ignorance he has to destroy it. - Norseman - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:39 pm: News Release: The local College Republican chapter received a new donation yesterday. The 10 member club can now afford to pay for the annual pizza party thanks to the Rauner slush fund. - Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:39 pm: I want *that* job. - MrJM - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:40 pm: I hope the guy holding the “has the courage” sign was able to appreciate the irony of the situation as he scuttled out of the room. – MrJM - Federalist - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:49 pm: Pathetic attempt by Rauner and/or sycophants to stack the crowd in his favor. This was beyond pathetic but I do not have my synonym dictionary handy. - Muscular - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:51 pm: How do we know these are paid protesters? Some people actually support a strong fiscal conservative willing to make tough choices. Taxation must be reduced and government streamlined to spur entrepreneurship and job creation. If these Senators do not like the governor’s cuts, they can suggest some of their own. So far, they have complained rather than acted. Bruce Rauner promised voters that he would shake up Springfield. Through sane budget balancing he is fulfilling his promise. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:53 pm: ===Through sane budget balancing he is fulfilling his promise.=== $2.2 Billion in pension trickery is NOT sane budget balancing. You’re welcome. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:54 pm: Hush! How many times do you need to be told that when adults are having an important conversation, you aren’t supposed to interrupt? Go into the basement with your friends and play until we call you to get ready for bed! - Wensicia - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 1:58 pm: Well, of course they couldn’t volunteer to speak individually. The Tribune editorial board only speaks anonymously as a group. - Wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:00 pm: Geez, Muscular, do you dream in vapid talking points? - The Way I See It - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:00 pm: MJM for the win! - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:05 pm: How do we know these are paid protesters? Some people actually support a strong fiscal conservative willing to make tough choices. Taxation must be reduced and government streamlined to spur entrepreneurship and job creation. If these Senators do not like the governor’s cuts, they can suggest some of their own. So far, they have complained rather than acted. Bruce Rauner promised voters that he would shake up Springfield. Through sane budget balancing he is fulfilling his promise. LOL! Adorable! But listen - get your pajamas on while you let the adults discuss these things and we’ll let you stay up a little longer and cuddle up with a soft plush Rauner dolly in bed tonight! - Jack Stephens - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:06 pm: @muscular: I agree. Across the board cuts in the $100,000,000.00 in Welfare for the Wealthy that Governor Bruce wants. Great post! I’m sure thats what you mean by sane budgeting….right? - Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:08 pm: Wasn’t that Jason Plummer holding the “Rauner” sign? - JS Mill - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:09 pm: =Tough choices = someone else’s ox gets gored= Too true. Seems like that is what it means these days. sigh.. - Liberty - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:12 pm: Illini, that was someone in the audience. Kudos to the kids for trying even if it was misguided and not effective. They are students after all. - The Dude Abides - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:13 pm: I’m guessing that none of the people holding up signs have an autistic or other special needs child. As long as it’s someone else’s child tough choices have to be made. - walker - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:19 pm: Holding signs at a hearing, but unwilling to actually testify — pretty common. Pro-life, pro-union, anti-ACA come to mind from previous hearings. Right thing to do to invite them to speak if they wish. - Upon Further Review - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:19 pm: Wrong, wrong, wrong! Get together people! Line up as you were instructed. “Illinois Has The Courage To Make Tough Choices To Save Rauner.” That’s the motto! - MrJM - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:20 pm: Muscular? – MrJM - Demoralized - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:28 pm: ==Taxation must be reduced and government streamlined to spur entrepreneurship and job creation.== Yes because the way to balance the budget is to reduce revenues. Brilliant plan. ==Through sane budget balancing he is fulfilling his promise.== If you think any of this is sane you need to see a shrink. - WTF - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:34 pm: Yet another page lifted from the Blagojevich playbook. - Give Me A Break - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 2:49 pm: “How do we know these are paid protesters? Some people actually support a strong fiscal conservative willing to make tough choices. Taxation must be reduced and government streamlined to spur entrepreneurship and job creation. If these Senators do not like the governor’s cuts, they can suggest some of their own. So far, they have complained rather than acted. Bruce Rauner promised voters that he would shake up Springfield. Through sane budget balancing he is fulfilling his promise.” I was at the hearing, the front of their shirts had Rauner in script, on the back of the shirts it read 2014 so that should clear that up for you. - veritas - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 3:08 pm: Sorry….which sign was Muscular holding? - Mr Creosote - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 3:19 pm: If they were paid there would’ve been one Superstar at $200K holding all 6 signs… until s/he dropped them. - Stones - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 3:23 pm: Which one of them played Quinnochio? - Get a Job! - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 3:31 pm: Now that the election is over Quinnochio must be travelling the state rallying groups to do anonymous protests - Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 3:32 pm: Muscular, if that’s what these protestors want, why couldn’t they testify saying just that? - Muscular - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 3:33 pm: @give Me a Break, Do you believe the folks in the Rauner T-shirts were volunteers from the 2014 campaign, previous paid campaign workers or new folks who care little about politics and were paid to be a rent a mob? @Demoralized, As Governor, Bruce Rauner cannot propose a tax increase. Only the democrat-controlled General Assembly can do that. So far, democrats have not proposed any tax increases. Instead, they take pleasure in excoriating Governor Rauner. In addition, Bruce Rauner pledged to voters that he would not extend the temporary tax increase. Overtaxed voters embraced this promise and elected Bruce Rauner governor. He is holding lawmakers to their word. - Demoralized - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 3:41 pm: ==As Governor, Bruce Rauner cannot propose a tax increase. == You either misspoke or haven’t a clue what you are talking about. The Governor can propose anything he wants. ==Overtaxed voters embraced this promise and elected Bruce Rauner governor.== You go with that as the reason. The rest of the sane world knows that he was elected for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was they he wasn’t Pat Quinn. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 3:44 pm: === ==As Governor, Bruce Rauner cannot propose a tax increase. == You either misspoke or haven’t a clue what you are talking about. The Governor can propose anything he wants.=== Don’t burst the bubble, it must be fun it that that reality. Trolls expose thenselves soon enough… “As Governor, Bruce Rauner cannot propose a tax increase.” That’s cute. lol - MrJM - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 3:48 pm: “As Governor, Bruce Rauner cannot propose a tax increase.” Do you even lift, bro? – MrJM - Muscular - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 3:56 pm: In drafting a budget, a governor cannot deliver a budget with new taxes that have not been created. Of course, he could suggest a tax increase informally, but any bill must be introduced by a member of the General Assembly. - Muscular - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 3:59 pm: MRJM, Totally, squats, deadlifts and bench press. - BlameBruceRauner - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 4:00 pm: Rauner has the courage..LOL……You mean Rauner has 20 million reasons he’s governor. He has no courage. He’s a puppet for the Rich, and has little care for IL! It is shameful to pay people to do this. He is….___________you fill in the blanks. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 4:03 pm: - Muscular -, Please learn. Rauner asked that the Income Tax stay as it was, and further, asked for no revenues. Why on earth would the GA pass anything that the Governor would veto, leaving the GA hung out alone. It’s Caucus Governing. Use the search key, this has been hashed and rehashed. - Demoralized - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 4:06 pm: ==he could suggest a tax increase informally== Suggest informally? I’m at a loss for words. - Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 4:07 pm: I got it. They thought it was a SEIU hearing, not a SIUE hearing! - Wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 4:08 pm: Muscular, the governor proposed a budget that banks billions in phantom savings that would require changes to existing law and need to pass court scrutiny. You might want to forget about your abs and start working on your lobes. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 4:15 pm: In drafting a budget, a governor cannot deliver a budget with new pension savings that have not been created. Of course, he could suggest a Turnaroudn Agenda informally, but any bill must be introduced by a member of the General Assembly. - Muscular - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 4:19 pm: Willy, Thanks for the info, I will check it out. Wordslinger, I was disappointed that Governor Rauner counted savings from a phantom pension proposal. It did allow him though to introduce his ideas for pension reform though. Without the pension changes, more austerity may be necessary. - How Ironic - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 4:22 pm: @- Muscular - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 3:56 pm: “Of course, he could suggest a tax increase informally, but any bill must be introduced by a member of the General Assembly.” Are you new to Illinois, and the legislative process? Do you think Quinn’s temp increase was ‘casually’ mentioned at a cocktail party, maybe he just jotted it down on a napkin, pushed it to Madigan/Cullerton an POOF it happened? You’re amusing. Hopefully the rest of the electorate isn’t as ignorant about the process and the role the Gov plays in it. - HGW XX/7 - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 4:51 pm: Another example showing the Raunerbots cannot think or speak for themselves. - Give Me A Break - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 4:52 pm: “Do you believe the folks in the Rauner T-shirts were volunteers from the 2014 campaign, previous paid campaign workers or new folks who care little about politics and were paid to be a rent a mob?” Have no idea who they were but IMO, they looked like college age kids, they were at the hearing about 20 mins prior to it starting and seemed to know their way around the campus. To hazard a guess I would say it could have been the SIUE College Republicans. - Are Ya Kiddin' Me? - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 5:37 pm: Muscy @ 4:19 ===I was disappointed that Governor Rauner counted savings from a phantom pension proposal. It did allow him though to introduce his ideas for pension reform though.=== If Rauner can introduce his ideas on pension reform, explain to me again why he can’t introduce his ideas on Revenue? - Wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 21, 15 @ 5:46 pm: – Without the pension changes, more austerity may be necessary – Yeah, austerity policies have proven to be a slam-dunk winner all over the world in recent years. Attempting to drive down incomes by busting unions and grabbing back pensions is quite a recipe for economic growth. What do you call that, the Bourbon School of Economics, i.e. Marie Antoinette, or you have to be drunk to believe that reduced consumer purchasing power grows the economy? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.