69 Comments - PublicServant - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:12 am: Rahm, you can either facilitate my blackmail, or become a victim of it. Your call. - very old soil - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:14 am: Chicago–the next hostage. - Frenchie Mendoza - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:15 am: So now he’s gonna use Rahm to help bust unions? Either give me the votes or Chicago tanks. Wonderful. - Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:16 am: ===Your Translation?=== A totally questionable statement meant to apply pressure. If only the governor knew how deflated he was at this point, he would actually be serious. - Norseman - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:16 am: Chicago will most likely be involved in the budget deal, but he’s mistaken if he thinks the Dems will pay for it with an end to collective bargaining. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:16 am: ===I’ll help Chicago solve its own problems by giving them the power to do it, but only if Chicago is helping us get reforms at the state. This is a two-way partnership … === “Chicago Dems… You Will be voting Raunerite, not Republican, Raunerite.” “Chicago GA Dems - just a matter of time, I’ll own you too.” - Anon - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:16 am: To some extent I’m sure there are folks that directly, indirectly, or tacitly supported Rauner’s campaign for governor after knowing him and working with him for years that are now somewhat surprised, concerned, or frustrated by how he’s governing because of his stylistic approach to building a consensus through creating fiscal crisis. I also imagine there’s some folks over at Moody’s who are trying to figure out how to professional describe this conduct in their next report without coming off as rude. - burbanite - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:19 am: No way the mayor throws the unions under the bus. He was in a runoff. No way he takes on the unions in Chicago to get the Rauner deal. - out of touch - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:24 am: “I’m leveragin’ Chicago’s schoolchildren in an effort to advance my legislative agenda that will give their parents and families lower quality of life and ensure that my big bidness pals will maximize their profits”. - Rufus - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:26 am: “but only if is helping us get reforms at the state.” Typical Rauner, it’s all about him, not the people he ’serves’. - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:26 am: ==but I’ll help Chicago solve its own problems by giving them the power to do it== Translation: I’ll give Chicago the power to end all collective bargaining rights. - Wensicia - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:28 am: Will Rauner make Emanuel an offer he can’t refuse? - Willie Stark - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:29 am: “I wonder how long it will be until the Chicago business community and civic elite wakes up to the fact that I’m not a Republican pursuing a pro-growth agenda, but an unaccountable Randian (thanks to my wealth) willing to wreck all of your investments by making the city extremely unstable and unsafe in the pursuit of a libertarian utopia. Heck, come to think of it, I’m as dogmatic as an unreconstructed Marxist. Ha!” - Wordslinger - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:30 am: Same message from Governor OG: Give me what I want or I’ll hurt you. - Politix - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:32 am: Just more talk from a delusional man. He operates as if Illinois as one big board room. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:35 am: “Rahm, you may have a former Madigan Staffer as COS, but I own you, and I made you, Mr. Mayor, and you will give me my votes… “ - Jocko - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:35 am: ==we’re going to get (a budget) in the next 60 to 90 days== When he says “we”, is he speaking as Governor working with the legislature…or as an optimistic citizen of Illinois? - Malcolm Forbes - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:40 am: How do you help but not bailout Chicago? Will he put his agenda before school children and families that simply want the best education possible for his children. This is not a winning issue for the Governor. - Mason born - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:41 am: ==we’re going to get (a budget) in the next 60 to 90 days== Translation “yea we won’t be done till ‘16″ - Malcolm Forbes - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:41 am: their…got distracted…I still like the no edit policy on some days. - olddog - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:42 am: === Heck, come to think of it, I’m as dogmatic as an unreconstructed Marxist. === Rauner and the tea party in Congress have that in common. http://www.theglobalist.com/the-bolshevik-roots-of-the-u-s-tea-party/ - Omega Man - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:43 am: I’m completely baffled by this governor’s thinking, basically “Slit the union’s throats (destroy collective bargaining) and I’ll help you slit your own throat (raise taxes). - Skirmisher - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:44 am: The Dems have to give some ground to Rauner on his reform agenda. There is room for them to protect basic union rights and yet give the Governor something in exchange for his cooperation. Chicago needs help and my guess is that Rahm is going to try to sell some sort of compromise. - Juvenal - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:46 am: “I can’t count to 60. Also, I am ignoring what the Arch-Bishop and Mayor said previously regarding my Turn Around agenda. Also, I’m not giving you any more money, but I’ll make it easier for you to raise taxes on businesses. Did I mention I am only offering 16 GOP votes for a tax increase?” - Southern Illinois Hoopdee - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:48 am: If anything, the smart play for the Dems is to go full Bernie Sanders here. They’re better off not doing anything without a progressive tax increase. IL has one of the most regressive tax systems in the US. Time to shift the burden to the Raunerites. There’s room for complete victory. If only they would reach out and grab it. - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:48 am: ==There is room for them to protect basic union rights== Not when the Governor is demanding he get what he wants. - Norseman - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:49 am: === There is room for them to protect basic union rights and yet give the Governor something in exchange for his cooperation. === Clearly something the masses have been saying for months. The problem is Rauner doesn’t appear to accept this. - 47th Ward - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:49 am: Translation? “That’s a real nice city you have there. It’d be a shame if anything happened to it.” - Judgment Day (on the road) - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:51 am: It’s like ordering off the menu. You want something, you ‘buy’ it. There’s going to be a cost to everything (for both sides). It’s more about who sets “market value” on prices, and where the price points are going to be. Don’t know why anybody would be surprised. Isn’t that the way the “City That Works” has always worked? - sideline watcher - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:51 am: It just means that he doesn’t expect a deal till December/January. - DuPage - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:54 am: @Skirmisher9:44 =The Dems have to give some ground to Rauner on his reform agenda.= They already did, and Rauner vetoed everything they sent him. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 9:56 am: Sixteen? LOL! Nope. That’s just a line to feed those in the GOP GA. It WILL be 67, they WILL all be “green” for the Rauner Tax, arguably the largest tax increase in Illinois History. Sixteen? What a crock. No way. No how. It would be malpractice if the Dems gave “16″ after all “this” “16″, try “67″, and a Governor’s signature. Nothing less. - Hit or Miss - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:00 am: ===I’ll help Chicago solve its own problems by giving them the power to do it=== Translation: “I will push to exempt Chicago and the Chicago Public Schools to increase taxes on Chicago residents more than is currently allowed by current law for the next few year.” Rahm gets the chance to bring property tax rates in Chicago more in line with the rates in the rest of Cook County. - Malcolm Forbes - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:08 am: Some bad news for Rauner - looks like law enforcement is getting active in pharmaceutical price fixing or gouging. http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/the-feds-finally-make-a-move-on-soaring-drug-prices/ar-AAfw3Sw Federal and state prosecutors delivered an unmistakable shot across the bow of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry this week amid mounting concern that soaring drug prices are posing risks to the health of many Americans and blowing a hole in the budgets of federal and state health care programs. - @MisterJayEm - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:08 am: “I’ll help Chicago solve its own problems by giving them the power to do it” Much like Dr. Kevorkian used to do… – MrJM - Mama - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:17 am: Rich, is Rahm on board with Rauner’s plan? - Mama - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:20 am: ==“Chicago Dems… You Will be voting Raunerite, not Republican, Raunerite.” “Chicago GA Dems - just a matter of time, I’ll own you too.”== OW, please say this isn’t true. - Arsenal - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:20 am: ==No way the mayor throws the unions under the bus. He was in a runoff. No way he takes on the unions in Chicago to get the Rauner deal.== Runoff or no, I suspect he would if he could, but I also suspect he can’t. Someone can correct me on this, but I suspect Chicago GA members are far closer to Madigan and Cullerton than Rahm. - The Dude Abides - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:21 am: I saw a poll this week conducted over 18 counties in Southern Illinois. Rauner isn’t popular in an area of Illinois which if anything, leans to the conservative side. 37.4% percent approve of the Governor and 50.7% disapprove. How do you push your agenda when you don’t have popular support for it? By taking hostages and if you make life miserable for enough citizens those who oppose you will give in, or so they hope. It’s a dangerous game he’s playing. - LizPhairTax - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:23 am: Stopped by Charlie Parker’s Diner to wish Springfield native Mike Murphy good luck in the national Thomas’ Breakfast Battle. - horse w/ no name - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:29 am: I predict in 60 to 90 days, every piece of evidence that Democrats are not going to cave to my unreasonable demands will magically disappear. - sal-says - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:34 am: Translation: ‘You can trust me! Have I ever mislead anyone in IL?’ - Nick Name - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:38 am: Wonderful city you got here. It would be a shame if something happened to it. - Anon2U - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:46 am: Dems and Rahm have no leverage at all. None. Either leave Chicago a smoldering heap, raise taxes on your own or compromise and get bipartisan solutions. Decades of mismanagement in Chicago and Illinois have led to this tire fire. Rauner will own it? Please. We are all adults here and this isn’t a case of last one in the room holds the bag. Two choices, change our ways or become insolvent. Your call Madigan. - Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:48 am: ===Rauner will own it? Please.=== Yes, because an 80 percent Democratic town will NEVER blame the Republican governor for anything. lol - Austin Blvd - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:54 am: Translation: You folks in Quincy being downstate, I know you hate Chicago. Not to worry, I plan to shakedown Chicago, too. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:56 am: ===Yes, because an 80 percent Democratic town will NEVER blame the Republican governor for anything.=== Hilarious. Knowing 20% is a “good showing” for a GOP statewide in Chicago should be a signal… - Union Man - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:56 am: Reminds me of the Czar’s “scorched Earth” policy against Napoleon, or perhaps the siege of Stalingrad in WWII. In both instances civilians suffered the price of the leader’s irresponsible choices. - Union Man - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 10:59 am: @Anon2 10:46 It is not logical to equate Rauner’s plan to leading us fiscal parity. (called false alternative). Recall that he to proposed a budget of increasing debt. - Daniel Plainview - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 11:05 am: My translation? Rauner and the superstars are immature, naive, and dumb enough to believe Rahm could or would do their work for them. - northshore cynic - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 11:13 am: what we need is a wine club summit - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 11:13 am: ===OW, please say this isn’t true.=== It may not be true, but someone in the Governor’s Office, maybe even the Governor, believes they are going to “own” Chicago voting switches - illini - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 11:14 am: So what about the people who live south of I-80???? Guess we don’t need any help! - Dozer - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 11:14 am: more of the same…i’ll get what I want because human service agencies will pressure Ds to come to table, now its the city, before the city it was the burbs. Higher Ed not enough of a pressure point, sorry EIU. I don’t see this strategy working…also 60-90 days for a budget deal? that basically puts us into the next calendar year; comptroller said backlog of bills could be $12 billion, EIU might shut down, and don’t forget about pensions….where’s the leadership? - Southern Illinois Hoopdee - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 11:20 am: Anon2U, by “raise taxes on your own”, do you mean that their own would be the top wage earners? That might be Rauner’s own too. Now we get somewhere! lol - Langhorne - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 11:30 am: goody, goody, we will have a budget in time for christmas. or maybe the superbowl. 60-90 days, seriously? i thought the gov said he, rahm and cullerton could get it done in a weekend. smart guy who always wins. my translation: thanks for the telegram, gov. tip your hand that you think you have a strategy, and give the other guys two or three months to counter. not real smart. gov, when you read about a january budget in cap fax, they were talking about doing a budget without you, not giving you leverage. - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 11:34 am: Anon2U: Rauner is the Governor now. You (and he) need to stop playing the victim all the time. And you (and everyone else) need to stick your constant blame game comments in your ear because - guess what - it isn’t accomplishing anything. - Vole - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 12:04 pm: Chicago, yer sailin’ yer ship a bit too close to my pirate shores and about to experience the Rauner shoals unless you get with the treatment. - From the 'Dale to HP - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 12:10 pm: How is the state, which is out of money, going to bail out the city (and CPS which really is out of money)? - Slugger O'Toole - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 12:16 pm: More of a prediction than a translation: Rahm is going to wake up with the cork of a $10,000 bottle of wine on the pillow next to him. - OldIllini - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 12:18 pm: ==Two choices, change our ways or become insolvent. Your call Madigan.== Yup. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 12:23 pm: Governors own. If governors didn’t own, there would be no need for hostages, there would be no need to force anyone to do as you want. Governors need, governors own. Madigan and Cullerton can wait this out, politically. They just can. Plus, Rauner’s own budget REQUIRES a tax increase. Hey - Anon2U -, How’d that inventory and choices for Rauner go? - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 1:19 pm: ==Hey - Anon2U -, How’d that inventory and choices for Rauner go?== He’s too busy trying to figure out more ways to be a victim. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 1:23 pm: ===He’s too busy trying to figure out more ways to be a victim.=== You’re probably right(?) - Demoralized -, BTW, well said up above. - Liberty - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 1:48 pm: You want money, I want to bust unions. Let’s make a deal. - Enviro - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 2:25 pm: “I’m not going to do a bailout…but only if Chicago is helping us get reforms at the state.” Deal or No Deal?/s - John Parnell - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 2:38 pm: I thought there was going to be a tradeoff agreeing to a swap for some changes in Workers Comp for something Rauner wants. An agreement on some equivalent trade off. Perhaps an ice breaker could lead to more compromises. I think that more proposals to find common ground could start some other ideas. We need to propose ways to move forward. - 4by4 - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 3:59 pm: I fear that Rauner thinks it’s 1965, or even 1995, and the mayor of Chicago controls 20 or 25 votes in the GA that he can deliver on any bill. That’s dillusional. Rahm can do some good as a mediator, but he can’t get more than four or five members to vote for something they don’t like. - Formerly Known As... - Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 5:02 pm: All in. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.