To get on your enemy’s good side, you have to stop playing the part of their enemy. As Dobronsky explains, it’s possible for an enemy to dislike you simply because they do not know you. And if you continue to play the enemy, they never will. For example, someone might share a mutual friend with you, and see you as a threat to their relationship. They’ll drum up excuses as to why your mutual friend shouldn’t spend time with you, or find ways to speak ill of you when you’re not around. You might feel inclined to fire back and poison your friend’s mind against them too, but before you do, consider that it takes two sides to start a war. While you may not be the primary instigator in your feud, you should cut off all retaliatory action immediately. […]
Do Them a Favor, Ask for a Favor
Favors are perfect for swaying someone no matter which way they go. When you do your enemy a favor without being asked, you prime them for reciprocity later. People don’t like to feel like they owe someone something, so they’ll start to look for ways to help you later. That sounds an awful lot like the start of an alliance, right? For example, you can get bonus favor points by jumping to the rescue when your work enemy is in a crisis. The more stressful their situation is, the more thankful they’ll be for your helping hand. […]
Find (or Create) a Common Enemy
Remember that ancient saying “The enemy of my enemy is my friend?” Consider it from your adversary’s perspective. Say you have an in-law that you can’t seem to win over, for example. If you can find something that you both dislike, you’ll be able to unite against that common enemy as allies. According to Brian Uzzi and Shanon Dunlap at Harvard Business Review, you can do this with a method called “redirection.” […]
Show Off Your Other Allies
A few clandestine operations can start to sway your enemies without you saying a single word to them. As Larry Stybel, Ed.D, and Maryanne Peabody, MBA, at Psychology Today explain, sometimes it’s better to approach your enemies indirectly
State Rep. Mike Tryon, R-Crystal Lake, said the budget impasse would have been fixed quickly had an actual shutdown happened.
Government operating essentially by judicial fiat has delayed the urgency, Tryon said.
“Right now, the most useless politician in the country is an Illinois General Assembly member because we’re being governed by court order and the executive branch,” Tryon said.
“Ludicrous,” “ridiculous” and “plain crazy” are a few of the ways that Southland mayors describe the latest development in Springfield.
They’re referring to a proposal by Gov. Bruce Rauner to offer low-interest state loans to municipalities that are suffering financially because the state has refused to release money it collects on behalf of towns such as revenue from the motor fuel tax, video gambling and 911 fees. […]
“The governor is proposing that we pay interest on money that we have coming to us,” said Palos Hills Mayor Gerald Bennett, who is also president of the Southwest Conference of Mayors. “That’s ridiculous. Why should our taxpayers basically pay the state in order to get the money that’s due us? This is revenue the state collects on our behalf and is not part of the state budget. […]
New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann, who once ran for Congress as a Republican, said he didn’t want to take sides in the ongoing political war between the Republican governor and Democratic legislators, “but you don’t hold public safety funds, 911 funds, hostage because of a political dispute. You don’t jeopardize the peoples’ safety.”
As for the idea of offering low-interest loans to municipalities in financial trouble, “that’s just ludicrous,” he said.
The state’s budget impasse is affecting municipalities across Illinois, which have been dipping into reserves in the absence of motor fuel taxes and emergency telephone system funds since July 1.
But casino towns such as Elgin, Aurora and Des Plaines are feeling an even greater sting without their share of gambling tax revenues, which fund expenses like road projects, economic development and social services. […]
“At some point we thought maybe governance, common sense and stewardship of the state of Illinois would have taken over by now,” Elgin City Manager Sean Stegall said. “Apparently not.”
While visiting the Quad Cities on Monday, Rauner said he doesn’t expect a budget agreement will be reached when he meets next month with the state’s four legislative leaders – the first such meeting since May. The governor stood by his demand that any state spending deal includes pro-business anti-union reforms from his so-called “turnaround agenda.”
[House Speaker Michael Madigan] said there’s an epic struggle going on between the Democratic majority legislature and the first-term Republican governor, one that eventually will be settled, and he said it’s “unfortunate” the governor isn’t more optimistic about the meeting with legislative leaders on Nov. 18.
“I wouldn’t give up hope so soon. Hopefully there will be a meeting. Hopefully it will be productive. Hopefully there will be some kind of a settlement coming out of the meeting. I wouldn’t just give up hope before we even settle down to look at each other and start to talk,” he said. […]
“I’m prepared to do a settlement today, if everybody were reasonable,” Madigan said.
Well, everybody ain’t being reasonable. And I do mean everybody.
Businessman and Urbana City Council member Mike Madigan said Tuesday he will run for the Republican nomination for state Senate in the 52nd District that includes Champaign and Vermilion counties.
Madigan, 52, is the only announced Republican candidate for the seat held by Democrat Scott Bennett of Champaign. Bennett was appointed to the seat earlier this year after Mike Frerichs, also a Champaign Democrat, was elected state treasurer.
Madigan, a member of the Urbana City Council since 2013, also owns Hickory River Smokehouse restaurants in Urbana, Decatur and Springfield. […]
Madigan is no relation to the Democratic speaker of the House with the same name, although he has worked in the Statehouse. The Republican Madigan worked on the Senate Republican staff for five years in the 1980s and ’90s and as a legislative liaison for George Ryan, when he was both secretary of state and, later, governor.
I told subscribers about this earlier today.
Madigan’s restaurant supplies food to the annual House vs. Senate softball game. I’m a sponsor of that event. I’ve known the guy for years. I’m betting he’ll make a good candidate.
“He understands that our state is not business friendly and what comes from that is insufficient employment and what comes from that is insufficient revenue for the state and what comes from that is a poor bond rating,” Weaver says. “That’s what this whole budget impasses is about, is that the Governor is asking for some serious reform to how our state looks at business and his desire to make our state more business friendly.”
I think that’s a better, more succinct summation than the governor has ever given.
Trouble is, Gov. Rauner has so far made this impasse far too much about whacking unions and not nearly enough about finding tough but do-able, bipartisan ways of moving the state forward. There are potential deals out there if he wants them.
The governor said in the Quad-Cities that he had already compromised to help reach a budget deal but Democrats are refusing to budge and just want to raise taxes. Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have said they want a balanced approach that includes cutbacks in spending.
Gov. Rauner said he has dropped his request for legislation to allow right-to-work zones in Illinois and to stop “trial lawyers” from contributing to campaign funds of judges.
As I’ve said many times before, when you stop demanding things that would never pass in a gazillion years, that’s not a compromise, that’s just a woefully belated recognition of hard reality. You get no credit from the other side when that happens.
Due to devastating changes made by Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration, Illinois has the lowest income-eligibility in the entire nation for child care assistance. In fact, the other 49 states all have eligibility guidelines set at 100 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) or greater – Illinois’ eligibility is set at 50 just percent of FPL.
This is just one of the findings in the National Women’s Law Center’s (NWLC) new “Building Blocks: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2015” report (see attached). This report, when looked at in concert with Illinois Action for Children’s recently-released Policy Brief “Survey Confirms Devastating Impact of Child Care Changes on Children and Working Families”, paints a bleak picture of the access to child care that families have in Illinois.
As the NWLC report states, “A family with an income above 100 percent of the federal poverty level ($20,090 a year for a family of three in 2015) could qualify for child care assistance in all states in [February] 2015.”
That changed in July 2015, however, when Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration unilaterally made sweeping changes to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) that now see new applicants making more than just $10,045 a year (for a family of three) being denied for child care. Put more plainly, 90 percent of new applicants who were eligible prior to the rule changes are now being denied.
What does this mean? According to the survey results in Illinois Action for Children’s Policy Brief:
· The number of child care assistance applications submitted in August 2015 is down almost 50 percent from August 2014. This suggests that many parents, knowing they will be denied, are deciding to not even apply.
· The CCAP caseload decreased by 9 percent, from 154,050 to 140,812, after just one month of data collected under the new rules.
· Since July 1st, 100 providers in Cook County alone have reported closing their doors.
…Meanwhile, the data in the National Women’s Law Center’s 2015 report clearly show the rest of the nation going in the opposite direction of Illinois: increasing income-eligibility, decreasing parent co-payments, extending job search grace periods, and increasing reimbursement rates to child care providers.
As the NWLC report states:
Families’ access to child care assistance and/or the extent of assistance they could receive increased under one or more key child care assistance policies in nearly two-thirds of the states—twice the number of states in which families’ access to assistance and/or the extent of assistance decreased—between February 2014 and February 2015. This year’s trend built on progress made in each of the previous two years, when families experienced improvements in more states than they experienced cutbacks, and contrasted with the two years before that, when families experienced cutbacks in more states than they experienced improvements.
At a time when early care and education is more recognized than ever as an essential work support for parents and a vital first rung on the education ladder for all children, Illinois has foolishly chosen to go against that trend and dramatically reduce its investment in children and families.
Illinois Action for Children, Voices for Illinois Children, the Ounce of Prevention Fund, Latino Policy Forum, the Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children (IL AEYC) and Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois join the National Women’s Law Center in its call to significantly increase investments in child care at the federal and state level. Furthermore, we call on Governor Rauner and Illinois General Assembly to repeal, revoke, or otherwise recall the changes to the Child Care Assistance Program that have made Illinois the shame of the United States when it comes to child care access.
Six Illinois public universities had their credit ratings on about $673 million of debt cut by Moody’s Investors Service because of a political standoff that’s left the state without a budget for four months.
The credit-rating company lowered Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois and Governors State by two steps to Baa3, one level above speculative grade, while Northeastern Illinois was dropped one rank to Baa2. Moody’s cut Northern and Southern Illinois one grade to Baa1, three levels above speculative grade. All have negative outlooks, signaling that they could be lowered again.
“Given expected state funding cuts and the lack of appropriations thus far through fiscal 2016, the university’s reliance on the state will place a strain on operations and liquidity,” Moody’s said in an e-mailed report on Northeastern University.
The slew of downgrades comes less than a week after Moody’s lowered Illinois to Baa1 on Oct. 22 as the budget impasse showed few signs of nearing a resolution. Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and the Democrat-led legislature have failed to pass a spending plan for the year that started July 1, squeezing the finances of universities that rely on state funds.
The downgrade reflects NEIU’s significant exposure to the State of Illinois (Baa1 negative), which contributes a large portion of its operating revenue. Given expected state funding cuts and the lack of appropriations thus far through fiscal 2016, the university’s reliance on the state will place a strain on operations and liquidity. Additional challenges include declining enrollment leading to moderation of historically strong operating performance.
Credit strengths include the university’s solid liquidity position, its status as a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, and strong debt service coverage.
OUTLOOK
The negative outlook reflects expectations that future state budget pressure or additional material declines to enrollment could lead to further deterioration of the university’s finances and liquidity.
The downgrade reflects GSU’s significant exposure to the State of Illinois (Baa1 negative), which contribtes a large portion of its operating revenue. Given expected state funding cuts and the lack of appropriations thus far through fiscal 2016, the university’s exposure to the state will place a strain on operations and liquidity. Additionally, the downgrade incorporates the risks and opportunities associated with GSU’s shift to becoming a four-year university.
While net tuition revenue will likely grow along with increasing enrollment, resource growth at the university will slow as operations narrow due to a sizable uptick in expenses related to the expansion. This is important because GSU has a particularly thin liquid resource base, meaning that the incremental pressure from continued budget delays has a sharper negative impact on GSU than some of its peers.
OUTLOOK
The negative outlook reflects expectations that future state budget pressure could lead to additional deterioration of finances and liquidity. It also reflects risks associated with the change in GSU’s operating model within an area with declining numbers of high school students.
The downgrade reflects WIU’s significant exposure to the State of Illinois (Baa1 negative), which contributes a large portion of its operating revenue. Given expected state funding cuts and the lack of appropriations thus far through fiscal 2016, the university’s exposure to the state will place a strain on operations and liquidity. Relative to other regional public universities in the state, WIU has a particularly thin liquid resource base, meaning that the incremental pressure from continued budget delays has a sharper negative impact on WIU than some of its peers. Further, declining enrollment will continue to pressure net tuition revenue,
The Baa3 rating favorable incorporates the university’s established market niche as the provider of a nationally prominent program for criminal justice education and moderate leverage.
OUTLOOK
The negative outlook reflects expectations that future state budget pressure or additional material declines to enrollment could lead to further deterioration of the university’s finances and liquidity.
The downgrade to Baa1 is based on SIU’s modest liquidity position and elevated 43% reliance on state appropriations (including on-behalf payments), making it vulnerable to the State of Illinois’ (Baa1 negative) weakening financial position and ongoing fiscal pressures. While SIU’s liquidity position is modest, it has sufficient cash flow to manage through the state’s payment delays near-term and a large expense base from which it could cut over a prolonged period.
The rating favorably reflects SIU’s sizeable scope of operations and financial reserves, as well as its significant role in the state as a large public university with diverse academic offerings. While management has demonstrated the ability to navigate through a challenging state funding environment, the university’s fundamental credit strengths are dominated by a heavy reliance on state support and highly competitive student market which jointly have pressured operations and revenue growth in recent years.
OUTLOOK
The negative outlook reflects continued pressure on state appropriations and net tuition revenue growth that will continue to challenge operations and limit growth in liquidity.
The downgrade of NIU to Baa1 reflects its high reliance on the State of Illinois (Baa1 negative) for operating funding, with the state’s budget impasse and longer term budgetary pressures signally increased likelihood of ongoing material reductions in state support. NIU’s modest liquidity cushion allows it to manage the state’s near-term payment delays due to the budget impasse but liquidity pressures will build if the state budget impasse continues into 2016. NIU’s narrow cash flow will continue for the next few years due to enrollment declines in the face of a competitive student market, as well as its high leverage and thin financial resource coverage.
The rating favorably reflects NIU’s operating scale and adequate financial resources, and its market role as one of Illinois’ largest regional public universities with diverse academic offerings. NIU’s new leadership team is launching financial and strategic initiatives to review its program offerings and its expense infrastructure.
OUTLOOK: The negative outlook reflects continued pressure on state appropriations and net tuition revenue growth that will continue to challenge operating performance and cash flow.
The negative outlook reflects the expectation of continued pressure on the level and timely payment of state appropriations. While ISU has flexibility to reduce expenses, it has relatively limited ability to significantly grow revenue from other sources.
WHAT COULD MAKE THE RATING GO UP
- Greater revenue diversification combined with stronger operating cash flow, demonstrating the ability to withstand reduced reliance on state support
* Anyone who has ever waited in long lines for a taxi at O’Hare and Midway can relate to this Uber video…
The problem isn’t usually a lack of cabs, however. It’s the way the system is set up. Too many people are fed through a funnel that’s just way too narrow. Uber cars picking up people willy nilly around the airport could cause other problems for those folks who are waiting on friends and family for rides.
Hey, I’m not against Uber at all. But what I’d like to see is a much more rational approach to the cab stands in the first place. The city should fix those goofy airport bottlenecks before they add more cars.
Today is the day Victor Reyes is holding a breakfast fundraiser for the Democratic Party of Illinois that House Speaker Mike Madigan chairs.
Reyes, the former Daley political operative turned lobbyist, will hold the event at Manny’s, the famed political lunch spot at Roosevelt Road and Jefferson Street. It’s $2,500 for sponsors and $500 for individuals, according to an invite, which also indicated the speaker himself will be on hand.
Reyes was chairman of the once-powerful Hispanic Democratic Organization, a Daley patronage army that was dismantled during a federal probe into city hiring. Federal prosecutors described Reyes as a co-schemer in the hiring fraud. He was not charged, although witnesses and court records have detailed his extensive influence in city hiring and in the Daley political organization.
More than $134 million has gone into Illinois campaign funds this year, according to the Illinois Sunshine update put out by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. That includes more than $5.8 million reported so far this month.
Madigan has been raising a lot of money this year, but there’s no way he can keep up with the Rauner folks.
* And speaking of money, an SEIU local is not happy with incumbent Sen. Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago)…
Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside, will hold an afternoon news conference at the James R. Thompson Center to unveil legislation that would place new regulations on popular fantasy sports websites.
The legislation would ensure that placing money on games though sites like FanDuel and DraftKings would not be considered gambling, while also setting limits to prevent overplaying and to keep those under 18 from playing. The proposal also would allow the sites to check for back child support or tax liens before players could put up money.
Zalewski said the bill will serve as a jumping-off point for further negotiations on the issue, saying it’s a growing industry in need of consumer protections. Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, will carry the matter in the Senate.
As Senate Revenue Committee chairwoman, I stand ready to work with the governor and end this crisis. Yes, new revenue is needed. I know it. You know it. The governor knows it. So let’s have that discussion in a rational, balanced and adult manner because this current process is an abysmal failure.
Rather than prolong the pain in hopes of political gain, we need to seize this opportunity to fix our antiquated and broken revenue system, because without a modern tax and revenue system we will continue to careen from one crisis to the next.
I am willing to stand up and say: Stop it. Stop it right now.
I hope others will do the same.
I have no doubt that Sen. Hutchinson is sincere.
But as much as people complain about the governor not showing his cards, the Democrats are gonna have to stand up soon and show theirs on revenue. If we want to be responsible, we’re gonna need new revenues. It’s time everyone in both parties grew the heck up.
Tuesday, Oct 27, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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Specifically for the past three years, 1st MidAmerica has dedicated fundraising efforts to the Madison County Child Advocacy Center (CAC). This professional and child-friendly organization assists in the investigation of allegations of child abuse, provides access to services and treatment for victims and their families, and raises awareness within the community. As a result of sponsoring its annual charity golf outing this fall, 1st MidAmerica raised more than $30,000 to benefit CAC. This was a record high fundraising total for the tournament and an increase of more than $3,000 over the previous year’s event.
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* The 2011 workers’ compensation overhaul is beginning to show some results, Crain’s reports…
The report by the Workers Compensation Research Institute may strengthen the arguments of those Democrats who say more time is needed to determine the results of a 2011 law, which reduced medical fees and made other changes.
Medical payments have fallen nearly 15 percent, to an average of $14,513 per claim, during the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2013 (measured as of March 31, 2014), down from from $17,140 per claim in 2010-11, according to the institute, which is funded by the insurance industry. Illinois’ average payments are now lower than Indiana ($18,863), Wisconsin ($17,787) and Iowa ($16,051), according to the study, which compares 17 states that handle more than 60 percent of the worker’s comp cases nationwide. […]
Despite the drop, Illinois’ average medical payment per claim is still 19 percent above the median for the 17 states. The figures are for claims involving more than seven days of lost time and include bills submitted 12 months after the injury.
The WCRI study highlighted some costs going down but other non-hospital costs remaining higher than other states included in the study. Governor Bruce Rauner’s office says “The report highlights the need for the reforms that were included in the Governor’s workers’ compensation legislation.” Rauner’s office also says “while the 2011 reforms made progress, there is still much more work to do to make Illinois more competitive.” A statement from the ILTA says the 2011 reforms are having the intended result: lower costs to insurance companies and employers. ILTA also says further changes in workers’ compensation laws must focus on the insurance industry, not injured workers’ rights. Governor Rauner has said workers’ compensation must address causation.
Medical costs are only one part of workers’ comp. Injured workers also receive money for missed work time. And total insurance costs are still rising…
Illinois had the seventh highest worker’s compensation insurance rates in the nation as of Jan. 1, 2014, the most recent statistics available, down from the third highest in 2010, according to the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, which tracks rates for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Even so, Illinois Democrats contend that what’s really needed here are rules clamping down on insurance company windfall profits. They have a valid point, too.
…Adding… From the governor’s office…
Illinois still has the 7th highest workers’ compensation costs in the country, and Illinois’ workers’ compensation costs are more than double the costs in Indiana. It’s clear we need major workers’ compensation reform if we want to grow manufacturing jobs in Illinois.
* It looks like the goo-goos are gonna have to step up again and force a real meeting…
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner says he doesn’t expect a budget agreement to come out of a planned meeting next month with legislative leaders.
The Rock Island Argus reports that during a visit Monday to Rock Island, the Republican is insisting he won’t agree to a budget deal unless it includes reforms from his “turnaround agenda.”
Rauner and the Democrats have been at odds over a budget which should have taken effect July 1. The first-year governor wants changes to the business and political climates, such as tighter workers’ compensation rules and term limits for officeholders. Democratic leaders have said they want a balanced approach that includes cutbacks in spending.
The governor has said he would circulate an agenda for a Nov. 18 meeting.
Gov. Rauner said he doesn’t expect any resolution to the budget impasse until January and doesn’t expect any agreement will come out of a planned meeting with Democratic leaders in the legislature next month. He accused Democrats of attempting to increase pressure on him by allowing the budget impasse to continue.
“They want the pressure of no scholarships for kids, they want the pressure of no childcare as a way to push the process, that’s the only explanation I can give,” Gov. Rauner said.
He remains open to discuss possible tax increases if its tied to the reforms he supports.
“I’ve said all along that I will support tax reform and some new revenues if we do it the conjunction of major structural reform,” he said.
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner gave no signs of giving ground in his budget fight with legislative Democrats in a visit to the Quad-Cities on Monday. […]
Last week, several groups asked that the leaders and Rauner meet, which prompted House Speaker Mike Madigan to suggest that it be public. Rauner responded that his office would organize a Nov. 18 meeting.
The governor said Monday that he has had continuous talks with leaders and that he has committed to a public meeting. But he added that he didn’t think it would result in much.
“I don’t think they’re going to offer compromises or creative solutions in front of a media negotiation,” he said. “I just don’t think that’s likely. But we can get issues on the table. We can have a good conversation.”
“There is a misperception with the media that negotiations are not happening,” said Gov. Rauner. “They have been happening now for a long time.”
Negotiations are not the problem that Rauner pointed out to the Illinois residents. Instead, Gov. Rauner pointed the finger at the state’s legislature.
“Legislature has been dragging out the process,” said Gov. Rauner.
The Governor’s ultimate goal is to push through a new budget and new reforms instead of simply raisin taxes.
“We know what we have to do. We have to have reforms,” said Gov. Rauner. “And the reforms I am pushing, true property tax relief, short term limits, re-districting, hugely popular.”
