* WREX…
Gov. Rauner spoke in Watseka this morning, saying there doesn’t seem to be support for a budget agreement in January.
“Some of my fiends who are members of the Democratic Caucus in the general Assembly, and I’ve got friends on both sides of the aisle, are telling me that [House Speaker Madigan] is indicating that maybe he won’t be taking any tough votes until the primary is done on March 15. I think that will be very unfortunate,” Rauner said.
A spokesman for Speaker Madigan told 13 WREX that Madigan has been saying for several weeks that a budget deal would come sometime in April.
Actually, it could be January, of next year. Maybe.
*** UPDATE *** Brown in comments…
I told the reporter it was the governor who said April before the holidays. The Speaker believes the budget is the state’s #1 issue and should be resolved as quickly as possible.
- Cable Line Beer Gardener - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:24 pm:
Freudian slip?
- Norseman - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:24 pm:
My money is now on January 2017.
- Ghost - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:24 pm:
there will never ever be a budget in illinois, forever. (hat tip taylor swift, we are never ever getting back together.)
- Steve Brown - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:25 pm:
I told the reporter it was the governor who said April before the holidays. The Speaker believes the budget is the state’s #1 issue and should be resolved as quickly as possible.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:25 pm:
April Budgets bring May Troubles.
I’m going to Wrigley on Opening Day so over/under budget before “First Pitch at Wrigley, 2016″
Psst… take the “Over”
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:26 pm:
Backing up Steve Brown here. Others on the governors staff are telling people April.
- Johnny Pyle Driver - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:26 pm:
I didn’t want to ask this off topic, but now it appears on topic! How does the January vote requirements change the dynamic? I understand they can pass things with fewer votes, but how does that change anything? Does that work in the Governor’s favor in some way I’m missing? People have referenced it alot and I’ve never quite grasped it
- sal-says - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:27 pm:
== I think that will be very unfortunate,” Rauner said. ==
From the guy who has done nothing to present a balanced budget nor get any budget deal done! Wow.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:29 pm:
I don’t see anything changing in April. I mean really what would the primaries change? I imagine that Madigan will win. I guess I don’t see why they landscape would change. Guru’s of the blog what am I missing? I didn’t think there were that many primary challenges and didn’t ILGO candidates fail to appear? So how would it change? Honest learner question.
- Ghost - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:30 pm:
OW there wont be a 2016 budget. it will be tne to do the 2017 budget soon.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:30 pm:
The 60/30 dynamic only is in play if Rauner himself can get 12 House Democrats (adding the Raunerite Dunkin as a “givin) and 10 Senate Democrats to pass… Anything.
I had to re-learn the lesson.
There will be zero tax increase. None. No matter the dynamic.
Can Rauner cobble 60/30? His remarks on the radio today don’t help, that’s 100% true.
- Juvenal - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:30 pm:
I’d like a list of Bruce Rauner’s “friends” in the Democratic Caucus.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:32 pm:
“Some of my fiends who are members of the Democratic Caucus…”
Did WREX not use spellcheck, or was that the actual quote???
- Mama - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:32 pm:
How long can the state afford to wait to pass a budget?
- Mama - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:34 pm:
==- Norseman - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:24 pm:== Norseman, I’ll see your Jan.’17 and up the kitty to Jan. ‘18.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:35 pm:
2:32 pm was me.
OW- even if something does pass, Rauner could still veto it, and then aren’t we back to 71??
- Joe M - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:35 pm:
I’d like a list of Bruce Rauner’s accomplishments since he took office!
- The Captain - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:36 pm:
Did the Governor misspeak? Friends is the plural of friend and Ken Dunkin is only one person.
- Johnny Pyle Driver - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:38 pm:
Thanks OW. What you just described is why I was confused. If he peels off enough Dems to vote with him, how can he hang a tax increase around Madigan’s neck? And if they don’t hike taxes, how on earth is he going to avoid the arrows from all the cuts that would require?
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:38 pm:
Bruce Rauner has yet to end his 2014 Christmas vacation.
- Mama - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:40 pm:
It appears the reporter needs a hearing aid.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:41 pm:
- Anon221 -
Not ONE thing now will go to a vote on an agreement that will have attached to it a “No Veto” agreement.
Why vote on anything Rauner will veto if all parties already agree?
Now… If the Democrats plan to run budgetary or funding bills to get bad Raunerite votes on the board and a Rauner veto, that’s another story… and possible too.
- kimocat - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:42 pm:
I guess Rauner really doesn’t believe that it is his job to run the State. Obviously he doesn’t care how it is run. All that matters is his single-minded pursuit of union busting. I never thought I would see such an unbelievable spectacle. It is going to take a long time for the State of Illinois to recover from the incredible damage done by this imposter Governor.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:48 pm:
Posted this on the wrong thread-
When do the court orders expire?? That will have a definite impact on when/whether Illinois can stand without a budget in place. Is Rauner counting on the courts just sighing, throwing up their hands, and re-issuing orders for payments? Maybe that branch of our government will be able to place some pressure on the GA at least to make sure they can defeat any vetoes.
- LizPhairTax - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:50 pm:
I wonder if Rauner’s friends in the HDem caucus know my girlfriend from camp. She’s totally hot dudes. Swear. To. God.
- walker - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:51 pm:
Would bet money that someone is lying about Madigan’s position on this, and it isn’t Steve Brown.
Maybe Rauner was lied to; maybe one of his political superstars is pretending to know what MJM is thinking; maybe Rauner made it up himself.
Sorry, cannot find the middle on this one.
- Stones - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:52 pm:
If we can’t get a budget done for FY 16 then what makes anyone (including the Governor) think that we can get one done for FY 17?
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:55 pm:
The State of the State and Budget Addresses are going to be really interesting this year.
- JoanP - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:56 pm:
“Some of my fiends who are members of the Democratic Caucus in the general Assembly . . . ”
Wow. I knew he didn’t like Democrats but that’s going a bit far.
- anon. - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:00 pm:
Now Madigan has to figure out who the snitches are.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:12 pm:
Huh? Does Rauner not remember his own comments regarding no budget until after the March primary?
Can’t a superstar remind him, keep him on message? Remind him that he’s the one who’s not willing yet to deal on a budget?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:18 pm:
The very last people to call Rauner out on his own hypocrisy or “misremembering” would be Kass, Proft, and Kristen McQueary.
I would have thrown in Amy but… why?
- SAP - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:34 pm:
The State employee pay issue is being litigated. If the judge hearing that one reads the State Constitution correctly and rules that the State does not have legal authority to pay its employees, there is going to be huge pressure to get a budget done, but I don’t even think that is enough to force action before the primary.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:38 pm:
If he did not say it, he was most likely thinking it.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:47 pm:
Click on the WREX link above. Story is missing.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:48 pm:
Ken Dunkin would be one…
- Paul - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 5:09 pm:
Jack Franks could be Rauner friend #2.
- Sir Reel - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 6:38 pm:
I believe I saw a post a few days ago that said the State is spending $33 million a day more than revenues can support (because of school funding, court mandates, State employees pay, etc.).
If so won’t the State run dry at some point?
To me that’s the bigger issue. What to do when the well runs dry.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 8:52 pm:
== What to do when the well runs dry ==
Maybe the plan is to hope the courts will be forced into ordering revenue increases, making the courts the scapegoat for the increased taxes?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:18 pm:
–What to do when the well runs dry.–
Talk in meaningless catch phrases like “hang in there” and “short term pain, long term gain.”
Make unsubstantiated claims about vague economic and fiscal benefits of some half-baked reactionary political agenda.
You just stop paying bills, which has been going on for months now.
At this point, I suspect the Superstars are expecting the Dems to fold and pass a tax increase on their own.
That doesn’t make any sense, but the whole strategy has been one goofy miscalculation after another.
That’s why you’ve had the flips on K-12, employee pay, non-GRF spending, etc.
Seriously, Rauner has publicly said he’s banking on Emanuel to flip votes for him in the General Assembly.
Where did he ever get the idea that was even possible? It doesn’t make any sense.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:28 pm:
There is no need to make any claims about vague economic and fiscal benefits of some half-baked reactionary political agenda.
Right now, the choice is being viewed by many as a choice between “more of the same” or “what Rauner says”. Every voter in Illinois can see the disastrous consequences of continuing to follow the Illinois Dem-Madigan political agenda, so they remain receptive to “what Rauner says”, as long as he is the only one they believe is suggesting any sort of reforms to their view of “business as usual” under the Illinois Dem-Madigan leadership during the past decade.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:46 pm:
===Every voter in Illinois can see the disastrous consequences of continuing to follow the Illinois Dem-Madigan political agenda, so they remain receptive to “what Rauner says”, as long as he is the only one they believe is suggesting any sort of reforms to their view of “business as usual” under the Illinois Dem-Madigan leadership during the past decade.===
1) What is the Governor polling at the last time a poll was published. “Better than Madigan” isn’t a recipe for success.
“Why?”
2) The Labor Movement, Social Services and their Advocates, and Democrats have now seen Rauner, and trying to peel off Labor or Democrats in a Presidential year with Rauner’s real record now? I think those three groups are can convince people governors own because governors always do, especially an anti-labor sitting governor that’s decimating social services.
Radio appearances or not…
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 7, 16 @ 7:18 am:
–There is no need to make any claims about vague economic and fiscal benefits of some half-baked reactionary political agenda.
Right now, the choice is being viewed by many as a choice between “more of the same” or “what Rauner says”–
LOL, well that’s a ringing endorsement of the ROI for the willful sabotage being done in the name of the governor’s agenda.
If the Rauner crew could make a real economic or fiscal case for his agenda, they would have done so long ago.
The fact that all you can come up with is another layer of weasel-words that it’s not “more of the same” just shows how shallow the intellectual basis for the agenda is.
The goal should be that your rhetoric have some basis in reality. This ain’t some kid’s game where the biggest b.s.er wins. At some point, a governor is supposed to do his grownup job, and not be a dilettante hobbyist.