112 Comments - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:08 pm: I felt the same way long before I ever heard of Rauner. I’m small potatoes, a worker bee, a small taxpayer. But not for long. I know, I know, “Don’t let the door hit you….” It’s NOT just the weather. - Joe M - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:09 pm: Each new outburst like this by the Governor adds at least 2 more months to any chance of reaching a settlement of the budget crisis. Those months are starting to add up. - Aldyth - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:10 pm: I’ll be glad to consider Rauner’s opinion as soon as I start believing a word he says. - AC - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:10 pm: Personal responsibility, easy to preach, difficult to practice. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:10 pm: Dear Raunerbots; http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/pensions You’re welcome. OW The rest? “Fire Madigan, 2.0″ isn’t the game. The Labor Movement, Social Service groups and their Advocates, and Democrats are watching, and waiting. Governors own, Gov. Edgar even says so and 7 months without a budget is a governor’s failure to understand doing the doable. - El Duderino - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:14 pm: ===It’s so unfortunate the way the mayor is failing the people of Chicago and he’s looking to blame other people for it=== It’s so unfortunate the way the Governor is failing the people of Illinois and he’s looking to blame Madigan for it - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:15 pm: I’ve already predicted no budget until January 2017 unless the GA decides to go around Rauner. I may have to change that to March, 2019. As far as MJM, sure he deserves part of the blame but, for the most part, historically he has just done what the state taxpayers thought they wanted. And, unlike Rauner, MJM is less likely to fold when the public / political pressure is on. He may have to move a bit, but it’s my guess it will have to be Rauner giving 90% and MJM 10%. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:15 pm: ===I felt the same way long before I ever heard of Rauner=== And you have every right to, with some good reasons. But you’re not the governor. And you’re not in charge of a multi-billion budget with thousands of employees and lots of social and other services. - Annonin' - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:15 pm: Hate to remind Capt. Fax and the lunch bunch, but Madigan has “given” already…work comp…P3 for DCEO, tax freeze votes, etc. etc. The SuperStars forgot to claim victory. We guess you should blame that on Madigan too. We know they really want to blame Madigan for not telling them to use line item/reduction veto power. Attacking Rahm and the CPS kids only make The SuperStar task harder. But that is the task at hand. - D.P.Gumby - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:19 pm: Interesting how everything Brucie says about Madigan applies to Brucie except for the amount of time and volume of money. - From the 'Dale to HP - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:19 pm: Where is the “shoot yourself in the foot” part come into play with OODA loops? - illini - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:21 pm: “Summary: “Because… Madigan!” This has been the BVR mantra for far too long. That is not to say that MJM is totally immune from legitimate criticism for some of his intransigence and “holding his ground”, but when you are dealing with another branch of government whose only criteria for actually start governing is the total acceptance of ALL items in his Turn Around Agenda this will not happen. Illinois got the Governor they voted for, but did they really know what the consequences would be. Who in the public eye would dare to tell BVR that he is doing more harm than good. OOPS - forgot about the $26 million Sledge Hammer he wields! - Joe M - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:21 pm: Rauner has been Governor for almost a year. At some point he will have to be mature enough to stop blaming Madigan and start taking responsibility for the State himself. After all, he is the State’s leader. - Streator Curmudgeon - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:24 pm: If blaming Madigan hasn’t worked for seven months, why would Rauner think even MORE blaming Madigan will turn the tide? - burbanite - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:25 pm: Is Illinois better off now than before he became Governor? Absolutely not. If any one drives me out of the State it will be Rauner. It is pretty darn cold today too. - My New Handle - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:26 pm: The GA also gave Rauner several budget bills to consider, including one he actually signed to increase K-12 funding, plus the legislation forwarded to him as noted by Anoinin’. The “governor” was derelict in not using reduction and line item vetoes on the other budget bills he received. The man is a coward. Prove me wrong. - Frenchie Mendoza - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:26 pm: Rauner needs to understand that the best way to marginalize Madigan and mitigate Madigan’s influence is to claim victories. Multiple victories. Over and over again. Madigan can’t win if you’ve already told everybody you’ve won. Rauner is the first politician I’ve seen who doesn’t understand the rhetorical power of claiming victory — even when the victory is smaller than you hoped or expected. That’s politics 101. This idea of repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly reminding voters of your inability to govern is baffling to me. It takes “ineffectual” to new heights. What this is — what this really is — is Rauner’s own hyper-partisan myopia — a short-sightedness that not even Rauner’s handlers understand. - burbanite - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:27 pm: Rauner is to Rahm as Cain was to Abel. - Anyone Remember - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:27 pm: Oswego Willy Anyway you can create a macro / script so anytime a commenter blames Madigan your first post will automatically appear? - Jack Kemp - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:35 pm: Oswego Willy, Yeah! Great link. Now, let’s hear some more lectures about how the Governor should listen to Jim Edgar, be more like Jim Edgar, cut a deal like Jim Edgar, do what Jim Edgar did. That worked out great, didn’t it? - AC - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:35 pm: I think copy and paste responses are appropriate, given the repetitive nature of the comments. Blaming Madigan has been overplayed by Rauner more than Taylor Swift on pop radio. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:35 pm: OW, good post. There is one or two of the historical items (primarily the somewhat revisionist view of the initial 2002 ERI estimate) I might have a minor quibble with but it does a good job of laying it all out. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:36 pm: - AR - The McKinney piece is arguably the finest single work that explains, with interviews also, the past 30 years, back to Thompson, and including a significant amount of blame on, you guessed it, Michael J Madigan. I have sent, probably, nearly a dozen people personally to read that work, (and to come here to Capitol Fax) to learn about the real history. Thanks, - AR -, but I also hope more refer to that piece McKinney wrote to finally end some of this ignorance and get Rauner closer to 60/30 and Madigan closer to helping Rauner how to understand to declare victory whenever he can. - Facts are Stubborn Things - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:36 pm: I think what is standing in the way of a budget is Rauner’s insistence that non budget items be addressed first. You can argue that his non budget items would be good for Illinois, but you can not argue that his insistence on them is not holding up the budget. Rauner does not get to claim he must have non budget items before he will negotiate on a budget, and then complain that Madigan is why there is no budget. - illini - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:37 pm: Anyone Remember - “Governors own, Gov. Edgar even says so and 7 months without a budget is a governor’s failure to understand doing the doable.” I don’t think Willy is any kind of apologist for MJM, but he does make legitimate points when it comes to the actions or lack thereof of our Governor. Pay closer attention to the postings on all threads of this site. - Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:37 pm: Okay. What happens if Madigan loses his seat? Magically, the “turn around” agenda is passed in full? Sure. Yeah. Okay. Whatever. And General Growth’s rainbow unicorn will deliver a budget surplus. Yay. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:39 pm: -AC-, Actually, it did … maintained low income taxes while it kicked the can down the road about 20 years. The mess now isn’t pretty but there was time to plan for it had there been the political will to do so. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:39 pm: Both parties badly want to raise income taxes on the middle class. Yes, Madigan is a member of an Illinois political-public bureaucrat class that is doing very, very well, but Rauner is a plausible symbol of income inequality and the one percent. What does it all matter who the symbol is. It’s all about money. Both groups would like to distract us, of course. But who pays and when?. Still waiting. - How Ironic - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:39 pm: It must be so hard for such a successful vulture capitalist like Rauner, take the #1 most powerful job in Illinois and then spend 99% of his day trying to show that in reality he’s a spineless, helpless, and ineffective ‘leader’. - Facts are Stubborn Things - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:48 pm: basically Rauner is telling democrats, that if you would agree to my turn around agenda (a moving target but basically weaken unions) I will let you take the blame for raising taxes. MJM and the Dems are not going to do that. Yes, lets destroy out base, get blamed for raising taxes and hand Rauner all the credit….good idea. - Gooner - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:48 pm: So Rauner’s got the guy who wants to be Royko (and who Greeks want to disown), the guy who made a fortune in no-bid contracts from local government, and the woman fired for showing up to interview a witness to a serious crime while wearing a bikini. With those people at his 6, what else does Rauner need? - Anon221 - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:48 pm: Rauner’s fight song- http://www.bachlund.org/Oh_its_always_someone_elses_fault.htm - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:48 pm: - RNUG - I can agree there are things that can be quibbled about but I will say that understanding all the actors involved, the decisions, why both parties are to blame, and why Madigan deserves his share, in parlay with the governors that concurred with the votes and the signing of the legislation(s) too. That is the crux, and probably more importantly the timeline, of how this has been going and festering for years and years. - John A. Logan - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:49 pm: For Rauner this IS Governing. - Marty Funkhouser - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:49 pm: Anyone else notice that “Annonin’” sounds a lot like Circular Firing Squad used to? - Tony - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:50 pm: Why should Rauner govern? He has nothing to lose. He has nothing at risk, nothing at stake and nothing he can’t walk away from at anytime he chooses, absolutely no real skin in the game. We can’t force him or any of the GA to do their job. Don’t like it? wait like he is. Bet you’ll get hungry before he does. We are nothing more than a passing opportunity that he can profit from until he gets bored. He’s rolling the dice to increase his (and those he considers worthy) own wealth and at the very worse he will break even. And he has shown he is willing to turn on them at the 1st opportunity he has to profit from them too. We exist only for our collective money and the next news story that will benefit that root cause. Provide evidence that shows action from him for the collective good of the citizens of this state that doesn’t include money, a photo opportunity or tax deduction. But to his credit, “That’s Business”. And a new state motto as far as i’m concerned. - Demoralized - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:51 pm: One year into his term and what’s he still doing? Blaming somebody else. Dear Governor: Notice that this letter is addressed to the GOVERNOR. Yep. That’s you. You are in the big boy chair now. Act like you belong there. - Abe the Babe - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:53 pm: ==But can you behave like this and actually get something done?== Surprised? He seems to think that threatening to legally “bury” a female underling is a good strategy. - Jocko - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:54 pm: Someone needs to tell Bruce that in order to be a “…success at everything I’ve done.” requires that he actually DO SOMETHING!* *photo ops and executive proclamations don’t count - Anyone Remember - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:57 pm: illini Listening to people blame Speaker Madigan for all of Illinois’ woes, pre-Rauner, during Rauner, and (most likely) post-Rauner reminds me of George H. W. Bush’s people saying the economy tanked all because Senate Democratic Majority Leader George Mitchell would not allow a vote on tax cuts. For all of the blame Speaker Madigan deserves, several governors are in front of him in that department. - Norseman - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:58 pm: === At some point he will have to be mature enough to stop blaming Madigan and start taking responsibility for the State himself. === No, he doesn’t have to and I really don’t expect him to take any responsibility for the state. It’s not in his makeup. === That worked out great, didn’t it? === A lot better than the state is working now under Rauner hostage taking way of non-governing. - Demoralized - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:00 pm: Rauner said this: “It’s so unfortunate the way the mayor is failing the people of Chicago and he’s looking to blame other people for it.” And then said this: “The reason we don’t have a budget is that the existing majority in the Legislature, led by Speaker Madigan, likes the status quo and they don’t want to make any changes whatsoever.” So, it’s “unfortunate” that the Mayor is blaming other people. And then the Governor turns around and blames other people. Unbelievable. - hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:04 pm: So spend enough money to defeat him in the House or quit the non-stop complain campaign and govern. You don’t get to kill unions and the Illinois Democratic Party on the cheap, Bruce. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:04 pm: Who’s this new working-class hero, fighting against the “political class?” –the “businessman” who made his fortune scoring public pension business, milking Medicaid and abusing the bankruptcy courts to bust-out going concerns and throw people out of work? – the insider who dropped millions on long-time politicians and had Stu Levine on the payroll for $25K a month to score public business opportunities? – the reactionary whose only political goal to now has been to reduce incomes and workplace rights for any worker he can get his hands on? What an epiphany he must have had in Morocco, to now be on the sides of working schmucks! Does that mean the poor, elderly, sick, disabled and universities get released as hostages now? Because the “status quo” is that the governor has refused to negotiate on a budget until he is “given” non-related, union-busting legislation that he has not made a case for either fiscally or economically. Just buzz words. And the state’s fiscal position is much worse than it was one year ago, even though billions have been effectively cut from the budget by his abandonment of social services and universities. Gee, I find it hard to believe he could slip all that by such an Algonquian Round Table like Kass, Proft and Jacobson. - The Muse - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:07 pm: “Madigan needs to give… Rauner needs to govern.” 8 words that effectively summarizes the situation. People are angry with Madigan, but most people don’t even have a middle-school understanding of the power flow within government. Gov. Rauner is the guy in charge and, unfortunately for him, he’ll likely get the most blame. - AC - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:08 pm: ==AC-, Actually, it did … maintained low income taxes while it kicked the can down the road about 20 years. The mess now isn’t pretty but there was time to plan for it had there been the political will to do so.== I’m confused. Just because I think Rauner is a broken record doesn’t absolve Madigan. Blaming Madigan doesn’t help Rauner accomplish anything. I think it’s important to understand the history of the state budget mess, and Madigans role in that, but ultimately we need to work toward a solution. - walker - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:09 pm: Even if Rauner believed these things before he started running for office, which I doubt, it’s too bad the Governor hasn’t learned anything in the last two years. More likely he’s just sticking with talking points as long as he can. - Beaner - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:13 pm: Are the public universities going to be opening for classes in two weeks? Any good summaries of the layoffs and cost cuts at the various institutions? - go4it - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:14 pm: More gratuitous dan proft promotion. Is it a paid deal? Hope so. - Sir Reel - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:14 pm: Rauner says Madigan has been “the most powerful politician in the state for decades.” Why did he run for Governor? Why would any Republican run for Governor? Why would anyone who had a different agenda than Madigan run for Governor? Guess he thought the public would rise up with righteous fury when he unleashed his Turnaround Agenda. And he would become the most powerful politician. How’s that working? - Mama - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:14 pm: Rauner simply does not care if there is a budget or not. He will continue trashing Madigan to get the heat off of himself. - ArchPundit - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:17 pm: Wait, John Kass still writes columns? Where? - illini - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:17 pm: Anyone Remember - and this includes the Republican governors as well, and those Republicans that were, for a short time in charge of both parts of the GA. Not disagreeing, just trying to make a point. I should, but honestly don’t remember the G. H.W. Bush/Mitchell disagreements on policy. You are probably correct, but that is ancient history given what is going on in Illinois today. We need to end this stalemate and these kinds of childish pranks are doing nothing to solve our problems. - Joe M - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:19 pm: Cassandra, you insinuate that Madigan (Democrats) only wants to tax the middle class. However, Madigan did support the millionaires tax. https://capitolfax.com/2015/05/15/madigan-schedules-vote-on-millionaire-tax-hike/ - Mama - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:21 pm: ==- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:04 pm:== Word, you sum it up very well. - Toffee - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:27 pm: I worry that RNUG’s dire scenarios (2017? 2019?) are all-too-plausible. Specifically, I worry that his wealth and ability to round up other wealthy donors means that he is insulated from (or at least thinks he is insulated from) normal political incentives. In other words, he can afford (literally and figuratively) to go all in on his pet issues, and govern as much or as little as he likes. What is anyone going to do to him? - Mama - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:27 pm: ==- Beaner - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:13 pm:== Google the IL Board of Higher Education’s website for all IL universities, or better yet - check your university’s website. - Juvenal - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:28 pm: Rich: Instead of coaching the governor on how to govern, I suspect after a year we ought to accept that it is the governor’s goal to not pass a balanced budget. He seems to be doing everything he possibly can to ensure that a tax increase never comes up for a vote, while pointing all blame at the Speaker. He is either the biggest fool in Illinois politics, or shrewdly pursuing a different agenda than the rest of us. I believe it is the latter. - Toffee - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:28 pm: Just to be clear, I’m talking about Rauner’s wealth and donor cronies; not RNUG’s! - Mama - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:28 pm: My guess is there will be no budget until the general election is over. - Ghost - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:28 pm: if Madigan has this kind of power how come we have a budget stalemate and cant pass antistrike laws? If the problem is special interest money doesnt that make a wealthy person dumping millions upon millions into political coffers the root of the problem? If the problem is time in office how come so many GOP people and some dems are doing what the gov wants and waiting for campaign cash in exhcnage; and why is the gov threatenting to fund only those who vote his way…. - Handle Bar Mustache - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:29 pm: What wordslinger said. To quote Kirk Dillard “Rauner is the ultimate insider”… - Thoughts Matter - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:32 pm: I’m a Republican, and I don’t buy the ‘because Madigan’ argument. Pretty sure it’s the Turnaround Agenda or else that is preventing a budget. Gov. Rainer- you signed up to play the game, either play the game or take your marbles and go home. - Thoughts Matter - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:34 pm: Need an edit, or skinnier fingers- Gov Rauner. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:36 pm: -AC-, I was referring to Edgar’s pension ramp solution that did more or less ‘work’ - Not it - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:37 pm: I have been very critical of the liberal interests groups who love to criticize the Governor, as I’ve argued eventually everyone needs the Governor to sign their bill or issue a rule change or whatever. My advice should be the same to the Governor: eventually you need the Speaker to not only call your bill but put votes on it too. - Anon221 - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:39 pm: 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. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:41 pm: In a flat-tax state like Illinois, any income tax increase will have a disproportionate effect on the middle and working classes. Maybe we’re stuck with the flat tax for the foreseeable future, but anything that depletes the resources of either class is a serious concern, as Hillary Clinton, soon to be the nation’s #1 Democrat, has pointed out. But the Democratic political classes in Illinois have been pretty quiet about the middle class tax burden, Madigan’s millionaire’s tax effort notwithstanding. - Former Hoosier - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:51 pm: ===He’s not completely wrong, of course. Madigan must take his share of the blame - and there’s plenty of it. But can you behave like this and actually get something done? Why would anyone cut a deal with a guy who talks like this?=== So true. But, as has been discussed here, the Gov. is very narcissistic. Here is a comment from a leadership studies professor about narcissistic leaders: “Their sense of independence, exaggerated self-confidence and conviction in the rightness of their visions or initiatives lead them to underestimate the political support they will need to succeed.” ===And does he want to get anything done or is this war gonna continue as long as he’s in office? Right now, it sure looks like it ain’t gonna end.=== Narcissism is a fixed trait. Rauner isn’t likely to change his beliefs or strategies. He’s sure he’s right and doesn’t see a need to change or negotiate. - illini - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:02 pm: Hoosier - exactly right, and don’t forget HE DOES NOT CARE. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:13 pm: If Mama is right, and I think she might be, then we get to find out-can a state function without a formal budget for a fiscal year and then some. I mean, is it technically possible? How would that work? Many seem to assume that sometime soon there will “have” to be a budget for this fy? But I’m not so sure. By the time the primaries are over, how much time and energy will our political masters want to spend on a budget for a fy that is almost over. Maybe fold it into next year? - Former Hoosier - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:17 pm: illini- Yes. Rauner is inept and uncaring…bad combination. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:28 pm: -Cassandra-, Yes, we need a FY16 budget, if for no other reason, just to be able to legally pay all the bills that are being run up on credit that there are no court orders to pay. Or is the game plan to force all the State vendors to have to go the Court of Claims process? (Which BTW still requires an agency appropriation at some point to get paid) - Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:28 pm: Rauner has 750,000 reasons why he will continue to do what he has been doing. http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Rauner-to-Personally-Benefit-From-Budget-Cuts-With-750K-Tax-Break-Each-Year-294139161.html - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:35 pm: Madigan does not and has not wanted a deal on any sort of meaningful reforms from Day 1. He prefers the status quo, with good reason. He worked hard to build the political machine he leads, which has resulted in great power and profit. - My New Handle - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:39 pm: Anonymous at 3:36 pm Please cite your sources for the assertion in your first paragraph. And the sources anout “profit” in your second paragraph. Thsnks - IllinoisBoi - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:41 pm: Oh boo hoo boo hoo that mean little man in Chicago is so mean, he has all the power, he’s to blame for everything, I can’t do nuthin’, oh boo hoo boo hoo. How much longer do we have to hear this? - BigDoggie - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:43 pm: I don’t get why everyone seems to want Rauner to just concede to his opposition and make a deal to get a budget passed. Wouldn’t that essentially be the same as if we had elected another Dem as governor? Why should Rauner just settle for kicking the can down the road like we’ve been doing for years? Why do so few people seem to care about making changes that will help turn things around financially? We already own a multitude of “worst state for xxxxx” titles. I guess folks just think it can’t get worse than last place?? Maybe Bruce needs to take a page from the Obama playbook and just start declaring executive orders. - Demoralized - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:47 pm: ==Madigan does not and has not wanted a deal on any sort of meaningful reforms from Day 1. He prefers the status quo== Just because one opposes the Governor’s specific “reforms” does not me that one opposes reforms of any kind. Somehow this has turned into a zero sum game of “if you aren’t in favor of the Governor’s reforms then you are anti-reform.” - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:48 pm: - BigDoggie - ===I don’t get why everyone seems to want Rauner to just concede to his opposition and make a deal to get a budget passed. Wouldn’t that essentially be the same as if we had elected another Dem as governor? === No one said that. Doing the doable includes doing things he CAN get 60 and 30 like his did in signed climinal reforms. ===Maybe Bruce needs to take a page from the Obama playbook and just start declaring executive orders.=== Rauner DID do some EOs in the first days of his term. Please, do keep up, and stop playing Rsuner as a victim. Rauner is no victim. - Captain Illini - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:53 pm: How about this for conspiracy…Follow the money. The gov doesn’t want a budget just yet because he needs to buy the debt from vendor’s whom can’t carry these debts. Then months from now, he’ll make 18% on his investment, or 1.5% per month. Of course, he will be hidden by shell LLC’s or other legal instruments, but in the end it will be worth the sacrifice of those who’ve already suffered. (cue darth vader music) - Another please - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:59 pm: AGAIN. Rauner does not want a budget. He does not want an agreement. He is managing by crisis and attrition. It is all happening as he has planned. - Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 4:02 pm: Captain Illini has officially been the first to jump the shark on 2016 conspiracy theories. Brilliant. To the Post more or less and RNUG’s point-any budgeteers out there that could opine about the legality/constitutionality of a 2-year budget? I hope it doesn’t get that bad, but one has to wonder-and I don’t want to start any conspiracy theories by asking this question by the way. - kimocat - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 4:08 pm: Bigdoggie - I don’t think trying to turn Illinois into Mississippi is going to improve the state’s economy. A lot of the middle class has really lost ground in Illinois. Rauner wants to decimate much of what left of it. How great everything would be if we could just can pensions, lower wages, offer only crummy health insurance to more Illinois working folks. Ordinary working stiffs don’t deserve this stuff, right? Then we can lay off public employees whenever we want and privatize their functions so that the company owner pockets most of the money and, viola, we’ve created a bunch of minimum wage jobs! And our privatized DCCA can do like Mississippi does and give away a bunch of tax breaks to a Chinese firm to come in create low wage no benefit jobs. But this should work great, because the Zells, Griffins, Arnolds and of course Bruce Rauners of the world think the best possible economic environment includes a paranoid and desperate workforce that will settle for next to nothing. What a utopia. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 4:15 pm: -AA-, You should be old enough to remember when the state did 2 year budgets, so there is a historical legal precedent of sorts. Of course, they pretty much only met every 2 years also. The biggest issue, I think, is the current requirements for a budget every year. That probably overrides the old history. - Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 4:40 pm: RNUG, I’m definitely that old lol. I thought biennial budgets went out with the “old” Constitution, though. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 4:43 pm: -AA-, That’s my understanding also. - MrJM - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 4:55 pm: “[Can] you behave like this and actually get something done?” No. “Why would anyone cut a deal with a guy who talks like this?” No one would, therefore… “And does he want to get anything done or is this war gonna continue as long as he’s in office? Right now, it sure looks like it ain’t gonna end.” There is no indication that the Governor has ANY interest in it ending. Sandack gave away the plan: maximize the crisis for maximum political gain. It’s really very simple. – MrJM - Meltdown - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 5:07 pm: Leaving Madigan aside, there is plenty of deserved blame to go around and a heaping portion of that belongs to Rahm Emanuel. During his first term, he continually kicked the can down the road while he focused on bobbing and weaving until he was reelected. In the last mayoral campaign, he lied through his teeth and tagged Garcia as a tax raising politician and denied that an increase was imminent. The shooting of Laquan McDonald may be the most volatile issue, but throughout his first term Emanuel deferred acting on many major issues and now the debts have come due with higher interest and penalties. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 5:08 pm: The only thing that might, repeat just might, stop all this impasse is resounding losses by the ILGOP in the general election … but I don’t think even that would cause Rauner and his 1% friends to abandon their apparent plan to try to co-opt both the ILGOP and the State to their purposes … and especially if (to divert nationally for a moment) Trump were to win the White House. - Norseman - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 5:09 pm: I would be surprised if there hasn’t been any preliminary research on what needs to be done to run a combined budget - 2 year budget seems too clean a description for this mess. I’ve not conversant on all the legalities and technicalities, but I can surmise that the BIMP will be a long and complex piece of legislation. - Norseman - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 5:42 pm: From the Legislative Research Unit’s publication, “1970 Illinois Constitution Annotated For Legislators:” “Article 8, Section 2. State Finance (a) The Governor shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly, at a time prescribed by law, a State budget for the ensuing fiscal year. …. “ As mentioned under section 1, the Illinois Supreme Court has said that this section does not prohibit appropriations that are continuing or otherwise cover more than one fiscal year. … But the Attorney General has advised that this section does preclude making the entire appropriations process biennial. … http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lru/ilconstitution.pdf P. 80 After reviewing this, I think there is plenty of room for a “combined budget.” The BIMP will be a big one. - Norseman - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 5:43 pm: Oops, should have noted the bold commentary was the annotation added by LRU staff. - Joe M - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 6:19 pm: This talk about 2 year budgets makes me nervous. Those items that haven’t gotten any of their appropriations this fy (Higher Ed, $2billion; other social programs, $2billion; and another $2billion of other programs) - could end up very much on the short end of the stick. - PublicServant - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 6:41 pm: And Rauner is the proximate cause of the lack of a budget. Even an unbalanced budget is better than a vetoed budget as is plainly obvious to anyone with an eye towards the rate at which the state’s indebtedness is now growing. Thanks Govern-not Rauner - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 7:21 pm: –Why do so few people seem to care about making changes that will help turn things around financially.– Tell us more. What “changes,” and how will they “turn things around financially,” whatever that’s supposed to mean? Be specific. You all have been yammering about vague “structural reforms” that are going to produce all sorts of undisclosed benefits for many months now. But you haven’t produced a lick of data or analysis to justify the cost of this willful sabotage. You couldn’t get a loan for a hot dog cart with the level of analysis produced in support of the governor’s “business plan.” Yet you haven’t produced - Daniel Plainview - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 7:51 pm: - * Certain pundits, columnists and editorial writers will eat this stuff up and shout huzzahs from their own little rooftops. It makes for great copy and reinforces the beliefs of his base, but that isn’t governing. - Not to criticize, but neither is this OODLE loops nonsense… - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 8:09 pm: “Gov. Rainer- you signed up to play the game, either play the game or take your marbles and go home.” He is playing “the game”, in case some have not noticed. He is playing the same game Madigan plays, and doing so in accordance with the rules Madigan has set on everything from waiting out your opponent to campaign support. - blue dog dem - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 8:46 pm: Regrettably, the RAUN Man has backed himself into a corner. There is no real way to save face for him. The children in Chicago will be the ones who suffer. They will be the ultimate hostage. - blue dog dem - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 8:50 pm: ….and that is immoral. - scott aster - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:46 pm: So the gov needs to govern…..i think he is a slacker…he should lay off at least 10-15% of the jamokes when he took office. your pals on this very blog said as much all last year. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:00 pm: -scott astor-, You do realize the only people he can just lay off are the ‘at will’ people which are pretty much the agency directors, deputy directors and Bureau managers, all of whom usually resign any time the administration changes. All the rest are either 4 year term appointment (primarily SPSA management positions) or union positions. He has to wait for each 4 year appointment to expire before he can fire (technically, not re-appoint) them. As to any unions reductions, that has to follow the contract rules. And anyone not covered by the Vinson bill (4 yr appt) or a union contract is covered by Civil Service Rules that require cause. It ain’t private industry where you can just do whatever you want; you have to follow the rules and legal process. And there is a reason for all this, to prevent politically motivated firings and to build / encourage a professional workforce that actually KNOWS the programs / laws / processes required to LEGALLY operate State government. - Steve Schnorf - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:47 pm: RNUG and AA,I think the problem is technically solved fairly simply with a ‘17 approp. Use a BIMP bill to expand lapse period eligibility to cover all unpaid ‘16 bills and increase the length of the lapse period as much as necessary. - Norseman - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:33 pm: Steve, don’t you still require FY 16 approp authority to spend that money in the lengthened lapse period? - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:48 pm: Norseman, I know lots of times when the lapsed FY didn’t have a large enough appropriate or actual funds, the current FY resources were used to pay the bill. Expanding the lapse period definition as Steve suggested is actually an elegant solution. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:55 pm: - AA -, - steve schnorf -, - RNUG -, and - Norseman -, Thanks all. I’ve really, honestly, enjoyed you all going about your collective business and really getting to what can, and should be done, and looking at the doable, and debunking the impossible. You all are great and why I love just reading and learning here, every day. With great respect to you all, OW - Norseman - Thursday, Jan 7, 16 @ 12:00 am: RNUG, as I’ve said I’m not an expert, but it’s always been my understanding that there has to be some approp authority, that can be continuing, single year or multiple year. That is why I think we’d be dealing with a combined budget covering aspects of FY16 and all of FY17. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 7, 16 @ 7:23 am: The Rauner rhetoric does more to re direct the reason for the crisis back to himself. - Anon221 - Thursday, Jan 7, 16 @ 7:55 am: So, when the “freeze” on all spending was put in place in Feb ‘15 by Rauner, how did that affect the multi-year approps, and was it legal?? Olive Branch buyouts comes to mind. - Austin Blvd - Thursday, Jan 7, 16 @ 8:20 am: The Chgo media is Rauner’s lap dog. And now IRN. - jerry 101 - Thursday, Jan 7, 16 @ 10:06 am: Someone needs to figure out that this isn’t an election and Madigan isn’t Rauner’s gubernatorial opponent. - John 115 - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 2:14 pm: Democrats have a super majority which means they can pass whatever they want but they don’t want the blame when this state does bankrupt. It seems to me the ones complaining are the ones with their hand out wanting what I worked for. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.