69 Comments - wordslinger - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:42 am: –Rauner phrases it as “taxpayers lost” a couple high profile races.– Sold majorities of taxpayers in both districts think otherwise. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:44 am: Dear Rauner Press Shop, Either tackle the Boss, teach him… something… about changing messaging after failure… or y’all are responsible for the utter ineptitude that ARE the Rauner Responses that make you all too look like rank amateurs. Seriously, Rauner Press Shop, you think “taxpayers lost” is the message this governor needs to say, about Benton and Dunkin? That’s probably as pathetic as blaming President Obama in the misguided and broken Rauner Word Jumble release. I’m not too worried. I know my frustration is aimed correctly. Watch, there will be a ridiculous tweet yet to come. When you’re inept, you try to hide it with the fewest characters possible. Right? Exactly right. - Northsider - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:45 am: word @ 10:42 a.m., shouldn’t that be “Unsold majorities…”? - Henry Francis - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:47 am: Of course he said that - HE never loses. HE has been successful at everything HE has done. HE went to a great school, HE was a good student and all. HE is an intelligent person. HE gets great deals. - Norseman - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:48 am: Word +1 - Anon221 - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:48 am: Rauner’s “taxpayers” makes a few million or more a year and donate to PACS. - Saluki - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:49 am: That is the Rauner version of “Today, I think was basically an up day” - Norseman - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:50 am: Looking forward to talking about the Rauner/Trump alliance this fall. - Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:55 am: — Looking forward to talking about the Rauner/Trump alliance this fall. — Because — clearly — that dynamic duo — Rauner/Trump — is a taxpayer win. A big win. Two rich white guys. They’re leading the charge. One in a sweater vest and Haagar slacks, the other in a red cap, red tie, and a big belly. Giddyup. - Bruce Rauner - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:55 am: Illinois never wins anymore. Why isn’t Illinois winning? Sad! I will make us win, first by losing. Not sad! - x ace - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:56 am: “Winning” - Trump , Rauner, & Charlie Sheen ( before Rehab ) - Muscular - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:58 am: It would be a nauseating prospect for Bruce Rauner to support a Republican in name only. It is a stretch to expect someone to vote against the Springfield political class when his constituents are the Springfield political class. - Not Rich - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:01 am: Blago, Quinn, and now Brucie: sad, 3 consecutive governors who have no clue how to govern.. we are just Mississippi with a little more snow.. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:02 am: ===Can’t this message also be read to somehow imply that the people who voted for the winners somehow aren’t taxpayers? Not cool, governor. Not cool.=== The “little people”… Henry F. Potter would be so pleased with your… thoughts… Governor Rauner. - Albany Park Patriot - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:02 am: Even when Rauner loses, he wins (in his mind, at least). This is the mindset of a vulture capitalist, where making money is more important than the moral or human costs of actions. - Wensicia - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:05 am: Rauner meant: “Taxpayers at the top 1% lost.” After pouring all those millions in those particular races, yeah, I guess so. - Dance Band on the Titanic - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:07 am: “taxpayers lost” & “…Adding… Can’t this message also be read to somehow imply that the people who voted for the winners somehow aren’t taxpayers?” This goes to the heart of the Tea Party’s political strategy. If you go against any of their ideological platform you are automatically deemed to be against taxpayers, even when that argument is completely nonsensical. In both races mentioned in the tweet, taxes were not a major (or even minor) issue. - Decaff Coffee Party - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:07 am: Madigan and the downstate Republican voters and taxpayers he controls… - Abe the Babe - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:08 am: More with the zero sum rhetoric. Im good. They bad. TA good. People who oppose TA bad. People who voted for Dunkin, taxpayers. People who voted against Dunkin, corrupt and owned by Madigan. Folks, the scariest thing of all is that he believes this stuff to his core. Its not spin. - Ubecha - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:08 am: Rich, you touch on something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention….the union members that the Governor so despises are also taxpayers, and quite a bit of them are Republican, especially downstate. - Streator Curmudgeon - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:10 am: He would be laughable except that he’s digging the hole deeper and deeper. - AC - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:12 am: Using Rauner’s version of situational ethics, the only context that matters is his involvement. Votes cast for him or his selected candidates are good, votes cast against them are so terrible they deny the voter the status of taxpayer. Money spent on campaigns Rauner supports is ethical, and money spent against those candidates is corrupt. There are Rauner bills, there are sham bills. Any ideas opposing Rauner come from Madigan, and never in support of one’s own ideals or to support important constituents. In Rauner’s world, if you with him, you must be with him 100%, because everyone else is a diabolical evil that must be destroyed. - Chicago 20 - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:18 am: These Rauner losses are a mandate, foreshadowing what awaits folks who tow Rauner’s line. Rauner needs to get used to it. - Robert the 1st - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:21 am: =Rauner meant: “Taxpayers at the top 1% lost.”= I know that’s the message you guys try to spin here, but the last tax hike was on everyone. - Logic Loophole Webster Redefine - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:22 am: Does Rauner pay taxes? Is this an admittance of a loss? A statement of his personal tax situation? Time to redefine those words again so we can keep “winnin”. - Honeybear - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:23 am: So again, why should we offer him a way out? He doesn’t want to compromise. He doesn’t want to reexamine or see things differently. The privileged un-self-differentiated cannot self-blame and will not bend. WE MUST WORK TO GO AROUND HIM! Lock him down and go around. Let’s stop even pretending to play government. LOCK HIM DOWN AND GO AROUND. - John-on-the-spot - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:25 am: Brucie’s 2016 political rocket ship begins at the 1:49 mark. Courtesy of Dr. Strangelove https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snTaSJk0n_Y - Robert the 1st - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:26 am: =LOCK HIM DOWN AND GO AROUND.= I’m sure that’s the plan for next year when Madigan has his veto-proof General Assembly 2.0 - Abe the Babe - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:29 am: ==Madigan has his veto-proof General Assembly 2.0 == Madigan likely doesn’t want veto proof majorities. He wont put all his members on the tough votes that are coming down the pike. In fact, if he goes down to 65-69 seats in the fall this will take a huge talking point away from Bruce who says “pass your tax increase by yourself” if you don’t do “reform”. - Thoughts Matter - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:31 am: Governor- I wear a lot of hats. Taxpayer, Republican, state employee, Union member, college graduate, Mom, wife, daughter, relative, former college mom, and so forth. Understanding that people are more than just cardboard cutouts will help a lot. - Anon - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:32 am: ===Dear Rauner Press Shop=== OW, I think you’re great and even though we do not share a whole lot of political views I really value your insight, but I think that 14 months into his Governorship, 10 months into a fiscal year with no budget without attempting to introduce one for FY 16 or FY 17, that we may need to stop pointing fingers at the staff. I am a former politico and I hold staff to pretty high standards, but sometimes the candidate isn’t able to be reached and most of the times that candidate loses. Rauner’s administration may be more of a fluke of terrible turn out and even worse campaigning by Governor Quinn seeing as how he lost legislative districts that had no problem sending their Democratic representatives back to Springfield. Maybe Rauner doesn’t know how to lose. Maybe Rauner doesn’t know how to recognize he’s lost. Maybe he’s stuck in a mental state where he can never acknowledge defeat. Maybe being really rich has given him a false sense of being always right and the ability to surround himself with well paid folks who agree with him. But 14 months into this mess I’m not willing to throw staff under the bus anymore. The competent ones are probably doing the best that they can with what they can influence. At some point in time it becomes clear that the product is the problem and not the sales force and I’ve reached that point on Governor Rauner. He was completely unprepared to hold public office and has miserably failed at discharging some of his most basic duties while jeopardizing thousands livelihoods. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:32 am: - Honeybear - Rauner has overplayed his hand. Don’t you get so wrapped up that you overplay yours. With respect, OW - Wensicia - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:36 am: ==but the last tax hike was on everyone.== The next one’s gonna have to be worse if Rauner keeps playing union busting politics while doubling the state’s debt and gutting higher education and social services. Is that what “you guys” want? It’s not the 1% who will suffer; it’s the rest of us, including thousands of young people unable to access college and increase their chances of better paying jobs. But low pay means less tax for them, so that’s Ok too? - Magic carpet ride - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:39 am: Are the Ds going to gain even more house members in Nov. Is that even mathematically possible. Another inept governor. - Nick Name - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:40 am: Taxpayers: you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. - burbanite - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:42 am: Huh, then why was I so happy wednesday morning? I thought I won. Must be hard to be smarter than every one else. Thanks for clearin’ that up for me Gov. I guess I am goin’ to have to tell some more people we didn’t win, we really lost, the smartest guy ever said so. - ZC - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:46 am: Bruce Rauner cannot fail. We can only fail him. - downstater - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:49 am: Maybe the governor doesn’t want to support someone who could be indicted at some point for misuse of campaign funds. - Honeybear - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:51 am: OW- how so? I do greatly appreciate your comments. My comments of late have been more strident and passionate as of late because I spend my off hours coordinating social media attacks. I’ve got combat on the brain. I’m I getting a polite “shhhush”? I find I’m not self monitoring well these days. Thanks - Abe the Babe - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:51 am: ==Maybe the governor doesn’t want to support someone who could be indicted at some point for misuse of campaign funds.== McCann or Dunkin? It goes both ways. - Anon - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 12:04 pm: ===I spend my off hours coordinating social media attacks=== You should probably just be knocking doors and making sure your members show up and vote, vote for the right candidates, and work to get other candidates elected. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 12:07 pm: ===I hold staff to pretty high standards, but sometimes the candidate isn’t able to be reached and most of the times that candidate loses.=== If you read what I write, you know, Staff and Crew I have great respect. When Staff and Crew lazily Tweet, roll out ignorant abd repetitive press release language, and rarely seem to be the “ones” aiding the Boss to move the ball forward, that Staff and Crew are complicit and are letting down more than their boss. ===But 14 months into this mess I’m not willing to throw staff under the bus anymore. The competent ones are probably doing the best that they can with what they can influence.=== With respect, after 14 months, you’re conplicit if you engage, actively in the ineptitude, and you are to blame when tweets and letters show a lack of professionalism in the role you hold. ===At some point in time it becomes clear that the product is the problem and not the sales force and I’ve reached that point on Governor Rauner. He was completely unprepared to hold public office and has miserably failed at discharging some of his most basic duties while jeopardizing thousands livelihoods.=== If that’s the case, then the Legislative and Press Shops are just collecting paychecks, hands so tied that having multiple Staff in these Shops should face the “Two Bobs” “What exactly DO you do here?” After 14 months, I’ve had enough. If Staff and Crew can’t right this ship? Who can? If the answer is “no one”, then why are they there? No one forces the tweets, no one forces the letters and no one is reprimanding the behavior. Is the signature of the Press and Legislstive Shops of Bruce Rauner “we lack professionalism, and we like it that way?” As an aside, thanks for your kind words in your opening. I also understand your thoughts. Outside influences have be effect, and inside the Crew is gleeful in inadequacy. So no one is held responsible? With respect, OW - Mama - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 12:29 pm: ===Can’t this message also be read to somehow imply that the people who voted for the winners somehow aren’t taxpayers? Not cool, governor. Not cool.=== This is just as bad as saying state workers don’t pay taxes. He is using the same old divide and conquer method. I think he is saying the people who voted against his people do not count in his book. - Wensicia - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 12:38 pm: ==I think he is saying the people who voted against his people do not count in his book.== I think he’s saying if you’re in a union supported position, any taxes you pay don’t count as you’re over compensated anyway. I could say the same about him and his other gazillionaire friends. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 12:38 pm: - Honeybear - You have the momentum and the message, you just need the patience. It’s not a “Shhh”, it’s understabdibg the fundamentals are on your side, right now, don’t overplay your advantage in March when you need it later and it means so much more. If Rauner’s own strategy teaches you anything, it’s not overplaying a mandate or pushing when you coukd be listening. With respect as always. - Wayne Bibliotech - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 12:56 pm: The treatment of McCann should be a symbol to everyone. It takes Madigan out of the equation, and lays out Rauner’s strategy clearly and transparently. McCann, a solid, loyal, true, red Republican–and a popular Republican–voted a couple of times with his district. Therefore, this Republican was skinned with a jackknife by…the leader of his party? Why doesn’t the press cover that? Because they believe in “two sides of a story” so they have to equally blame Madigan, as the Rauner narrative requires. The discussion of Madigan is appropriate, but a separate conversation. - Norseman - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 2:07 pm: === So again, why should we offer him a way out? === Honeybear, to get state government operating again as quickly as possible. The people of the state need and deserve that. === He doesn’t want to compromise. === You’re correct, Honeybear. Rauner doesn’t want any compromise that doesn’t consist of some of his poison pills. That’s where your effort to work around him comes into play. Hopefully, you can scare or pick off enough GOP allies to make Rauner realize that he needs to accept a way out. - Tommydanger - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 2:41 pm: “As I’ve said, we should respect the voters’ decision.” Bruce Rauner in today’s Tribune when asked if he would support Donald Trump. Apparently, we respect the voters’ decision for presidential nominees, but not primary results for state representative. - Anon - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 2:44 pm: So, you expected him to spend millions against the guy, then try to cozy up afterward? And to the “voted with his district” enthusiasts here, don’t forget, in Rauner’s mind, he voted with government unions. Doesn’t matter to him that it may or may not have been the right vote for the district. It’s simply about the yeas and nays. McCann is a “yea” when it comes to government unions. That’s all that matters to Rauner. I don’t know why anyone would expect either one to try to be friends now. Not gonna happen. - Otis - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 2:55 pm: - thoughts matter- A wise man told me many years ago that a union man voting republican is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders - wordslinger - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 2:56 pm: –“As I’ve said, we should respect the voters’ decision.” Bruce Rauner in today’s Tribune when asked if he would support Donald Trump. Apparently, we respect the voters’ decision for presidential nominees, but not primary results for state representative.– Or Senate. It just rolls so easily off the tongue with Gov. Rauner. Kind of like, “we don’t want to cut Ag Ed” when his proposed budget cuts it to nothing. - Honeybear - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 2:57 pm: Nice one Otis - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 3:01 pm: ===wise man told me many years ago that a union man voting republican is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders=== ===Nice one Otis=== Please Explain McCann… - Otis -, - Honeybear - Your going over your skis, you are going to lose support from Republicans over Rauner with this… I’d choose my “mocking” carefully. Rauner is your target… - Dale Cooper - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 3:34 pm: And bey tax payers he means “Special Interest Groups”. - Otis - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 3:37 pm: Well I don’t ski, and I think the governor does in his carhart outfit, Problem is the whole state is going to experience the “Bono effect” - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 3:43 pm: Ok - Otis -, You keep that up… Ugh. - Honeybear - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 4:55 pm: Sorry, I meant to say I do not mean to be disrespectful. - nurse maid - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 7:40 pm: Governor, please grow up. Being a sore loser is very unbecoming. - Markus - Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 7:49 pm: If it’s true the Comptroller said there will be no more FY16 payments to school districts, the “short-term” pain may get a little more intense from the collar-county crowd. Finally school districts are starting to talk publicly about pressuring legislators. A few calls from the “taxpayers” in GOP districts could jumpstart this process. #winning??? http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-d204-school-funding-st-0323-20160322-story.html - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 23, 16 @ 12:15 am: Question… If the taxpayers lost with Benton & Dunkin losing… explain how… taxpayers… would’ve won if Benton & Dunkin had won. What would they have won? - Robert the 1st - Wednesday, Mar 23, 16 @ 8:54 am: =What would they have won?= Votes against bills that give more and more to the highest compensated state employees in the Midwest (probably the country when factoring in pension benefits). - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 23, 16 @ 8:59 am: ===Votes against bills that give more and more to the highest compensated state employees in the Midwest (probably the country when factoring in pension benefits).=== So the angry and the bitter feel better about their poor life choices? That’s pathetic, but… whatever gets you by I guess… - Anon - Wednesday, Mar 23, 16 @ 9:00 am: ===Votes against bills that give more and more to the highest compensated state employees in the Midwest (probably the country when factoring in pension benefits).=== You have made a claim, Robert the 1st, please cite evidence that supports that claim. Also — do you want to compare a state with a 700 billion dollar economy to states with substantially smaller economies? And what about those Midwest states with lower unemployment, higher growth, and higher taxes? - Robert the 1st - Wednesday, Mar 23, 16 @ 9:22 am: Poor life choices? So everyone should be a government employee if they’re smart? Who’s going to pay for the pensions then Willy? - Robert the 1st - Wednesday, Mar 23, 16 @ 9:26 am: Anon… here you go. Keep in mind cost-of-living for my second assumption (not a claim) https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/-biggs-overpaid-or-underpaid-a-statebystate-ranking-of-public-employee-compensation_112536583046.pdf - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 23, 16 @ 9:26 am: - Robert the 1st - State workers pay taxes and are taxpayers. Poor life choices are refusing to learn that state workers are taxpayers and being bitter about people unlike you. I guess another poor life choice could be not understanding my comment between the mouth breathing, but, I’ll leave that up to you to figure out, if ya can… - Robert the 1st - Wednesday, Mar 23, 16 @ 9:29 am: Anon- search for the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research report on State-by-State Ranking of Public-Employee Compensation. I tried to post a link but it was blocked. Keep in mind cost-of-living which is no factored in the report for my second assumption (not a claim). - Robert the 1st - Wednesday, Mar 23, 16 @ 9:32 am: The only group of taxpayers that constantly lobby for tax hikes. They also successfully lobbied for massive raises to offset the new taxes. When everyone else in IL saw their take-home decrease, state employees’ paychecks actually increased. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 23, 16 @ 9:36 am: ===The only group of taxpayers that constantly lobby for tax hikes.=== That’s untrue. Social Service Groups that do the work Raunerites refuse to do lobby for revue all the time. Are you so bitter you’re blind? Are you hyperventilating so badly your brain isn’t functioning? ===When everyone else in IL saw their take-home decrease, state employees’ paychecks actually increased.=== And there’s…. the complete and utter bitterness at play. Go be a state employee if it’s so great, LOL. “Get off my Lawn! Make less money!” Pathetic. 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