140 Comments - Saluki - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:39 am: Governor, please start Governing. Writing letters to the editor is not Governing. - Blue Bayou - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:40 am: I don’t even know what to say to this anymore. If your brand is crisis, Bruce, then why would anyone with a brain believe that you are here to negotiate? Maybe that word doesn’t mean what you think it means. - northsider (the original) - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:42 am: To what pension reform does the Governor refer? - Independent Retiree Lawyer Journalist - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:42 am: An OpEd? He’s not there yet. The posturing continues. - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:42 am: ‘Again’ being a key word here. Madigan is apparently refusing to even negotiate now. Some may say that is because there is nothing to negotiate. Reality is that nearly everything budget-related has yet to be successfully negotiated. They have much work to do, and sitting individually in silence does not move anything forward. - JackD - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:44 am: Smoke and mirrors; pay no attention to that man behind the screen. - Johnny Pyle Driver - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:46 am: He only said “reforms” 5 times and each one sounded so much softer. Like a gentle whisper. Gotta be progress! lol - Anonymister - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:46 am: I’m also curious what new pension reform he is talking about that he thinks will start immediately saving money. When will they finally give up traveling down this dead end. - Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:46 am: This is spin. It’s more campaigning. Because, you know, he hasn’t campaigned enough. Hey, Bruce — how about this: stop speaking to half-empty high schools gyms with bleary-eyed students, stop tweeting about how “great” it is to eat crappy diner food — and start acting like a statesman and govern the state you purportedly “love”? - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:47 am: It is difficult to govern effectively when one of your governing partners takes the whole month off. - wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:48 am: –Social service providers cannot survive a months-long payment backlog which is why we’ve proposed funding vital services through savings generated by enacting pension reform.– Is that supposed to be funny? - Wensicia - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:49 am: Short version: “Accept my reforms and I’ll let the hostages go, maybe.” - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:49 am: Dear Gov. Rauner, Speaker Madigan believes in trust. Speaker Madigan doesn’t trust you, and since you literally and fibbed about phone calls and discussions, you have to prove yourself in the ball park of trust. Your word is worthless right now. That’s on you, no one else. If Chicago State and Eastern close their doors, if students are denied MAP, and can’t get into Dartmouth, if K-12 schools across Illinois don’t open in the fall, you will own that Governor. Not my rule, it’s always been the rule and even with $20 million held over the heads of those representing Charleston, Carbondale, and all the state universities vote against the college towns, it’s you, Governor, that will own the 2016-2017 decimation of education at all levels in Illinois. Why would Madigan meet when Madigan made Edgar wait, and trust was never as bad as you have it with Madigan. Why would Madigan meet to bail you out when Madigan worked around both Rod and Quinn because Democrats needed the help. It’s embarrasingly pathetic your little letter. So feeble are you, governor of Illinois. So weak are you, the leader of the Illinois Republican Party, so pathetic are you, the destroyer of things right and just, for an agenda you refuse to see lacks 60 and 30. Crisis creates leverage. You must’ve missed the whole Governors own the crisis. Madigan is now teaching you that, as you pen hapless letters. Hang in there, Governor. Oswego Willy - Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:51 am: No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:47 am: “It is difficult to govern effectively when one of your governing partners takes the whole month off.” Oh, please … - Chicago 20 - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:51 am: - “For the long term, we must enact a balanced budget alongside job-creating reforms that grow our economy and drive more value for taxpayers…to fund MAP grants by enacting procurement reforms…through savings from pension reform….false hope” It’s Groundhog Day all over again. None of these Rauner proposals will generate any savings or spur any job creation. Seriously delusional. - steward - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:52 am: “Let’s consider these bipartisan proposals” Which proposals are bipartisan? Please name the legions of democrats chomping at the bit to decimate labor if only “Mother Jones” Madigan would let them. /s - burbanite - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:52 am: Doesn’t he have a phone? People with phones? Seriously, a ltr. in a newspaper to schedule a meeting? This is just silly. - Boooooooo - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:54 am: –No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:47 am– Rauner’s governing difficulties aren’t conditional. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:54 am: ===It is difficult to govern effectively when one of your governing partners takes the whole month off.=== … or Madigan could’ve continue to stay in session and run vote after vote on MAP, Higher Ed Approps, Social Service payments and have Raunerites be “Red” over and over and over… and over. If anything, Madigan did the Raunerites a favor. Please, keep up. - OFFM - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:57 am: So this is what we’re reduced to? Is this the guv’s magic bean from which wisdom and reconciliation will flower? Really? - Mama - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:57 am: ==”These spending proposals aren’t empty promises — they are linked to key government reforms that generate taxpayer savings”== Governor, we want to see you numbers. How much do your accountants think you plan will save? - Ray del Camino - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:57 am: Snuck this right in there: “alongside job-creating reforms that grow our economy. . .” That’s the gun to the hostages’ heads. Nobody believes this baloney. Negotiate on the budget, and the budget alone, and get your reforms–if you can–through the time-honored legislative process. What a load of horse-hockey. Pitiful. - Trolling Troll - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:59 am: No use for a name- The gov had a whole month to prepare a balanced budget and squandered it on Twitter. - Central_IL - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:01 am: “Let’s consider these bipartisan proposals SO THAT Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois and Harper College don’t lay off employees…” Maybe those 177 people at EIU who were laid off should let the governor know that employees have already been laid off. Or maybe they don’t count in his mind. - Mama - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:01 am: No Tier I employee in their right mind will take your pension buy out. That equals no savings and no money to spend on other programs. - The Dude Abides - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:02 am: As OW and others have already eloquently stated, there is nothing new here. From reading the Governor’s statement the only conclusion that can be reached is that the Governor isn’t ready for the crisis to end yet. Paying for vital services with money saved from a pension reform plan that he knows will never pass the scrutiny of the courts tells you all you need to know. This is all for public consumption to give the impression that the Governor is really trying to end the impasse. This is what I’d call a sham. Given the Governor’s conduct these past 15 months you’d have to be nuts to trust him with a lump sum budget. He has not earned that trust. The Democratic leaders can go meet with him but the poison pills such as making it more difficult to override a veto and stripping away most negotiating rights for Unions will still be there. He is basically telling the Majority party in the Legislature to fall on their sword if they want a budget. - DuPage - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:04 am: Enacting pension reforms? Too much of that $4000 a bottle stuff! - wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:04 am: –It is difficult to govern effectively when one of your governing partners takes the whole month off.– If you buy that spin, you’ll buy anything. - rafa - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:05 am: Perhaps Cullerton sends the Chicago Pension Bill revisions in now, as a chance for Rauner to sign it FIRST, if he want to start serious negotiations. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:05 am: - Central_IL -, Let’s be clear, Rauner believes there’s sugnificant waste and fraud at Universitites at a 20% clip. Rauner must feel those 177 aren’t worth much, and forgetting them in the letter seems to reinforce that. “They’re just people” - Fake Governor Rauner. Right? Exactly right. - Mama - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:13 am: Gov, please work harder at restoring trust issues with the Dems.. Publically blasting the Dems in the media will NOT help to bring them to the table. You know it is only driving them further away, and that tells the voters you are not sincere in wanting to pass a clean budget. - Cubs in '16 - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:14 am: “and no social service provider cuts off services to our most vulnerable.” Another example of what some previous commenters have pointed out. This has already happened. This part of the sentence should be “no MORE social service providers….” Too late to slam the barn door there gov. The horse is long gone. - Blue Bayou - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:14 am: This is like Trump claiming that he will get Mexico to build the border wall. SuperGenius! - Doc Saluki - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:19 am: Gee, I would have thought that someone calling on folks to put partisan differences aside wouldn’t go on to attack the other side and promote their own agenda. Whatever you think of Rauner’s short-term ideas, including his “bipartisan” cover from stalwart Democrats like Dunkin, they don’t amount to anything like the amount needed to fund social services and universities. Not even with the 20% cuts in his latest proposal for higher education. His “putting differences aside” agenda thus amounts to releasing just enough funding to keep the doors open. But there won’t be many staff working inside. Thousands of students will go out of state (or not go to college at all), and thousands will not receive the state services they so desperately need–sometimes with fatal results (as with the drug treatment plan so eloquently defended in a recent post). It is hard to avoid concluding that the destruction of public universities and social services isn’t just collateral damage. They are on Rauner’s target list. - here we go - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:19 am: **cue in Shakira** “Whenever, wherever We’re meant to be together I’ll be there and you’ll be near And that’s the deal my dear…” - Beaner - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:21 am: Not even the oldest most loyal voting Republicans believe anything he has to say anymore. Go away Blagojevich with an easier name to spell. - Norseman - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:24 am: === I’ve proposed ways to fund MAP grants by enacting procurement reform. === How can you take anyone seriously who says this kind of stuff? If procurement changes actually generates savings (a big IF considering Rauner’s lack of trustworthiness), those savings will be hard to track, take some time to be realized and will be spread throughout the budget in a number of appropriation lines. Remember the phony savings estimates created for Blago initiatives. I suspect the biggest winners in Rauner procurement changes (reform is no longer a meaningful word with this bunch) will be business interests, not taxpayers. So what we have here is typical smoke and mirrors response to budget problem. Wasn’t Rauner supposed to change these poor financial practices. === Social service providers cannot survive a months-long payment backlog which is why we’ve proposed funding vital services through savings generated by enacting pension reform. === LOL, only one pension reduction measure has generated any savings and that was the creation of tier 2 for new employees. Then again, this may have a financial time-bomb attached if found to violate federal standards. Saying that social services can be funded through pension savings presumes that there will be savings to be had. That is doubtful considering the continued practice of drafting measures that violate the pension protection clause of the constitution. For giggles, let’s say they get lucky and find something that passes legal mustard. The savings from that miracle plan will be years away. Social service providers are dying now depriving needy folks throughout the state with vital services. Are they to wait years for this money? Bottom line is at best he’s going to go ahead and agree to run up debt now for some future savings. At worst, he’s going to run the state into further debt without sufficient savings to recoup that debt. Meanwhile, the bond rating agencies blow their top of the fiscal mismanagement. There we have it folks, smoke and mirrors Rauner style. - Big Joe - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:24 am: Let’s forget the money saved from the proposed Cullerton pension reform. Nobody will trade their Tier 1 benefits for the new plan. And even if some do, it won’t result in much of a savings anyway. So let’s just eliminate that from the discussion, Gov. Get started by calling MJM on the phone instead of trying to humiliate him in the paper. THAT will get you nowhere with him. - Anon - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:25 am: Apologies, Rich. Didn’t realize the content I was posting publicly. Understand if you remove. Totally my bad! - Mama - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:26 am: ==”I’ve proposed ways to fund MAP grants by enacting procurement reform.”== Your procurement reform is no reform. It is handing taxpayers money to a private firm with no accountability on how & what our public funds will be spent on. Consolidate our purchases with other states? I don’t think so. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:27 am: ===take some time to be realized and will be spread throughout the budget=== Subscribe for why they are willing to do this, even though you’re right. - Snucka - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:33 am: We’re only a few steps away from seeing the Governor crawl into Speaker Madigan’s office and beg. - Austin Blvd - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:34 am: Rauner sure does not like being in the position of being a loser. But as long as he can keep the faithful convinced that he is tryin’ and that Madigan is the bad guy, that’s all that matters to him. Nothin’ else matters. - Mama - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:36 am: - Norseman @ 10:24 am hits the nail on the head. - RNUG - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:40 am: == Perhaps Cullerton sends the Chicago Pension Bill revisions in now, as a chance for Rauner to sign it FIRST, if he want to start serious negotiations. == SB-777 was sent to Rauner last week. - Henry Francis - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:41 am: Rauner does not work for the citizens of Illinois. He never once used the word citizens in his letter. No, Rauner is workin for the taxpayers - that is the word he uses. And his job is to increase the return for those taxpayers. Citizens can suffer all they want until taxpayers get a better return. Apparently some citizens are more equal than others. - cdog - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:45 am: The citizens of Illinois will know this orchestrated chaos is almost over when some of the following occur…. 1. The word “revenue” or “tax” is used by Rauner in a sentence without “structural reform” in the same sentence as a qualifier. 2. Rauner says something nice about Madigan and his extraordinary career, atoning for calling him a crook and plastering every open spot of advertising with that ill-spirited message. 3. A recall movement falls out of the sky like a lead zepplin. 4. Pigs fly. - Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:47 am: Here’s what Rauner should be promoting in high schools and diners — not his anti-union stuff: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-mckinsey-gender-gap-report-0408-biz-20160407-story.html - Nick Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:48 am: “It is difficult to govern effectively when one of your governing partners takes the whole month off.” As opposed to the past 16 months that the governor has basically taken off? - RNUG - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:49 am: Read the letter early this morning. Initial thoughts were: You can’t find your way to Madigan’s office? Hint, it’s in the Capitol, same as your office. Still aren’t serious because you’re counting mythical savings. Somebody buy Rauner both a dictionary and a thesaurus because he seems to still have trouble with those big words like bipartisan. And finally, let’s SEE your “balanced budget with a mix of reforms, cost reductions and revenue.” - lake county democrat - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:50 am: —”Speaker Madigan believes in trust.”— Oh boy. - Hit or Miss - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:56 am: ===savings generated by enacting pension reform.=== I wonder what type of pension reforms Rauner has in mind? Has he come up with some new idea that will not violate the pension protection clause of the constitution? - Norseman - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:02 am: === You can’t find your way to Madigan’s office? Hint, it’s in the Capitol, same as your office. === Ego precludes that in my estimation. Rauner doesn’t want to be viewed as groveling to Madigan. Having Rauner cool his heels outside Madigan’s office would make an embarrassing photo (caption contest for Rich). If he didn’t have the ego, I’d suggest he walk on the floor. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:06 am: - Norseman - at 10:24… Nice work there, bud. - Jocko - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:07 am: ==Let’s start negotiations immediately — whenever, wherever== Sounds good, what’s your offer? Why don’t you dazzle us with another PowerPoint presentation. - cover - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:08 am: = SuperGenius! = I immediately remembered Wile E. Coyote introducing himself to Bugs Bunny that way. - Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:09 am: “We need to assure taxpayers that we are not continuing a broken system where we promise to spend money the state doesn’t have.” So then tell us Governor what your solution is. My math says you either increase revenue or slash spending. Still waiting for your plan. - VanillaMan - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:12 am: Real governors don’t have time or see any reason to publically print stuff like this. Real governors govern. - Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:13 am: “Publically blasting the Dems in the media will NOT help to bring them to the table.” Exactly what he wants. - Hostage - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:14 am: It is funny that the Governor wants to prevent lay-offs, when he has already caused 100s of lay-offs, furloughs and pay deferrals so that the universities can crawl through the finish line at the end of the semester. He has already created damage that will be very difficult to repair as students are not enrolling and transferring out-of-state. Every day he waits to be genuine about higher ed makes it worse. Destroying a 121-year long investment that continues to make a net-profit for the state, destroying the hopes of 100s of students to afford college, and encouraging faculty to leave for better jobs in other states and countries. And guess who will have trouble recruiting faculty from here on out? Illinois! Who would want to take a job at any of the state universities right now? The Governor owns this and people blame him. Especially since there has been a funding mechanism for higher education all this time and he does not show any serious commitment to end this today. - RNUG - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:15 am: - Norseman - @ 11:02 am: You’re right but I bet he has to at some point … even if it is the middle of the night with no witnesses. - Grandson of Man - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:21 am: When the governor wasted time trying to bust unions instead of focusing on attainable reforms, he put us all, and himself, in this terrible position. The governor wasted too much time attacking Madigan instead of governin’. This shows what kind of credibility the governor has. - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:24 am: Cdog can you list the highlights of the Speaker’s “extraordinary career”? I would really like to hear them, I think everyone knows the lowlights. - Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:30 am: Nothing new Still no hope for an end - Team Warwick - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:32 am: Dear Brucè, Please make a tangible budget 2016 proposal offer to Madigan on paper. One page or longer. Prepare for a counter proposal. Evaluate the counterproposal for possible immediate benefits. Note which items didnt make it for in inclusion in the counterproposal, those are “later” items you will put in your After-Proposal 2.0 of addendum items we still need to-do. Drive in for a completion of the completion of the agreed counterproposal 1.0, asking for After-Proposal 2.0 to be looked at the week following. Then when 1.0 is enacted, shut-up and limit comments to looking forward to the next negotiation on 2.0 addendum. Then brimg your proposal offer on 2.0, expect a counterprposal, evaluate what didnt make it in 2.0, those are going in 3.0, get what you can get in 2.0. Being the minority party, you must bring the proposals to the majority party as your offers/proposals. They are waiting for them, they are the majority. for future proposals, follow described method for best results. Thanks, TW - cdog - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:39 am: Norseman brings up the bond credit agencies…. As Rauner makes this most recent weak move to appease the little people, there is surely an office full of number wonks watching waiting to pounce with their next downgrade. (remember downgrade = BIG money to bond buyers) When Rauner requests that the $10,000,000,000 + backlog of bills is covered with a bond scheme, I think the we will know the end game. (could be higher $ because VoucherGate should bust out any time soon) If this is floated as long term debt, the citizens of Illinois will be paying $BILLIONS in interest to the banksters and hedge funds for many many years. goodness gracious. this is bad. - Norseman - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:40 am: Thanks Willy. - Norseman - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:41 am: RNUG, Saputo’s with a dessert Apple in hand? - sal-says - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:54 am: == It is difficult to govern effectively when one of your governing partners takes the whole month off. == Uhhh. What about the other 14 months your Goverot has been in office??? - cdog - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:55 am: Monsieur Pierre. First, I was taught to respect the office. Period. Secondly, as an accomplished student of 8th grade constitution class, I am impressed that any one would hold, and would even want to hold, that job for as long as Madigan has. His longevity, and the factors that have allowed that, demand a baseline of respect. Thirdly, the man has probably been investigated by numerous agencies, over many administrations, across both political parties, and he it appears that he has survived that environment. (Contrary to the Governor’s with whom he has worked.) Continuing, if not repeating, he’s a survivor and Rauner would be smart to study up on Madigan’s style because Rauner is a mess. (I am not a politician, just a plain-spoken boot-strapper. I have never had to bend my will to compromise with Madigan. But I could compromise, and I would definitely not be ignorant enough to call the man a crook via TV commercials, if I expected to MAKE PROGRESS in achieving my own goals.) bonne vie pour vous. - Cheryl44 - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:58 am: Why on earth would anyone think Rauner ever tells the truth? - How Ironic - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:02 pm: Rauner reminds me of an old joke. When do you know when he’s not telling the truth? When his lips are moving. - Annonn'' - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:21 pm: Who can explain which part of putting partisan difference aside was involved in his repeated attacks of Democrats (by name and generally) at various social events this week? Maybe BigBrain thunk attackin’ before his nonsense was printed was o.k. Now the love fest can begin’ —–hmmmmm - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:24 pm: Speaker Madigan does not believe in trust. Speaker Madigan believes in Speaker Madigan, and retaining his own power at all costs. He is teaching Governor Rauner nothing, other than the selfish power of stubborn silence and refusing to budge. Unfortunately for Madigan, Rauner can play that game as well. Meanwhile, people suffer as they both act like children. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:26 pm: ===Speaker Madigan does not believe in trust.=== Yeah, um, you go with that. lol - Nick Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:27 pm: “Speaker Madigan does not believe in trust.” Examples? “He is teaching Governor Rauner nothing…” I agree that Gov. Rauner has learned nothing, nothing at all, since being sworn in. - RNUG - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:27 pm: == RNUG, Saputo’s with a dessert Apple in hand? == -Norseman- Might work. Especially if the meeting is accidental … wink, wink. - Honeybear - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:30 pm: I don’t believe a word out the Governors perfidious mouth. He just wants the perception of negotiating. That’s why he did it publically. Of course Madigan doesn’t trust him or want to meet with him. Madigan is all to aware that Rauner has queued up the Ragnarok of Labor. He just wants to look reasonable before he opens the curtains on the main show. I hate to tell you but Rauners planes have already left the Carrier. Planes from the L.Madigan are in the air as well. - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:32 pm: ‘… or Madigan could’ve continue to stay in session and’ Offered new reforms of his own? Served as a state leader with suggestions to fix the $125billion hole he helped dig for decades? Why do that when you can take the month off… - RNUG - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:34 pm: == When Rauner requests that the $10,000,000,000 + backlog of bills is covered with a bond scheme, I think the we will know the end game. == -cdog-, By Jove, I think you are on it! Absolutely guaranteed high interest / no risk returns for those who can buy the bonds in this low interest rate / high risk era. But let’s think big! Even though there is NO logical reason to do so and will actually cost more than the current path, float the $111B pension debt also. Happy days for investors! - the Cardinal - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:34 pm: Local governments have budget workshops perhaps the four tops and Guv could all benefit by going to one and actually see what compromise looks like? One things for sure nothing will happen if they don’t meet. Its deja vu all over again… - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:38 pm: Again, with this “month off” thing. To clarify, again… 1) Do GA Raunerites want to be in session to continue to vote against their districts? If anything it was a favor to them to save them from Rauner. Seeing it any other way is ignorant to the politics at play. 2) After the “month off”, what changed legislatively in the math of 60 and 30? Nothing. Enough with the “month off”, it’s willful ignorance or you are blissfully unaware of Rauner’s purposeful destruction of social services and education. - 47th Ward - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:38 pm: ===I’ve proposed ways to fund MAP grants by enacting procurement reform.=== Has Governor Rauner ever detailed exactly how reforming the procurement code could save the state $375 million each year? Because if he has, I must have missed. And if he hasn’t, what is he waiting for? Time to show your cards Governor. - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:42 pm: I’ll stick with this: “Speaker Madigan believes in Speaker Madigan, and retaining his own power at all costs.” But hey, if you still think he’s a swell public servant just putting the interests of the state first, you go right on believing that. His leadership has helped get the state this far, hasn’t it? - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:54 pm: Again, in regards to the ‘month off’ To clarify, again, 1) People are suffering 2) We still have no budget 3) The only solution to this impasse is compromise by both sides 4) One side just left town for a month and won’t meet with the other. 5) It is not defensible, and it is certainly not a ‘favor’ to the governor or the people of Illinois. At least make an effort to demonstrate you are working on some new ideas to reach a compromise and that you want to help lead us through this debt crisis you contributed to causing. - Ghost - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:57 pm: OW remember the 500 million in waste at CMS the gov found and was going to free up….. those same folks found the “20%” waste at the schools. So far no cost reductions at CMS but the gov did break off the IT area into a seperate agency which increases overhead costs and adds a layer of directors and managers the State did not previously need…. so maybe he will cut universities by increasing their costs and expenses too - Politix - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 12:57 pm: Link’s broken now. I wonder if the many SJ-R commenters roundly rejecting the op-ed have anything to do with that. - wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:07 pm: –Has Governor Rauner ever detailed exactly how reforming the procurement code could save the state $375 million each year?– That’s coming, along with the revised numbers on the ROI of the Turnaround Agenda. Any minute now. The perfidy would be funny if the consequences weren’t so damaging. Isn’t it amazing that the governor can secretly criss-cross the nation, lining up “dozens” of corporations “ready to come to Illinois” but he can’t figure out how to arrange a meeting? The stuff this guy expects you to swallow. His contempt for the intelligence of the citizenry is breathtaking. - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:07 pm: Regarding the ‘month off’, to clarify again 1) People are suffering. We have no budget. Neither Rauner nor Madigan have the votes necessary to impose their will. The only solution to this impasse is compromise by both sides 2) One side just left town for a month and apparently won’t meet with the other. That person helped create our debt crisis, but is offering no new reforms or improvements of their own. What a swell guy, doing all these ‘favors’ for Rauner and the people of Illinois. - Huh? - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:08 pm: “… we must address the crisis facing higher education and social services. …” 1.4% broke the eggs with his vetoes, how is he going to make the omelet? Refusing to set aside his disastrous agenda only execerbates the problems in obtaining any agreement on a budget. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:13 pm: Ugh… ===Again, in regards to the ‘month off’ To clarify, again, 1) People are suffering=== Part of the Rauner plan, do keep up, won’t you? @RonSandack: I’m frustrated 2, but taking steps towards reforming IL more important than short term budget stalemate. - Ron Sandack, 9/28/15 ===2) We still have no budget=== Article VIII, Section 2, (a)… You’re welcome. ===3) The only solution to this impasse is compromise by both sides=== @RonSandack: I’m frustrated 2, but taking steps towards reforming IL more important than short term budget stalemate. - Ron Sandack, 9/28/15 I think you are not understanding. Please re-read that tweet. K? K. ===4) One side just left town for a month and won’t meet with the other.=== I think you’re a gag now, so you must be willfully ignorant and not blissfully unaware, lol ===5) It is not defensible, and it is certainly not a ‘favor’ to the governor or the people of Illinois.=== It was a favor to the GOP GA. You just ignore that. That’s on you. ===At least make an effort to demonstrate you are working on some new ideas to reach a compromise and that you want to help lead us through this debt crisis you contributed to causing.=== “Never mistake activity for achievement” - John Wooden You want them to pretend to meet? Pathetic. Oh and - No Use For A Name -, please add “Fire Madigan!”, “40 years of Democrat Rule” and throw in “we’re bankrupt” for giggles. Thanks, - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:13 pm: I am always amazed how many defend the unbelievable inaction of the General Assembly since Rauner’s election and all the years before at all costs. As usual in he Goveror getting 95 percent of the arrows here. Rauner has been sounding pretty reasonable lately, wish I could say the same for Madigan and Cullerton - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:16 pm: - Ghost - You may be onto something. Ms. Arduin might agree with the premise, but she’d probably find a way to make it work for Rauner too, lol - Honeybear - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:26 pm: OW I think the person in question prefers her honorific being used. Darth Arduin if you please. - btowntruth - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:33 pm: - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:47 am: It is difficult to govern effectively when one of your governing partners takes the whole month off. ================================================ Stop complaining. If the General Assembly not being in session was such a concern to our Governor,No Use,the Illinois State Constitution says this: SECTION 5. SESSIONS (b) The Governor may convene the General Assembly or the Senate alone in special session by a proclamation stating the purpose of the session; and only business encompassed by such purpose, together with any impeachments or confirmation of appointments shall be transacted. - Demoralized - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:42 pm: Lucky Pierre: Rauner has been taking arrows because he does nothing but play the victim and tell everyone how helpless he is. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:43 pm: ===Rauner has been sounding pretty reasonable lately=== Dude, considering your comments here over time, I’m pretty sure you’ve always felt that way, not just “lately.” We’re not children here. It’s OK to be honest. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:45 pm: === As usual in he Goveror getting 95 percent of the arrows here.=== But, but, but… Rauner said he could take the slings and arrows. Right? Exactly right. Oh, and… @RonSandack: I’m frustrated 2, but taking steps towards reforming IL more important than short term budget stalemate. - Ron Sandack, 9/28/15 Rauner wants this impasse. Your act still needs tweaking, Rauner isn’t a victim. - cdog - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:52 pm: RNUG, it does seem very plausible. Maybe Rauner could address this multi-billion dollar increase in the backlog. Real-time, real words, no Word Jumble options. This little letter to the peeps just doesn’t do much. Maybe he needs to announce his support for a dedicated tax increase, say 1.25%, to target this minor side effect of his sparkle-dust ideology. (That will be a no-go for him; he will make a ton more money waiting for the BackBillsBond, vs paying 1.25% more on his $57.5m (2014 AGI) - pundent - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:54 pm: =I am always amazed how many defend the unbelievable inaction of the General Assembly since Rauner’s election and all the years before at all costs.= So here’s a question. If one ideologue has a vision that requires the support of 60 reps and 30 senators and he’s unable to achieve that are we supposed to blame the 90 individuals who won’t cooperate? - forwhatitsworth - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 1:56 pm: ===Social service providers cannot survive a months-long payment backlog which is why we’ve proposed funding vital services through savings generated by enacting pension reform.=== How can the state fund vital services through pension reform? Does Rauner not know the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled 3 times that state pensions “cannot be diminished or impaired”? Is Rauner closing his eyes and hoping the $100+ billion dollar pensions unfunded liability will just disappear? Unbelievable! - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 2:00 pm: That would be one thing if he reps had to vote on the turnaround agenda (some of which is popular with bipartisan majorities). By not calling the bills democrats don’t have to defend tough no votes and we sit here at an impasse - Stumpy's bunker - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 2:01 pm: Its bone chilling to see our governor actually list his dying hostages by name and persist in blaming somebody else for it. In this letter, the executioner presents himself as a thwarted rescuer. Any TA “success” he has will be dependent on how efficiently he can propagandize and reinvent logic. One glimmer of hope: tons of weaponized money could not accomplish this in the last primary cycle. - cdog - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 2:05 pm: pundent, good question! I think the answer should have something about the second blue moon, after the autumnal equinox, if it falls on a Tuesday. - forwhatitsworth - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 2:11 pm: ===Now is the opportunity to put partisan differences aside and work together on solutions for the people of Illinois.=== What people of Illinois is Rauner specifically alluding to? - AnonymousOne - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 2:12 pm: Apparently there is some sort of perverse pleasure–real pleasure in seeing the willful destruction of our state and suffering by some. A self-professed successful “businessman” would never deliberately create so much destruction and chaos in such a grandiose public arena. There cannot be any doubt that this is deliberate and calculated. Who, besides Rauner, supports this? For those that do not, where is the effort to stop it? - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 2:13 pm: Oh - Lucky Pierre -… Lemme guess, no budget until we vote on the Turnaround Agenda? That’s part and parcel (that and the anti-union poison pills) of Rauner owning this whole FY2016 budget. So thanks, again, for reminding us all it’s Rauner needing his agenda first. - SAP - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 2:29 pm: Sniff, sniff…Governor, your Op Ed has the distinct scent of desperation, an aroma the will serve only to cause the Speaker to sit back and wait for you to start negotiating against yourself. - Striketoo - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 2:33 pm: OT, but enlightening. Retired and just paid $29,003 income tax to the Feds and $393 to the state. Crazy and can’t last. - Honeybear - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 2:52 pm: AnonymousOne- Rauner is not a businessman. Businessmen produce a product or provide a service. Rauner is a venture capitalist who BUYS, BREAKS and SELLS for profit. It’ not business. Business demands security and stability. - Mama - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 2:58 pm: Can an Illinois Governor be recalled by the voters? - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 3:01 pm: - Mama - Won’t happen. No GOP GA members will sign on, let alone 5 in each chamber. So, not an option. - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 3:10 pm: OW no budget until the Speaker works cooperatively and professionally with the Goveror as he promised. Only a blind ideologue would say that the Speaker has done so this far. Maybe he forgot how to compromise with Republican seeing he has been able to avoid doing so for over 13 years - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 3:17 pm: ‘You want them to pretend to meet? Pathetic.’ No. I want them to meet. I want Madigan to do something other than say no. I want Madigan to lead in a different direction rather than maintain radio silence as the state crumbles. Remember, he is the one who suggested last May that the final budget may not be negotiated with the governor but one he could put forth himself. He is equally capable of leading on many of these issues, and often knows them better than anyone else. Rauner, at the very least, is willing to meet and try. Madigan has no interest in attending leaders meetings, so Rauner offered to meet with him individually. Nothing from Madigan. Rauner’s team extended a request to share a meal with Madigan’s staff. Nothing from Madigan. Then Madigan left town for a month. The state is in shambles, neither Madigan nor Rauner have the votes they need so they must both compromise, and your comments are advocating for a complete lack of communication between the two principals at the heart of this impasse. How is not meeting, not communicating and not even being in the same town for a month going to help anything? All it will lead to is more pain, a possible shutdown, and more chaos, which is what Madigan was counting on months ago in an effort to pressure Rauner. It is sickening. - RNUG - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 3:25 pm: == Can an Illinois Governor be recalled by the voters? == Technically yes, practically and politically, no. - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 3:32 pm: No compromise, no reform, no new ideas, no surrender. What use is winning the war if you destroy the state doing so? What good is beating the other guy if there is nothing left to salvage after your victory? Both are employing strategies that inflict public pain in an effort to break their rival’s will. And by defending strictly one or the other, we allow them continue doing so. Both Rauner and Madigan are wrong in many ways. Being the ‘least worst’ does not make either ‘good’, despite the fervent belief of some on both sides in their dear leader. - Nick Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 3:45 pm: “OW no budget until the Speaker works cooperatively and professionally with the Goveror as he promised. Only a blind ideologue would say that the Speaker has done so this far.” Because Madigan and his staffers have been all over Twitter bashing the governor and the Rauner-controlled superminority in the general assembly as corrupt and with a conflict of interest and for not returning phone calls. And when nothing else works, Madigan pens a pathetic, whiny, delusional piece in the SJ-R. “Maybe he forgot how to compromise with Republican seeing he has been able to avoid doing so for over 13 years” Because Madigan got along so well with the last two Dem governors, with whom he always agreed on everything. Lots of group hugs there. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 3:46 pm: Ugh… ===I want Madigan to do something other than say no.=== What are you 12 or 13? Fundamentally dismantling unions isn’t going to happen, no Democratic leader of the House wi agree to that Please learn. ===Remember, he is the one who suggested last May that the final budget may not be negotiated with the governor but one he could put forth himself.=== If you want to admit Bruce Rauner is inept and can’t do the job of governor and can’t fund his agencies, or higher ed, or have any budgetary skills… If you want to admit that… How can k help you work around Rauner complete ineptness? I guess you’re saying Rauner can’t do the job… Or… ===Rauner, at the very least, is willing to meet and try.=== “Never mistake activity for achievement” - John Wooden. If Rauner wants his poison pills, pills he knows have no chance at passing, why fake a meeting? I bet you like participation trophies too(?) ===Then Madigan left town for a month.=== Ugh. Your sad whining. The 13th Ward office is easy to find. Rauner toured the state, going to schools to… wait for it… blame Madigan. Either understand the politics… ===The state is in shambles, neither Madigan nor Rauner have the votes they need so they must both compromise, and your comments are advocating for a complete lack of communication between the two principals at the heart of this impasse.=== No, if the poison pills and union decimation is Rauner’s goal, then like all governors, his actions will have consequences Rauner will own. I’m sort if you don’t like that, but governors owning has been around since the third Tuesday of always. Capiche? ===How is not meeting, not communicating and not even being in the same town for a month going to help anything?=== What is this, 1830 America? Rauner could’ve gone to the 13th Ward office, borrowed Ken Dunkin’s sleeping bag… But, I’ll let you in on a lil secret… Rauner isn’t ready to deal. Not yet. You keep thinking that, it’s cute, but it’s not true. ===I’ve proposed ways to fund MAP grants by enacting procurement reform. Social service providers cannot survive a months-long payment backlog which is why we’ve proposed funding vital services through savings generated by enacting pension reform.=== It’s statements like that… Rauner still isn’t ready. Look at those proposals, get back to me, lol. ===Madigan was counting on months ago in an effort to pressure Rauner. It is sickening.=== Skyhook in Reverse. Lest you forgot Rauner felt Rauner’s statement “Crisis created opportunity” was a gag. After 14 months, Rauner’s created crisis falls back on the governor. Rauner didn’t know how that all worked. Now… now he’s finding out. But, you keep with the “whole month not in town” And you still forgot the “Fire Madigan!” - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 3:49 pm: ===Only a blind ideologue would…=== You aren’t a babe in the woods, you are the worst kind of Raunerbot. You think no one is on to you. We are on to your routine. It’s old. It’s tired. Please be honest. I fed you, I’m done. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 3:52 pm: ===No compromise, no reform, no new ideas, no surrender.=== I can’t help it that Rauner can’t count to 60 or 30… … can you? LOL I know, you either agree with Rauner or you’re against reform or new ideas, right? Argue like an adult. Please. - ArchPundit - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 3:59 pm: ===Fundamentally dismantling unions isn’t going to happen, no Democratic leader of the House wi agree to that And if he did, he wouldn’t be a Democratic leader anymore. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 4:02 pm: - ArchPundit - With great respect, Leader Currie wouldn’t either…. … Follow me? With respect. - ArchPundit - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 4:03 pm: ===Follow me? We are in complete agreement. - Whatever - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 4:22 pm: RNUG @ 12:34 ==By Jove, I think you are on it! Absolutely guaranteed high interest / no risk returns for those who can buy the bonds in this low interest rate / high risk era. But let’s think big! Even though there is NO logical reason to do so and will actually cost more than the current path, float the $111B pension debt also. Happy days for investors!== Sounds great, until those flaming idiots in Congress take our “States should be able to file bankruptcy” rhetoric seriously, and we’ll wind up with a fully-funded pension trust and Rauners’ friends holding a bunch of worthless paper. Or is that what you really wanted? - cdog - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 4:34 pm: @ Whatever, Sounds like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels or Get Shorty. Double-cross the double cross. - SweetLou86 - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 4:56 pm: Just calling something “bipartisan” doesn’t make it so - Enviro - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 5:08 pm: Rauner asks again for capitulation - peon - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 5:46 pm: This is very weak as a political op-ed but makes much more sense if you think like a CEO not a politician. When a CEO makes a public statement about what he wants, middle management (his view of Madigan and Cullerton), lower middle management (Radogno & Durkin), and the cubicle farm (representatives and senators) fall over themselves to get aligned. No-one argues with the CEO so factual details or consistency aren’t important either. It’s hard to break old habits. This would be fine as a note from the CEO in the company newsletter. - Anon - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 6:14 pm: Then govern and negotiate instead of holding state hostage over your dam turnaround agenda. - The Equalizer - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 8:53 pm: Another hollow op-ed filled with buzzwords and misnomers. Alas for our state. - Sense of a Goose - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 9:34 pm: Letter to the Editor = Showboat Call the Speaker and Stop Campaigning = Sincere attempt to solve the problem - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:06 pm: ‘I can’t help it that Rauner can’t count to 60 or 30…’ I can’t help it that Madigan can’t count to 71. Madigan is guilty of the same hubris, selfishness and stubbornness as Rauner. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:12 pm: ===I can’t help it that Madigan can’t count to 71. Madigan is guilty of the same hubris, selfishness and stubbornness as Rauner.=== LOL! Ever heard of Jack Franks or Scott Drury? Ken Dunkin is still in the House. Madigan does not have a working supermajority. If you followed along, you’d know that. Please, keep up. - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 10:56 pm: It’s a show being performed by two prima donnas. Rauner pushes proposals that have no chance of becoming law while Madigan runs bills that have no chance of becoming law. He puts on a show just like Rauner, knowing he lacks 71 votes and knowing he has made no effort to compromise in search of those 71 votes. Meanwhile the clock runs as people pay the price while they go through the motions. Neither of them is more virtuous than the other. - No Use For A Name - Thursday, Apr 7, 16 @ 11:01 pm: But you already know that. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 8, 16 @ 1:40 am: ===Neither of them is more virtuous than the other.=== @RonSandack: I’m frustrated 2, but taking steps towards reforming IL more important than short term budget stalemate. - Ron Sandack, 9/2 Nope. Rauner wanted this. Rauner forced this. It’s part of Rauner’s plan. But you already know that…. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 8, 16 @ 1:54 am: ===He puts on a show just like Rauner, knowing he lacks 71 votes and knowing he has made no effort to compromise in search of those 71 votes.=== Rauner leveraged Dunkin, or are you willfully ignorant of the $5 million spent for that leverage? LOL If Rauner was so sure Madigan couldn’t get 71, why would the alleged Republican governor spend so much money to tear away a Democratic legislator, and force that legislator to vote against his district? See, those 60+ failed veto override attempts put the onus on a governor’s veto, and the governor owning all those vetoes too. But you already know that… - Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 8, 16 @ 2:01 am: Co-Equal branches doesn’t mean co-equal responsibilities. An Executive refusing to fund higher ed, refusing to pay vendors, social services, vetoing Approps, those are choices by the Executive, invluding refusing to have a budget to fund their government, and show the monetary priorities an Administration has. The Legislative has no recourse if the Executive is leveraging inaction for an agenda, and the Executive, purposefully, makes sure vetoes stand, and inaction continues as leverage. @RonSandack: I’m frustrated 2, but taking steps towards reforming IL more important than short term budget stalemate. - Ron Sandack But you already know that… - No Use For A Name - Friday, Apr 8, 16 @ 8:47 am: This sort of strident insistence on blaming only one or the other is blind to the reality that both bear some of the blame here. Only a shill or a troll could be so one-sided in their view of reality. Such myopia is ruining our state. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 8, 16 @ 8:58 am: - No Use For A Name - So… you can’t refute my points or… Or… I already knew that… Right? Exactly right. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.