40 Comments - illini97 - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:34 am: Are State employees “hard workin’” or overpaid AF-SCAMMY minions? Pick a lane. - very old soil - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:35 am: Very Trump like in his disdain for the rule of law. - Curious - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:36 am: Believe the audio from yesterday also has him citing her support for Worker’s Comp reform - specifically, casusation - as reason for the GA to undertake elements of his “reform” agenda. You don’t get to use her has a validator and then blast her for obstructing your agenda. Is there anybody staffing this guy? - anon - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:38 am: Rauner did not contend the Supreme Court was wrong. He just wants the AG to ignore the continued violation of the high court ruling. Incredible. If Obama did that, our GOP friends would be railing against the abuse of power. - Juice - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:40 am: very old soil, I’m really looking forward to the day that the Governor says a judge can’t impartially rule on State employee pay because the judge went to a CPS school. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:40 am: Rauner is just a hysterically funny caricature… State workers are overpaid, coddled, and lazy, and AFSCME is Af-Scammy… But… === “hard workin’ state employees”=== LOL! Dear state workers, If you believe Rauner even remotely cares about you, you are beyond help. You are lazy, but hard workin’… You are overpaid, but deserve every penny… Geez, Louise, don’t be fooled. Vote Accordingly when it comes to Raunerites, state workers. Do not be fooled. OW - Honeybear - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:40 am: Here it is. The nuke gets popped JULY 1. Nobody gets paid. This ironically could be the only thing that prevents The Great Labor war that Rauner has been preparing. My God it’s going to be near total devastation. - Nick Name - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:44 am: “Here it is. The nuke gets popped JULY 1. Nobody gets paid.” Do last year’s court orders expire at the end of FY ‘16? - Are Ya Kiddin' Me? - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:45 am: HMMM….just another of the many parallels between Rauner and Blago. Blago tried a couple of times to “pressure” AG into NOT doing her job. Umm Gov I would suggest that you learn how to do your job (govern)… bf trying to be AG. - cdog - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:46 am: TWO. YEAR. BUDGET. NOW. duh. Since the TA can now be put on hold, blah, blah, blah, get a budget, pay the bills, and see if the next GA is softer to the TA. btw, good luck with that. LOL! - Amalia - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:47 am: oh, yeah, attack Lisa Madigan. not smart. - Harry - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:48 am: Maybe Rauner thinks that state employees should just cash out some of the stock options they got in the big IPO, like he would do. - John Renolds - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:48 am: “Cuckoo” - Richard M Daley - My New Handle - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:50 am: Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, appeared on Bill Maher’s show recently. Adams had a very interesting take on Trump’s success as a candidate, one which applies to Rauner in some ways. In Adams’ view, it is that Trump uses persuasiveness as his appeal, facts do not persuade as much as appealing to more visceral attitudes. Rauner seems to operate in much the same manner. In this post, he appeals to the unfairness of working people not being paid, not to any facts that may detract from that appeal. It is salesmanship that informs his public addresses. Apparently, that is all he knows how to use, or cares to use, when speaking to a gathering. That so many buy into his arguments, without the facts to back up those arguments both appals me and frightens me. - illini - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:55 am: I’m not an attorney, but it seems to me that she is doing the job she was elected to do. Can the same be said about our Governor?????? - zatoichi - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:56 am: Don’t try to stop our state government employees from being paid. Don’t hold up salaries,” Rauner said. It is Madigan and Cullerton’s job to pass a balanced budget. What do ya mean I gotta present a balanced budget to them? When did that idea start? - Politically Incorrect - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:56 am: If the AG really would do her job, she would seek an injunction against ALL obligation activity. That means no State Fairs, No new purchases, and actually no money to pay utilities for services that have no budget authorization. This is all gamesmanship on both sides, but the reality is a full shut down is now due as the only thing that may produce movement on both sides. In an election year at the national level, neither party will want to be vilified for such harsh consequences. - Cubs in '16 - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:56 am: “I’m asking Attorney General Lisa Madigan: Don’t try to stop our state government employees from being paid. Don’t hold up salaries,” Rauner said. Cuz goshdarnit, that doesn’t fit the script where my ILRB forces them out on strike so I can further vilify them! - MOON - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 9:58 am: Rauner is trying to pit the Speaker against the AG. In my opinion the AG should go to court and and stop payment of salaries. This would force the Gov. to set aside his TA and focus on a budget. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:01 am: I wish AG Madigan would have been as interested in the law during the illegal pension law’s passing. I think we are and land of laws and the ISC made it clear that with out appropriations state employees should not be paid. That situation would provide the trigger (that we always seemed to have in the past) for Rauner to let the hostages go and hammer out a budget. - MissingG - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:07 am: Michael Madigan and the two branches of Illinois government he controls are no match for Rauner’s connection to down-home, hard-workin’ IllinoiSian families that are just tryin’ to make a decent livin’ in this crazy and corrupt world. - Georg Sande - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:08 am: “Back off” … ? - Ghost - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:08 am: since the gov has a 7billion hole in his budget how is he going to cover his proposed budget? Madigan should pass the govenors spending plan. then let the comptroller figure outnhow to issue warrants on the mythical savings contained in it - Just Because - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:16 am: Do you think he realizes his security detail staff are state employee’s…which has increased 3 to 6…. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:20 am: - Kate - I’d ask Ron “Hawk Harrelson” Sandack… “Who” tweets the Sox game in real time during floor session. Not a road any member should want to go down… - Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:22 am: This guy is a total shape shiftin’ politician, fighting for hard working state employees but bashing their unions. And this is coming from the IPI, to boot. AFSCME has a very high unionization rate, so that’s a lot of hard working employees and union bosses. It’s just like when he praised his work with government employee pensions but called them financial tumors lavish benefits brought by corrupt unions and politicians. - State Worker THX 1138 - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:32 am: Dear AG. Please stop my pay. It might be the only way out of this mess. Sincerely, Hard Workin’ Over Paid AFSCAMMY Minion State Worker with an identity crisis. - Qui Tam - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:47 am: = I wish AG Madigan would have been as interested in the law during the illegal pension law’s passing. = Agreed. Since the AG is a political position, there is clearly picking and choosing on which illegal state actions she decides to oppose, defend, or avoid. Policymakers engaging in and the AG defending clearly illegal actions sets a horrible example for state management and other management employees. - JS Mill - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:52 am: =She does whatever Speaker Michael J. Madigan tells her to do but she lies to her constituents and tells them she is independent of him.= I will give this to the GOP legislators, they don’t lie to their constituents. They come right out and tell them that they will do what ever Rauner tells them to do. I guess that makes them better. - scott aster - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 11:29 am: she sure is doing the job that her father elect her to do… not pay any attention to coruption especially in Chicago. Is she doing any work about Auditor Mautino and his 200k to the gas station??/ - DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 11:51 am: Seems ripe for a taxpayer lawsuit to enforce Supreme Court ruling if Madgan does not do her job Is anyone n Springfield don’t his/he job? - anon - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 11:51 am: == not pay any attention to corruption == How does Lisa Madigan compare to the last GOP AG, Jim Ryan? As I recall, he did not prosecute much political ocrruption either. Was he following the Speaker’s bidding too? - Biography - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:06 pm: Weird attack and shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the duties and responsibilities of the Attorney General. - Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:36 pm: If the AG sues, this would mark a second attempt at forcing a stoppage of payment to state employees (and forcing a shutdown) during the impasse. In contrast, Rauner insisted on paying state employees throughout the prior FLSA dispute and also continued paying AFSCME members even after the contract expired as rumors were being spread of a lockout. Democratic House Speaker refuses to compromise, meet privately with the Governor, or respond to peace gestures in kind + Democratic AG sues for a second time to stop payment of state employees and force a shutdown = Because Rauner? Not this time. There is no way to successfully spin that yarn as Rauner’s fault if the AG chooses to attempt this. - illinois manufacturer - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:42 pm: I think it expires July 1 anyway. Doesn’t sound like a loophole for essential workers….it will clash with Federal obligations……I also don’t think he IPO this companies …he seems t have found ways to drain the cash out and kill them. - Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 12:46 pm: ==Back off.== And well said. Unless Rauner knows she plans to file suit, this was unnecessary. Kudos to the AG and the AG’s press secretary for the cool head in their reply and encouraging the Gov and GA to work together. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 1:04 pm: I hope she does it. - Mama - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 5:45 pm: Rauner is trying to do the same thing by forcing the unions to strike! State workers don’t get paid during a strike. - RNUG - Tuesday, Jun 7, 16 @ 10:38 pm: Rauner wants the strike on his terms where he can portray the union employees as being in the wrong. He doesn’t want a strike over no pay because he failed to do his job; that won’t play in Peoria. - erik - Wednesday, Jun 8, 16 @ 8:54 am: can anybody answer the question as to whether the court order requiring payment to state employees expires July 1? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.