31 Comments - Cubs in '16 - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 9:50 am: Not sure what Ms. Miller expected Madigan to say. “Okay, you’re right. I’ll give in to the governor’s demands”? - Joe M - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 9:50 am: I’m guessing that if Rauner responds to the UIUC resolution, it too will be a rehash of what Rauner has been saying. Will the News-Gazette cover Rauner’s letter and faculty response to it - with a similar article? - SinkingShip - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 9:53 am: You passed a resolution on a politically-charged question during a massive political crisis and are disappointed that a politician’s response was “too political”? I’d play my tiny violin, but systematic cuts to arts programs in public schools over the years resulted in me never learning how to play. - facts are stubborn things - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 9:56 am: mjm is now being faulted for saying the same thing for months…. That the number one problem facing Illinois is the budget! That Rauner needs to drop his personal agenda of non budget items. That we need a tax increase along with budget cuts. That we need to stop calling each other names and be professional. That problems are solved in moderation….. the nerve of the speaker. snark - facts are stubborn things - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 10:02 am: Fact, if Rauner would drop his turn around agenda, we would have a budget in a few weeks. Rauner is saying that yes we need a tax increase and yes we need budget cuts, but I won’t agree to that until you give me my non budget reforms. Well he knows we need cuts and revenue, then why make them contigent on his reforms?……because the budget is his leverage to get what he wants. He is hurting this state to get what he claims will help the state. Let’s get a budget and create a solid climate and then debate his turn around agenda. That is what elections are for. - DuPage - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 10:03 am: The only ones standing between the UIUC having their union’s ability to effectively represent the employees taken away are the Democrats. All the state universities and communities are in the crosshairs of Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda. Rauner is doing all he can to destroy public employee unions, and Madigan is doing all he can to stop Rauner. - facts are stubborn things - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 10:04 am: Sorry, for double post….forgot to enter my nickname. - Conn Smythe - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 10:05 am: Mrs. Miller’s attitude is indicative of the lack of leadership from the flagship University thus far with respect to the budget impasse. They carry a big stick and they’ve refused to whack either side with it. Pick a lane, gang, or watch the cars go by you. - A guy - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 10:12 am: The chorus is expanding. They’ve had enough. - Moe Berg - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 10:19 am: Oh, the high minded faculty of the university would never dare dirty themselves with uncouth state politics or need to pick a side and take a stand. They’re above such pettiness and prefer to live the life of the mind. Just give them their money and leave them out of that nastiness. If unions go away and some frail elderly woman on Chicago’s South Side loses her homecare worker, what’s it to them as long as they’re getting paid? Don’t know about the U of I, but at a lot of great universities, it’s the faculty senate types that are happy to see adjunct profs do most of the work and be treated like academic serfs - no/low benefits and poverty wages. Lots of elites, not just business types, disconnected from the realities of many of their fellow citizens’ lives. - OldIllini - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 10:26 am: ==The only ones standing between the UIUC having their union’s ability…== There is no faculty union at UIUC. Starting one would accelerate faculty departures. - northsider (the original) - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 10:40 am: Madigan’s letter was responsive, consistent and fairly gracious. It’s kind of rude of the Academic Senate to carp about that when the other person they wrote to ignored them. - IRLJ - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 10:55 am: Of course what he says is political. It’s a political problem. What worries me is that Madigan doesn’t spend enough time on whatever is his communications strategy. - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 11:18 am: If the Speaker truly believes the # 1 problem facing the state is the budget and the deficit will require a balance of cuts and revenues, why did he submit a budget without consultation with the Senate or Governor that had 3 billion more in spending than last year and no cuts? - illinois manufacturer - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 11:20 am: U of I had had this haughty attitude toward its state for a long time. I recall the legislature had to intervene on admissions. I think they wanted to limit in state or something. At that point I thought they should be privatized.That 600 million a year fund would keep all the others schools funded. - Justacitizen - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 11:22 am: ===Fact, if Rauner would drop his turn around agenda, we would have a budget in a few weeks. === Fact, if Madigan would consider turn around agenda issues, we would have a budget in a few weeks. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 11:27 am: @- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 11:18 am: =If the Speaker truly believes the # 1 problem facing the state is the budget and the deficit will require a balance of cuts and revenues, why did he submit a budget without consultation with the Senate or Governor that had 3 billion more in spending than last year and no cuts? = The speaker passed a budget that reflected the spending priorities of the house.. The speaker stated that his members are willing to work with the gov. on how to fill the gap with revenue and cuts to bring their budge into balance. If the house had passed a balanced budget with cuts and revenue the Gov. and the republicans would have bashed them for cutting programs and raising taxes. The Gov. has stated that we need new revenue and he will get the revenue increase he wants as long as republicans put votes on it as well. The key is that we need a budget for the state to operate. In addition to the budget, it is fair for the Gov. to use his bully pulpit and all of his political might to push his agenda. That is what elections are fore etc. Perhaps he could deal and give the dems something in exchange for part of his agenda. Perhaps if Rauner backed off trying to destroy unions and he quite bashing the speaker and the president we might get something done. - facts are stubbornthings - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 11:34 am: @ - Justacitizen - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 11:22 am: =fact, if Madigan would consider turn around agenda issues, we would have a budget in a few weeks. = Agreed, however, we must have a budget but we don’t have to have this turn around agenda. You are proposing that the dems agree to the turn around agenda in exchange for getting the blame for a tax increase that both sides have stated we need. Since both sides say we need a tax increase, why should the dems agree to the Gov. agenda in exchange for what everybody knows we need. - Federalist - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 11:55 am: Madigan is not a friend of public universities. But Rauner is their enemy. - Federalist - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 12:02 pm: Faculty at Western Illinois Uiversity are receiving a pay cut (perhaps permanent, maybe not). See below for details. Does anyone know what increases the Illinois State Police have received in the last 3 years and if they are going to receive one this year? Often they get more than anyone else it seems although perhaps times are different now. a http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/20160511/NEWS/160519928 - Boone's is Back - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 3:22 pm: UIUC ain’t gonna get any favorable treatment for MJM or the GA. Lots of bad blood around there. - Boone's is Back - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 3:22 pm: *from - CrazyHorse - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 3:34 pm: Madigan should’ve told them they would be following Radogno’s lead on higher ed. I’m sure that would be most impressive to them. - Federalist - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 3:36 pm: Boone’s is Back - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 3:22 pm: UIUC ain’t gonna get any favorable treatment for MJM or the GA. Lots of bad blood around there. More explanation as to the reason for this bad blood? - WIUOblivion - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 4:09 pm: Federalist 12:02 Let’s be clear that the WIU salary reduction (3 percent) and give-back (foregoing 1 percent raise due in 2016-17) was a negotiated agreement between union and university administration, ratified by vote of union members (I’m one). The purpose was to protect jobs and the university. Just mentioning this because faculty and faculty unions often get trashed for being self-serving — here’s a case where the faculty union stepped forward in a big way. - University President political Cartoon - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 4:12 pm: OK not really but can you name any? This is pretty rare a University President Political Cartoon http://www.wcpo.com/news/cartoons/cartoon-oh-no-santa-ono - Handle Bar Mustache - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 4:16 pm: ==Madigan’s letter was responsive, consistent and fairly gracious. It’s kind of rude of the Academic Senate to carp about that when the other person they wrote to ignored them.== bingo - Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 5:41 pm: Hilarious to hear college professors complain about Springfield politics. The political backstabbing, jockeying and chicanery that occurs daily in university departments would make Lucresia Borgia swoon. - Signal and Noise - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 6:41 pm: There are few more pretentious bodies in the state than the faculty senate at (insert university name here). No matter how many times Madigan points out that he wants to fund higher ed and the Governor has shown no desire to do so, they will turn their nose up and decry the politics while offering not a single actual solution. - illinois manufacturer - Wednesday, Jun 15, 16 @ 7:16 pm: Sad is what I would add. Faculty Senate are meaningless and powerless. The power sort of is with the union. I bet u of c has the most pretentious of all.. And yet it filled with adjunct….that joined SEIU….the union fighting for poor disabled people and the poor people that take care of them. - Mama - Thursday, Jun 16, 16 @ 12:17 am: What did they expect Madigan to say? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.