* Hannah Hilyard with WMBD interviewed the governor…
HILYARD: Would you say you’re proud of this stop- gap budget or are you disheartened it had to get to this point?”
RAUNER: Some of each of that. the reality is that it shows that the fact getting a stop-gap budget took so long, it shows how broken the system is. And plus, it’s only a six-month spending plan and it’s still not truly in balance. I can’t find a year when we’ve had a balanced budget in Illinois. this is our problem. We don’t have financial discipline or responsibility. We have been a one party state for 30 years. Speaker Madigan has controlled the majority and the General Assembly and controlled the spending, the deficits, the debt, the unfunded pensions for 30 years, and they’ve taken us into a crisis
HILYARD: A lot of finger pointing happening in the last, really two months and even here today. Do you take any responsibility for this stalemate up until last week?
RAUNER: Well, all of us have a job to do, we have a job to deliver results for the people of Illinois. you know, I’ve come in. I’m new in the job at 18 months. We’ve had a system that’s been broken for a long time. I’m trying my best to change it. We’ve got to change. We can’t just go with the status quo. There’s a lot on the line for November. The people of Illinois will be able to decide, do we want a continuation of the status quo, deficits, job loses, or are we going to get reform? [Emphasis added.]
The man knows how to stay on message. And he knows that if he talks long enough (there was a whole other paragraph after the one above), reporters will usually move on to something else because of time constraints. And she did.
* From WQAD…
“We stopped Speaker Madigan’s super majority from passing a $7 billion, out of balance, budget,” he said. “That was huge. We’re spending much less than what’s in that budget. That’s a big deal.”
The only reason they’re spending much less than Madigan’s budget is that he signed a mainly six-month stopgap budget, vs. MJM’s full-year budget. But, hey, all Madigan, all the time.
* The Whig…
“I think it’s going to be a time for the people of Illinois to decide — do they want to support the status quo or do they want to support reform? I honestly hope they support reformers,” Rauner said.
“If Speaker Madigan gets more power and a greater supermajority, the odds of reform go way down and the chance of a much bigger tax hike without reforms go up.”
Rauner said two-thirds of candidates for the Illinois Legislature this fall are running unopposed. He sees that as proof that term limits and legislative mapping reforms are needed.
* Register Star…
“We were able to stop Madigan’s supermajority’s $7 billion out-of-balance budget that passed the House; that would have been a disaster. We’ve kind of flattened off the cost curve on everything except pensions.
That’s an interesting way to describe “squeeze the beast.”
- Anon - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:28 am:
Boy it would be a whole lot easier to think he was sincere if he’d ever introduced a balanced budget for the state, like it’s his job to.
- Linus - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:31 am:
“We’ve kind of flattened everything–higher ed, mental health programs, addiction treatment, after school programs, homeless services, you name it–everything except pensions.”
There. Fixed it.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:32 am:
Rauner is going to win this messaging, not because it’s right or smart or even complex…
… one of the main reasons Rauner, continually, drills Madigan and wins the day… after day… is…
“What say you, House Democrats? What say you, Mike Madigan?”
If I get enough people to tell me my neighbor is an awful person, awful person, awful person… and my neighbor never talks to me…
Who am I going to believe?
What is going on with the HDems and Madigan?
The Ali strategy that beat Foreman isn’t very useful when this “Foreman” will spend millions drilling and will keep talking until he feels he’s drilled Madigan… one more time.
Anytime the HDems or Madigan want to help their own cause… feel free…
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:34 am:
–I can’t find a year when we’ve had a balanced budget in Illinois. this is our problem. –
Curious. Last month, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget told the rating agencies that the state had reduced the backlog of bills each year in FY13, 14 and 15.
How’d that happen if revenues didn’t exceed expenditures in those years?
Of course, the governor might not want to look too hard at his GOMB report.
It showed that the governor proposed an FY16 budget with a $4.4 billion deficit and an FY17 budget with a $6.6 billion deficit.
http://www.illinois.gov/gov/budget/capitalmarkets/Documents/Presentations/June%202016%20Summary%20of%20Ratings%20Presentation.pdf
- cover - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:34 am:
= We have been a one party state for 30 years. =
That must be news to Governors Thompson, Edgar, and Ryan. Then again, today’s GOP voter base probably would regard them as Democrats.
- Annonin' - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:37 am:
Capt Fax
This gets moer fun if you capture the image of all the rentals lined up on the grand staircase the nite BigBrain demanded his just invented and introduced stopgap — the one after he trashed Cullerton — they demanded immediate votes.
Had the GOPies got their way they would have denied school , colleges and universities about $800+ million. no MAP, human services screwed. Yikes will that be hard to explain. “Follow me” scream BigBrain as he screws your schools. Proft will have a field day. Oh wait he with the Trump GOTV program.
- Try-4-Truth - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:37 am:
OW, I see this differently.
In order for Gov. Rauner’s strategy to work, he has to transfer Speaker Madigan’s negatives to EVERY HDem and SDem, and probably Mendoza as well.
I don’t see that working. It’s why he’s pushing so hard for term limits and an “independent” map.
If Mendoza wins, and Madigan breaks even or picks up even one seat in November, Gov. Rauner will be very weak. The Governor needs to defend vulnerable R’s while picking off a few of the vulnerable D’s.
Can he do it? Sure, but that’s the ball game. If he can’t, he may become a lame-duck on Nov. 9th, 2016.
- Jocko - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:37 am:
==We were able to stop Madigan’s supermajority’s $7 billion out-of-balance budget…==
Yet no mention of the current $5.6 billion deficit that’s on it’s way to $14.6 billion at the end of the fiscal year.
- Langhorne - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:37 am:
–We’ve kind of flattened off the cost curve on everything except pensions.–
1 in 13 lose services, they are just part of “flattening the cost curve.” The political cartoon draws itself.
So, jim and christine– those are the results that will gain seats for you, if you just shout “reform” w a million ads?
- Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:44 am:
“New at the job” at 18 months?
Come on, Rauner. If anyone who worked for you said that, “Hey, man, I’ve been a year and a half — but I’m new. I don’t know how to deal with all this stuff. It’s not my fault.”
You’d fire that guy/gal on the spot. And then you’d talk about how that guy/gal wasted 18 months doing nothing.
So, yeah, bud — here’s a clue: you’re not new. You’re the governor. Stop campaigning, stop being impotent, and start being a statesman.
- Cubs in '16 - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:46 am:
OW,
Your neighbor analogy is good but I don’t see the benefit to HDems/Madigan to publicly counter every attack from Rauner. Couldn’t it be just as effective to let the results (or lack thereof) speak for themselves? Why shouldn’t they just sit back and let this governor “own”?
- JS Mill - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:47 am:
If the governors assertion is that we have been a one party state for thirty years is accurate, why is that?
Is it possible that the GOP has not and does not resonate at the local level with the majority of our voting population? Hmmm….
- Anotherretiree - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:48 am:
==flattened the cost curve==
Sounds so much better than squeezing kids with Autism
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:50 am:
–I’m new in the job at 18 months.–
Anyone out there, regardless of your politics:
Did you ever play the “I’m new in the job at 18 months” card as an excuse for lack of production and achievement?
How’d that work out for you?
I don’t know what planet the governor is from, but I’ve never had a gig where you could play that card at 18 weeks. I’ve had jobs where it wouldn’t fly at 18 days.
It’s embarrassing to hear a grown man talk like that.
- Norseman - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:53 am:
To: Social service providers, Higher Ed communities and medical providers
You’ve been flattened by Rauner. Hope you appreciate your sacrifice for this flattening. Note that your flattening will continue after the election.
You have a choice this November. Support the party that has labeled you the beast and advocates your squeezing and flattening or the other that has been advocating a balanced approach. Vote accordingly.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:58 am:
Let me be clear…
Chasing Rauner every time he talks or responding to every single remark Rauner makes is not what I’m advocating.
My take is saying nothing, purposeful, and all the time is allowing a framing to, and now has, stick as a strong negative.
I’ve constantly said, and still believe “fire Madigan” is an end of the day loser, and it’s not my rule, but governors own, been that way… way before and after Rauner…
… but not making any compelling argument in the macro… I’m not seeing anything beyond Ali’s Forman strategy.
What was so important about the rally Labor and Social Services had in Springfield, you know, the one that closed streets… was the rallying around messaging that took Rauber to task for his ridiculousness like these interviews.
I’m not hearing much of that messaging continuing, and further, that was a fear I had for all the participants.
One day feel good, next day… silence on the message.
That’s all.
- MOON - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:59 am:
TRY 4
I see Madigan and Cullerton loosing several seats but still maintaining a healthy majority.
Senate and House races are very local and this “Blame Madigan” only goes so far.
Money is important and Rauner certainly has an advantage.The Dems will be more than competitive with superior candidates and ample workers in the field.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:00 am:
==I’m new in the job at 18 months.==
This is how he refuses to own, to take responsibility. He talks about Madigan’s 30 years, but what has his eighteen months cost this state, cost social services, universities and colleges, the elderly, mentally ill, and disabled? How many thousands have lost jobs, MAP grants, scholarships? Proportion this over a thirty year period and how is he not worse than Madigan?
Two years from now he’ll be running for reelection and saying “I’m new in the job at 42 months, and I need your vote to help me stop Madigan. All of this is still his fault and his alone.”
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:01 am:
==flattened the cost curve==
Sounds so much better than squeezing kids with Autism–
Or premeditated bad-faith in signing contracts.
- Union Leader - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:01 am:
In my workplace, you get a one year probation, if you can’t make it within the year, you get canned.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:05 am:
“and a greater supermajority” is that like a Super-Duper majority?
Our governor is so frail….
- Norseman - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:05 am:
=== Yet no mention of the current $5.6 billion deficit that’s on it’s way to $14.6 billion at the end of the fiscal year. ===
Flattened, not hardly.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:14 am:
37.5% through the term is still “new at the job?”
- Handle Bar Mustache - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:16 am:
==We’ve kind of flattened off the cost curve on everything==
Higher Ed:
FY15: $1.2 billion
FY16: $350 million
FY17: $645 million
I’d call that more than “kind of flattening off the cost curve”…
- Huh? - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:18 am:
“The reality is that it shows when I set aside my turn around agenda, we were able to agree on a short term budget. The stop gap budget allows me to kick the can down the road for another 6 months while I continue to try and break Madigan’s super majority grip on Illinois.”
Fixed it for you.
- @MisterJayEm - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:28 am:
“I’m new in the job at 18 months.”
My brother was no Audie Murphy, but 18 months after he arrived at Ft. Benning for basic training, he 1) had been promoted three times, 2) was leading a mechanized infantry fireteam, and 3) was serving as the combat medic for his unit.
A person can learn to do many new and important tasks in just 18 months, provided you care to learn.
– MrJM
- Mama - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:35 am:
Of course its all Madigan, because Madigan is a leader - he knows how to lead.
Its not Rauner because the man has no record of leadership. Rauner has not governed since he has been in office. Rauner’s only accomplishment is being a professional campaigner.
- Try-4-Truth - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:41 am:
Moon — Help me out. Which seats do you think will flip from D to R?
- ZC - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:44 am:
Very good campaigner. Awesome message delivery. Good with media.
Still an atrocious governor. Probably the reason he’s still running for office 18 months after he was elected.
- MOON - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:51 am:
TRY4
I do not want to say at this time. Will fill you in later.
However, in the House Franks seat will go GOP.
- GlimmerGirl - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:51 am:
Social service cuts are scary, but it’s also short-sighted to cut tourism– every dollar invested in tourism has at least a 10:1 ROI. And it’s crazy to not invest in & maintain state tourism sites. Our little neighbor to the east Indiana has been doing a fantastic job with their state park system…and their Bicentennial celebration. I’ll go to Indiana for vacay and spend my hard earned dollars there.
- Lester Holt's Mustache - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:52 am:
I wonder how many of the mushrooms are tired of these daily attacks that go by with, at best, a short response from Steve Brown and often nothing at all. Every other Dem leader in America would have a response to this stuff before the ink was dry. You can talk about the chess master Mike Madigan all you want, but his lack of a communications strategy is a clear problem. This isn’t 1997 anymore with a poorly funded HGOP operation to go up against, and maybe I just don’t know how effective direct mail is nowadays. If he is at all interested in keeping his current number of Dem legislators, he needs to move into the 21st century pronto.
- DuPage Saint - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:57 am:
Only 18 months on job. He must be a slow learner. If we had term limits he would probably be forced out before he got the hang of the job
- DuPage Dave - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:59 am:
People don’t like Rauner. People don’t like Madigan. But except for one district, no one votes for Madigan.
People vote for their guy, who they generally like quite a bit. Quite often, their guy doesn’t even have an opponent.
Then their guy goes to Springfield and votes for Madigan as Speaker. That’s the way it’s supposed to work, although I don’t think Rauner understands legislative process very well.
- Huh? - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 12:02 pm:
“HILYARD: … Do you take any responsibility for this stalemate up until last week?
RAUNER: No. It’s Madigan’s fault for not passing my business friendly turn around agenda to grow the economy.”
Fixed it for you.
- MOON - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 12:02 pm:
DuPage
You hit the nail on the head.
- illini - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 12:11 pm:
==I’m new in the job at 18 months.==
I am reminded of a comment a SrVP of a real estate company I went to work for after college said to me 40 years ago. His comment was to the effect that “There is a world of difference between someone having 20 years experience in this field and someone who has had one year of experience repeated 20 times.”
Same applies here!
- Anon221 - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 12:16 pm:
Reporters should be realizing by now that letting Rauner stay on message only turns the interview into an infomercial. Time to really start interrupting and forcing the hardball questions, even if that means he might proclaim last question!
- Huh? - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 12:26 pm:
“There is a world of difference between someone having 20 years experience in this field and someone who has had one year of experience repeated 20 times.”
The presumption is that first person learned from their mistakes and increased their knowledge to become more effective in their field.
I am not convinced that 1.4% has the desire or inclination to learn from his mistakes. He has 1 goal only, to pass his agenda.
- Try-4-Truth - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 12:45 pm:
Moon — Yes, you are correct. I suspect Cabello’s seat will flip though as well. If that happens, it’s a wash.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 1:36 pm:
As with ASFSCME, Rauner has not produced a balance budget, he doesn’t have the skill set to present a balanced budget.
& Thanks to Bruce, the Republican Party as we know it will suffer generational irreparable harm.
- James Knell - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 1:38 pm:
I agree with Oswego Willy that Madigan, Cullerton, et. al. need to get out there and get their message across like Rauner. This is typical mid-term election dynamic. Low information people only hear the Republican reality followed by ad bombardment. Seriously, I am tired of losing elections to bad people with bad policies for bad reasons. DO SOMETHING!
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 2:39 pm:
He’s new at this job after 18 months? Do you think he knows he’s only elected for 48 months so he might want to get on the ball as far as getting up to speed goes.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 3:27 pm:
18 months after AA Jr. received his Naval Aviator’s wings, he was dropping ordnance in Afghanistan and landing his aircraft on a carrier.
Grow up, Bruce.
- Rod - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 4:23 pm:
I have to say that Rep Ives got it right by voting no on the stop gap. If you actually believe in this war with the Democrats and a full scale conversion to a fully business climate in Illinois, which I don’t by the way, then the stop gap was a full victory for the Speaker. Rep Ives who was on WTTW was also correct that voting for the stop gap would eventually require voting for a tax increase.
No greater admission from a Republican of the defeat of Governor Rauner can be made than by Rep Ives when she said on WTTW: “It was Mike Madigan that put the Governor’s back against the wall and threatened schools not opening.” http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2016/07/05/opponents-state-stopgap-budget-explain-their-votes
Case closed, the Speaker won by holding firm even when President Cullerton waivered in trying to be above the fray.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 4:28 pm:
–”It was Mike Madigan that put the Governor’s back against the wall and threatened schools not opening.”–
Nonsense.
How many votes do you think the All-Powerful Madigan could have kept in line to keep schools from opening, if that was his wish?
You wouldn’t have to take off your shoes to count them up.
- Rod - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 5:16 pm:
On that issue Word the Governor blinked first, so it doesn’t matter really. I think that was implicit in what Rep Ives said on the show.
- Rabid - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 7:21 pm:
My govenor has branded himself a tyro neophyte