101 Comments - Mama - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:58 am: It’s called fear of the ballot box. - Illinoised - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:58 am: I was angry when they did it, am angrier now. Did not understand why they allowed it, still don’t. - Anon - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 9:59 am: It never should have included a sunset to begin with. That was the worst decision ever, but the Dems miscalculated on that too. - South of Sherman - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:01 am: So true. Not to take anything away from Rauner’s ability to inflict damage, but had the Democrats been more concerned with fiscal reality and less with the next election or affixing blame to the other side, they could have avoided so much of this upheaval — and taken away Rauner’s bludgeon. - Interested - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:01 am: Remember that it was Speaker Madigan who insisted that there be a January 2016 sunset on the original tax increase… - Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:01 am: Isn’t it amazing that one man who “can’t be controlled by special interests” can just completely wreck a state? You know, special interests like children, college students, the elderly, the addicted, the mentally ill, not to mention all the taxpayers who will be paying for this horrendous management (with interest) in the future. Those special interests. I never thought they should have let the tax expire, but when politicians are asked to do the easy thing, they do. - Sir Reel - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:02 am: It was a bad decision to enact a temporary tax increase. It was a bad decision to let it expire. In Illinois it seems politics outweigh good decisions. Democrats thought they had the new Governor in the corner. Rauner thought he had the Democrats in a corner. Power plays while the state suffers. - Warthog - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:03 am: So, with all the political experience and savviness MJM and Brown have, they were outfoxed by a political newbie. And the political newbie has outfoxed them a few other times. Stunning! - Grandson of Man - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:06 am: Excellent points, Rich and commenter. Democrats should have made the tax increase permanent. I see that this was a humongous mistake and is costing us dearly. - City Zen - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:07 am: Where does the unfunded mandate of changing the AAI formula for pensions from simple to compounded interest rank in the “not the wisest decision” league? - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:09 am: Things that are not mutually exclusive… Unquestionably, the sunsetting was the absolute worst idea and every day Illinois pays the price. That is on the General Assembly leaders, the Democratic Leaders. That’s the governmental. That’s above is absolutely true. This is also true, and not mutually exclusive… Governor-Elect Rauner, advocating and lobbying for the sunsetting to expire was a rookie mistake, even if it was to leverage his agenda by squeezing Illinois so badly with less revenue, and not, as governor, choosing people over agenda, when the rolling back and the squeezing became “too much” for the state and state government. Imagine the unquestioned leverage Gov. Rauner and Raunerites would have now… had they silently let the revenue rate expire. Rauner asked, the Democrats, with unforeseen cover, obliged, taking away a Rauner political point. That is the political, nothing inherent to the governing, but as true of a mistake none the less. Reality? Illinois was mismanaged in understanding a fundamental… Revenues must cover expenses. The Democrats failed in the governing in that, Rauner made sure politically everyone well after that roll back felt the consequences. - Nick Name - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:10 am: Also boneheaded: letting it expire in the middle of a fiscal year. And in an election year. How were they supposed to craft a budget in 2014 when no one had the backbone to try to make the tax hike permanent while running for re-election? - Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:10 am: Not only was having a sunset a bad idea, but the worst, I think, was having the tax sunset in the middle of a fiscal year during an election. Basically, the head of the Democratic Party made certain that the Democratic candidate couldn’t win. Who thinks running on tax increases is good strategy (Mondale not withstanding)? - 47th Ward - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:11 am: I remember wondering at the time what the heck Madigan and others were thinking when they passed a temporary tax hike. As bad as that vote was, adding the sunset provision meant they’d just have to vote for it again in four years and it wasn’t going to be any easier the next time. IIRC, since Illinois created the income tax in 1970, every time it’s been raised since, the increase was always temporary. Does anybody know why that is? It seems to be Madigan’s preference and I’d love to know if there is a reason for it. - Jocko - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:12 am: Keep in mind that, despite evidence to the contrary, MJM and JC were told by someone close to Bruce that he didn’t have a social agenda. - justacitizen - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:12 am: Brown has the second worst job ever-defending MM on a daily basis. I know ck’s job has gotta be the worst. lol - Anonymous - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:16 am: City Zen, many state employees pay a contribution out of their paycheck towards the AAI. - Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:19 am: ===It seems to be Madigan’s preference and I’d love to know if there is a reason for it=== He loves him some sunsets. Forces everybody to come back to him, which translates into more for MJM. - Anonymous - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:19 am: Without Rauners explicit support, a vote to keep the tax rate at 5 would have been a partisan vote. And the Ds were not about to take full credit / blame for keeping revenue up. RaunerRauner said the rate should fall, and he should’ve had a plan to balance the budget. He didn’t, and still doesn’t, and still won’t acknowledge that he needs revenue. That’s on him. You can’t blame the legislature when the chief executive refuses to do his job. - Norseman - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:20 am: === Did not understand why they allowed it, still don’t. === They allowed it because Rauner got elected, not because Rauner asked for it. As all know voting for taxes is a political risk. They would have taken that risk if Quinn got re-elected because they knew the problems that would ensue. Dems, and most certainly Madigan, figured that they’d let Rauner flop around trying to solve the problems and then share the hard political votes with the GOP. Unfortunately, they miscalculated and got a gov who didn’t care if he took the state back to the stone ages to accomplish his own agenda - killing unions, lowering costs to businesses and politically damaging the Dems. Where is Mr. Peabody and his Wayback Machine? - Very fed up - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:20 am: There is a price to pay for continuously reelecting a leader whose primary consideration in major decisions is politics and not how they affect the rest of us. - Downstate - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:24 am: Certainly a counter argument that a long tenure in elected office makes them much better to govern. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:25 am: ===They (The GA Democrats at the time) allowed it because Rauner got elected, not because Rauner asked for it.=== This is “more true”, my point has always been the Democrats were going to do exactly as - Norseman - suggests, that’s not up for discussion for me… … Rauner actively asking and congratulating the move, it allows a cover Democrats welcomed, and allowed a framing to included that they “obliged” the Governor-Elect. All that said (whew!), The damage caused has caused Illinois such harm, some irreparable harm. - GA Watcher - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:26 am: I agree with all that’s been said about how the temporary tx hike should have been made permanent from the get go and Rich’s comment about how the Speaker loves sunsets. I can, however, remember meetings with the Speaker and the Senate President who both said they did not have the votes within their respective caucuses at the time for a permanent increase, but did for a temporary one. - OneMan - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:26 am: I asked Senate President Cullerton about that once and he said it just never occurred to anyone what they were doing. It just never occurred to anyone what they were doing, should be added to the state seal somehow. - City Zen - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:28 am: ==City Zen, many state employees pay a contribution out of their paycheck towards the AAI.== Yes, but they were paying that same amount back when AAI was calculated at simple interest. Since taxes weren’t raised to pay for the formula change, I consider it an unfunded mandate and not the wisest decision. - Dance Band on the Titanic - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:28 am: I don’t recall Governor Rauner calling the sunset of the tax increase the worst decision ever. - Honeybear - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:29 am: Man this has been a day for truth telling hasn’t it? Nobody has clean hands. If only we could, as they say here “get us some get right”. - BK Bro - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:36 am: Curious how this will play out mathematically. How is it even possible for the projected spending (8B more than revenue) to actually occur? Does the state even have any reserves? If even Madigan (through Brown) acknowledges that cuts and revenue are needed, that could set up an opportunity for Rauner to seriously downsize the State bureaucracy. - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:37 am: The difficulty raising taxes or passing reforms is complicated by the fact for decades our legislators have been more concerned with short term self preservation than long term solutions. Hence on tough votes a sunset provision is built in as an escape hatch and passed by lame duck legislatures - Fore! - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:40 am: I’d agree that the Dems underestimated Rauner resolve to shut things down, but I don’t think that was behind their inaction on extending the tax increase. Had the legislature and Quinn extended the tax during the lame duck session, the outrage would have been much worse than it was in 2011. The governor’s race in ‘14 was a de facto referendum on the temporary tax increase — and extending it lost. Most rank-and-file Dems showed up for the lame duck session in January of ‘15 thinking something like: “why should we take all the political heat and extend the tax increase, so Rauner can cut ribbons for four years and brag about balance budgets? If he thinks he can run the government with $5 billion less revenue, let’s see him do it.” - Illinois Bob - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:46 am: Just curious. Has a Dem State Rep or Senator EVER been kicked out of office for voting for a tax increase? I can’t recall that in recent decades. It seems that most Dem voters should expect that from those Dems they elect. I agree that this was more about having a line with their hands out going to Lord Madigan, kissing his ring and ponying up some cash for him to extend their funding from the tax increase extension. Just like in Congress, many high tax supporters are all for tax “simplification”. That way the lobbyists need to come up with plenty of cash to put their tax breaks back into the code…. - JB13 - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:47 am: Why was the sunset included? Two reasons: 1) It boosts the power of the Democratic leaders. 2) Supporters of the tax increase never dreamed a scenario in which people might actually force them to abide by their promise to expire a tax increase. For once. Now they lack the resolve to do what they believe they must: take $1,000 per year, or more, out of the household budgets of Illinoisans - again - because they know they’ll have to give Rauner something more than the blame. Would be funny, if it weren’t so tragic. - Anon221 - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:50 am: Tax sunset- bad. Time to learn from all of the misjudgments and start moving forward. I realize the GA is going to want to drag their feet until after the General. But, if there are any with safe seats, I would recommend educating your constituents about the damage done to date, and what it will take to, once again, dig us out. All tax hikes cannot become local control tax hikes. Those are already happening, and will intensify in cost if real work is not done at the Capitol. It is also going to take the People of Ilkinous letting their legislators know that a tax hike is needed and they are willing to support that hard vote. For those that may have difficulty with a hike, increase tax credits/personal exemptions. We’ve done it before, and there is no reason we cannot do this again. And this time make it permanent! - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:50 am: ===because they know they’ll have to give Rauner something more than the blame.=== Um, no… Revenue is required, it’s not a give. Plus, $8 billion is greater then $7 billion. No gives for something required. That’s the rub, and been the rub for 18 months. Please keep up. - Anonymous - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:52 am: OK, so you learned for your mistakes. Cool. NOW RAISE TAXES. What? Rauner is blocking you? Then override him, yo. You can do that. Or are you going to make the same mistake twice? Perhaps a “mistake” isn’t really a mistake? - Anon221 - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:52 am: You would think spellcheck would catch and correct Illinois! Are we that broken??? - illinois manufacturer - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 10:54 am: I think Charlie Weaver said he could not find anyone who lost because of a tax vote.Might want to check with him. It does seem this nonsense is about Madigans emotional and political needs. It didn’t ep that he knew nothing about Ayn Rand or he would have know the gov cared for only 2 people. - Kasich Walker, Jr. - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:01 am: Intentionally or not, Rauner represents those who benefit from the failure and collapse of government. His actions and failure to act drives up the costs of borrowing without providing alternative revenues — just service cuts. It’s counterproductive conservative “starve the beast” orthodoxy as presented by Naomi Klein in Disaster Capitalism and so many others elsewhere. - BK Bro - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:10 am: Technically the 8 billion dollars in new revenue is not a one-way give. It could be 8 bil in cuts, or a combination of cuts and revenue. Fact is emphasized by Brown’s comments on how Madigan realizes the way out is not in cuts alone or revenue alone. - Norseman - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:13 am: === Author: ILPundit Comment: When we talk about how the democrats “let the income tax lapse”, can we also note that the then-Governor Elect launched a campaign right after the election pressuring the lame duck General Assembly to not lift the sunset on the income tax. Extending the tax hike was never an easy lift, but Gov-Elect Rauner raised the heat to make it nearly impossible. He wears a good part of the jacket for that, === Excellent point Pundit. - Dan Johnson - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:13 am: It’s a little rich (so to speak) to criticize the legislators who took the tough and eminently responsible vote to raise taxes and blame them for not raising taxes….enough. Meanwhile, all the legislators who voted against the tax increase — and the Governor who campaigned against it — are largely off the hook. It’s hard enough to raise taxes. But to blame the people who raised the income tax in order to bring our state out of our fiscal mess caused largely by keeping taxes lower than they should be is a little much. Look, ultimately we voters have to recognize there is no free lunch and we either pay our debts now with a 5% tax rate or we pay that plus interest later with a higher income tax rate. And saying the responsible move for four long years of paying our debt down was the second worst decision ever because it was only for four years until we voters had a chance to ratify that decision (or, unwisely, reject it) is more than a bit unfair. - fantasyland - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:14 am: Is it possible there was a reason for the sunset, other than Madigan’s love of sunsets? Perhaps there was a real belief the General Assembly and then-Governor Quinn would work out a solution to the fiscal crisis through pension reform, collective bargaining reform and other measures. At the time they were negotiation pension bills. They passed several bills the unions hated. The Governor had the unprecedented ability to remove people from the unions and negotiate healthcare for retirees. In the end Quinn couldn’t hack it. Just sayin’, it’s possible there were other things in play at the time. - Annonin' - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:17 am: Sorry to be late —busy catchin’ up on BigBrain Escape From Trump Media Events — yesterday at a railroad crossing, today adding more bureaucracy to state government. Capt Fax may remember the income tax hike was temporary because PQ had to do a bigger tax rate hike than he had campaigned on. He thought the temporary nature would persuade voters to love him in ‘14. No one agreed. Voters did not care and the unions picked wrong. The rate only went down part way because of the plan to sell bond to pay old bills. That did not happen cause the GOPies would not vote for the debt. BigBrain entered office with little or no idea how government works(still doesn’t show much) and did not realize how much $ he needed to keep the GOPies happy. Now he has destroyed higher ed and a lot of community healthcare and created an environment that a tax in late ‘16 or’17 seems pretty remote to all but the few BigBrain suckups that still exist. - Former State Employee - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:22 am: In response to rate above posting. When did Madigan obtain the ability to override a veto? Did I miss an election? - Louis G. Atsaves - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:29 am: ===”I don’t recall Governor Rauner calling the sunset of the tax increase the worst decision ever.”=== It wasn’t. If used constructively, the sunset provision would have forced all sides to the table to work things out. This Governor has repeatedly stated he would support tax increases so long as they were coupled with some reforms. The Democrats were not about to be “forced” into reforming mode, certainly not with what the Governor was proposing. So much for constructive reasoning. Alternatives to Rauner’s proposals were practically nonexistent in the eyes of the Democratic Leadership. End result? Oh, well. Lots of pain and suffering and a train wreck. Blame only Rauner? Nope. Plenty of blame to go around. - wordslinger - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:30 am: Everything’s “temporary.” Any GA, at any time, can chance any law whenever they want. For years, we’ve read tin-foil-hat types here posit that “there’s no such thing as a temporary tax increase; they’ll never let it expire.” Guess what? They were very wrong. Careful what you wish for, you just might get it. - Outsider - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:33 am: Spilt milk - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:36 am: === It wasn’t. If used constructively, the sunset provision would have forced all sides to the table to work things out. This Governor has repeatedly stated he would support tax increases so long as they were coupled with some reforms.=== - Louis G Atsaves - !!! You can’t leverage a required element of a budget for a want. That’s why Rauner has been “by all measurable ways” a complete failure. You are suggesting what is being abhorred, and not only suggesting, you are saying others failed… to being leveraged! “… the heck?!” Revenue is required, not a give. Can’t you understand this? - IllinoisBoi - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:37 am: “It just never occurred to anyone what they were doing.” And there, my friends, is Illinois governance in a nutshell. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:39 am: ===End result? Oh, well. Lots of pain and suffering and a train wreck.=== This speaks more to your personal character than anything else. This is utterly insane. Seriously… You say… ===Blame only Rauner? Nope. Plenty of blame to go around.=== But you start with this… ===It wasn’t. If used constructively, the sunset provision would have forced all sides to the table to work things out. This Governor has repeatedly stated he would support tax increases so long as they were coupled with some reforms.=== Rauner holding hostages IS a choice made only by Rauner. You just said that. Then you say Rauner has no blame? Are you even remotely trying? - Warthog - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:41 am: And the state income tax is still 25% higher than it was in 2010. - Keyser Soze - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:47 am: OK. So, which programs are going to be repealed? - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:50 am: OW, reform of state government, local govenments and our business environment is “required” not a give. How is it sustainable in it’s current form? Perhaps Wordslinger has some charts and graphs which back this up how the status quo is sustainable. Just raising taxes will not solve Illinois problems. Democrats are silent on any economic development proposals. Can’t you understand how this is required? - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:56 am: ===OW, reform of state government, local govenments and our business environment is “required” not a give. In what budgetary book? In what accounting class. Nope. Not a budgetary required element. Sorry. ===How is it sustainable in it’s current form?=== The sunsetting of the tax rate that Rauner supported did t help… ===Perhaps … some charts and graphs which back this up how the status quo is sustainable.=== It’s not all or nothing or succumb to Rauner or you want 100% of the status quo. Argue like an adult. Stop with the pretending. ===Just raising taxes will not solve Illinois problems.=== Right now, the monetary receive lost could certainly help. Why? Math is Math is Math. ===Democrats are silent on any economic development proposals. Can’t you understand how this is required?=== Governors own, they always do. “Pat Quinn failed” or have you forgotten? - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:12 pm: Rich, this line is so true on so many levels, the last minute maneuvering on the budget this year and previous years has been a colossal failure. “I asked Senate President Cullerton about that once and he said it just never occurred to anyone what they were doing. The perils of hurried passage are very real.” That quote should be on a giant plaque somewhere. Willy what tax rate is required for all of the spending the democrats want? Do you think the passing of the democrats budget would hurt our economy and accelerate the outward migration? Reasonable people know that reform is necessary. I would count you and several others among the unreasonable who disagree. - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:14 pm: OW here is your tortured logic in a nutshell. No reforms make it out of Mike Madigan’s rules committee and for that Rauner is a failure. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:21 pm: ===Reasonable people know that reform is necessary. I would count you and several others among the unreasonable who disagree.=== What do you base that on with me. Be very specific, cause, you know what’s coming? You ignorant comment you seem to forget when Rich listed reforms you can agree to… and I supported. Making it about me is t going to work, you are tiring in your willful ignorance. Let me know when you want me to pull up that Post, your comments… ===No reforms make it out of Mike Madigan’s rules committee and for that Rauner is a failure.=== 60 and 30, as it’s always been. 60 and 30. Rauner touts all these “Democrats”, but none stand with him to prove 60 and 30? It’s not tortured if it’s true, but it’s torturing your feeble arguments. What else ya got? - Dance Band on the Titanic - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:26 pm: LP - “reform of state government, local govenments and our business environment is “required” not a give.” Please explain how forcing local governments to freeze property taxes and allowing them to avoid collective bargaining solves the STATE budget problem. - Juvenal - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:33 pm: === It was, in retrospect, the [second] worst possible decision the Democrats could’ve made. === Rich, Democrats didn’t make that decision alone. Republicans were unanimous on the point. Democrats were divided. Topinka wasn’t there to unite them behind a plan to atleast extend the tax increase and phase it out. - Responsa - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:33 pm: I think Rich is pulling a sociology experiment on his commenters here. “Worst Decision Ever” post and and “It’s not my fault” post with their ensuing comment threads both on the same day. Priceless. It’s amazing how much good thinking and analysis go on in this blog when (many) participants take the time to search for truths and don’t just reflexively run to their own political corners and cover their heads while pointing fingers–somewhere else. Well done, Mr. Miller. - wordslinger - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:34 pm: –Perhaps Wordslinger has some charts and graphs which back this up how the status quo is sustainable. – I do not have any charts or graphs showing how running an $8 billion annual deficit, more than doubling the backlog of bills to $10 billion or decimating higher ed and contracted social service providers is sustainable. Perhaps you have some showing how your “reforms” begin to cover that nut that has been run up in the last 18 months. Status quo means “existing state of affairs.” Try not to step on your johnson, kid. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:37 pm: ===…a plan to atleast extend the tax increase and phase it out.=== I always felt the winning strategy was the Thompson Pivot, keep thru FY2016 the tax rate stable, FY2017 cut the difference in the hike and the original rate, then for FY2018, full repeal… Within those parameters, governing could be started. Democrats “obliged” Rauner, conplete sunsetting occurred. Hostage-taking won out too. But… the sunsetting was the Sin. - Mama - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:41 pm: “The tax hike] never should have included a sunset to begin with.” The legislature would not vote on more revenue without the sunset clause so… - Mama - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:52 pm: “I asked Senate President Cullerton about that once and he said it just never occurred to anyone what they were doing.” I find this very hard to believe. Cullerton is not that stupid. - A guy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:52 pm: Just too clever by half. It always was. The idea that the Dem Leaders were deferring to the new Governor on this? Laughable. Given their record of deference since, that was never plausible. The Speaker was attempting to put him in a box. Teach the newbie a lesson. It backfired. Badly. The Speaker wears the collar for this one. Whether the majority of folks here know it or not matters little. I think the Speaker knows it, and he’s been looking for a way out of it ever since. - fantasyland - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:55 pm: == Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 11:50 am: OW, reform of state government, local govenments and our business environment is “required” not a give. How is it sustainable in it’s current form? Perhaps Wordslinger has some charts and graphs which back this up how the status quo is sustainable. Just raising taxes will not solve Illinois problems. Democrats are silent on any economic development proposals. Can’t you understand how this is required? == You’re right - the status quo isn’t sustainable. You’re right - the democratic platform doesn’t seem to include an economic development proposal. But what “reforms” of state or local government will directly change the revenue projections in this state? None. The three biggest drains on our budget are pensions, federally mandated programs such as Medicaid, and education. The Illinois Supreme Court shut down attempts to change pensions. The feds aren’t changing federally mandated programs (we’ll see if Trump is elected). Education is the holy grail and less state spending means more local taxes. How will Rauner’s “reforms” change any of these items? - Demoralized - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 12:57 pm: ==Reasonable people know that reform is necessary. I would count you and several others among the unreasonable who disagree.== Lucky, I know it’s difficult for you to understand this fact, but opposing the Governor’s “reforms” does not mean that anyone disagrees that reforms are necessary. Get your head out of the world of absolutism and stop with your constant drive by press releases. - Warthog - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:13 pm: Mama, apparently he is. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:17 pm: === The idea that the Dem Leaders were deferring to the new Governor on this? Laughable.=== Then why did Rauner thank them for letting it sunset? Is that laughable too? That makes ZERO sense. Rauner decided to insert himself, now Rauner gets ZERO cover. Your interpretations are laughable. - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:24 pm: We have just finished 3 legislative sessions where zero reforms have been passed by the legislature. Until we can somehow convince businesses to invest here and grow jobs and tax revenue Illinois will continue to suffer lackluster economic growth. Having the highest unemployment in the nation depresses wages and increases spending on social services. - Anonymous - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:26 pm: It remains a booby trap. But, instead of a firecracker, it is nuclear. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:27 pm: ===We have just finished 3 legislative sessions where zero reforms have been passed by the legislature.=== 60 and 30, - Lucky Pierre -, that’s how it works. - Jocko - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:34 pm: ==zero reforms have been passed== Like what? Pension shirking? RtW? Collective Bargaining elimination? Let us know which of these will yield us 8 Billion. - Anonymous - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:35 pm: “…never occurred to anyone what they were doing…” That sounds so like the Democrats in Springfield. - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:38 pm: if the bill doesn’t get out of the rules committee Willy you don’t get the chance to have 60 and 30 and that is why Illinois doesn’t work - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:41 pm: - Lucky Pierre - How did Thompson, Edgar, and Ryan fare? Hmm. Rauner isn’t a victim. Governors that strive to governor get lots done. Lots. And without hostages. - Norseman - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:49 pm: Demoralized, you and Willy continue to try and have a reasoned discussion with Lucky. Both of you really need to give it up. Lucky is simply using the first grade version of the Rauner book of rhetoric. You guys deal with the multitude of dimensions regarding issues facing state government. All you are going to get by continuing to engage with this troll are the standard raunerisms from the basic primer like the “status quo” line, “it was their fault,” if your not for Rauner your against “reform,” yada, yada, yada. - TinyDancer(FKA Sue) - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:51 pm: =And the state income tax is still 25% higher than it was in 2010.= Relative comparisons are meaningless at best, deceptive at worst. - wordslinger - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:52 pm: –It backfired. Badly. The Speaker wears the collar for this one. – LOL, is that how you’re selling it in the precincts, Guy? Blame Madigan for the tax increase expiring? Not one GOP member voted for the tax increase, and not one would have voted to continue it. Yet the fact that it’s gone is a bad thing, according to you? - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:55 pm: I think Governors Edgar, Thompson and Ryan enjoyed the fact there was a Republican senate or at least less of a super majority to deal with as a check on Madigan. - BK Bro - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:56 pm: Still lol’ing at the situation this has created. Republicans refuse to let revenue go up if reforms or cuts aren’t made. Democrats refuse to let cuts or reforms be made unless revenue goes up. If the legislature was a person it would be shadow boxing itself. - A guy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:56 pm: ===How did Thompson, Edgar, and Ryan fare?==== With GOP majorities in the Senate. You’re welcome. And the true answer to your question is “poorly” in the eyes of history, just like their Dem counterparts. All of them got leveraged by the same guy. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:57 pm: - Lucky Pierre - Pate’s Gorillas had autonomy. Edgar had to deal with that… Your willful ignorance as - Norseman - points out is noted. - wordslinger - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:59 pm: –And the true answer to your question is “poorly” in the eyes of history, just like their Dem counterparts. All of them got leveraged by the same guy.– Another victim heard from. What an amazingly childish viewpoint of how the world works. - A guy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:59 pm: ===LOL, is that how you’re selling it in the precincts, Guy? Blame Madigan for the tax increase expiring? Not one GOP member voted for the tax increase, and not one would have voted to continue it. Yet the fact that it’s gone is a bad thing, according to you?=== Here you go Sling. In order: Yes, yes, and to the last one…Yes, but certainly not according to me. - Norseman - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 1:59 pm: === And the true answer to your question is “poorly” in the eyes of history, just like their Dem counterparts. === “Poorly” will be considered a highlight when history judges the damage wrought by Rauner. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 2:01 pm: ===And the true answer to your question is “poorly” in the eyes of history, just like their Dem counterparts. All of them got leveraged by the same guy.=== “Fire Madigan!” - A Guy -, the constant victim, lol. Edgar seemed pretty popular during and after his tenure. Are you saying Edgar and Thompson got nothing done? That’s fun. - A guy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 2:03 pm: ==“Poorly” will be considered a highlight when history judges the damage wrought by Rauner.=== We’ll know in 20 years Norse. Or does this one only get 20 months? - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 2:09 pm: ===We’ll know in 20 years Norse. Or does this one only get 20 months?=== How about when Rauner boards up Chicago State and Eastern, will we know then? When Western loses it Accredidation, will we know then? Crain’s says by every measure, Rauner has been a failure. By every measure… Crain’s endorsed Rauner… Bringing it back, to the Post, It’s not an accident that Brown can be this candid, given if Raunerites want to say this was a Dem thing, oh and it was, Rauner cheered it, ran on it, and applauded it. Rauner just shoulda kept quiet - Norseman - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 2:13 pm: A guy, just like the judgment on Blago I don’t think we’ll 20 years for the determination. As for “this one only” getting “20 months,” I truly wish that would be the case. Unfortunately, while governing is not Rauner’s thing, he does do propaganda superbly. That and money will probably propel him to another four years worth of destruction. - Nick Name - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 3:02 pm: “And the state income tax is still 25% higher than it was in 2010.” And it’s still lower than every state that borders Illinois. - A guy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 3:02 pm: Per usual fellas, it will largely depend on the Historian. - Mama - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 3:19 pm: The problem is the voters think good roads plus other goods & services the state provides are free. No one wants to pay higher taxes because they don’t understand what those goods and services cost. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 3:40 pm: - A Guy - Eastern and Chicago State close… that’s not necessary a career plus for an Illinois Governor… - Responsa - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 3:44 pm: ==The problem is the voters think good roads plus other goods & services the state provides are free. No one wants to pay higher taxes because they don’t understand what those goods and services cost.== Welp, certainly can’t blame the politicians for that! I mean, just look at the awesome election-time political ads this year and every election that focus hard on explaining to dumb voters why their taxes must be raised while promising that they will be. - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 3:56 pm: “Edgar seemed pretty popular at the time” The beginning of the Edgar ramp was popular. The middle and end are not. Always easier to kick the can than to reform - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 4:02 pm: ===Always easier to kick the can than to reform=== Like Rauner’s stopgap, lol - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 4:16 pm: I thought it was Cullerton who proposed the stop gap LOL - Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 4:37 pm: Aw - Lucky Pierre - You know the old saying, you sign it, you own it… - walker - Friday, Jul 15, 16 @ 5:45 pm: Fun to read how history is perceived, as time passes. As one of the last holdouts for acknowledging the requirement for a “permanent” increase, (it really didn’t have to be labeled at all), I recall internal meetings where I was convinced that we didn’t have the votes, where Madigan seemed to be convinced even he did not have the juice to force the votes, and where the Governor became convinced at last it couldn’t be passed, unless the tax increase was called “temporary” with a fixed schedule for reduction. It was “temporary” or nothing. Of course, I wasn’t all-seeing, and it’s hard to prove a negative. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.