43 Comments - Anon - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:25 am: That’s pretty good. Keep painting Bruce as the failure he has shown himself to be. - Anonymous - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:27 am: Seriously, if Rauner had to deal with the rubber stamp Chicago City Council, he would have most of his agenda passed too. No comparison between the General Assembly and the City Council. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:31 am: While Rahm feels it was a cheap shot, and arguably, it was, for me, I think Crain’s said it best… “By nearly every measure, the state is worse off since Rauner took office.” So, yeah Rahm took a “cheapie”, but… Crain’s told the truth(?) - Anon - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:31 am: ===Seriously, if Rauner had to deal with the rubber stamp Chicago City Council=== Politics is an interesting profession. A pragmatic politician would recognize the lay of the land and make up of the legislature and govern according to what they’re capable of. There are a lot of things that the Governor could have gotten the legislature on board with, and there was a surprising amount of legislation that made it through — the Governor failed to provide a budget for FY 2016 and vetoed the one that was passed. The legislature let a tax increase expire because he asked them to and they trusted him to provide a solution. Lets not pretend that Rauner didn’t create his own crisis by coming in with ludicrous demands and calling for unconstitutional fiscal reforms. - DuPage Saint - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:33 am: Cheap but true - Demoralized - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:34 am: ==A pragmatic politician would recognize the lay of the land and make up of the legislature and govern according to what they’re capable of.== This times 10. This sentences sums up perfectly why the Governor has failed at governing. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:38 am: ===Seriously, if Rauner had to deal with the rubber stamp Chicago City Council, he would have most of his agenda passed too.=== I asked three things, and only 3; clean FY2015 Fix, (Good Friday Massacre Cuts), FY2016 Budget (A stopgap, destroying social services and higher ed in the meantime, maybe never to fully recover, and flip-flopping on even the idea of a stopgap numerous times after hijacking Cullerton’s last attempt at one) and Labor Peace (See yesterday’s memo from the Administration with the phantom September 1st date) It’s not a rubber stamp Rauner needed, it was that Rauner has refused to see governing within divided government beyond adversarial, and burning down the state is a-ok if Unions and state universities can be completely eliminated. - Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:38 am: Not cheap at all. At some point, the pragmatic has to the co-exist with the political. Rauner hasn’t understood this and that’s why, as Crain’s points out, we’re worse off now than we were 20 months ago. Rauner thinks he’s a genius. He’s not. He’s intellectually under-equipped to deal with the pragamatics of effective governing. - Ahoy! - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:43 am: I’m not sure I would say that raising taxes (I’m sorry, Pension Funding) is getting to declare victory. - AlfondoGonz - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:45 am: It’s refreshing to see a “cheap shot” as mundane as this one during this electoral season. - Anonymous - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:49 am: General Assembly: 177 legislators; Democratic majorities in House and Senate. Republican governor. Chicago City Hall: 50 alderman (49 Democrats). Democratic Mayor. Not comparable. - Jackie - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:50 am: Any comment from Rahm on the 65 homicides in Chicago during July? - crazybleedingheart - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:50 am: Awww. Our homely mayor finally figured out he only looks hot if he throws on a giant pair of shades and poses next to his ugliest friend. Added a sixth grade selfie expert to his revolving door staff, I guess. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:53 am: ===Not comparable=== Oh, you’re right. Rauner refuses to work with anyone unless he’s leveraging and holding hostage and STILL can’t get anything done… Rahm, while being vilified, can still get 26 votes to get things passed. Rahm can count, Rauner can’t - Sue - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 9:55 am: All Rahm GOTDONE was put thru some massive tax increases with more to come with no new revenue going to improve the lives of the average resident non public employee. Yea he is just great - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:02 am: Not comparable at all. Chicago’s economy is much better than the rest of the state. Fortune 500 companies are moving downtown to benefit from the resurgence of big cities and the fact that the young workers want to be there. Unemployment is much lower than the rest of the state. Unfortunatley the much of the rest of the state’s businesses outside of Chicago are competing with our neighboring states and not faring nearly as well. It is a shame democratic politicians can’t carve out the same exceptions they do for Chicago for the rest of the state - Jose Abreu's next homer - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:03 am: I’m always impressed that Rahm can work with 50 other people within his party. Praise Rahm!!! BTW Jose Abreu hasn’t homered since June 23rd….crumbs - Last Bull Moose - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:06 am: Rahm persuaded the City Council to accept reality and act on it. Major accomplishment. State government continues in competing fantasys. - RNUG - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:22 am: == All Rahm GOTDONE was put thru some massive tax increases with more to come with no new revenue going to improve the lives of the average resident non public employee. == Which needed to happen … and Rahm managed to round up the votes for it, which is quite an accomplishment because NO politician likes to vote for a tax increase. Yes, Chicago still has problems but the bankers are taking notice that Chicago is trying to get things in order. Not so for the State … - Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:29 am: There does seem a similarity between Rauner and Trump when it comes to understanding the realities of the job — and what it means (or, in Trump’s case, what it might mean) to actually *do* the job. My suspicion with Rauner has always been that no one told him what the *job* was — what he had to do. Rauner, I suspect, wanted the title — and the real or imaginary power that came with it — but none of the responsibility. In fact, I’d bet that no one actually talked to Rauner about the *responsibilities* of the job. It was probably all a lot of rich guy backslapping about how important it was to erode the lure of the left — and left-leaning policies — in the midwest. Now, Brownback’s got his defeat. Walker is more or less limping along after getting kicked hard in the primaries — and Michigan looks to be full-on Clinton territory now. What’s left is Rauner clinging to the dreamy stuff his rich friends told him to do. Or the dreamy stuff Rauner always wanted to do but couldn’t because he didn’t have the right title. It’s interesting. There’s definitely a shift — and it’s not in Rauner’s favor. - Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:29 am: … and after writing that my comment does not appear. *sigh* - chi - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:43 am: =Rahm managed to round up the votes for it= He has not yet rounded up the votes for it. - Anonymous - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:45 am: I would be more impressed with Rahm if he went to work on Day One and did not kick the can down the road during his first mayoral term as to addressing pensions and the like, but he was focused on reelection and he played the smoke and mirrors game (even vilifying Chuy Garcia as a master taxer to gain votes) until after the polls closed in 2015. Chicagoans are paying higher taxes and (once again) higher interest rates on public debts because of a mayor who delayed the inevitable day of reckoning in favor of Divvy Bikes and short-staffing the police department. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:49 am: ===Fortune 500 companies are moving downtown to benefit from the resurgence of big cities and the fact that the young workers want to be there.=== You may want t to pass that on to the Governor, he is still on this “death spiral” thingy, and it includes Chicago, and putting down Chicago as often as he can. Thanks. - Anon - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:52 am: OW, ===phantom September 1st date=== The cynic in me assumes they’re planning a lock out on September 1st and they’re going to call it a strike and blame labor. ===Rahm, while being vilified, can still get 26 votes to get things passed.=== Rauner’s done such a bad job governing it’s put folks in an odd place of having to defend Rahm. - Demoralized - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 10:53 am: Lucky Pierre: I get why you beat the same drum over and over. But you really should review the comment below and understand reality. You do what you can get done. Whining about what you can’t get done accomplishes nothing. ====A pragmatic politician would recognize the lay of the land and make up of the legislature and govern according to what they’re capable of.==== - anon - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 11:06 am: === Chicago’s economy is much better than the rest of the state. Fortune 500 companies are moving downtown…Unemployment is much lower than the rest of the state. === That state of affairs has happened under one-party Democratic rule. So do the Democrats get the credit for the healthy city economy? Silly question. - Johnyy Justice - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 11:10 am: To Oswego Wiley: Actually all Rahm needs from his City Council are 25 votes, since he casts the breaker! - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 11:20 am: ===The cynic in me assumes they’re planning a lock out on September 1st and they’re going to call it a strike and blame labor.=== That’s a big leap. With no strike vote with a September 1st date as its action day, (that I’m aware of), even the most ardent Rauner supporters would be hard pressed to say it’s a walkout… let alone the legality of Rauner even being able to lock out workers at this juncture. ===Rauner’s done such a bad job governing it’s put folks in an odd place of having to defend Rahm.=== Ain’t that the truth? But, I’m not defending Rahm as much as recognizing the cheap shot having “merit” but it’s a “cheapie” all the same. Thanks for your follow up. OW ===Actually all Rahm needs from his City Council are 25 votes, since he casts the breaker!=== Yep. That’s true, but if you can get 25 being vilified and beaten up as Rahm is, Rahm can “find” a 26th, and has, because, well, Rahm can count. You’re right, Rahm only needs 25. - Juvenal - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 12:26 pm: It was approved by the City Council because Rahm did the hard work up front of getting agreement from all of the parties around the table on the acceptable path forward, based on their shared interests and shared values. Rauner hasn’t shown a willingness to do that on a full year budget yet. When he does, an agreement will sail through the legislature just like his cuts to the FY15 budget sailed through, and just as the stopgap did. - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 12:38 pm: Democrats would get the 100% of the credit and blame for Chicago successes and problems as far as the government is concerned. Democrats in Springfield would get the 90 percent of the credit and blame for the condition of the state government because most of it predates Rauner and he is the only one is trying to change a broken system. The Democrats have proposed no reforms, they just complain about the “whining” of those that do - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 1:01 pm: Oh - Lucky Pierre - “By nearly every measure, the state is worse off since Rauner took office.” Governors own, like Crain’s points out, and history points out too… Ask candidate Rauner… Thems the breaks - Usually Silent Observer - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 1:21 pm: Oh, Lucky Pierre, it’s all or nothing with you, isn’t it? I think both parties have proposed approaches to resolve issues. Whether or not those proposals meet your definition of “reforms” may be a different story. Regardless, it’s easy to propose, but much harder to sell or defend a “reform.” I’m with Word on this one. If you are so sold on Governor Rauner’s reforms, then sell me on them. I’m convincible. Where are the numbers? Where is the evidence? I’ve been waiting. - Demoralized - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 2:11 pm: ==they just complain about the “whining” == There’s a reason for that. Because your whining gets you absolutely nowhere. It might make you feel better but it doesn’t accomplish a thing. Someday you’ll accept that you work on what you can actually GET DONE rather than what you WANT DONE. You’ve not grasped that concept yet. You see how well all of the whining has worked out for the Governor don’t you? Why do you think 2 1/2 more years of whining is going to change anything. You (and he) are wasting your breath and everyone else’s time. - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 2:16 pm: OW, by nearly every measure Illinois is worse off since Speaker Madigan took office. Rauner has zero responsibility for our pension crisis, our high property taxes , high workers comp insurance, our record units of local government .I could say the same for the Speaker. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 2:20 pm: - Lucky Pierre - I cited Crain’s Know what I mean? LOL - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 2:23 pm: The “whining” might not change the political classes opinions. Calling attention to Illinois problems is what motivates voters to change the makeup of the legislature. The Democrats politcal donors may be happy with he status quo but I doubt a majority of their voters are. - Demoralized - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 2:34 pm: ==The “whining” might not change the political classes opinions.== Sigh. It’s like talking to a brick wall. You have fun in “get nothing done” fantasy land while the rest of us work on things that can actually be accomplished and actually use our time constructively instead of constantly complaining. ==Rauner has zero responsibility== You tell us when he might share some. Because this constant victimhood schtick is pathetic. - Demoralized - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 2:36 pm: And Lucky, you might want to take your hyper partisan blinders off for half a second and actually think about what you write. To suggest that we’ve gotten to the point we’ve reached because of one man or one party is absolute nonsense. Many a politician from both parties has participated in this dance. - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 2:48 pm: Can you name any Republican reforms passed since George Ryan? - Demoralized - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 4:14 pm: ==Can you name any Republican reforms passed since George Ryan?== I don’t understand the question. Republican reforms? - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 4, 16 @ 5:49 pm: - Demoralized - I’m sure you’ll get some talking points back… - Anonymous - Friday, Aug 5, 16 @ 3:32 pm: I’m not a Rauner fan; but… – “The legislature let a tax increase expire because he asked them to and they trusted him to provide a solution.” Maybe I’m too cynical; but my perception is that they didn’t let the tax increase expire because they trusted him to provide a solution. My perception was they saw an opportunity to hang a big tax increase around his neck and he walked right into it to the detriment of everyone. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.