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Question of the day
Tuesday, Aug 16, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller * Interviewing Speaker Madigan’s press secretary isn’t ever an easy task because he’s done this so many times before and his motto is: Just because they ask a question doesn’t mean you have to answer it. But Dan Proft gave it a go and posted the video online. Kudos to both for doing this, but check out this exchange at the 10:30 mark…
* The full interview… * The Question: Speaker Madigan’s greatest single mistake?
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- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 11:50 am:
Rod.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 11:53 am:
In general, going for the political win instead of going for the good of the state, even if it would cost him a political win here or there.
- Concerned - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 11:55 am:
That one time when he admitted making a mistake about something.
- Dan Johnson - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 11:56 am:
I read in an old Illinois Issues article that he thinks one of the biggest mistakes was at the 1970 constitutional convention. He along with other delegates allowed the gubernatorial election to be scheduled in off-year elections, guaranteeing a smaller electorate.
We ought to move our gubernatorial elections to presidential years so we get the largest possible turnout, ensuring the person who wins has the most democratic legitimacy possible.
- Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 11:59 am:
Letting the fiscal ship sail as soon as George Ryan became governor. Spending became ridiculous at that point in time especially after the tech bubble burst and tax collections lagged. Then when the housing bubble burst during the Blago years, the budget became untenable. I feel like Madigan should have tried to be more restrained at that point in time. Though I understand after working with Edgar, there was a pent up demand for spending that Ryan was all to eager to take advantage of.
- Juvenal - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 11:59 am:
Remaining neutral in the 2002 Democratic primary for governor.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:00 pm:
That was cool, good on both for doing this. Great stuff.
“QOTD?”
Governmentally? If have to think the Pension Ramp debacle, the aftermath of setting it up and then all the pitfalls that follows.
Politically? I’d like to think the way wittingly, or unwittingly, making public the Lisa Madigan paradigm and Lisa’s written response as to why she chose not to run for governor.
Take away the family dynamic (it’s tough in this instance, but try), you have a Constitutional looking at moving on in a career, and to publicly, openly, make clear that waiting in a line for another career to end, that had to be tough, and the mistake there is letting all that fester to allow a public declaration to happen and be written as it was.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:01 pm:
His role in raiding the pension funds over the years is easily the single greatest mistake. He had plenty of GOP votes and a few GOP Governors that helped, but he’s the lone constant in this bit o’ sad history.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:03 pm:
I’ve only been involved in understanding state politics for as long as Rauner has been in office so I don’t know about Madigans single greatest mistake. But, I wish he hadn’t allowed the tax increase to expire. We’d have more money to pay our bills right now.
- Fred - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:04 pm:
Chronic pension non-funding.
(For the cynics: Failure to retire before the chickens came home.)
- Michael Westen - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:12 pm:
Not finding a candidate to take out Blago in the re-election campaign.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:16 pm:
Hmmmmm
Not stepping aside so Lisa could run.
- Dome Gnome - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:17 pm:
I agree with Honeybear. Who will blink first on revenue?
- skeptic - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:18 pm:
Same as the rest of them, pandering to voters who believe they can have their cake & eat it.
- titan - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:27 pm:
Letting the state’s fiscal situation get so bad - when it was an obvious danger for many decades
- Last Bull Moose - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:32 pm:
Allowing Rod B. to run for a second term after he had shown himself to be both inept and corrupt.
- Wensicia - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:33 pm:
Honeybear has it right. He should have pushed for making the tax hike permanent.
- Fairness and Fairness Only - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:33 pm:
I’d say the biggest mistakes were trading short term deals for a long term legacy. The years of fiscal irresponsibility and short term deals to satisfy a few (powerful few, but still the few) will cost him his legacy. With his tenure, he should be leaving office with a legacy. Instead, he’s commonly viewed as the driver of fiscal irresponsibility, lack of infrastructure improvement, overwhelming pension debt and associated bad policy, and corruption.
- Anon - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:39 pm:
Letting the temporary tax hike expire.
I mean, I get it. I trusted Rauner too.
- Deft Wing - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:40 pm:
Choosing power over policy.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:40 pm:
–Letting the fiscal ship sail as soon as George Ryan became governor.–
I would add that spending in and off itself it not bad. We spend on our priorities in the same way chine on hull guides a ship in the water. I’d say Madigan removed most of the chine from the hull. Thus the winds of momentary need or desire blew us wherever they may. Momentum (spending) is not the problem, to me. Direction and helm control, both maintained structurally by chine, is at issue.
Think of a sailing rig added to a canoe. To do this you have to add a centerboard to act a necessary chine. Without it the wind would push the canoe sideways in the water. With the centerboard you move forward when the winds come.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:45 pm:
The Pension ramp plan. fiscal policy that put off paying debts for the future, those kinds of decisions. too often the Gov and the GA refused to deal with revenue problems and used one time sources and defered payments so they didnt have to make a tough choice to fund or cut a program. now that debt needs to be corrected.
- Juvenal - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:48 pm:
I believe if Democrats had nominated Vallas in 2002, we would have passed a permanent tax hike in 2003, solving many of the budget problems mentioned.
I don’t know that Madigan could have singlehandedly rewritten the Constitution in 1970, and he certainly could not have passed a tax hike by himself in 1995.
But in 2002, he did have enough influence in a race that was close enough, and could have swung the election to Vallas. Most important, he had a sense of Rod’s character flaws.
- Ron Burgundy - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:55 pm:
General, but repeated - Giving his power base what it wanted for political expediency without having the revenue to pay for it.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:00 pm:
First of, Juvenal is not wrong on the Paul Vallas idea. Good catch.
I think the failure to demand and/or allow a new funding stream each time a new program was created along with underfunding pensions. The two are essentially one in the same. Now the debt payments are 20% of our budget.
- filmmaker prof - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:03 pm:
I’m going to go with Pension Reform bill. Fortunately for MM, Rauner came along so he was forgiven.
- Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:12 pm:
The whole pension crisis. They should have been fully funded from the moment they were set up.
- Responsa - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:20 pm:
Not working to take out Rod for a second Gov. term. Much of our state’s current malaise, laughingstock reputation, fiscal mess, and distrust of almost ALL politicians lies at Blago’s feet. That was the one time many people wish Madigan had used his political power and he bailed. I still don’t understand what he thought enabling a second Blago admin would buy him personally or politically, but I bet there’s a story there.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:24 pm:
We are a symbiotic system. Madigan gives rope for his opponent to hang themselves without acknowledging that allowing people to hand themselves hangs those that are attached to the political self victim. I know that is the nature of Real Politiks however, look where allowing the toddlers to fall off the wall, jungle gym, etc has gotten us. Sure it taught them a lesson by sending them to the ER, but we’re all the ones who’s insurance premiums go up because of all the visits. Or have to wait for our own treatments because Madigan is at the ER so much and demands to go first.
- Res Melius - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:40 pm:
Agreeing to the post George Ryan 2002 early out for retirees without adequately assessing at the potential fiscal consequences. Illinois really needs a professional nonpartisan fiscal analysis of these major initiatives like the CBO.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:46 pm:
===but I bet there’s a story there===
I wrote about why years ago.
- wazzup - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:51 pm:
Honeybear may be “actually right” but I am sure that he probably looks at the temporary tax hike as a political stroke of genius, he does not think it was a mistake.
I agree with the comments about pension raids and George Ryan era spending.
I disagree about Rod - he went along because he eyeballed the landscape and realized a party fight would be too costly for him. he hated Rod, but knew he could not back a challenger against him - but he did stop his whole agenda - again I think Madigan probably views that as a success.
Aside from pensions and over-spending under Governor Ryan - maybe Madigan’s other biggest mistakes were Paul Mangieri, Jane Byrne and Gary LaPaille.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 2:55 pm:
Different question: What was the plan here? Brown, a smart guy, is either unable or unwilling to call BS on Proft as the latter unleashes a stream of baloney and half-truths. Why did Madigan’s surrogate do the interview? What was the desired result? Was it achieved?
- bricklayer - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 2:56 pm:
Why would Brown even agree to do a low-budget Proft video? Seems beneath him. Maybe he got some scratch??
- Enviro - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 3:01 pm:
Allowing pension holidays.
- People Over Parties - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 3:10 pm:
His obsession with power. It hurts his perception with voters and his political legacy.
- Winnin' - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 4:33 pm:
One thing that distinguishes him is that, despite claims he is corrupt, he has never been charged, indicted, or convicted of the corruption that the governors and others accuse him of.
That’s not the question you asked, but its something worth noting.
I think his biggest regret is allowing Rauner to get elected.
- Anon III - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 4:40 pm:
mason @ 2:56 ===Why would Brown even agree to do a low-budget Proft video? Seems beneath him. ===?
Check those cargo shorts.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 9:36 pm:
Madigan tried to pass a permanent tax hike in 1997, coming very close.
The Edgar Plan sure would have eased our financial pain after the dot-Com collapse, Bush recession, and 9/11.
If he could have passed a permanent tax hike in 2010 he would have. By every account I have heard, pushing to make the tax hike temporary was the brainchild of Quinn.
Anyone who thinks Madigan is solely to blame for the state’s pension problems or could have fixed it himself is buying into comic book mythology about how state government actually works. Madigan is neither Lex Luthor nor the Green Lantern. Shorting pensions predates Madigan by 30 years.