26 Comments - Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 2:57 pm: Good tone. Yes, it is just words, but we have to start somewhere. - Deft Wing - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:05 pm: Don’t worry, we’ve seen Cullerton act independently for a bit … only to be reined in by his boss Mike Madigan. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:07 pm: Cullerton isn’t the one I’m worried about… - RNUG - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:07 pm: Cullerton has always been willing, within limits, to make a deal IF he has a trustworthy partner to work with. The question is whether Rauner is that type of partner. - m - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:08 pm: Cullerton likes solutions, Madigan likes power. Unfortunately only one of them gets what he wants nearly every time. - Norseman - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:09 pm: Yada, yada, yada. We’ve heard the words. They seldom lead to real action. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:14 pm: - Deft Wing - Note - this is the deep end of the pool and your credibility is drowning with every ridiculous comment. How you want to be taken is up to you. To the Post, Also, it would benefit the Senate President if he could try to work with both Madigan and Rauner and not allow others to frame discussions as triangulations - Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:19 pm: Part of me admires Cullerton’s ability to focus on reaching a compromise. The bigger part of me want him to play hardball; nothing moves until Rauner submits a balanced budget. - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:20 pm: OW aka Chairman of Republicans for Madigan don’t kid yourself, Cullerton’s Senate is far more collegial than the House. Budget negotiations were far less contentious. Wonder why? - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:27 pm: Oh - Lucky Pierre - Making it about me isn’t making a point. Cullerton isn’t the problem… lol - Juvenal - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:27 pm: Cullerton reminds my of Charlie Brown sometimes. Absolutely convinces himself that Lucy will somehow behave differently with the football this time. there will be a budget when Rauner wants a budget, but if he wants to defrost things in Springfield, he oughta start by signing AFSCME contract. - GA Watcher - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:28 pm: Classic good cop, bad cop. - CCP Hostage - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:29 pm: Maybe I’ll join the optimism bandwagon tomorrow. Things don’t look bright and shiny today. - Deft Wing - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:29 pm: To -M-’s substantive point, over one year ago Rauner completely deferred to Cullerton on pension reform … Rauner literally said “we’ll use Cullerton’s bill as he writes it” and run that bill. But soon thereafter, Madigan didn’t like that bipartisan scenario, sans him, so rather than join in and participate, Madigan had Cullerton withdrew the bipartisan pension potential solution, because Boss Mike told Cullerton to stand down … and Cullerton did. And to this day there is no pension bill attempting to address the monster unfunded liability issue (see the other post on that little item), all because Madigan did not want to give Rauner any kind of win. Madigan likes power and wields it better than Cullerton likes solutions. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:34 pm: - Deft Wing - Explain Rauner already declaring the Pension deal done. Thanks. lol - DuPage - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:34 pm: @RNUG 3:07 ===Cullerton has always been willing, within limits, to make a deal IF he has a trustworthy partner to work with. The question is whether Rauner is that type of partner.=== No question about it. Rauner has proven himself to be untrustworthy over and over again. - Honeybear - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:35 pm: What was that saying OW? Don’t confuse activity with progress? - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:39 pm: - Honeybear - It’s achievement… achievement… confusing activity and achievement. lol - yeah - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:39 pm: The logjam will only break when Rauner decides to begin Governin’ and provides the Senate and House membership the written details of his Revenue ‘ask.’ We know we need a Revenue ‘ask’, as Rauners’ appointee directors have all presented their Appropriation ’spending request’ and we are billions short…two years in a row. Do not get faked out or optimistic until the Revenue Ask is made. - MOON - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:59 pm: Forget the TONE. We need action by all the participants. They are big boys and should be able to get over unkind words no matter who utters them. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 4:05 pm: Watch what they do, not what they say. Two weeks ago, Gov. Rauner and his doggie said they were “doing their part” to fight breast cancer, but the guy has slashed screening programs as leverage to advance a political agenda. There have been a number of instances the last two years where his actions do not match his words. So what does “tone” matter, when your words do not? https://capitolfax.com/2016/10/27/rauner-doesnt-escape-this-time/ - titan - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 4:07 pm: - Deft Wing - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 3:29 pm: The unfunded pension liability problem can’t be fixed by a new Bill (going forward, it was already fixed by the implementation of the Tier II class of employees). Going forward, making the current payments in as scheduled will avoid making the problem worse. The expensive problem, though, is the hole dug by skipped or shorted payments into the system - i.e. what the state “borrowed” from the pensions to pay for other stuff (and now has the bill coming due). There isn’t a way to lower the past debt with a new Bill. - Earnest - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 4:17 pm: I hope he’s right, but he hasn’t swayed my pessimism. - cgo75 - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 4:29 pm: Republican for Madigan here too! - Archiesmom - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 4:42 pm: The only grown-up is back in the room. - Whatever - Wednesday, Nov 9, 16 @ 5:07 pm: Deft Wing ==so rather than join in and participate, Madigan had Cullerton withdrew the bipartisan pension potential solution, because Boss Mike told Cullerton to stand down … and Cullerton did.== Which specific bill was that again? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.