Time for a “real” budget?
Monday, Nov 28, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The House Democrats have lately taken to demanding that Gov. Rauner produce a “real” budget plan…
The governor and leaders are meeting as Illinois approaches a deadline: When 2016 is over, so is a temporary spending plan.
Rauner continues to prioritize an agenda he says will grow the economy in the long run; Democrats continue to resist those plans.
House Speaker Michael Madigan’s spokesman, Steve Brown, says passing a budget should come first. Madigan has brought in one rank-and-file legislator, Chicago Democratic Rep. Greg Harris, to be part of budget discussions, and says Madigan will call for other legislators to do the same.
“It’s one thing to say ‘Well, we’ll do a budget and then we’ll do these other matters and then maybe we’ll find a way to fund it. I think people have fundamental questions about the budget as the first step,” Brown said. “What’s going to be in that budget? Are you going to continue to devastate higher education, for example? Are you going to continue to put real … limits on some of the social service programs, around there? How do you expect them to function? And so I think there’s key questions on the budget that have to be answered.”
* But a Tribune columnist claims Rauner has already done so…
One of the naysayers’ favorite ways to shift blame for the state’s financial mess is to assert that Rauner never introduced legitimate, authentic, balanced budgets.
False, false and false.
The first budget Rauner balanced in 2015 was the remainder of the 2014 budget that Democrats knowingly underfunded and then left in his lap. Then Rauner introduced a budget for fiscal year 2016 — the 12 months that ended June 30 — that anticipated savings from pension reform. The savings were dependent on the Illinois Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of altering pension benefits.
But a few months after Rauner introduced that budget, the court struck down the pension changes. Yes, a hole was blown into Rauner’s budget. But not because he was playing games or was derelict in his duty. […]
This year, Rauner essentially introduced two budgets. The first included a hole that his aides openly acknowledged and planned to fill with new taxes, if the legislature would agree to reforms. If the legislature didn’t agree to a compromise and new revenue, Rauner proposed a backup budget that would have required the General Assembly to untie his hands. He would make cuts himself, but he needed the legislature to unlock the handcuffs that mandate certain spending practices, such as Medicaid rates.
But he didn’t actually propose any of those specific cuts this year. He just left a gigantic hole in the budget and said they’d somehow work it all out. That wasn’t a “legitimate, authentic, balanced” budget in any way, shape or form.
- Arsenal - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:37 am:
I guess I don’t really remember, but I don’t think anyone found that Quinn fulfilled his budgetary duties when he tried the Two Budgets gimmick.
And I mean, in absolute terms, it doesn’t seem like “Here’s two budgets; both have holes, one I’ll fill with unspecified taxed, one I’ll fill with unspecified cuts” doesn’t really seem to be the kind of thorough plan we were looking for.
- Romeo - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:38 am:
Well, we only have 707 more days until the 2018 gubernatorial election. Doubt that progress will be made before then, unless we elect Brucie again.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:39 am:
===False, false and false.===
What color is the sky in the world she inhabits? Does she even read her own paper? It’s a wonder she kept her turkey down after all of that spinning.
- Cubs in '16 - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:42 am:
===That wasn’t a “legitimate, authentic, balanced” budget in any way, shape or form.===
Neither is a budget reliant on fictional ’savings’ based on an unconstitutional idea (altering pension benefits).
- City Zen - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:43 am:
The over/under on the new state income tax rate is 4.74%. Place your bets.
- old pol - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:46 am:
Distractions, Distractions, Distractions. The GA has for years repeatedly ignored budgets submitted by Governors, now they claim they can’t do their work without one. Because the GA is the only branch that can pass a budget, they should stop the distractions and get to work.
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:48 am:
Rauner doesn’t own tronc, but he may have a lease-with-an-option on the ed board
- Rod - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:49 am:
I simply can’t understand why any Republicans would want to adopt a full budget prior to seeing what federal mandates for various social welfare matching funds can be eliminated by the incoming Trump administration. Even k-12 funding could be radically different if Betsy DeVos is able to push through a national requirement for school vouchers. On the other hands things could get worse for Democrats for state budgets of the future.
- Porgy Tirebiter - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:51 am:
Tronc? Is that bulgerian for “the dog ate his homework”?
- wordslinger - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:52 am:
Rauner’s GOMB would disagree with Katrina’s pointdexterating
In a June 2016 presentation to the rating agencies, GOMB stated that Rauner’s proposed FY16 budget had a $4.4 billion deficit, while his proposed FY17 budget had a $6.6 billion deficit.
GOMB did, however, say the state did a swell job of reducing the backlog of bills in FY13, FY14 and FY15.
Tronclodytes like Katrina and Kass abuse the written word by reducing it to cable-TV shoutfest talking points.
With the written word, you can actually review, rewrite and edit to make fact-filled, precise, informative and persuadable arguments — if that’s your objective.
But if you just want to pretend that your one of the babbling loudmouths on the TV box, you can do that, too.
https://www.illinois.gov/gov/budget/capitalmarkets/Presentations/Summary%20of%20Ratings%20Presentation%20-%20June%202016.pdf
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:55 am:
Love the irony of Democrats lecturing about the Governor about the necessity of a”legitimate, authentic, balanced budget” from their giant glass house.
The House and Senate Democrats could not even agree among themselves on a budget. Who is Rauner supposed to compromise with- the House or the Senate?
Those who think Rauner can cut his way to a balanced budget on his own are missing the fact that the legislature would have to change the underlying laws to make it possible.
No way the Speaker gives Rauner the keys to the handcuffs, much easier to just blame him for the impasse.
- ex-ISU - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:56 am:
When I asked students about their overdue lab reports, the typical response was that the reports were almost complete. All that was left to do was add an introduction, conclusion, and all of the stuff in the middle.
I explained to the students that incomplete is incomplete and overdue is overdue. …and an F is an F.
One student’s grade is not dependent on another student’s performance
- Team Sleep - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:57 am:
Rod brings up a great point. I’ve said before on this site that if a Republican-dominated D.C. starts slashing programs and federal funding that we’ll be in big trouble.
It will be really hard to truly dismantle the ACA but it can be gutted and funded at very low levels. Medicaid cuts are likely - which means that every Republican governor who opted to go for the carrot on a stick could regret that decision.
How will federal dollars for K-12 and higher education be handled? How will programs such as LINK and TANF fare? What if the ginormous transportation/infrastructure bill never materializes?
I’m curious what will happen, and perhaps another stopgap is a good idea given the unpredictability of what could happen during President-elect Trump’s first 100 days in office.
- oldman - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 9:59 am:
I read her original editorial. Kristen is really having a problem with facts these days. Big change since her days as a Southtown paper reporter
- Michael Westen - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:00 am:
Wait, are you saying the Tribune made something up? Get out.
- Demoralized - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:03 am:
To suggest that any budget submitted that relies on pension savings is a legitimate, authentic, balanced budget is laughable. To suggest that introducing a budget that relies on those savings as a budget that was not playing games is even more laughable.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:03 am:
Oh “@StatehouseChick”
LOL!
Never has someone who prided herself as a (snicker) “State House Chick” completely ignored the alleged experience she got as a “State House Chick”
Let’s begin here “State House Chick”…
===The first included a hole that his aides openly acknowledged and planned to fill with new taxes, if the legislature would agree to reforms. ===
When McQueary ignores the “if” she wrote herself, she is also all but acknowledging a hostage situation she herself is writing about “not happening”… and let’s remember the years and years “State House Chick” had in Springfield, and yet she forgets that revenue is a required element when deficits exists, and $8-9 billion of cuts don’t exist too.
Continuing…
===Lawmakers ignored that budget anyway and instead sent him one that spent nearly $4 billion more than the state would take in. Rauner vetoed everything but education spending, and the state hobbled along without a budget.===
… then Rauner signed a stopgap $8 billion out of whack. That silly McQueary.
A real “State House Chick” would realize this. What’s also here is that McQueary purposely ignores 60/30, casting it aside as every governor before couldn’t count. If Rauner has 60/30, show it. Otherwise, get that 60/30, and if Rauner is using “if”, than its Rauner holding hostages. “Simple”, Kristen.
Finally…
===Yet Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan and lawmakers from both parties have cut all kinds of deals to secure budget votes. Downstate legislators withheld their budget votes until they got something in exchange for expansion of O’Hare International Airport — a project not directly linked to the budget. Did anyone accuse those legislators of holding the budget “hostage”===
This is vintage “State House Chick” shilling…
McQueary finally and completely ignores 60/30 and comparing others governors finding 60/30 and Rauner knowing he doesn’t have it, so Rauner follows his 2012 quote to hurt Services to defeat Labor, “State House Chick” ignores that too, but I’m not surprised, given weeks before praying for death and destruction in hurricane form for Chicago, the “State House Chick” tweeted about how SHE is helping in devastated Haiti…
… McQueary must think destroying Illinois is a business decision for her too? Well, I can read what she writes, and tweets, so…
McQueary misses again, because a deal needs 60/30 and the way Rauner wants his 60/30 is NOT the same, and what Rauner will hurt to get it isn’t the same as governors past.
But a real “State House Chick” would know that.
- JS Mill - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:05 am:
=I simply can’t understand why any Republicans would want to adopt a full budget prior to seeing what federal mandates for various social welfare matching funds can be eliminated by the incoming Trump administration.=
So your recommendation is to do nothing (which is what Rauner has been doing, oxymoron and all) because the non-budget that started months before the election could be impacted by an actions months after or about 3/4 of the way through the current budget?
Seriously? Using that rationale we will never have a budget because something “could happen” down the road.
How fiscally responsible.
- Last Bull Moose - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:09 am:
Timing is key here. Nothing Trump will do will significantly affect the next 6 months budget.
If radical change gets through the Federal House and Senate (not a sure bet) it will still take time to implement.
We need a plan for now, not some imaginary future.
- Big Joe - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:09 am:
Kristen and FACTS usually don’t go together in any of her articles on Rauner. She used to be a lot better at her craft than she is nowadays.
- Norseman - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:10 am:
=== Wait, are you saying the Tribune made something up? Get out. ===
Nah, just the editorial writers. The paper has a lot of good reporters. Unfortunately, at best, the writer of the column doesn’t read or understand what these reporters’ write. At worst, the column is a knowing prevarication.
- facts are stubborn things - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:18 am:
Rauner needs to set down and negotiate a budget with cuts and revenues. End the structural deficit. We were making progress when we had the 5% tax rate. Gov. Rauner then should use his bully pulpit and push for reforms, however, he needs to end his attempt to destroy unions. He needs to make the 2018 election about reforms, but keep passing budgets because to not do that hurts Illinois and many of our most vulnerable.
- Michael Westen - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:25 am:
Maybe Statehouse Chick can wish a hurricane hit the Capitol again. Her highly intellectual columns could use another common sense hit like that.
- wordslinger - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:27 am:
LP, your hilarious spin is duly noted.
But no one can prevent Gov. Rauner from proposing a balanced budget. He has a whole big department devoted to nothing but crunching the numbers. In fact, the Constitution requires him to do so, so that makes it even more extra special.
Who do you blame for him not doing that? The Combine? Terry Bevington?
- illini97 - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:30 am:
Wait, the new fad is to say we need to wait for President Trump to give the State even less funding?
Hey Social Services. I know your starving and it’s winter now, but we need you to hold out another year. We’re pretty sure you’re getting even less aid and wouldn’t want to overpay any agencies. In fact, we don’t want to pay any agencies at all. By the way, Merry Christmas! See, it’s Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays because we are all so very Christian. Now, please go be poor, sick or homeless somewhere else.
I’m apoplectic at this point.
- vibes - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:32 am:
Article VIII 2(a) says the Governor “shall” submit a balanced budget. It will be interesting now that we have an independently elected Comptroller evaluating said submission. What’s the consequence for a constitutional officer who fails to comply with their constitutional obligations?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:33 am:
Raunerites…
If Democrats vote to hurt labor, and if Democrats vote for the Rauner Tax, what is the “deal”?
What will the budget look like?
It’s not remotely an accident that Speaker Madigan added a new budgetary negotiator to actually see the REAL dollars of what is gained.
Real. Real dollars.
Social Services? What real dollars?
Higher Ed? What real dollars?
What is Rauner actually giving in real dollars?
Saying “well, we can negotiate that… ” is NOT negotiating anything.
No. No, Governor, what are the dollars.
- lincolnlover - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:33 am:
Sounds like the teacher in Charlie Brown’s Christmas, waawaawaa. While they play their games (on both sides) everyone on the state payroll, as well as everyone who receives tax dollars to operate, are preparing to be laid off. Springfield mass transit has already cut back routes. My husband works for Connect Transit in Bloomington and has received a layoff notice for December 31. Exactly how will shutting down transportation that people rely on to get to work create jobs, Mr Rauner? Yes, its time for a real budget because real people are going to be really hurt. Real soon.
- Joe M - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:35 am:
Rauner argued during his campaign for Governor that the pension law was unconstitutional. Yet he included those pension savings in his budget anyway. Now the Tribune says Rauner is off the hook for including that law’s pension savings in his budget, because the IL Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional. Strange.
- illini97 - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:35 am:
OW, careful. If you ask for numbers, Tronc will label you a poindexter. I mean, who can put a price on the feeling of reforms?
- Sir Reel - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:37 am:
Rauner doesn’t play games?
Again the Tribune visits La La Land.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:48 am:
Wordslinger, perhaps you missed Budget Director Nuding stunning the Senate Democrats into silence during the budget hearing when he described how Rauner can’t cut many line items in the budget unless the underlying statutes are changed.
He cannot change consent decrees either.
You seem to think the Governor should just play the game on the GA’s terms and settle for nothing from the other team.
I would vote for Terry Bevington for Speaker any day. He at least knows you have to lose a few and you can’t take your ball and go home when you don’t get 100% of what you want.
Asking the Governor to be responsible on his own for balancing a budget that has been unbalanced for decades, taking all the heat for the new revenues and cuts without the legislature stepping out of their comfort zone and showing what they would cut or propose in the way of new revenue is a bit much, even for you
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:49 am:
- illini97 -
Thanks. The last thing I’d want is to be considered a poindexter by a group troncs.
Then again, if I get Edit Board “poindexter-y” they may embrace that(?)
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 10:49 am:
== Then Rauner introduced a budget for fiscal year 2016 — the 12 months that ended June 30 — that anticipated savings from pension reform. The savings were dependent on the Illinois Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of altering pension benefits. ==
Like this isn’t the exact same ‘budget balanced by imaginary pension reform savings’ gimmick that every governor in the last 20 years has pulled. This Tribune columnist doesn’t just have rose colored glasses on, they are Mr. Magoo rose colored glasses.
- RNUG - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 11:00 am:
== The over/under on the new state income tax rate is 4.74%. Place your bets.==
Math says it will be over; politics says it will be under.
- Deft Wing - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 11:02 am:
I know it’s unpopular here, but the Trib’s right.
Countless Governor’s PROPOSED budgets (that’s what they are, only) have been flatly rejected and/or ignored by the Legislature. In fact, that’s really what Madigan does until the waning hours of session. Typically, he passes an unbalanced budget & adjourns.
But not the last couple of years because, supposedly, of Rauner’s Turnaround preconditions.
Yeah, right.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 11:04 am:
===But not the last couple of years because, supposedly, of Rauner’s Turnaround preconditions.===
“budget & adjourns.
“But not the last couple of years because of Rauner’s Turnaround preconditions.”
Please keep up.
- wordslinger - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 11:05 am:
–Wordslinger, perhaps you missed Budget Director Nuding stunning the Senate Democrats into silence during the budget hearing when he described how Rauner can’t cut many line items in the budget unless the underlying statutes are changed.==
Huh? I didn’t say anything about Rauner using his line-item veto. I was referring to the governor fulfulling his Constitutional duty and introducing a balanced budget. That would include changes to underlying statutes, if needed.
Does Mr. D. let you sweep the stables at Arlington for all the strawmen you build? Because they’re full of that stuff.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 11:19 am:
- Deft Wing -
Don’t make it about me, make it about the argument.
Where do you want to begin?
- Rod - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 11:23 am:
To Last Bull Moose and illini97 since Republicans don’t know how long it would or would not take for a Trump administration to implement numerous policies, it would be perfectly logical to continue with limited stop gap funding given the possibility of so called mandate relief that could be provided to the states. There are consequences to the election of Mr. Trump, it provides Governor Rauner with additional leverage to implement at least parts of his turn around agenda. I do not like the situation at all and I am not a supporter of the Republican Party or Governor Rauner, but this endless howling about not having a budget isn’t going to make it happen. The justifiable complaints of social services agencies aren’t going to make it happen. After all politics ain’t bean bags, both Governor Rauner and Speaker Madigan are using the leverage they have at any one moment in time.
- wordslinger - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 11:25 am:
–The Dem’s unofficial spokes-trolls here –OW & Wordmixer — are hard at work explaining away why the Democratic controlled Legislature failed to budget however they wished — all of a sudden — the last couple of years.–
Gee, I didn’t mention the Dems or the legislature at all. What else do you see that’s not there?
The subject of the thread is a column claiming that Rauner proposed balanced budgets. My comments were on that.
- JS Mill - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 11:25 am:
What the Raunerites don’t get, and cannot defend in as much as they will try, is the fact that Rauner hammered Quinn and Democrats like Madigan and Cullerton for not passing balanced budgets and for budgetary “shenanigans” during his campaign.
And he was not wrong.
But, here’s the Raunerite rub: He is doing the exact same thing!!
Exactly the exact same thing.This is why the balanced budget is an issue for him.
And, there in lies the grand hypocrisy of Rauner. Words and actions are rarely connected. He is no more transparent than his predecessors (again, something he spoke on at great length) and yet the Raunerites continue to act as if it isn’t happening.
If you want to talk about “#EpicFail” explain why the governor held others accountable, specifically Quinn, for budgets but then fails at exactly the same thing.
#EpicHypocrisy.
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 11:36 am:
==k-12 funding could be radically different if Betsy DeVos is able to push through a national requirement for school vouchers==
How does this supposition impact Illinois budget considerations? I’m trying to wrap my head around your logic and I think I’ve injured myself in the process.
- Exhausted - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 11:40 am:
Better you have Rauner than me. I would submit a budget that does away with EPA, tell the Feds to do it themselves. Cut DCEO, let local governments try to get jobs. Cut DNR, tell the Feds to do their own preservation. Cut the funding for secretaries for the legislature, governor, at all levels in half, or more, put those remaining in a pool to handle whatever is needed as it comes in, cut Ag, again, no need to help. If that isn’t enough, whack the Thompson building, why do the leaders, Gov, etc. need two offices.. That isn’t enough, find something else to cut. Then if the legislature has the guts, let them start figuring out how to fund what is truly needed, raise taxes for that and finally be responsible for the insane programs and policies that they have created through the last 50 years or more. Stand up an be counted, or get voted out!!!
- Rod - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 12:16 pm:
Anonymous let me explain how a federal voucher program could change state level school funding. If federal education funding requires states to allow voucher programs it could reduce the total cost for k-12 education. The reason would be each voucher would be for a fixed amount payable to a private school, in most states where this is allowed the voucher is for less than the state would provide to a local school district per pupil in total. For each student that leaves a public school district and opts for a voucher to a private school the state would save money because of the differential.
There’s no evidence vouchers improve achievement of students who switch to private schools, but there is some evidence of the cost savings. Again I am not endorsing vouchers or the Republican agenda, but this is the economic logic of vouchers and it is also why Milton Friedman was a big supporter of vouchers in addition to creating an education market place.
- DuPage - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 12:22 pm:
@ex-ISU 9:56 ===When I asked students about their overdue lab reports, the typical response was that the reports were almost complete. All that was left to do was add an introduction, conclusion, and all of the stuff in the middle.===
Reminds me of an unusual variation one student had at NIU. Their term paper really was “almost complete”. The paper was ripped apart, a large corner was gone from every page. There was a budget shortfall resulting in a paper shortage and draconian limits on paper use were in effect with draconian penalties for anyone caught exceeding the limit. The student’s paper exceeded the limit, and was caught when she went to the printer to pick up her paper. A lab aid was holding her report and was going to shred it. The student grabbed her report and after a split second tug of war, her paper ripped apart, she got most of it and ran out the door.
- JS Mill - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 12:25 pm:
=If federal education funding requires states to allow voucher programs it could reduce the total cost for k-12 education. The reason would be each voucher would be for a fixed amount payable to a private school, in most states where this is allowed the voucher is for less than the state would provide to a local school district per pupil in total.=
Have anything like say numbers to go with that?
- Honeybear - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 12:45 pm:
Team Sleep you hit a big one. Federal dollars are going away especially for social services. Gone. Add that to our destroyed private social service network and soon to be destroyed state workforce and there will be nothing for those who need anything. Nothing. A perfect storm of nothing for anyone. Only the wealthy will survive just fine with great economic numbers
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 12:47 pm:
==If federal education funding requires states to allow voucher programs it could reduce the total cost for k-12 education.==
I know that the surrounding Catholic schools in my town charge $5,000+ less in tuition than CPS allocates for per pupil funding. But the Feds would have to double the value of those vouchers in order to state and local levels to save money.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 12:50 pm:
Again, where are the detailed estimates and projections that show how economically and fiscally valuable are the TA items, and how they’re worth the severe damage of the so-called impasse? How can anyone seriously negotiate when such estimates are not provided?
- AlfondoGonz - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 1:07 pm:
It’s unfathomable to me how the same half-wits continuously engage OW and wordslinger in a battle of the minds. Agree with them or not (and in the interest of full disclosure, I most often do agree), you must concede that they are informed and logically sound.
Deploy against them straw men and veiled, baseless, and irrelevant accusations, you’ll only make a fool of yourself to the objective observers.
- JS Mill - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 1:16 pm:
=I know that the surrounding Catholic schools in my town charge $5,000+ less in tuition than CPS allocates for per pupil funding.=
Ever check tuition at St. Ignatius?
What CPS “allocates” for per pupil funding, or spends per pupil, is not the same as what the state spends. CPS per pupil expenditures is a combination of state, local, and federal funding less bond and interest expenditures. Their Operational Cost Per Pupil is the represents total real dollars spent per pupil. Again, total means from all sources.
The actual dollars per pupil from the state is a much lower total.
- Roman - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 1:23 pm:
Just to refresh McQueary’s memory about the pension “savings” timetable:
Pension reform (SB 1) was passed and signed in December of 2013. In July of 2014, the Supreme Court issued the Kaverva decision on retiree health care, which made it clear to anyone with 5th Grade reading comprehension skills that SB 1 would be thrown out when it reached the high court. Indeed, a circuit court declared SB 1 unconstitutional a few months later. In a blatant display of budgetary smoke and mirrors — the kind the Tribune editorial page used to decry — Rauner booked the savings from SB 1 in his budget.
It is complete revisionist history for McQueary to pretend now, almost two years later, like SB 1’s survival was likely and therefore legitimately included in Rauner’s first budget.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 1:27 pm:
- AlfondoGonz -
Thanks for your kind words.
Also, real disagreements lead to better discussions, so I especially appreciate you may not agree with my comments, you appreciate the discussion.
With respect, OW
- Rod - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 1:40 pm:
To JS Mill first, the tax credit voucher in Florida has reduced state expenditures for education in that state. According to Ms. DeVos who has an organization of which she is still chairperson (http://www.federationforchildren.org ) that has endorsed that voucher model, along with two others that appear to generate less cost savings. Here is one article that discusses the savings to the State of Florida http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2014/jun/19/nan-rich/vouchers-take-3-billion-out-public-schools-nan-ric/ Again please understand I am not endorsing this program and I am not claiming it is good for children. You asked the question, so I gave you an answer.
To Anonymous: on the cost of Catholic schools in Chicago. The cost of the Catholic schools for purposes of vouchers can not be compared to the average cost per child in CPS, that number is not State k-12 funding to CPS per child because it includes property tax dollars. In 2015 general state aid to CPS was $1,014,395,497, other state aid was $770,529,35, but CPS’ own property tax dollars were $2,506,803,116.
If one looks at the universal voucher proposal on the DeVos website (in model legislation) you will see there is no assumption that the State would pay for the full costs of a private school via the voucher program.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 2:15 pm:
Alfondo Gonz, you admit to not being an objective observer. Most people in this state despise the status quo and the Speaker who perpetuates it.
Constantly defending it, like OW and Wordslinger, and refusing to hold Democrats accountable for proposing or agreeing to any changes will get high praise from and those that benefit from status quo but no one else.
- Whatever - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 2:19 pm:
Lucky Pierre @ 10:48 =Wordslinger, perhaps you missed Budget Director Nuding stunning the Senate Democrats into silence during the budget hearing when he described how Rauner can’t cut many line items in the budget unless the underlying statutes are changed.=
If he said that, he was dead wrong. If there is no appropriation, nothing gets spent unless the constitution or a consent order or something similar trumps the lack of appropriation. A statute creating an agency would not, by itself, require or allow spending without an appropriation.
- AlfondoGonz - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 2:31 pm:
Lucky Pierre
Acknowledging someone makes a better case does not take away from my objectivity. Should you ever compose a coherent argument, I’ll be the first to agree with you.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 2:44 pm:
(Tips cap to - AlfondoGonz -)
===status quo===
$10 billion in unpaid bills targeted for $14 billion by summer.
“That” status quo?
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 2:45 pm:
Roman, it’s even funnier that after Kanerva and the invalidation of SB1, Steve Patton attempted to
argue with a straight face that the city pension reforms were constitutional.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 2:46 pm:
Whatever,
Here is the Nuding testimony starting at the 17 minute mark that details the fallacy of the line item veto argument. Perhaps you can tell us what he has wrong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRmZ0jIcA04
- City Zen - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 3:19 pm:
=Ever check tuition at St. Ignatius?==
All I know is I’ve got a half dozen Catholic schools nearby and all charge significantly less in tuition than what CPS spends per pupil.
CPS gets about $7,000 per pupil federal and state sources alone…maybe $2,500 of that is from the feds. If the state were to save money with a private school voucher for CPS students, those vouchers would have to be worth over $2,500. Either way, Chicago would save thousands per student by reallocating those property tax dollars into a smaller CPS system.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 3:25 pm:
City Zen, how do you suddenly add tens of thousands of newly taxpayer-supported kids and save taxpayer money?
- IllinoisBoi - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 3:25 pm:
==One of the naysayers’ favorite ways to shift blame for the state’s financial mess is to assert that Rauner never introduced legitimate, authentic, balanced budgets.
False, false and false.==
True, true, and true. Tronc lies, lies, and lies.
- Demoralized - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 3:32 pm:
==you admit to not being an objective observer.==
And you are? lol
- Demoralized - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 3:38 pm:
==the fallacy of the line item veto argument.==
There’s a difference between having an insufficient appropriation and no appropriation at all. Two very different things.
- JS Mill - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 3:49 pm:
@City Zen- Going to have to question your math.
So, poor families are going to take a voucher for how much to go to a parochial school?
More than $2,500? Not going to happen.
Vouchers are a tax break for the wealthy, the ones who can already afford to pay the cost of tuition, and a drain on funds from public education.
Given the tuition costs for most private schools, it is unlikely the vast majority of poor students would be able to enter private schools if they could get in.
Would vouchers (in your world) come with any requirements? Probably not.
If our prospective new Education Secretary could convince congress to pass a national voucher law, and that is unlikely, it would be a loser in court.
- Demoralized - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 3:53 pm:
==private school voucher for CPS students==
==by reallocating those property tax dollars into a smaller CPS system==
There has to be private schools for those students to go to. Just because you have vouchers doesn’t mean that all of a sudden the Catholic school down the street is going to let 1,000 more kids in.
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 4:09 pm:
School vouchers will not work because private schools will not take students that have special needs or students whom do not perform well.
- Trapped in the 'burbs - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 4:13 pm:
Rauner spends millions to warn people that Madigan wants to raise taxes, so now what? I’m guessing Madigan waits for Rauner to send him a budget. It’s easy, we have to cut spending and raise taxes. Of course, neither Rauner nor Madigan want to wear the jacket for raising taxes. Unless they agree to have both sides vote for the cuts and tax hikes, we’ll go without a budget the entire Rauner administration. Even if Rauner one day succeeds in buying out Madigan and the dems, he’ll be overpaying for such a diminished asset.
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 6:12 pm:
“Rauner continues to prioritize an agenda he says will grow the economy in the long run; Democrats continue to resist those plans.’
That is because the Dems knows Rauner’s agenda will not help IL or its citizens.
- wordslinger - Monday, Nov 28, 16 @ 8:23 pm:
–Constantly defending it, like OW and Wordslinger, and refusing to hold Democrats accountable for proposing or agreeing to any changes will get high praise from and those that benefit from status quo but no one else.–
Dude, I am not defending the status quo of willful fiscal irresponsibility and sabotage of core responsibilities for h-a partisan gains, you are.
Look up that phrase, “status quo,” and then compare the state’s situation in January 2015 to that of the “current situation” November 2016.
Then, go home and get your shine box.
- sal-says - Tuesday, Nov 29, 16 @ 7:05 am:
@chick, #goofychick has been treated with respect here in the past. Any recants?
Maybe this was her resume for a job w/ The SuperStarts, since tronc is ebbing into oblivion?