79 Comments - slow down - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:33 am: He’s been in office for two years now and has never come close to presenting a balanced budget. No reason to think that’s going to change any time soon. When you’re in full time campaign mode, you can’t be bothered with constitutional obligations and actual governing. - TallGrass - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:35 am: Why no story on John Anthony, Rich?… - yeah - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:37 am: I’ll bet if Michelle Obama was Governor, she would lead and present a balanced budget to the General Assembly for consideration as a Constitutionally required duty of the office. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:37 am: To the “Budget Update”… As long as Rauner doesn’t have to answer very specific questions about real budgetary numbers, Rauner will do “great”. Rauner will say just enough to sound engaged, “frustrated”, resolved, hopeful, angry, and even light and whimsical. Rauner “acts”. Rauner understands presentation, delivering a line (be it for the 7,653rd time), and Rauner stays on a message that even if the actual facts and numbers completely refute the staging, and even if it’s preposterous the avenue Rauner sees as HIS way, the “acting” by Rauner is the most important element. The acting is more important than even the messaging. How do I know? The message will have millions behind it, on its own. The acting isn’t the lead, the acting Rauner does supports the lead, which is his ridiculous messaging, be it “#TaxHikeMike” or framing Democrats, trying to peel them off their core beliefs. Sometimes the acting tries to refutes the damage being caused, and sometimes the acting is designed to exaserbate the situation even more…. … but the acting, even today’s acting, is happening to supports the millions spent on Rauner’s own ridiculousness of message. To their Credit, Rauner’s Crew literally is beating the Dems every day, every single day, and there’s no sign it’s stopping. - A Jack - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:38 am: An editorial board that reads the Constitution? That truly is a news story. - AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:39 am: Suggesting that the governor should fulfill his constitutional duties? How quaint. - hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:42 am: Kudos to the Danville Commercial-News. Now for one of these few papers that still has a state capital correspondent to take notice… - Arsenal - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:42 am: Cancelling the meeting was probably a minor strategic mistake. It’s hard to make the other party the sole intransigent actor (a proposition the voters already don’t buy) when you stop talking to them, too. - Anon221 - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:43 am: Rauner’s “I’ve done all I can” posturing and petulance is becoming more and more transparent to more and more people throughout the state. On yesterday’s Q&A, he even had the gall to protest that social service providers were hurting- the same one’s HE donates to (So he must donate to ALL of them???). Does he never look in the mirror??? He is definitely going to leave a “Scrooge” legacy behind him. The question for the next two years is… which “Scrooge” will he be??? - walker - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:44 am: TallGrass: Rich fills our plates every day with what counts in state govt. No need to place your orders at this diner. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:48 am: He said he could manage the budget at a 3.75% tax rate, lets see his plan! - wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:48 am: From the ridiculous to the absurd. Rauner has spent years and tens of millions of dollars railing against all-powerful, corrupt Boss Madigan — but then asks him, pretty please, to do the job that the Constitution requires of the governor. I guess as long as the governor is having fun with his retirement hobby, that’s all that matters. - Bobby Catalpa - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:51 am: I’m surprised no one’s picked up or posted this little nugget: http://ilnews.org/11314/rauner-says-afscme-appeal-costing-state-3-million-daily/ This is the endgame — the literal wedge Rauner rhapsodized about during campaign season. What angers me here — beyond the contract stalemate — is that Rauner has the audacity to say that the money saved — 3 million a day — would go to schools and “the poor”. Please. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:51 am: ===Why no story on John Anthony, Rich?=== Why are you fired up about a state employee getting the boot? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:57 am: To the Edotorial, Like many here, I’ve called upon the governor to do his constitutional duty. It’s important that it’s in print any time it can be. The reality? Rauner won 4 House Seats, 2 Senate Seats (ignores the statewide loss) and today, and I literally mean, “today” the website “BossMadigan.Com” is up and running and making the opportunity for a working relationship almost impossible, and trust all but improbable… That’s all Rauner sees. Rauner doesn’t want to be called “heartless”, yet his plan is very soulless. Rauner wants to seem to take the slings and arrows, but will hold hostage a state until Democrats and Madigan do what he wants and gets blamed for it too. Rauner sees inaction… as the actions he can hide to ruin what he wants ruined. The editorial is important to me, and I hope to the state, but it’s not important or relevant to Rauner. The business decision continues until all that needs to be broken is broke. The passive breaking only gives more cover to Rauner. No budget allows no measuring and that’s about the size of it. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:00 am: Rauner will continue to use the Trump strategy and it will play downstate. - Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:02 am: Yes by all means the Governor should lead the way for change in Illinois and fixing the practice of decades of unbalanced budgets while the Democrats sit on the sidelines and neither propose nor support any reforms. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-madigan-rauner-budget-taxes-edit-1211-20161209-story.html - AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:03 am: Perhaps someone who is not as critical of the governor could answer this question for me. Do you believe Rauner should fulfill his constitutional duty and propose a budget, and, if not, why? - All for Naught - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:04 am: His Ooda loop is perfect. Make it impossible to trust him by not compromising, setting impossible conditions, and blaming Madigan. Then perfidious demand the legislature submit a budget. Then re-criticize and blame based on submission. It doesn’t make sense. Right? It only makes sense if he doesn’t want to submit a budget but wants to force a grand bargain where his demands that can’t be met by 60/30 will be suicidally accepted. Pure extortion and perfidy Madigan will not give in Standard budget process only. But Rauners hostage taking as also endangered his own side. EDGE tax incentives to large corporations (215,000,000 last year with zero accountability) expires at the end of the year. Lawmakers don’t trust Rauner to renew and Rauners DCEO workaround has blow up on the launch pad failing to raise hardly any money to get companies to move here. Plus who would move here now? Rauners indiscriminate fire at DEMS and Madigan have ricocheted and killed his chosen growth engine Intersect Illinois. His “reforms” we’re to grow our economy by making Illinois attractive. Yet the closer of those deals lies lifeless next to him. All for naught. - GOPgal - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:05 am: Kudos to the Danville Commercial News for saying the obvious and what a lot of people have been saying for a long time. The IL Constitution puts the initial duty on the governor to submit a balanced budget. If Rauner doesn’t want to do the job, why did he take it? And I wish more in the press would hold Rauner accountable. Things have only gotten this bad because so many have enabled Rauner in his dereliction of duty. Rauner will keep playing us all for fools as long as he sees he can get away with it. - Rabid - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:08 am: State of the budget No turnaround No budget - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:10 am: - Lucky Pierre -, LOL From your link… ===The Democrats won’t even propose the tax increases they desperately want to help pay for all they’ve spent, promised and borrowed.=== This is preposterous, since Revenue is a required element for Rauner. The ONLY way Rauner can make this true is… you guessed it… propose a budget, that balances, and covers the backlog and deficits… with no new revenue… and Rauner showing the Rauner Cuts. You’re willfully ignorant here because this one line ruins the Trib’s whole editorial and blows up your “Blame Madigan” example. When Rauner shows the Rauner Cuts, the budget that doesn’t require revenue, you and that editorial can call on Dems to “beg” for that revenue. Sheesh. - Winnin' - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:15 am: Congratulations to the Danville Commercial News on a truly watershed moment. The Governor should lead. Thank you for paying attention. PS, it seems quite an ironic twist that a governor who has spent millions buying the GOP and is a master at getting things done — continues to portray himself as a victim. - Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:17 am: Yes democrats can vote for decades of unbalanced budgets, refuse to fix the ramp during their 12 years of one party rule and watch the unfunded pension liability increase from 43 to 130 billion. Now that there is a Republican governor they can just vote for budgets with 7 billion dollar deficits but not the necessary revenue to cover their spending and blame Rauner for the impasse. Since when is Rauner against new revenue? Madigan and Cullerton both say publicly that revenue and cuts are required which would make your Rauner tax and Rauner cuts talking points more ridiculous spin. - Team Sleep - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:33 am: Rauner needs to roll out a budget and summarily find GOP legislators to roll out every single major demand/reform in legislative form. Do it during the dead period in January and go on the offense. - Rabid - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:33 am: Detailed business plan has been forthcoming since his primary - wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:37 am: LP, why does the governor wish for people he considers to be corrupt hack screwups to take the lead on the budget? That doesn’t make sense. Doesn’t he want to demonstrate that savvy business experience when it comes to budgeting? Show them how it’s done, as is his Constitutional mandate? I kid. He doesn’t want to lead on the fiscal disaster of the FY17 budget — estimated $13 billion deficit. Might prove to be unpopular. He didn’t spend all that dough to be unpopular in his chosen hobby. - Sir Reel - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:47 am: Democrats to Rauner: you first. Rauner to Democrats: no, you first. Democrats to Rauner: no, you first. Rauner to Democrats: no, you first. And so on and so on. - AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:51 am: Democrats to Rauner: Do your job. Rauner to Democrats: Do what I want first. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 10:55 am: Congratulations Danville Commercial News. You’ve accomplished what other state newspapers have not. This needs to be the drumbeat from all media. Until the Governor has done his job, ignore his talking points and attacks on others. - Maximus - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:03 am: It seems strange in some ways that the legislation will pass a bill that requires funding. Maybe that finding is planned for in the bill, maybe it isn’t. After a year then it’s up to a different entity (the governor) to now propose a budget to account for all the spending that hasn’t been planned for in the bills that expect funding. It seems like part of the problem is one entity is spending the money and a separate entity has to pay the bill and pass the cost along to the taxpayers. Hence, we end up with a governor who doesn’t want to pass a budget that cant be balanced without significant tax hikes. I wonder if any other states handle this process differently? I’m going to do some research on that. - Moby - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:03 am: Illinois Constitution to Rauner: You first - Ractin - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:10 am: Rauner proposed a budget, that with legislative changes, would be balanced. It was never even brought to vote. Now, both sides wont, because the tax hike would be huge. - DuPage Bard - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:12 am: Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way - Annonin' - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:12 am: Capt Fax is absolutely correct….pay no attention to the unemployment of the House’s other “cyber attack” victim …. boring stuff especially when we can spend more time on the Danville Commercial news first in the nation writing about the previously uncovered budget impasse in IL. When other governors shuffled pols around we got constant pot banging…but this is nothing to look at. Move on. - lake county democrat - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:13 am: Yes, Rauner should go first. I still think if he proposed a budget with a bunch of sequester cuts (everything but, say, education) to leave to the individual agencies and smoke and mirror budget projections from sale of state assets, he’d get this over with because the Dems would either 1) not pass it or 2) pass it thinking the draconian cuts would hurt Rauner politically, but I’m not so certain he wouldn’t take it). But the fact though that he hasn’t even hinted at taking such action probably means I’m missing something. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:15 am: - Ractin - The Illinois Constitution… ===Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget.=== You… ===Rauner proposed a budget, that with legislative changes, would be balanced.=== A governor “could” arguably do what you suggest, but trust on both sides would need to be there. It’s not. So… “Governor? You can follow the constitution, thanks.” is the place where this editorial falls. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:16 am: == Does he never look in the mirror??? == Would like to also know how himself & the wife sleep at night? Zero consciences? Also, recall that Lisa was added to the ‘enemy’s list’. So, maybe she ought to do her office’s duty & tasks the gov to court to force him to do his constitutional duties, along with fulfilling his oath of office & State law. Would at least get some media attention. He loves to ramp up conflict. - GOPgal - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:20 am: Democrats to Rauner: Do your job. Rauner to Democrats: Do my job. - Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:23 am: The Illinois Constitution… ===Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget.=== Wow Speaker Madigan and Senator Cullerton have been willing accomplices in violating the Illinois Constitution for decades. Rauner is on the hook for his share of the past two years. All of the outrage is directed at the Governor and seems to let the Speaker and Senate President off the hook. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:24 am: ===Now that there is a Republican governor they can just vote for budgets with 7 billion dollar deficits but not the necessary revenue to cover their spending and blame Rauner for the impasse.==== Governor Rauner signed a “6 month” stopgap that was $8 billion out of whack. 8 is bigger than 7, and Rauner signed it. You keeping up? lol ===Since when is Rauner against new revenue?=== Rauner isn’t against Revenue because Revenue is going to be required in any budget. Rauner can propose a budget anytime not requiring revenues. Oh, - Lucky Pierre -… what about this… ===The Democrats won’t even propose the tax increases they desperately want to help pay for all they’ve spent, promised and borrowed.=== But, what about Rauner saying he’s not opposed? How does this… all… work? lol ===Madigan and Cullerton both say publicly that revenue and cuts are required which would make your Rauner tax and Rauner cuts talking points more ridiculous spin.=== Governors own. The Rauner Tax, signed by Rauner, is… the Rauner Tax… This… this is spin denying that… ===The Democrats won’t even propose the tax increases they desperately want to help pay for all they’ve spent, promised and borrowed.=== At least try… you’re not even giving yourself a chance. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:28 am: Gee, LP, a $7 billion FY17 deficit would look pretty good right now. Back in June, in a bipartisan agreement, the GA passed and the governor signed an FY17 budget with an estimated $8 billion deficit. Now, the Fiscal Futures Project says it’s really a $13 billion deficit. In case you’re confused, “eight” is more than “seven,” and “thirteen” is bigger than both of them. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:29 am: ===All of the outrage is directed at the Governor and seems to let the Speaker and Senate President off the hook.=== 1) Read McKinney, then get back to all of us on that blame thingy. 2) Since FY 1971, budgets signed are “Govermor’s Budgets” Same as it ever was. “Pat Quinn failed” ‘Nember that too? - Demoralized - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:39 am: ==All of the outrage is directed at the Governor== Want to know what my “outrage” is? I’m “outraged” that the Governor has been Governor for two years and, to date, has not shown any ability to actually govern. All I’ve seen for two years is whining about not being able to do his job, including telling us all how much of a victim he is in all of this. Now, you and others can continue to play the victim right along with him and complain about not being able to get anything done. But, there is absolutely nothing standing in the way of the Governor proposing a complete solution to the budget situation. He can put out a comprehensive plan - budget, whatever Turnaround Agenda items he is demanding, revenues. He can do that today. Will it pass? Nope. But at least we will see his plan. Enough whining. - Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:42 am: Remember there was bipartisan agreement to pass meaningful pension reform after the election so Springfield could contribute 215 billion to the CPS pension fund. Now democrats have forgotten what they agreed to. Interesting how Governors “own” everything but the the legislative failures are swept under the rug. What do all of our “failed governors” have in common? Speaker Mike Madigan and his refusal to step up the plate to participate in the solutions to Illinois - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:42 am: Annonin: No budget solution, no workers’ comp reforms, no consistent rapid response to all the Rauner stuff, no online presence, no comprehensible critique of Rauner’s term in office, no plan for the future whatsoever, but REPORTERS SHOULD ALL WRITE DIRT ABOUT FORMER LEGISLATORS. And you wonder why you lost four net seats? - Earnest - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:43 am: >There’s only one problem with the tactic: It’s Rauner’s job to propose a budget. Policically, this would seem to be a good counter-message to BossMadigan for the Democrats. “Do your job Governor” “Spell out your real agenda Governor” things along those lines. Build the message in a lead-up to the FY18 budget address to put pressure on him to finally put specific numbers and reforms on the table. If they can’t pin him down, they can’t beat him. Frankly, I’m not sure they’ll beat him anyway, but at least they could compete better. - ILGOV2018 - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:44 am: LP- so tired of your excuses for Rauner. Why hasn’t he produced a balanced budget, complete with his cuts? Remember, he said he could do it without raising taxes. He is in charge now and he needs to stop campaigin’ and start governin’. You are starting to bore everybody with your lame excuses and tired old talking points. - Robert the Bruce - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:47 am: To the lawyers here: The Illinois Constitution requires Rauner to propose a budget. He hasn’t done so. Does anyone have standing to sue him for not doing so? - Annonin' - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 11:53 am: Weren’t the scribe who counsels not to use caps because it makes you look like a NUT BALL…work comp reform on insurance industry has been pending for more than a year….other stuff less vital to most Illinoisans they picked 67 … still workin’ to develop a groovey website. Meanwhile time for lunch. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 12:15 pm: ===Now democrats have forgotten what they agreed to. Interesting how Governors “own” everything but the the legislative failures are swept under the rug.=== Governors own vetoes. That’s not up for discussion or debate. Rauner chose to hurt Chicago students, by the veto. No one told him to Veto. Rauner did it, Rauner owns the timing too. Also, your ignorance to governors owning and not understanding McKinney speaks to your blindness to reality. Had you read McKinney, you’d know where the blame is shared and how Madigan isn’t off ANY hook. ===What do all of our “failed governors” have in common? Speaker Mike Madigan and his refusal to step up the plate to participate in the solutions to Illinois.=== Rauner is a failed governor? Well, if you say so. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 12:19 pm: ” - Annonin’ -” With great respect, sincerely… There is a big disconnect to being able to respond, to “attack”, to be engaged in the process of both defending and making a case against Governor Rauner. I’m looking forward to seeing it, and it’s beyond time for it to emerge. Right now, losing to a losing message that is baseless, that’s not helping. With respect, and decoder ring on… Oswego Willy - Jimmy H - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 12:29 pm: Oath of office for the Governor- “I do solemnly swear (affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Governor to the best of my ability.” (Source: Illinois Constitution.) - Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 12:30 pm: Yes after two years Rauner has failed to get the Speaker to agree to any reforms. We have two years left of his term. The Governor issues a veto pending the agreed to pension reform requirement. Do you think the Democrats should agree to keep their commitments or is that just a one way street? I for one can’t wait to see the campaign the democrats are going to run for governor. It will be fascinating to see them defend why no reforms are necessary. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 12:33 pm: - Lucky Pierre - A Veto is a choice. Rauner chose it. You can’t make Rauner the Judge Smails of governors “I didn’t want to hurt Chicago students, but, I felt I owed it to them to hurt them.” Nope. Rauner made a choice. They call it the Big Chair for a reason. The rest is trying to explain away a governor’s sole choice. Nope. Sorry. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 12:34 pm: ===It will be fascinating to see them defend why no reforms are necessary.=== Not one person has says that Again, try harder. Thanks. - Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 12:41 pm: I’m getting confused. It’s mostly or all my fault. I’m not paying close enough attention. I thought the property tax freeze and term limits were for a full budget and not a stopgap. I just saw this in the ScribbleLive feed, in a tweet. Does Rauner want pension reform and a property tax freeze for a full budget, or is it “pick two” of around five reforms? I see in the Twitters that Rauner still wants “local control” via ending prevailing wage and limiting collective bargaining. I agree about the Democrats’ terrible messaging and lack of cohesive proposals. It seems like they’re sitting back and waiting for Rauner to hurt himself. It’s likely not going to happen that way. It’s terrible to not know how to play a winning hand and worse to not even care. Democrats should have had their own “agenda” of policy proposals and strong anti-Rauner messaging. It was said that the ancient Spartans didn’t like fighting the same opponent repeatedly, because the opponent would learn how to fight from them. Democrats and their allies should learn from Rauner. - Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 12:43 pm: Where are the Democrats reforms OW? They don’t exist stop pretending otherwise. Saying no the everything is not a platform. Ok I guess keeping agreements is optional in your world. They never agreed to the CPS money without reforms. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 12:48 pm: - Lucky Pierre - If the governor wants his reforms, he has to find 60 and 30… like every governor did before him. As for Dem reforms, I think Manar has school funding, Raoul has been talking reforms in criminal justice that Rauner himself has been advocating, the pension reform Cullerton is working on isn’t soup yet, and worker’s compensation is stuck with a road block. Where is “None” here? - Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 12:52 pm: No reforms passed out of the legislatures they control after two years. Apparently a lot of progress in working groups but no legislation and voters should be outraged by the lack or urgency. - Flyer - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 12:55 pm: I wonder if the Chicago Tribune will follow suit? - Arsenal - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 1:04 pm: ==Since when is Rauner against new revenue?== At least since he publicly asked the GA to let the ‘10 tax hikes expire. - Arsenal - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 1:06 pm: ==As for Dem reforms, I think Manar has school funding, Raoul has been talking reforms in criminal justice that Rauner himself has been advocating, the pension reform Cullerton is working on isn’t soup yet, and worker’s compensation is stuck with a road block.== No, ’cause, see, these things are all complicated pieces of serious legislation. “Reform” is only defined as “somethin’ you can claim you’re gonna do while posing with demolition equipment”. - Fudo Myoo - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 1:06 pm: The reforms the DEMS should go towards are Tax incentive reform Tax loophole reform Tax increment financing reform Rauners “no no” zone - Jimmy H - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 1:44 pm: One of the most fundamental concepts of our form of government is, “A government of laws, and not of men.” – John Adams, Novanglus Essays, No. 7. Governor Rauner is not performing an essential constitutionally mandated duty of his office. Governor Rauner has made it very clear that there will not be a budget unless at least a portion of his personal agenda is passed. Nowhere in the IL constitution does it say withholding a budget can be used for leverage to force non-budget items to be passed. Governor Rauner is not following the law and it is destroying our State. - Winnin' - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 2:09 pm: In his last budget act, former Gov. Pat Quinn produced a balanced budget, even though it was not welcomed because it called for new revenues. The Legislature chose to amend his budget proposal. Bruce Rauner, on the other hand, refuses to introduce a balanced budget. Instead, during his first term, he proposed a rather inadequate one. When the Legislature proposed higher spending and put the bill on his desk, he could have called a leaders meeting to balance the budget through cuts and new revenues. Instead, Rauner vetoed the whole thing. Rauner failed at leadership. Why would Democrats in the Legislature want to fall victim to the same fate? The only way for Rauner to restore his credibility is to introduce a balanced budget. Too bad he is not a leader. - Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 2:10 pm: The Constitutional argument that the Gov should provide a balanced budget proposal is fine, but not exactly compelling stuff to the general public. The Dems need to learn from the Gov’s people and put out some ads, web sites, emails, and press releases counting the days since Rauner, as Gov-elect, told the GA that they did not need to keep the temp tax hike because he had a plan to fix everything. “Illinois held hostage: Day XXX” would be the theme and they could highlight the costs of this impasse and put it all on Rauner even more easily than he is putting it on them. Highlight Rauner’s dramatic increase in personal income. Highlight Rauner’s promises to fix things and then his inability to present anything other then plans that hurt working folks. It amazes me that the Dems have put forth NOTHING in response to this beating by Rauner. Those who thought “Boss Madigan” and his crew were a savvy juggernaut have to be scratching their heads. - GOPgal - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 2:23 pm: Silly for Rauner to talk about “reform” when he won’t even abide by a major constitutional provision that’s been in place for decades. Reminds me of the old joke wags would say when some Republican tried to invoke “the 11th Commandment.” How about complying with the original 10 first? - RNUG - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 2:41 pm: It used to be this State could make progress in the lull immediately after an election. Now, with a constant campaign for the next election, nothing gets done. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 4:08 pm: –No reforms passed out of the legislatures they control after two years.– Don’t ever make “reforms” a drinking game with this guy. They’re “economic and fiscal reforms,” correct? The governor claimed that they’d raise $500 million a year in additional revenue. At that rate, it will only take 28 years to catch up on the backlog of unpaid bills that is projected to be $14 billion by June 30. The backlog was $4.4 billion when Rauner took office. Why don’t you try selling that in the private sector — “we’ll take on $10 billion in new debt over two years to possibly, maybe generate an addition $500 million a year.” Your career in finance would be quite short. How many decades will it take to replace the thousands of jobs lost from this explosion in deadbeatery? - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 4:13 pm: ===The backlog was $4.4 billion when Rauner took office=== In reality, there was no “backlog” because all state bills were being paid in less than a month. If you wait 3.9 weeks to pay your utility bill, it’s not really a backlog because you’re actually paying it ahead of the due date. Right now, the state backlog is about 6 months. - RNUG - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 4:16 pm: == Right now, the state backlog is about 6 months. == For some items … Want to talk about state health insurance payments under CIGNA management, or dental benefits, or back pay for some union workers, or … ? - wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 4:22 pm: Rich, much obliged. I’m just being careful to make apples-to-apples comparisons from comptroller reports. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 4:26 pm: Addendum: I should’ve written all state bills with proper legislative appropriations were being paid in under a month. The health insurance stuff, as RNUG points out, was under-appropriated almost as much then as it is now. - burbanite - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 7:01 pm: Doesn’t the Constitution say he goes first? - Just Me - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 8:45 pm: Somewhat related: The Speaker isn’t delaying indefinitely, he is delaying until the budget address, at which time the Governor will be forced to suggest a budget plan, and then he’ll tie that plan to every Republican’s neck. - Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 8:56 pm: ==at which time the Governor will be forced to suggest a budget plan== Funniest post of the day!!! I’m not holding my breath. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:03 pm: - no plan for the future whatsoever - Man, the Speaker went from the ultimate 3D chess master to a short sighted relic in just about a year, meanwhile the superstars are executing advanced military tactics within Illinois politics and driving hard bargains with “desperate” extremely profitable energy companies. What a difference a source makes. - Bradley A Zahn - Wednesday, Dec 14, 16 @ 6:05 am: @Jimmy H 12:29p - oath of office Didn’t Rauner raise the LEFT hand to make his oath? Maybe he’s not actually Gov! He’said not collecting a salary! /s/ Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.