50 Comments - AlfondoGonz - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 10:58 am: I think the question is not “who is telling the truth” but “who is telling less of a lie.” - Doc - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:00 am: Funny Rauner wants from Madigan what he won’t give to Afscme!! Good faith negotiations!! - A Jack - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:07 am: I was struck by the similarity in statements as well. Almost as if they are trying to send the Governor a message? - wordslinger - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:07 am: –Frankly, I wish the meeting was in public and video recorded. What a concept. Someone suggested that yesterday. Why shouldn’t the governor and legislative-whatevers appear before the cameras and microphones, together, and explain exactly what their problems are to the citizens? Question each other, take questions from citizens, lay their cards on the table? These guys are pretending that they’re negotiating the Treaty of Paris or something, like they’re big hitters. They’re not. Whether intentionally (which I beleive) or not, they’re a bunch of screwups, messing things up badly, and we’re all on the hook for it. Get the budget done. Not one of them is “entitled” to “get something” for completing that required and simple task. - Annonin' - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:07 am: Where to begin — let’s skip Batnick — usually neogitations are over a few pieces of silver and firewater. BigBrain believes the path to prosperity should include throwing the rights and livings conditions under the bus — slightly higher stakes. Anyway we went from meet everyday to no more meetin’s til they give me a plan for how I will spend the money. Even for BigBrain that is a huge reversal. When does he get a Trump meetin’? - Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:15 am: Wow. A governor who has not submitted his budget for almost two years now is “flabbergasted” that people who aren’t required to submit a budget aren’t going to submit one. Okay then. - Anon - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:19 am: ===I saw all the telltale signs of a party not wanting get a deal completed.=== In real estate I wonder if he’s ever been in a situation where the buyer keeps offering the same low ball price on the property over, and over, and over again and insists that they’re trying to make a deal — but refuses to make a deal that isn’t that low ball offer and won’t consider discussing that low ball offer until the seller also buys him coffee, dinner, and provides tickets to a college basketball game. - Signal and Noise - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:21 am: Look, I sold a condo, so I know a thing or two about high stakes budget talk, alright. - Anonymous - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:21 am: Perhaps it is like the AFSCME negotiations where what they really want, and are pushing behind closed doors, is worse than they are sharing publicly. - MOON - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:32 am: It is the Governor’s responsibility to submit a balanced budget and then the GA analyze it and negotiate any objections. Can anyone point to the constitution where it says prior to a budget the GA must negotiate and agree to the Governor’s turn around agenda? Rauner has every right to push this agenda but it is not part of the budget negotiations. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:32 am: I guess… When things stall… you go to the rules of the game. The Executive proposes, first, then the Legislative takes that proposal and cobble a passable… that the Executive can Veto or Sign. Know where I got this? Illinois’ Constitution. All this would be sooooo different… “if”…. “I laid out my budget” - Fake Governor Rauner Why won’t Rauner? - Deft Wing - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:35 am: Unlike others, perhaps it is prudent to wait until a Democrat who attended and participated in Tuesday’s meeting takes issue, on this record, with Rep. Batnick’s comments … because as of now, his are unrebutted. - Anonymous - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:37 am: “Get the budget done. Not one of them is “entitled” to “get something” for completing that required and simple task.” - wordslinger @ 11:07 am, you hit the nail on the head. No one (including Rauner) is entitled to “get his corp. demands” for doing his job. The job is producing a balanced budget with new revenue that can be passed by the legislature. Term limits, legislative maps and contracting out all of AFSCME’s jobs will not balance the budget. Time to move on.. - MAMA - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:39 am: = Why won’t Rauner? = OW, I’m guessing Rauner would have to take the blame for the huge cuts and increase taxes. - Dude - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:41 am: Didn’t the Governor submit his budget proposal in February? Isn’t the legislature supposed to take that budget proposal and come up with their suggested changes that will get enough votes to pass? - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:42 am: ===Raunerer would have to take the blame for the huge cuts and increase taxes.=== That’s why they call it the Big Chair. Pesky Comstitution. - 47th Ward - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:42 am: ===In commercial real estate you negotiate.=== Yes, one party has space to rent/sell, the other party needs space to rent/purchase. Sort of a fixed number of things to negotiate there, right? And if we were just negotiating spending and revenue, then Batinick’s experience might be relevant. But this is more like negotiating the terms of the Democratic Party’s surrender with W/C, term limits, local right to work zones, etc., before we even get to spending and revenue. Commercial real estate experience. That’s cute. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:45 am: === Isn’t the legislature supposed to take that budget proposal and come up with their suggested changes that will get enough votes to pass?=== In Divided Government, specific to Illinois in this example, it’s about structured roll calls and a guarantee for a clean signature. That’s step 4,265. They are on step… 9. - Ratso Rizzo - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:46 am: —- Dude - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:41 am: Didn’t the Governor submit his budget proposal in February? Isn’t the legislature supposed to take that budget proposal and come up with their suggested changes that will get enough votes to pass?— He submitted an unbalanced budget. Constitution requires him to submit a balanced budget. Even Pat Quinn knew that. - Deft Wing - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:49 am: – Terms limits = the Dems’ surrender. – When you know a political hack, or someone sponsored by or beholden to a political hack, is around. - MOON - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:51 am: DUDE You are ignoring one very important factor regarding Rauner’s BUDGET…it was not balanced………. see Ratso’s comment. - Deft Wing - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:52 am: Oh … and still no Democratic lawmaker on the record responding to Batnick’s comments. Not cute. But perhaps telling. I’ll continue to wait before commenting on the the post. - G'Kar - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:52 am: Sorry for the second post. Can the governor just declare negotiations at an impasse, and throw the budget and his TA to the ILRB for a ruling? /s - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:52 am: Oh - Deft Wing - No legislature in the whole United States voluntarily put term limits on themselves. Term Limits is a want, not a budgetary requirement found in any accounting book, budgetary glossary, or listed in any budget as a line item. - Flapdoodle - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:54 am: Look, I don’t who is lying less and who is lying more, but I DO know this for a fact: People across the state are getting terribly hurt because the folks supposedly in charge have decided that its more important to win at negotiating than it is to win at governing. And until they get it through their ego-clogged heads that what matters is governing, still more people across the state will get still more terribly hurt. - Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:54 am: ===Even Pat Quinn knew that.=== Why does it feel like that should become “a thing”? Even Pat Quinn knew that. Even Pat Quinn wouldn’t have done that. Even Pat Quinn would have gotten that done. Even Pat Quinn…. - Anonymous - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:55 am: Before “politics” was televised via C-Span, e.g., they said nothing serious would get done, and too many showboats, grandstanders, etc.. Well, tell me how televising this group of losers would be bad for the public? We know it would be bad for the losers, but that shouldn’t be the deciding factor. Maybe, just maybe, there is a one in a million shot televising would direct more focus on the big issues. - DuPage Bard - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:56 am: Nice audition piece by Batnick. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:57 am: ===…and still no Democratic lawmaker on the record responding to Batnick’s comments.=== Why would they? There’s no need. “BossMadigan.Com” has put front and center… don’t say anything. When universities close, as when they open.., Governors own. Zero reason to respond. If anything, they should point out the constitution and Rauner’s refusal to submit a budget for examination… leave it there. “Pat Quinn failed” Rauner has yet to get a budget. It’s who Rauner is… purposely “failing” to hurt as many people as possible… for Term Limits. - Ratso Rizzo - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:57 am: —- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:54 am: ===Even Pat Quinn knew that.=== Why does it feel like that should become “a thing”? Even Pat Quinn knew that. Even Pat Quinn wouldn’t have done that. Even Pat Quinn would have gotten that done. Even Pat Quinn….— …lol. Pat Quinn was not good at governin’, but he was still miles ahead of Rauner. - Jocko - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 11:58 am: ==In commercial real estate you negotiate.== But what happens when they ask for things outside the scope of the negotiation? You’re trying to rent property while the other person asks for a pony. - Anon221 - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:08 pm: The working group was “to discuss local government mandate relief and consolidation”. Considering the “goalposts” Rauner is mandating right now are property tax freeze and term limits, why get in such a huff about “first downs and goals” (or commission if you prefer the real estate sales theme) on the topics of Tuesday? Unless…well, you know, those are going to be the “new” goalposts for the “Grand Bargain”. Sigh… - MOON - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:08 pm: JOCKO You hit the nail on the head - Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:11 pm: OK, let’s remember that the governor oversees the daily operation of basically all of state government. He has a revenue department that collects taxes to pay for his government. He has an entire budget department responsible for tracking revenue and spending and coming up with plans to keep his government running. The plans he has presented to the people of Illinois don’t meet his own needs for keeping his government running. Rather than utilize the resources and expertise of his government to offer specific fixes, he tossed it to the 177 lawmakers and said you fix it, and by the way, whatever you come up with won’t happen until you meet this varying list of political demands. - Earnest - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:12 pm: >Those are two completely and diametrically opposing viewpoints. And it sounds a lot to my ears like the rhetoric over the stalled AFSCME negotiations, which the governor also declared to be at impasse. I agree that it sounds the same as the AFSCME stuff. I can’t say for sure about Cullerton, but Rauner has had repeated issues with the truth. I do think that’s a part of his approach to leading and that he is absolutely brilliant. I think he’s accomplishing exactly what he set out to do and is running circles around everyone when it comes to messaging. It vexes me to no end because I like plain, straightforward discussion, but, tactically, brilliant as he is, I’m not sure it would be possible to make major cuts to human services and higher education by openly stating that as a goal and going about it in a planful manner. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:18 pm: ===and still no Democratic lawmaker on the record responding to Batnick’s comments=== Um, dude, you posted that 15 minutes after my post went up. Take a freaking breath already. - Deft Wing - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:28 pm: Yeah, you might want to get that watch of yours fixed. I commented 30 mins after your post and it’s been an hour and one-half since. But whatever. Oh, and the protection of what’s his/her/its name is kinda funny. His/her/its insults are regularly permitted but call him/her/it prolific, redundant and/or boring and you’ll get it from the over-lord. Pft. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:29 pm: Arguing with the host, petulantly, is bad form. - Ratso Rizzo - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:37 pm: ===- Deft Wing - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:28 pm: Yeah, you might want to get that watch of yours fixed. I commented 30 mins after your post and it’s been an hour and one-half since. But whatever.=== In the meantime, we’ve been waiting a couple years Dr Rauner to submit a “balanced” budget and you’re upset about 30 minutes? What’s that saying about seeing the forest through the trees and a persons inability to do so… - Flapdoodle - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:39 pm: DW and OW, desist, please, respectfully. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:40 pm: - Deft Wing - I wouldn’t call you passive-aggressive, I’d call ya overtly agressive beyond rational. You’re not passive aggressive. To the Post, Why would Rauner as a governor want the legislature to frame and weigh and measure with monies HIS priorities? What governor is so passive… that his own aggression is aimed at the legislature identifying, weighing and measuring his/her administration’s budgetary priorities? That’s warped. - Grandson of Man - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:40 pm: I hope top Democrats try to tie an AFSCME deal to budget negotiations. There’s enough there for them, as far as substance. The contracts Rauner signed with other unions are not the same as AFSCME’s, when it comes to healthcare and wages. Democrats should do all they can to prevent a labor war that would cause even more damage–serious damage–to the state. - illini97 - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:42 pm: Oh great, now we all need synchronized watches? Just another unfunded mandate. Thanks Madigan. - Honeybear - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:58 pm: Grandson of man- permenant damage has already been done. Functionality of government is already severely impaired. We’ll only notice what’s not there if a crisis hits, like a trade war with China, frankly just a strong breeze could topple the state and cause us to roll. Nothing will be there to keep us upright. I constantly vacillate between wanting fight and the despondency of the damned. Huge damage as Edgar said has been done already. Nobody cared. - Keyser Soze - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 12:59 pm: Public negotiations! Wouldn’t that be nice. Perhaps we can start a movement. I’m in. Maybe the Capitol Press Corps will lead the charge. In that event, and afterwards, maybe the budget can be reduced to the simplicity of an Excel spreadsheet. To restate, wouldn’t that be nice. - GA Watcher - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 1:16 pm: We all seem to have forgotten the leaders meeting that was aired several months ago at the behest of the Campaign for Political Reform and others. The idea was to get the Governor and the Leaders to discuss/negotiate the budget in the light of day. That worked out so well, didn’t it. - Not It - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 1:44 pm: I would love for the State Government Committee to post a subject matter hearing on what the lack of a budget has done to the State and receive testimony on what should be done. - Markus - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 2:01 pm: Batnick’s statement is more PR spin focused on who is more to blame. Not one iota of substance or fact to back up the remarks. Maybe he should put a little more effort into framing a substantive position on the issue being negotiated than framing the position of which party should shoulder the most blame. Rather than a response from the Dem’s on the degree of pettiness in the meeting, I’d much rather see a couple of position papers substantiating each sides reasoning and their desired outcome. Since this is primarily a Republican party TA ask, the burden is on them to present the fact based ROI that can be achieved by following their plan. - peon - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 4:45 pm: Hello stopgap my old friend. I’ve come to talk to you again. Fortunately reality is also at the table, and holds the strongest hand. - Sigh - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 9:30 pm: -After two decades of negotiating on a nearly daily basis I can tell you it is easy to spot whether a party is negotiating in good faith or not. You can tell when someone is trying to tank a deal or work hard to get one done.- Unlike Batnick, I’m not in commercial real eastste, but I have negotiated. But not all day long like has. To his point that you can tell when someone is trying to tank a deal and not negotiating in good faith…. UM, tank a deal? Isn’t that what the republicans are doing with the Boss Madigan emails? Did I miss your commercial real estate negotiating skills during the Approp High Education committee meetings? Higher ed was hit hard this year. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.