If you want to see how Gov. Bruce Rauner’s mind works, you should skim through the vast trove of e-mails from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s private account that a Better Government Association lawsuit finally forced into public view.
For instance, back in September 2011, Rauner was the chairman of the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau. Legendary Springfield insider Jim Reilly was the Bureau’s CEO at the time.
A state law designed to weaken labor union strength at the massive convention center had been tossed out by a federal judge, and Rauner was apparently arguing for “really kicking ass” with a “full court press” to ram new anti-union legislation through the General Assembly during the upcoming fall veto session. Reilly, however, was trying to negotiate an agreement with the unions. The reforms were first implemented when major convention center customers threatened to abandon Chicago over high costs.
Chairman Rauner told CEO Reilly on Sept. 30, 2011 that calls from hotels and restaurants had “accelerated.” The future governor explained the entities were worried that a “negotiated partial restoration” of the stricken legislation wouldn’t be enough. And, Rauner claimed, “they believe decisive, unilateral action that demonstrates unions don’t have their old clout is the only way.”
Reilly did his very best to charm Rauner into submission. He started out by bluntly informing Rauner there was “no support in key quarters” for a legislative solution. Reilly and the mayor weren’t passing up an opportunity, he explained, because “There is no opportunity to pass up. It is an illusion!”
“I know that you can say that maybe if we make a full court press we could force the issue,” the experienced Springfield hand explained to the businessman Rauner, “but that is sort of like me saying that if we put enough money in some venture capital opportunity that looks good to me but you know just won’t work, we might make a fortune.”
Reilly also defended his and Emanuel’s preference for talks. “We are not negotiating because it is easier or because the Mayor or me or anyone else involved lacks guts or doesn’t understand what is at stake,” he wrote. “We are negotiating because it is the best, perhaps the only, way to save the trade show industry in Chicago which, in my judgment, will come as close to collapsing or closer than it was in the spring of 2010 if we get through veto session with no resolution and have to wait until the appeal plays itself out sometime late this year or, more likely, sometime next spring.”
Reilly then gave the compromise-averse Rauner a status update on the union talks. “In our negotiations, we are already home on the ability of exhibitors to do their own work in a booth of any size and which will be forever enshrined in state law free from legal challenge. No compromise here. This is huge!”
He also warned against another Rauner legislative idea, which he said couldn’t be passed and even if it did, the law “would almost certainly be challenged setting off another year or so of uncertainty which the negotiations route seeks to avoid.”
Reilly assured Rauner that if the negotiations succeeded he had no doubts that the convention center would be back to where it was before that federal judge tossed all those reforms out the window.
“You talk of ‘really kicking ass’ but, Bruce, we were really kicking ass back then and we can be doing again soon but I sincerely believe that negotiation is our only possible route,” Reilly explained.
“I don’t blame you for wanting a perfect world for the Chicago trade show industry. I would like that too but absolute perfection doesn’t happen very often,” Reilly wrote. “If it did, the world wouldn’t need people like you and me to drag it along.” A real charmer, that Reilly.
So, to sum up, a total hard line stance against negotiating with unions, a rigid demand for a “full court press” to pass a politically impossible and likely unconstitutional legislative action that “really kicks ass,” and a refusal to accept any compromise solution short of what he believed was “absolute perfection.”
Sound familiar?
Less than a month later, Reilly wrapped up his union negotiations. Crain’s Chicago Business reported that the agreements “largely preserve work-rule changes enacted at the convention center last summer.”
So, perhaps we could get out of this two-year impasse nightmare if the governor would just put Reilly on contract?
Nah. It’ll never happen. The governor no longer has to listen to gray beards who could talk some reasonable sense into him.
- Reality Check - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 9:53 am:
I’m not sure how to square this column with “throw Rauner a bone” (earlier post).
That piece says Democrats should give the governor limited accommodations (although it doesn’t say what) in order to “move on”. This piece says Rauner habitually refuses “to accept any compromise” and won’t listen to “reasonable sense”.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 9:55 am:
This doesn’t seem to be the type of man that “throwing a bone or two” would work with.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 9:56 am:
===The governor no longer has to listen to gray beards who could talk some reasonable sense into him.===
JFK once said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
Rauner’s failure to learn appears related to his failure to lead.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:04 am:
Perfect peek. (Perhaps a good name for a Willy series spin-off.)
We’re going to continue to see damage to the state as long as we have a governor who hasn’t and won’t learn how to lead. Sigh.
P.S. Well said Reality Check.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:05 am:
He thinks he’s got more money than anyone else, so he can do whatever he wants.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:11 am:
===I’m not sure how to square this column with “throw Rauner a bone” (earlier post).===
Because the narrative needs to change. Right now, the Democrats are doing nothing. Zippo. Rauner is making proposals and they counter with zilch. It’s suicidal. And if you think you saw a lot of anti-Madigan ads last year, just wait a few months.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:12 am:
There was a time when vendors at a trade show at McCormick Place couldn’t plug in a device - it had to be done by a union member. I’m assuming that is no longer the case, but it does tell of the extremes unions bargained for and won, much to their ultimate disservice. Rauner similarly does a disservice to the ’cause’ he supposedly champions, and will eventually realize all that kickin’ ass was ultimately on himself. And so be it.
- Roman - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:18 am:
This and the Tazewell County “shut things down” speech — everything you ever needed to know about Bruce Rauner.
- Langhorne - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:23 am:
Rauner considers his “perseverence” to be a virtue. Regardless of the damage, which is not so bad, bec it is starving the beast.
Repubs wont break from rauner, or force him to bend. So dems have to break the stalemate. Call rauners bluff. Pick two
issues. Pass some steps forward, and put the onus on rauner to agree to a budget.
- illinoised - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:28 am:
What Langhorne said.
- Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:33 am:
- “There was a time when vendors at a trade show at McCormick Place couldn’t plug in a device”
The story is an urban legend / fake news. Exhibitors have been plugging things into open outlets forever. When they plugged in a vacuum cleaner or a coffee pot into a already loaded circuit and blew a fuse is when the problem started. The power comes from floor ports, under the floor plates. If the booth is carpeted or has furniture or equipment on top or near the plates the time it takes to access the floor port could take a lot of time to replace the fuse. Time is money.
- Telly - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:37 am:
I agree with Langhorne, too. Which is why the unthinkable is starting to become a possibility: a lump sum budget.
Never thought I’d say that, but it might be a better option than repeating the last 2 years. Rauner and the Republicans can get there chance to prove state government can run on $32 billion in GRF after they eliminate all the “waste, fraud and abuse.”
- Team Sleep - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:40 am:
Rich is correct on the issue of Rauner at least proposing something. A majority of people on this site may not like what he wants to do but he is throwing out ideas and then barnstorming the state to make his case. Even the e-mails to-and-from Jim Reilly and Mayor Emanuel show that Rauner wanted to work on something to change McPier and the Tourism Bureau. Again - it may not have been for the “better” and a lot of people in Chicago may not have liked what he wanted to do but he offered some sort of changes/ideas and not just have everything run on autopilot. MJM coming out as salty against everything and calling Rauner “extreme” over EVERYTHING that Rauner releases is beyond the pale and will harm the Dems in 2018.
- Team Sleep - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 10:44 am:
Langhorne - if that happens then Governor Rauner will be offering Tim Nuding double his salary to come back.
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 11:00 am:
I think the Speaker and his party have been watching a lot of Seinfeld reruns over the past two years because they are the party of nothing
- Liberty - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 11:12 am:
I seem to remember reports of poison pills in every Rauner deal. He polluted the atmosphere and he is the guy now.
- QC Lib - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 11:14 am:
===Because the narrative needs to change. Right now, the Democrats are doing nothing. Zippo. Rauner is making proposals and they counter with zilch. It’s suicidal. And if you think you saw a lot of anti-Madigan ads last year, just wait a few months.===
But why do anything if they don’t have to do anything… And there’s a solid chance they’ll keep majorities? If he’s unwilling to compromise, which he’s shown in the past, then why keep weakening your hand when it won’t even be accepted?
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 11:16 am:
===watching a lot of Seinfeld reruns over the past two years because they are the party of nothing.===
More like C-SPAN. Madigan and Cullerton are pikers next to Ryan, Boehner and McConnell.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 11:24 am:
Madigan holds power, and has held power for a long time, because he knows how to use it in a way Niccolo would be proud. But, Lorenzo Medici eventually lost power to the one thing he could not control or overcome — aging. And so it will be.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 11:39 am:
===And there’s a solid chance they’ll keep majorities?===
For how long? If Rauner wins reelection he’ll have a 50-50 shot at drawing the map.
Also, you’re putting your partisan squabbles above the health of the state.
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 12:20 pm:
“Which is why the unthinkable is starting to become a possibility: a lump sum budget.”
Mr/Ms Telly we think you can rule this out due to the Good Friday Massacre, same goes for throwin’ BigBrain a bone. He has tossed all those back . Right now he can run on full year school funding (signin’ bills passed by the evil Madigan and prison “early release”)
Won’t that be enough?
- A guy - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 12:23 pm:
Rauner was not elected by even a small majority with the thought that the Speaker continues to maintain 100% control of the policy making in the state. Shared government has been so absent in this state for so long that some people simply can’t tolerate any of it. It’s no wonder we are where we are.
- QCLib - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 1:09 pm:
===For how long? If Rauner wins reelection he’ll have a 50-50 shot at drawing the map.===
Touche.
===Also, you’re putting your partisan squabbles above the health of the state.===
On a personal level, I’ll say it would be great to negotiate. But from Madigan’s perspective, what’s the benefit? If Rauner is running with ‘all or nothing’ / ‘we don’t negotiate with terrorists’ mantra, then offering something up isn’t going to help that.
I haven’t followed everything closely enough to know every proposal Rauner is putting forward, but I won’t discard all of them as bad ideas. My impression, however, is that every one good idea Rauner comes up with comes with ten bad ones there to destroy unions. Then he says if we can’t pass the other ten, we won’t pass the one.
If that’s all he’ll put forward, then I can’t exactly blame anyone for pulling a Merrick Garland here.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 1:19 pm:
===But from Madigan’s perspective, what’s the benefit?===
Saving social services and higher ed would be its own reward.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 1:19 pm:
“A majority of people on this site may not like what he wants to do but he is throwing out ideas and then barnstorming the state to make his case.”
And that’s gotten him a sub-40 approval rating, so it’s not like it’s just “this site” that doesn’t like his ideas.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 1:27 pm:
- Norseman -
If there is a spinoff, look for residual checks!
To the Post,
There needs to be adults willing to give, and take, victories with structured Roll Calls and the belief that doing what’s best for Illinois should be front and center.
If MOUs can do that, let’s go.
This needs to end.
- walker - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 1:31 pm:
Why do anything if you’re going to hold your majority anyway?
Seriously?
Because you have a responsibility to govern.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 2:06 pm:
==Why do anything if you’re going to hold your majority anyway?==
Now, there’s a winning theme going forward. Sickeningly, it might be just what they think. Oy.
- Juice - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 2:21 pm:
“For how long? If Rauner wins reelection he’ll have a 50-50 shot at drawing the map.”
And if that’s the case, the Dems can put redistricting on the ballot in 2020 for the remap that will happen in 2021. So what is the urgency from the Dems’ partisan perspective to do this now. (Setting aside putting an end to the impasse or that it may simply be the right thing to do for the moment)
As some guy used to say, don’t take an aspirin before getting a headache.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 2:40 pm:
===the Dems can put redistricting on the ballot in 2020 for the remap that will happen in 2021===
Didja forget that they no longer have a three-fifths majority in the House? If the Repubs don’t go along, forget about it.
- Juice - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 3:01 pm:
Just to expand on that. 2020 will be a Presidential year, under the existing map. If the GOP chooses to take a caucus position, a lot of the campaigns in the suburbs will be focused on their hypocrisy, which could end up being a decent message.
That could potentially allow the House Dems to regain the supermajority, which would then allow them to override a veto of the map if Governor Rauner is still in office.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 3:32 pm:
Juice,
And then in 2028…nevermind.
- Juice - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 4:20 pm:
A guy…it is the Governor who is demanding changes to the Constitution that have no impact whatsoever for another 12 years in exchange for a 2017 budget.
- James Nell - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 5:16 pm:
Bruce Rauner is not a person. He is a fire hose that sprays money that was given the rights of a person by the Supreme Court.
- pskila - Wednesday, Jan 4, 17 @ 7:02 pm:
Montgomery “Excellent” Burns in the flesh…want to go for three years of failure and I will call you a re-election if there isn’t a strong enough push to flush him and Madigan down the toilet.
- Rabid - Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 5:26 am:
A journey to the center of his mind. Class warfare against the collectivist, while he collects nine houses. Decatur was not a mistake, decisive unilateral action from a salesman