62 Comments - Under Influenced... - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:22 am: Sort of like Trump’s wall…don’t worry so much about the details - m - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:23 am: And here’s where the service tax comes in… - 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:24 am: ===We need a budget to do it, we need a capital plan to do it…=== The chutzpah is stunning. - Sir Reel - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:26 am: Gosh. I never thought of that. Such insight. Such vision. Now, if only we had a Governor who could pull it off. Instead we have Governor Platitude. - Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:26 am: So write us a check, Bruce. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:26 am: ===The U of I is a major economic engine for this state and I want to take them to a whole other level.=== … says the Governor that vetoed Higher Ed funding and apoears to have not read that the U of I system is $750+ million lighter in funding since he became Governor. Is Rauner trolling himself? - Deft Wing - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:27 am: Yeah, right. The Governor and others have been peddling this pipe-dream of a “huge” capital plan since his term started … but that won’t happen, obviously, in the absnece of a budget deal (don’t anyone hold their breath). And, of course, a capital bill requires … capital!! Like increases in user fees or new ones entirely. If a budget deal somehow gets done, who will then have the “courage” to raise gas taxes and/or sales taxes or how about a sugary food tax?! - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:30 am: “If I crush the state work force just a bit further, we’ll have the resources to do it!” - Lech W - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:31 am: Clever move by Rauner; create expectations of capital plan fixes and then convince voters the only way to pay for it will be elimination of PW and or RTW. - Spliff - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:31 am: I know where he can get $50 million in seed money! - Jocko - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:32 am: Apparently he’s unaware that “Shakeup Bruce” is acting against the interests of “Statesman Bruce” He should star in the remake of “Three Faces of Eve”. - Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:33 am: Is this code for,”lets build a new conference center at Rend Lake “? - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:34 am: This dude is something else. - Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:35 am: Oh! I am sorry. We just did ten years ago. - Daniel Plainview - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:36 am: Is everyone too stunned by his childlike rambling to ask him what’s stopping him from presenting a plan? - Now What? - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:36 am: So as long as people are distracted by national politics . . . - PublicServant - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:40 am: This can all be explained if Rauner was diagnosed as schizophrenic. Today’s personality is Rauner the Spender. This personality only comes out when providing campaign material to snow the uninformed, whereas the Rauner the Spendthrift personality surfaces when providing material to serve as raw meat for his base. - Anon - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:40 am: Ah, how convenient, just as we are approaching a reelection year. - Honeybear - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:43 am: Smells like perfidy - downstate commissioner - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:43 am: Heard this on the news this morning-first thought: Does he ever listen to himself? Second thought: the workers on these construction projects are going to be paid “prevailing wage”, but he wants to gut the pay of the engineers overseeing the work… The more he talks, the dumber he sounds…. - AlfondoGonz - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:53 am: Welp…it’s a start. Although I must say the “we need a plan moment” should have happened about 3 years ago, a plan should have been formulated about 2 years ago, and attempts to implement it should have been ongoing. But it’s a start. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:54 am: Rauner alone can defeat ISIS! - Thoughts Matter - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:01 pm: He’s in some alternate reality. Or, he’s another one of those that sees the U if I as something akin to the Holiest Church rather than a university. We are failing to pay 2015 bills for everything under the sun, but we are going to build, build, build at the U of I. Too bad there won’t be many students there when our state fails. Meanwhile social service agencies have locked their doors. - Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:02 pm: Must mean he’s found a way to profit from it. - Excessively Rabid - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:06 pm: Just once I would like for him to put out an actual proposal with numbers in it - real ones, no smoke and mirrors. - Henry Francis - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:08 pm: Gotta love his explanation of his long time support of enducation. He’s been workin for teachers for 32 years, on their pension funds, makin sure they have a comfortable retirement. Who knew he supported any of the following: Teachers Pensions Comfortable retirements for public employees. I thought he just did it to make a buck for himself. - A guy - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:09 pm: I’d say this represents some progress. Encourage it. - BK Bro - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:10 pm: LOL. Why spend money fixing up buildings at colleges when you can’t even get students there? Attracting students is the first, most basic mission of any university. Yeah U of I is doing OK but the other State schools are practically in free fall. If students can’t get financial aid, there won’t be any students to enjoy the new carpeting. - Arsenal - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:16 pm: ==“We need a capital plan”== Then…write one up? Does he know what happened in November 2014? Does he know where he’s been the last 2 years? Hell, had he come up with a capital plan at the beginning, he’d have a lot more legislative buy-in on the rest of his agenda. Instead, he’s waiting for Cullerton and Radogno to bail him out. - Ma - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:18 pm: How will he pay for it? On the backs of the state workers, that is how. - Flynn's mom - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:19 pm: Can we quit talking about plans and actually make one?? - zatoichi - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:27 pm: “We need a budget to do it, we need a capital plan to do it”…..and my capital plan is in my new budget which I happen to have right here. I am taking it to the GA for review later today. - quincy - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:33 pm: Hey This guy needs to make up his own budget so we all now where he’s coming from. All he talks about is his agenda. Because he dost know how to make up a real budget - walker - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:37 pm: Standard phrases for a politician to say to any audience, when he wants to look serious and fiscally smart. At least Rauner didn’t say “capital plan with reforms.” - Pelonski - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:44 pm: These are the kinds of statements that really make me worry about our democracy. There was a time when a politician who made such contradictory and outlandish statements would get laughed out of the room. Now, they can pretty much say anything they want without recourse. - d.p.gumby - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:48 pm: Great…something else Brucie wants to talk about but not produce…does this guy never stop?? - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:53 pm: Need to fix up the joint before we sell it off for pennies on the dollar. /s? - Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:00 pm: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RV-p51fvYLc What Burgess Meredith said. - Annonin' - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:01 pm: Is this BigBrain disconnected mumbo jumbo week? Sez one thing…does opposite. Last week he and Durkie blocked $400 in new higher education funding..this week he id all golly gosh for colleges - The Dude Abides - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:03 pm: Rauner had said previously that he wanted to cut higher education funding by one third! It’s very hard for a Legislature to work with a guy who is all over the map. It really is hard to figure out what he really wants when he is constantly changing his mind. It’s just another example of failure of leadership and why we’re where we’re at. - Skeptical - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:04 pm: He has already taken the universities to “a whole other level” - what might he have in mind this time to help them shrink even further? - Huh? - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:09 pm: “The U of I is a major economic engine for this state and I want to take them to a whole other level” What does 1.4% mean by “take them to a whole other level”? Because by his actions, 1.4% has already taken higher education to “a whole other level” which is substantially lower than when he came into office. 1.4% says he wants a capital bill. Most capital bill have started off by borrowing the cash up front. 1.4% is so far in arrears with the ordinary bills, how is he going to persuade the bonding agencies to loan him the money? - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:11 pm: You need a Capitol plan, you need a budget, you need an agreement w afscme……how bout stepping up and Sgoverning Governor. - Try-4-Truth - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:15 pm: Then introduce one, Governor. It really is that simple. - morningstar - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:15 pm: I agree with Honeybear. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Back-room deal in the offing? - Anon - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:17 pm: The state is going to issue 100 billion dollar bond with a 70 year term. - Boone's is Back - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:20 pm: How about starting with a budget first? - siriusly - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:33 pm: He’s The Man With No Plan! Perhaps all the growth created by the TA can pay for the capital bill. Seriously - stop talking nonsense bruce. Say something. Do something. What a waste of your time and your money to do nothing. - Illinois O'Malley - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:41 pm: Can’t wait to see Tronc/Katrina’s editorial blaming D’s for blocking his plan to save UofI… - DuPage - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:42 pm: @Anon 1:17 ===The state is going to issue 100 billion dollar bond with a 70 year term=== Now that Rauner has got the interest rates on those bonds to go way up, I am sure his buddies will make an excellent return. - 13th - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:43 pm: Well an election is coming up, so need some free photo ops with shovels or big checks. It a shame, there are still project from the last capital bill that got put on hold or told they would not be funded, even thou they was spelled out in that bill. What are they doing with all the revenue form the last capital bill, as projects not getting done and revenue was not sunset in that bill - titan - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:48 pm: Without a budget, one with sufficient supporting revenue, we have nothing. - Former hillrod - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:49 pm: just a thought here. If EIU, CSU and WIU go away, could it be possible the U of I would have to expand a certain degree to help take up some of that slack? That would take the U of I to a whole ‘nother level all by its lonesome. Just saying. - CLJ - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:51 pm: =Now that Rauner has got the interest rates on those bonds to go way up, I am sure his buddies will make an excellent return.= More money for the campaign fund. - HigherEdprof - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:53 pm: All of higher education is an economic engine. An educated population attracts businesses, helps grow existing business, and develops new ideas and products. Let’s start by fully funding higher education (including MAP grants) rather than vetos and proposed cuts. - El Conquistador - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:55 pm: Welcome to reality Gov… and now want to begin doing the job you were elected to do two years ago instead of rabidly pursuing the radical right wing agenda? Sheesh. You’re a big part of the problem… - Nick Name - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 2:05 pm: “The U of I is a major economic engine for this state and I want to take them to a whole other level…” Sniff…sniff… smells like privatization. - CapnCrunch - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 2:33 pm: “If EIU, CSU and WIU go away, could it be possible the U of I would have to expand a certain degree to help take up some of that slack? That would take the U of I to a whole ‘nother level ..” The UI administration seems to have big ideas of expansion regardless of the State’s support. The president of the University of Illinois presented a plan today that would expand its enrollment by 15 percent over the next five year. Enrollment would rise to more than 93,600 students, up from about 81,000 this year — including 6,300 more for UIUC. - Honeybear - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 4:27 pm: The new scent by Nick Name! Privitization. Sexy voice: “Because it’s better done in private and in the dark” - Winnin' - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 4:28 pm: Bruce should consider fasting until a balanced budget and capital plan are approved. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 4:50 pm: ===Bruce should consider fasting=== The dude is already thin as a rail. - Sigh - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 5:35 pm: Did Rauner buy that storage unit that had boxes of documents from the Blago administration? This so sounds like a page out of Rod’s playbook. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.