* Here’s a new twist. Check out the fourth paragraph…

I heard this could be happening earlier today. The AG filed two motions the other day, one was to dissolve the preliminary injunction, but the other was a petition to intervene. The original defendant was Comptroller Munger, who retained her own counsel over the AG’s objections.

So, the governor’s position is that Comptroller Mendoza should retain her own lawyer, keep AG Madigan out of the case, and even if the judge decides to obey the Constitution and lifts the order that forces the comptroller to pay employees without an appropriation, Mendoza should just keep on paying them until Madigan convinces a judge to tell her to stop doing so. You gotta figure that they’ll then demand that Mendoza appeal it.

In other words, they want to delay doomsday as long as they possibly can while making AG Madigan pay the political price every step of the way. And if the comptroller doesn’t go along with the governor, they’ll make her pay the price, too.

I’ve asked the comptroller’s office and the AG’s office for a response.

*** UPDATE 1 ***  From Abdon Pallasch at the comptroller’s office…

As the Comptroller said Thursday, the Governor could very easily end this court action by fulfilling his constitutional duty to propose a balanced budget, and then work with the General Assembly to get it passed into law.

*** UPDATE 2 *** Asked for a comment, AG Madigan’s spokesperson responded: “No thanks.”

Heh.

*** UPDATE 3 *** From the governor’s office…

Once again, Comptroller Mendoza was given an opportunity to stand with state employees and fight for their paychecks. Once again, she declined.

Like I said, they want her to pay an ongoing political price.

       

85 Comments - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:33 pm: ===Mendoza should just keep on paying them until Madigan convinces a judge to tell her to stop doing so. You gotta figure that they’ll then demand that Mendoza appeal it.=== Mendoza would go this… Why? Rauner lost that safety valve in November. Mendoza said she’d follow the ruling of courts. What the problem? - Nick Name - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:35 pm: Translation: how’d you like a well-financed primary opponent in 2018? - Phil - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:40 pm: OW, you can’t blame the Rauner folks for trying. Mendoza has already established that political expediency is more important to her than the plane language of the constitution. - Thoughts Matter - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:40 pm: If Gov Rauner would just propose a balanced budget as the constitution requires, and the legislature did their job by passing a budget, and Gov Rauner then signed the budget…. but, nooooo, we’ve got to spend our time bullybig other constitutional officers. - Swift - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:41 pm: It’s odd that there is no mention of a government shutdown. We all know the administration loves state workers to no end, but nothing about depriving citizens of state services is notably absent. - Signal and Noise - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:43 pm: The overall tone of these communications is totally unprofessional and disrespectful to an independent constitutional office holder. “We look forward to your confirmation that you will do our bidding just like your predecessor. So snap to it” These guys… - Porgy Tirebiter - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:43 pm: I hope Mendoza it didn’t hurt herself by laughing so hard when she received this letter - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:46 pm: To the Update, Dear Rauner Press Shop… See how Abdon Pallasch was able to succinctly boil down your ridiculousness and in a few more words make your argument look even more ridiculous. Top shelf work. It’s not about the maneuvering, it’s truly all about the budget… … and Pallasch did it without a Word Jumble. That’s a pro. To the Update itself on its merits, How can you refute the sentiment? You can’t. Rauner’s shop, they gonna say, “we don’t wavy a budget, we what your assistance to fight for our ‘wants’ before the budget, and help picking the hostages” Yikes. Pallasch brought it all back to the beginning, and “that’s how you do that”. - Sue - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:47 pm: At least Munger had the qualifications for the position. Mendoza is both a political hack and wholly unqualified for this technical job. BTW she sat by silent for a decade in the legislature and watched Dems spend more then they raised in revenue - Sir Reel - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:47 pm: Bruce is right. Lisa should stop seeking to harm the hardworking employees of the State of Illinois. That’s his job. - Roman - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:48 pm: == …attempt to undermine bipartisan budget negotiation in the Senate == There’s the mother of all red herrings again from Rauner. Shielding himself with a compromise he has not endorsed and is in fact, working to undermine behind the scenes. Is anyone with a pen or mic gonna call him out on this? - Precinct Captain - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:48 pm: Rauner and Trump, two peas in a lawless, unconstitutional pod - Demoralized - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:48 pm: ==BTW she sat by silent for a decade in the legislature and watched Dems spend more then they raised in revenue== Can we please knock off this partisan nonsense. The state we find ourselves in didn’t just pop up over the last 10 years. This partisan narrative is getting really old. Some of you couldn’t have an honest debate about our situation if you tried. - Cubs in '16 - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:48 pm: THIS is why the Comptroller’s race was so significant. The fact that R’s picked up a few seats in the GA pales in comparison. - tabbybum - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:50 pm: Everyone is assuming the AG’s motions will be upheld. What happens if the St. Clair judge denies her motions? The judge in St. Clair has denied the AG before. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:51 pm: - Sue - Pay attention to what’s at play here, like in Real-Time. Your talking points are failing to the issue at hand. - Phil - I’ll let Abdon Pallasch’s work on this be my response, and while I do understand why they asked, the proportional and sound response in the Real-Time happening shows the new “real” to this specific, narrow, issue. And while I think Pallasch did a solid here, that whole Mendoza Crew needs to realize that legislator pay stance thingy also undercuts this response, by not paying legislature as prescribed by the constitution and statue. Can’t have it all… yet. - Daniel Plainview - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:52 pm: - Mendoza is both a political hack and wholly unqualified for this technical job - I’m sure you felt the same way about JBT, or did her career as a reporter and PR consultant prepare her for this very “technical” job? - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:55 pm: ===THIS is why the Comptroller’s race was so significant. The fact that R’s picked up a few seats in the GA pales in comparison.=== Concur, 100%. It was the referendum first, and the loss of the safety valve second. The letter written to Mendoza reeks of the loss of control by asking the ridiculousness of the duties versus the ask in the letter. Said from the beginning, always felt, Comptroller race was the most important. You’re on it - cubs in ‘16 - - Norseman - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:56 pm: Always ooda looping. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 3:57 pm: @ Sue You call Mendoza a political hack and wholly unqualified, explain your answer why. Actually, if you follow her she was pretty active for a decade in the legislature and watched Republicans spend more money on their election in revenue? Remember when Mike Bost did the following? Scroll to to 5:00 min. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mD5YpTVmAA - Demoralized - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:02 pm: Don’t pick on Mike Bost. Someone had to take over for Bill Black when he left. lol - Cubs in '16 - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:04 pm: *Tips cap to OW* - Geesh - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:05 pm: Relatively long time reader and third time participant(I’ll admit to being naïve and idealistic right at the start)… Since this is a private communication from the gov’s office to State Comp Mendoza, I assume her office made it public. What does she gain by doing this? (real question). - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:05 pm: Someone should tell Murashko this isn’t Mother Russia. We expect public officials to follow the law here. - don the legend - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:07 pm: A more than plausible scenario: AG Madigan prevails, Comptroller Mendoza does not pay, the Raunerite senate caucus begins to crack, Leader Durkin sees the 2018 election of his members in jeopardy. Governor Rauner signs the biggest set of tax increases in Illinois history! - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:09 pm: Can someone explain the difference between a TRO and a preliminary injunction to the Rauner crack legal team? - Roman - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:12 pm: - tabbybum Lisa probably will lose in St. Clair County, but she has to start her climb through the appeals process there. Once she gets to a higher court she will prevail (see AFSCME v. Netsch, 1991). The state has been here before. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:13 pm: ===Lisa probably will lose in St. Clair County, but she has to start her climb through the appeals process there.=== Really? What do you base this on? It appears everyone is of the belief that the AG will prevail… including the governor. - Henry Francis - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:13 pm: I don’t remember Quinn’s lawyers being so overtly political. This letter reads more like it was writen by Goldberg, and Murashko just signed it. The governor is missin his wingman - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:15 pm: Mendoza: “I’m not Munger.” - Demoralized - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:16 pm: Anyone else have a problem with an attorney advising someone to ignore a court order? - northsider (the original) - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:24 pm: If the TRO is dissolved there is no authority by which Mendoza or any other person authorized to sign checks of can issue unappropriated state funds. Exactly WHAT is Mr. Murashko suggesting? - Honeybear - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:24 pm: I don’t think AG Madigan will lose in St. Clair. Despite what people think Judge LeChien is a fair judge and there isn’t really any room for him to wiggle. - m - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:25 pm: =Anyone else have a problem with an attorney advising someone to ignore a court order?= Did you read it? Ending the TRO just means that she doesn’t HAVE to pay, doesn’t tell her not to. They’re telling her to keep paying until they get a court order to stop. - m - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:26 pm: =If the TRO is dissolved there is no authority by which Mendoza or any other person authorized to sign checks of can issue unappropriated state funds. Exactly WHAT is Mr. Murashko suggesting?= Federal fair labor standards act? - wordslinger - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:27 pm: Curious that it’s only the governor’s peeps howling about the possibility that state employees might not get paid without an approp. What kind of conservative governing philosophy is that, paying employees without an approp.? Why does it not apply to signed contracts with social service vendors, among the administration deep-thinkers? Their hypocrisy is pathetically transparent. Superstars and Frat Boys don’t ooda-loop for free. - Nick Name - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:29 pm: “Exactly WHAT is Mr. Murashko suggesting?” That she’d better think twice if she doesn’t want a Rauner/Koch-financed primary opponent in 2018. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:29 pm: But a court would only lift the order if it agreed that paying salaries without an appropriation is unconstitutional. Mendoza cannot “voluntarily” then continue to violate the constitution. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:32 pm: ===Raunerite senate caucus begins to crack, Leader Durkin sees the 2018 election of his members in jeopardy. Governor Rauner signs the biggest set of tax increases in Illinois history!=== Nope. Sorry, no. “Why?!?” The $50 million, just for openers. There will be no crack. It’s going to come back to finding compromise, not the cracking, that’s not going to happen. Rauner has paid top money to prevent any uprising. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:38 pm: Once again, Governor Rauner has declined to propose a budget that supports state employees. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:38 pm: ===Once again, Comptroller Mendoza was given an opportunity to stand with state employees and fight for their paychecks. Once again, she declined.=== You know how you stand with state employees, propose a budget. They have no fear or actual respect for Mendoza. The Governor’s Office is counting on inept responses by the Comptroller’s Office to negate that governors own. It will be up to Abdon Pallach to win the day and reinforce that governors own. I know, sorry Pallach, but, that’s where your Crew is. - Demoralized - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 4:39 pm: ==doesn’t tell her not to== If there’s no TRO then she has no authority to pay. No approp - no pay. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 5:03 pm: ===It will be up to Abdon Pallasch to win the day and reinforce that governors own. I know, sorry Pallasch, but, that’s where your Crew is.=== Do I think Pallasch is up to the task? Yes. He is, but only if that Crew helps and they don’t give an inch. Sorry for the misspelling, too. Auto-correct and carelessness. I wanted to apologize. OW - RNUG - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 5:05 pm: == What does she gain by doing this? (real question). == There are two ends it could have been leaked from. Which end has a track record of playing politics? Just saying … - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 5:12 pm: Federal labor law says workers must be paid at least minimum wage,…gulp! - Anon - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 5:26 pm: Still seems likely that Rauner will sign off on an appropriation for only employee pay at the last minute. No budget. - blue dog dem - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 5:58 pm: What does she gain. Revenge. the AG’s motives aren’t for worker justice or for a remedy to the states financial landscape. . Just pure revenge. Her name. Her desire for climbing the political ladder. Gone. The Madigan name has been smeared beyond repair. She knows it. Her dad knows it. Rauner knows it. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 6:10 pm: ===Revenge. the AG’s motives aren’t for worker justice or for a remedy to the states financial landscape. . Just pure revenge. Her name. Her desire for climbing the political ladder. Gone. The Madigan name has been smeared beyond repair. She knows it.=== You still have some frothing on the corners of your mouth. I hope you feel better. You lack of discussing the merits is noted, lol - Juvenal - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 6:56 pm: === I assume her (Mendoza’s) office made it public. === I will take that bet. First, letters to and letters from public officials are not “private.” They are subject to FOIA. They are public business. Secondly, the ONLY reason you right such a preposterous, snarky letter is so that you can hand it to the press. They are going to spend every day between now and February 28th trying to blame Mendoza and Madigan for the fact that state workers might not get paid. If they can succeed, they just might shut down state government. Those who do not want state government to shut down, who want a budget deal, should remind people every day that Rauner is the real obstacle. Especially third parties. Kelleher did a nice job of that. - Just Me - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 7:21 pm: Comptroller — You promised to be an “independent” party in this war. Blaming Rauner all the time is not independent. Yeah he has a duty to propose a balanced budget, but the General Assembly has a duty to pass one too. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 7:23 pm: ===Comptroller — You promised to be an “independent” party in this war.=== How is it not being independent by following a court order, lol - Original Rambler - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 7:31 pm: Just Me, how is the GA supposed to exercise its duty to pass a budget if the Governor has yet to first propose a balanced budget? I fail to see what is so one sided in Abdon’s response to indicate she is not independent. She is just echoing others in pointing out the primary glitch in the system is the failure of the Governor to propose a balanced budget. - northsider (the original) - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 7:45 pm: - m - Yes I read the TRO and the pleadings, rather than Murashko’s erroneous cliff-notes. To be clear: If the TRO is dissolved, there’s no authority to pay. Absent court order or appropriation there is no authority to pay. The Court gave authority through its order. As soon as the order is dissolved there is no authority. No authority=No pay. It is specious and knowingly misleading for anyone from the Governor’s office to say that there is any basis whatsoever for Ms. Medoza to fund without authority. It is false to say that removing the TRO doesn’t mean the state has to cease payments. That’s EXACTLY what it means, and the Governor’s counsel knows it. - blue dog dem - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 7:56 pm: Ego Willy@6:10. You are correct again. AG Madigans’ case is bullet proof. So are her motives. She wants nothing but the best for all Illinois residents. She wants nothing but the best for immigrants trying to enter into this country. If I didn’t know better, she is Mother Theresa herself. - blue dog dem - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 7:57 pm: Sorry,that was Oswego. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 8:01 pm: ===AG Madigans’ case is bullet proof.=== You probably shoulda stopped there… - Just Me - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 8:12 pm: Original Rambler - please show me a budget that was passed in the last 10 years that was based upon the Governor’s budget book. Everyone on this blog knows that the Governor’s budget proposal is thrown away before he even leaves the House Chamber. To say that the General Assembly cannot pass a budget until the Governor submits a balanced budget proposal is a complete and total farce. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 8:29 pm: It’s all good-Allen Skillicorn will work for free. - Roman - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 8:49 pm: == Really? What do you base this on? == Could be wrong, but I think she has to ask the original judge to essentially reverse himself and vacate his original order. I’m guessing the odds are against that. Put she needs to go through that formality to get the case to the appellate court, where she is almost certain to prevail. - CEA - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 9:22 pm: “Governor! What are you going to do about the Comptroller?” “I’ll make her an offer she can refuse.” - wordslinger - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 9:30 pm: –They’re telling her to keep paying until they get a court order to stop.– Huh? No appropriation, no judge’s order. By what authority does the comptroller continue to make payroll? Payments that are covered by appropriations or court orders are running as much as a year late. By what authority — again, absent an appropriation or court order — does the comptroller push aside those payments to make payroll twice a month? Because the governor’s lawyer said it was okay? - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 10:06 pm: Seems the GOP at-large has been having trouble with the concept of obeying court order lately - justacitizen - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 10:08 pm: ===*Tips cap to OW*=== You guys can stroke each other’s egos all you want but the Comptroller has to pay bills as required by law. Not much discretion but to pay the bills as required by the court or the law. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 10:10 pm: There is no political price for Mendoza, she will follow the ruling the court hands to the AG, the State’s top attorney. I hope the AG’s office prevales, with no budget, no state employees going to work, the state will grind to a stand still. Rauner won’t have the economic resources to pay the temp workers and he will be forced to do what he should have done all along, present a budget and work with both houses to get it passed. Rauner’s ego won’t let him do that, so the AG steps in. Madigan is doing state workers a favor. Thanks Lisa. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 10:16 pm: justacitizen - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 10:08 pm: ===*Tips cap to OW*=== You guys can stroke each other’s egos all you want but the Comptroller has to pay bills as required by law. Not much discretion but to pay the bills as required by the court or the law. Yea, but because of the budget, she can pick and choose what bills to pay. - DuPage Bard - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 10:20 pm: Do we live in bizarro world? A sitting Governor telling a constitutional officer to break the law? - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 10:21 pm: ===Comptroller has to pay bills as required by law. Not much discretion but to pay the bills as required by the court or the law.=== Except when paying legislators, just for openers… but you already knew that. The letter written kinda-sorta mocks your thoughts on the subject since what we are talking about is an Executive refusing to acknowledge what you yourself seem to say is self-evident. - Roscoe Tom - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 10:26 pm: failure of the Governor to propose a balanced budget. Write this 500 times on the blackboard Mr. Rauner before recess. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 11:11 pm: Speaker Madigan quote from May 29, 2012 in the Bost video “Most of us recognize that the current Illinois pension systems are unsustainable. Everyone pretty much acknowledges that there has to be some kind of change. So I would simply ask everyone lets not get swept up in the emotion of the minute. Let’s keep our ficus and continue to try to educate ourselves on these issues and move towards good solid decisions on how we can solve these problems.” Would someone from our intrepid press corps care to ask the Speaker when he changed his mind that pension reform is no longer required? - wordslinger - Monday, Jan 30, 17 @ 11:23 pm: –Would someone from our intrepid press corps care to ask the Speaker when he changed his mind that pension reform is no longer required?– Probably about the time that a unanimous Supreme Court — bipartisan, representing all regions of the state — ruled what you would call “pension reform” i.e. walking away from unfunded liability for benefits already earned, was unconstitutional. It was in all the papers. - Rabid - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:12 am: The citizenry rejected munger and the turnaround agenda, why would anyone listen to you? - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 7:04 am: ===but the Comptroller has to pay bills as required by law=== Exactly right. And by law, she can’t pay bills without an appropriation. - The one - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 7:40 am: Madigan’s motion itself may allow for some additional time. She asked for the order to be lifted Feb 28 to give employees time to prepare. If the judge agrees that some advance warning is appropriate, maybe it’s more than a month. Maybe it’s March 31. Or if it is agreed that there is some wiggle room, why not until the end of this session. - Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 7:43 am: Headline should read: Rauner encourages new state comptroller to be independent, break the law. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 8:09 am: === It was in all of the papers. === Well played, old chap. Well played indeed. For the record, indeed surprisingly, it is worth noting that pension “reform” is not even on Rauner’s list of “Must Have’s.” Once the GOP realized there was no way to really stick it to the unions since the courts will not allow a diminishment of benefits, there was no wedge to drive between the Democratic Party and their base. And thus, no point really. It is all about the wedge, and the base, and demolishing that island of Blue in the sea of red. More than that, for over 50 years Illinois and Chicago specifically have been a symbol of Democratic resistance and counter-culture. We have them Kennedy, and thus the Civil Rights Act. In ‘68, we proved we were somethIng far more dangerous than a party apparatus. And yes, Chicago is the curable of much of the labor movement, all the way back to Pullman and Haymarket. This is not about Madigan, it is much bigger. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 8:11 am: ===Would someone from our intrepid press corps care to ask the Speaker…=== “Would someone from our intrepid press corps care to ask the Governor…” We can do this all day. The Press is the Press. Rauner has a Press mechanism, “BossMadigan.Com”, radio, newspapers, and you are still worried about the Press? - Free Set of Steak Knives - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 8:23 am: @Just Me: The governor’s proposed budget is the starting point of negotiations. If the Governor proposes spending $500 million more than we have in revenue, the legislature is going to spend $500 million more too. It’s like telling your kids they can each open one present on Christmas Eve. Then your son opens two. You really think you can convince your daughter she cannot open a second present as well? Ask any parent. This is the real world. Not 11th grade American Government. Not Poli Sci 101. And in the real world, when you want a big, bipartisan deal, the governor has to show his cards first. It is called “leading” for a reason: literally, you are in front. - Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 8:34 am: Pension reform was a. condition of the last stop gap budget and the extra 200 million for CPS pensions Perhaps you missed that it was in all the papers - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 8:46 am: ===…was a condition=== If that’s the case you readily admit, then having conditions means holding the hostages. “Thanks!” - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 8:50 am: Also… ===…was a condition…=== That’s why Rauner chose to veto to hurt Chicago students. Seriously, you aren’t helping. Daily, you remind the errors, choices, and ramifications of Bruce Rauner. So, again… “Thanks!” - Chucktownian - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 9:04 am: Governors own and Rauner owns this. If the government shuts down it’s on him and he knows it. Just do your job governor as it tells you in the constitution and propose a balanced budget and then work to get it passed. It’s been the governor’s fault all along really. He’s not doing his job. - Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 9:22 am: By agreeing to the pension reform as a condition for the extra money the democrats signed up to be “hostages” as you put it. I don’t have think it is possible to be a voluntary “hostage” You are going to have to come up with some other ridiculous spin to explain why pension reform was necessary in 2012 and last June but suddenly fell off the radar after the election. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 9:51 am: ===By agreeing to the pension reform as a condition for the extra money the democrats signed up to be “hostages” as you put it.=== No, they didn’t agree to be blindsided as to the timing only agreed to by one party. ===I don’t have think it is possible to be a voluntary “hostage”=== They became hostages to the whim of the governor. Rauner keeping his word wasn’t possible, according to the Veto. ===You are going to have to come up with some other ridiculous spin to explain why pension reform was necessary in 2012 and last June but suddenly fell off the radar after the election.=== Rauner vetoed the precondition. You should ask him that question, lol - Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 10:04 am: It is now almost February and pension reform has not even been voted on much less passed even though the Speaker agreed to this as a condition of the extra funding for CPS. What kind of a deal is it when only one side is held to keeping it? Apparently that is how the Speaker operates, even though he thinks the pension system is unsustainable - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 1:23 pm: ===What kind of a deal is it when only one side is held to keeping it?=== Rauner retaliated and vetoed the CPS bill hurting Chicago students. Again, you should be cheering that, according to your last comment. Only governors can veto. I don’t want to have to remind you again. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.