40 Comments - wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:03 pm: In Raunerbot land, that’s another proposed balanced budget. - RNUG - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:03 pm: As I posted earlier in another thread, Rauner has the ability to cut any budget that is passed by either AV or sequestering funds. But cutting that way means (a) he owns the cuts and (b) he can’t just transfer the budgeted funds somewhere that he wants increased spending. What Rauner is used to in the private sector is unlimited power to move funds around, something he doesn’t have and that the GA is unlikely to grant. - Arsenal - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:03 pm: So those #DoTheJob hashtags didn’t convince him, huh? - jim - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:04 pm: why not let him make the cuts? then the dems could criticize him for the cuts he makes. seems like a reasonable strategy to use to characterize him as heartless and cruel. - Hamlet's Ghost - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:04 pm: Page 30 is hysterical The difference between $37.3 billion and $32.7 billion is bridged with a line item having the title: “Working together on a grand bargain” - Anon221 - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:06 pm: He, again, wants unfettered access to all funds to cut or raid as he sees fit, with no oversight from the GA. You know, those pesky funds for programs like breast cancer research, just sittin’ there not doin’ their jobs! He wants to put that money to “work”! /s - A Jack - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:09 pm: So $5 billion out of whack. I don’t think the state constitution allows that and neither does it say that the GA should relinquish its duty to pass a budget on the promise of cuts. - The Captain - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:10 pm: The Democrats laid the groundwork in the past week to really hammer this message. Now let’s see if they follow up on it relentlessly and press their advantage or if they sit back and hope that the press will do their job for them. - jim - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:11 pm: two years ago, legislature passed a deficit budget with $4 billion hole that Rauner vetoed. Last year, Madigan passed a similar proposal that Senate ignored. so, again, why not pass deficit budget, let Rauner cut it and allow Democrats to villify him as heartless and cruel? - Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:12 pm: looks like he suggests eliminating state $ for TEEN REACH afterschool program again - EVanstonian - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:13 pm: Not to be the maths guy, but where do we get $5.1b? 37.3-32.7=4.6 Did I miss something? - wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:14 pm: –I don’t think the state constitution allows that and neither does it say that the GA should relinquish its duty to pass a budget on the promise of cuts.– The “promise of cuts” is mumbo-jumbo nonsense. He’s proposing $37.3B in spending with only $32.7B in revenue. I make that out of balance by $4.6B. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:18 pm: Rauner is playing “chicken” with the number $4.8 billion, in hopes Democrats will propose and sponsor the Rauner Tax. That’s fun… - Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:18 pm: The governor’s budget is balanced in the same way his campaign was outspent - GOPgal - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:23 pm: All these things Rauner says we should do and not do or that we need, why doesn’t he simply incorporate them all in the balanced budget he had a duty to submit, for going on 3 years now? Answer, he’s not serious and doesn’t know how to lead. Between the rehashed platitudes of his prior addresses to the continued ridiculous “g” dropping, that speech was a sad joke. - Dee Lay - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:27 pm: In what world is this a balanced budget proposal? Anyone? - Romeo - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:32 pm: Dear Mortgage Company, I’m planning to pay a $1,000 every month on my $1,200 monthly mortgage. Sincerely, Romeo - Amalia - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:32 pm: read his address, and that was weird because it just seemed he was santa claus and nothing said about cuts, just term limits and work comp. in other words, deeply hide the lede/lead. - Arsenal - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:36 pm: It just dissolves the entire rationale for the impasse, y’know? Rauner said that he was open to more revenue, but only with the Turnaround Agenda. But *his own* plan needs more revenue! So what we’re left with is he’s demanding crazy anti-employee laws as a precondition for the tax hike that *he* needs. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:41 pm: ===But *his own* plan needs more revenue! So what we’re left with is he’s demanding crazy anti-employee laws as a precondition for the tax hike that *he* needs.=== That’s the Raunerite way. Been that way since “Day 1″ “I’ll agree to revenue, if… ” Governor, revenue has never, ever been a “give” since you took the Oath. Saying revenue is a “give” is disingenuous at best… Rauner can’t give in a requirement. So, Rauner proposes “this”… but wants Dems to propose and pass the Rauner Tax to pay for it. Again, that’s fun. You’re on it, - Aresnal - - wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:45 pm: –so, again, why not pass deficit budget, let Rauner cut it and allow Democrats to villify him as heartless and cruel?– Sigh. The bipartisan budget that Rauner pushed and signed last June had a deficit of at least $8 billion and as much as $13 billion, according to the whiz kids in Urbana. The fact that the meangingless nonsense word “stopgap” was thrown around does not change that fact. It’s just more corruption of the language for political expediency. - illini - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:57 pm: I am neither ignorant, nor a fool, ( although some might disagree ) but I guess I do not exactly know how to read between the lines on the 571 page budget. Someone, please explain what I fail to see about the funding for my Alma Mater ( page 503 ). - Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 3:01 pm: $5.1 billion? CPS math - Consideration - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 3:04 pm: Isn’t he also counting on $1B/year pension savings. That would make the deficit $5.6B. Also, counting on AFSCME contract to go through (which is a possibility), but if it doesn’t…the deficit is even larger. - Echo The Bunnyman - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 3:05 pm: the more I look at his budget… I expect another downgrade soon. The gap in spending increases with no means to pay it is insane. If this was a serious effort he would have put forth a flat budget in many places. Illinois state board of education got huge increases. Even on some line items. Regional Superintendents? - Echo the Bunnyman - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 3:19 pm: Not trying to pick on line items. But this governor should be able to get along with the democrats… the amount of spending increases should make it easy to compromise. Who will rauner blame for the next downgrade? - TinyDancer(FKASue) - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 4:00 pm: More like a Run Aground Agenda. - Rod - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 4:01 pm: As President Regan said - here we go again. Give me the unrestricted ability to cut several billion is exactly what he asked for last year and did not get. Hopefully the Democrats will not agree to pass a k-12 budget this year and create a real crisis when the kids don’t go to hundreds of schools whose districts have no reserves come September. Really this is the kind of tough love our Governor needs right now. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 4:04 pm: The FY17 budget included a $3.5 billion entry for “Working Together or Executive Management.” Things have gone so well that this year the entry is $4.5 billion for “Working Together on a Grand Bargain.” Not sure what GAAP says about either entry. - Echo The Bunnyman - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 4:06 pm: Rod…. that’s the only way. It’s time for schools not opening as scheduled. Most people are busy and only know our States a mess. It’s all blah. Schools not opening. That’s the ticket. - CapnCrunch - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 4:30 pm: There is an interesting data point on page 263. The average cost of providing health care for a participant in the State health care program increased by over 27% year over year. I’m reasonably sure health care delivery costs did not increase that much. In the time it took to type this comment $2300 was added to the pile of unpaid health claims. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 4:32 pm: === then the dems could criticize him for the cuts=== Some people aren’t interested in the 2018 politics, just the cuts. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 6:26 pm: I get that Radogno is grand bargaining, but will Durkin file this thing? With 47 cosponsors? - DuPage Dave - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 7:36 pm: Rauner remains a complete and utter disappointment. We know that he is intelligent enough to know that no one believes a word he says, that he’s planning to fiddle while Rome burns, and he has no intention of bargaining in good faith. So if he “wins”, he crashes the state economy and lowers wages for middle and lower class people in and out of government?? I don’t see what he gets out of it. As our president would say- Sad. - blue dog dem - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 9:23 pm: Rauner…liberal…math…liberal math…rauner math..Rauners’ liberal math. Took me awhile, but I got it figured out. - Louis Capricious - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:31 pm: === but will Durkin file this thing? === He said that he would - by the end of this week. Here’s what the budget plan has to say about the bills that will be filed (see page 76): “The appropriation bills for the Governor’s proposed fiscal year 2018 budget provided to the General Assembly are proposed by the Governor to become effective only if [the Unbalanced Budget Response Act] becomes law.” - Property of IDOC - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:43 pm: - Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:18 pm: The governor’s budget is balanced in the same way his campaign was outspent I thought you were going to say” the same way his campaign was honest” !!! - Property of IDOC - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:45 pm: - Michelle Flaherty @ 2:18 pm: The governor’s budget is balanced in “the same way his campaign was outspent” I thought you were going to say” the same way his campaign was honest” !!! - Earnest - Thursday, Feb 16, 17 @ 7:47 am: I also noted the shift in wording to: “long-term” budget stability. That’s probably the new word-salad topping coming our way. - wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 16, 17 @ 7:57 am: –I also noted the shift in wording to: “long-term” budget stability.– AKA, “what a mess I’ve made. Help me kick the can a little bit with some phony-baloney pension, procurement and health insurance ’savings.’” Also, did you notice, once again, money from selling the Thompson Center has been banked? $240M this time. How many times can you book revenue from the sale (that never happens) of the same building? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.