* Comptroller Susana Mendoza press release…
The State of Illinois earns a dubious distinction as our bill backlog hits an all-time high of $12.8 billion.
http://ledger.illinoiscomptroller.gov/
The figure represents $1,000.00 for each of the 12.8 million men, women and children who call Illinois home. The backlog is the pile of unpaid bills the state has accumulated by spending more than it takes in as we operate without a budget.
Illinois State Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza said this unprecedented failure to meet our financial obligations cannot continue without increasingly troubling consequences for Illinois families.
“Illinois is in the midst of a historic financial meltdown and these numbers tell only a small piece of the story. Our social service agencies, schools and seniors have suffered during the 21 months we’ve waited for executive action on an actual budget. It is long past time for the Governor to fulfill his duty under the Illinois’ Constitution (Article VIII Section 2(a)) to present a balanced budget proposal for the General Assembly to consider. Legislators must rise to the occasion and meet their responsibility as well.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the ILGOP…
Earlier today, Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced that Illinois’ bill backlog has reached $1,000 per Illinoisan.
Here’s what hypocrite Mendoza failed to mention when lashing out at those trying to fix the mess – she helped cause it.
“Illinois’ debt is a tragedy that Susana Mendoza helped create. During the decade she served Mike Madigan in Springfield, Mendoza voted for every single enacted Madigan budget, adding billions in debt. She even supported Madigan and Blagojevich’s numerous schemes to underfund the pension system, adding tens of billions more in debt.”
“If Mendoza is looking for reasons why Illinois is in bad fiscal shape, she should look in the mirror.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe
The backlog was about $4.6 billion when Gov. Rauner took office. The overall problem is shared, but this specific bill backlog is on Rauner and the 99th and 100th General Assemblies…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Rauner administration…
As Comptroller, Susana Mendoza is seeing firsthand the devastation she caused during her ten years in Springfield voting for Speaker Madigan’s tax hikes, borrowing and pension holidays. We are hopeful that she will stop trying to shift blame and start working with all parties to do things differently and clean up the mess she has made.
Again, the bill backlog has skyrocketed since Bruce Rauner became governor. This particular problem is on him and the GA, not the comptroller.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 10:49 am:
According to the most partisan Comptroller in Illinois history we have waited for 21 months for executive action on an actual budget. No blame is assigned for the legislative inaction of the coequal branch of government, the biggest and most unbalanced budget in history the the house submitted, or for the decade of unbalanced budgets she voted for.
Oh for the days of Judy Barr Topinka
- Norseman - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 10:49 am:
How’s that businessman thingy working for us?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 10:53 am:
If “Pat Quinn failed” when he was paying on the pensions and the backlog of bills was not $1,000 per person, how is it that Bruce Rauner, without a budget, and increasing debt and the refusal to pay on signed social service contracts… not failing?
“Bruce Rauner fails” as governor
Candidate Bruce Rauner tells me so.
- Chicago Cynic - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 10:54 am:
LP, if you know anything about Judy you’d know she’d have reamed this governor out 28 times a day over his failure to pass a budget.
- AC - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 10:55 am:
“I’ve been successful at everything I’ve ever done.” Rauner
I’m not sure the state can survive much more success.
- montyburns - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 10:58 am:
Lucky pierre
When the executive branch refuses to budget as part of a strategy to create crisis to force a legislative agenda through (in violation of his constitutional duties), there really is no reason for the legislature to share much blame.
When the legislature offers the gov. A deal and the chief executive kills it in the 11th hour after saying he supports it, there is only one person to blame.
When Judy barr topinkas herself notes that letting the temp tax hike expire would create a huge budget crisis and the gov. Does just that, he is to blame.
- Anon221 - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:03 am:
Chicago Cynic- ONLY 28 times a day??? I don’t think Judy would have been that lighthanded
- downstate commissioner - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:05 am:
LP, Judy would have kicked Rauner’s butt, chewed out Madigan, and make Mendoza look like an amateur. Mendoza is doing her job, and this Republican, (not Rauercrat)thinks she is doing just fine.
- JS Mill - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:06 am:
=According to the most partisan Comptroller in Illinois history=
The Failed Leslie Munger was a personal pal of Rauner and a self proclaimed “wingman” who, along with many of her personally selected political staff, has found a nice soft landing place as and additional deputy governor.
Mendoza is partisan, for sure, but the “most”?
Doubtful.
You cannot even be honest about your hyperbole.
Sad!
- JS Mill - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:07 am:
@downstate commissioner- X2 here.
Well stated.
- Anon - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:08 am:
This statistic overstates a problem that isn’t as big of a deal as the statistic sounds like. $1,000 per person is a big deal — but our back log is a very, very, very small percentage of our State’s GDP.
Our budget gap/shortfall is a very small percentage of our State’s GDP.
Our problem is incredibly fixable without destroying services, without hamstringing education, without condemning the youth of Chicago Public Schools to a substandard education and unequal funding, without charging more for instate tuition than our neighbors do for out of state tuition.
This can be fixed. It’s an easy fix.
Our leadership both lacks the will power to do so and in the case of the GOP the integrity to do so. Our elected officials have spent decades lying to voters and our citizenry about how the fiscal issues can be managed with ‘cutting the waste’ or even going so far as creating a brilliant plan to just not pay the bill for a couple of decades.
Revenue is the only option to solve a problem and it has been for longer than I’ve been alive.
I would appreciate it if some folks could step up and pay for their bills before they all die.
Let’s not talk about this in terms of how much per person — lets talk about this in terms of GDP.
And if we’re going to talk about this in terms of equity, it should be generational equity. The youth of Illinois have already had to pay more for their college education, and they’ve already suffered from iffy K-12 funding in many regions, and the situation where the generations that make up most of our leadership seem to be okay with passing the entire bill onto folks that are going to be alive for the next 40 or 50 years is unacceptable.
I don’t really want to have to deal with climate change and paying for pensions that supported services for people who died decades ago — and if that’s the situation you’re going to create for my generation, let’s be honest about it and at least ask us to do it.
- RNUG - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:11 am:
-LP-
Last year the GA passed a budget. It wasn’t necessarily balanced. It wasn’t Rauner’s unbalanced budget. And it didn’t have any non-budget TA nonsense in it.
Rauner had a choice. He could have line item vetoed it to make it match, or closely match, his budget. He could have amendatorily vetoed it to include changed spending and his priorities; then it would have gone back to the GA for concurrence.
Rauner choose not to. Rauner choose to outright veto it, thinking he could get either his budget or a different budget. He miscalculated.
The fault for no budget this past year lies squarely on Rauner.
- Anon - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:11 am:
Can we all agree that Illinois should not be a deadbeat state, and that there’s blame to go around? If so, let’s spend less time trying to completely blame the other party and seek a compromise.
- don the legend - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:12 am:
=According to the most partisan Comptroller in Illinois history= Lucky, giving you the benefit of the doubt a hundred times before but this time you have truly jumped the shark. Have you forgotten “I don’t need a job” Munger and her overt cheerleading for Rauner. Sheesh.
- A guy - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:12 am:
Send my bill to Willy.
- Inspector Gadget - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:17 am:
-OW- Quick question for you. You on number of occasions you harshly criticized Munger over not paying the members of the House and Senate. Why hasnt that same disdain been shown towards Mendoza?
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:19 am:
LP, thank goodness Gov. Delicate Daisy has you and Katrina to rush to protect him from all the mean people, all the time.
It’s unconscionable and unprecedented that a governor of a state would be criticized for actions occurring on his watch. Especially since he never criticizes anyone for anything.
And, for the record, again, the governor pushed and signed a budget with a larger deficit than the one the House proposed.
Can you get hooked up with that ERP dealio to update your programming for simple math?
- City Zen - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:28 am:
$1,000 per person, or in Illinois terms, $0 per retiree.
- Henry Francis - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:29 am:
Sham numbers. Men, women and children don’t matter.
Taxpayers. This is all for the taxpayers.
And if you compute the amount owed per taxpayer, it would far exceed $1k.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:30 am:
- Inspector Gadget -
I have dinged Mendoza in the same vain as Munger, actually calling the person in Mendoza’s ad as the smartest person by asking Mendoza “Can you do that?”
Use the google. If you think I have been or gave Mendoza a pass on Legislators’ pay, you’re not reading.
- Nick Name - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:32 am:
“According to the most partisan Comptroller in Illinois history…”
Just to clarify, you mean the wingman, right?
- Arsenal - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:36 am:
==According to the most partisan Comptroller in Illinois history==
My goodness, she really winds you guys up.
- Mr. K. - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:39 am:
—
Oh for the days of Judy Barr Topinka
—
… who would surely find Rauner’s idea of “leverage” morally repellent and antithetical to everything great about this state.
Topinka’s reasonable voice is sorely missed. Sorely.
- Langhorne - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:46 am:
But it will all be worth it, when we get term limits, and put a stranglehold on local govt, right christine? Right jim?
- cdog - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:46 am:
from earlier this week on CF…
“…Senate Bill 1652, the Debt Transparency Act. The measure requires more accountability from state agencies regarding Illinois’ bill backlog, which today is more than $12.4 billion.”
An estimated $4.9 billion worth of overdue bills is being held by agencies because of lack of appropriation or processing delays…”
In just a few days, $400,000,000 was added to the total. That’s noteworthy. /s
Also, it appears that the $4.9billion held at the agency level, is not included in today’s $12.8billion total.
actual o/s total $17.7 billion?
- Chicago Cynic - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:48 am:
“- Anon - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:08 am:
This statistic overstates a problem that isn’t as big of a deal as the statistic sounds like. $1,000 per person is a big deal — but our back log is a very, very, very small percentage of our State’s GDP.”
That’s about the most bizarre comment I’ve ever heard from anyone about our fiscal condition. I dare say every independent group, every rating agency, every rational analyst would beg to differ. We are in deep trouble and if you don’t think having unpaid bills equivalent to 1/3 of our entire annual tax receipts is a problem, boy I’d had to be your banker.
- Anon221 - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:52 am:
City Zen- not all retirees are created equally. Cuts and cancellations of services have a much larger impact on some of the retirement community than others. Rauner’s retired, but he’s not feeling nor paying the costs that some 65 or older with only Social Security as their main source of income does. His $1000 is not the same as their $1000.
- Cook County Commoner - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:52 am:
Some clarity please.
If the Democrats had supermajorities in both chambers, the budget language in Il Const Art VIII would be irrelevant to the Gen Assembly’s power to tax and spend?
- Juice - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:53 am:
cdog, The $12.8 billion includes the $4.9 billion held at agencies.
- cdog - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:57 am:
Juice,
whew. Thanks.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:58 am:
===If the Democrats had supermajorities in both chambers, the budget language in Il Const Art VIII would be irrelevant to the Gen Assembly’s power to tax and spend?===
Couple points.
The GA never had a functioning “Veto-Proof” supermajority during Rauner’s term as governor.
It’s a legal fiction.
While, theoretically, the GA could, create, pass, and override gubernatorial veto(es) and pass a budget, the Executive can dictate if any of that monies, discretionary monies, will be spent.
Rauner himself said he would choose not to spend monies if that had occurred, knowing full well there wasn’t 71 in the House to try out the theory.
Politics is hard. Governing is difficult.
Governing as Illinois’ governor is a powerful chair, the Big Chair”, to sit on.
- cdog - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:59 am:
Juice, I am curious what mechanism does an agency use to communicate o/s payables to the Comptroller? It would not be a traditional voucher.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:00 pm:
The Governor cannot line item veto the budget to balance with the legislature refusing to change the underlying statues and with the all of the court ordered spending.
Comptroller Mendoza and the rest of the Madigan defenders on this blog excuse all of the nonsense the legislature (specifically the House ) has been perpetuating for decades.
It ok for the House to pass an unbalanced 11th hour budget with no input from Republicans or even the supermajority but Senate but the Governor is solely to blame for signing President Cullerton’s stop gap
Most of you continue to ignore that the Speaker and Senate President are more unpopular the Governor and far more to blame for Illinois decline than he is
- Anonymous - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:03 pm:
ILGOP (Fake News)
- cdog - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:03 pm:
Also then, why would the Debt Transparency Act (SB1652) be needed?
(If there was a sound mechanism for the Comptroller to have knowledge of o/s payables prior to submission to the Comptroller, it seems this bill would be unnecessary.)
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:03 pm:
To the Update…
===…Mendoza failed to mention when lashing out at those trying to fix the mess – she helped cause===
So I guess Rauner’s Crew not only accept the $1,000 a person number?
Is that the takeaway?
I guess Crain’s did get it right…
“By nearly every measure, the state is worse off since Rauner took office.”
Rauner now just wants to defect and blame Mendoza.
Right? Exactly right.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:10 pm:
===The Governor cannot line item veto the budget to balance with the legislature refusing to change the underlying statues and with the all of the court ordered spending===
I’m going to stop you there.
Rauner, the consecutive times proposed status quo, grossly unbalanced budgets. That’s the rub, not the fact Rauner “can’t do” anything. The budget cures all ills.
===It ok for the House to pass an unbalanced 11th hour budget with no input from Republicans or even the supermajority but Senate but the Governor is solely to blame for signing President Cullerton’s stop gap===
Again, second time.
Rauner has proposed three consecutive, status quo, grossly unbalanced budgets. You have no argument with those facts.
===Most of you continue to ignore that the Speaker and Senate President are more unpopular the Governor and far more to blame for Illinois decline than he is===
1) Thst has nothing to do with the budgetary process
2) Rauner himself is under water… “Bigly”
So there’s that too.
- Nick Name - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:12 pm:
“hypocrite Mendoza”
Missing your wingman, Gov. Gaslight?
- Juice - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:16 pm:
cdog, So OMB actually does post some of the info already. https://www.illinois.gov/gov/budget/Documents/Bill_Backlog_Presentation_February_FY17.pdf
On top of that, things that are covered under section 25 I think get communicated fairly regularly. (These would include Medicaid and Group Health) In normal times (if it’s not clear, we are not in normal times), the things that are mostly likely to be held would be Medicaid, group health, and tax refunds, because those expenditures can legally be paid in the next fiscal year.
However, without a budget, the administration is entering into contracts and incurring liabilities without any sort of legal mechanism to pay for them, resulting in even more vouchers being held at places like DOC which would not typically sit on things. So for that, my guess is there is some communication with the departments and some guesstimation from the Comptroller.
- Juice - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:18 pm:
In terms of why the bill is necessary, a couple of things.
One, what is currently posted is not required by law, so the administration could stop doing it if they so chose.
Two, no idea if it’s comprehensive. Just because some info is posted doesn’t mean all info posted.
Three, it’s not a bad press pop to take a shot at the Governor.
- DuPage Bard - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:23 pm:
Madigan and Rauner are the two most unpopular politicians in Illinois. The polling showed us those numbers yesterday.
The Governor, in his attempt to sink Madigan, who was already unpopular, has brought his own numbers down to Madigan level.
LP-You do have the polling that shows the Madigan and Cullerton are more unpopular than the Governor, right?
- Ward Heeler - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:24 pm:
If Pat Quinn was a “Profile in Courage” to borrow a Kennedyesque term, why did he let the income tax rate expire? That was helping pay down some bills.
Oh, it was an election year.
- Henry Francis - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:34 pm:
WH - during the campaign Quinn said he thought the tax rate should NOT expire. And Rauner beat him up on it.
- cdog - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:35 pm:
Juice, very interesting pdf. I had not seen that. Thank you.
So why the $400m increase this week? Did Mendoza add the Medicaid “*” on page 1, or …?
That was a >3% in just a few days.
- Juice - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:35 pm:
Ward Heeler, what bizarre revisionist history that was.
His budget address that year (before the election) called for making the tax increase permanent.
He campaigned on making it permanent. He even said that if he lost, he would push to make it permanent during the lame duck (which to this day baffles the mind as to why he would say that).
Neither Governor Quinn nor Governor Rauner can waive a magic wand and raise income taxes.
- RNUG - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:36 pm:
== If Pat Quinn was a “Profile in Courage” to borrow a Kennedyesque term, why did he let the income tax rate expire? That was helping pay down some bills.
Oh, it was an election year. ==
Quinn actually advocated extending it during his campaign.
Once Quinn lost the election, he was out of the equation. Governor-Elect Rauner called on the GA to let it expire, and they were more than happy to skip a vote that would have been used against them later.
- Retired but still working - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:38 pm:
I’m no supporter of Madigan but I don’t see the purpose of statewide poles comparing him to the governor. The people in Madigan’s district vote for him and the dem caucus appears to support him in the house. I don’t get to vote for Madigan and who I voted for wouldn’t vote for Madigan. I did vote for this governor and I’m not satisfied with his lack of accomplishments. I hate to mimic others but…….Do your job! That means even with the constraints of an opposition party in the legislature. Please accomplish something.
- lost in the weeds - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:39 pm:
IlGOP. The bills for items pre 2015 are paid. The bills since governor’s inaugeration are not paid and are much greater. There was also that tax reduction the current governor did want.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:45 pm:
Yes the Governor is the most popular leader in Springfield. You would never know it by reading this thread.
Statewide, Rauner’s results show 36 percent somewhat approve or strongly approve of his performance
Speaker Madigan’s disapproval ratings also remain in negative territory with 61 percent somewhat disapproving or strongly disapproving and 26 percent somewhat approving or strongly approving. Madigan scored 63 percent disapproving overall last year with 26 percent approving.
Madigan’s best job approval ratings came in the City of Chicago, where 28 percent approve and 60 percent disapprove. His suburban Cook and collar counties job approval ratings are 27 percent approve to 60 percent disapprove. Downstate voters were least generous in their assessment of Madigan’s tenure with 64 percent disapproving and 23 percent approving.
Voters do not appear to have picked heavy favorites or shown a strong dislike for the remaining three legislative leaders. In the case of Senate President John Cullerton, 39 percent somewhat disapprove or strongly disapprove of his performance while 25 percent approve and 32 percent are not sure. Last fall, 41 percent disapproved, 26 percent approved, and 29 percent weren’t sure.
Leader Durkin is at 31% and Leader Radogno is at 27% approval so all three Republican leaders are more popular that President Cullerton and Speaker Madigan.
I guess the Democrats have failed more than the Republicans right OW?
https://capitolfax.com/2017/03/15/simon-poll-rauner-disapproval-at-58-madigan-61/
- Juice - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:49 pm:
cdog, it’s hard to speak to daily fluctuations.
I do know that General State Aid goes out next week, so ISBE may have submitted those vouchers already, which shoots the numbers up while the Comptroller waits to issue those payments.
(Also, the number on the PDF is for the end of February, not from the date it’s posted, if that’s the point of comparison. So it would have gone up $400 million over a couple of weeks vs a couple of days.)
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:49 pm:
===Yes the Governor is the most popular leader in Springfield. You would never know it by reading this thread===
And yet… Rauner is under water and losing in a poll against an undeclared Dem candidate.
===I guess the Democrats have failed more than the Republicans, right OW===
Crain’s…
By nearly every measure, the state is worse off since Rauner took office.”
That’s the ball game.
You want me to pull up that poll with Rauner losing to an unnamed Dem candidate again or are we good? lol
- Big Joe - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 12:53 pm:
RNUG Hits it right on the head! Totally agree.
- Truth - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 1:05 pm:
Susan the more Republicans hate you the more I like keep up the good work
- Fixer - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 1:06 pm:
LP, Madigan and Cullerton don’t run at a statewide level. You’re off on a tangent, per usual, and refusing to read the writing on the wall. Rauner has wrecked any chance of a true Republican holding the governorship in the next few elections.
When you can’t break 40% with your own base, you’re in trouble.
- sal-says - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 1:16 pm:
Scott Reeder (formerly at IPI) has an interesting column in the Journal Standard titled: “My View: Where does gov stand? Um, I dunno”
http://www.journalstandard.com/opinion/20170315/my-view-where-does-gov-stand-um-i-dunno
- Anon2 - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 1:26 pm:
Please stop pointing fingers at whose fault it is. And come together to get Illinois back to solvency.
- A Jack - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 1:31 pm:
Start delaying Governor’s staff pay checks too. They aren’t doing their job. It’s time to share the pain.
- Johnny Tractor - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 1:32 pm:
While I get the pining for the late Ms. Barr-Topinka, I’m not sure how much effect she would have on resolving this situation. The Governor’s financial resources, absolute ruthlessness and singular focus on winning have effectively removed any spine from any of the parties that could bring about a constructive resolution of this situation - Republican members of the House. I realize that I’m being repetitive, but for the life of me, I don’t understand how legislators like Representatives Brady, Sommer, Phillips, etc. are getting a pass on the destruction/extreme degredation of the universities in/adjacent to their districts. A better historic analogy for getting out this mess than JBT? The Crazy 8.
- Steve Rogers - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 1:47 pm:
LP, in other words, 1 out of every 3 to 4 people approve of Rauner, Madigan, Cullerton, Durkin, and Radogno. Not sure of your argument, then. What those stats tell me is that the general public is disatisfied in ALL of our state’s leaders. There’s nothing to brag about here from either side of the aisle, unless you want to continue to crow that “hey my guy is hated just a little bit less than your guy, woo hoo!”
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 1:56 pm:
Just relying to give a little balance to the mutual agreement society that blames the budget mess exclusively on the Governor Steve.
No one ever talks about the Democrats message to win the Governorship.
Apparently agreeing with all of the failed policies of Cullerton and Madigan is all that is required.
Rauner’s policies have not failed. He has only failed to get any enacted.
The Turnaround Agenda items will be a huge focus of the next election and it will be fun seeing the Democratic candidate for Governor run away from them.
- Anon - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 2:11 pm:
Chicago Cynic - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 11:48 am:
=== I dare say every independent group, every rating agency, every rational analyst would beg to differ. We are in deep trouble and if you don’t think having unpaid bills equivalent to 1/3 of our entire annual tax receipts is a problem, boy I’d had to be your banker.===
I would actually recommend that you go and read the reports drafted by the ratings agencies. The credit downgrades are occurring because it’s ridiculous that Illinois hasn’t stepped up to the plate and solved their problem.
Let’s say we’re bankers and we have a client that’s about to have their house foreclosed on and the only difference between their success and their failure is 2% of their annual household income — and get this, they’re only committing about 4 or 5% of their household income to necessary expenses.
Wouldn’t you find it difficult to believe that person was in foreclosure? Why wouldn’t they just allocate more of their income to pay their bills?
And that’s why the ratings agencies have been tanking Illinois’ credit rating.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 2:12 pm:
===Rauner’s policies have not failed. He has only failed to get any enacted.===
Don’t forget Rauner’s three grossly unbalanced, status quo budgets. Same as it ever was.
===The Turnaround Agenda items will be a huge focus of the next election and it will be fun seeing the Democratic candidate for Governor===
“Bruce Rauner failed”
Worked for Canidate Rauner.
Right? Exactly right.
- RNUG - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 2:13 pm:
== While I get the pining for the late Ms. Barr-Topinka, I’m not sure how much effect she would have on resolving this situation. ==
JBT would have had 2 distinct effects. (1) Most likely, she would have been seen as the voice of the ILGOP and (2) she would be telling a much different story than Rauner’s one sided propaganda campaign.
Resolving this requires true leadership and the ability to tell the public the truth. JBT had both those in spades.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 2:17 pm:
OW if the Rauner budgets were actually status quo budgets they would have been passed by a legislature that favors the status quo.
It is because the budgets proposed changes that hurt Democratic special interest groups that they have not been enacted.
You agree that Governor Rauner will be reelected. Right exactly right.
Are you leading the Governor’s reelection committee in Oswego?
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 2:17 pm:
1. Nothing is going to happen until Rauner is gone.
2. Rauner will lose in 2018. So we’ll deal with the harsh reality then.
3. Unfortunately, we just have to ride it out. Sorry to everyone who is suffering.
4. Cubs and Sox playing right now. Happy St Patrick’s Day! Bye.
- Mr. K. - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 2:24 pm:
—Most of you continue to ignore that the Speaker and Senate President are more unpopular the Governor and far more to blame for Illinois decline than he is
—
They may very well be. But the Governor was elected to *fix* it. Not break it. Not whine about it.
*Fix* it.
He hasn’t. He’s left it broken — and then deliberately kicked around in the pieces in emotional hissy-fits all while tweeting coffee mugs and plates of pancakes and endlessly repetitive 10 minute videos assuring state employees that he’s working hard — very, very hard — on their behalf.
He’s like the Limp Bizkit of governors. All he’s done is break stuff and grin and stomp around and make noise.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 2:40 pm:
===agree that Governor Rauner will be reelected. Right exactly right.
Are you leading the Governor’s reelection committee in Oswego?===
I said he was favored, as all incumbent governors are…
But, as like Rauner, “Governors own”
I can’t help you can’t read. You think you’re quick but you’re slow.
Acknowledging challenges for challengers isnt endorsing anyone.
To your ignorance…
===It is because the budgets proposed changes that hurt Democratic special interest groups that they have not been enacted===
Thanks! Rauner couldn’t get 60 and 30.
That’s what Geo. Ryan warned.
Do your job, Governor.
===if the Rauner budgets were actually status quo budgets they would have been passed by a legislature that favors the status quo.===
They were what Rauner ran against status quo, grossly unbalanced budgets.
That’s what they were. Again, I can’t help Rauner can’t get 60 and 30, but they were status quo… by every measure
- Joe Bidenopolous - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 2:41 pm:
===OW if the Rauner budgets were actually status quo budgets they would have been passed by a legislature that favors the status quo.===
I don’t think status quo means what you think it means, LP.
- Anon221 - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 2:42 pm:
To the Update #2- Did Rauner order all the mirrors in the Capitol, the Mansion, and the bungalow on the Fairgrounds smashed? He seems to think that none of what’s happened since he bought his office reflects at all on him.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 2:50 pm:
I’m out… Carry on.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day all.
- Anonymous - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 3:03 pm:
=Oh for the days of Judy Barr Topinka=
Stick a straw in your sippy cup.
- Nikolas Name - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 3:05 pm:
Lucky Pierre, can you please break from your partisan loyalties and look at the big picture. I’m a Republican that voted for Rauner and I regret voting for this man. Quinn was actually, slowly, righting the ship but that tax hike followed him to election day. A hike that was actually doing what it was meant to do.Like you, I just voted along with the party thinking “anybody but Quinn,” and now regret that badly. I will be voting for any democrat against Quinn in 2018. I wish Dillard would make another run, but I think that ship has sailed. The GOP blew it not voting for him in the primary.
- sal-says - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 3:12 pm:
== Topinka’s reasonable voice is sorely missed. Sorely. ==
Agreed, but JBT was a ‘one of’.
Mendoza’s messaging is the best from the Dems in over 3years. Consistent, understandable & on point.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Mar 17, 17 @ 3:41 pm:
Nikolas do you believe the people that voted for Governor Rauner just want him to capitulate to the Speaker like every Governor has done for decades, abandon all reform and just raise taxes?
Basically you advocate gettting the car out of the ditch, without fixing the car or the road just to drive into another ditch a few miles down the road because nothing was changed.
Sorry that is not going to fly