73 Comments - Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:07 am: I live hundreds of miles from my immediate family. The main reason isn’t economic opportunity. Just sayin’ - The Captain - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:10 am: When Illinois has a governor that isn’t actively trying to sabotage the state in order to force it to pass work rule changes that punish people who work for a living maybe these kids will move back. Or maybe not, plenty of the damage Bruce Rauner is inflicting intentionally may be permanent. - Juice - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:11 am: Aren’t three of the six kids still in school? - Dublin - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:13 am: I find it very hard to believe that Rauner’s kids are not able to secure a job in Illinois. Worst case, I’m sure Rauner could pull a few strings, throw some money around and lad his kids a job…didn’t he do that so his daughter could get into a top High School? - The Dude Abides - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:15 am: Didn’t Rauner support cutting funding to our state Universities by one third? He is personally responsible for these kids going to out of state schools. He refers to himself as a persistent rascal like he’s proud of what he’s doing. Is there anyone on his staff that has his ear and isn’t afraid to offer good advice or do they all say just what he wants to hear? - Norseman - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:16 am: === The governor is in a position to do something about it … === True, but he doesn’t want to do anything until he gets his way on certain issues regardless of the damage it’s doing to the economy and it’s citizens. - Romeo - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:18 am: I’m sad that I’ll have a child born in Illinois. - crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:19 am: Probably those other crying parents didn’t also send their high schoolers to out-of-state boarding schools? It’s a mistake to pretend that “opportunities” for Rauner’s kids in Illinois would translate into “opportunities” for other kids. After all, Bruce finding plenty of opportunity in Illinois translated into less opportunity for a lot of middle- and lower-class people. And that was true well before he became governor. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:19 am: We aren’t even considering Illinois as a place for college for our kids and when our youngest goes to college we are planning to leave the State too. The lack of opportunity, high taxes, high cost of living, failing government, Etc., I could go on and on. I worry too about how hard it will be for me when my kids are potentially spread out everywhere but I have to encourage them to live where they can be successful and have a good quality of life. Illinois is just not that place right now. - Debt Logged - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:19 am: I’m crying because of the tens of thousands in student loan debt incurred staying in-state at a regional university, that paid for bloated administrative costs. I graduated before Rauner was Governor, and lay the debt blame at the feet of Illinois Democrats. I regret not going out-of-state for undergrad all of the time because of the crippling debt. MAP grants are a small band-aid on a far greater problem. - Honeybear - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:21 am: I’m not laughing either. Like all of Rauners other perfidies I find them enraging. The awful fact of the matter is that Republicans have CHOSEN to not only denigrate the state verbally but to destroy it through starvation in order to justify voodoo snake oil economics and the destruction of government/social services as the antidote to the mayhem THEY HAVE CAUSED! Again it is the child who kills his parents in order to obtain leniency as an orphan. All because he believes without parents he will have no bedtime, chores, or household rules. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:21 am: I’m sure there were many Chicago families that cried when they didn’t get into Payton Prep when Diana Rauner’s denied, Winnetka-living daughter was clouted into a Payton Prep and took a seat from a worthy Chicago student. Do I have sympathy? Yes. Gov. Rauner continues the using of props, this time his wife, even if it’s 100% true, and I’m sure it is true, honestly, Governor Rauner is saying Diana Rauner’s tears are the tears of a victim of Bruce Rauner’s own plan to drive students out Illinois universities by making sure some of those universities don’t exist in the near future. Families send students across the country from Illinois, only New Jersey sends more students out for higher education, and when you learn out of state, the opportunities in… California, New England, the SEC, Texas, Arizona… let alone Indiana, Wisconsin… Iowa, Michigan, Missouri… even Minnesota… Why I’m so frustrated by Rauner citing Diana’s tears is Rauner’s choices as governor (no budgets, no fully funding higher ed) are driving today’s tears for families that get to see their students 4 times a year, and send them on planes when Illinois higher education just isn’t an option. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:23 am: Sometimes kids move far from home to get away from a know-it-all dad that has everything figured out. Can’t imagine Bruce being obsessive, righteous, and extreme about any issues, so I doubt if that is the case here./s - Stones - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:23 am: My wife and I retired from the State of IL and moved to FL. I am not going to deny that the weather wasn’t a big part of our move but the fact that Illinois has no budget or money for any kind of a reasonable raise for the foreseeable future made our decision very easy. - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:24 am: I believe we should do more to keep people in Illinois and attract them to come here. What we should not do is strip worker protections and remake this state as a red state economic and political model. We can’t be complicit in the attempt to permanently give power to super-rich people like Rauner and to his supporters. There are more ways to skin the cat. One way to seriously consider is legalizing adult-use marijuana, so Illinois will be the only state in the Midwest doing this. We can bring in tourism and redirect a very lucrative market into legality. We critically need to pass a budget and start funding our higher ed and paying our bills. How can anyone think that this is not important enough on its own? We owe billions, and it’s getting worse by the day. - jim - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:24 am: “that’s directly on the governor for his refusal to negotiate a budget.” Rich, you’ll have to explain this to me. How does Rauner negotiate with Madigan, whose position is ‘my way or the highway.’ Do you advise Rauner simply capitulate to Madigan. A ‘negotiation’ implies give-and-take. I believe you have even suggested Madigan should make some concessions. Since he won’t, why do you heap all the blame on Rauner? - Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:26 am: I think family should be off limits, but the governor chose here to thrust his into the spotlight for his own ridiculous purposes. Are we to pretend that the Rauner children would not have opportunities for success in Illinois, if they chose to live here? They’re condemned to wander the country, hoping someone gives them a chance? Couldn’t find a good job in Illinois? Couldn’t get a loan to start a business in Illinois (maybe the old man could help with a co-sign). Is that how the human experience throughout history has worked, when you come from great privilege, wealth and power? You’re just thrown into the pool to sink or swim with the rest of the schmucks? Rauner’s rhetoric often demonstrates that he thinks the citizenry are a bunch of idiots. As a father, I’d suggest that he could continue to play us all for morons without dragging his wife and kids into it. - AnonymousOne - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:28 am: The governor doesn’t have the right to play victim. Newsflash—–he’s the one who’s actually in charge of running this state! In case he doesn’t know, he supposed to take charge and make our state one he and all of us are supposed to be proud to live in! Geez! Is the leadership gene lost? - Earnest - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:28 am: I continue to believe the single best thing for Illinois’ economic environment is a stable, balanced budget. Plenty of work to do beyond that, but we’ve got to get rid of the uncertainty. On that theme, I’ve been looking for coverage of the items from this post https://capitolfax.com/2017/04/03/the-human-cost-of-willful-inaction/ and not seeing much of anything, which is sad. - AnonymousOne - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:29 am: And furthermore, bashing the state he’s in charge of doesn’t actually inspire anything great. I’ve never heard of a leader who downplays achievement. - PJ - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:29 am: Jim - The whiny “but Madigggggaaaaaaannnnnn” stuff become a load of crap the day Rauner killed the Senate’s bi-partisan grand bargain. That was a real attempt at compromise from both sides. He killed it, because he didn’t get every single thing he wanted. And it had nothing at all to do with Madigan. So I assume that’s what Rich is referring to. - Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:30 am: Jim, you must be confused. It is Bruce Rauner and Bruce Rauner alone who said my way or the highway and killed the grand bargain. It is Bruce Rauner whose record in business is one of intimidation and threats to do what he wants–or else. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:33 am: ===Since he won’t, why do you heap all the blame on Rauner?=== “Pat Quinn failed” - Candidate Rauner. Rauner has refused to submit a balanced budget, 3 times running, Rauner personally vetoed Higher Education funding, purposely hurting state universities in an attempt to further an agenda that has no 60 and 30 votes in the chambers of the General Assembly, and let’s be quite clear, Rauner, numerous times, has said that crisis created opportunity and forcing theses crisis, be it by vetoes, undercutting the Grand Bargain, even thwarting veto overrides, Bruce Rauner owns, like all governors own, the decisions that impact the state… especially decisions that only a governor CAN do. Capiche? - Ginhouse Tommy - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:35 am: How low is Rauner willing to go? Has he no shame or conscience? Using his wife as a prop. Man that’s weak. His commercials are laughable when a voter asks Where is you proposed balanced budget? He just sits there like a coffee coaster and does nothing. He going to run for re-election with no list of accomplishments to show and he can’t blame MJM for that. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:35 am: Pardon, 1126 was me. - Langhorne - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:35 am: Words–my kids left the state, i only want the best for everyone, my wife is so sad, boo hoo. Deeds–starve the beast, use up reserves, cut flesh and bone, no plan, change thru attrition. - Honeybear - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:36 am: Jim, negotiations are built on trust. Lucy moving the football every time erodes trust. The trick is up. The DEMS will never trust Lucy again. EVER Perfidy has consequences - @misterjayem - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:39 am: “They don’t see their children and their grandchildren having the future in Illinois that they had themselves, that we had, that I had, growing up in Illinois going back 30, 40, 50 years ago” Or even three years ago. – MrJM - From the 'Dale to HP - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:41 am: This is the same family that clouted their kid into CPS when they lived in the north suburbs, correct? Is anything in Illinois, other than CPS, good enough for them? - Slippin' Jimmy - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:43 am: Gov I remember a famous quote from long ago, it may have meaning for you too? ” We had to destroy the village to save the village”. Didn’t resonate then, doesn’t now. - Sue - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:52 am: Pretty obvious that the problems are fixable but not the ways the Dems want- Indiana, WS, Iowa and Ohio are thriving but that is with R legislatures and Governors. Say what you want but what ails Illinois ain’t Rauner it’s Madigan and public unions refusing any compromises - wordslinger - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:52 am: The difference between the Rauners and most families, of course, is that the Rauner kids have always had the resources to pursue any opportunities anywhere they want and go as far as their talents will take them. Are we to believe that the Ivy League children of the .1% can’t make a go of it in Illinois, if they so choose? They’re the ones without opportunities? That’s demented. - 47th Ward - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:57 am: ===“They all have found their opportunities outside of Illinois. My wife cries about it. It’s so sad.”=== But do they still live at home? Isn’t that one of the perks of owning so many out-of-state houses? Excuse me, I need a tissue. - Rabid - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 11:59 am: Govenor can’t stop the outflow from his own family, leading by example - Anon221 - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:03 pm: Dr. Rauner is the person who told us her husband does not have a social agenda, so dry your eyes ma’am. Both Rauners are only focused on an education and economic agenda, but an agenda that is so limited in scope that they can only see it with their own blinders firmly in place. There has been quotes abounding at the federal level on the term “complicit”. Pretty much applies to the first couple in this state. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:06 pm: - Sue - It’s up to every Illinois governor since 1971 to find 60 and 30 for their plans, be they budgets, or agendas. Your failure to recognize how state government works is noted. To the using of Diana Rauner as a prop, While in this instance, Bruce Rauner uses Diana Rauner as a prop, no different than putting her in seven-figure ads just 3 years ago, Diana Rauner, while crying, called the challenging of her husband’s administration a “business decision” when Social Service organizations, including the one Diana Rauner heads, sued state government. It was clear then, and the donations with her own name to politically promote her husband’s agenda continue to almost run counter to tears Bruce Rauner cites. Why am I walking this around the barn? If Diana sees the business decisions Bruce is making is worth her putting her name to campaign monies, millions, that social service groups, even her own, feel the need to sue Bruce to get paid… ..,why is Bruce using as a prop Diana’s tears for a strategy Diana herself is paying for… with seven-figures worth of political donations? That makes no sense to honesty of want, does it? I am 100% sure Diana is upset, crying, but her own words, actions, “donations” seem to say she’s fine with how Bruce is handling things. - northsider (the original) - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:08 pm: Didn’t the Governor go to college in New Hampshire? And grad school in Massachusetts? That’s one instance where migration might have been a good thing! - Newness - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:11 pm: I read this quote as Mrs. Rauner crying because her children live out-of-state, not crying for any other families. - Pundent - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:11 pm: =Rich, you’ll have to explain this to me. How does Rauner negotiate with Madigan, whose position is ‘my way or the highway.’= You start by negotiating with the Senate. IF the obstacle in all of this is Madigan the easiest way to make that clear is to support the grand bargain efforts and put Madigan in a box. But Rauner isn’t doing that. And why would he if he can continue to the myth that this is all Madigan’s doing? - Illinois O'Malley - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:12 pm: Madigan and the in-state private sector jobs he controls. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:12 pm: It may be good for our crime rate that his kids live in other states since one of them attempted to rob a Walgreens in Montana. - Illinois O'Malley - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:13 pm: @Rich, any chance you could add a ‘like’ button to individuals comments? - Unions Man - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:16 pm: Jim, “Negotiate” does mean give and take. Rauner’s version is: “Do what I want, Figure out how to do what I want” and when he hasn’t got his way, he blames the other side for having values. One Way Rauner… hopefully that one way points to an Exit sign - WhoKnew - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:17 pm: - 47th Ward - “Excuse me, I need a tissue.” Here, take mine! - jon r - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:19 pm: In my family my brothers and sisters moved away to get away from the parents (all went to college) ,i stayed in illinois and was the most financially successful out of five kids. - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:22 pm: Let’s also not forget that Rauner’s part of the “business climate” he’s bemoaning and fighting a trench warfare to change . He invested those left-wing, budget-bustin’, job killin’ government worker pensions for decades. The public sector has been very, very, very good to the governor. He’s deeply complicit in the very thing he’s attacking. - Johnnie F. - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:27 pm: “They don’t see their children and their grandchildren having the future in Illinois that they had themselves, that we had, that I had, growing up in Illinois going back 30, 40, 50 years ago,” he said.” …when everyone benefited from stolen employee pension funds. - Jose Abreu's last homer - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:28 pm: In ‘99 I never considered one IL school. My brother was class of ‘96 and didn’t consider one IL school. Sometimes you just want to leave a state for a college experience. We both came back after graduation and have families here now. Don’t take going out of state for college personally Illinois. - Arock - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 12:59 pm: Oswego Willy- The way State government works in Illinois is evidently broken because the GA also needs to work to pass budgets and appropriations that fit within the parameters of the Constitution and that the Governor will sign into law. Madigan has made no honest effort to reform anything and the past GA and Governors have not passed a truly balanced budget in the last 16 years at least. In fact Madigan’s 2016 House budget was shot down by the Senate. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 1:09 pm: ===…the GA also needs to work to pass budgets and appropriations that fit within the parameters of the Constitution and that the Governor will sign into law.=== Article VIII, Section 2, (a) Please, do keep up. If Bruce Rauner is against the Status Quo, Rauner should follow Article VIII, Section 2, (a) and show that pesky GA. Rauner actually continues to propose phony, sham budgets, grossly unbalanced. So, you start there - Arock - Further, ===Madigan has made no honest effort to reform anything and the past GA and Governors have not passed a truly balanced budget in the last 16 years at least.=== Yeah, this ignorance is only valuable if Rauner proposed balanced budgets. You don’t “get” that “16 years”… “Baloney”… when Rauner continues to propose his phony budgets. Good try, thou. ===In fact Madigan’s 2016 House budget was shot down by the Senate=== lol, what does this even mean?!? Rauner blew up the Grand Compromise in the Senate, and Diana weeps… Why did Rauner blow up a chance to get a budget and stop the tears of many? - jimk849 - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 1:13 pm: 6 down 2 to go. - New Slang - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 1:17 pm: OW, had a similar ‘discussion’ on FB w/someone who is all ‘because Madigan’ and points a stiff finger at him as the sole cause. So +1 for pointing out, what…facts? Thank you. Some people talk about it, I’m doing it next year (hopefully before Xmas). This isn’t the Illinois I grew up in for 48 years. My exit is in order and I won’t look back. For those that say good riddance? Step back. I still have my memories and history, as well as my ties. I’ll visit. Just don’t want to be a part of this mess anymore. Learn the difference. - PENSIONS ARE OFF LIMITS - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 1:26 pm: I would cry tears of joy if these two plutocrats decided to leave Illinois to be closer to their children. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 1:54 pm: https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=zF82qVCJYXs - Cassandra - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 2:26 pm: My kids are a little older than the Rauner children and I can say with certainty that no matter how much the government does to improve the economic climate and/or the welfare state here in Illinois, they would’ve left anyway for the coasts, where they now live. Even Illinois politicians can’t beat weather, tech, the entertainment industry, NYC, the trendiest trends, the Portland vibe. - Jocko - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 2:30 pm: ==None of them live in Illinois. They all have found their opportunities outside of Illinois. My wife cries about it.== For starters, why don’t you offer one of the six a chance to live in your Chicago condo rent free? The one you used to claim residency and took a 2nd homeowners exemption on. Secondly, how may “opportunities” does the child of a billionaire need to look for? I say zero. Third point, why does she need to weep for their absence? Can’t she see (and stay with) them at the drop of a hat? It’s not like the responsibilities of being first lady and president of Ounce take up all of her time. - AC - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 2:31 pm: VOX recently had a great video titled “Comedians have figured out the trick to covering Trump”. I think it applies here in Illinois as well. Humor is extremely effective at calling attention to the tragedies, including those resulting from not having a budget. Applying serious analysis to nonsense only legitimises the nonsense. - college dad - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 2:46 pm: Well last summer my daughter visited 5 Illinois state schools and 2 in MO, we found out that the MO schools were MUCH more affordable and were just nicer. so yes we choose a MO school to spend our college dollars. I’m not cryin’ because she’s in a school that is flush with funding for educational opportunities and infrastructure. I’ll be happy for her when she graduates and has thousands less in school debt to pay!! - Taco John's - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 2:50 pm: Eat more tacos be happy - JS Mill - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 3:04 pm: =Pretty obvious that the problems are fixable but not the ways the Dems want- Indiana, WS, Iowa and Ohio are thriving but that is with R legislatures and Governors.= Minnesota is growing faster than all of them. I wonder why? /s - d.p.gumby - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 3:40 pm: I threw up i my mouth a little hearing Brucie say that bilge… Love that he is a cheerleader for Illinois - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 4:10 pm: (Tips cap to - New Slang -) - Ginhouse Tommy - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 4:43 pm: I tend to agree with Rich and the others who say pass the Grand Bargain and send it to the House and let Madigan deal with it. He and his cronies will now be in the spotlight with the heat on high. If he doesn’t pass he better have an awful good excuse or there will be hell to pay. Make earn pay and the responsibility that comes with being the Speaker. - RNUG - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 6:38 pm: == One Way Rauner == == Humor is extremely effective at calling attention to the tragedies, including those resulting from not having a budget. == Maybe we should revive an old name that had some humor associated with it: Wrong Way Rauner has a nice ring to it. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 7:33 pm: Hmmm… could it be Rauner, once a shining star dressed in Caharts, name turned to mud…. they had to leave Illinois due to name recognition? - Da Big Bad Wolf - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 7:54 pm: Does only Mrs. Rauner cry about the kids being gone? Doesn’t Mr. Rauner cry too? - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Apr 5, 17 @ 10:59 pm: Minnesota is growing faster than all of them. I wonder why? /s Two words -Republican legislature https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Legislature - Demoralized - Thursday, Apr 6, 17 @ 7:19 am: ==Two words -Republican legislature== Oh give me a break. Anyone who thinks that everything would be rainbows and roses if one political party or another were in charge is just ridiculous. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 6, 17 @ 7:23 am: ==Two words -Republican legislature== … and a Governor that’s a Democrat. I’m not sure what you’re point was in this exercise - Lucky Pierre -, but I don’t think you made any point. - Grandson of Man - Thursday, Apr 6, 17 @ 8:15 am: Minnesota raised taxes on the richest state residents, has a budget surplus and is investing tax dollars in economic growth. Two words are very important components in a state’s economic growth: government investment. That’s right. Government creates and fuels jobs and growth. A solid revenue structure is a critical need for Illinois. For now we need to raise the state income tax and do some sales taxes. In the future we need to change the tax burden so that those with the largest incomes pay more. If there’s any duct tape, phony solution, it’s that the richest have been paying among the lowest state income taxes in the region for decades. - wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 6, 17 @ 8:16 am: And why is Illinois Tool Works shutting down in Mazon and Carrier in Indiana to move to Chihuhua? Two words: Juarez Cartel. Job creators get excited about the term-limits-by-hot-lead-poisoning in Ciudad Juarez. Worker comp costs and union activity are also curtailed when employees know the pro-business environment can involve hanging by the neck from an underpass. - Peoria Citizen - Thursday, Apr 6, 17 @ 8:57 am: Well, according to IMA, there was 1 net new job created in Illinois over the past 17 years. So yeah I guess opportunities are scarce. Especially new ones. - Flynn's mom - Thursday, Apr 6, 17 @ 12:03 pm: I cry because the Rauner’s are in this state. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.