“Maybe look at a mirror”
Wednesday, May 17, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
“House Democrats under Speaker Madigan have been sending over special interest groups to attack the senators on the Democratic caucus to try to kill the ‘grand bargain,’” Rauner said in Springfield on Tuesday. “House Democrats under Speaker Madigan have shown really no good faith, willingness to engage in negotiations with true change, true reforms to our system.
“Speaker Madigan in our four leader meetings has always been obstinate, just not wanting to really have good-faith negotiations and come to an agreement,” the governor said. And I think that my sense is this is probably a last-minute attempt by the House Democrats to create a distraction and derail the senators who seem to be making progress and are coming close to an agreement. So I think we need to focus on the Senate and try to get that done. […]
[Madigan spokesman Steve Brown] said accusations that Madigan is attempting to thwart the plan have “no basis in fact.” As for the speaker directing special interest groups, Brown said Rauner has provided no proof: “I don’t think any of that is going on to the best of my knowledge.
Brown pinned efforts to “derail” the plan on the governor himself.
“I think he ignores the fact that he’s the chief architect at destroying the Senate budget talks. I mean on multiple occasions he’s destroyed any effort to pass bills over there. I mean, I think he needs to go look at the history of his own activity,” Brown said. “Maybe look at a mirror, say ‘Hey Bruce, why did you screw this up?’”
* Meanwhile, a group of Senate Republicans held yet another press conference this morning to once again ask for more time…
They’re right that the negotiations have produced some results and they are closer than they’ve ever been. They should continue talking.
* However, I really don’t blame the Senate Democrats for being fed up with all these pleas for more time. From the SDems…
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner encourages ‘grand bargain’ with stronger reforms
Sen. Pam Althoff: “A balanced budget deal cannot be just about raising taxes. That doesn’t work. We need structural changes to move our state forward on a path to prosperity. The time is now. I call on my colleagues to get it done.”
Source: Northwest Herald, February 16, 2017
http://www.nwherald.com/2017/02/15/illinois-gov-bruce-rauner-encourages-grand-bargain-with-stronger-reforms/am6cbfm/
Democrats say Rauner bungling ‘bargain’ – gov calls that ‘goofy’
Sen. Christine Radogno: “We are looking at going in the hole $11 million a day, every single day, we don’t get this solved. So I think there’s enough good will in this building. I know the governor will be joining us in trying to get that done, but we need to get it done soon.”
Source: Sun-Times, March 4, 2017
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/democrats-say-rauner-bungling-bargain-gov-calls-that-goofy/
As ‘Grand Bargain’ is blocked, Democrats point to Rauner
Sen. Christine Radogno: “To a person, the people that I have spoken with have been sincere, honest, willing to compromise. And with that kind of an attitude in this chamber, I have no question in my mind that we’re going to bring this thing in for a landing.”
Source: NPR, March 2, 2017
http://nprillinois.org/post/grand-bargain-blocked-democrats-point-rauner#stream/0
‘Grand bargain’ budget deal taking shape in Senate
After Tuesday’s votes, Radogno said there were “very few” loose ends that still needed to be resolved. She said the votes were pretty much what she expected. “This is a long process, but we have an obligation to get some things moving here. We have a very urgent situation in the state. I think (senators) were beginning to understand that if we’re ever going to do something, now is the time.”
Source: SJ-R, February 28, 2017
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20170228/grand-bargain-budget-deal-taking-shape-in-senate
What’s Next After State Legislature Fails To Vote On ‘Grand Bargain’ Budget Deal?
Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, says he’s never been ready to support the grand bargain. But he says both sides are closer than ever — and a little more delay is worth it.
Source: Northern Public Radio, March 2, 2017
http://northernpublicradio.org/post/whats-next-after-state-legislature-fails-vote-grand-bargain-budget-deal
GOP State Senator Bill Brady Takes Lead in Brokering ‘Grand Bargain’
Brady has been meeting with Senate President John Cullerton, and while he said “we’re not there yet; we are closer to a comprehensive plan that lays it all out,” more lawmakers now believe a vote will be taken on the Senate’s so-called “Grand Bargain” before the May 31 deadline.
Source: NBC 5 Chicago, May 5, 2017
http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/illinois-senate-budget-deal-421570084.html
But what’s the alternative? A partisan “grand bargain”?
There are two sets of numbers to consider here. The first is 30, 60 and 1, which represent simple majorities in both chambers plus the governor’s signature.
The second set is 36, 71 and 0. That’s the number of votes the Democrats will need to override the governor’s veto. And that can’t be done without Republicans.
* In other news…
With the end of the Illinois legislative session fast approaching, Illinois Democratic Leadership is suggesting a compromise with Gov. Rauner may be possible, but Fair Economy Illinois rejects the main tenets of the Grand Bargain that Democrats have been discussing for some time: cuts to vital government responsibilities paired with regressive tax increases like an expansion of the sales tax.
“We are marching to Springfield for a budget that prioritizes the needs of people and the health of our environment,” says Samantha Nichols, an organizer of the March to Springfield for a People and Planet First Budget. “The Grand Bargain asks working class people to pay more for less, and will cause suffering for people and damage to the environment. The only common ground Illinois Democrats and Republicans need to find is the political will to make corporations and the rich pay their fair share of taxes.”
Fair Economy Illinois supports passage of HB 4004, a bill to close nearly $1 billion corporate tax loopholes, and SB 1970, a bill to put a tiny sales tax on futures and commodities trades on Chicago’s LaSalle St that would raise an estimated $12 billion annually.
“Speaker Madigan and the radical leftists he controls.”
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 11:49 am:
===They’re right that the negotiations have produced some results and they are closer than they’ve ever been. They should continue talking.===
At this rate, they’ll reach agreement right about the time the next Governor is sworn into office.
- The Captain - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 11:58 am:
36, 71 and June 1 seems pretty important too.
- Nick Name - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 12:03 pm:
As has been said many times already, if Gov. Gaslight really wanted to back Madigan into a corner, he would have done all he could to get those GB bills passed out of the Senate back in February.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 12:04 pm:
=Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, says he’s never been ready to support the grand bargain. But he says both sides are closer than ever — and a little more delay is worth it.=
Did Chapin get whiplash from that? “I’m not going to support anything but we’re close to something I can’t support but it will be worth it in 2018″
- Montrose - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 12:06 pm:
Actually agreeing to a grand bargain means voting for bills that raise taxes. I just don’t think the Republicans want to be put in that position, so asking for a little more, a little more, a little more, delays them ever being put in a spot where they agree to vote yes on raising taxes.
Maybe I am being too cynical. I just don’t see a bi-partisan roll call for a tax hike.
- Chicago_Downstater - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 12:07 pm:
“Hey Bruce, why did you screw this up?”
Every time one of Bruce’s “not-a-campaign” campaign ads pops up on my tv I ask this. This Grand Bargain is probably our last chance at a budget before 2018. Does he really think he can survive the election as the governor without a budget? And–the more worrisome question–is he right?
- Winnin' - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 12:09 pm:
Rauner is like Trump. No sense of humility.
And all of that evidence from SDems…well, just fake news.
- Sasquatch - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 12:15 pm:
““House Democrats under Speaker Madigan have shown really no good faith, willingness to engage in negotiations with true change, true reforms to our system.”"
Isn’t this exactly what he did with negotiations with the union?
- T Sowell - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 12:17 pm:
How to tell if something is likely true ? when someone use the following …”to the best of my knowledge”
- blue dog dem - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 12:49 pm:
House Democrats/ House Republicans/ special interest groups. Aren’t they all the same thing?
- RNUG - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 1:10 pm:
This is all about Rauner not having his name associated with the largest tax increase in Illinois … EVER!
Like I said the past 2 days, skip any budget. No stop-gap for anything.
Just pass the tax increase needed to close the structural gap between current revenues and court / consent order mandated spending. At least then you’ve stopped digging a hole.
And if you want to be sure you’ve stopped digging the hole, pass another bill EXPLICITLY forbidding any department from entering new contracts OR extending existing ones. According to Bruce, we have a financial crisis and he can’t fix it … do stop spending money we don’t have. A good place to start would be to undo DoIT.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 1:10 pm:
–“House Democrats under Speaker Madigan have been sending over special interest groups to attack the senators on the Democratic caucus to try to kill the ‘grand bargain,’” Rauner said in Springfield on Tuesday.
LOL, if that’s the case, I guess they’re just not as good as it as Rauner has been in sabotaging the deal with Senate Republicans.
Geez, what do you call someone who condemns his own actions?
Even the tronc edit board called out Rauner for intimidating Senate Republicans on a deal, claiming that he threatened to primary those who played ball.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-springfield-rauner-madigan-cullerton-bargain-budget-edit-0307-jm-20170306-story.html
- Annonin' - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 1:23 pm:
It is totally unfair to compare Trump with DopeyDuct. Trump is decisive, shoot from the hip, blow hard scatterbrain.
Dopey is a whoosh who treats 7/8’s of the state like they are rubes
Dopey is “Meet everyday” “wait for the Dem plan” “pass the Grand Bargain” “Balanced Budget with No Tax Hike” kind of guy. Some want to use that old sociopath diagnosis, but that is much elegant.
BTW Brownie was 100% on point with his concise and colorful response.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 1:32 pm:
===The second set is 36, 71 and 0. That’s the number of votes the Democrats will need to override the governor’s veto. And that can’t be done without Republicans.===
… which was why the Dunkin/Franks/Drury safety valves were genius to the Rauner stall strategy.
Once it was scene Rauner had the “Phony 71″ to say Dems can override, when in actuality, HDems had only 68 Dems they could count on to save Illinois at any time.
Now, there’s nowhere near 71 votes in the House to stop Raunerism.
There needs to be a deal. 60, 30, and with a deal, Rauner agrees to sign. That’s the whole ball of whacks, if Rauner wanted a deal. What points to that end for Rauner?
- Cook County Commoner - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 1:33 pm:
Has anyone expending the barrels of digital ink on discussing process considered that Illinois may be the test bed for proving the Laffer Curve on a state wide basis if taxes are increased without real structural change?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 1:38 pm:
–Has anyone expending the barrels of digital ink on discussing process considered that Illinois may be the test bed for proving the Laffer Curve on a state wide basis if taxes are increased without real structural change?–
State income taxes were cut significantly two years ago.
Right now, I’d say Illinois is a “test bed”for a jolly good fiscal rodgering.
- Cook County Commoner - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 1:43 pm:
-Right now, I’d say Illinois is a “test bed”for a jolly good fiscal rodgering.-
Well put. Had to look that one up.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 1:43 pm:
The Laffer curve works when tax rates are at extremely high levels. Under Kennedy, for example, capital gains taxes were 90%. When he lowered the tax rate, the U.S. Treasury collected more revenue, as predicted by Laffer.
Unfortunately, when tax rates are no where near confiscatory, as they are now, lowering tax rates simply results in less income, as predicted by common sense.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, May 17, 17 @ 1:53 pm:
I appreciate Rich linking the Doug Finke’s SJR article it was excellent because it really showed how many moving parts there are to this grand bargain deal that may not actually add up to anything near creating a balanced budget that pays off what the State’s owes to vendors and providers in the next fiscal year.
The $6.2 billion revenue increase based on the income tax increase is a very reasonable assumption, assuming of course there is no down turn in the economy. But it is insufficient to actually fund appropriations just contained in SB 6 as currently amended, the existing short term bills not covered by the Go restructuring bonds, and the yearly cost related to SB 1 the education bill. I am totally unclear about the current estimates on revenue to be derived from the application of sales tax to a broader range of services than was originally discussed in the Senate that is discussed in the Finke’s article.
The workers’ compensation changes have no quantification of any saving to the State in any way, clearly they will save business money. Amendments to the Illinois Procurement Code do not have a clear and understandable cost saving associated with them for the next fiscal year.
Clearly no additional revenue will be gained by gaming in the next fiscal year, probably no savings realized by local governmental unit consolidation in the short term, I can no longer determine at all what the savings would be for the State in the ever evolving pension bill, nor can Finke, because no saving estimate is given in his article. But I would suspect since President Cullerton is touting the revisions to pension bill are “actually a pretty good deal” for State workers it might realize less savings in the short run.
Lastly I have yet to see any impact assessment of property tax freeze and additional State revenue that may be needed to fill that hole in the future. This entire deal is let us say suspicious in terms of its fiscal viability, it is for sure not exactly mathematically elegant. My guess is if it goes through everyone will be happy for a year and then ask how the Assembly agreed to this mishmash.