* All 67 House Democrats signed this letter last week…
Dear Governor Rauner:
We believe there is no more important issue facing our state than the passage of a full, responsible budget. As you have continually held items unrelated to the budget as preconditions to your cooperation in resolving this impasse, members of the House Democratic leadership team have requested to work with you to find common ground on your agenda. We ask that you begin work with them immediately.
The people of Illinois need a resolution to this budget crisis. On behalf of the people we are together committed to serve, we urge you to accept this good faith offer of cooperation, so we can again resume working to end this destructive impasse.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 9:43 am:
Our way, or no way!
- Not It - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 9:46 am:
They just don’t get it.
- Anon - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 9:47 am:
Too bad Rauner couldn’t care less about the people.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 9:49 am:
What don’t they get?
They each a budget.
They don’t get Rauner doesn’t want a budget.
They understand that perfectly.
- South Suburban Gal - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 9:49 am:
Just came back from a business forum. From their estimates, it will take 10 years to get out of the crisis we are in now; even with an income tax increase, expanding our sales tax base, etc. There is no an overnight recovery/remedy.
All this Governor has managed to do is dig the biggest hole in Illinois state history.
- Gruntled University Employee - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 9:55 am:
===Our way, or no way! ===
Really Governor, please pick a handle instead of just using “Anonymous”. Maybe something like “Ineffective Union Hating Almost Billionaire Governor”.
- Future Ex-Illinois Resident - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 10:01 am:
== South Suburban Gal ==
All this Governor tried to do is pass a balanced budget (first since 2002), and try to dig us out of the pit Madigan, Dems and Edgar put us in. This is not Rauner’s hole but you can believe his shovel is in there too
- Anon - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 10:02 am:
They’d better not give him his union-busting asks.
- downstate commissioner - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 10:12 am:
- Future Ex-Illinois Resident - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 10:01 am
Rauner hasn’t presented a balanced budget…
Goodbye.
- Sue - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 10:24 am:
Hers is a proposal. Similar to what the Feds do when an employer exits a multi employer union pension plan Illinois might need to impose a withdrawal tax when folks get fed up and leave the State. LOL. Since the figure is 56 thousand for each Illinois resident for all deferred pension and health care liabilities state and municipal- that’s what we can charge
- == downstate com == - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 10:24 am:
He did two years ago. Since the impasse that train has long since left the station. Rauner is willing to concede on that point, why won’t the dems implement (Or at the very least argue on merits) some of his reforms?
- HistProf - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 10:30 am:
Dear Downstate com,
Please give us a cite to Rauner’s balanced budget or admit that you have been walking around for at least two years with a major Republican myth blocking your access to reality.
- City Zen - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 10:30 am:
Check your fax machine, Bruce.
- Redraider - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 10:32 am:
He did not propose a balanced budget 2 years ago. It was a budget with artificial savings that relied on issues still pending, in particular, pension and Heath insurance savings. The Governor has failed to propose a balanced budget in his first year and last year failed to provide one at all.
- RNUG - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 10:34 am:
== He did two years ago. ==
Rauner has never presented a balanced budget, the closest he came was about $3.5B more spending than revenue, supposedly to be balanced by his management expertise if the Legislature gave him unlimited power to implement unspecified reforms eliminating unspecified waste, fraud and abuse.
Based on his track record to date, magic beans would be more likely to have responsibly balanced that budget.
== why won’t the dems implement (Or at the very least argue on merits) some of his reforms? ==
Primarily because those reforms have little or nothing to do with the State budget. At best, 1.4% of questionable savings.
- Nick Name - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 11:05 am:
“All this Governor tried to do is pass a balanced budget (first since 2002), and try to dig us out of the pit Madigan, Dems and Edgar put us in.”
L, as they say, OL.
- DeseDemDose - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 11:06 am:
Heartless Republicans are in Billionaire Rauners pocket. Simple as that. It’s not only Rauner that is Heartless. The Raunerites are all responsible for this massive fiasco.
- Scooteriffic! - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 11:40 am:
Future-ex: please go find an operating engineer somewhere (preferably a union one) and ask them if the proper strategy for digging yourself out of a hole is to use a bigger shovel to do more damage to the hole.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 12:32 pm:
Dear HDems
While your desire to work in “good faith” with 1.4%, he does not reciprocate those feelings. All he wants to do is crush the Democratic party, AFSCME and everything else that he can think of.
Save yourself some headaches and forget having anything to do with 1.4%. He has already shown his true colors be his ceaseless “we can get a better deal” or “it isn’t good eniugh.”
Wishing you all the best,
- Huh? - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 12:32 pm:
12:32 was me.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, May 23, 17 @ 2:37 pm:
I wish eight House Republicans would write a letter to both Rauner and Madigan telling them how it’s all going to go down.
As has been true for two years, a handful of House Republicans, acting in concert, could dictate terms and end this travesty.
It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and they just won’t take it. Beyond sad and infuriating.