52 Comments - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 3:47 pm: That Senate ship has sailed. If Rauner wants to revisit, Cullerton gave the parameters. Then… the robocalls. All according to… plan? - It happened like this - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 3:55 pm: Exclusive? Hey Bruce talk to us so we can sound like a legitimate news source - 47th Ward - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 3:55 pm: Wow, nice scoop by IPI. I wonder why Rauner chose them? - Nick Name - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:00 pm: Does he even know what month it is? Well, obviously, he does. As do the Senate Raunerites. Which means that they really do not want a Grand Bargain or a budget or anything at all, and never did. - Henry Francis - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:01 pm: Nice get by the IPI! Rich, when is Oscar going to get invited back for another play date? I counted 7,637,288 mentions of “property tax” in that 12 minute interview. - Dance Band on the Titanic - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:02 pm: To paraphrase: We need to freeze property taxes so we can increase funding to our classrooms. Huh??? - Liberty - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:03 pm: Look at the light stand in the background. If they would pay a little better they could get some quality… - 47th Ward - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:04 pm: Surprise surprise, the Governor is proposing something new: not only does he want a “permanent” property tax freeze, he wants voters to have the power to vote for lower property taxes. How long was he planning to keep that demand secret? How far will be move the goalposts next time? Does Charlie Brown really think Lucy will let him kick the ball this time? - Annonin' - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:07 pm: Wow there went 12.5 min we can never get backDopeyDuct calls tax bill “massive mistake” then rants about how local “property tax freeze” has something to do with a balanced state budget. Dopey did toss in bribes and a quick review of technical to show he knows nothing of how property taxes are assessed, levied and collected Very embarrassing. - wordslinger - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:08 pm: What a scoop. Does IPI get dinner and a movie with that exclusive? Or just a mint? - Huh - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:08 pm: Exclusive? Looks like he did other interviews today too - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:14 pm: What’s most pathetic is this… this is Rauner owning Dems, yet again, like every day… and now it’s getting late in the game… and the only thing out there is a tax increase vote Rauner is already running robocalls about. And Rauner wants to “sell” me he wants a deal? - Trapped in the 'burbs - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:17 pm: I must be missing something. He doesn’t want to fund schools and he doesn’t want the schools to collect their revenue through property taxes? Sometime after his one term is up, I’d love to have him explain what his plans were to implement his goals. What a wasted opportunity. - Norseman - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:21 pm: Did IPI pick up their latest donation from Rauner as they left the office? - Ohhaimark - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:29 pm: The title was great. - Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:32 pm: Wow, how on Earth did IPI get this interview!!! I guess it’s because of their fierce independence. Amazing. - cdog - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:32 pm: Rauner gets a point for this round. Property taxes should be frozen and direct control should be put in the hands of the residents. Work comp should be reformed and allow Illinois to offer mid-range premiums to companies. The 7000 units of local government should be consolidated by 1000s and operate like the rest of America. Maybe Madigan and his chief (non)negotiator can call some of these for a vote soon. What else do they have to lose; they have already lost the respect of many taxpayers. /s I feel like I’m being asked to participate in a overly bureaucratic utopia that just wants more, at every level, for the sake of The Bureaucracy. Reminds me of a scene in Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the greatly feared Vogons, the species of galactic bureaucrats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbN1NaQ7yQI - Hit Em With the Hein - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:34 pm: Problem is the robo calls will work and Madigan will be blamed. At this rate with no budget, increased property taxes, a proposed income tax increase, and Pritzger as the nominee…Carhart Bruce gets reelected, he picks up 2-4 more seats, and still no budget 6 years from now. When will the dems learn and craft a unified message proving how much of a joke this guy is? - wordslinger - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 4:44 pm: –Problem is the robo calls will work and Madigan will be blamed.– Who in the world gets or answers robocalls? And of those who do, who aren’t annoyed and offended? I know they’re cheap, but other than a kick in the swimsuit region, what tactic is more counter-productive to your brand? I’d vote for Jefferson Davis if I got an Abraham Lincoln robocall. - Louis Capricious - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 5:01 pm: === Surprise surprise, the Governor is proposing something new: not only does he want a “permanent” property tax freeze, he wants voters to have the power to vote for lower property taxes. === Indeed, the man does NOT want a budget a deal. Just a day after telegraphing that he might have his agenda down to a single item, today he completely redefines that item. Either Democrats agree to unilaterally disarm (so he wins) or we will all just watch it burn (and he wins). Those are his terms. - Juice - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 5:08 pm: cdog, the Senate passed the consolidation bill that the Governor wanted. And the Governor didn’t know how to say yes on the property tax freeze and workers’ comp bills that were handed to him. - Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 5:27 pm: Having succeeded in slashing government at the state level, the Governor is now going to put lower levels of government in a straight jacket. Who knew the “withering away of the state” would happen under someone who claims to be a Republican. - Winnin' - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 5:27 pm: No doubt Rauner’s shop wrote the script. It is amazing that Rainer and crew are runnin’ ads bash in’ Madigan. And IPI is sendin’ out emails bashin’ the Senate Dems. And this is not news. It is a political think tank doing a political favor for the governor. - wordslinger - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 5:31 pm: –And this is not news. It is a political think tank doing a political favor for the governor.– “Political think tank” is hilarious, as is “favor.” The only tank they’re in is the one provided by their paymasters. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 5:34 pm: Vertical integration at its zenith. Robocalls, press releases, now an interview. This interview passes as news. Rauner wins. - Stt - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 5:48 pm: Moving the goal post! Google Rauner property taxes from 2015, he himself was calling for a 2 year freeze! - cdog - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 5:54 pm: Glad Senate passed consolidation. 7000 units is ridiculous. Let’s hope the House can get it to Rauner, and then the voters/taxpayers in each of those governmental units can fight it out. - DeseDemDose - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 6:05 pm: Rauner Lied, Rauner Failed… keep it simple. His message is a empty obnoxious broken record. - Hmmmm - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 6:17 pm: I guess rumors of a break up there between Gov & Prift are not true. Interesting after all Proft said about Gov & Senate Republicans. GOP Legislators should take note. - Huh? - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 6:30 pm: Fake news about a fake governor by a fake news service. It is sad to see how far what passes for news has sunk. - JS Mill - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 6:34 pm: =Property taxes should be frozen and direct control should be put in the hands of the residents.= @cdog- With respect, we have agreed on some things but on this one I don’t think that will ever happen. Local government is more closely controlled than any other we have simply because of the fact that it is local. Now you are asking for an “Athenian” style democracy where everyone gets a direct say on everything (maybe just finances?)?? That is a recipe for disaster. You have control when you vote them in and out. The local officials are far more accessible. The property tax freeze means more of your dollars to the state and less to your local government (where you have much more say as to how they are used) and more to the state (yes, they need more because they have made a mess and services etc are not free). Rauner talks local control and then tries to do the exact opposite. Not a huge shock I guess. But there are years of data that would suggest if we need more direct control anywhere it is at the state level. - Anonymous - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 6:39 pm: my property tax bill says pension, every line says pension. not student ipad. it says pension. - wordslinger - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 6:42 pm: Pat Quinn made populist hay with property tax freezes, terms limits and redistricting for years. Rauner’s “reforms” are straight out of the Pat Quinn playbook. The difference is, Quinn didn’t set us on a course to bust the $20B mark in the backlog of bills and gut social services and higher ed doing so. - Winnin' - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 6:57 pm: Newspapers and radio stations throughout the state treat IPI like they are some legitimate organization like the SIU Paul Simon Institute and the U of I Institute for Government Policy, or whatever they’re called. At least they try to be independent. IPI and Illinois’ newspapers, not so much. - peon - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 7:17 pm: New words, new asks, but no actions. That’s a tough message to run on. - Anon221 - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 7:23 pm: Well… One of Rauner’s interviews is filled with Honeybear’s favorite word… https://mobile.twitter.com/WCIA3Emilee/status/867512388676878336/video/1 - fake news - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 7:52 pm: Why are we watching a propaganda video by Rauner’s paid staff? - cdog - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 8:09 pm: @JS Mills, a couple points to consider. “… property tax freeze means more of your dollars to the state and less to your local government” — I don’t agree with this. A property tax freeze, at this point, has not been tied to any specific change in state taxes. As far as what I consider a myth of local control, I have no idea what is going on with many of the taxing bodies on my property tax bills. The local newspaper does not do the best job of covering them. On my personal residence property tax bill, there is a school district, comm college, township, township road, airport, fire protection district, metro expo (whatever the heck that is), mass transit, library, library bond, and a county. I guess I need to read the minutes to all their meetings and start a spreadsheet of every change they make to their tax rates. I would much rather be asked in the voting booth. The personal spreadsheet methodology wreaks of privilege, which I try to avoid in most cases. - wordslinger - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 8:12 pm: –As far as what I consider a myth of local control, I have no idea what is going on with many of the taxing bodies on my property tax bills. The local newspaper does not do the best job of covering them.– You got that $500 you owe me? It’s okay if you can’t remember or didn’t keep track, I did. - cdog - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 8:18 pm: Word, I didn’t forget. Double or nothing. Red or black? I’ve got the cards. :) - Anonymous - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 9:51 pm: “The property tax freeze means more of your dollars to the state and less to your local government (where you have much more say as to how they are used) and more to the state…” Thank you JS Mill @ 6:34pm. - Well said! - Enviro - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 9:54 pm: The comment at 9:51pm was mine. - Pat Matummy - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 10:08 pm: There are those who can drop a dime, as it were, and call BS on the lot - and to the right people. That time is now. If the media doesn’t grow a spine, we are all doomed. - JS Mill - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 10:15 pm: @cdog- Income tax is going to go up. That is a must have for the governor. That is the “trade off” for property tax freeze. It is only a secret when the governor is speaking in a campaign ad. That directly translates to less local control, more state control, and more money to the state. As far as local government- with respect- you can go to the meetings in person. They are posted publicly and can be found on their websites. Unless there is a controversy (which is rare) we rarely have more than two members of the public present. I would enjoy more and we have made an effort to get people to come. But it is not just meetings. Many governmental bodies have committees that members of the public can join. If people are not getting involved now- changing it isn’t going to change that. However, I cannot disagree with the need for streamlining the number of units of government. I think there are smart changes that can occur and pretty painlessly lower the number by 20-25%. - Newshawk - Wednesday, May 24, 17 @ 11:03 pm: And where is the office/studios of Illinois News Network ace reporter Greg Bishop??? At the IPI headquarters on 2nd Street. - Glengarry - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 1:08 am: Then pay up cdog. - Fixer - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 6:45 am: cdog- other than the metro expo (also no clue what that is), those line items you listed on your property tax bill are pretty simple to break down as far as what they fund. Definitely don’t need to do any spread sheets of council meetings for them. Also, just as a friendly suggestion, check if your town has a website. I live in a town of less than 2000 and can’t regularly make council meetings. They so post the minutes on their site though. - Get it Solved - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 7:46 am: Why has the IML been so silent in the property tax debate? A breakdown of what property taxes provide to a town would be helpful. School funding is the main area, but property taxes provide other services to each community. - cdog - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 8:14 am: JSMillls, there is definitely common ground in our opinions. And with much respect, too, I personally don’t find it reasonable in my life to closely monitor nearly a dozen taxing bodies. I feel I elect them to watch the numbers and make a sound case to argue for more money via referendum. (It also seems responsible to consider the skills/intelligence of all property owners. There are many that just don’t have the skills to keep track of this stuff. Fertile ground to run up the bill, which seems to be what has happened. There are a great number of non-math-types that can’t even do the simple multiplication of the factors involved that it takes to audit a property tax bill, or any other invoice.) - Rogue Roni - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 8:22 am: Greg Bishop is a joke. A wanna be Alex Jones - JS Mill - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 8:55 am: =The Swamp and its bottom-dwelling denizens realize they are at risk from this political outsider who is not connected to the uni-party machines.= Fair enough. I do not watch all of them either. =I feel I elect them to watch the numbers and make a sound case to argue for more money via referendum. = Not how I look at it. I think there are issues that they need to go to referendum and issues that they need to handle. - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, May 25, 17 @ 9:12 am: I thing the Governor wants symmetry If there is going to be a permanent income tax he wants a permanent property tax freeze Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.