50 Comments - Mr. K. - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:45 am: Rauner is the status quo now. I’m not sure he understands that. - train111 - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:47 am: Let’s see: Replace Democrat with Republican “Chicago Machine” with “the 1%” Swap the names Bruce Rauner and Speaker Madigan and it looks just like the solicitation for funds letter the Democrats put out. How much are they paying people to write this sophomoric tripe again? - Perrid - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:50 am: “They refuse to bow to my demands precisely, therefore I have no other option but to continue killing the puppies and kittens. Please tell them to let me make life better for my millionaire and billionaire friends at the expense of everyone else, so I can stop killing puppies and kittens. That is all.” That is quite literally what I hear when he speaks now… - Blue Bayou - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:50 am: As soon as Rauner understands the relationship between property taxes and income taxes (as well as sales and other taxes), maybe we can get somewhere. Also, what achievements can he point to? He has demonstrated no skills except turning IL from a below-average state to a disaster. - Rauner's Evil Twin - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:52 am: I did not realize there was a balanced budget prepared by the Governor for the Democrats to vote on. How did I miss that? - Ginhouse Tommy - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:53 am: Rauner just doesn’t understand that blaming the other guy while you do nothing just doesn’t cut it anymore. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:54 am: I read the email and all, and it seems to say things, and accuse things, and demand things, and even a call to arms. In every way, a “reasonable” political email to lay the groundwork for a political fight. Not one paragraph, sentence, word, or even an abbreviation… that Rauner had his own BUDGET, with cuts and/or required revenues within that BUDGET to really put Dems behind the notorious “8-Ball” Why no mention of this feckless budget? Why no sentences talking about an administration that when questioned by a sitting GA Committee couldn’t name ONE cut that this Administration would make, for fiscal/budgetary/agenda reasons or… any reasons. Rauner has proposed 3 grossly unbalanced, sham, phony budgets, consecutively. In no way, no mathematical way, Rauner can claim he’s not the “status quo”, and in no way can Rauner say any of his budgets reflect anything stated in this email. But… … as a political tool? Rauner is feeding the Raunerite Base, masquerading as a GOP Party, where running up debt, refusing to pay vendors, cripple social services, close state universities… and this email is making Raunerism one end game, while ignoring so much… “Because… Democrats”… with no ownership of the damage, or solutions, or truth… to those 3 pesky sham, phony budgets. It’s an email, I’ll give them that. - AC - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:55 am: ==A 32% tax increase without real reform is not the answer.== The major area of disagreement is so called “major reform” not taxes. Rauner’s budget requires a tax increase at least that high. If there’s no disagreement on taxes, why even mention taxes? - SinkingShip - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:55 am: ===”Today, Illinois Democrats made clear that their partisan agenda is more important than the future of our state. … Team Rauner will never give up on this fight for reform. … Choosing reform over the status quo is not easy, but with your help - we will bring back Illinois.=== Sounds like “do as I say, not as I do or say.” Cavfefe. - Amalia - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:55 am: Gov. Rauner, you are the leader of this “company,” our state. A leader makes sure the company is moving ahead, not falling behind, or worse, going under. Start acting like a leader instead of a critic without a stake in the enterprise. - Honeybear - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:57 am: Well, it’s political nuclear war then. - Demoralized - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:57 am: You know what would be the biggest reform they could accomplish? A budget. - Stones - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:58 am: Are you better off than you were two years ago? No way! - Anon221 - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:59 am: Rauner just needs to add one more “R” to his vocabulary, and he’ll start sounding downright Democratic (https://www.econlowdown.org/great_depression_4?module_uid=62&p=yes&page_num=3030&section_uid=34). The only problem is, he’s not leading us out of a depression like FDR, he’s cheerfully doing everything he can to create a depression in Illinois, magic goalposts and all. Relief and Reforms of the Rauner variety are not going to lead to a Recovery any time soon. - Jocko - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:00 am: ==Team Rauner will never give up on this fight for reform.== For details, please look at the swinging pocket watch. - Streator Curmudgeon - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:05 am: Sadly, Rauner’s definition of Reform is “my way or the highway.” - wordslinger - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:07 am: The letter from Bruce Rauner about “Team Rauner” never once mentions “Republicans.” Should we just call him “Generalissimo Rauner?” This chaos is all one pathetic ego trip for a lifetime background hustler/boodler who wanted his day in the spotlight after he made his pay-to-play fortune. Too bad he didn’t spend his retirement in that workshop of his. Looks sweet and unused. - Thoughts Matter - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:12 am: The democrats need to answer this with the checklist I saw yesterday. The Senate passed all the grand bargain talking points. That’s what he said he wanted. Did I miss the part where he said what specifically each bullet point had to contain? Did I miss his budget proposal? Did I miss how he magically was going to get everything paid without a tax increase? Everything else I’m thinking has already been commented on above me. - Lt Guv - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:13 am: He has a Christ complex. He’s trying to resurrect a corpse. - RetiredStateEmployee - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:18 am: Please tell me what reforms will pay $14b in outstanding bills and balance the budget. Please. Please! If you know the answer, now’s the time to let us know what has been kept secret for the last 3 budget cycles. - Big Joe - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:18 am: Man, this governor is stuck on one topic repeated over and over. Madigan and the Dems that he controls. Well, Maybe, just maybe some in the media will finally point out that Rauner has no budget to produce that is balanced without a large income tax increase. I am sick and tired of him saying the same excuses for his failures over and over. I hope the taxpayers that are not informed would finally get some correct information about just how much of the blame is on Rauner. Sadly, there are too many people in this state that are not affected by the lack of a budget so far. Those people think Rauner is doing the right thing to stand up to Madigan. They only know what drivel Rauner puts on the TV or radio waves. They are too lazy to get some accurate information on this political dilemma we are in. I hope the Dems can get their message out pretty soon, with the cold hard truths about the reasons we are in this “no budget mess”. - Dog - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:23 am: And Gee Guv, YOUR partisan agenda isn’t more important then a budget? - Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:24 am: ===We have the 5th highest tax burden in the country.=== And yet the deficit has grown by 10 billion since he took office. Sure sounds like a “hardcore fiscal conservative”…. - Anon221 - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:24 am: Rauner was getting ticked off at the presser he held with Radogno and Durkin yesterday. He especially got testy when John O’Connor pressed him on his travels around the state and how exactly were they any different than what Rauner is calling a “sham” for the Dems plan to hold public hearings across the state now. And, something happened with that recording. Looked as though it was edited during the Q&A segment. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:25 am: Rauner selflessly sacrificing others for his fight calls to mind the Futurama episode “Love’s Labours Lost in Space” Fry: “I heard one time you single-handedly defeated a horde of rampaging somethings in the something something system” Brannigan: “Killbots? A trifle. It was simply a matter of outsmarting them — you see, killbots have a preset kill limit. Knowing their weakness, I sent wave after wave of my own men at them until they reached their limit and shut down.” The victims to date have merely been the first wave. – MrJM - @MisterJayEm - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:26 am: *the Anonymous at 10:25 signed “MrJM” was me. – MrJM - A Jack - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:33 am: But look at the bright side: Tick Tock still has a job. And indeed we may have dozens of Tick Tocks in the fall when colleges don’t have the money to open. - Is he ever gonna learn - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:41 am: This man simply does not know how to govern. And since he does not know how to govern he will try to buy seats. - Tick Tock - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:42 am: 1 year, 7 months, and 13 days until swearing in of a new Governor. - Generic Drone - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:42 am: Its far past time for Republicans to realize any future implementation of Rauners turn around agenda and reforms will not come close to recovering the losses that Illinoisans will now have to pay for. Rauner and his party have completely failed the citizens of this state. - Cubs in '16 - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:43 am: ===The democrats need to answer this with the checklist I saw yesterday.=== Agreed. They should also clarify the “32% tax increase” that keeps getting thrown around. It’s confusing to a lot of folks. Just say they’re being increased from ___ to ___. I’ve talked to several people who think this means the rate would increase TO 32%. - DuPage - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:46 am: @- Honeybear - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 9:57 am: ==Well, it’s political nuclear war then.== Rauner riding a bomb. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3edi2Wkr5YI - northsider (the original) - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 10:56 am: Uncurated content designed for maximum 1% monetization of state assets pretty much sums up Rauner’s agenda. Then and now and tomorrow. Persistant until total destruction, rascal is far too kind a word. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 11:24 am: He just don’t care about you and your problems. Quit yapping while running in circles. He’s enjoying this. Deal with it - Not quite a majority - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 11:24 am: This email is for the sheep. The real discussion is going on in ‘quiet back rooms’ where they are focused on how much $$ will be spent to keep this trainwreck going for 4 more years after Nov. 2018. Be assured, the gang of 8 (or how many there are now) is hard at work - DuPage Saint - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 11:41 am: I wish politicians could be banned from using the phrase bring back. As in with your help we can bring back Illinois. Bring it back to what or where? Explain. Right now I wish he would bring it back to 2014 - Anotheretiree - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 11:58 am: I believe he will never give up. I think now that a strike would be futile. Doomed to failure. - Well then - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 12:40 pm: He’s got this thing and it’s golden… - Mama - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 12:50 pm: OW & RNUG please explain which reforms Rauner wants that will pay $14b in outstanding bills and balance the budget. - Mama - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 12:53 pm: The reason no budget was Not passed is because the Reps know Gov. Rauner won’t allow the Republicans to vote on the budget and they know Gov. Rauner won’t sign any budget. Lack of trust between the legislature and the governor is a huge issue at the statehouse. - Bob Hicks - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 1:26 pm: There is no “I” in Team and Team Rauner is a one man team. - VanillaMan - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 2:39 pm: He’ll never give up the fight for reform? DUDE - Your methods lost that fight! You set back reforms by forgetting your basic gubernatorial duties. BRUCE you were the governor AND you still failed! Like a losing war general, you’re getting sacked for losing the war! We don’t care if you don’t give up. You made Turnaround a joke word! - RNUG - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 2:59 pm: -Mama-, The ONLY reform that saves $14B is Rauner finding a way to totally NEGATE the entire debt … maybe by claiming there were no valid contracts since there never was a budget to appropriate the money. That would be a rather unique use of the non-appropriation clause in the contract boilerplate. - Mama - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:14 pm: RNUG, if the state signed those contracts, doesn’t the state have to honor them? No? - RNUG - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:40 pm: == RNUG, if the state signed those contracts, doesn’t the state have to honor them? No? == In a word, NO. Almos every State contract has a clause that says it is dependent on State funding / appropriation. No appropriation,no contract. Once, years ago, there was a contract that was pretty much rammed down my throat by political power brokers … but the following year that contract was explicitly listed in the proposed agency budget and then explicitly line itemed out by the GA. Boom; Contract gone, with no legal recourse available to the vendor. That is why, a while back, I was advocating for the vendors to go to court and claim deliberate fraud on the part of the State. If the State signed a contract knowing the funding wasn’t in place (actually, a fairly common practice in the past), then that would clearly be fraud on the part of the State. Or if the State failed to cancel a multi-year contrac, knowing funds were not appropriated for a subsequent year, that is also a clear case of fraud. I see the fraud claim as the only way to override the contract non-appropriation language. - Ahem! - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:46 pm: “Rauner has proposed 3 grossly unbalanced, sham, phony budgets, consecutively.” Governors “propose” budgets, but the legislature drafts the actual budgets. I am unaware of any Illinois budget proposal that was enacted as originally submitted by any governor. As such, my ire is directed at the “do nothing” legislative branch. Lest we forget, Pat Quinn used to complain about the lackadaisical legislature shirking its responsibilities as well. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:54 pm: - Ahem! - Read Article VIII, Section 2, (a) ===The Governor shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly, at a time prescribed by law, a State budget for the ensuing fiscal year. The budget shall set forth the estimated balance of funds available for appropriation at the beginning of the fiscal year, the estimated receipts, and a plan for expenditures and obligations during the fiscal year of every department, authority, public corporation and quasi-public corporation of the State, every State college and university, and every other public agency created by the State, but not of units of local government or school districts. The budget shall also set forth the indebtedness and contingent liabilities of the State and such other information as may be required by law. Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget.=== “The Governor shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly, at a time prescribed… Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget.” “Questions?” - CCP Hostage - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 5:05 pm: I wish he’d quit trying to help me. - walker - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 7:06 pm: Figure out another way to “fight for reforms” than deliberately harming our state. - Athenian - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 8:15 pm: This man could have given Blago a run for his money in the area of narcissism… Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.