* From CBS 2 Political Reporter Derrick Blakley…
Just one day after Illinois lawmakers left Springfield without approving a budget, Rauner’s spirits are still up. But Illinois debt ratings are down – again.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more ratings downgrades, there should be, because the majority in the General assembly won’t get a balanced budget and they won’t get changes to keep it balanced,” the Republican governor says.
*** UPDATE *** Pritzker campaign response…
To be clear, further downgrades will lower the Illinois bond rating to junk status. This will do irrevocable harm to the state, which Rauner’s ‘wait and see’ approach is unlikely to fix.
This flippant response came in an interview with CBS Chicago, one of the many interviews Rauner sat for yesterday as part of his ‘I failed to pass a budget again’ media tour. The station noted that Rauner’s “spirits are still up” 702 days into a devastating crisis in the state he is supposed to lead.
“Illinoisans aren’t surprised that Bruce Rauner failed to pass a budget. They aren’t surprised he can’t figure out how to lead this state. And they aren’t surprised he can’t be bothered to do the job he was elected to do,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “After 700 days of Bruce Rauner driving this state into the ground, this is sadly what Illinois families have come to expect. Bruce Rauner is a failed governor and he shouldn’t be surprised when he is voted out of office next November.”
- walker - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 9:58 am:
And the governor is just a powerless observer?
- The Captain - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 9:59 am:
June: Bruce Rauner’s Alternate Reality Tour
- Colin O'Scopey - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 9:59 am:
=“because the majority in the General assembly won’t get a balanced budget and they won’t get changes to keep it balanced”=
It’s hard to argue that point. It is the job of the GA to send the governor a balanced budget. But it’s his job to sign it and not hold it hostage for non-budget policy changes.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:03 am:
===“I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more ratings downgrades, there should be, because the majority in the General assembly won’t get a balanced budget and they won’t get changes to keep it balanced,” the Republican governor says.===
Candidate Rauner disagrees with that blame assessment.
Mr. Schrimpf….
===“Illinois’ credit rating has been downgraded 13 times under Pat Quinn and now, because of his failed leadership, our state’s economy and finances are still broken. Pat Quinn put special interest politics ahead of Illinois workers. We need to change direction before it’s too late.” – Rauner campaign spokesperson Mike Schrimpf===
Candidate Rauner says the governor owns… so there’s that.
Good try, I’ll give the Governor… “that”
- SAP - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:04 am:
The Governor, and the Speaker for that matter, are vampires–bleeding the state dry and cannot see anything when they look in the mirror.
- William j Kelly - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:04 am:
If Bruce Rauner won’t do his job, I will. Please take a look at my statement at www.williamjkelly.org
- illini97 - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:04 am:
Let me check my copy of the Illinois Constitution here…
Yep, it still appears as though the Governor of the State of Illinois has a pretty sizeable portion of the responsibility for getting a budget in place.
Does he need one of these? Should I send him a copy of this Illinois Constitution? I’d assumed he had one.
- Can - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:06 am:
If the Democrats wait until one of their own wins the governors race in 2018 (assuming Rauner loses), the backlog of bills will be even more staggering than it is today ($14.5 Billion). The newly elected Democratic governor would have to sign a massive income tax into law.
- Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:06 am:
Just another up day for an Illinois governor.
- Thomas - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:07 am:
On DrudgeReport.com…
S&P, Moody’s Downgrade Illinois to Near Junk, Lowest Ever for a U.S. State
- Mr. K. - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:07 am:
There is an issue of leadership here. Rauner doesn’t seem to understand this. He’s good at whining about being impotent and powerless.
But he does have a moral obligation to lead. To find a way forward. Everything doesn’t — can’t — depend on Madigan.
- Arock - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:10 am:
Moody’s ended its report by criticizing Illinois’ record of poor governance over the past decade: “During the past decade, the state’s governance framework has allowed practices that greatly offset [the state’s] strengths.”
Downgrades started in 2009 and continued even during the temporary tax hike when Illinois had more revenue because the Legislators failed to reform a broken system.
Moody’s issued a warning about the growth in the state’s massive pension debt. According to Moody’s calculations, Illinois owes over $250 billion in pension debt, far higher than the $130 billion the state says it owes.
Almost everything to do with the government and any legislation and regulations affect the budget. Almost nothing comes without a cost.
- Mos - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:10 am:
Taxpayers will finally get the relief they deserve when this state files for bankruptcy to rid itself of $250 billion in debt
- The Dude Abides - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:10 am:
Things have gotten a lot worse since I’ve been Governor but it’s all beyond my control, I’m not responsible. That’s basically what Rauner is saying. We badly need a leader running the ship of state. Right now we do not have one.
- ILGOV2018 - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:11 am:
“A stopgap (budget) is a mistake. We need a balanced budget and we can do this,” Rauner says.
Rauner advocates for a full-year budget compromise, but appears to be leaving room for a stopgap spending plan.
A complete failure!
Covfefe!
- Real - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:11 am:
I guess this all boils down to white man privilege. This is the only way Rauner gets away with this destruction and still be in good spirits.
- thunderspirit - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:13 am:
Last I checked, it was the Governor’s job to submit a balanced budget.
*checks Illinois Constitution*
Yup, still is.
And Governor Rauner’s response that “there should be” more credit downgrades certainly suggests that this has been Rauner’s plan all along. You know, just in case there was any doubt.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:14 am:
Says the boss the troncs told us threatened to primary GOP senators working on a deal.
- Real - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:14 am:
The GA should not pass any stop gap budgets anymore. Let the schools close up until Rauner signs a budget.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:15 am:
===Downgrades started in 2009 and continued even during the temporary tax hike when Illinois had more revenue because the Legislators failed to reform a broken system.===
… including eight while Governor Bruce Rauner had been Governor.
See, it’s cute you and the Governor want “history” and impotence by Rauner to be explained away… but… As Mr. Schrimpf makes clear…
===“Illinois’ credit rating has been downgraded 13 times under Pat Quinn and now, because of his failed leadership, our state’s economy and finances are still broken. Pat Quinn put special interest politics ahead of Illinois workers. We need to change direction before it’s too late.” – Rauner campaign spokesperson Mike Schrimpf===
So, according to you..
“It’s the past! Mr. Schrimpf is right… just don’t hold the governor now accountable!”
lol
That’s just fun.
- Mike Cirrincione - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:18 am:
Maybe another TV commercial, filmed in the fake woodshop in Willmettistan might help, maybe wearin’ a flannel shirt!
- Chicago Cynic - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:19 am:
Rauner: “Everyone is responsible but me.”
- Jocko - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:20 am:
Would it kill Derrick Blakely to ask Bruce “Pardon me, but doesn’t your budget have a 5.4 billion “hole” in it?”
- From the 'Dale to HP - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:22 am:
He’s inviting downgrades. A year or so ago he attempted to torpedo CPS’ bond offering costing taxpayers millions. And he refuses to cut a deal on a budget.
So tell me again how badly Rauner wants a budget and how he isn’t trying to destroy the state and CPS. All the evidence points other wise.
If Rod was an incompetent clown. Then what’s Bruce? A scared billionaire? Evil?
- just sayin' - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:23 am:
The governor who won’t submit a balanced budget. What a joke.
- Thoughts Matter - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:24 am:
Definitely another commercial will help…especially if he borrows Blago’s drunken sailors line /s.
I think that is about the only insult Rainer hasn’t directed the legiststures way.
We’d have had a budget 2 years ago if Rauner would sign one without 44 non budget ultimatums.
- Trump2020 - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:25 am:
@real
I loves me some white man privilege.
- Henry Francis - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:31 am:
Why shouldn’t the Guv be in good spirits? He is ridiculously rich and has a lovely wife who supports him unconditionally.
He has ridiculously rich friends who continue to support him with tens of millions of dollars.
And his lady Diana is tweetin good news about renovating the mansion.
Life is good!
- Real - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:33 am:
@Trump2020
I’m sure you do. A black governor could not hold the budget hostage to his own personal agenda without massive backlash.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:35 am:
He’s in good spirits because he’s achieving his objectives.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:36 am:
Rauner has been attacking Madigan for what feels like his entire term. To me it looks like his primary goal is blasting Democrats and their supporters out of power, not governing.
The Senate did what it could and passed some reform bills. Democrats might be at or near the limit of what they want to give. For a budget negotiation, that’s a fair amount of compromise.
Now we should work on taxes and revenue–two monumentally-important aspects of Illinois government and economy.
- Longsummer - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:39 am:
Think about this. A man who says he wants to help the state believes “there should be” more ratings downgrades.
- Robert Montgomery - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:40 am:
I’m still having a hard time processing the fact that the governor of the state of Illinois is recommending/requesting that the agencies further downgrade our ratings.
- Robert Montgomery - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:41 am:
Perhaps demanding?
- Huh? - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:49 am:
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more ratings downgrades, there should be, …” Code for - I need to buy more high yield and utterly safe bonds for my portfolio.
- X-prof - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:00 am:
• Rauner’s total state and local tax rate is below 4%; the tax rate for the median IL tax payer is over 2.5 times higher. No doubt, the story is similar for Pritzker and Kennedy.
• Since 25% of IL personal income rests with the top 1%, and 50% rests with the top 10%, undertaxing these brackets represents a huge loss of revenue. [Kennedy missed the real problem when he decried inequities in how property is assessed. Assessment is a problem, but it’s secondary.]
Derrick Blakley, Amanda Vinecky, or any journalist reading this, please ask the governor if he thinks the fact that he pays such a low rate compared to hard-workin’ middle class tax payers is a problem worth fixin’. Then add the ‘g’s back, and ask the same of Pritzker and Kennedy.
- Moist von Lipwig - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:01 am:
How Trump-like of him to wish bad things to happen to his constituents so that the other party will get blamed.
#Leadership
- Anonymous - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:04 am:
=Last I checked, it was the Governor’s job to submit a balanced budget.=
And what is the GA’s role exactly?
I suppose if it was easy, every state would be passing balanced budgets without conditions. Oh, wait….they are.
- RNUG - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:05 am:
== Taxpayers will finally get the relief they deserve when this state files for bankruptcy to rid itself of $250 billion in debt ==
Unless and until you change Federal law, States can’t take bankruptcy.
- wondering - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:09 am:
Sadly, when he gets bounced in 2018, he will saunter happily down the road claiming he at least gave it the good Dartmouth try. The rest of us will be sitting in the smoldering ruins, wondering, “what has happened?”.
- wondering - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:13 am:
It is highly questionable that federal bankruptcy law could be changed to encompass the sovereign entity status of states.
- Skeptic - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:25 am:
“And what is the GA’s role exactly?” to pass the balanced budget introduced by the Governor and appropriate the money to implement it.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:26 am:
To Jordan Abudayyeh,
That’s really some quality stuff. It cud be a lil shorter and tighter, but I see the “theme-ing” aspect of trying to continue to tie things together… and I’m always a fan of “Bruce Rauner fails”, … “because… Skyhook in reverse”
But, y’all need to get in the stick and get attacking a failing sitting governor “more”… yep, even more than you are now. Look at how Rauner ran two-pronged, against Quinn 24/7 and taking on the primary foes, all churning things out… all the time.
I’ll keep watching.
OW
- downstate commissioner - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:29 am:
anonymous @11:04. Think it is the GA’s job to modify, amend and adopt such modified budget to satisfy the needs and desires of all of the residents of Illinois, including the poor and developmentally challenged; not just the desires of a rich, uncaring, and oblivious governor.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:32 am:
===…and I’m always a fan of “Bruce Rauner fails”, … “because… Skyhook in reverse”===
I guess I’d also add…
Leaving hypocritical Rauner quotes out of a slam dunk repudiation of Rauner’s own words today is missing an opportunity to go after Rauner on trust, honesty, and hypocrisy issues, issues that have a target rich list of quotes to build on for that messaging, if time is taken to find and use those quotes. - OW
- The Captain - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:40 am:
You don’t have to have a lot of campaign funds to counter-message Bruce Rauner every day but for some reason the only campaign doing this effectively day in and day out is Pritzker. There are ways to run effective campaigns on shoestring budgets but Biss, Pawar and Kennedy aren’t there yet.
- Arsenal - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:49 am:
==You don’t have to have a lot of campaign funds to counter-message Bruce Rauner every day==
Depends on how you want to do it, but sure, Tweets are press releases are free. It’s just a question if those break through to anyone persuadable.
- Cubs in '16 - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:50 am:
“To be clear, further downgrades will lower the Illinois bond rating to junk status. This will do irrevocable harm to the state, which Rauner’s ‘wait and see’ approach is unlikely to fix.”
This part is rather weak but at least it’s something. JB is always first out of the gate on this stuff. The other Dem. candidates better step up their game.
- Arsenal - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 11:50 am:
…but that being said, yes, it’s meaningful that Pritzker is the only one even trying to take the fight to Rauner so far.