42 Comments - Cubs in '16 - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 3:33 pm: No one in Springfield seemed to be listening when social service providers and advocates were “yelling their heads off”. Could roads really be the tipping point? - Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 3:33 pm: ““I feel like politicians sometimes ought to have cardboard cutouts of themselves that say, ‘I care.’” Or they could just, ya know, care. Obviously that’s not directed to a great many folks in Springfield. But then there’s Rauner and lots of others on both sides of the aisle. Folks, if you don’t care, then you’re in the wrong business and please quit. - Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 3:41 pm: “I feel like politicians sometimes ought to have cardboard cutouts of themselves that say, ‘I care.’“ I feel like politicians sometimes are cardboard cutouts that don’t care. - Anon221 - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 3:48 pm: Here’s an idea, get the orange cones out, the Left or Right Lane Closed Ahead signs installed at all entrances to the Capitol, and have ISP on hand to stop any executive or legislator caught trying to “speed” past the “construction zones” of the Governor’s Office and the two Chambers. If I have to travel hundreds of miles a week through multiple construction zones, Rauner and the GA should also feel the “pain”! - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 3:48 pm: I can’t vote out Madigan, but I will vote out Rauner. Any statewide office holder thinking that they can fingerpoint at a legislator as an excuse for not doing their statewide duties, need to be voted out of office statewide. Rauner is governor. He is responsible for statewide fiascoes. Rauner promised to change Springfield knowing full well that doing so meant working with Madigan. Rauner failed. He is to blame. He made Illinois worse, not better. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 3:59 pm: Rauner seems like the only person in Springfield looking out for illinois private sector taxpayers. I’m voting for him again likely - Passive Agressive - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 4:06 pm: How about, “I care, but the next election is more important” - Out Here In The Middleⁿ - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 4:11 pm: Rainer is looking out for taxpayers? How? By quadrupling the outstanding unpaid bills? By driving interest paid to borrow through the roof & bond ratings to the basement? You may not care about the pain in higher education or social services but make no mistake, private sector taxpayers are ultimately going to foot the bill for all of this. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 4:17 pm: Did anyone even really notice, much less suffer, when the income tax rate was five percent? All this screaming by Republicans about a 32 percent tax hike ignores the fact that both 3.5 percent and 5 percent are extremely low rates. - Nick Name - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 4:22 pm: “Rauner seems like the only person in Springfield looking out for illinois private sector taxpayers. I’m voting for him again likely” What are you smoking? - ShaggyDog - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 4:22 pm: “Looking out for private sector taxpayers” Yea, on the backs of Public Sector Taxpayers and organizations. - BIG R. Ph. - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 4:28 pm: ===Lawmakers returned to Springfield today to work on a state budget, and so far absolutely nothing of consequence has happened=== Wash, rinse repeat ad infinitum - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 4:30 pm: If you can’t get road work done, you’ve abandoned any pretense that you’re actually trying to govern. You have a different agenda, entirely. - Dr X - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 4:43 pm: Unions want to work on roads? Can’t have that. - JLR - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 4:53 pm: The House should pass a budget. NO INCOME TAX INCREASE, A MILLIONAIRE TAX, a balanced budget, cut everything to the bone including K-12. Then adjourn. - illini - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 4:54 pm: @Wordslinger - totally agree, but we should add fully funding Higher Ed, full funding for K-12, prioritizing social service contractors/providers and a myriad of other sectors of the budget. Sorry, I forgot, we don’t have a budget. - Rabid - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 4:59 pm: I can see a whole new line of fatheads - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 5:20 pm: If you can’t figure out that $30 Billion taken out of taxpayer checks does not not impact the economy, I can’t help you. 3%, 5% may seem low. $30 Billion taken from taxpayers is a HUGE FIGURE. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 5:26 pm: I had to reduce my retirement savings when the tax rate was 5%. Why do we continue to coddle public employees in this state? - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 5:27 pm: Of course we should balance the budget on the back of government. Was that a serious question? - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 5:27 pm: ===If you can’t figure out that $30 Billion taken out of taxpayer checks does not not impact the economy, I can’t help you. 3%, 5% may seem low. $30 Billion taken from taxpayers is a HUGE FIGURE.=== I love this. Love… “… taken from taxpayers…”" Duh, who else is it being taken from. That’s right, it’s a dog whistle. My bad. Ya know what that $30 billion gets ya? People working in social services paid and spending their EARNED monies in the economy. It’s State Universities… paying small businesses what they own them in contracts. You know, taxpayers who own businesses have contracts with the state too. Doctors, who treat taxpayers. You know, taxpayers whose doctors are waiting months and months for monies, even to play, sometimes, Staff, you know, taxpayers. I guess you think paying what is owed… to taxpayers… makes no sense. You keep breathing thru your mouth you’ll hyperventilate at this point, lol - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 5:31 pm: Isn’t the budget we are trying to balance a government budget? - illini - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 5:31 pm: Thanks Willy - I was going to pass on trying to respond to yet another “Anonymous”. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 5:33 pm: ===Isn’t the budget we are trying to balance a government budget?=== Yep. Revenue is 100% required. It’s not up for discussion or debate. No budget seen yet does not have that Revenue requirement waived. Keep up. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 5:34 pm: ===Thanks Willy - I was going to pass on trying to respond to yet another “Anonymous”.=== That one was just ridiculous. No worries, I hear ya. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 5:37 pm: No, we absolutely should not prioritize social services, we need to cut them. We can’t afford them anymore. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 5:41 pm: And - illini -… The ” - Anonymous - ” goes right back on… - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 5:46 pm: Pension payments are crowding out other state spending. It’s a sad reality of the worst run state in the union. - 37B - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 6:02 pm: When you, for whatever reason, consistently fail to save for your own retirement and find yourself closer to 65 than you are to 25, your increased contributions are going to “crowd out” other spending such as vacations, piano lessons and braces for the kids. And/or you can rent out your garage, take in a boarder or ask Grandma, who is living rent free in the guest room, to help out. These are all distasteful choices for people who, even for understandable reasons, fall behind in their retirement savings. Grow up and make the hard choices. “Do your job[s].” - Mongo - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 6:34 pm: The newish anonymous comments are sad. No, we don’t need to cut social services. I don’t know you but people all over the state need these services. We should make these a priority. - illini - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 6:44 pm: @Willy - the “Rule” was not original with me, but I follow it religiously and with no exceptions. Those commenters who do not have enough regard for this site to follow a simple request are not worthy of my time, regardless of how inane, ridiculous and outrageous their statement may be. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 6:55 pm: - illini - - @MisterJayEm - has had this right for a long time. You’re more disciplined than me! You are right about the respect part too. - Amalia - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 7:30 pm: things are crazy everywhere! Maine Township Republican Committeeman Char Foss-Eggemann (also appearing as a Rauner appointee to a Board of late) just sent out an email to urge people to come out to a meeting. She is excited to welcome this group, among others…”….the Chicago Young Reblicans.” oh my. - Politix - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 7:40 pm: Awww the road builders think they can pressure the gov and leg to move. That’s cute. - Whatever - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 8:00 pm: ==No, we absolutely should not prioritize social services, we need to cut them. We can’t afford them anymore.== Then why didn’t our governor have the courage to line-item reduce social service spending in the budget that was sent to him 2 years ago, rather than vetoing the whole thing. If he wanted to balance the budget by cutting social services, it was 100% within his power to do so. He either wants social services or he’s too chicken to act according to his principles. Same with state employees - he could simply lay them off and cut services, but he hasn’t done so. - Huh? - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 8:57 pm: Trade unions working on the highways being paid prevailing wages. Can’t have that. - Williebee - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 9:53 pm: So, how do we get a mediator and force both sides to a table? Is there even a process available for that? - JLR - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 10:18 pm: The House Democrats will never pass what Rauner is demanding that are not budget related. They need to pass a balanced budget without raising taxes. If you need money they can pass a Millionaire Tax. And any fees that will pass easily. Then cut everything and show Illinois residents what that would mean. Then constituents would be able to see the forest through the trees. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 12:42 am: Pass a millionaire tax through a constitutional convention? Yeah I am sure they can get that done by July1st - Arock - Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 8:30 am: $30 billion gets you bloated bureaucracy and corruption in many areas of state government. The extra $2500 a year it cost us would have come in handy as we helped our child through college. But much of that $30 billion was spent on interest payments for the pension debt as only half of the past due bills were paid with the extra money and actually went back into the economy. - How's it - Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 8:31 am: The Madigan-Cullerton death spiral continues. When Illinois bonds become junk, things will start to accelerate. Beginning of the endgame for Illinois and Chicago. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 8:37 am: ===The Madigan-Cullerton death spiral continues. When Illinois bonds become junk, things will start to accelerate. Beginning of the endgame for Illinois and Chicago=== LOL! According to Candidate Rauner, governors own downgrades… 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 […]=== It’s adorbs you want to blame “Madigan-Cullerton”, but Rauner’s campaign made it clear, it’s a governor’s failure “Bruce Rauner fails” ===But much of that $30 billion was spent on interest payments for the pension debt as only half of the past due bills were paid with the extra money and actually went back into the economy.=== Please, show your work for the “only half”… Also, that’s $15 billion, if I even trusted your “only half”. Yep, $15 billion in the economy… no effect, LOL! Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.