When did this become “unnecessary”?
Wednesday, Jun 21, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Gov. Rauner’s speech last night…
If we can agree to pass it, this plan will send a message across our state and around the nation that we are serious about making Illinois a more attractive destination for investment, new businesses, and new jobs.
If we can agree to pass it, we will stop this unnecessary crisis.
Failure to act is not an option. Failure to act may cause permanent damage to our state that will take years to overcome.
An unnecessary crisis?
* From just before the impasse began in April of 2015…
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner kicked off a campaign-style statewide tour Monday by indicating he’ll try to “leverage” the state’s money woes into securing a series of pro-business changes from a General Assembly controlled by Democrats likely to fiercely oppose them.
The first stop was at Tribune Tower, where the governor sought to frame up the last seven scheduled weeks of the spring session during an appearance before the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board. The governor and legislative leaders will try to craft a new budget before the May 31 adjournment deadline against the backdrop of a projected deficit of $6 billion and Rauner calling for major cuts.
“Crisis creates opportunity. Crisis creates leverage to change … and we’ve got to use that leverage of the crisis to force structural change,” said Rauner, borrowing from a political philosophy famously coined by his friend Rahm Emanuel that “you never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”
This crisis was deliberately created. Rauner thought he could make the Democrats blink first. The Democrats thought Rauner would blink first. And here we are, more than two years later and everybody’s eyes are as dry as the Sahara.
* From 2012…
“We will crush our economy if we try to spend money on both high-cost, inefficient, bureaucratic, heavily unionized government and a social safety net to help the disadvantaged,” Rauner said.
“We can’t afford both,” he said, and “wealth creators,” like JIMMY JOHN LIAUTAUD, founder of Jimmy John’s sandwich shops and another panelist, would be forced to leave the state.
“I think we can drive a wedge issue in the Democratic Party on that topic and bring the folks who say, ‘You know what, for our tax dollars, I’d rather help the disadvantaged, the handicapped, the elderly, the children in poverty,’ ” Rauner said, instead of directing tax dollars to the Service Employees International Union or “AF-Scammy,” an apparent reference to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, known as AFSCME for short.
But now it’s apparently gone too far.
- jade me not - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:05 am:
“Failure to act may cause permanent damage”.
Too late Captain Tin Ear.
- @MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:09 am:
“Rauner thought he could make the Democrats blink first. The Democrats thought Rauner would blink first. And here we are, more than two years later and everybody’s eyes are as dry as the Sahara.”
Among Illinois social services providers and their clients, there ain’t a dry eye in the state.
– MrJM
- Nick Name - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:11 am:
“…permanent damage to our state that will take years to overcome.”
Is it permanent or just long-term? Make up your mind.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:14 am:
The main crux, for me, has been the dishonest way Rauner wants an overall picture to be, but when it comes to the reality of what Rauner’s goals, and tools to achieve them, with the “right” audience, Rauner loved, and still loves, to brag, and now show, “his way” to get… his way.
Decatur was the canary in the coal mine to Rauner. He couldn’t sell his visions, even after election, and expect others to roll over.
So… what did Rauner and the Superstars do?
Easy.
They forced a crisis that would have a constant game of passive destruction. “Can’t destroy labor, don’t pay social services”… “Refuse to see the honest need of revenue, refuse all budgets that require tax hikes”… “Feel pressure to fund ‘things’… Have IPI attack the GOP Members”…
…
“Worried about trouble from Republicans?… Have Diana and Bruce hold them hostage, making sure there aren’t any $&@%# problems”
Now… now the Superstars see Rauner with a 58% disapproval, losing by double-digits to an unnamed Dem, no budgets, Trump in the White House, social services crushed, labor unified and mobilized, an abortion bill ready to be sent to Bruce, and… an opponent willing to spend nine-figures in a “Skyhook, in reverse” game plan.
So Rauner says… now… it’s unnecessary?
This is the plan. The claim of being the skapegoat for running “Plan B” when total surrender (Plan A) fell through after Decatur.
Rauner knows… the map the next governor signs is the leverage. He needs that. He wants that. If it means being a phony, a greater phony than even a week ago to the “unnecessary”… Rauner will say it. That’s who he is
- Captain Ed Smith - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:18 am:
I think we all know who the captain of the ship is and who charted this course.
- thunderspirit - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:19 am:
Oh, it was unnecessary.
All the Democrats had to do was give in to all parts of Rauner’s RunAground Agenda and there’d be no crisis…at least until Governor Junk moved the goalposts again.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:22 am:
Wow, 2017 Rauner threw 2015 Rauner under the bus.
Predictably dishonest Rauner spin.
He’s making cooing noises this week to generate content for the next round of “not my fault” attack ads.
But I’m certain that squeeze the beast remains the plan and objective, based on his actions, not words, in office.
- KAY-ro - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:28 am:
Rauner is culpable for this mess only if you (somehow) beleive he had a duty to sign an 1. Unbalanced budget, 2. That protected the status quo, and 3. Kicked the can further down the road, all to protect social services.
Rauner was elected by millions of republicans and democrats to change the status quo, not change the status quo OR protect social services.
People just want state government to work. They’re sick of the news, sick of the personalities, and sick of the insider dealing and patronage from the Thompson era. They want government to be efficient and boring.
- Uptown Progressive - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:29 am:
As a sometimes visitor to CF but not a knowledgeable insider, I have two questions: 1 - Where do I find the budget plan that the Governor references? and 2 - if it is a compromise, with whom? Usually a compromise is announced/approved by both parties in the dispute.
- Ginhouse Tommy - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:33 am:
This guy is a real piece of work isn’t he? Blame the other guy, he’s the problem. BTW where are his pro business reforms that the Dems. would fiercely oppose? Maybe if you talk to the GA members first and negotiate some you might get somewhere. What a joke.
- Jimmy Gone - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:38 am:
I can’t believe that all the Jimmy Johns will move to Indiana if we don’t get this property tax freeze. MADIGAN!!!
- titan - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:53 am:
+++ - KAY-ro - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:28 am:
Rauner is culpable for this mess only if you (somehow) beleive he had a duty to sign an 1. Unbalanced budget, 2. That protected the status quo, and 3. Kicked the can further down the road, all to protect social services. +++
The Constitution does require the Gov. to submit a balanced budget … and that wasn’t done. The Constitution requires the GA to pass one … and that hasn’t been done yet either. Lots of blame to pass around.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 11:55 am:
Kay, how many “millions” are you claiming elected Rauner?
In the English language, the plural denotes at least two.
And “status quo” means “present state of affairs.” Check the most recent comptrollers report and compare it to Jan. 2015 for the dramatic deterioration in the fiscal status quo.
- Rod - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 12:09 pm:
I am glad Rich pointed out that Governor Rauner ran on the idea of creating a crisis that would shake to democrat power structure. He won on that strategy combined with Pat Quinn’s poor campaigning. Now Governor Rauner wants to have it both ways, he wants to crush the Madigan/union power in Springfield by creating a crisis and then blame it on the Democrats.
Trump’s big win in Georgia yesterday says something to being true to your base and carrying on the fight. Rauner is clearly waffling and wants to appear to be reasonable, Trump gives a good damn about being reasonable and it may not pay off in November 2018. Rauner isn’t willing to risk everything like Trump is, he wants to play it safe.
- So tired of political hacks - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 12:13 pm:
Great now I’ll never be able to eat jimmy Johns without thinking of Rauner, this unnecessary impasse is ruining everything
- Eurepides Pantsoff - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 12:49 pm:
Rauner’s video was so dark, I thought I was watching a French Art Film.
- Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 12:58 pm:
People still eat at Jimmy John’s?
- Ron - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 1:56 pm:
Jimmy John’s is horrible. Subway is worse though.
But the point is Illinois’ tax and regulatory environment have held the state back. We have some of the worst job growth numbers in the nation. If it weren’t for the City of Chicago, Illinois would be like West Virginia.
- Ron - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 1:57 pm:
he wants to crush the Madigan/union power in Springfield”
Rauner is not alone in that desire.
- Oh Really? - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 2:34 pm:
What the entrenched interests on both sides of the aisle seem to fail to grasp is that the “regular people” who pay the taxes in this state are fed up with both of you — Democrats and Republicans.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 4:59 pm:
Some Rauner supporters trash public employee pensions but don’t cast an iota of blame on Rauner for profiting massively for decades from pensions. Rauner funded Democrats and was a huge presence at the public trough.