The governor’s biggest recent mistake
Sunday, Jul 2, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a commenter on a previous post today…
The Republicans control the executive branch, they can cut or eliminate whatever they want, mostly without legislative approval to do so. The fact that they haven’t is pretty strong evidence that this is just empty rhetoric.
That’s not really true. A lot of cuts require changes in statutes. And as we’ve seen time and time again during this “automatic pilot” era of state spending, judges exert immense control over what the state can and cannot do without a budget.
* But here’s something I wrote this morning for subscribers that wound up getting cut for space…
The single biggest mistake made by the governor over the past five or six weeks was pulling Senate Republican votes off the budget implementation bill that the Senate Republicans had negotiated with the Democrats.
The Democrats fell three votes shy of passing that BIMP bill on their own because it cut so much (particularly out of Medicaid) and the more liberal rank and file members wouldn’t abide passing a bill designed to attract Republican votes without actual Republican votes.
Had the governor not pulled Republican votes off that bill and it had passed, the current situation would be totally different. It would now be the three tops and the governor against Madigan on spending. Now, the spending negotiations are a purely partisan divide at the leadership level.
The bipartisan Senate bills (including the BIMP) reduced spending by $3.761 billion. When the Republicans wouldn’t/couldn’t vote for all the bills they’d negotiated, the Senate Dems passed a package of legislation that reduced spending by $3.032 billion. The Republican “Capitol Compromise” proposal would reduce spending by $4.012 billion (plus a ridiculous non-cut budgetary gimmick of $1.178 billion that I explained to subscribers several days ago).
- Oswego Willy - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 1:33 pm:
===Had the governor not pulled Republican votes off that bill and it had passed, the current situation would be totally different. It would now be the three tops and the governor against Madigan on spending===
This is why it’s still confusing for me, with the “Blame Madigan!” drumbeat that Raunerites seem to default to, when this “triangulation” by a mere handful of votes, could have been the honest discussion to “Up to Madigan now”.
Why Rauner blew up his obvious oath to victory, that’s up for discussion, I guess. But what’s not up for discussion is Rauner did blow up both chances, and the path to actually hold Madigan’s feet to the fire was ignored.
- Sue - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 1:44 pm:
Rauner has been a huge disappointment just in terms of his lack of any political finesse. The recent statement that the education bill was 90 percent of what they wanted but would be vetoed is par for the course. I totally support the agenda but you need a captain to bring the ship into port and we don’t have one
- Rocky Rosi - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 2:04 pm:
I’m glad to see Rich is working on Sunday. The governor is acting in good faith to work with Dems on a balanced budget that will get IL back on track. The question is, why dem leadership will not talk pension reform for revenue? Looks like the voters will decide in 2018. No one will be pressured into a bad deal.
- Anonymous - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 2:07 pm:
The Governor knows what he’s doing. His folks have been known to mirror DC politics and many came from there.
Remember when- “If the Government shuts down people will blame the Republicans and we’ll get House back”- How’d that work out for the Dems?
If the Speaker let’s the Governor win not only will he get re-elected Governor, he also picks up seats.
Collapse is not the consequence it was the goal from the beginning.
- Oswego Willy - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 2:07 pm:
===No one will be pressured into a bad deal.===
Continually blowing up opportunity after opportunity to get a deal, vs no budget at all… is the worst deal.
It’s not even close.
- Sue - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 2:07 pm:
Rocky- any talk of pension reform is a waste of time given the Illinois Supreme Ct. I wish we had a magic wand. There is nothing anyone is proposing which will pass the CT’s review. We need othercreforms but given the Dems control of the legislature- what’s on the table is as good as it will get
- NobodysAccountable - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 2:09 pm:
We continue to witness how Gov Rauner and his elite staff really don’t understand the very game they are playing. It’s like they haven’t even taken the time to read the rules (statutes) before starting. He had the right set of circumstances to box Madigan in and his team wasn’t even able to recognize the opportunity. He has set the Republican party back a decade in the State of Illinois.
- Oswego Willy - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 2:11 pm:
===The Governor knows what he’s doing. His folks have been known to mirror DC politics and many came from there.===
lol, “Pat Quinn failed” worked to elect Candidate Rauner.
Rauner today sits at 58% disapproval with no budgets, no reforms, billions in new debts, closed social services, state universities in the verge of collapse… and you think “Bruce Rauner fails” won’t resonate?
States are different. National politics rarely mirror states.
If they did, we’d never hear about “regional politics” within national framings… just for starters.
- Roman - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 2:21 pm:
Rauner’s political malpractice is magnified when you considered he could have triangulated Madigan without publicly taking a position on the senate budget. He could left the GOP senators who wanted to support the package alone. Just as he could’ve in February and March.
- Norseman - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 2:37 pm:
Yep. Well said Rich.
- illinifan - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 3:30 pm:
Rocky, as Sue points out reform to existing plans has been nixed by the ILSC. The reality is the Dems had agreed to a third pension plan to reform things further. This crisis is largely due to Rauner pulling the vote this time around.
- Anyone Remember - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 4:37 pm:
Jim Thompson used line item vetoes to balance the budget (particularly June 1987). Jim Edgar in 1991 started the notion the GA had to send the governor a balanced budget, that vetoes couldn’t be used to do so.
- Living it daily - Sunday, Jul 2, 17 @ 11:18 pm:
The Gov. just wants the Democratic party to belly up on the unions, pensions, etc. knowing he might or might not win in Litigation, but destroying the base by wearing down the Democratic Powers to be, that is his objective.
- State Worker - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 8:06 am:
Governor Rauner needs to stop campaigning and get on board. Like it or not, we need a tax increase. You own this mess we’re in Governor, not just the Legislature, as you are the “leader.” Stay the course, and we will ALL be voting in 2018, and I doubt voters will be staying the course with you.