I will veto Mike Madigan’s permanent 32% tax hike. Illinois families don’t deserve to have more of their hard-earned money taken from them. pic.twitter.com/7F9xkl2S5X
Moving forward, this vote shows that if the legislature is willing to pass the largest tax hike in state history with no reforms then we must engage citizens and redouble our efforts to change the state.
It is so infuriating listening to him. His message, policy-wise, is not wrong. But he is the worst possible messenger. Stop blaming everyone but yourself. You’re the governor, leaders don’t point fingers and blame. They work with those with opposing ideas and accomplish things.
Veto all Tax increases. Cut spending by 5%. The Working class is fleeing the state. The Entitlement class should be the ones fleeing the state, not the working class. The working class is tired of taking a pay cut to pay for Entitlements.
Illinois already has high Sales Taxes, Income Taxes and one of the highest property taxes in the nation.
The 2011-2014 income-tax hike did nothing to solve Illinois’ fiscal crisis. In fact we went further into debt and increased spending.
Cannot help but notice he never uses the word govern. Apparently it is not part of his vocabulary. Also it is a mistake to label him a businessman. Businessmen value people, products, and services. This man has none of these traits.
Well it’s the same old Rauner. He lied about saying that the budget just passed was unbalanced. During that video did he mention even one idea he wanted to pursue to help us start paying our bills? No, not one solution offered here, entirely devoid of leadership, just pointing fingers. The state has to start paying its bills but Rauner wants no part of that. While he won’t say so publicly it’s obvious that he isn’t interested in fulfilling the state’s obligations to pay all those that are owed money by the state. Term limits isn’t going to get us out of this mess, a new stream of revenue will. One more thing, we have run up debt more quickly under his watch than at any time in our history, he’s the Governor and he owns that. He promised change but the only change is change for the worse. He’s just a ideologue and the most dangerous individual to the health of our state that we’ve ever had as Governor. He just cares about his plutocratic agenda before anything else.
Governor Irrelevant speaks and proves that neither math nor history are among his strengths.
He had his chance to lead and he squandered it. He refuses to follow. Now it’s time for him to simply get out of the way and let others save Illinois from further destruction.
Pman: Almost everything you said was untrue or nonsense.
1)The Dems budget cut spending 10% or so. You would have to cut spending by 20% or more to get to a budget that is more or less balanced. And guess what? 90% of the budget was being paid under court order or autopilot, so you can’t get to 20% cuts.
2) The 2011 tax increase was helping dramatically, reducing our debt from $8B to $4B, and paying the pensions annually. How do you feel things got worse or “did nothing”?
3) i would pay a thousand dollars cash for us to go back to our financial position of 2014. Indeed, my portion of Rauner’s $15B deficit is probably more than that.
4. The working class does not leave according to studies. People with opportunities leave, mostly degreed professionals.
@Jibba–many have already paid that 1k (I know I have–more than once)!
As for the concern for the working class, I would suggest we focus reform (in part) on the hugely regressive nature of Illinois’ tax system. Rauner’s reforms do nothing to address this–
Here is a link an an excerpt (American enterprise Institute…of all things I would typically NOT cite)
“But not all American workers are equally mobile. College graduates have the highest mobility of all, workers with a community college education are less mobile, high school graduates are even less, and high school dropouts come at the bottom of the list. (In total, almost half of college graduates move out of their birth states by age 30. Only 27 percent of high school graduates and 17 percent of high school dropouts do so.)”
These crisis situations bring out commenters with pretty dubious knowledge of state government and history. It’s like they wandered in here from some other web site….
This is what he’s been waiting almost 3 years for. Ever since the day he asked the legislature to let the temp tax increase expire and claimed he could balance the budget without it, he’s waited for the legislature — in other words, “Madigan” in his mind — to raise taxes. It took longer than he thought. Hope it was worth it.
The working class, and working poor degreed professionals like myself are stuck here, if the university is still open by the end of this week. I will eat a 4.95% tax to have a bus and train system to get me around, police and fire protection, a Link card if and when I get laid off. Busses do not run in towns that minorities are not welcome. Lack of transit is a de facto form of segregation and elitist class warfare. So I am stuck in Chicago, because I am so blind I could not buy a driver’s license even when Ryan was selling them out of the DMV.
–He had his chance to lead and he squandered it. He refuses to follow. Now it’s time for him to simply get out of the way and let others save Illinois from further destruction.–
So far, he’s gotten as much as he can of much of what he wants, which includes destroying those state responsibilities he deems “collectivist,” like public education and social services.
Early on, he tried to do the same to local governments by hijacking their share of the income tax, but had to give it up in the first House GOP member revolt.
Rauner created this situation, he never had any intention of “leading” the way out of it. This was the objective.
Actually the spending bill passed yesterday cuts state spending by 7.6 %. That isn’t going to solve the problem. It really does help to know something about the budget before complaining about it.
Hey Pete…don’t feel bad. About half of my posts used to not appear, usually when I’ve felt I had a really good, self righteous burn on someone. Most of the time I’ve later been happy that the post didn’t appear. Happy that Rich does not allow the kind of gratuitous insulting that goes on elsewhere.
News of the 15 GOP defections doesn’t seem to have made it down to the bunker yet. No public word from Rauner or the Frat Boys on that game-changing development.
- This is pete's brother repete - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 6:21 pm:
Some on this blog thought Madigan would demand 30 Rs on the revenue bill, but he settled for less than, but received, half that. Also speculation that it would the Rs’ revenue bill. It that light, Madigan moved quite a bit to own the passage of the bill in the House.
But there is always a silver lining to every bad situation. Poor Blago is still stuck in his cell singing the prison blues but at least he can take comfort in that he is no longer the worst governor in IL history.
Rauner wants to redouble his efforts to fix the state? Great. First step is a balanced budget, and the good credit rating that results. Then pay your vendors and push 19b directly into the economy. Then fight for the doable parts of your TA without holding the budget hostage.
I swear to God, Governor, you could have been halfway to your overall goals, and the state would not have regressed for over two years, if you had a smarter political strategy. You just wouldn’t listen to more knowledgable Republicans. What a tragedy this all has been.
Bruce “Ben Tre” Rauner seems distraught that the GA appears insufficiently enthusiastic about destroying the village in order to save it. Maybe he should go back to the drawing board and consider actually negotiating for what he wants–some of which is reasonable–rather than thinking he can run roughshod over half of the state’s citizenry with the power of his checkbook. The damnably frustrating thing about voters–and I say this with all due sympathy to the altruistic folks at the Illinois Policy Institute–is that sometimes they don’t always think what your media buys tell them to think. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, they want ridiculous things like their regional university to stay accredited, or their local river bridge to get rebuilt, or their kids’ school to open in the fall. Truly, to paraphrase Three 6 Mafia, “It’s hard out here for a billionaire.”
JS Mill, you do understand a temporary 4 year tax would be smaller than a permanent income tax increase and are just faking the Rauner people don’t understand math right?
Lucky Pierre- JS has the math skills and you have the spin skills. An increase is and increase and the 3 to 5 is higher, period. All the permanent vs. temporary chatter doesn’t change the pure math- unless it is common core math, then you might, maybe could possibly have a point. Fact is, this guy has lost the support of GOP reps in the very areas he must get huge margins to get reelected. He has ignored their requests for appointments, asked them on multiple occasions to vote against their populace, and ridiculed the General Assembly at every turn. They just have had enough. The worst part is that Madigan could control the next map of the GOP stays splintered as it appears they will unless Brice takes a HUGE humble pill.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:00 pm:
Stop the videos and actually work with the senate to some degree. It’s not a social media contest.
- 360 Degree Turnaround - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:01 pm:
What happened to the lamps?
- P. - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:01 pm:
This is what he was doing when he couldn’t meet with legislators. What a guy.
- NobodysAccountable - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:02 pm:
Junk bond status is definitely a new direction.
- Oldengrey - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:03 pm:
The hypocrisy boggles the mind. “Inflicitin’ financial hardship”
- Honeybear - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:04 pm:
See this is what I’m talking about.
This is perfidy
The damage to our state by Rauners gambit will be a a financial concern for decades.
All of the social services, universities, businesses will close.
Never to reopen.
Yet our main concern should be ourselves.
Feigning concern when incalculable damage is upon us now by this very action
Gambling with thousands of lives
Privileged lives should not matter more
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:04 pm:
Anyone know the location of the bunker he’s hiding out in? Well-stocked with vital drinking water, canned goods and costume changes, I hope.
- Prairie Dog - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:05 pm:
He is about to become Gov. Irrelevant and all the money in the world won’t get him reelected.
- Jack - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:06 pm:
It is so infuriating listening to him. His message, policy-wise, is not wrong. But he is the worst possible messenger. Stop blaming everyone but yourself. You’re the governor, leaders don’t point fingers and blame. They work with those with opposing ideas and accomplish things.
- Wensicia - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:08 pm:
Too busy making new campaign videos, I guess.
- Peoria Citizen - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:09 pm:
This guy is gone soon. Just not soon enough.
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:09 pm:
Get ready for junk status and shut down. As if Illinois’ reputation wasn’t bad enough already.
- Obamas Puppy - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:10 pm:
Where did his lamps go?
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:10 pm:
Happy being rich, impervious to criticism, laughing at the world. Bruce being Bruce.
- Stuff Happens - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:11 pm:
“…the largest tax hike in state history…”
Are we pretending 2011 didn’t exist or something?
Or is he just omitting the word ‘permanent’ out of convenience?
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:13 pm:
Rainer: “and guess what…..more pain comin’. Plenty of time…”
- Prairie Dog - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:13 pm:
He is intractable and is taking his ball home. I am a Republican, but this guy is not anything resembling a leader.
- Henry Francis - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:14 pm:
I counted 5 dropped g’s
But does he lose folksie points when he pronounces it “Finn-nancial”?
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:14 pm:
Spry you. Anonymous 4:10 was me.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:14 pm:
Sorry, meant “Sorry”
- Stuff Happens - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:15 pm:
They sold the lamps for an Illinois flag, I guess.
- PMan - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:19 pm:
Veto all Tax increases. Cut spending by 5%. The Working class is fleeing the state. The Entitlement class should be the ones fleeing the state, not the working class. The working class is tired of taking a pay cut to pay for Entitlements.
Illinois already has high Sales Taxes, Income Taxes and one of the highest property taxes in the nation.
The 2011-2014 income-tax hike did nothing to solve Illinois’ fiscal crisis. In fact we went further into debt and increased spending.
Enough is enough already.
#FleeingIllinois #FailedWelfareState
- Stormsw7706 - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:20 pm:
Cannot help but notice he never uses the word govern. Apparently it is not part of his vocabulary. Also it is a mistake to label him a businessman. Businessmen value people, products, and services. This man has none of these traits.
- 33rd Ward - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:20 pm:
Says the guy who made only $90,000 an hour last year.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:23 pm:
Well it’s the same old Rauner. He lied about saying that the budget just passed was unbalanced. During that video did he mention even one idea he wanted to pursue to help us start paying our bills? No, not one solution offered here, entirely devoid of leadership, just pointing fingers. The state has to start paying its bills but Rauner wants no part of that. While he won’t say so publicly it’s obvious that he isn’t interested in fulfilling the state’s obligations to pay all those that are owed money by the state. Term limits isn’t going to get us out of this mess, a new stream of revenue will. One more thing, we have run up debt more quickly under his watch than at any time in our history, he’s the Governor and he owns that. He promised change but the only change is change for the worse. He’s just a ideologue and the most dangerous individual to the health of our state that we’ve ever had as Governor. He just cares about his plutocratic agenda before anything else.
- Ed Higher - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:23 pm:
Isn’t there a form of oligarchy where the rich rule unseen and unheard? Can’t we do that one? I’m tired of all the yapping from above.
- former southerner - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:24 pm:
As a wise man once said money can’t buy you class and Droppie G is the poster child for that bit of wisdom.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:24 pm:
Governor Irrelevant speaks and proves that neither math nor history are among his strengths.
He had his chance to lead and he squandered it. He refuses to follow. Now it’s time for him to simply get out of the way and let others save Illinois from further destruction.
- Rogue Roni - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:25 pm:
He hasn’t done anything. Maybe if he values education he would realize that 0 X 2 = 0
- Markus - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:30 pm:
6 dropped g’s. Scripted tone and faux concern for us little folks who are rely’n on him to fight that bad man on our behalf.
- Jibba - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:39 pm:
Pman: Almost everything you said was untrue or nonsense.
1)The Dems budget cut spending 10% or so. You would have to cut spending by 20% or more to get to a budget that is more or less balanced. And guess what? 90% of the budget was being paid under court order or autopilot, so you can’t get to 20% cuts.
2) The 2011 tax increase was helping dramatically, reducing our debt from $8B to $4B, and paying the pensions annually. How do you feel things got worse or “did nothing”?
3) i would pay a thousand dollars cash for us to go back to our financial position of 2014. Indeed, my portion of Rauner’s $15B deficit is probably more than that.
4. The working class does not leave according to studies. People with opportunities leave, mostly degreed professionals.
Rauner fail.
- Jibba - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:40 pm:
That is, balanced without a tax increase, which is presumably what Pman wants.
- Arsenal - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:44 pm:
==Cut spending by 5%. The Working class is fleeing the state.==
And they’re gonna stick around after they lose jobs and their kids’ schools don’t open?
- Whatever - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:44 pm:
Jibba beat me to it: PMan: learn to do math.
- JPC - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:50 pm:
@Jibba–many have already paid that 1k (I know I have–more than once)!
As for the concern for the working class, I would suggest we focus reform (in part) on the hugely regressive nature of Illinois’ tax system. Rauner’s reforms do nothing to address this–
- Macbeth - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:51 pm:
At this point, it’s fair to label Rauner a “failed Governor.”
Redouble all you want. A failure is still a failure.
- Jibba - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 4:57 pm:
Arsenal- people without degrees tend not to move. They just get poor or stay poor.
- Jibba - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 5:02 pm:
Here is a link an an excerpt (American enterprise Institute…of all things I would typically NOT cite)
“But not all American workers are equally mobile. College graduates have the highest mobility of all, workers with a community college education are less mobile, high school graduates are even less, and high school dropouts come at the bottom of the list. (In total, almost half of college graduates move out of their birth states by age 30. Only 27 percent of high school graduates and 17 percent of high school dropouts do so.)”
http://www.aei.org/publication/mobility-matters-understanding-the-new-geography-of-jobs/
- DuPage Dave - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 5:03 pm:
These crisis situations bring out commenters with pretty dubious knowledge of state government and history. It’s like they wandered in here from some other web site….
- filmmaker prof - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 5:08 pm:
This is what he’s been waiting almost 3 years for. Ever since the day he asked the legislature to let the temp tax increase expire and claimed he could balance the budget without it, he’s waited for the legislature — in other words, “Madigan” in his mind — to raise taxes. It took longer than he thought. Hope it was worth it.
- Thomas Griffin - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 5:42 pm:
The working class, and working poor degreed professionals like myself are stuck here, if the university is still open by the end of this week. I will eat a 4.95% tax to have a bus and train system to get me around, police and fire protection, a Link card if and when I get laid off. Busses do not run in towns that minorities are not welcome. Lack of transit is a de facto form of segregation and elitist class warfare. So I am stuck in Chicago, because I am so blind I could not buy a driver’s license even when Ryan was selling them out of the DMV.
- pete - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 5:43 pm:
did that truthful post also sting to much rich? so much for freedom of speech rich
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 5:46 pm:
–He had his chance to lead and he squandered it. He refuses to follow. Now it’s time for him to simply get out of the way and let others save Illinois from further destruction.–
So far, he’s gotten as much as he can of much of what he wants, which includes destroying those state responsibilities he deems “collectivist,” like public education and social services.
Early on, he tried to do the same to local governments by hijacking their share of the income tax, but had to give it up in the first House GOP member revolt.
Rauner created this situation, he never had any intention of “leading” the way out of it. This was the objective.
And it ain’t over yet.
- JS Mill - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 5:55 pm:
So….where are all the math experts and fact checkers from the 1.3% thread.
Junk Bond Bruce- 67% is bigger than 32%. 2 percentage points are bigger than 1.2 percentage points.
The Raunerites are really bad at math.
Great a finger pointing though.
- ArchPundit - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 5:57 pm:
===Veto all Tax increases. Cut spending by 5%
Actually the spending bill passed yesterday cuts state spending by 7.6 %. That isn’t going to solve the problem. It really does help to know something about the budget before complaining about it.
- Simple Simon - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 5:57 pm:
Hey Pete…don’t feel bad. About half of my posts used to not appear, usually when I’ve felt I had a really good, self righteous burn on someone. Most of the time I’ve later been happy that the post didn’t appear. Happy that Rich does not allow the kind of gratuitous insulting that goes on elsewhere.
- ArchPundit - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 5:58 pm:
Jibba: Showoff–no seriously, excellent posts.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 5:59 pm:
– It really does help to know something about the budget before complaining about it.–
Not if you start with your conclusion. Then, you just backfill with nonsense to “support” it.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 6:00 pm:
News of the 15 GOP defections doesn’t seem to have made it down to the bunker yet. No public word from Rauner or the Frat Boys on that game-changing development.
- This is pete's brother repete - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 6:21 pm:
Hey rich if you find pete’s post; post it please
- My New Handle - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 6:23 pm:
Some on this blog thought Madigan would demand 30 Rs on the revenue bill, but he settled for less than, but received, half that. Also speculation that it would the Rs’ revenue bill. It that light, Madigan moved quite a bit to own the passage of the bill in the House.
- Texas Red - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 7:10 pm:
Keep it up Gov. Once more onto the breach.
- Chicago 20 - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 7:36 pm:
A: Jindal, Brownback and Rauner.
Q: Name three ideologists who destroyed their states, all to save their rich buddies and the Koch brothers a few bucks?
- former southerner - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 8:03 pm:
But there is always a silver lining to every bad situation. Poor Blago is still stuck in his cell singing the prison blues but at least he can take comfort in that he is no longer the worst governor in IL history.
- godhelpusall - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 9:57 pm:
Is it a coincidence that NJ strikes a budget deal a day after Christie was caught enjoying NJ state beaches that were closed to the public? https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/03/nyregion/lawmakers-seek-compromise-as-new-jersey-budget-impasse-drags-on.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
- walker - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 10:11 pm:
Rauner wants to redouble his efforts to fix the state? Great. First step is a balanced budget, and the good credit rating that results. Then pay your vendors and push 19b directly into the economy. Then fight for the doable parts of your TA without holding the budget hostage.
I swear to God, Governor, you could have been halfway to your overall goals, and the state would not have regressed for over two years, if you had a smarter political strategy. You just wouldn’t listen to more knowledgable Republicans. What a tragedy this all has been.
- CEA - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 10:50 pm:
Bruce “Ben Tre” Rauner seems distraught that the GA appears insufficiently enthusiastic about destroying the village in order to save it. Maybe he should go back to the drawing board and consider actually negotiating for what he wants–some of which is reasonable–rather than thinking he can run roughshod over half of the state’s citizenry with the power of his checkbook. The damnably frustrating thing about voters–and I say this with all due sympathy to the altruistic folks at the Illinois Policy Institute–is that sometimes they don’t always think what your media buys tell them to think. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, they want ridiculous things like their regional university to stay accredited, or their local river bridge to get rebuilt, or their kids’ school to open in the fall. Truly, to paraphrase Three 6 Mafia, “It’s hard out here for a billionaire.”
- Glengarry - Monday, Jul 3, 17 @ 11:59 pm:
This man is why I hate Ayn Rand and her objectivism nonsense.
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 12:06 am:
JS Mill, you do understand a temporary 4 year tax would be smaller than a permanent income tax increase and are just faking the Rauner people don’t understand math right?
- Glengarry - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 12:35 am:
LP, Rauner doesn’t understand any numbers unless it’s in one of his accounts.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 6:02 am:
Good to see he got away from Dannenberger to make a video
- Elliott Ness - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 7:03 am:
Lucky Pierre- JS has the math skills and you have the spin skills. An increase is and increase and the 3 to 5 is higher, period. All the permanent vs. temporary chatter doesn’t change the pure math- unless it is common core math, then you might, maybe could possibly have a point. Fact is, this guy has lost the support of GOP reps in the very areas he must get huge margins to get reelected. He has ignored their requests for appointments, asked them on multiple occasions to vote against their populace, and ridiculed the General Assembly at every turn. They just have had enough. The worst part is that Madigan could control the next map of the GOP stays splintered as it appears they will unless Brice takes a HUGE humble pill.
- Rabid - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 7:13 am:
Govenor junk will be a self fulfilling prophecy, I’m sure the rating agency’s got your message of needed reforms, hi to everybody in new york city