* Gov. Rauner said several times last week that he expected the Illinois State Board of Education to finish running the district numbers on his school funding reform plan by today. He explained to reporters today that the process is “very complicated,” and said he hoped they would be out very soon.
The governor then repeated his claim he made again and again last week that ISBE won’t run numbers unless there’s a specific piece of legislation in front of them, so he couldn’t get ISBE that language until the Senate sent him SB1 and he was able to formally issue his amendatory veto. And, of course, he’s upset that the Senate waited so long to send him the bill because that caused an unnecessary delay in getting the numbers out of ISBE.
The Tribune’s Rick Pearson followed up…
PEARSON: Why didn’t you have Sen. Brady just introduce a bill that had the language of your amendatory veto since much of the debate that’s been going on was about what you were going to be proposing in your amendatory veto? It could’ve been scored already, we would’ve already had the numbers and then you could have a back and forth discussion where everybody knows where they stand instead of trying to cherry pick numbers?
RAUNER: Well, Rick if your argument is trying to defend what the General Assembly did…
PEARSON: I’m not trying to defend anybody… You say you couldn’t score the numbers and you accuse the Democrats of holding the bill so that they couldn’t score the numbers. You said if it was in legislative form it could be scored. You could’ve asked Sen. Barickman, you could’ve asked any of the Republicans to put your AV… in legislative form and it could’ve gotten scored. That’s all I’m saying. It’s a process question, it’s not a political question.
RAUNER: [Takes deep breath, maybe says “Fair,” moves along to next question.]
PEARSON: I’m sorry! Couldn’t you have done that?
RAUNER: [Takes next question.]
Oof.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The Chris Kennedy campaign asked that I post this update, which they entitled “Kennedy campaign response to Rauner’s mess” to either “the CPS thread or the Pearson thread,” so I put it here…
How much more time does Springfield need to fix the state’s broken school funding formula? How many more setbacks will it take before Governor Rauner stops using children as political pawns? This is not an abstract budgeting exercise. The governor has failed our state on an epic level. We need change now - for the sake of students across the state.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Video…
- walker - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:34 pm:
Nobody knew governin’ was this complicated.
- Norseman - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:34 pm:
Rick, shame on you for asking reasonable questions. Do you expect Rauner to give you answers when his IPI staff hasn’t come up with a good enough lie to have him repeat?
- Retired Educator - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:36 pm:
Obviously there was no one there from the brain thrust to pull his strings, and put words in his mouth. Where is a good ventriliquist when you need them?
- Cubs in '16 - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:38 pm:
“No Rick, that would’ve taken a simple majority in the GA. A simple majority in the GA is needed to put my AV language into legislative form. Wait, what was the question?” /s
- Flippy - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:39 pm:
Oof +2
- Anon - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:39 pm:
Of course the Gov. had a copy of the bill all along and his AV message in fact has to be put in the same form used by the G.A. He could have sent ISBE the language at any time he might choose.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:41 pm:
===It’s a process question, it’s not a political question.===
For this Governor, that’s a distinction without a difference.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:42 pm:
For me, it boils down to this.
From Pearson…
===It’s a process question, it’s not a political question.===
Rauner lacks the knowledge of governing and then he (Rauner) defaults to the political angle.
It’s telling. It’s the Emperor. It’s the Emperor with no clothes.
The Superstars helped shield Rauner from his own lacking.
The IPI newbies aren’t about process, they’re about the politics to drive policy, process or not.
“It’s a process question, it’s not a political question.”
That just brings a clarity … that Rauner can’t hide anymore
- OurMagician - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:43 pm:
Can’t I just put on my Carhartt and drive around in my trash can like the every day guy I am?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:44 pm:
- 47th Ward -
Great minds, bud.
- Henry Francis - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:45 pm:
The Guv is no longer getting the free pass from the vast majority of the media. And he is looking more and more incompetent and foolish. He is a proud guy with a huge ego. Any chance the embarrassments start to pile up enough to extinguish the fire in the belly?
- Now What? - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:48 pm:
“Rick, that’s not the conclusion we’re trying to find facts for.”
Next…
- Fixer - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:49 pm:
Fair? Jesus, can we close down amateur hour in the governor’s office?
- Robert the Bruce - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:52 pm:
The media would probably just get blamed for being “Fake News” but I wish the next person called on would ask Rauner to answer Pearson’s question rather than letting him move on.
- Oh no - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:56 pm:
His frat hasn’t been the same since the last class graduated.
- Reality Check - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:58 pm:
What Robert the Bruce said. These reporters need to support one another in holding this guy accountable.
- Harry - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:59 pm:
It’s not even that Rauner lies, it’s that the lies are so silly, and he is so clumsy when caught.
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 4:59 pm:
And people are still saying, stay the course.
- Keyrock - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:02 pm:
Rick, please be careful. Keep this up and there could be trouble at Tronc.
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:05 pm:
BTIA*
- Jocko - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:06 pm:
==he couldn’t get ISBE that language until the Senate sent him SB1 and he was able to formally issue his amendatory veto.==
Gov. Victim strikes again. They want him to read existing bills AND have legislators present his ideas to the GA? Outrageous
- Roman - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:06 pm:
== I wish the next person called on would ask Rauner to answer Pearson’s question rather than letting him move on. ==
I’ve thought the same thing many times while watching/listening to Rauner pressers. I’ve seen the CIty Hall press corps do that with Rahm and the White House reporters did it frequently with Spicer. Can’t remember a time when the pen and mic club has done the same with Bruce.
They are starting to ask tougher questions, though.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:13 pm:
To the update,
===The governor has failed our state on an epic level.===
This is the common theme all Dems, running for governor or not, that must be out there.
“The governor has failed our state on an epic level.”
All day, every day.
- Whatever - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:22 pm:
The “messaging” just keeps getting better and better.
#BestTeaminAmerica
- Wensicia - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:30 pm:
Hoisted by his own petard. No snark.
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:38 pm:
This guy got into Dartmouth?
- Keyrock - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:41 pm:
And Harvard Business School.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:43 pm:
That video, what an indictment on Rauner’s lacking… for all… to see.
- Michelle Flaherty - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:47 pm:
It’s a good fight between whether Rauner doesn’t care or doesn’t know.
- wordslinger - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:52 pm:
Even if you take Rauner at his word (I don’t, based on history), his position is absurd.
He’s making all these changes with a hinky a.v. and he doesn’t know what they would actually mean for districts?
He’s just winging it?
School funding is kind of a big deal for state government. Rauner’s in his third year.
He’s had plenty of time to get his stuff together on the issue.
- Cindy Lou - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:52 pm:
Wow. Where is the man who was full of himself declaring ‘outrageous’ just a couple weeks ago?
I’ve not seen a governor look quite like this in front of a camera since, uhmm, Rod.
There was a commenter here back then that use to go ‘Oh, look, a kitty’ every time Rod was cornered. Rauner needed a kitty to run by and distract the reporter.
- Jocko - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:53 pm:
Just a reminder, this is who Senators Jason Barickman/Dan McConchie and Representatives Avery Bourne/Bob Pritchard took their marching orders from.
- My New Handle - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:56 pm:
Michelle Flaherty, that is the difference between ignorance and apathy. I don’t know and I don’t care.
- Lt Guv - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 5:56 pm:
This guy has just had a complete meltdown over the last several weeks. Kind of sad to behold.
- Michael Westen - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 6:00 pm:
I heard him on At Issue keep asking why “The Speaker” didn’t send him the bill earlier. I kept waiting for Craig Dellimore to point out that Cullerton held the bill, not Madigan.
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 6:09 pm:
Not sad to behold. It’s further enlightenment of the perfidious sort. Or ignoramous sort
- Langhorne - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 6:20 pm:
Almost three years in, and we gotta bump him down to double A.
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 6:21 pm:
“Better messagin’ “
- Keyrock - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 6:38 pm:
Focus, Governor, focus.
- Macbeth - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 6:40 pm:
Seriously. Who is this guy?
One of the most patronizing, cringe-inducing press conferences I’ve ever seen.
Who is Rauner looking at? Why is he laughing? There’s nothing funny about a legitimate question.
It’s process — it’s not political.
That’s a legimate point. And Rauner’s response is a snicker?
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 7:10 pm:
A pols laugh/snicker is the ‘get’ that he’s been got. Nailed to the wall type of ‘got’
- James - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 7:44 pm:
In response to Pearson’s question the Governor first squinted and snarled “fffffffff………”. Then his expression changed to grudging acceptance with a smile and he turned it into “fair”.
I think he may have started out to say something else that starts with an f. Use your imagination. Maybe “focus”?
- Loop Lady - Monday, Aug 7, 17 @ 8:25 pm:
Audacity and ineffectual leadership all rolled into one…
He’s got it down pat…
- NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Tuesday, Aug 8, 17 @ 9:15 am:
To the comment that the Governor has failed the state on an epic level, where is the outrage that the legislature controlled by Democrats have failed the state on an epic level. Our ship of state can’t be righted if we keep allowing the same users and abusers to run things. When will we finally understand that. My bet is not for a long time since the media is in the pocket of Democratic interests, the public unions control the Democrats, and the general electorate refuses to hold their own legislators accountable.
- SAP - Tuesday, Aug 8, 17 @ 9:19 am:
Apparently the question was only 90% fair.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 8, 17 @ 9:23 am:
===where is the outrage that the legislature controlled by Democrats have failed the state on an epic level.===
LOL…
Rauner was suppose to shake up and bring back.
All Rauner has done is break down and keep down Illinois.
If your take is Rauner failed “because Democrats”… Rauner allies supported Ken Dunkin be hundreds of thousands of dollars, and now Matt Besler, who’s group gave Dunkin those monies is now Rauner’s chief strategist.
Do you see how utterly comical your victimhood is?
===My bet is not for a long time since the media is in the pocket of Democratic interests…===
… Dan Proft newspapers? IPI News? INN Radio?
Keep up.
===…public unions control the Democrats…===
… and yet Republicans, “before Rauner” sought and received public union support, like with teachers, fire fighters, police…
Good try, thou.
- illini97 - Tuesday, Aug 8, 17 @ 9:56 am:
“To the comment that the Governor has failed the state on an epic level, where is the outrage that the legislature controlled by Democrats have failed the state on an epic level. Our ship of state can’t be righted if we keep allowing the same users and abusers to run things. When will we finally understand that.”
Ok, Governor Rauner was elected to fix what you’re talking about. And he has been an epic failure in fixing anything.
The Governor couldn’t produce a balanced budget. The Governor’s administration could name any cuts to be made. The Governor does not understand the amendatory veto. The Governor attempted to make changes to legislation with no estimate of the financial impact made by said changes.
This Governor has failed, in an epic way, at governing. He has failed, spectacularly in effecting change in State government.
So, what’s he going to run on, exactly? Send him back to fail some more?
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Aug 8, 17 @ 1:35 pm:
What did Illinois do after years of GA incompetence?
Elect Rauner who has made everything worse than ever.
Epic failure occurred when Rauner got the Office.
Please stop reminding us that he didn’t cause the problem, because we all know that - problem is, Rauner turned a dumpster fire into the Great Chicago Fire.
- Jerry - Wednesday, Aug 9, 17 @ 9:21 am:
Does he look like a guy who is “the happiest he has been in years” to you?