49 Comments - Henry Francis - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 1:05 pm: Odd that the Guv would tout the Haribo news. His Intersect superstars had to walk that deal back a bit. Their first EDGE agreement required Haribo to create 195 new jobs. Then in May they quietly amended the EDGE deal to only require 55 new jobs. - We'll See - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 1:08 pm: See, the Gov’s plan to boot the State’s business environment is right on track — just in time for 2018. /s - We'll See - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 1:09 pm: boost, not boot… well, maybe I was right the first time. - Anonymous - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 1:18 pm: Ironic everyone around us is now right to work and have cheaper workers comp - wordslinger - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 1:22 pm: So BLS says number of new businesses here are up 28% since 2001, far outpacing our neighbors, and provide actual data to prove it. Yet the Rauner/tronc/IPI propaganda machine says Illinois businesses are fleeing to neighboring states, and provide anecdotal examples of no evidence at all. Gee, who to believe? Real brain twister. LP, better get back to the home office in Macedonia for a reboot. Your programming is whack, again. - Anonymous - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 1:37 pm: @wordslinger Count of new businesses means almost nothing in itself. IL’s terrible jobs numbers mean those new businesses aren’t doing much … business. Check the BLS jobs numbers for IL versus surrounding states. It’s very easy. Easier than commenting on a political blog all day, in fact. - Anonymous - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 1:42 pm: Who is @IllinoisWorking and how come they write this blog now? - City Zen - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 1:45 pm: “For all those reading @GovRauner’s GOMB report, remember - job growth has dropped *significantly* since Rauner took office” Nationwide unemployment rate: - 32 months before Rauner took office: Drops from 8.2% to 5.7% (30% improvement) - Since Rauner took office: 5.7% to 5.0% (12% improvement) Illinois unemployment rate: - 32 months before Rauner took office: Drops from 9.0% to 6.1% (32% improvement) - Since Rauner took office: 6.1% to 4.2% (31% improvement) ILWT keeps using numbers from the national recovery as a barometer of judging current performance. Considering the stats above, is that correct assessment? - IlliniSpartan - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 1:47 pm: So…more gummy bears for everyone?… - @MisterJayEm - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 1:48 pm: “Count of new businesses means almost nothing in itself.” And yet that count is central the argument made by the Rauner/tronc/IPI propaganda machine. Which was exactly Wordslinger’s explicit point. – MrJM - City Zen - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 1:51 pm: ==Who is @IllinoisWorking and how come they write this blog now?== According to govt records, the groups “working together” in IL Working Together are IFT, IEA, and AFSCME. Many moons ago, they were one. Now they are together, which may or may not be one. - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 1:58 pm: “Yet the Rauner/tronc/IPI propaganda machine says Illinois businesses are fleeing to neighboring states, and provide anecdotal examples of no evidence at all.” Better add the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and Moody’s your list of propaganda machines Wordslinger. Here is a actual data from BLS on our neighboring states unemployment statistics: Iowa- 3.3% #8 Wisconsin - 3.4% #11 Indiana- 3.5%- #12 Michigan- 3.9% #18 Missouri - 4.0% #22 Illinois- 5% #41 Kentucky- 5.4% # 47 We are beating Kentucky! Nothing to see here folks, everything is working like a swiss watch here in Illinois, no reforms are necessary to improve our economy to help middle class families. Illinois also has four of the 8 Midwest metro areas still in recession Bloomington, Carbondale, Peoria and the Quad Cities http://cgfa.ilga.gov/Upload/2017MoodysEconomyILForecast.pdf - wordslinger - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 2:02 pm: Anon 1:37, thanks for the advice. Wow, there are sure a whole lot more people employed in Illinois than neighboring states. Millions more, in fact. They’ll never come close to having as many jobs, or as high a GDP. again, thanks for the tip. - anon2 - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 2:06 pm: == The sheer number of businesses calling Illinois home is up 28 percent since 2001. That compares to 17 percent for Wisconsin, 8 percent for Indiana and 4 percent for Ohio. Michigan is down 9 percent.== IN addition there has been a significant drop in the job growth rate since Rauner took office. What these data mean is that the Land of Lincoln wasn’t such an economic hellhole under Democratic leadership after all. - Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 2:07 pm: ===how come they write this blog now? === They don’t. I do. I’ll say the same to you that I say to those who complain about IPI posts: Take a breath or move along. - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 2:17 pm: I forgot the BLS link, it is way past my bed time here in Macedonia. Very strange to think I am from there, their politics are very leftist. You would be much more at home there than me Wordslinger. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/world/europe/macedonia-zoran-zaev-election.html https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm - City Zen - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 2:26 pm: ==I forgot the BLS link, it is way past my bed time here in Macedonia. Very strange to think I am from there== I would’ve guessed Catalonia. - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 2:59 pm: ==Nothing to see here folks, everything is working like a swiss watch here in Illinois, no reforms are necessary== Always the victim. You and the Governor are two peas in a pod. - Anonymous - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:01 pm: @word Your reading list just extended by about the length of a high school econ syllabus. Keep up. Focus on self-improvement before you waste another second typing bromides. @MJM As LP mentioned, add Moody’s and BLS to your list of propaganda machines. This is basic stuff. - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:02 pm: == their politics are very leftist. You would be much more at home there than me Wordslinger.== lol. Just when you thought LP’s logic couldn’t be any more twisted. Word is now Chairman Mao - Anonymous - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:06 pm: @Rich Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to be curt. I get it. Who are they though? Honestly can’t tell what’s going on from their website. Union backed? - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:08 pm: Twisted logic is claiming the Illinois economy is booming when actual government statistics prove otherwise. I am sure your copy of Rules for Radicals is dog eared 5. “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.“ There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions. 12. “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.“ Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. Much easier than debating with facts - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:09 pm: Rules for Radicals. lol. Going down that sewer hole argument now are we? LP, it’s pointless to debate you. It’s the same talking points from you over and over. The Governor is the victim. That’s your schtick. Consistency is good. Consistency of nonsense isn’t. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:11 pm: ===Twisted logic is claiming the Illinois economy is booming when actual government statistics prove otherwise.=== … then as governor, Bruce Rauner is responsible for Illinois’ lack of booming economy. According to the parameters Candidate Rauner had, Bruce Rauner is failing Illinois and - Lucky Pierre - you can provide those stats to back that up. Nothing twisted, unless you don’t think Quinn, as governor, was responsible. “Simple” - Anonymous - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:12 pm: There is little use debating frequent commenters here on jobs numbers. The state’s recession-era recovery is dismal by any measure. They’ll either deflect, strawman or revert to politics. - It's Dinner Time - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:14 pm: @OW What do you think of the actual numbers? Illinois’ jobs growth is awful since recession hit. This isn’t a political question. Just data. Hint: It’s not pretty. - Anonymous - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:16 pm: Question: What is the average weight of GummyBear line workers. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:18 pm: ===What do you think of the actual numbers? Illinois’ jobs growth is awful since recession hit. … Hint: It’s not pretty.=== “It’s not pretty.” Asked. Prompted. “Answered”. - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:19 pm: You are projecting, not addressing the issues, just hurling insults and them when called out you claim I am going down a sewer hole. A bit hypocritical to say the least. Citing Moody’s and BLS is not propaganda. I never claimed to be a victim but you and the usual suspects are following rule 5 and 12 to the letter. - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:23 pm: ==I never claimed to be a victim== Then stop making the victim argument constantly. ==Citing Moody’s and BLS is not propaganda.== I never said a word about the data. And enough with the Rules for Radicals garbage. It’s the argument of the ignorant. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:23 pm: ===I never claimed to be a victim but you and the usual suspects are following rule 5 and 12 to the letter.=== “I never claimed to be a victim” Wait for it… “but”… “Victimhood, engage” “you and the usual suspects”… This is placing that victimhood and who is to blame… “are following rule 5 and 12 to the letter.” … then - Lucky Pierre -, as you see here often, those playing a victim usually loses the argument to facts. But, by all means, worry that you’re not a victim, but “point out” who is making you a victim in your mind and how. Yikes, man. What will be difference in a Rauner second term, with numbers as you say are so bad under Rauner’s leadership. - It's Dinner Time - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:26 pm: @OW Appreciate it, lol. Suppose I walked into that one. Do you think there are any pro-business reforms that are necessary to pick up the pace? I find that many frequent commenters have no guff for any policies that might work to spur jobs growth (that don’t involve spending more money the state doesn’t have, lol). - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:32 pm: ==many frequent commenters have no guff for any policies that might work== I don’t think that’s true. What we have no guff for are policy proposals from the Governor that by his own numbers show very little ROI. There seems to be this notion that opposing the Governor’s policies somehow equals opposing changes in policies in general. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:33 pm: ===…pro-business reforms that are necessary to pick up the pace? I find that many frequent commenters have no guff for any policies that might work to spur jobs growth (that don’t involve spending more money the state doesn’t have, lol).=== (Sigh) “…pro-business reforms” Rauner’s own pro-business reforms, that also help the state’s growth, according to his office, 1.4% or $500+ million a year isn’t all that great when you think about destroying social services that help the state lower costs too, simultaneously. Workers’ comp reform is still out there. Start there and see who all can work together to get things passed. “I find that many frequent commenters have no guff for any policies that might work to spur jobs growth” Opinion. Example? “(that don’t involve spending more money the state doesn’t have, lol).” Lemme guess… “Taxpayers”… amirite? - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:39 pm: U-6 is defined as the total number of unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers. Illinois had a higher shadow unemployment rate than the nation in all but one year (2006) since 2003. http://www.ides.illinois.gov/lmi/Annual%20Report/EconomicReport_2016.pdf Lot of reading material for you and others here OW, who claim everything was going great until Rauner was elected. I would add a forward with just one comment- Expecting better economic results from the same failed policies Illinois has practiced for decades is the definition of insanity. As is allowing Trial lawyers and government unions veto power over any reforms that would benefit middle class families pushed by the Illinois Manufacturing Association, the Chamber of Commerce or other business groups. - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:44 pm: ==who claim everything was going great until Rauner was elected.== It amazes me you are still completely blind to your victimhood. No one ever has claimed that. But, it certainly was less bad. ==Expecting better economic results from the same failed policies== So you support Governor Failure why? Tried it. Didn’t work out. Time to move on. == pushed by the Illinois Manufacturing Association, the Chamber of Commerce or other business groups.== Sooo, their thoughts are more worthy of consideration. Is that what you are saying? - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:46 pm: 8. “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.“ Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. OW you do a great job with the first half of this but you could use some new material for the second part. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:50 pm: ===Lot of reading material for you and others here OW, who claim everything was going great until Rauner was elected=== Nope. This is a falsehood, a fib not unlike Rauner himself. Rauner stated “Pat Quinn failed” Bret Baier and others see Rauner failing himself and ask “What would be different in a second Rauner term?” No one said things were great. Rauner just made it far worse. Purposely. The rest of your drivel (suprise) is victimhood. Bret Baier makes your drivel ridiculous, and Rauner be inept. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:52 pm: ===8. “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.“ Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new.=== When you do that - Lucky Pierre - we know you’ve been reprogrammed. If any of this victimhood you now openly claim was true, you should be able to dazzle us with facts. Why can’t you? - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:53 pm: Yes, I think business groups who actually hire private sector workers ideas should be worthy of consideration. The fact that that is somehow controversial is astounding. The fact that the majority of our legislature agrees with you speaks very clearly why only these states have higher unemployment than we do West Virginia 5.0 41 California 5.1 44 Louisiana 5.2 45 Mississippi 5.3 46 Kentucky 5.4 47 Ohio 5.4 47 New Mexico 6.3 49 District of Columbia 6.4 50 Alaska 7.2 51 - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:59 pm: ==should be worthy of consideration.== I wasn’t aware they weren’t being considered. Unless you only think “consideration” is giving them whatever they want. And I think it was pretty considerate to finally pass a budget. That was an excellent start. I mean, I’m assuming they were for the state paying what some of those businesses were being stiffed. ==The fact that that is somehow controversial is astounding== Who said that? I find it astounding that one group should be preferred over another. - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 4:11 pm: And, if you want to play the numbers game Illinois unemployment has been consistently declining since 2013. So, do we only define “good” by what someone else is doing or do we include in the definition of “good” trends? I suppose it depends on what story you want to tell right? - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 4:20 pm: In case you missed it Demoralized every sincgle economic development proposal from Governors Rauner has been rejected and not a single one has been proposed or passed by Democrats. How can you possibly say his policies have failed when they weren’t even voted on? What Illinois has been doing for decades is preferring trial lawyers and government unions over private businesses and the employment and economic results speak for themselves - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 4:27 pm: How can you say he isn’t? Not getting a policy passed is also a failure. - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 4:29 pm: ==How can you possibly say his policies have failed when they weren’t even voted on?== You are the classic enabler. Rauner believes he is the victim. You reinforce it. It’s nobody else’s fault that the Governor hasn’t figured out how to govern. - wordslinger - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 4:35 pm: LP, Macedonia is a hotbed for teenage for-hire trolls. - Lucky Pierre - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 4:44 pm: It is nobody’s fault that Rauner’s policies have not been voted on because they have not left Speaker Madigan’s rules committee? Illinois has been lagging the nation since at least 2003. Do you call what Speaker Madigan does governing for the good of the state? I call it protecting narrow special interest groups who benefit from government overregulation and work rules. These policies hurt the middle class who rely on the private sector for their livelihood. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 4:49 pm: ===It is nobody’s fault that Rauner’s policies have not been voted on because they have not left Speaker Madigan’s rules committee?=== If Rauner wanted to embarrass Speaker Madigan he’d put 60 House members, bipartisan as they’d be, and force the bills out by that display. Why won’t Rauner? ===Illinois has been lagging the nation since at least 2003.=== So you admit Rauner is a failure too. Good, whew. ===These policies hurt the middle class who rely on the private sector for their livelihood.=== Rauner’s plan? 1.4% or $500+ million in growth to destroy both social services and labor’s collective bargaining and prevailing wage. Hmm. - Demoralized - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 4:56 pm: And there it is again. Rauner is the victim. He proposed things. He was told no. Does he move on and try to work something else out? No. He doubles, triples and quadruples down on what he has already been told no on. Why? Because it’s much easier to blame someone else. A pretty big piece of legislation passed and was signed by the Governor - education funding reform - so he is capable of making sausage. Maybe go that route instead of playing the victim on the things you can’t get done. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.