78 Comments - Sue - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 1:34 pm: But not with George Will in today’s Tribune - PublicServant - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 1:35 pm: Drip, Drip, Drip… - Anonymous - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 1:38 pm: If by his continuation of the “Because Madigan” blather helps ensure his defeat, then Bruce, stick with the blather. - Macbeth - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 1:39 pm: Good god. Rauner has no accomplishments, and he’s running the same — exact same — campaign — right down to the same plaid and Carhartt — that he ran two and half years ago. The scary part isn’t the same campaign. The scary part is the *same lack of accomplishments* if he wins a second term. What, another impasse? - Peorgie Tirebiter - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 1:44 pm: You mean actually act like an adult and govern? What a novel concept. - Honeybear - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 1:46 pm: Sue, George Will is a tool of the oligarchy. Rauner doesn’t have a positive accomplishment to his name. He’s got plenty of negative accomplishments My favorite is gutting DCEO to create a faux public private partnership by executive order. Intersect Illinois Zero transparency Non Foia-able For Profit corporation All the corporate welfare he wants While totally unaccountable. What an accomplishment - Retired Educator - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 1:47 pm: Governor, Mr. Madigan will be there,(unless he chooses differently)for as long as he chooses. Learning to deal with this, has been your biggest failure. The art of politics is compromise, not continued confrontation. The Speaker has beaten you on all occasions, and will do so in the future unless you learn to make political deals. It is really not that difficult. You took the job, so do the job. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 1:52 pm: It’s 60. It’s 30. It’s signature. Either you know this reality to governing, you don’t this reality, or you know it and think leverage and crisis is ok unless people you like are hurt. Rauner is choosing to hurt Illinois. It’s not Madigan. It’s not knowing better Rauner knows exactly what he’s doing. This is a left-handed way to say it. - Dome Gnome - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 1:53 pm: Madigan and the editorials he controls. - flea - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 1:54 pm: Retired educator, should have said,,,”you bought the job, so do the job.” respectfully. - Retired Educator - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 1:57 pm: flea; I stand corrected. Thanks for the help. lol - Because I said so.... - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 1:57 pm: Rauner cannot even work with his own party. - Chicago 20 - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:01 pm: Those who create marketplace disruptions and marketplace uncertainty do so for one sole reason. Profit. Prior knowledge is all it takes. - Louis G. Atsaves - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:05 pm: Interestingly the flip side of this editorial was not discussed: Isn’t it also time for Mr. Madigan to make an effort to work with Mr. Rauner? Other than just taking the “no” position and “not giving the Governor any victories” and then bragging that the Governor has not accomplished “anything.” - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:08 pm: Oh - Louis G Atsaves -, LOL Was it Rauner or Madigan that believes crisis creates opportunity and has yet to sign a full year’s budget? Rauber chose to veto budget after budget. Vetoes are choices. Rauner has said, he’s willing to shut down the state. Doesn’t sound like someone looking for a partner, lol - Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:09 pm: ===Other than just taking the “no” position and “not giving the Governor any victories” and then bragging that the Governor has not accomplished “anything.” === Four year property tax freeze got zero Republican votes in the House. - Chicago Cynic - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:09 pm: “But it is almost impossible to govern the state without some of those Democratic votes from Cook County.” Strike the word impossible and you’ve got some serious reality at play. This has been my point since August 2014 when he answered the “how are you going to get anything done with Democratic supermajorities” with “I’ve always been successful…blah blah blah.” Rauner needs to understand, as Willy said above: 30 and 60 are the magic numbers. Everything else is commentary on how to get their. Rauner still doesn’t get this. Glad to see at least one Rauner-supporting edit board does. Who’s next? Paging Chicago Tribune. Paging Chicago Tribune. - Anonymous - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:10 pm: There’s a time for campaignin’ and a time for governin’. Successful politicians make time for both. - Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:13 pm: ===But the time has come to, perhaps, accept reality and work with him.=== Actually, that time was January 2015. Better late than never, I suppose. You don’t get legislative accomplishments by demonizing and estranging yourself from the legislature. - Jocko - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:16 pm: ==Isn’t it also time for Mr. Madigan to make an effort== I recall Christine Radogno putting forth effort. How’d that work out? - Rich Miller - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:17 pm: === How’d that work out? === Not well. - Macbeth - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:19 pm: Rauner needs a win probably more than he realizes. If he loses against Pritzker — Rauner’s legacy is zero accomplishments and only the hyperpartisan “persistence” he seems to think everybody loves. Heck, even John Fox gets a win every once in a while. - Grandson of Man - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:27 pm: A big problem Rauner created has relatively little to do with Madigan, and that’s Rauner pulling support from the Senate’s grand bargain, and maybe threatening Republican senators. As some said, Rauner may have been able to triangulate Madigan if he was a reasonable governor and worked with the Senate and legislators in both parties. But he didn’t. He was bashing Madigan during arguably the most critical negotiations in state history. Because Rauner has nothing to run on, he continues to use Madigan as a scapegoat. I hope enough people look at Rauner’s record and don’t let him get away with escaping the tremendous responsibility of his office. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:27 pm: === === How’d that work out? === Not well.=== It’s critical to note, it was Rauner himself blowing up compromises Radogno tried to put forth, and that measure is the measure why Rauner has blame here and should be held accountable - Arsenal - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:33 pm: ==Isn’t it also time for Mr. Madigan to make an effort to work with Mr. Rauner?== Before he was sworn in, Rauner asked the legislature to not extend the 5% tax rate. It complied. - DuPage Bard - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:57 pm: These folks may be mad now but they’ll be back come election time. No party regular is going to go off the reservation to vote for a Democratic Governor next November. - dowbstate commissioner - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 2:57 pm: It is always interesting to watch an upstart outsider governor attack Madigan. (Rauner and Blagoyyevuc). Not as interesting to watch political pros liker Ryan, Edgar, and Thompson get things done… - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 3:03 pm: ===These folks may be mad now but they’ll be back come election time. No party regular is going to go off the reservation to vote for a Democratic Governor next November.=== Meh. Mendoza taught that you run an awful campaign, people knowing Mendoza was with Madigan and Munger was with Rauner… … Mendoza won. Too many people angry at Quinn helped Rauber in a wave year, and they threaded the needle with messaging like “Pat Quinn failed” Rauner has failed. Only 30% approve of Rauner, 37% approve of Trump. Where is that Rauner constituency? - Rich Miller - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 3:08 pm: ===No party regular is going to go off the reservation to vote for a Democratic Governor next November=== Well, duh. - Truthteller - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 3:28 pm: Since Rauner’s goals included destroying unions, decimating public schools, slashing benefits for injured workers, and starving local governments’ ability to provide needed services, we should be thankful that he has no accomplishments which he can point to. The only thing worse than his failures would have been his successes. At our house we will be giving thanks for Commander Zero’s failures on this holiday. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 3:31 pm: Not as interesting to watch political pros liker Ryan, Edgar, and Thompson get things done… George Ryan was able to singlehandedly assure 12 years of Democrats in the Governor’s mansion through his conviction and jail sentence. Jim Edgar bragged about surpluses but did not make the actuarial pension payment. He is responsible for the Edgar ramp which is why we spend 25% of our tax revenue to pay the interest on the pensions and the principal keeps rising. Jim Thompson signed the yearly 3% compounding on pensions which make the yearly payout double over 25 years, that more than anything else is why Illinois is broke. Is the destruction of Illinois finances by rubber stamping Mike Madigan’s policies what you mean by getting things done? - Rich Miller - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 3:32 pm: ===George Ryan was able to singlehandedly assure=== Um, no. He actually won a race that was the Democrats’ to lose in 1998. The state had been trending D for a while, except for 1994. Edgar barely won in 1990. Last GOP presidential candidate to win IL was GHWB in 1988. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 3:33 pm: === He is responsible for the Edgar ramp. === Governors own. “Edgar ramp” The rest of your drivel sounds pretty silly now, doesn’t it, lol - Rich Miller - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 3:34 pm: ===Jim Thompson signed === Yeah, he was such a passive governor, that guy. Never had an idea of his own. Always, always, ALWAYS just blithely went along with whatever MJM wanted. Right. You’re going back into auto-moderation if you don’t up your game. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 3:35 pm: ===Jim Thompson signed…=== Governors own their signatures… as you yourself point out. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 3:41 pm: 1998 Ryan won comfortably 51-48 after Edgar won 64-34 in 1994 in 2002 Blagoevich won comfortably 52-45 in 2006 Rod won 49-39 in 2010 much closer Quinn 47-46 Sorry I see a clear trend away from Republican’s after Ryan’s conviction. You could also say the same for the Democrats after Rod’s conviction - Truthteller - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 3:49 pm: All of Rauner’s predecessors had their flaws and their virtues. Rauner has his flaws. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 3:51 pm: ===Sorry I see a clear trend away from Republican’s after Ryan’s conviction.=== Hmm… ===in 2006 Rod won 49-39 in 2010 much closer Quinn 47-46=== Hmm… ===You could also say the same for the Democrats after Rod’s conviction=== Your Charlie Brown wishy-washy rationale here… doesn’t explain anything you hope it does. If Edgar’s Ramp and Thompson’s signature are owned by them, how is it Rauner owns nothing, including acts like signatures and vetoes… unless they reflect favorably to… Rauner? Your lack of honesty to the discussion is nited - Anonymous - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:07 pm: George Will, a native Illinois citizen, of course has lived in the DC area most of his adult life. It was a good article though because it reminds me that Illinois is not financially healthy. And the road to ruin really was not Rauner, who..did seek reforms. My narrative is that the Dems blocked reforms and therefore are partners in the budget impasse. Still no reforms. And the budget isn’t balanced. But we got the taxes. Let’s think of the future here: Is JB even talking about this? I only hear negative things from businessmen about our state. Madigan is a pariah. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:12 pm: Yes no reforms, but permanent tax increases and budgets that still don’t balance and haven’t done so since 2001, the year before Democrats took over complete control of Springfield. Vote straight Democratic if you think that will solve Illinois problems. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:16 pm: 1) Pick a name. ===My narrative is that the Dems blocked reforms and therefore are partners in the budget impasse. === 2) Tell that to Leader Radogno. ===I only hear negative things from businessmen about our state. Madigan is a pariah.=== “Bidness” people? Tell all that to Labor, social service providers and clients, and those close to higher education. Rauner polls at 30% approval. That not both sides - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:16 pm: Willy pay attention, I clearly said multiple time today Democrats and a few Republicans own the permanent tax increases, without reforms. Rauner owns the veto. Both sides will run on their records. Not to complicated. You seem convinced there is no downside to the tax increase vote. A lot of Cook County Democratic voters disagree wholeheartedly. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:18 pm: ===Vote straight Democratic if you think that will solve Illinois problems.=== LOL, nah… Split your ticket. Vote against the failed governor, Rauner, vote GOP the rest of the way. Or… See, splitting tickets is fun, get to vote Rauner out, but maybe save the likes of Durkin. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:21 pm: ===You seem convinced there is no downside to the tax increase vote.=== … in a blue wave where Rauner has yet to sign a budget and social services and higher education starving… Rauner is a left-leaning social Democrat who destroyed social services and crippled higher education… Who is the Rauner constituency? - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:22 pm: === A lot of Cook County Democratic voters disagree wholeheartedly.=== I guess that’s “you”, a Cook County Democrat. LOL - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:24 pm: I thought you hated ticket splitters like Republicans who vote for Rahm, who did not have a Republican opponent. You went on about that one for no reason for way too long. Consistency is not one of your strengths. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:26 pm: ===I thought you hated ticket splitters like Republicans who vote for Rahm, who did not have a Republican opponent.=== Jesse White? You voted for Rahm. That’s on you. Chicago Mayor is non-partisan as I recall, LOL - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:28 pm: The Rauner constituency would be every general election voter in Illinois that does not want a Governor who will rubberstamp the Madigan agenda. I see huge billboards next Fall with JB and Madigan on them paid for by Rauner. Many more than the ones that show Brian Urlacher with hair. After all, JB is the only candidate who has not distanced himself at all from the most unpopular politician in the state. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:30 pm: Come March, - Lucky Pierre -… You will have the choices of Biss, Kennedy, and Pritzker. You only pull Dem Primary ballots. So, what’s the ponot? - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:35 pm: ===The Rauner constituency would be every general election voter in Illinois that does not want a Governor who will rubberstamp the Madigan agenda=== Mendoza beat Munger on that. Without a blue wave, but in a Presidential year, and Roskam’s district is showing the ripples of that blue wave forming. ===I see huge billboards next Fall with JB and Madigan on them paid for by Rauner. Many more than the ones that show Brian Urlacher with hair.=== Meh. Rauner and Trump. See, here’s where that pesky constituency question really hurts. Rauner denies Trump, loses Trump voters. Rauner embraces Trump, loses women, HB40 or not. Rauner has no constituency of consistency ===After all, JB is the only candidate who has not distanced himself at all from the most unpopular politician in the state.=== “After all, Rauner is the sitting governor who has not distanced himself at all from the most unpopular president of the United States at this point since polling began.” What else ya got? - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:36 pm: It depends, who will make the best Democratic Governor or who would have the best chance to beat Rauner. They are different answers for me and probably a lot of voters - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:43 pm: Trump voters are not voting Democratic under any circumstances. Not a chance. Sorry I don’t see the Trump Rauner connection you desperately want to manufacture. If voters don’t like their billionaires portly they won’t vote for JB. if you want to claim that somehow the Governor of Illinois works closer with the President of the United States of America instead of the leader of a co equal branch of government in his state go ahead. - Grandson of Man - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:45 pm: Rauner wouldn’t accept available reforms. He mocked them as phony. The damage caused to the state by not passing budgets by far exceeds any problems that would have arisen from Rauner working with Democrats on available reforms and passing them, such as a two year property tax and possibly term limits for legislative leaders. So Rauner got no reforms, a tax hike and the worst damage per capita caused to the state. But he’s running as impotent and a victim of Madigan? Heckuva job, Raunie. People are catching on. - Rich Miller - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:47 pm: ===Trump voters are not voting Democratic under any circumstances=== In southern Illinois, a lot of Trump voters are past Democratic voters. - Whatever - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:49 pm: ==Jim Edgar bragged about surpluses but did not make the actuarial pension payment. He is responsible for the Edgar ramp which is why we spend 25% of our tax revenue to pay the interest on the pensions and the principal keeps rising.== To everyone who criticizes the ramp, please tell me why you think we would be better off if the ramp had not there to spell out exactly what was coming up the road? Even with it staring them in the face, governors and the GA chose not to make the required payments. Do you really think they would have made higher payments without the ramp? - Rich Miller - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:51 pm: ===Do you really think they would have made higher payments without the ramp? === Nobody sane would. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:52 pm: ===if you want to claim that somehow the Governor of Illinois works closer with the President of the United States of America…=== … yet, in Virginia… LOL - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 4:56 pm: Rauner should run with Trump support. Why won’t Rauner? - wordslinger - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 5:21 pm: It will be odd to see a governor running for re-election on a platform that he’s helpless to get anything done. Don’t really see how that’s a great motivator. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 5:46 pm: Grandson can you tell us what reforms passed Speaker Madigan’s House and were vetoed by the Governor? Would you like to be a Democrat running for reelection after a 4 year period of no reform of state government or our business environment? - wordslinger - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 5:48 pm: –But not with George Will in today’s Tribune – George Will was a hysteric about public employee unions when Rauner was still busting out Florida nursing homes and dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars on Democrats like Daley and Claypool. But, then again, if you’ve read Will for long, you know he thinks the country has been going downhill since the Theodore Roosevelt administration with its “progressive policies.” Before then, it was all porch swings, fishing holes and Country Time lemonade for everyone except women, blacks, immigrants, Catholics, Jews, children, workers…. Sure, the last 100 years or so has had the greatest advance in history of freedom, liberty, security and wealth for the most people — it just hasn’t happened the way George would have liked it to. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 5:51 pm: ===Would you like to be a Democrat running for reelection after a 4 year period of no reform of state government or our business environment?=== … in Trump’s midterm and with Rauner polling st 30% Probably. - Arthur Andersen - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 5:52 pm: Whatever, exactly right. The ramp is a flawed plan, but it is a plan and it is better than the ad hoc approach used previously. The plan was not helped when Blagojevich/Filan cut $2 billion out in FY2006/07 and reset/extended the ramp portion of the funding program by seven years past its original expiration. LP, you really need to study some basic math and pension statistics before spouting off this bogus information. The 3% COLA does not “cause the payout to double in 25 years” because all retirees don’t receive it and because all retirees don’t live 25 years in retirement. - wordslinger - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 5:54 pm: –LP, you really need to study some basic math and pension statistics before spouting off this bogus information.– AA, the goal is to spout bogus information. Basic math and pension statistics would interfere with that. - d.p.gumby - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 5:55 pm: I don’t know that anyone can predict or explain voter behavior–a large number of those voters are not particularly rational in their selection nor voting even in their own best interests as political analysts would consider it. - Matt Vernalu - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 6:10 pm: Thank you wordslinger. There was so much misstated in the George Will piece that it reminded me what a small man Mr. Will is. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 6:39 pm: Wordslinger and Arthur Anderson, The quote is straight from Dave Mc Kinney of Reuters who is the most respected journalist on the Illinois pension crisis. Your criticism about me “spouting off with bogus information” is duly noted and consistent with your past posts designed to obfuscate the truth. ILLINOIS MATH’ Public jobs, salaries and benefits have been central to the mounting fiscal crisis. Laws and budgets passed on Madigan’s watch have added tens of billions of dollars to the state’s pension underfunding. In 1989, Madigan supported a law that permanently awarded compounding 3 percent annual increases in pension payments, which can make a retiree’s yearly payout double over 25 years. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-illinois-madigan/ Obviously if the retiree is not alive after twenty five years the weekly pension payout will not double because there won’t be any payout. With so many retiring at age 50, many will still be alive at 75. My quote said it can make a retirees payout double after 25 years and it is a true statement. - wordslinger - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 6:49 pm: LP, here is what you wrote: –Jim Thompson signed the yearly 3% compounding on pensions which make the yearly payout double over 25 years, that more than anything else is why Illinois is broke.– Here’s what McKinney wrote: –In 1989, Madigan supported a law that permanently awarded compounding 3 percent annual increases in pension payments, which can make a retiree’s yearly payout double over 25 years.– If you don’t recognize the chasm between those two sentences, then that explains a lot. But AA pointed it out to you. If you do understand the difference, and peddle your nonsense anyway, than you’re simply dishonest. Confused or dishonest? Tough call. - Grandson of Man - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 6:57 pm: “Grandson can you tell us what reforms passed Speaker Madigan’s House and were vetoed by the Governor?” Rauner has called Democrats’ reforms phony, more than once. He did it with workers comp reform in 2015 and with the two-year property tax freeze earlier this year. He also did this at a press conference at the end of this year’s spring session, when he called Democrats’ bills phony. Rauner loves that word. There is no indication whatsoever that Rauner would have passed any of the Democratic reforms on workers comp, term limits on legislative leaders and property tax freeze if they made it to his desk. For one thing, Democrats would never agree to limits on local collective bargaining and ending prevailing wage, something on which Rauner insisted until around late last year. Even this past summer he alluded to his 44-point TA as something he wants. We need a governor who won’t insult and attack his opponents the way Rauner does. Look at the toxic atmosphere now in the GA. That’s not how to get things done. - Anonymous - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 7:02 pm: Got it Grandson no reforms passed the legislature. You do know that they can pass reforms if they think they are necessary and if the Governor vetoes them they can over ride that veto. But we all know the reforms Democrats proposed but never passed were shams designed for campaign ads, not to solve Illinois problems. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 7:12 pm: ===You do know that they can pass reforms if they think they are necessary and if the Governor vetoes them they can over ride that veto.=== (Sigh) Up until the budget overrides saving Illinois and the tax increase, Rauner was 66 for 67 (something along those lines) in sustained vetoes. I’m sure you knew that. Can’t pick a name, but you knew the Rauner overuse history. Lemme guess, never heard of Ken Dunkin? (Banned Word) - RNUG - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 9:32 pm: == mad now but they’ll be back come election time. No party regular is going to go off the reservation to vote for a Democratic Governor next November. == But they might just stay home … - RNUG - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 9:39 pm: == did seek reforms. == And every time Madigan called said reform bills minus the union busting language, Rauner had the GOP sit on their hands. There were deals that could have been cut, but Rauner wanted devastation and destruction, not compromise and governing. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 10:38 pm: So tell me Wordslinger and AA, if the worker is still alive in the 25th year of retirement, does the annual pension payment double from the first to the 25th year or not? - Arthur Andersen - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 10:52 pm: LP, nope. Asked and answered. Now go away. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Nov 20, 17 @ 11:29 pm: No it was not answered but now you just did. Shocking you would dispute Reuters and Mc Kinney as well as Moneychimp which has a nice calculator that proves it does http://www.moneychimp.com/calculator/compound_interest_calculator.htm - Paunchy - Tuesday, Nov 21, 17 @ 11:42 am: And LP, exactly what percentage of the retirees are living 25 years after? And exactly what percentage of the workers are retiring at 50? - Paunchy - Tuesday, Nov 21, 17 @ 11:50 am: *All* of the facts are important, LP. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.