102 Comments - Rabid - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 3:42 am: Rauner thinks everyone is for sale after he bought Illinois GOP - Retired Educator - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 5:58 am: Running a state wide attack campaign against a regional candidate is a silly idea. Speaker Madigan is elected by the people in his district. They reelect him each time because he does the job for his district. He will stay until he chooses to leave. However; the Governor runs statewide, and must answer to all of Illinois. He has not done the job, and must answer to all Illinois voters. He is toast. - Augie - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 7:05 am: I was there, it was a great program overall. Professor Bruno gave a presentation “State of Unions”. Informationwas given on how Workers Comp reform could affect workers, Father Dowling gave a nice talk on social justice,Speaker Madigan was open and talked to many participants one on one for about 20 mins before his speech highlighting the Democrats and his support for labor. The Treasurer closed it out. I think the Speaker did himself some good doing this. I know there was some skeptics in the room and him taking time to talk one on one with people made them see him in a more positive way. He also he reminded us that his district consists mostly of blue collar people, who send him to represent them. - Admission - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 7:07 am: So Madigan admits that he caused a multi-year impasse and brought pain and suffering to social service agencies, universities, and so many more people all because he wouldn’t dare touch a law that requires cities to pay inflated rates on all public projects? It was all about Madigan protecting the insider deals the unions have with government. Unbelievable. - A Jack - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 7:23 am: @Admissions…. A troll by any other name is still a troll. - ArchPundit - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 7:24 am: ==== him taking time to talk one on one with people made them see him in a more positive way. From everyone I’ve talked to who has dealt with him, when he’s very personable. He just doesn’t convey that in media. - ArchPundit - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 7:25 am: ====he wouldn’t dare touch a law that requires cities to pay inflated rates on all public projects? You are making Madigan’s case for him–he’s a for a living wage. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 7:26 am: Madigan needs to do more of this. Rauner’s propaganda machine keeps painting him as some aloof, inhuman creature, with a selfish agenda, who talks in riddles, if at all. One night like this, talking to constituencies and the people that need to get motivated and GOTV, can offset a lot of paid Rauner messaging, and remind people what the stakes are. It is proactive instead of reactive, and I like it. - walker - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 7:34 am: Rauner made it personal from day one. That wasn’t a “deal,” it was a threat to destroy someone. Is that how people in his business typically start negotiations? - Earnest - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 7:49 am: Unlike Rauner’s descriptions of conversations he supposedly had with Madigan and others, I find Madigan credible here. My initial reaction is not what I’d expect: I respect Rauner for his straight-forwardness with Madigan at the time, then I flash back to 2015 and think of the irresponsible lack of response by the leader of Illinois’ Democratic Party to Rauner’s messaging. It was a long time before Mendoza then Pritzker finally started putting up a fight while Rauner wreaked his destruction and ran up bills which we’ll be paying for. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 7:50 am: Here’s my take. I believe Madigan at a 62+% Clip. Rauner did 100% of what Rauner said HE (Rauner) would do “if” Mash those two ingredients, too much truth to ignore. I’d throw in Decatur as a proof positive too… Hard to ignore Rauner’s modus operandi. Speaker Madigan ain’t wrong. - NoGifts - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 8:05 am: I will repeat what I’ve often said. I never spent any time thinking about Mike Madigan before Governor Rauner was elected. Since that time I think of him often and my esteem and respect for him grows. - Grandson of Man - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 8:06 am: Good for Madigan and Democrats to stand strong against a super-rich dude who hates unions and collective bargaining but profits massively from public employee pensions. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 8:07 am: ===So Madigan admits that he caused a multi-year impasse and brought pain and suffering to social service agencies, universities, and so many more people all because he wouldn’t dare touch a law that requires cities to pay inflated rates on all public projects?=== “So Madigan admits that he was personally being leveraged because Rauner couldn’t get 60 votes… and a multi-year impasse and brought pain and suffering to social service agencies, universities, and so many more people all because Madigan wouldn’t succumb to that personal extortion Rauner required… so Rauner could destroy Labor?” Better. Also, keep up. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 8:09 am: “It was all about Rauner forcing a choice of trying to destro Madigan or Rauner leveraging Madigan to destroy the unions. Unbelievable.” I know, right. - Bobby T - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 8:14 am: Rauner would have gone on an assault against Madigan even if Madigan had agreed. Madigan was 100% right to refuse. This is like a mob guy asking, hey, bring me 100k in a paper bag, and I’ll let you go. Um, yeah. - wordslinger - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 8:18 am: –The governor, Madigan said, wanted the Democrats to enact a right-to-work law, repeal or dramatically change prevailing wage rules, and end collective bargaining for public employees.– And just how many Democratic votes did Rauner think the all-powerful mystic Madigan could deliver for such reactionary proposals, if he were so inclined? Therein lies the cluelessness of those who believe in the omnipotent Madigan. He doesn’t have the power to turn Democrats into far-right Republicans. Madigan’s about as far right as Democrats go in this state already. And if all it took was campaign money to control Democratic GA votes, Rauner/Griff/Uihlein could have bought the lot of them at the start. - VanillaMan - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 8:26 am: My thoughts: Rauner, the inexperience politician, believes that Madigan has no ethical beliefs after decades serving Illinois. That Madigan could be bought off because Rauner believes that the Democrats are only doing government that makes them personally rich. Rauner’s approach exposes Rauner as a guy who considers using government to gain personal wealth. Rauner’s approach to Madigan made a number of false assumptions about legislators. The new guy didn’t know what the old guy knows, but the new guy assumed a bunch of incorrect nonsense as fact. Dealing with Rauner meant selling out personal beliefs based upon experience. Rauner is wrong, was wrong, and doesn’t learn. Bad governor. Disrespectful governor. Untrustworthy governor. I’m supporting anyone but Rauner, shouldn’t we all? - wordslinger - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 8:28 am: –So Madigan admits that he caused a multi-year impasse and brought pain and suffering to social service agencies, universities, and so many more people all because he wouldn’t dare touch a law that requires cities to pay inflated rates on all public projects?– Geez, where’d you get your spin doctor degree, in a box of Cracker Jax? - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 8:30 am: In 2015, Rauner knew so little about the man who would become his chief adversary that he believed Madigan wanted something and would trade away collective bargaining rights and other core principles in exchange. And if he wasn’t willing to trade, Rauner threatened to make him politically radioactive. This tells me two things: first, that when Bruce Rauner became governor, he had no idea who Mike Madigan was and what Mike Madigan was about. Second, that he is still trying to make his threat work, tells me that Rauner hasn’t learned anything in three years. - 47th Ward - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 8:32 am: That was me at 8:30am, channeling VMan apparently too. Must be the new phone. - Downstate - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 8:43 am: Madigan must be getting a little worried that he’s now talking about this so publicly. That’s certainly not been his approach in the past. - Rabid - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:00 am: speaking Koch truism to power - Ahoy! - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:06 am: Rauner went to strong, he should have went with something smaller such as just ending collective bargaining for public employees and making some changes to make Illinois more competitive with workers comp. Either way, unless the Democrats wise up and make some changes Illinois will continue it’s economic decline. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:10 am: Speaker Madigan places those Illinois residents who are part of the group that funds his party- the unions above all other interests in Illinois. His record on behalf of those “working people” who are not in unions is terrible. He is raising taxes on them and chasing their private sector employers out of the state. Our stagnant economy is a direst result of these policies. His claim that he is working on raising wages and the standard of living of non union Illinois workers is absurd. After 40 years in Springfield, The Speaker still has not figured out only a healthy private sector and growing economy can pay for all the largesse he has promised public sector workers. At least the Speaker admits most people believe he is responsible for all of Illinois problems. Best quote ” I am not a change person” He does not believe Illinois needs to be changed. ow many Illinois residents agree? - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:20 am: “Budgetmaking is the first reason legislators go to Springfield” “It’s the first thing, its the most important thing. Rauner has never participated in successful budget making” Says the man who has been the biggest reason Illinois is at least 130 billion in debt due to decades of unbalanced budgets during his tenure. His lack of self awareness and hypocrisy is stunning. Aren’t you protecting your wealthy friends in the trial bar Speaker Madigan? - AndyIllini - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:22 am: What Madigan says there is almost certainly true. Whats also true is that in 2015 Madigan had a veto-proof majority. So he could have passed a budget without striking a deal with Rauner and without any GOP votes, simply by negotiating with the more moderate members of his own caucus, but had no desire to do that. - VanillaMan - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:24 am: We often think similarly. That’s why I always read your posts. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:25 am: ===Whats also true is that in 2015 Madigan had a veto-proof majority. So he could have passed a budget without striking a deal with Rauner and without any GOP votes, simply by negotiating with the more moderate members of his own caucus, but had no desire to do that.=== (Sigh) Explain Ken Dunkin, Jack Franks, and Scott Drury. I don’t think you have an idea what was Madigan’s real number vs. the phony 71 number that apologist for Rauner claim existed. - wordslinger - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:28 am: –Whats also true is that in 2015 Madigan had a veto-proof majority.– That’s approaching War of Northern Aggression revisionism. Dozens of attempted veto overrides failed while Dunk, Drury and Franks were part of that “veto-proof majority.” - 47th Ward - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:28 am: Thanks VanillaMan. Same here. - Reality Check - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:32 am: Of course Madigan is telling the truth. Here’s what John Sullivan and Andy Manar told the Lee Newspapers in March 2015, the same time period the Speaker is recalling now: “According to accounts from Democratic lawmakers who met privately with the Republican businessman, the governor suggested that if his policies are adopted by the Legislature, union membership will be eliminated in Illinois within the next four years.” - no_rauner - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:32 am: the fact that bruce rauner is a hypocritical goof does not automatically acquit mike madigan of anything he could have done more to correct the budget mess - AndyIllini - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:35 am: I did say “negotiate”, not that Madigan could jua t override any bill he wanted. The point is Dunkin, Drury and Franks while conservative are probably to the left of Bruce Rauner. - Generic Drone - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:35 am: Rauner’s idea of negotiating. Geesh - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:35 am: So if the Speaker can’t get compromise with 3 Democrats, how do you expect him to compromise with Republican legislators or Governor Rauner? - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:35 am: I don’t think Bruce expected Madigan to cave. If he did, great news for Bruce. If he didn’t, great news for Rauner. He didn’t, doesn’t give a hoot about anything but him, his wife, and his super rich friends. - NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:41 am: Ah, the Monday morning apologists for Mr. Madigan. that’s what I like about reading comments here. It’s as if Mr. Madigan was just an innocent bystander for years, and that the unions of Illinois government were concerned about everyone. That’s a whole lot of crazy talk for early on a Monday morning. Yes, Rauner overplayed his hand and then apparently didn’t know how to regroup but the current condition of our state has the fingerprints of Mr. Madigan all over it. He put his own interests and the interests of the minority of workers, the unions over everyone else. The number of elections he has won doesn’t alter that reality. It just confirms the “where’s mine” nature of the majority of voters. - DougChicago - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:42 am: Every problem in Illinois government is Mike Madigan’s fault. Indeed Mike Madigan himself is Illnois’ government’s root cause of all problems. - Rabid - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:43 am: madigan should put a fire extinguisher on his desk, when rauner speaks next week - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:47 am: ===Yes, Rauner overplayed his hand and then apparently didn’t know how to regroup but the current condition of our state has the fingerprints of Mr. Madigan all over it.=== Let’s break this down, shall we? “Yes, Rauner overplayed his hand and then apparently didn’t know how to regroup” Right there, that’s Rauner owning his 3 years of ignorance of refusing to understand governing. How is that on Madigan, lol? “… but the current condition of our state has the fingerprints of Mr. Madigan all over it.” … except for the 3 years Rauner made it worse by… according to you… lol… “Yes, Rauner overplayed his hand and then apparently didn’t know how to regroup” This is my absolute favorite word in your comment… “but the…” Yeah, you go with that. “but the” - Hottot - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:50 am: Mike Madigan should do more speaking engagements such as this. There’s a mysteriousness about him outside Chicago because he’s become a faceless enemy of all those who don’t do their homework. If the sun doesn’t come up, blame Madigan. Madigan this, Madigan that. Speaking engagements like this put a face to the name Madigan for those who couldn’t pick him out of a crowd, and it creates a persona, more than just being the longest serving elected Representative in the country. It shows he’s a real person. As to whether or not I believe him, Rauner has already showed this to be true because he did exactly what the Speaker said. He went on his ad blitz, changed his vocabulary to include Madigan in every sentence, and blamed Madigan for everything from the budget impasse to a burned steak at his last meal. Plus with as much as Rauner has lied in his term as governor, I’ve no reason not to believe the Speaker. - Hamlet's Ghost - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:51 am: = = = madigan should put a fire extinguisher on his desk, when rauner speaks next week = = = Meh. What can Rauner possibly say that he hasn’t said a zillion times already? If the IL GOP strategy for November 2018 is another re-run of “Fire Madigan” we’ll be approaching Road Runner and Wily E. Coyote territory. - Huh? - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 9:58 am: My take away is that the CEO told someone perceived as a subordinate what to do, ignoring that Madigan is a member of a co-equal branch of government. - Rogue Roni - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:01 am: It’s almost like billionaire businessmen turned politicians don’t know how to govern… - Chicago 20 - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:02 am: “enact a right-to-work law, repeal or dramatically change prevailing wage rules, and end collective bargaining for public employees” This isn’t Rauner’s agenda, it’s the Koch Brothers agenda and Rauner is only their disciple. These anti-worker legislation proposals have already been tried and failed in New Jersey, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Kansas. Right-to-work laws, repeal or dramatically change prevailing wage rules, and end collective bargaining for public employees do not benefit workers. - Nick Name - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:02 am: ===Whats also true is that in 2015 Madigan had a veto-proof majority. So he could have passed a budget without striking a deal with Rauner and without any GOP votes, simply by negotiating with the more moderate members of his own caucus, but had no desire to do that.=== Ken Dunkin, Jack Franks, and Scott Drury notwithstanding, tell us how it would have been in Madigan’s and the Democrats’ best interests to do a Dem-only budget, completely shutting out the Republicans. Show your work. - don the legend - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:12 am: Rauner knew in 2015 thet he would be buying one caucus and he thought he could buy or threaten the other into doing it his way. For a guy who successful at all he does, he sure miscalculated. - Arsenal - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:13 am: ==So Madigan admits that he caused a multi-year impasse== You might want to take another pass at the test there, man. “Rauner told me to name my price for gutting the unions and threatened an ad campaign against me” isn’t very close to “admitting he shut down state government”. To the post… To the extent that this story is true, it’s textbook “Getting high on your own supply”. Republicans campaign for years on Madigan being an all-powerful legislative leader with no core beliefs, and then they start to believe it. And that’s part of why we are where we are today. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:22 am: Speaker Madigan, there are “working families” that are not part of your power base of public sector unions. What have you done for these people specifically, other than raise their property taxes, income taxes and create an environment where their employers relocate or not expand in Illinois? - Union Man - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:26 am: I can’t think of one piece of legislation ever backed by unions was exclusively for union members. Yes, unions do a lot of cage rattling, but who else is out there advocating for the working man or woman. By the way, Madigan has a 87% voting record according to the IL AFL-CIO website. That’s 40 years of support. He deserves better from the working class than what he’s been getting. That is about to change. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:27 am: LOL…it worked? Let’s wait and see Nov 7th. - Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:32 am: === how do you expect him to compromise with Republican legislators=== He did last July. Remember? - Demoralized - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:35 am: LP When you can answer how the Governor could ever get those three things passed in a Democratic General Assembly you let us all know. You, like the Governor, can’t count. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:39 am: ===Best quote ” I am not a change person”=== Rauner’s best quote? “I’m not in charge” LOL ===Says the man who has been the biggest reason Illinois is at least 130 billion in debt due to decades of unbalanced budgets during his tenure.=== Didn’t Charlie Wheeler embarrass you more than a couple times on this “balanced budget” nonsense. Bruce Rauner has yet to sign any budget, a failure, part of the reason Rauner is the worst Republican governor in America, so there’s that. - wordslinger - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:40 am: –Ah, the Monday morning apologists for Mr. Madigan.– Ah, somebody’s sad because everyone doesn’t agree with him. Get your victim on early this week. What apologists? Madigan couldn’t have delivered on what Rauner asked if he wanted to. You think Rauner could have counted on every GOP vote for that fakakta ask? What in Illinois electoral history makes you believe that there’s a mandate for eliminating collective bargaining, enacting r-t-w or rolling back prevailing wage? Rauner’s juggernaut 50% on the unbeatable Mighty Quinn? There’s a reason Rauner hid his reactionary agenda until after the election. He would have lost if he revealed it. Remember this guy? –In the run-up to the general election, on the other hand, Rauner was careful to mostly avoid union talk. “Pushing any specific labor regulation is not my priority at all,” he told Illinois Radio Network less than a month before voters went to the polls. Four months later, he unveiled the Turnaround Agenda.– http://nprillinois.org/post/illinois-issues-social-cost-rauner-v-labor#stream/0 - donwstate commissioner - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:41 am: Rauner’s first words to Mike Madigan should have been” Mr. Madigan, I know who you are and how much power you have; I respect that, and hope to find areas of compromise on where we disagree….” - JoanP - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:44 am: It’s been said before, but bears repeating: If Madigan disappeared today in a puff of smoke, Rauner still wouldn’t be able to get his “Turnaround Agenda” passed. It is antithetical to everything the Democratic Party and Democratic voters stand for. They’re never going to be anti-union, anti-working class. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:48 am: Why didn’t the Speaker compromise with the moderate Republicans and Democrats 2 1/2 years ago? Why are the majority of those “reasonable Republicans and Democrats” not running for reelection? - redraider - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:55 am: The claim that Madigan has been looking out for unions for the last 40 years is laughable. The only ones that have been protected over the past 4 decades have been the very wealthy. They have enjoyed the 4th most regressive structure in the nation while every other single constituency has been negatively impacted. Yes, Lucky, the Public Employee union members were harmed by State leadership neglecting their obligations to the pension funds and have even gone so far as to ” borrow” employee contributions. All to avoid making tough choices and change the tax structure. The speaker is only protecting unions now, because he understands that they helped create a working class and positive social change. Rauner only sees them as evil in the most simplistic of ways. You know. that same simplistic view that you seem to have. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:56 am: “Balanced budget nonsense” that certainly sums up the general attitude of Springfield politicians for the past 40 years - JS Mill - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:57 am: =other than raise their property taxes, income taxes = So many others can be “blamed” for that very same things. Every time the ILGA increases the “senior” exemption for property taxes it increases the burden for everyone else. Same for TIF’s, a GOP darling by the way. You blaming senior citizens now? The state exempts retirement income from state income tax which increases the burden on everyone else. You blaming retirees? You are really on your game though… - wordslinger - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 10:59 am: Rauner’s problems aren’t Dems anymore. He’s lost the control over GOP legislators that he had the first couple of years. They’ve rebelled on both ends of their spectrum. Maybe he should have treated them better, told the truth and stuck to his word every once in a while. - Langhorne - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 11:01 am: I keep trying to imagine how madigan presents the deal to his caucus. The gov wants us to, “enact a right-to-work law, repeal or dramatically change prevailing wage rules, and end collective bargaining for public employees”. Or else….. hes going to….be mean to me. Did he expect madigan to deliver 9 votes, or the whole caucus? - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 11:06 am: Are you blaming retirees? You mean the ones who benefitted the most from overspending and undertaxing during Madigan’s 40 year tenure? Yes now the next generation of “middle class workers” is paying the price and there are zero proposals to tax wealthy retirees. That is the third rail of Illinois politics, not overtaxing middle class people and their employers. - Da Big Bad Wolf - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 11:14 am: Langhorne, lol. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 11:24 am: Maybe Speaker Madigan can get out of his Chicago/ Springfield bubble and drive to our state’s borders and see how his “I am not a change person” policies are working? He can observe for himself which side of the border is “decimated” - Grandson of Man - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 11:25 am: “What have you done for these people specifically” Workers comp reform, Tier II pension reform (hated by public employee unions), Tier I pension reform that’s been ruled unconstitutional (hated by public employee unions), passing a full budget that enables us to pay our bill backlog, which has since been reduced to around half, etc. Where were the anti-Madigan, anti-union Illinoisans for whom Rauner purports to speak at all those local government meetings when Rauner pushed his TA? What sacrifices has Bruce Rauner made to help the state? His income more than tripled in his first year as governor, while he was trying to slash state employees and so many other employees who are union members or have unions at their jobs. Rauner made $279 million in the first two years he was governor—way more than past years. Rauner benefits from Illinois coming and going—decades of low state income taxes and public employee pension business. It’s past time that he pays higher state taxes and stops trying to extract so much from middle class workers. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 11:25 am: ===that certainly sums up the general attitude of Springfield politicians for the past 40 years=== … and Ranuer’s 3 going on 4 years, never proposing a balanced budget, and needing that tax increase to even get close to balancing anything. Charlie Wheeler made clear your utter nonsense on budgets, then balancing, and when was the last one. You don’t like it. Just like you don’t like Rauner’s attempted budgets, unbalanced as they were 100% required a tax increase. That’s why Rauner is the worst Republican governor in America, lol Don’t make me pull Mr. Wheeler’s explanation on where you’re ignorant (willfully) on balanced budgets. - Pot calling kettle - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 11:31 am: ==Speaker Madigan, there are “working families” that are not part of your power base of public sector unions. What have you done for these people specifically, other than raise their property taxes, income taxes and create an environment where their employers relocate or not expand in Illinois? === The research is crystal clear, in states with strong unions, the wages of ALL working people are higher and they work environments are safer. Why? Because the non-unionized employers need to treat their workers better or they will organize. And, prevailing wage laws level the playing field and make it much less likely that fly-by-night out-of-state contractors will undercut local contractors with low bids based on very low wages and low-skill labor. I would add that prevailing wage laws also save money in the long run, because the the work is higher quality (better paid, better trained tradespeople) and local contractors are easier to hold responsible for any deficiencies. - Ron - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 11:45 am: Illinois would have seen a nice uptick in job growth had these simple things been enacted. Oh well, I guess we get one of the worst job markets in the country. - Ron - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 11:47 am: I’d be willing to have progressive taxation if we got rid of government employee unions and prevailing wage. - Demoralized - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 11:54 am: ==Illinois would have seen a nice uptick in job growth had these simple things been enacted== Any data to back that up? I didn’t think so. - Demoralized - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 11:55 am: ==“I am not a change person”== Are you sure you didn’t mean Governor “I’m not in charge?” Maybe the Governor can get off of his duff and figure out this governing thing instead of being a constant victim. - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 11:59 am: Didn’t Rauner back off on most of his turn around agenda? Madigan seemed not interested in much compromise or working his own solutions towards needed State reform. Madigan earned his low approval levels on his own. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 12:03 pm: Illinois leads the nation in distrust of state government but the leader of the Democratic party in Illinois “is not a change person” Great strategy in a national wave year for the Democrats. JB Pritzker and Mike Madigan not changing Illinois. Cook County Democrats could mismanage a one car funeral procession. - Skeptic - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 12:06 pm: “I’d be willing to have progressive taxation if we got rid of government employee unions and prevailing wage.” How very magnanimous of you. And the data that shows that getting rid of public unions and prevailing would help is…where? - Honeybear - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 12:22 pm: Anonymous 11:59 You are so unbelievable wrong It is Rauner who has never compromised. Here sweetheart let me give you some clues. Rauner throwing Rodogno under the to Not compromise Going after the 10 to Not compromise Buying off Ken Dunkin to Not compromise Hiding debt and damage to Not compromise. Wow…. To say that madigan needs to. Is it compromise when the hostage taker Has a political gun to you head Your parties head Your allies head To educations head To private social services head It’s not called compromise It’s called appeasement And hostage takers don’t stop Extortionists don’t stop Give in once or “compromise” once And it’s all over Rauner has proven that he’ll sacrifice Anyone and anything To destroy labor No Perfidy is beneath Bruce Rauner - Ron - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 12:25 pm: Demoralized, look at our neighboring states job growth. - JS Mill - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 12:33 pm: =Demoralized, look at our neighboring states job growth.= Look at economic growth and let me know when any of them start gaining on Illinois. - Honeybear - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 12:42 pm: Ron I have a challenge for you. I’d like you to read Great American Jobs Scam by Greg LeRoy If you accept the challenge I will read the book of your choosing. What do you say? I guess it might be naive but I think this would greatly inform your economic understanding of job incentives. - Demoralized - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 1:00 pm: == look at our neighboring states job growth.== lol. That’s your data? You should apply for a economic research job with that ability to conduct an analysis. - Ron - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 1:09 pm: WI – record number of jobs 1.4% yoy job growth 3.2% unemployment IN – record number of jobs 0.7% yoy job growth 3.7% unemployment KY – record number of jobs 1.3% yoy job growth 4.7% unemployment MO – record number of jobs 1.1% yoy job growth 3.4% unemployment IL – hasn’t recovered jobs lost since the recession in the early 2000s 0.4% yoy job growth 4.9% unemployment - Demoralized - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 1:15 pm: And you think that means those “reforms” would result in your decreed benefits? You aren’t very good at this analysis thing. - Ron - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 1:15 pm: IA – record number of jobs 1.4% yoy job growth 2.9% unemployment - wordslinger - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 1:22 pm: Gee Ron, that’s a lot of records. At those paces, what millennium do you think any of those states will hit the 6.2 million employed in Illinois today? Or the 5 million that were employed in Illinois in 1976 (that’s as far back as BLS goes online)? - Ron - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 1:27 pm: typical head in the sand commentary from word - Chicago 20 - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 1:27 pm: - Ron Why are Minnesota and Kansas are missing from your redacted list? How did these ALEC/Koch policies work out for Kansas and Louisiana? - wordslinger - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 1:29 pm: –typical head in the sand commentary from word– LOL, and if you reach behind with both hands and pull really hard, you might be able to extract your head from where it resides. If you can find it, with both hands. - Ron - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 1:31 pm: All our neighbors are right to work and have record numbers of jobs and lower unemployment. Manufacturing is booming in those states, while downstate IL has become no better than West Virginia. - Ron - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 1:33 pm: All our neighbors other WI have significantly lower tax burdens than IL. - Ron - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 1:35 pm: Kansas unemployment rate is 3.5% and has record jobs. - Da Big Bad Wolf - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 2:28 pm: MO isn’t right to work. - Han's Solo Cup - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 3:37 pm: Here’s some more numbers to chew on Ron: Average Household income by state: Il-$59,588 Wis-$55,638 Iowa-$54,736 Ind-$50,532 Mo-$50,238 Ky-$45,215 - Anonymous - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 4:00 pm: Honeybear, Rauner clearly dropped some of his turnaround agenda points during the impasse. I’m not condoning Rauner’s failed strategies, but please look at this history of the budget negotiations. Voters are not blind-sighted. They are exhausted by both sides and pin some of this on the Dems (Madigan). - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 4:02 pm: ===by both sides=== Nope. Good try. No. Rauner is the only one with a veto. That’s how this works. Rauner’s 30/55 approval-disapproval lays the blame, like Rauner did with Quinn… with a governor. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 4:13 pm: https://www.missourieconomy.org/indicators/cost_of_living/ Chew on the cost of living while you are at it. We better have higher incomes because it costs more to live here than any of those bordering states. No wonder the poorer areas in Illinois are losing population. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 4:19 pm: Right OW, Rauner is the only one responsible for Springfield dysfunction and self dealing. The Co equal legislative branch whose leaders have lower approval ratings than Rauner and did not pass a budget for the Governor to veto for 2 1/2 years is blameless. Everything was running like a swiss watch 3 short years ago.Right? - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 4:33 pm: “Lucky Pierre” (lol)… ===Rauner is the only one responsible for Springfield dysfunction and self dealing.=== Did you forget? “I’m frustrated 2, but taking steps towards reforming IL more important than short term budget stalemate” That was the governor’s floor leader admitting that the impasse was not only worth it, but of Rauner’s doing. Are you even trying? ===The Co equal legislative branch whose leaders have lower approval ratings than Rauner…=== They aren’t running against Rauner, and aren’t the worst Republican governor in America, LOL… ===… did not pass a budget for the Governor to veto for 2 1/2 years is blameless.=== No. They passed budgets. Rauner vetoed then. You already know that. And thanks to the “Perfect 10” and “Brave 15” a bipartisan legislature saved Illinois from Rauner this year, Rauner, the worst Republican governor in America. ===Everything was running like a swiss watch 3 short years ago.Right?=== It’s definitely not now? “What would be different in a Rauner second term?”… more Rauner destruction is Rauner gets his way. Of all the “Lucky Pierre”, you aren’t what I would call one of the better ones. - Honeybear - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 4:51 pm: Anonymous, it’s entirely irrelevant that Rauner dropped points of the Turnaround agenda. He could never get 60/30 or even local communities to embrace it. Failed 100% That failure is not evidence of compromise. Look, if I were to demand that Ron be banished from Capfax then dropped it because Rich is just not going to do that. It doesn’t mean I compromised with Rich. It just means my campaign to knock out Ron was unrealistic and a failure. ( I’m still coming for you Ron) That Rauner has compromised on Anything Is pure perfidy - Honeybear - Monday, Jan 22, 18 @ 4:54 pm: Oh wait, my bad Rauner did compromise his integrity and word to a Bishop with his signing of HB40. - Chicago 20 - Tuesday, Jan 23, 18 @ 5:39 am: LP and Ron are foolishly advocating failed economic policies. Kansas http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a13528330/kansas-sam-brownback-disaster-republicans/ Louisiana http://www.newsweek.com/how-bobby-jindal-broke-louisiana-economy-337999?amp=1 Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.