38 Comments - @misterjayem - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:41 pm: “My view, very strongly, I’ve introduced balanced budgets every year.” That’s not how math works, Bruce. – MrJM - Sugar Corn - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:42 pm: Dishonest gaslighting. Or totally clueless. Either way it’s appalling. - Montrose - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:43 pm: “My view, very strongly, is 1 + 1 = 3.” - Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:43 pm: When Rauner lost the Superstars, as a white male, Rauner lost any grasp of what he wanted to do, did, or was doing these past three years. Failed governors don’t remember things like “page 30” of their own budget work. - Perrid - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:45 pm: It was almost $4.5 billion. If he really can’t remember plugging the gap by that much maybe he should retire to one of his old nursing homes in Florida… - wordslinger - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:47 pm: –”I’m not familiar with that.”– Finally, a truthful statement. I’m certain that Rauner has had no clue as to what was in any of his proposed budgets. The dude piled on more than $12B in unpaid bills in 2.5 years — you think he cares about fiscal policy? His reasons for running for governor, the whole schmear, were some personal anti-union vendetta. That’s what he paid the big money for. Everything else — including being head of the executive branch and all the responsibilities that entails — are superfluous to pursuing his personal agenda. We’re three years in, that’s where the evidence takes you. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:48 pm: ===”I feel, very strongly…”=== “I object.” “Overruled.” “…’No, no. I strenuously object’… is that how that works.” Rauner would make a heck of a Commander Galloway. - Rabid - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:50 pm: Stongman bends the true with his bare hands - Thinking - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:51 pm: I think should be very interesting as on February 7 there is a Senate joint appropriations hearing “update from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget on FY 18 revenue, budget implementation and cost-cutting initiatives.” - btowntruthfromforgottonia - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:54 pm: He’s lying. Period. - A Jack - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:55 pm: The guy can’t even remember where his grandfather was born, so he likely does have a memory problem. I mean, he hasn’t even been able to remember he has been governor for the last three years. He certainly can’t remember how many times he has failed. - DuPage Bard - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:55 pm: No one’s really surprised right? - ??? - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:56 pm: Oh, is that how this works? Well, then, I believe, strongly, that I look like Angelina Jolie. Believing it - even strongly! - doesn’t mean it’s true, Bruce. - Pitch - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:57 pm: Perhaps “Working together on grand bargain” isn’t a memorable title? How about this year: Grand Bargain 2: Still Bargainin’ The Grandest Bargain Ever Sold Rauner: The Last Bargain Bender 2 Bargains 2 Bad All the Bargains Grand and Small Bargain Impossible 2: Ghost Accrual And finally, in honor of Black History Month For Governors Who Need A Bargain When the Budget Is Not Enough - Anon221 - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:57 pm: Rauner, “I’m not familiar with that.” Wash, rinse, repeat. The political ads almost write themselves. - 47th Ward - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:58 pm: Please Governor. Go away and let the responsible people in the General Assembly put together a maintenance budget that gets us through the end of your horrible term as Governor. I know today is Groundhog Day, but please, I can’t take it anymore. - City Zen - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:58 pm: I sign all my checks “Working together on grand bargain” - Henry Francis - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:09 pm: It seems with each passing day, we are treated to worse and worse examples of the utter lack of respect and contempt the Guv has for his responsibilities as Governor. I am sure the Guv also strongly believes he will be re-elected. - Anonymous - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:11 pm: Pitch @ 12:57, I almost spit my drink onto my laptop. You win today. - Norseman - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:15 pm: Once upon a time, there was a wizard named Rauner. He another wizard named Madigan. The Rauner Wizard promised the peasants of a village a land of plenty if they brought him into their village. Instead of becoming more plentiful, the peasants crops were dying from the lack of water and nutrition. What the villagers didn’t know was that the Rauner Wizard had dammed the water flowing to their crops because the Madigan Wizard wanted the water to be shared among more peasants. By damming the water, Wizard Rauner thought he could convince the peasants to help him defeat Wizard Madigan and allow him to control the water. Wizard Rauner’s villagers blindly believed in his quest to smite the Wizard Madigan. They valiantly fought back Wizard Madigan’s peasants efforts to destroy the Rauner dam. As they became weaker and weaker from the lack of food, they began to wonder if Wizard Rauner was truly helping them by damming the water. Finally, some of the villagers helped open portions of the water. Wizard Rauner cast an evil spell on those who opened up a flow of water to the crops. Upon smiting those cooperating villagers, the Wizard Rauner once again promised to help them by damming the water. “Believe me,” said Wizard Rauner, “it’s Wizard Madigan’s fault that you have to share water.” “It’s water that you should have and if you put me in charge, I’ll make your lives perfect.” The wizard war continues. This fairy tale is brought to you by the Rauner administration. - Retired Educator - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:16 pm: When you lie, to cover the lie, that covers the first set of lies, you are lying. No matter how you say it, spin it, or explain it. You are lying, and what is truly sad is you expect us to believe you. - Blue Dog Dem - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:18 pm: Dear Governor Funny Bunny, Let me save you some time while you prepare your next balanced budget. Concentrate on the waste. By my accounts we have already trimmed about $15 billion due to fraud and abuse.. I don’t think we can find any more that way. Your Public Servant, Blue Dog Dem - dbk - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:25 pm: Doesn’t the gov own like nine houses in states not bordering on Illinois? I think an extended weekend jaunt is in order. All this makes me want to read that 2018 budget, line by line. No kidding. And I bet I’m not the only one. - Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:27 pm: Bargain Impossible 2: Ghost Accrual Definitely the most underrated sequel of the entire saga. I can’t wait for the next rollout of the “balanced” budget. I wonder if there will be a line item, “getting rid of Mike Madigan $20 billion” and he will claim a huge surplus. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:30 pm: Bruce Rauner - Grand Bargain? “Never heard of it” Bruce Rauner - Leader Radogno? “I don’t know her” And… scene. - Flynn's Mom - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:43 pm: Well, if he feels strongly about a balanced budget then he obviously has presented one each year. I feel very strongly that I play scratch golf. I’m not sure where that 16 handicap posted at the end of my Thursday league came from last year/s - George Costanza - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:43 pm: Just remember, it’s not a lie if you believe it. - Arthur Andersen - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:46 pm: Maybe he blocked it out because it was so bogus. - walker - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:51 pm: I for one, would be shocked, if our governor were that disconnected and clueless. Did he take someone else’s word for it? Did he not review the numbers even on a napkin? Is he so anti-government that he sees no role for himself in making it work? In what budgeting mindset, is a fudge factor of $4.5B, an assumed outcome from difficult future negotiations, part of a formal balanced budget? Even worse was the first year, where the $3.1B fudge factor was based on an illegal assumption, that even if eventually overcome in court, would have no fiscal impact for at least two years. Does he think a state budget proposal is really only a highly speculative business plan to present to potential investors? Sorry, I come from the big finance world, and this guy gives me heartache. - GOP Extremist - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:59 pm: This guy would lie to a priest. - Contract Disputin' - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 2:00 pm: Cut the guy some slack. Clearly, he meant he is “not familiar with” the actual PROCESS of workin’ together to achieve a grand bargain, because Madigan prevented the Governor from actually being able to work together. –FKA Workin’ - Fire Goldberg - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 2:00 pm: I’m not familiar with that but I fired Goldberg just in case - Flynn's Mom - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 2:05 pm: @OW…Do I sense an episode of Dad’s Home State in development? - Flynn's Mom - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 2:07 pm: @GOP Extemist….and a Cardinal. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 2:07 pm: - Flynn’s Mom - It’s cookin’, HBO asked for another episode prior to the budget address, so I would be surprised if there wasn’t an episode, already in the can, released maybe late today. - thoughts matter - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 2:16 pm: He’s been saying for weeks that reducing the income tax was definitely part of his budget. Now he says ‘if we do additional things… It is all bogus because we can’t do a balanced budget and reduce revenue right now. We are still way in the red on expenses. You would think a venture capitalist would understand this concept. - Langhorne - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 2:29 pm: Words/deeds…….now feelings “Feelings, feelings like I’ve never lost you And feelings like I’ll never have you again in my heart.” - zatoichi - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 2:34 pm: I got $25 in bills and $18 in my pocket. I know I will find $2.50 in the couch. Probably have $2.50 in change in the car. If I do not buy a $2 soda at 7-11 for the ride home, I am in good shape. Let the gas go a little longer. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.