* SJ-R…

Gov. Bruce Rauner last week signed an executive order changing the name of the Illinois Executive Mansion to the Illinois Governor’s Mansion, effective July 1. […]

“In preparation for the reopening of the people’s house following a privately funded restoration, we thought it was only fitting to officially title it what everyone already calls it, The Governor’s Mansion,” said Rauner spokeswoman Rachel Bold.

The change brings Illinois in line with most other states who call their executive residence a “governor’s mansion.” Until now, Illinois was joined by only New York, North Carolina and Virginia in using “executive” in the title. […]

Lori Montana, who has been a mansion association member for 20 years, said she has always called it the “Governor’s Mansion” and that the bicentennial was a perfect time to make the change.

* Meanwhile…

As part of an ongoing effort to streamline government and avoid wasteful spending, Governor Bruce Rauner today issued an executive order abolishing 19 boards and commissions that have been inactive for five years or more.

The move eliminates some entities that were created for a special but temporary purpose which has been fulfilled. Others are being abolished because they are redundant with other units of state government.

Over the years, either by statute or executive order, the state of Illinois has created more than 600 authorities, boards, commissions, councils, task forces, and other similar entities. The action taken by the Governor today is the first step in a plan to eliminate more than 100 such entities in the months ahead.

The order does not invalidate any action undertaken or ratified by the eliminated boards and commissions. In addition, though unlikely, any unexpected balances of appropriations, funds, grants, donations or other moneys available to the units will be transferred to the Department of Central Management Services (CMS) or an appropriate Department and expended for similar purposes.

The list of abolished entities is below:

The list…

       

27 Comments - MissingG - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:44 pm: He should’ve renamed it “the Illinois Governor’s Mansion and Pritzker Garden” - Da Big Bad Wolf - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:46 pm: Abolished the boards? What does this mean? Were the board members still meeting? If some were only temporary wouldn’t they be abolished when the task was finished? Does this mean selling a table and some chairs to the resale shop? - Veil of Ignorance - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:47 pm: Wonder why Rauner didn’t abolish the Hate Crimes Commission too…hasn’t appointed anybody for years. - Demoralized - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:48 pm: Funds aren’t physically transferred to anyone. They’ll sit in whatever fund they are in. And I’m pretty certain the Governor cannot decree that the money may be spent by CMS or anyone else without a specific appropriation to do so. - Montrose - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:50 pm: My hunch is that the staff time spent of creating the list of board to abolish cost more than what the government is currently spending on those boards. - Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:52 pm: Good idea. Having it called the “Executive Mansion” would confuse people into thinking that the person that lives there is actually executing some sort of work. Being known as the “Governor’s Mansion” people can understand it as what it truly is, the last place you live before federal prison - Nick Name - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:54 pm: ===Were the board members still meeting?=== Look at the list. Eight never did anything, one was replaced in 2009, and the rest haven’t done anything in a decade or more. This appears to be no big deal. - Skeptic - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 1:59 pm: I guess he’s right, there is some waste, fraud and abuse. Now he just needs to find $3.9999999B more. - walker - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:01 pm: Maybe all such boards should be set up with an automatic sunset, triggered by lack of activity for some extended period. - Norseman - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:12 pm: Real heavy lift here by Rauner and his latest crew (I forget what these folks are called.) === Abolished the boards? What does this mean? === I was going to say nothing, but someone else made the good point that agency staff spent time responding to this meaningless effort. === And I’m pretty certain the Governor cannot decree that the money may be spent by CMS or anyone else without a specific appropriation to do so. === I’m pretty sure you’re on target D. If I recall correctly, the only exception is if there is a successor agency. === Governor’s Mansion === I guess the one good thing about this silly EO is that he didn’t rename the place the “No Labor Union Rauner Memorial Palace.” - Thoughts Matter - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:13 pm: Since I’m more than happy to criticize the governor… I’m happy to notice when something good is done. We do not need do-nothing boards. The money should go to the similar function. If that agency or board already has a surplus, then out it back in play some where else. - Rabid - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:19 pm: Cheap trick claiming ownership, its the ” people’s house” - Amalia - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:19 pm: not a big deal. now if he got onto actually working to eliminate townships, I’d be impressed. - A guy - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:20 pm: Given our recent history, it should be called “The Big House”. - Norseman - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:24 pm: === Maybe all such boards should be set up with an automatic sunset. === Good idea. It’s been used at times. The “Statute on Statutes” should be amended to mandate a sunset effective a year after the due date of any final report. The problem is that a lot of these are pushed by legislators on behalf of an interest group who want “input” into a program’s administration. They then wilt on the vine from inactivity on the part of the Governor or agency. - Swift - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 2:24 pm: I don’t believe a statutory provision can be undone by an executive order. Most of these boards and commissions are set forth by statute. It makes sense to get rid of them if they don’t meet or have any members, but the GA needs to challenge this to maintain the separation between the legislative and executive branch. - Chairman of the Bored - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 3:14 pm: “The action taken by the Governor today is the first step in a plan to eliminate more than 100 such entities in the months ahead.” I’ll be interested in seeing if this goes anywhere. There are plenty more boards and commissions out there, many of which are the Governor’s responsibility. Many appointed positions on these boards & commissions (again, a responsibility of the Governor, in most cases) remain vacant; many others show incumbent appointees are still serving on terms that expired long ago. Some of these boards and commissions have been waiting for the Governor’s office to get off their duffs and fill these vacancies for years. It’s not easy to do a board’s business if a quorum of board members cannot be assembled. Can’t wait to see if the same bureaus are eliminated for inaction that may have been caused, or at least aggravated by, the chronic vacancies. https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/bac/SitePages/AppointmentsListing.aspx - Annonin' - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 3:15 pm: “Do Nothin’” boards do just that — nothin’ The notion that some staff folk found a list, noticed the boards a& commission staff had no sent over names, noticed no minutes on file, blah blah blah. Thought this all happened with the Slip&Sue consolidation? Speakin’ of S&S has anyone saw her since election night? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 3:20 pm: ===Thought this all happened with the Slip&Sue consolidation? Speakin’ of S&S has anyone saw her since election night?=== Ole Slip and Sue is in a secret location that has no steps, “walk in” bathroom fixtures, padded walls, and insurance approved footwear. It was fun seeing her… - Norseman - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 3:21 pm: Swift, read the executive reorg provision of the constitution. He can do this before 4/1/XX - New at this - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 3:29 pm: No! Not the Grape and Wine Resources Council!! What will the members of his wine club rely on? - downstate commissioner - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 4:35 pm: Amalia apparently doesn’t know anything about downstate townships… Or she thinks it is ok to overspend and waste money like the state… - 37B - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 5:10 pm: Rauner apparently is trying to create an appearance that he is doing something, anything. It reminds me of the tattoo on the faus Bishop of Canterbury in “Johnny English”: Jesus is coming. Look busy. - Langhorne - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 5:10 pm: If these boards are doing nothing, abolishing them accomplishes ,,,,,,,,,,,, nothing. Bureaucratic self-gratification. - 37B - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 5:12 pm: “faux” not “faus”. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 3, 18 @ 6:21 pm: –“In preparation for the reopening of the people’s house following a privately funded restoration, we thought it was only fitting to officially title it what everyone already calls it, The Governor’s Mansion,” said Rauner spokeswoman Rachel Bold.– Um, you just called it “the people’s house.” Why not name it that? - steve - Wednesday, Apr 4, 18 @ 6:01 am: I believe he should do away with the committee that negotiates the State budget. Its been a while since anything has come out of that as well. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.