52 Comments - Nick - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:24 pm: I was going to say redistricting reform but I assume that makes me a unperson - anon - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:24 pm: elect a new speaker - Yup! - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:26 pm: Consolidation of local governments, including public school to help reign in property taxes. - Macbeth - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:27 pm: Well, since Madigan is the only person standing behind us and a failed Kansas-style experiment titled ‘Turnaround Agenda’, my suggestion would be for Madigan to make sure Rauner doesn’t get re-elected. How that happens matters less (to me) than the fact that it *does* happen. - Broken record - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:30 pm: Legalize recreational marijuana. - El Conquistador - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:31 pm: I’m with Macbeth. - SaulGoodman - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:31 pm: Pot. Progressive income tax. Minimum wage increase. Redistricting reform. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:31 pm: I want a budgetary compromise that nets 71 and 36… … and freezes out Rauner… to save Illinois. I know Ms. Wheeler would call that betrayal, but fortunately for Illinois Ms. Wheeler won’t be returning to the GA. - Perrid - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:31 pm: Graduated Income tax, and whatever else, stop kicking the (mostly pension) debt can down the road. The fact that the plan, the goal, is for the unfunded liability to continue to get worse for the next decade before we start ramping up payments is quite literally insane. I really wish it were criminal how incompetent it shows they are. We are not going to be able to break the promise we made to employees, we aren’t, and I simply do not care what anyone’s opinion about their pensions are, so stop fighting that fight and start figuring out what has to be cut or what has to be raised to get us out from under this mountain. Yes solving the problem will mean selecting winners and losers and will make a heck of a lot of people mad. So what? Whew, OK, I’m done. - Blue Bayou - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:31 pm: Education funding. We need to invest in the future, stop the brain drain. - DuPage - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:35 pm: Pay the pension systems the actuarially required amounts each year. No more IOUs or “pension holidays”. - FDB - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:35 pm: The easiest answer: Legal marijuana. Whatever state in the Midwest pulls the trigger first will not only get the millions in sales, but also the “weed tourism” factor is something that is not talked about nearly enough. Originally from MI, I have heard from political friends there they are a lot closer to doing it than IL is. Can you imagine the amount of young Chicagoland folks that will be taking weekend trips to the west side of MI to partake in the legal weed? It would be insane. IL could very easily reverse that scenario by beating them to punch. Another thing I’d love to see (does the constitution allow such a thing??) is Election Day as a holiday for state employees. Not a perfect law, but a step in the right direction. There’s absolutely no logical reason why we conduct elections on a Tuesday in the winter — but because it is near impossible to overturn I’d love to see IL do everything they can to get people to the polls. Again, no idea if that is even allowed. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:35 pm: For starters: With a responsible governor, refocus on and rebuild the core responsibilities sabotaged by Rauner — social services, higher ed, infrastructure– while paying down the enormous GRF Rauner debt. - Earnest - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:38 pm: I want them to give Illinois stable, balanced budgets. I know that’s a painfully simplistic response and there’s everything to debate about how that is achieved. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:41 pm: What Rauner wants - without Rauner. - Genie - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:42 pm: I wish for an early retirement incentive. - Macbeth - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:43 pm: — … Election Day as a holiday for state employees. — Election day *is* a holiday for state employees. Every other year, state employees get Tuesday off to vote. - Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:44 pm: Mike Madigan codespeak for Budgetary Compromise is Democratic special interest groups concede nothing and middle class taxpayers get hammered. - Al - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:44 pm: Tax casinos to fund the common school fund and lower our property taxes. Tax liquor and end the alcohol subsidy hidden by a corrupt income tax system. Have a liquor control commission that will enforce the liquor law, rather than the do nothing Rauner commission of closed door no public allowed hearing. Only non-compliance letters, no fines no licences pulled. A free for all. Require all liquor to be labeled it causes birth defects, breast and colon cancer. Legalize both hemp and cannabis. Raise the age to purchase tobacco to 21. Initiate a Royalty tax on all mineral extraction. Oil, Gas, coal, fracking sand, lead. Lower the speed limit to 60 and pass a Helmut law. Appropriate funds to arrest and prosecute tax cheats who hire undocumented aliens. Appropriate fund for mandatory tracking of seized firearms and prosecute straw purchasers. Don’t hold your breath for any good public policy to see the light of day. The General assembly is full of goofballs. - Hamlet's Ghost - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:46 pm: Adopt a stable budget year after year after year that ends the drama and accepts certain realities: - Local government consolidation won’t yield meaningful savings (it’s just a way to distract people by shouting “Look over there”); - A progressive income tax that requires a constitutional amendment approved by referendum is not a realistic short term goal for the GA (Sorry, Daniel Biss, sorry) - a higher flat rate combined with a much higher exemption amount is a quick fix the GA can and should do; - Bond over the past due debt to reduce accrual of late payment interest accruals; - Establish consensus that public sector collective bargaining is here to stay therefore do not hold the budget hostage to anti-union poison pills such as calls to end prevailing wage; - Accept that it will take years to dig out and that a stable budget process, without annual drama, will do much more to improve the IL business climate than Bruce Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda; - Encourage the Rauners to enjoy life as residents of Italy - Henry Francis - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:46 pm: Put partisanship aside, work together, compromise, give, take, get stuff done. Real stuff that will resemble responsible governing. - allknowingmasterofraccoondom - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:51 pm: Rich you would lifetime ban me if I wrote what I want therm to do. - Saluki - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:51 pm: Redistricting reform. That alone would do much to get Illinois back on track. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 1:59 pm: ===Mike Madigan codespeak for Budgetary Compromise is Democratic special interest groups concede nothing and middle class taxpayers get hammered.=== … and yet, Madigan with Republicans, got a budgetary passage done, because saving the state is more important that a short term budget stalemate… driven by an agenda that can’t get 60 and 30. Ask Leader Radogno about all this and Rauner and compromise while you’re at it. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:01 pm: “Well, since Madigan is the only person standing behind us and a failed Kansas-style experiment titled ‘Turnaround Agenda’” - Because what Illinois has been doing is so successful? - anon2 - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:01 pm: Most voters want their primary ballot party choice to be kept private. Changing the law to protect voter privacy so would also boost turnout. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:02 pm: ===Because what Illinois has been doing is so successful?=== Rauner’s two years of debt took 18 years to accrue the same debt. Keep. Up. Please. - Annonin' - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:04 pm: “want” How about a Jaguar convertible? cannot imagine who is asking for remap reform as if that improves anything except is closes a lot of NFP’s so the donations wasted there could go for a good cause. - anon2 - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:07 pm: Expand voter options in two ways: 1) Bring back the single-vote straight party punch for those who want to use it. 2) Adopt Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), which allows voters to rank candidates when there are more than two on the ballot, and which requires the winner to gain the support (even if not first choice) of the majority of voters. This reform would reduce nastiness in multi-candidate campaigns because the winner may need to be the second choice of some of his opponents’ supporters. Mudslinging and half-truths are counterproductive in that regard. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:08 pm: Analyze Democratic electoral achievements before MJM was chairman and after. Things changed drastically. As successful as state chair and as speaker. There aren’t too many in history that can compare to him, if any. - George - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:08 pm: “Redistricting reform. That alone would do much to get Illinois back on track.” Right. Because if you change how districts are drawn, we’re miraculously going to start electing informed moderates with long term focus who aren’t afraid to lose the next election in order to pass sound fiscal policy. In a state were each geographical area overwhelmingly favors one party or the other. But yes, redistricting reform is the political cure all of our time, so sure, that’s alone would do much to get us there. - anon2 - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:09 pm: Require legislators to wait at least one year after they retire before going to work for or as a lobbyist. - Smitty Irving - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:13 pm: Hamlet’s Ghost - If local government consolidation does nothing more than ensure all units of local government get consistent media coverage, good enough for me. - don the legend - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:20 pm: The Question: What do you want the GA to do? Lucky’s response: Mike Madigan codespeak for Budgetary Compromise is Democratic special interest groups concede nothing and middle class taxpayers get hammered. Enough said. - Hamlet's Ghost - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:23 pm: As for election reform, I’d put back the cut back and elect three state reps at large within each state senate district. Perhaps with instant run-off voting. That would be more effective at solving the map-making than a supposed “independent” commission. But, alas, that would require a constitutional amendment and is not within the sole power of the GA. - Streator Curmudgeon - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:28 pm: Put a limit on the number of terms one person can serve as Speaker. - Dome Gnome - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:28 pm: I think people want stability, and Rauner destabilized our state even further. What do we want? Less Rauner. - anon2 - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:32 pm: If JB wins, and Dems get back a super-majority in the House, then I would hope Madigan brings back the straight-party punch, which was eliminated by the lameduck GOP legislature on its last day in 1997. - Al - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:36 pm: Tax RoundUp and other cancerous agents and begin the end of taxpayer subsidized to cancer and birth defect causing polluters. - Thoughts Matter - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:48 pm: Legalize marijuana Redistrict to districts that have fairly drawn lines in ways that make sense based on geography and population, not political retention. Fix the pension ramp without blaming state workers Pass a budget on time Stop pointing fingers at each other - represent all your district not just your party. Be honest about revenue and expense needs. - TinyDancer(FKASue) - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 2:58 pm: For starters: Graduated income tax. Use additional income tax to fund the schools and take pressure off property taxes. Stop using the prison system as a mental health agency. Fund mental heath care. - SSL - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 3:09 pm: If Madigan was serious about listening to the people he would have retired. - High Speed Rail - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 3:18 pm: Chicago to Springfield in 90 minutes, with hourly departures. - Pieroge tirebiter - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 3:34 pm: Casinos at O’Hare and the old us steel plant on the Southeast side. Outside money coming in at O’Hare staying in Illinois at USS - Keyrock - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 3:36 pm: 1. Repeal the Cutack Amendment. 2. Merit selection of judges for Cook County. 3. Graduated income tax amendment. - Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 4:10 pm: A capital/infrastructure program. Fix our Veterans’ homes. Now. Restore social services decimated by Rauner. Fund higher ed at a rational level. That means that we may not need every campus that is open today. No pension funding games. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 4:11 pm: Bring the Gaming Expansion bill to a vote. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 4:32 pm: Legalize and tax rec marijuana, appropriate back pay to workers. - peon - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 7:41 pm: A robust discharge petition mechanism so that bills with majority support can reach the floor. - justacitizen - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 8:04 pm: Term limit Madigan - retroactively. - cc - Tuesday, Apr 24, 18 @ 10:15 pm: Courts to allow the citizens of Illinois to file a class action suit against the governor for at least dereliction of duty. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Apr 25, 18 @ 7:45 am: “Redistricting reform” is for suckers. The Illinois GOP opposes gay rights, reproductive rights, immigration reform, gun safety laws, progressive income tax, millionaires tax, closing corporate loopholes, raising the minimum wage….all things that the vast majority of Illinoisans support. The GOP cannot compete because they have lousy, unpopular positions on issues the public cares about. Why should we redraw districts to give them an equal chance of getting elected. If they want an equal chance of getting elected, all they have to do is start having equally good ideas. As for my wish? Tax reform with three components: 1. Progressive income tax 2. Expand sales tax base while lowering rate 3. Property tax relief for property poor communities, similar to the EITC. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.