* WCIA TV…
“No new taxes, truly balanced budget and for a full year, [and we should] not [be] waiting to deal with some of the difficult decisions until after the election,” Rauner said. “There was some expression within the conversations about ‘Maybe we should deal with some of these things post election.’ We should not let politics or elections get in the way of doing the right thing for the people of Illinois.” […]
“It’s apparently the kind of confusion [Rauner] is attracted to, for whatever reason,” Madigan spokesman Steve Brown responded, suggesting Rauner had perhaps seized on Cullerton’s public comments to reporters and not to any conversations that had occurred in private.
“What is true is that there’s an election in the middle of the fiscal year and we haven’t had that before,” Cullerton said, “so that might play a role in somebody’s motivation.” He quickly clarified the political calculations were “Not mine.”
The Senate Democrats agree with Brown’s claim that the topic of delaying decisions until after the elections wasn’t discussed during the leaders meeting.
I think Brownie may be right on this one. After previous meetings, the governor has watched BlueRoomStream.com’s live video of the leader avails and then reacted. So, Gov. Rauner could’ve been watching yesterday’s video feed of Cullerton’s post-meeting comments and heard that election mention and then said what he said afterward.
- Just Me - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 9:21 am:
Why is it so hard for these people to do the job that they begged us to let them do?
- JS Mill - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 9:26 am:
This morning our local news (Peoria based station) reported on the budget discussions based on Rauners statements and showed footage of Rauner speaking to reporters.
He is pushing the “Democrats are slow rolling” and “can’t agree on revenue” really hard. In fact, from what I saw, that is his only narrative.
Rauner’s narrative seems to contradict much of what the four legislative leaders are saying.
My belief is that his motivation is purely to throw a wrench in the process and create the illusion that it is actually the Democrats.
He craves another budget crisis.
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 9:28 am:
The image of Bruce Rauner huddled around a TV looking desperately for something he can spin to cover for the fact that he doesn’t really have a leadership role or plan for anything really is small and sad.
Is this what the office of governor has been reduced to in the state of Illinois?
- Macbeth - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 9:31 am:
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Why is it so hard for these people to do the job that they begged us to let them do?
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Why is it so hard to tell the truth?
Is the truth — I’m talking about Rauner here — so painful and so unpersuasive that it risks a poll dip every single time?
Every step of Rauner’s existence must be poll-driven.
- JoanP - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 9:37 am:
What do we expect from a guy who admits that he doesn’t pay attention?
- Pundent - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 9:39 am:
A budget at this point that relies on the current tax rates is counter to the Rauner narrative that would have you believe we can lower the taxes and balance the budget. He will obfuscate from now until November as a result. To the extent we have a budget it will only occur after a veto override.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 9:48 am:
Rauner can’t, he just can’t, sign a budget with the agreed to revenue to balance it, having that 32% “Madigan Tax” be part of that equation.
Can’t.
It destroys his whole campaign.
Rauner will continue to stall to create a crisis, even if his entire staff, agency heads, everyone attached to his branch continue to work diligently to get that elusive budget deal done, so elusive, Rauner is a sitting governor yet to sign a full fiscal year budget for three years, and a sharper point… an entire General Assembly was seated and ended Sine Die… without a budget signed by this governor.
It would behoove Leaders Brady and Durkin to compel this governor to fulfill his obligation once… to sign a budget for the betterment of Illinois… before a bipartisan General Assembly decides 71 and 36 members will give Illinois her budget, Rauner veto… or not.
So, if I’m making a case Rauner politically can’t sign a budget AND the history of his term and the needs of today all but scream Rauner needs to sign a budget…
my point…
… Rauner needs to face (a) budgetary bill(s) that have 71 and 36 already baked into the end game… and force this governor to choose… will Rauner be a governor never signing a budget, or Rauber signing a budget that requires that revenue he (Rauner) sees as unneeded… except to balance that signed budget.
The rest?
The rest is up to Bruce Rauner.
- Doctor Moriarty - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 9:49 am:
Does the Guv suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
- Arsenal - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 10:00 am:
==Rauner can’t, he just can’t, sign a budget with the agreed to revenue to balance it, having that 32% “Madigan Tax” be part of that equation.==
But, at the same time, he can’t survive anymore budget drama, either.
- Pundent - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 10:04 am:
=But, at the same time, he can’t survive anymore budget drama, either.=
Budget drama is all he has at this point. His whole campaign centers around the “Madigan tax.” If he can’t run on that what does he have left?
The larger question is will the courage and votes be there this time around to override the inevitable veto.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 10:04 am:
===But, at the same time, he can’t survive anymore budget drama, either.===
Which I thought I addressed?
===It would behoove Leaders Brady and Durkin to compel this governor to fulfill his obligation once… to sign a budget for the betterment of Illinois… before a bipartisan General Assembly decides 71 and 36 members will give Illinois her budget, Rauner veto… or not.===
That would end th drama. There would be no drama.
The 71 and 36 would shut down a show down.
The rest is up to Governor Bruce Rauner… if that 71 and 36 exists out there.
- Juice - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 10:05 am:
Arsenal, I would argue that’s why the Governor is focused on complaining about process. Having that be his primary complaint will likely agitate some of the members of the house who have an actual interest in governing, and allow the Speaker to once again find a veto proof majority for a budget so the Governor can once again abdicate any sort of responsibility but also get a budget that he can complain about.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 10:08 am:
Across the political spectrum it seems there is general agreement, outside the bought-and-paid-for, that you can’t trust anything Rauner says.
Rauner’s public record of flip-flops and back-stabbing is quite clear.
How can a guy like that actually be a governor? Who can trust him?
- Macbeth - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 10:09 am:
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If he can’t run on that what does he have left?
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The Hail-Mary pass he’s always threatened: forcing a strike.
This is the scorched-earth, policy-of-last-resort-especially-if-I-can’t-win-the-election.
- Roman - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 10:31 am:
Willy is right. I don’t see Rauner signing anything. The four leaders are gonna have to cut him out and put something together that is reasonable enough for a handful House Republicans to get behind. Put it on the governor’s desk, then Durkin and Brady have to talk him into a quick veto, which can be followed by a quick override. Everyone goes home early June.
- Annonin' - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 10:34 am:
OK now that we wrestled with the mish mash let’s turn to the new IDOR revenue estimates and GUMBY’s unauthorized overspendin’
Perhaps GovJunk can fill us in —- if he is in town.
- Jocko - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 10:53 am:
==No new taxes, truly balanced budget and for a full year==
Until I see Bruce strapped to a polygraph when he utters this statement…consider me skeptical. Did he refute Mendoza’s numbers or does he just ramble on about baloney, corrupt bargain, etc.?
- Huh? - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 12:53 pm:
Does the Guv suffer from ADHD?
No, OCD. He compulsively obsesses about Madigan.
- Ron - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 9:23 pm:
Budget drama? As in decades of unbalanced budgets under Madigan?
- Ron - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 9:25 pm:
Was Edgars massive kicking of the pension can budget drama?