* A couple of weeks ago, he sent out a press release heralding the birthdate of Jane Addams. Last month, he heralded the 25th anniversary of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s swearing-in. Today, it’s this…
House Speaker Michael J. Madigan released the following statement in support of the McDonald’s employees’ strike protesting sexual harassment:
“I support the McDonald’s workers in Chicago and across the country who are taking a stand to say it’s time they are heard and that sexual harassment in the workplace must end. It has become all too clear just how prevalent workplace harassment is. While much of the headlines of the MeToo movement have focused on high-profile celebrities and CEOs, women in every industry are experiencing harassment while simply trying to do their jobs, and not enough is being done to ensure women in the service industries are heard. America’s ‘first best job’ should not include abuse and harassment.
“Not only does harassment hurt individuals and workplaces, harassment harms our economy because it stops women from moving up the economic ladder—perpetuating the gender wage gap. All employers have a responsibility to take initiative to improve cultures and internal policies.
“Companies and policymakers have a responsibility to make sure our workplaces are free from harassment and that there are safe, reliable avenues for reporting abuse, a way to conduct prompt and thorough investigations and hold perpetrators accountable.
“This is an issue that has been a priority for my office. At my request, my Chief of Staff Jessica Basham has been meeting with some of the country’s leading women’s and progressive groups to gather the best ideas proposed to positively impact women and families. She is also leading a review of our internal policies and practices, and we have established a new process to bring complaints and have begun new in-person sexual harassment training.
“Abuse of power, discrimination, and harassment corrode our workplaces. I commend the women who have joined together to fight for what they have deserved all along—a workplace free of harassment and discrimination.”
The re-election seeking governor and business leaders that endorsed him Tuesday kept up the Rauner campaign’s theme of hitting Pritzker on taxes. The Democratic a billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune has proposed a graduated tax system for the state, having people with higher incomes pay higher rates. Pritzker hasn’t revealed what he thinks those specific rates should be.
Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch said it’s “bunk” that the higher rates would only apply to millionaires.
He pointed to Minnesota, saying the top tax rates there are paid by families making more than $250,000 per year.
“That’s not the rich,” Maisch said at the endorsement event at an Addison business. “If you’re living in this community and around, sure, $255,000, we all aspire to get there and that’s a great salary. It is not the rich. You do not build (wealth) if you are a family making $250,000.”
“Rich” is such a loaded term. We can argue all day about who is and isn’t rich. Pritzker ought to stop using loaded words like that, too. There is only a teeny-tiny handful of people in this state as rich as himself and Gov. Rauner. Unless you’re gonna tax them at a very high rate, a tax increase can’t be limited to only those folks.
I kinda liked the Pew Research Center’s attempt at defining upper-income households this week. It’s got some reason and substance behind it.
* Also, since Minnesota was mentioned…
Today Bruce Rauner claimed "the middle class gets socked" under a fair income tax system, and used Minnesota to prove his point
* The governor is still apparently looking for that elusive magic message that will make everyone go, “Oh, OK. Now I get it!”…
If re-elected, Rauner said he plans to spend more time with Illinois’ residents, and its media.
“It’s hard to communicate to 12.8 million people,” he said. “What I’ve learned is that I need to spend a lot of one-on-one time with legislators listening.
“I need to spend more time communicating with people, just getting the message out about what’s at stake,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot. I come from business and, in business, you can make a decision and implement it.”
* The Question: If you worked for Bruce Rauner, what message would you recommend he use to improve his image? This is not snark. It’s a serious question.
In the closing weeks of his re-election bid, Republican U.S. Rep Peter Roskam is trying to connect his opponent Sean Casten to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, calling his Democratic challenger a tax-happy “Madigan puppet.”
Casten wants to unseat Roskam from Congress, in Washington, D.C., not the Illinois Capitol in Springfield, where Madigan is widely considered the most powerful figure. Nevertheless, Roskam is invoking Madigan in speeches and TV ads, a tactic that aligns with Gov. Bruce Rauner and state-level Republicans as they attempt to position themselves as a counterweight to the Southwest Side Democrat and “the Chicago machine.”
“Do we really want Mike Madigan and his team to do a clean sweep in the suburbs?” Roskam asked the crowd Sunday at a rally for Kane County Republicans in Geneva. “And the answer is, of course, ‘No.’ And so we’ve got an opportunity between now and Election Day to over-perform and to bring through this great economic truth: that is we want things that grow. We want an economy where people can participate actively. And it is those things that are at stake.” […]
The anti-Madigan strategy is so pervasive in Illinois Republican politics that it is being carried out in another hot congressional race more than 300 miles away in the state’s most southern district. There, U.S. Rep. Mike Bost just started airing a TV ad in his race against Democratic challenger Brendan Kelly, tying him to both Madigan and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi using just one sentence.
When I served in the Navy, I learned it’s not just about service – it’s about who you serve. My opponent, Mike Bost, has been an Illinois politician for almost 35 years, he even voted to raise his own pay. He’s taken thousands of campaign contributions from Big Banks, Big Pharma, and Bruce Rauner. Then he handed them a corrupt tax giveaway — threatening Medicare and Social Security. I’m Brendan Kelly, and I approve this message, because I will only serve Southern Illinois. Not party leaders and not Big Pharma.
You don’t see this a lot, even with Rauner’s low poll numbers.
*** UPDATE *** Check out this Paul Ryan super PAC ad…
* “Soft circles” essentially means conditional commitments…
Gov. Bruce Rauner talks about getting a U of Ill campus in Chicago, Rockford, Peoria and the Quad-Cities. "It's totally doable, I don't want to jinx it but I got soft circles with their alumni." He said during a meeting with the @qctimes Editorial Board. @GovRauner@BruceRaunerpic.twitter.com/0M9×9JBffo
Elected officials who don’t want to apologize take the next-closest step: Explain how they’ll govern differently.
Embattled Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is a case study of this crisis strategy. Last week, he pledged to listen more to differing views instead of forging through with unpopular reforms. “I’m not perfect, but I’ve grown and I’m still committed to doing what’s right for Illinois. I humbly ask for another four years to finish the job we started — to save our state,” Rauner said.
It’s no coincidence that Rauner, a well-financed candidate, is polling at a dismal 30 percent after barely winning his primary in March. Barring a miracle, he’s headed to defeat against Democrat J.B. Pritzker.
The reality is Tip O’Neill’s maxim no longer applies: All local politics is now national. Members of Congress who focus on districtwide accomplishments will be running against a wave of national attacks that resonate more with constituents.
Rauner has famously been reluctant to even use Trump’s name, despite withering criticism. His opponent, Democrat J.B. Pritzker, just released an ad that features a television reporter repeatedly asking Rauner about Trump, only to be chided by Rauner to “focus” on issues affecting Illinois.
I was listening to a radio interview the other day and Rauner called the latest poll showing him 17 points down “Baloney,” even though polling has consistently had him trailing by large amounts since June.
Today, Governor Rauner was endorsed by the state’s four most prominent business groups that support his goal of reducing the tax and regulatory burden to grow the Illinois economy. He released the following statement following endorsements by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, Associated Builders and Contractors, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and Illinois Manufacturers Association.
“It is a tremendous honor to receive endorsements from the NFIB, ABC, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and IMA. I am committed to making Illinois the best state in the country to start and grow a business. We will continue working every day to grow the Illinois economy by reducing the tax and regulatory burden on our businesses to create more good-paying jobs.” - Governor Bruce Rauner
ABC President Alicia Martin released the following statement:
“ABC endorsed Bruce Rauner for Governor in the fall of 2013. We did so because we firmly believed Governor Bruce Rauner would make a positive impact on the economic well-being of ABC members and the construction industry. Given the accomplishments of Governor Rauner over the past almost four years, we were right to endorse him then and we are right to endorse him for another four-year term.”
NFIB State Director Mark Grant released the following statement:
“Governor Rauner is the clear choice for Illinois’ small businesses.
“When he took office nearly four years ago, Illinois small businesses were struggling to keep their heads above water and to compete with business in the region. Today, they are firing on all cylinders, hiring more workers, paying higher wages and growing their businesses. They know that Governor Rauner and his economic and government reform agenda is a major reason why.
“…Despite well-funded and entrenched opposition, Governor Rauner has never backed down. He remains deeply committed to policies and legislation that will help attract and keep jobs in the state.
“On behalf of our dues-paying members throughout Illinois, I’m proud to announce the NFIB Illinois PAC’s endorsement of Bruce Rauner for a second term as governor.”
Greg Baise, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, release the following statement:
“The IMA endorsed Bruce Rauner four years ago because Illinois could not afford a Governor who created a hostile business climate with more spending and higher taxes. Four years later, voters in this state could not have a sharper contrast between the two candidates for Governor. JB Pritzker supports raising taxes and spending taxpayer money without accountability as far as the eye can see. The choice is clear as Bruce Rauner is the only candidate that will protect your pocketbook and that’s why manufacturers across this state are endorsing him for Governor today.”
Rick Delawder, President of SWD, Inc. and Chairman of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association released the following statement:
“The business community needs a Governor who understands the challenges facing employers and taxpayers every day. As a family owned manufacturing business, we’ve seen some tough times in this state due to policies that make it difficult for us and our customers to compete and grow our businesses. Higher taxes, higher spending and more regulations do not create jobs or result in higher wages and greater investment. JB Pritzker’s tax and spend solutions are something we cannot afford and that’s why we are endorsing Bruce Rauner for Governor.”
Todd Maisch, President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement:
“Governor Rauner has consistently stood up for businesses here in Illinois. The governor has been a champion for reducing the tax and regulatory burden that is holding back economic growth, and we at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce are proud to stand behind his message for cutting taxes and creating jobs for hardworking Illinois families”
* Pritzker campaign…
While Bruce Rauner makes an announcement with business groups this morning, a quick look at his record shows how he’s failed the same business community he claims to care about.
Here’s how Rauner failed businesses and drove Illinois off a fiscal cliff:
JOB GROWTH: Illinois’ unemployment rate is among the highest in the nation, and “by Rauner’s own standards, he’s a bigger failure than his predecessor” on job growth. New jobs totaled 209,000 during Rauner’s first 42 months as governor, less than the 241,500 jobs created in the 42 previous months.
BILL BACKLOG: Rauner tripled the state’s bill backlog to a record $16 billion at the height of his budget crisis. And he racked up over $1 billion in late payment fees during his budget crisis — which is more than the last 18 years combined.
JUNK STATUS: “Governor Junk” dragged Illinois’ bond rating to one notch above junk status, the lowest ever for any state in the country. In just three years, state bonds were downgraded eight times and five state universities were downgraded to junk status.
SMALL BUSINESS: Rauner’s budget crisis forced a quarter of Small Business Development Centers to close, and state contracts for minority business owners dropped by 22%.
MANUFACTURING: Eleven months ago, the failed governor zeroed out a $1.4 million grant to the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association for job training, which earned him headlines like “Rauner eliminates manufacturing program during Manufacturing Month.”
“Bruce Rauner created unprecedented instability for businesses as governor, harming hardworking Illinois families and business owners across the state,” said JB Pritzker. “Rauner’s two-year budget crisis devastated the economy, and it will take years to recover. While Rauner, by his own measure, has been a ‘miserable failure on jobs,’ I have a record of creating thousands of good-paying jobs and helping transform our state into one of the world’s top tech hubs. I look forward to bringing my record of job creation to Springfield and putting our state back on the side of working families.”
*** UPDATE *** Greg Baise at the IMA…
“JB’s claim is false. Because Gov. Rauner recognized the importance of addressing the critical job training needs of the state’s manufacturing sector, the final budget did ultimately include the workforce development grant. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle again included it in this year’s budget. While the Pritzker campaign is quick to respond with their canned messages, their continued silence over how much they plan to tax working families and Illinois businesses and how they will pay for almost $11 billion in new spending has been deafening,” said Greg Baise, president and CEO, IMA.
The cut was indeed on the list of what the governor’s office wanted to slash after a budget was passed over Rauner’s veto, but the IMA says it was restored and then put into the budget this year as well.
* Both Moody’s and S&P Global Ratings have conducted “stress tests” of all 50 state budgets in the event of a recession. Here’s Brian Mackey’s report on the S&P test…
“When you look at all the states, the median level of fixed costs is 12 percent of a state’s budget,” [S&P’s Gabriel Petek] says. “But in Illinois, those three items” — pensions, retiree health care, and debt service — “come to 31 percent of the state’s budget. So that means they have less room, less discretionary budget capacity, to work with.” […[
“In the event of a downturn the state has this combination of reduced budget flexibility because of the high fixed costs, and no budget reserves to cushion the impact,” Petek says.
He says while Illinois’ financial picture has improved since the budget stalemate, lawmakers haven’t done enough.
“There hasn’t really been a focus on it — among the policymakers that we’re aware of — to tackle what remains of the structural budget deficit or build a budget reserve or how to bring unpaid bills to a lower level,” he says.
He got that right. Boy, did he ever.
The S&P report is here. According to its stress test, Illinois would have just 1 percent of budget reserves to deal with a downturn and a 9 percent revenue shortfall in a moderate recession (10 percent in a more serious recession) and a 3 percent increase in Medicaid expenses.
S&P did claim that Illinois’ flat tax insulated the state better than states with graduated tax rates, which is about the best argument for a flat tax I’ve seen.
* As I told subscribers today, the Moody’s report is more specific because it provides actual dollar amounts (click here). That 9.3 percent revenue shortfall in a moderate (or “normal”) recession translates into $3.35 billion. Moody’s projects an increase of $732 million (6 percent) in Medicaid spending, for a total shortfall of $4.1 billion.
Moody’s projects a 16.2 revenue shortfall during a “severe” recession scenario, or $5.8 billion. Medicaid spending will rise by $977 million for a total hit of $6.78 billion.
There is also a greater number of states that are significantly unprepared for even a small downturn, with 17 states holding far less funds than they need, compared with 15 in 2017, Moody’s said.
Those states, in order of least-prepared, are Louisiana, Oklahoma, North Dakota, New Jersey, Montana, Kentucky, Virginia, Missouri, Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Kansas, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Michigan and Arkansas.
The number of people in Illinois with health insurance dropped last year for the first time since the Affordable Care Act took effect.
The uninsured rate for non-seniors grew to almost 8 percent and more than 841,000 children and adults are without coverage in Illinois.
[Katie Buitrago at the Heartland Alliance] says policy changes are to blame.
“This increase in the uninsured rate in Illinois shows how policy changes leading up to 2017 that cutoff payments to insurers and canceled Affordable Care Act marketing had a big impact on enrollment.”
* States’ Reliance On Income Taxes Risky, S&P Says: The S&P report said even as the current economy continues to reach new heights and remains healthy on various fronts, states need to be wary of the fiscal effects of another recession on their coffers. With growing reliance on personal income tax, states are susceptible to swings in the markets
“That doesn’t mean we don’t disagree,” said Edgar, who also spoke to students during a political studies class earlier in the day. “But we don’t call people names. We don’t question someone’s integrity because they have another point of view. We don’t call someone a crook because they don’t agree with us.” […]
“I never questioned [Speaker Madigan’s] integrity, because I knew I would have to sit down and work with him,” Edgar said. […]
While the message can sometimes get lost, Edgar said it is important to remember that government is meant to help those who are in need. During the recent budget impasse, or the 793 days when Illinois did not have a complete state budget, politicians and the wealthy were not the ones most affected, he said. Rather, it was the students who depend on MAP grant funding for college and those who relied on social service agencies who felt the pain.
“We have to remember to help people, and if we do not do that, then we’re failing and a lot of people are going to get hurt,” Edgar said.
There’s that “fail” word that Pritzker is so fond of using.
* Fmr. Gov. Edgar visit inspires students: “Civility. Compromise. Compassion. We need to keep all three of those words in mind,” Edgar said. “We need to be more civil in our dealings. We can disagree with people in an agreeable manner.”
* Barickman On Rauner’s ‘Unorthodox’ Speech, Higher Ed Funding Rewrite: “He does need to reset,” Barickman said. “You look at the polls—what’s clear is that Republicans by and large are going to have a tough time this November. (Rauner) is in a very difficult re-election. Part of the reality of where he is at probably led to his kind of unorthodox speech.”
HOST: Speaking of relationships Diana Rauner, do you think your husband will reach out to Jeannie Ives? We’re actually doing an event with her on Wednesday to try to get her into the fold to help him and perhaps battle Pritzker this November.
DIANA RAUNER: Yeah, I’m sure, I know they’ve certainly, he has certainly tried to reach out to her. I’m sure. The goal here really is I think everyone;s just gotta think about what is - what do we want for the future of our state? And do we want to keep moving forward on a path of reform, of change? You know this has been a really tough road to hoe and all of you guys know that beginning of change is the hardest and the most disruptive time.
Gov. Rauner was on the program the other day and was asked what he’d like to say to Rep. Ives. He said something about how he’d like to thank her for her service both in the military and in the General Assembly. Then he said: “And thank you for saying publicly that you’ll vote for me in this election.”
Well you know, I find them somewhat hollow — ‘thank you for your service in the General Assembly’ — because time and time again I went to his administration with great advice, and it was just a bunch of 30-something smart alec kids that run his agencies, basically thought they knew better than people like me who had served at the local level and have been there for a while. So I mean that’s a little hollow, quite frankly.
And as far as Diana goes, really, she’s the one who has created some of the disaster that we’ve seen with Rauner’s administration. She’s the one advising them. And remember, this is a guy who said ‘I’m not in charge,’ and you know who is in charge in that family and it’s Diana.
The La Salle County Republican Party has not made up its mind on whether it will support state Rep. Jerry Long’s bid for re-election after harassment allegations were lodged against him.
Party chairman Don Jensen said the county GOP is looking into the facts of the case before it makes a decision. He is unsure of a timetable when a decision may be made.
Last week, the Illinois House Republican Organization and Illinois Republican Party both pulled their support, including finances, from Long’s campaign after the HRO said it conducted a third-party investigation into an anonymous complaint. They also asked him to resign.
Long has said he is staying in the race, saying he has done nothing to warrant his resignation.
This was not an “anonymous complaint.”
The House Republicans know the person who complained because the person approached them. They also know the surrounding facts and the context. The complainant asked to remain anonymous and that should be respected, even though Long tried to out the person in a press release.
…Adding… Glad to hear it…
Rich Miller @capitolfax makes a good point on the use of "anonymous" in our report, we have edited online and will make this change for future print. https://t.co/rMS6npqlDd
And as far as Chairman Jensen goes, the House GOP doesn’t pull out of Tier One races over nothing. They spent over a million dollars on the guy in the last month of the 2016 election. That’s an investment you don’t lightly abandon.
In the wake of an allegation last week of harassment of a person associated with the House Republican Office, another Republican today joined the call for state Rep. Jerry Long (R-Streator) to resign.
“In light of the House Republicans recommending Rep. Long step down from his position as State Representative after a third party firm was hired to investigate Rep. Long’s behavior, I too am calling for Rep. Long to resign. Harassment has no place in our society,” said state Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) in a statement provided to the NewsTribune on Monday afternoon.
It’s Bruce Rauner versus the corrupt democrats from Chicago. That’s how Governor Rauner described the choice this fall between him and JB Pritzker during a campaign stop in the Quad Cities Monday.
After a tour of a packaging and warehouse company in Rock Island, Pak Source, he told workers it’s critical that they vote in November.
“Pritzker is part of that Chicago political machine, that corrupt machine, that’s caused you guys to have the highest property taxes in America, that’s put a lot of bad regulations on our small business owners like Pak Source, and pushed a lot of our jobs over the border to Iowa, our jobs have gone over the border to Wisconsin, to Indiana, Tennessee, and Texas.” […]
“Pritzker has publicly called for a ban on hadngun sales, a ban on sporting rifle sales, and a 100 % tax on ammunition. Pritzker is a gun grabber of the first order.”
Hello, this is your state Representative Natalie Phelps Finnie. If you are sick and tired of seeing southern Illinois left behind, join me for a prayer rally this Sunday at 3:00pm at Tamms’ Correctional Facility. I am fighting to reopen Tamms to bring back good paying jobs and improve our local economy instead of following Bruce Rauner’s plan to open a new facility in Chicago. It’s time to put southern Illinois first this Sunday at 3 at the Tamms Correctional Facility. Paid for by friends of Natalie Phelps Finnie.
Two-term Republican Governor Jim Edgar refuses to endorse @GovRauner for a second term. Says he won’t be making any endorsement, but recalls brief encounters with @JBPritzker and calls him “bright” and believes he will learn on the job.
Today, the Thomas More Society filed a taxpayer lawsuit against State of Illinois officials in a counterattack against House Bill 40, which requires public funding of tens of thousands of elective abortions. […]
The complaint levels two challenges against HB 40. First, the General Assembly has not set aside funds to pay for HB 40’s tens of thousands of elective abortions, and there’s no money available to pay for those abortions and still be within the Balanced Budget requirements of the Illinois Constitution. Second, despite efforts to make HB 40 effective January 1, 2018, it cannot come into effect until June 1, because it did not pass out of the Senate until September 25, 2017. The Illinois Constitution imposes a May 31 cut-off date for General Assembly action for bills to go into effect faster.
A new law allowing public funding of abortion in Illinois will take effect as scheduled on January 1. That’s after a judge on Thursday ruled against anti-abortion groups who’d sued to block it.
The appellate court affirmed, concluding (1) the circuit court lacked jurisdiction under the political-question doctrine, to determine whether the General Assembly failed to appropriate funds and adopt a revenue estimate to cover the cost of services under HB 40; and (2) the implementation of HB 40 on January 1, 2018, was not improper because the bill passed both houses of the General Assembly by May 10, 2017.
Go read the whole thing if you’re interested. But this was a longshot case from the beginning.
First, medical procedures covered by Medicaid and state employee insurance aren’t individually appropriated.
Before we turn to the political-question doctrine, we note a problem in the way plaintiffs couch their arguments before this court. Plaintiffs assert they simply want to know if the General Assembly complied with the revenue-estimate and appropriations requirements of the constitution. However, absent from the constitution is any language imposing an obligation on the General Assembly to develop a revenue estimate. Plaintiffs argue the language of the COGFA Act, read in conjunction with the constitution, imposes such a duty. However, the constitution and the COGFA Act are separate. We are reluctant to read the language of the COGFA Act into the constitution. […]
By its plain terms, the constitution requires only that the General Assembly refrain from appropriating funds in excess of the amount estimated by the General Assembly. Here, the constitution fails to provide discoverable and manageable standards illustrating how a court is to go about determining whether the General Assembly did in fact refrain from appropriating funds in excess of funds estimated by the General Assembly. Ill. Const. 1970, art. VIII, § 2(b). Plaintiffs also fail to point to any such standards. […]
When resolving the mandatory or directory question, a statute is mandatory where the legislature imposes specific consequences in the event of noncompliance. Id. at 514. On the other hand, a statute is directory where “no particular consequence flows from non[]compliance.” […]
Section 4(a) of the COGFA Act does not contain any consequences for the General Assembly’s failure to adopt a revenue estimate by joint resolution.
* And third, the bill passed way before the May 31st deadline. A parliamentary hold was placed on the legislation until it was withdrawn in September. The governor signed it a few days later. The courts here are loathe to adjudicate legislative rules and the appellate justices upheld that tradition today.
…Adding… From the attorney general’s office…
We are pleased the court rejected the plaintiffs’ attempts to prevent some women from accessing health care services, including reproductive health care services.
I wanted you to be the first to know about the next step in my professional life.
In thinking about this job search, a few things were clear: I wanted to stay in the fight for justice, to do so in a context not far from electoral or democracy work, and to have a chance to help shape an organization doing good and important work.
That’s why I’m so excited to have accepted the position of Executive Director at Rust Belt Rising, a young organization created to train midwestern Democratic candidates to lead on economic issues. The goal is to bring the Democratic Party back to its roots as the party of working families who have been left behind by a system rigged in favor of the top 1%.
Ever since Trump was elected, we’ve seen endless debates about whether Democrats should try to win back Obama-Trump voters or consolidate gains among Romney-Clinton voters. We’ve heard constant fighting about whether to focus on racial justice or economic justice.
In truth, these are all false choices. As we hopefully head toward a blue wave election this November, it’s become clearer than ever that in a world with terrifying consolidation of wealth, power, and privilege in the hands of a very few, the path to success is to focus on an agenda and message that unites the many who have been left behind around a bold vision of the just society we can build together.
Rust Belt Rising is committed to helping candidates in the Great Lakes states do just that, and I’m very excited to lead that effort. Already in this election cycle we’re training over 100 candidates, and this is just the beginning.
More info on the group is here. I’ve reached out to Sen. Biss to see if he’ll serve out his term. I’ll let you know what he says.
Fair question, @Shereriously. I stand for a better business climate, lower taxes, and a government that treats downstate fairly. And it's absolutely important for people to know their current Senator has been doing the opposite.
The problem here is that Manar said much more at that interview, making the same point he made in his own ad.
Manar made clear to the editorial board that he does not support term limits for all legislators. […]
He also said that he supported and pushed the “appropriate step” of limiting terms of Senate leaders. Manar was a chief sponsor of a Senate resolution passed unanimously on Jan. 11, 2017 — when the current General Assembly was sworn in — to limit terms, going forward, of 10 years for the Senate president and minority leader.
PATRICK PFINGSTEN, consultant to McMillan, said it is “bogus” to claim Manar was taken out of context in the McMillan video.
The typo is in an A-1 that claims the RSSCC paid a McMillan campaign staffer $1.2 million in salary. I’m not certain if McMillan or the RSSCC made the error, but it’s quite something.
Not including the $1.2 million for the staffer, McMillan has reported raising a whopping $14,915.20 this quarter.
Over a third of that - $5,000 - is from Richard Uihlein, which opens McMillan up to the unfortunately ubiquitous charge that he accepted money from somebody who supported an accused molester.
He also received $1,000 from the chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board and his spouse.
President Trump won this district by 17 big points. But Manar started spending TV money in June and it seems to have rattled McMillan to the bone.
*** UPDATE *** Looks like he’s gonna have to refund Chairman Don Tracy’s contribution. From state statute…
Sec. 5. Gaming Board. […]
No member of the Board shall engage in any political activity. For the purposes of this Section, “political” means any activity in support of or in connection with any campaign for federal, State, or local elective office or any political organization […]
Any member of the Board may be removed by the Governor for neglect of duty, misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance in office or for engaging in any political activity.
As of Monday, there are 50 days until Election Day. And in the race for Illinois governor, debate season is finally getting underway.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and his Democratic challenger, J.B. Pritzker, will meet in three formal debates in the coming month.
The first takes place this Thursday, and it’s sponsored by NBC Chicago and Telemundo, As well as the Union League of Chicago and the Chicago Urban League. […]
The first debate will also include the Libertarian Party candidate, Kash Jackson, as well as state Sen. Sam McCann, who left the Republican Party to run as a Conservative.
* Greg Hinz talks to Bill Daley about his plans if elected mayor…
For instance, Daley said he’s going to count hard on J.B. Pritkzer—”I have no doubt he’s going to be our next governor”—to help the city deal with its huge pension debt, which already has forced up local taxes roughly $1 billion a year and could force another increase of that size by 2023, when the city is supposed to be at the actuarial funding level.
“If the city can’t address its pension plans and bring them to balance, the future of the state is 10 times bleaker,” Daley said. “I think (Pritzker) will work with the mayor to address the issue.”
Yet, he added, “It can’t all be on the taxpayers. Everyone has to have some skin in the game.” Included in is view is labor, despite an Illinois Supreme Court ruling that overruled a pain-sharing deal outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel bargained. Daley said he’d start by getting all parties together, and said a negotiated constitutional amendment like one Arizona used to weaken a pension clause similar to the one Illinois has is “always is a possibility.”
Similarly, balancing the city’s budget requires at least considering things such as a commuter tax and head tax, two idea pushed hard by political progressives. “I’m not putting anything off the table now.”
Pritzker has already piled up his spending plans so high that they already top $10 billion by my rough guesstimate. If Daley’s solution is a state bailout, it’s magic beans.
The Arizona model is not a bad idea, though. I even advocated for it over the weekend on Twitter. But it’s dangerous to get too far out in front of any talks with unilateral public demands.
…Adding… This…
Yep, best bet seems to be negotiate pension and graduated income tax amendments, pass enabling legislation for both effective upon ratification, and make the case to voters in 2020.
* Bill Daley on bid to replace Emanuel: ‘To be mayor, that would be the greatest’: “And you know, at this stage of my life, this is what I’d like to do for maybe the next four to maybe eight years. If people don’t accept it, I think I’ve had a great life. I’m lucky. But to be mayor, that would be the greatest,” he said.
* ‘I’m not going to change my name’: Bill Daley on why he’s seeking to become family’s third Chicago mayor: “The state of Illinois is great. They had a lot of problems, and I thought I might be able to bring something there, but this is home. This is where I live, this is where I’ve lived and this is where I’ll die,” Daley said. “That’s the difference. I’ve seen my father and brother try to lead this city, the difficulties of it, but the joy they got of trying to make a difference and help people. And the people of Chicago have been extremely good and kind to our family.
* Bill Daley ‘Excited’ for Mayoral Run He Calls Opportunity of a Lifetime: Some political experts have pointed to the Daley legacy as either a strength or a hindrance to his candidacy, but the freshly minted candidate is hopeful that voters will give him a chance to prove that he is just as capable of running the city as his famous family members.
* With Bill Daley running for mayor, it’s good to remember what happened the last time we turned Chicago over to the Daleys: Rahm made about $6.5 million as an investment banker in 2001, the year he helped broker that deal. As for Rauner, his company sold SecurityLink for about $1 billion, roughly six months after it was acquired for about $500 million. So Rauner owes a portion of his fortune to a couple of Democrats named Emanuel and Daley—something to remember the next time you hear Rauner raging against the machine.
About half of American adults lived in middle-income households in 2016, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data. In percentage terms, 52% of adults lived in middle-income households, 29% in lower-income households and 19% in upper-income households.
Our calculator below, updated with 2016 data, lets you find out which group you are in – first compared with other adults in your metropolitan area and among American adults overall, and then compared with other adults in the United States similar to you in education, age, race or ethnicity, and marital status.
* I calculated this using 4-person households in each region. The numbers displayed are the lowest pre-tax incomes for upper-income households rounded to the nearest thousand. In other words, a thousand bucks lower would be classified as a middle-income household. The number in parentheses is the percentage of adults in the region who are classified as upper-income. To reconfigure the numbers to suit your own household, click here…
I did this to give you an idea of where higher tax rates might possibly kick in under a graduated income tax scheme that claims to hold the middle class harmless and even gives some a tax cut. Of course, the people who enact the new rates could always use different logic.
In an interesting twist, GOP Congressman Peter Roskam’s team hopes 6th District voters reject Democrat Sean Casten for the same reason they turned on Donald Trump in 2016. Republicans see Casten as vitriolic — in a President Trump sort of way — which would be a turn-off for Hillary Clinton supporters. Roskam ran away with a victory two years ago and those 6th District voters also gave Clinton a 7-point victory over Trump.
Roskam’s supporters point to Casten’s Twitter storm Friday as an example of the Democrat’s lack of decorum. Between 7:36 a.m. and 7:48 a.m., Casten spit out 11 tweets that addressed Roskam’s record on everything from aid to Harvey victims to the Violence Against Women Act. Casten called Roskam “amoral,” saying the congressman “gives money to those who don’t need it, so they will in turn give him money to help stay in power and give them more.”
Casten spokesman Greg Bale says it’s wishful thinking on Roskam’s part that 6th District Dems would side with a Republican this November. “They’re trying to create a narrative that’s just not there. The issues that we’re seeing driving this are choice (and we know Roskam is unapologetically anti-choice) and health care. That’s what voters are paying attention to.”
* Speaking of health care, this is from the DCCC…
It’s no coincidence that less than two months out from Election Day, vulnerable Reps. Mike Bost and Rodney Davis are doing damage control to hide their disastrous records of voting to gut protections for individuals with preexisting conditions and raise healthcare costs on Illinois families.
Late last week, Bost and Davis tried to take credit for introducing a non-binding “resolution” with a litany of vulnerable House Republicans to call for protecting individuals with preexisting conditions, nearly a year and half after they voted to do the opposite. The resolution does not have any force of law.
“After their own votes to gut protections for people in Illinois, Reps. Bost and Davis’s empty gesture is a gut punch to those living with asthma, cancer, diabetes and other preexisting conditions. The number of people in Illinois protected under this resolution is zero. The number of their own constituents with preexisting conditions who Bost and Davis voted to gut protections for is 581,900. Bost and Davis’s last-ditch effort to save their dimming re-election prospects is deceptive, shameful and one more reason to vote them out this November.” –DCCC spokesperson Jacob Peters
In a press release, Bost falsely stated: “Since day one in Congress, I have been crystal clear that we must protect individuals with pre-existing conditions from losing coverage. This resolution reaffirms to Southern Illinoisans that my commitment hasn’t changed.”
In a release with the sponsor of the powerless resolution, Davis falsely stated: “As we have said and done all along, people with pre-existing conditions should be and will be protected. Many of us fought for these protections in the AHCA and I thank Rep. Young for leading this resolution that reaffirms our support of maintaining those protections regardless of any future changes to Obamacare or a court ruling.”
Here are the facts:
· Bost and Davis voted repeatedly to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would’ve eliminated protections for those with preexisting conditions.
· Bost and Davis voted for the AHCA, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Politifact confirmed would weaken protections for those with pre-existing conditions, including making health insurance unaffordable for older Americans and jack up healthcare costs.
· Bost and Davis both voted for the GOP Tax Scam, which their party is now using as their justification for a lawsuit that would end protections for Americans with preexisting conditions.
A Red-Blue cage-match election this fall. A contrite Bruce Rauner. An alleged per-mile-driving-taxing JB Pritzker. Local municipal budget cuts. Hotel defaults that leave local taxpayers on the hook for $7 million.
This is a heck of a time to stop Word on the Street, isn’t it?
The Journal Star’s political column is going on hiatus, at least for now, because of the recent departure of co-author Chris Kaergard.
We’ve enjoyed sharing Monday mornings with you. And Sunday nights, too, since the advent of the internet has allowed the column to appear there before it hits print.
But part of us feels bad about leaving when perhaps this forum might be needed the most.
“Departure” is one way to put it. “Fired to help pad the bottom line” would be another.
* Ahem…
“You cannot cut the value of the product you give readers and expect them to reward you with growth.” NYT publisher A.G. Sulzberger gets applause. Amen. If only all owners heeded these words. #Newsleaders2018
* Edwin Eisendrath named ‘Illinoisan of the Year’ by state broadcast journalists: “The first is economic. As the margins in our business have fallen, the industry has been helpless against investors who consolidate, cut, sell assets and charge management fees. These are behaviors that make the American economy the world’s most dynamic. Journalism, however, has a different role in a democracy than does an outdated carriage factory. The damage has been particularly devastating to newspapers, and the Sun-Times was no exception.”
In one of his strongest public shows of support for Donald Trump, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner joined 19 other Republican governors to support the president-elect’s controversial nominee for secretary of education.
Billionaire philanthropist Betsy DeVos is an “inspired choice,” Republican governors from 18 states and two U.S. territories wrote, saying she “will fight to streamline the federal education bureaucracy” and also is a “passionate supporter . . . of harnessing the power of competition to drive improvement in all K-12 schools, whether they be public, private or virtual.”
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was campaigning against states regulating student-loan companies when she called her friend, Gov. Bruce Rauner, in August 2017.
Two weeks later, the Republican governor vetoed legislation creating protections for students taking out federal loans . In language that echoes President Donald Trump’s education chief in her continuing crusade against state intervention, Rauner, who’s considered one of the nation’s more vulnerable incumbents in November, declared in his veto message that the measure “encroaches on the federal government’s responsibilities.”
The Aug. 10, 2017, phone call, which appears on both officials’ appointment calendars reviewed by The Associated Press, underscores the interaction the first-term governor has with Trump while publicly trying to distance himself from a president who is hugely unpopular in Democratic Illinois.
Lawmakers reversed Rauner’s veto, with wide GOP support in the House on a pro-student education bill. The “Student Loan Bill of Rights,” which takes effect at the end of this year, requires companies that administer the programs to properly process payments, tell borrowers about debt forgiveness because of disability or problems with the schools they attended, and to provide experts to explain all repayment options. DeVos continues to oppose involvement from outside the federal government.
* From the Democratic Party of Illinois…
The AP wrote the call “underscores the interaction the first-term governor has with Trump while publicly trying to distance himself from a president who is hugely unpopular in Democratic Illinois.” And the call was not the only instance of cooperation - Rauner recently praised Trump’s selection of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, and vetoed a bill “to the dismay of health care advocates” that would have regulated short-term health insurance plans, among other actions detailed by the AP.
“Instead of looking out for Illinois families, Bruce Rauner is taking marching orders from the Trump White House and Betsy DeVos,” said DPI Executive Director Christian Mitchell. “Bruce Rauner already failed Illinois families by gutting higher education and making college more unaffordable. Now we know Rauner sided with Betsy DeVos and her special interest allies over hard working Illinois families struggling to pay down student loan debt. Illinoisans wanted Bruce Rauner to stand up to Donald Trump, not do his bidding.”
Unfortunately, this year Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner used his veto power to block bipartisan, negotiated bills that would have advanced justice for Illinois’s most vulnerable residents. In doing so, the governor advanced some of the main policy goals of the Trump Administration — undermining the foundations of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), denying immigrants basic legal protections, and curtailing voting rights of people of color. […]
Advancing the Trump Administration’s major goal of undoing the ACA, Governor Rauner struck down HB 2624, a bipartisan measure that would have limited the use of short-term health insurance policies to six months and made these plans non-renewable. Short-term health plans circumvent the ACA’s basic protections, including the requirement that insurance plans cover preexisting conditions. Oftentimes, people are duped into purchasing these plans and only realize their healthcare is not covered once they get sick or become injured. The Trump Administration has promoted the unrestricted use of these junk policies. HB 2624 would have also given the Illinois Department of Insurance authority to regulate short-term plans and would have required insurance companies to use easily understood language in promotional materials.
The Governor also vetoed HB 4165, which would have guaranteed members of the Illinois General Assembly — and the constituents they serve — access to a public process if any Illinois governor sought a waiver of federal law to reduce healthcare access and treatment. Governors throughout the country are using such waivers to deny healthcare coverage to patients with low income. Governor Rauner’s veto prevents members of the Illinois General Assembly from providing a necessary check and balance on a governor’s attempts to undermine healthcare. […]
Aligning himself with the dangerous anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions of the Trump Administration, Governor Rauner vetoed the Immigrant Tenant Protection Act, SB 3103. This legislation would have prevented landlords from intimidating, harassing, or retaliating against tenants based on their immigration status. For example, this measure would have prohibited landlords from threatening to disclose a tenant’s immigration status to avoid making needed repairs or otherwise escape their legal responsibilities. […]
Consistent with the Trump Administration’s refusal to enforce the voting rights of all Americans, Governor Rauner vetoed the Let People Vote bill, HB 4469. This bill would have required jails in Illinois to arrange in-person or absentee voting for pretrial detainees. It also would have ensured that corrections officials provide people leaving prison — after having served their sentences — with updated voter registration forms and other information about their right to vote.
Illinois is getting 78 percent less federal money this year to hire Obamacare workers to help people enroll in health insurance plans, causing some advocates to worry that more Illinois residents will go without coverage.
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is handing two Illinois organizations $389,216 this year, down from nearly $1.8 million distributed to five Illinois groups last year, the agency announced Wednesday. One of the largest groups that got grant money for navigators in the past, the United Way of Metro Chicago, won’t get any money this time around.
Pritzker campaign…
“Donald Trump is once again sabotaging the Affordable Care Act, cutting critical outreach dollars while less and less people get covered, and Bruce Rauner is once again his silent partner,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Illinoisans deserve a governor who believes healthcare is a right, not a privilege — and JB Pritzker will be that governor and stand up to Trump when he attacks our state.”
Today, the Rauner campaign is launching a new ad featuring Mike Tracy, a dispatcher for the Chicago Police Department. Mike believes that Governor Rauner’s policies will get Illinois back on its feet, and a vote for JB Pritzker is a vote for a blank check to Mike Madigan.
I’m a dispatcher for Chicago Police. I met Bruce when he became Governor-Elect. His ideas are the right ideas. He wants to help get the state back on its feet. If we go in a different direction than Bruce for four years, you know, the state will be gone. I cannot see Prtizker doing anything that would benefit anybody other than himself and Madigan. A vote for Pritzker is absolutely just basically writing a blank check to Madigan.
* Related press release…
This Thursday, Governor Rauner and JB Pritzker will appear in their first debate of the campaign on NBC 5 Chicago. It’s been clear from day one that Pritzker was Madigan’s handpicked candidate for governor, which explains why Pritzker won’t utter a criticism of the House Speaker.
Madigan has been in power for 47 years while Illinois has suffered through unbalanced budgets, massive tax hikes, and historic corruption.
Yet, JB Pritzker seems to be the only person in Illinois who doesn’t see the problem with Madigan’s fiscal irresponsibility.
But on Thusday, JB Pritzker will stand before voters with an opportunity to show he won’t be a blank check for Madigan. Will he have the courage to do so?
The reforms we need aren’t partisan or unreasonable. Our neighboring states have flattened and reduced taxes for their residents. Bluer states than Illinois have put in place the same common sense reforms I’ve proposed: Rhode Island Democrats achieved bipartisan pension reform, Massachusetts Democrats reformed their worker’s compensation and government healthcare systems, California Democrats passed term limits and have tackled gerrymandering.
We’ve proposed these things before, but Speaker Madigan has pulled the rug out from under reform. Even when his fellow Democrats desired the same changes, he has stood in the way.
That totally ignores how Rauner stopped Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno’s attempt at a “grand bargain” on many of those issues. If he had just let her do her job, it would’ve been four against one and they would’ve had a real shot at putting Madigan’s back up against the wall. But, no.
* Rauner himself seemed to admit that to the Tribune editorial board the very next day…
He said, in retrospect, he would have accepted smaller changes in such issues as workers’ compensation, local mandate relief, property tax controls and state pensions. During his first term, Rauner pulled back from Senate Republican-led efforts to fashion a “grand bargain” aimed at trying to resolve differences between the governor’s agenda and the Democratic-led General Assembly because it didn’t go far enough.
I was entrusted by the good people of the 76th District to be their State Representative and to FIGHT for them in Springfield. I would never do anything to violate their trust.
I work for the people of the 76th District and not the House Republican Organization. The HRO and I have always had a contentious relationship due to the fact that I refuse to be their puppet.
On Friday before Labor Day, HRO through an employee, prepared statement for me to read for robo calls to voters which did not meet my expectations. The HRO employee wanted me to read a statement that sounded more like HRO and not the people’s State Representative Jerry Long. I refused to record HRO’s message and recorded my own message to the people I represent, which infuriated the HRO employee. Rather than allow me the ability to speak my own mind and represent the 76th District, the HRO has used this simple disagreement as a way to pull their support.
I want to make it perfectly clear to my constituents and supporters, I have done nothing which warrants my resignation as your State Representative. In fact, just the opposite. I stood my ground and stayed true to my values. I work seven days a week for the people of the 76th District and will continue to do so. I do not need the support of the HRO because I have the support of the people.
As always, I thank you for your support. Please share this to everyone.
So, lemme get this straight. He’s saying that the House Republicans pulled out of a Tier One, must-win race over a robocall dispute? And they withdrew after spending $47K on his campaign early last week because of said robocall dispute?
Today, Erika Harold’s campaign for Attorney General is launching a new statewide TV ad titled “Anything.”
Kwame Raoul will do or say anything to win. That’s why one former Democratic governor of Illinois called Raoul’s attacks “false” and “desperate.”
Now, Kwame Raoul is lying about Erika Harold’s record because he can’t run on his own record of doing Mike Madigan’s bidding in Springfield for fourteen years.
Kwame Raoul teamed up with Madigan to raise property taxes, supported Madigan’s 67% tax hike, and even allowed disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich to skip billions of dollars in pension payments.
Kwame Raoul squandered his time in Springfield and can’t be trusted to be Attorney General. Fourteen years of failure is enough.
Erika Harold: After spending years raising taxes and opposing reform, Kwame Raoul can’t run on his record – so he’s lying about mine.
Announcer: Even Democrats have called out Raoul for “desperate, false attacks.”
He’ll say anything to win – and do anything for Madigan:
Raoul teamed up with Madigan to raise property taxes.
Voted for his sixty-seven percent income tax hike.
…And let Blagojevich skip pension payments.
Kwame Raoul: “I’m Kwame Raoul, and I’m just getting started.”
Announcer: Stop Kwame Raoul. 14 years of failure is enough.
* The Raoul campaign pointed to this Politifact item from yesterday about an earlier ad…
Harold says “Mike Madigan and Kwame Raoul team up to raise property taxes.”
Her statement contains an element of truth in that Raoul and Madigan did sponsor legislation in 2014 that initially contained a proposal from Emanuel for a new property tax levy for several ailing pension funds.
But the tax component was not the primary aim of the bill, which also sought to shore up the funds by cutting city worker retirement benefits and requiring both workers and the city to put more money into them. That tax language didn’t even make it into the final version of the bill.
Yet Harold’s claim spuriously suggests Raoul teamed up with Madigan for the express purpose of hiking taxes, leaving out all mitigating context. We rate it Mostly False.
…Adding… I remember that bill and it was indeed about making legislators let the locals off the hook for the property tax hike. The pushback was strong, which is why the specific language was removed.
I went back since the 2006 election and looked at how much the polls from roughly within a month of this point in the cycle performed. (That is, polls completed from about 52 to 82 days before the election.) […]
Back in 2006, the average district poll had the Democrats trailing by 1.5 points. The result in those districts polled ended up being Democrats winning by 4 points. That’s a bias of 5.5 points against the Democrats.
Jump ahead to 2010. When Republicans were ones riding the wave, they were down by 3 points in the average district poll right now. They ended up winning in those districts by 1 point. That’s a 4-point overperformance for the Republicans.
The 2014 midterm election tells the same story. Republicans did 5.5 points better than the district polls suggested they would at this point. […]
Look at these same years, but only at the polls within the final 10 days of the elections. The polls have less than a point bias in 2006 and 2010. In 2014, the district polls — like all the national and state polling — underestimated the Republicans (though the underestimation was 2 points fewer than the polls two months out).
It’s not that the polls are wrong. It’s that the voting public starts moving more in tandem with the wave later in the season. Now, maybe something will be different this year. I don’t know. But this is a pretty established phenomenon and I first saw it up close in 1994.
Republican officials say privately that the performance of the economy under Mr. Trump has not been a major motivating factor for pro-Trump voters. For some Americans on the right, it may even be contributing to the mood of political apathy that has so alarmed G.O.P. leaders, since voters who are optimistic rarely vote with the intensity of those who are angry or afraid.
America First Action, a political committee aligned with Mr. Trump, conducted a series of focus groups over the summer and concluded the party had a severe voter-turnout problem, brought on in part by contentment about the economy and a refusal by Republicans to believe that Democrats could actually win the midterm elections.
Conservative-leaning voters in the study routinely dismissed the possibility of a Democratic wave election, with some describing the prospect as “fake news,” said an official familiar with the research
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign-reset speech last week has been described as “contrite,” a “mea culpa” and even an “apology.”
It most certainly wasn’t an easy speech to deliver for a man who never publicly admits mistakes. I mean, he claimed last month that his administration did an “excellent job” at the state’s Quincy veterans home, where 14 residents died.
But there he was, claiming that after four years he’s learned some valuable lessons.
I actually do believe, as Rauner claimed, that he’s “grown” in office. He had to be dragged kicking and screaming into it, but he’s grown some.
After losing the budget and tax hike veto battle last year, Rauner eventually found a way to accept a win by signing an historic education funding reform bill. And then he agreed to his very first budget this year, which spent every dime of that 2017 tax hike and more.
Rauner said leaders must be willing to “accept incremental improvements,” and thank goodness he finally mouthed those words. As former President Barack Obama said at his recent Illinois speech: “Better is good… That’s the history of progress in this country. Not perfect. Better.”
The governor said he now finally understands that there are “different points of view, different priorities and approaches, even when we share the same goal of wanting to improve Illinois.”
As former Gov. Jim Edgar said during the impasse, Rauner should look for ways to accomplish his goals in a more “doable” manner. Rauner and the Chicago Tribune editorial board absolutely hated that “doable” talk. For whatever insane reasons they’d convinced themselves that “doable” was an abomination. It was their way or no way. At least one person now at least says that was a mistake.
“I know the budget impasse was painful,” Gov. Rauner admitted. “It kept me up at night worrying about the disruption that many families experienced. All of us elected officials let you down in that struggle.”
While I’m glad he finally confessed that he was at least a part of a group that let the state down, he bragged more than once during the impasse about how “my wife tells me she hasn’t seen me this happy in 20 years,” including right up to late June of 2017 – just days before a bipartisan super-majority in the General Assembly finally put an end to the monstrous impasse despite his vetoes.
Passing a budget with higher taxes over a gubernatorial veto wasn’t easy for most legislators. And while it wasn’t great legislation, it was the best they could do under trying circumstances and Rauner did everything he could to stop them and went on to berate and bully them for months. I’d like to believe that those days are over.
“It takes wisdom to listen to those who disagree with you,” Rauner said, “wisdom that can be gained only through years of tough political fights.”
Sorry, but that simple lesson could’ve been learned without years of unnecessary brutality. Most normal people practice this “wisdom” in their own lives every day.
The governor seemed to use that line to imply that his politically inexperienced opponent hadn’t yet faced a trial by fire like Rauner has and therefore wasn’t yet ready to be governor. But, the truth is most people know this stuff. They don’t burn down their own houses during an argument.
And just a few hours after he delivered his speech, the governor received yet another reminder that Illinois voters understand what Gov. Rauner only now claims to have discerned.
A mere 27 percent of Illinoisans say they’ll vote for the governor come November, according to a poll conducted for the Illinois Broadcasters Association. Just 24 percent said they have a favorable view of Rauner. The governor trails Democrat J.B. Pritzker by 17 points.
This is the third poll since June where the governor scored 30 points or less.
We know from the end of his speech that the governor truly believes his opponent is the worst thing that could possibly happen to the state — which kinda negates a lot of the stuff he said at the beginning about being so open minded.
He could’ve ended on a high note, but chose to drive right back into the ditch. “He might be the only person in Illinois who doesn’t think corruption is a problem,” Rauner said of Pritzker. Oh, c’mon.
But, hey, it’s politics. Both men are going to wage a bitterly negative fight to the end no matter what the polls say or how much one of them promises to change. Strap it down.
* ADDED: Eric Zorn: Rauner 2.0 — a little bit of change we can’t quite believe in: But aside from saying that Democratic lawmakers secretly agree with him and can be coaxed into supporting his initiatives over the opposition of their leaders, he still can’t explain why the next four years under him will be any different than the last four years.
* Jim Dey: Rauner’s sorry, so sorry — but do the voters care anymore?
