Tillman returns to cheering Rauner
Tuesday, Oct 16, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Let’s circle back to the Tribune’s endorsement of Gov. Bruce Rauner…
Then ask whether a second-term Rauner would do exactly what he has tried to do in his first term: deprive those Democratic leaders of their wretched excesses in spending and taxing.
That answer to that is yes, as the Democrats know.
They loathe Rauner. He often stalemates them. Armed only with a veto pen and a bully pulpit, he blocks their exclusive dominion over lawmaking.
Which is precisely why we endorse Bruce Rauner, and urge you to re-elect him governor of Illinois.
* That message is about the same as this week’s Tribune op-ed by the Illinois Policy Institute’s John Tillman…
Yet, if Gov. Bruce Rauner wins re-election, it’s likely Illinois will have another four years of political rancor and disagreement over the state budget. That’s mostly because the governor was unwilling to back down when sent a deficit-spending budget forced through the General Assembly at the last minute.
Rauner’s most important policy position is a demonstrated commitment to blocking tax hikes and restraining spending rather than increasing it faster than taxpayer incomes.
* The Daily Herald editorial board is about as rib-rocked Republican as you can get, but they’ve had enough…
But the reality is, under Rauner, not only has progress not been made, but problems have gotten worse.
It’s not the desire or the will Rauner lacks, but the skill and the understanding of how to make government work.
A year ago, the conservative National Review put him on its cover with the headline, “The Worst Republican Governor in America.” Unfortunately, Rauner has shown no indication that he has learned from his first dismal term.
We can’t afford another four years of confrontation and stalemate.
* The National Review story referenced above was published in December of 2017 and it had Tillman’s fingerprints on it…
On June 20, the governor announced that he’d accept an increase to the state income tax, raising it from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent. Madigan pounced. Democrats drew up a budget that raised taxes in precisely this way, offered none of Rauner’s proposed reforms, and passed it with the votes of impatient Republicans. Rauner vetoed the bill, but a bipartisan supermajority overrode him. Conservatives were flabbergasted. “The ‘Turnaround Agenda’ went from 44 reforms to none,” says John Tillman, the CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute. “Rauner once talked about reducing the income tax to 3 percent. Instead, he opened the door to the biggest income-tax hike in state history.”
I guess Rauner wasn’t so bad after all?
…Adding… From February…
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 2:06 pm:
“blocking tax hikes and restraining spending rather than increasing it faster than taxpayer incomes.” Didn’t Rauner increase state debt to $16B and cost the state $1B in interest payments? Is that restrained spending?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 2:09 pm:
Here’s my take…
Tillman wants to be “there”, if Rauner goes down, to be someone orchestrating a post-Rauner ILGOP.
So… knowing things look bleak for Rauner… and you may need the Raunerites after to consolidate your own coalition… you go back to the beginning… it’s about taxes, status quo, stopping Dems… and in the end, Tillman gets his seat after… to be a player in this new ILGOP… because he didn’t bail on Rauner in the end…
Grifters gotta grift.
Tillman and Proft… funded by Uihlein… with Ives as their standard bearer…
This Tillman move makes total sense.
- Grand Avenue - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 2:15 pm:
Does he think Rauner has a chance of winning? Public polls say otherwise.
- Anon - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 2:26 pm:
OW - I’m just curious - Who do you think will/should become the leader of the Republican party once it’s not Rauner and his ilk (Pat Brady/Tim Schneider/Jim Durkin, etc.)
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 2:28 pm:
–Rauner’s most important policy position is a demonstrated commitment to blocking tax hikes and restraining spending rather than increasing it faster than taxpayer incomes.–
Bizarro world nonsense.
Rauner didn’t move a muscle to block the tax increase: he didn’t sit on it for months as he could have, he didn’t spend money on media to pick off GOP votes on an override.
Instead, he publicly told legislators to stay in town for an immediate veto override vote. He rolled out the red carpet for that tax increase, and he’s spending every dime of it and more.
As far as “restraining spending” — that’s not Bizarro world, that’s lunacy. The dude piled on $10 billion in unpaid bills in 2.5 years.
These grifters will say anything in hopes of landing a few bucks.
- Grand Avenue - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 2:29 pm:
Anon @2:26
Rumor is once Rauner’s out of the picture, Todd Ricketts will be making power plays.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 2:34 pm:
===Who do you think will/should become the leader of the Republican party once it’s not Rauner and his ilk (Pat Brady/Tim Schneider/Jim Durkin, etc.)===
Here is my thought… I have deeper thoughts to all this, but it’s not fair to air any of that until after, and Rauner hasn’t lost yet, and he still could win.
… my thought is this… I’ve stated as often as I could I’m a fan of both Leaders, Durkin and Brady, and when they lead outside Rauner influences, they have the respect of their caucuses, and understand dynamics far better than Rauner could fathom.
The leadership has a choice… will they want to build a party and diverse caucuses, or retreat to monolithic members, and a shrinking of a party to secure seats for those like-minded members.
I know… i know it… both want majorities… so we’ll see how they want their majorities built, and they both are skilled enough and smart enough to put people in place with better goals than what all were given under Rauner.
I’ll leave it there.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 2:34 pm:
–Rumor is once Rauner’s out of the picture, Todd Ricketts will be making power plays.–
Interesting.
If that happens, and JB is in the Big Chair, the price of poker will be a heckuva lot more here than
it was for his brother in Nebraska.
Better start sweet-talking Papa Joe now.
- Cubs in '16 - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 2:44 pm:
===Democrats drew up a budget that raised taxes in precisely this way, offered none of Rauner’s proposed reforms, and passed it with the votes of impatient Republicans. Rauner vetoed the bill, but a bipartisan supermajority overrode him. Conservatives were flabbergasted.===
The insinuation here is the “impatient” Republicans weren’t Conservatives. Strange way to view this. And they say “bipartisan” like it’s a four letter word. This wing of the Republican party has abandoned civil discourse and compromise for the greater good for strict adherence to extreme ideology. Not good.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 2:51 pm:
Who was the last Whig?
Tillman?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 2:55 pm:
To the update…
“Supporting” Rauner is the vessel for Tillman to be in the discussion, after Rauner’s time on the stage has passed.
To Tom Ricketts,
Thanks for 2016.
We met a few opening days ago. We even took a picture.
If I see you around, then I’ll thank you in person for 2016.
OW
- The Captain - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 3:18 pm:
Since Tillman can’t seem to quit Rauner maybe he should fire him like he did the rest of Tillman’s staff.
- don the legend - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 3:20 pm:
==Who do you think will/should become the leader of the Republican party once it’s not Rauner and his ilk (Pat Brady/Tim Schneider/Jim Durkin, etc.)==
I don’t pretend to be deep in the weeds like many on here but won’t future leadership depend on the next legislative map?
In my county the republican chair essentially said that was the only reason to support Rauner.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 3:22 pm:
===…won’t future leadership depend on the next legislative map?===
I’m approaching this with the premise that neither caucus will change from Durkin and Brady, no matter if Rauner wins or loses. The caucus leaders will more than likely remain as they are today.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 5:10 pm:
Guessin GovJunk snuck some cash to the dark moeny IPI to get back in the cloqn car for the final lap of the Exit Interview Tour. Spend wisely my friend xause honey about to go away
- Albany Park Patriot - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 5:54 pm:
Rich guy who wants rich guys to get richer supports rich guy who wants rich guys to get richer.
- Not a Billionaire - Tuesday, Oct 16, 18 @ 6:41 pm:
Could be just reacting to the tax return