54 Comments - Vote Quimby - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:17 pm: Yowza. I need two hands to count the number of misstatements of fact. - Lurker - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:19 pm: Wow. Just wow. He is truly not bright. - Arsenal - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:19 pm: lol, this is an almost perfect 180 from the Republican position as of 5 years ago, when paying pensions was crowding out all other spending. But it’s also all nonsense. State government has been cut to the bone over the last several decades. It’s well below the capacity needed to provide the services that the people demand. Maybe, if you squint, you can just barely make out JB trying to expand its capacity? But there’s almost nothing left to cut. And frankly, JB has, albeit quietly, made big steps on the pension debt. - Demoralized - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:22 pm: First of all Pritzker hasn’t been ignoring the problem. He’s been paying more than is required. Second, what is he going to sit down with the pensioners for? To let them know he’s going to pay for pensions? Third, there’s always someone saying that they are going to reduce state spending and they never say what exactly they think they can cut. It’s always the generic waste, or in this case the “fat.” Last guy who said he was going to cut the budget decided to just not pay our bills. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:22 pm: ===The Center Square=== Welp, I know I learned a great deal today about that “Center. Square. Thingy.” ===“…if we continue to ignore it as J.B. Pritzker has.”=== The bond markets disagree. - Rudy’s teeth - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:23 pm: Darren Bailey’s comments…empty words from an empty head. - DHS Drone - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:25 pm: Maybe he’ll get rid of the state air fleet… /s - Arsenal - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:26 pm: Who the heck would actually run a Bailey Administration? Obviously he isn’t going to be up to the job himself. By this time we had pretty good ideas of who Pritzker and Rauner would listen to, but outside of a profile of Bailey’s campaign manager, I have no idea who would be around him. - Huh? - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:26 pm: Today is a bit unseasonably warm. Is beetle talking again? - Keyrock - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:28 pm: In the very unlikely event that Bailey were to win, magic beans would be back. Can’t say I’ve missed them. - Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:28 pm: Like the hearing Rauner’s directors went to and couldn’t name a thing they would cut. I’ve sat through enough COGFA closure hearings to know the GOP lack one ounce of courage when it comes to actually voting to close or cut. Big talkers, no courage to follow up their talking points. - Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:28 pm: ==Wow. Just wow. He is truly not bright.== ==Darren Bailey’s comments…empty words from an empty head.== Alternate explanation: Bailey assumes the voters are uninformed and no one will check his answers. - 47th Ward - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:29 pm: Maybe he can sell the Thompson Center again. - clec dcn - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:29 pm: The problem is not being ignored at all but only some much can be done at once. Finding fat in the budget is going to be hard. - Joshua P. - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:30 pm: Dear Arsenal, sorry to learn you are understaffed and do not have necessary equipment and feel cut to the bone. I have a suggestion to your problem; transfer to a federally funded agency. There are no broken chairs in the conference room and the computers are less than four years old. Plus, you don’t even need to bring toilet paper from home. That stuff in the Stratton building is rough. Also all tavern buddies of the Bureau Chief get pension spiking overtime because, …”we have always done it that way.” - Accountant from Xenia - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:31 pm: His math ain’t good, but he’s got a big heart. - very sad - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:31 pm: It’s really difficult stomach how facts no longer mattered. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:32 pm: When a court had to step in to find what absolutely must be paid when there is no budget… it was found that higher ed and social services were the only places cuts could be found. See, the GOP GA votes no to hurt Illinois’ most needy and vulnerable, they didn’t realize where cuts actually existed. Bailey is both disingenuous and ill-informed…both purposely too. - Norseman - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:35 pm: === I will be sitting at the table with pensioners,” Bailey === I’m free tomorrow night and all day Friday. Make it quick, my decision on recommending you to family has a time limit. - Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:36 pm: -I fear that the pension debt may be that large looming problem- Welcome to 30 years ago? 40? - Norseman - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:38 pm: === will sneak up === LOL. Your definition of “sneak up” is far different from mine. - Soccermom - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:41 pm: I wish JB would ignore me like he’s ignored pensions. I.e., by throwing hundreds of millions of extra dollars my way. - Pundent - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:48 pm: =Finding fat in the budget is going to be hard.= Particularly when your copy is riddled with bullet holes. - thoughts matter - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:53 pm: Before he sits down with the pensioners, he might want his lawyers to explain some recent Illinois State Supreme Court decisions to him. He also might want to understand that the pensioners benefits cannot be negotiated away by ‘some group of pensioners’. Why doesn’t he already know this? We really need RNUG to talk to him. - Arsenal - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:54 pm: ==Dear Arsenal, sorry to learn you are understaffed and do not have necessary equipment and feel cut to the bone.== I appreciate your concern, though it’s based off of several incorrect assumptions about my professional life and I’m a little confused as to why you’re writing fanfic about me. Although I won’t confirm or deny where I work, I’ll just say that I don’t think I suffer undue hardships there. What I will say is that as a citizen of Illinois, I don’t believe that my share of state services is efficiently and effectively delivered to me, and I don’t believe that I’m alone in that. You understand, then, that your recommendation of moving to the federal system (as if they’d have me) does not really address my concerns or my reaction to Bailey’s gobbledygook. - Simple Simon - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 3:56 pm: ===I will be sitting at the table with pensioners=== I look forward to it, but I don’t think you’ll like what I tell you. And what your lawyers tell you. - Joshua P. - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:01 pm: Dear Arsenal, I did not mean look for work with the federal government. Transfer to a State agency that is funded by the federal government. We have plenty of everything. The feds pay for everything. - Kayak - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:04 pm: Friends, we just need zero based budgeting and the debt snowball to pay down our debts. I have selected Dave Ramsey as Director of Faith and Finance and god willing we will get er done /s - Lefty Lefty - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:08 pm: Meanwhile, the “pension for the rest of us,” Social Security (and Medicare), is on the chopping block again for Republicans in DC. I honestly don’t know why anyone votes for these people. - Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:14 pm: “Social Security (and Medicare), is on the chopping block again for Republicans in DC” FactCheck.org Headline… Democrats Misleadingly Claim ‘Republicans’ Plan’ Would ‘End’ Social Security, Medicare https://www.factcheck.org/2022/04/democrats-misleadingly-claim-republicans-plan-would-end-social-security-medicare/ - zatoichi - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:20 pm: If ‘the pension debt may be that large looming problem that will sneak up on Illinois’ what has Bailey done to address it as a State Rep and Sen in the last four years? Does he or his staff not read any of the committee info that comes through his office? - XonXoff - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:23 pm: I remember that guy from a few different places over the years. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:26 pm: - Donnie Elgin - You are in the verge of being as bad as - Lucky Pierre - Friend, that was in April. It’s November. Either you’re willfully ignorant or blissfully unaware. I’ll catch you up. “Republicans, Eyeing Majority, Float Changes to Social Security and Medicare” NYT… link… 11/02/2022 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/02/us/politics/republicans-social-security-medicare.html - Arsenal - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:29 pm: ==Dear Arsenal, I did not mean look for work with the federal government. Transfer to a State agency that is funded by the federal government. We have plenty of everything. The feds pay for everything.== That’s nice. I’m really very sincerely glad it’s going well for you. But it doesn’t address my concern that citizens of Illinois don’t receive state services efficiently or effectively. - Demoralized - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:31 pm: ==Claim ‘Republicans’ Plan’ Would ‘End’ Social Security, Medicare== Senator Scott’s “blueprint” would indeed “end” them. He wants to sunset them after 5 years and force a vote on continuing them. And Republicans have been chomping at the bit to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for years. - Arsenal - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:32 pm: Donnie, I’m sorry you got taken in by Republican rhetoric, but fear-mongering about Social Security and Medicare going bankrupt is indeed an attempt to cut those programs. The tell is, as that article even says, the Republicans aren’t saying what they’ll do about it. For some reason, that article- and by extension, you- just want us to assume that even though they’ve tried to cut those programs my entire adult life, their solution THIS time will be different because…well, a couple of them say so, I guess? What is that, “trust, and no need to verify”? - Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:35 pm: “Changes to Social Security and Medicare” Do nothing and the programs are doomed - take a look at the 2022 Summary Actuarial report “The projected reserve depletion date for the combined OASDI trust funds is 2035… the OASI Trust Fund can pay full benefits until 2034″ https://www.ssa.gov/policy/trust-funds-summary.html So yep I agree with that NYT headline. Changes are needed. - Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:46 pm: “we’ll begin to apply that to get this pension situation under control” Bailey’s folks need to brief him on tier II that plus time will go a long way toward fixing the problem. - 47th Ward - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:52 pm: Sun-setting Social Security and Medicare would hand the GOP a huge weapon. They currently use the debt ceiling vote to threaten the economy unless they get their way. Imagine how they’d hold Social Security and Medicare hostage every five years. No thanks. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 4:52 pm: ===So yep I agree with that NYT headline. Changes are needed.=== Go take a nap, come back tomorrow. You just said that no changes are being made, now you feel the changes are needed? This is - Lucky Pierre - type of waffling to wanted wins. - Arsenal - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 5:03 pm: ==Do nothing and the programs are doomed - take a look at the 2022 Summary Actuarial report== Again, this is what I’ve heard my entire adult life. “We have to cut social security benefits now, or we might have to…cut them later.” Tell ya what, show me where Rick Scott or Mitch McConnell or whoever support lifting the income tax limit for Social Security. If they don’t support that, then anytime they say “changes” they mean “cuts”. Lie as many times as you need to, but they mean “cuts”. - Sue - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 5:24 pm: As you all know I am no fan of JB. But Bailey’s comments here expose him for being an idiot. Pritzker has made all of the required payments. He did mistakenly relax some rules imposed by Quinn to reduce some future pension liabilities which was ill advised and demonstrated an unwillingness to stand up against the public sector union lobbying. Bailey is the worst statewide candidate I can remember. He deserves to be crushed on Tuesday. Then again JB got him nominated so it shows the problem of billionaires with too much money to spend but also that JB could spot a loser when he saw one - G'Kar - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 5:26 pm: As a pensioner I will be more than happy to sit with Governor Beetle as long as he buys lunch and serves something besides Mt. Dew./s - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 5:31 pm: ==Then again JB got him nominated=== … by telling the GOP who Bailey is and Bailey won a 6-way primary with 56+% of the vote… aided by racist thinkers, insurrection apologists and conspiracy theorists… all base ILGOP voters. Try again. - New Day - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 5:38 pm: Republicans want to cut Social Security and Medicare. This is not news. Kevin McCarthy said so himself. He didn’t say he wanted to use the debt ceiling to force fixes in entitlements, but to force cuts. Please stop trying to gaslight America and especially here. This is not FB. We are not that dumb. - Big Dipper - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 5:44 pm: Republican voters like their Social Security just as much as anyone else so I don’t know to whom GOP leadership is attempting to pander. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 5:49 pm: ===attempting to pander=== Big money donors… always. - Amalia - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 5:54 pm: if you keep repeating lies, and keep repeating dumb things, people start to think they are true. Bailey is Farmer Trump. - Barnaby Wilde - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 6:24 pm: At that sitdown, the pensioners will be represented by Richard Roundtree, who will say “Xenia, you ain’t gonna do (banned word).” - Big Fot - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 7:23 pm: I’m what is wrong with the pension system. When I retired the actuaries predicted I would get eighteen checks. I will have completed 32 years in January. - Sir Reel - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 7:30 pm: He forgot to mention that when he sits down at the table he’ll roll up his sleeves. - Anyone Remember - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 10:11 pm: Darren - Bruce can tell you about an agency where there are no computers (darn you AF-Scammy!). That’ll be a good place to start. /s - One to the Dome - Wednesday, Nov 2, 22 @ 10:17 pm: easy to say when you are part of the “No” caucus - SouthSideGT - Thursday, Nov 3, 22 @ 7:06 am: b=Boy oh boy. Bailey is dumb. But it should be noted that buried in the end of Center Square story is the libertarian candidate Scott Schluter talking about why he “thinks” pension plans “went away”. Apparently Schluter “thinks” they were “not great plans”. I guess he never heard of the Revenue Act of 1978. But Bailey is still the dumbest. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.