Excellent speech. Personally, I thought the love section was great and always important for Democrats to reiterate that we love our country, just not its leader at the moment. And I’m a fiscal conservative so I dig the responsible budgeting approach. Such a refreshing change that you have leaders focused on paying our bills and not overspending.
Principled differences of opinion with Republicans forcefully delivered with no over the top Nazi comparisons.
- The Farm Grad - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 1:49 pm:
“fiscal conservative” “not overspending”
How is what Congress has done over the last 12 years overspending?
Over 67% of spending is on autopilot (SS+Medicare+InterstOnDebt). Another material amount is Medicaid, and we need more Medicaid spending (esp. in Il, as the governor has said) not less.
As to Governor Pritzker and “responsible budgeting”, he recently signed a bill that increased Chicago’s balance sheet by 11B dollars.
The speech was solid and decidedly partisan. For the first three-quarters, it fired up his base with concrete pledges: revenue via a social media tax and selective spending hikes - and plenty of sharp criticism of Trump. The shift to preaching “love” added an unexpected, almost Reagan-esque flourish. It’s a warm rhetorical move—but JB gave no real indication of how he’d reach out with love across the aisle to Illinois citizens who may not support him.
It was nice to hear the governor explain to everyone how shortsighted it is to let thousands of unsupervised, siloed municipalities dig us into a housing crisis.
Most local governments are aware that they have a severe lack of starter homes, but almost none of them have the guts to do anything about it. Now that the age of first-time homebuyers is 40, it’s about time the state steps in to address the issue with equal treatment to all localities.
“In many places, local regulations have made it too difficult and costly to build new housing. Some of the rules even have shameful roots that go back to the days of redlining. Often, the problem is a failure to modernize and keep up with the changing times we live in. It all adds up to bureaucratic red tape that unnecessarily increases costs, delays construction, and frequently kills projects altogether.
For example, local parking mandates often require a uniform minimum number of spaces for every new build – even in places where people don’t have cars because they have ample public transit and available street parking. Unused parking spots add millions of dollars in costs and severely limit the number of new units that can be built affordably. Spaces for cars are being prioritized over spaces for people.”
While I would love to see him out of the Governor’s office a promotion to a higher office is out of the question. Higher taxes. Higher spending. Someone else to pay the bills. Typical Pritzker speech.
= Altgeld fandom= No fan of Altgelt, but I love the castles inspired by his design - knew “Cook Hall” well as the old home to “WGLT” back in my ISU days
I thought it was good in places, and just okay in other places. Regarding the latter, the presentation of policy and budget matters was standard fare. Not bad, but not necessarily exciting. If there was an exception, reigning in cellphone use in schools seemed to stir the audience a little.
On the other hand, the “Illinois as the canary in a coalmine” was an excellent statement on past and present overreach by our federal government. I loved the reference to the Pullman strike, but the contemporary assault by our federal executive branch militia (equated to Czarist Russia) upon the people of Chicago was important and presented very well. The love speech was powerful as well. It had the framework of a call for a more centrist approach to governing. “I know, right now, there are a lot people out there who love their country and feel like their country is not loving them back” should play well, even in Peoria.
- Earnest - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 1:24 pm:
It was no Green Eggs and Ham level oratory, but he remains one of the adults in the room and put forth a responsible budget proposal..
- Katie - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 1:29 pm:
Big day for those of us in the Altgeld fandom
- James - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 1:35 pm:
It was better than Quinn’s 2014 speech but not as good as Edgar’s 1996 speech.
- New Day - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 1:42 pm:
Excellent speech. Personally, I thought the love section was great and always important for Democrats to reiterate that we love our country, just not its leader at the moment. And I’m a fiscal conservative so I dig the responsible budgeting approach. Such a refreshing change that you have leaders focused on paying our bills and not overspending.
- Harrison - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 1:47 pm:
Much, much better than last years.
Principled differences of opinion with Republicans forcefully delivered with no over the top Nazi comparisons.
- The Farm Grad - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 1:49 pm:
“fiscal conservative” “not overspending”
How is what Congress has done over the last 12 years overspending?
Over 67% of spending is on autopilot (SS+Medicare+InterstOnDebt). Another material amount is Medicaid, and we need more Medicaid spending (esp. in Il, as the governor has said) not less.
As to Governor Pritzker and “responsible budgeting”, he recently signed a bill that increased Chicago’s balance sheet by 11B dollars.
- low level - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 1:55 pm:
Best governor ever. His tone and down to earth attitude make him trustworthy. Fantastic speech.
As usual, I dont know what Kathy Salvi or John Cabello are talking about and I suspect they dont know themselves.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 1:57 pm:
Lot of love in that speech. lol.
Overall a very good speech.
- Think Again - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 1:58 pm:
The speech was solid and decidedly partisan. For the first three-quarters, it fired up his base with concrete pledges: revenue via a social media tax and selective spending hikes - and plenty of sharp criticism of Trump. The shift to preaching “love” added an unexpected, almost Reagan-esque flourish. It’s a warm rhetorical move—but JB gave no real indication of how he’d reach out with love across the aisle to Illinois citizens who may not support him.
- Joseph M - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 2:04 pm:
It was nice to hear the governor explain to everyone how shortsighted it is to let thousands of unsupervised, siloed municipalities dig us into a housing crisis.
Most local governments are aware that they have a severe lack of starter homes, but almost none of them have the guts to do anything about it. Now that the age of first-time homebuyers is 40, it’s about time the state steps in to address the issue with equal treatment to all localities.
“In many places, local regulations have made it too difficult and costly to build new housing. Some of the rules even have shameful roots that go back to the days of redlining. Often, the problem is a failure to modernize and keep up with the changing times we live in. It all adds up to bureaucratic red tape that unnecessarily increases costs, delays construction, and frequently kills projects altogether.
For example, local parking mandates often require a uniform minimum number of spaces for every new build – even in places where people don’t have cars because they have ample public transit and available street parking. Unused parking spots add millions of dollars in costs and severely limit the number of new units that can be built affordably. Spaces for cars are being prioritized over spaces for people.”
- Overbay - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 2:05 pm:
This speech was not partisan. No way. It was tame given the path Trump has taken the Country in the past 12 months.
- Tim - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 2:08 pm:
While I would love to see him out of the Governor’s office a promotion to a higher office is out of the question. Higher taxes. Higher spending. Someone else to pay the bills. Typical Pritzker speech.
- Minnesotan - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 2:10 pm:
Really brave of him to quote the 2003 hit movie “Love, Actually” in a serious government speech.
- low level - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 2:21 pm:
==Higher taxes. ==
Tell me how much your taxes will increase, Tim.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 2:25 pm:
- Big day for those of us in the Altgeld fandom -
Agreed, that was awesome.
- Remember the Alamo II - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 2:29 pm:
=== How is what Congress has done over the last 12 years overspending? ===
Are you kidding me?
- Think Again - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 2:33 pm:
= Altgeld fandom= No fan of Altgelt, but I love the castles inspired by his design - knew “Cook Hall” well as the old home to “WGLT” back in my ISU days
- H-W - Wednesday, Feb 18, 26 @ 2:39 pm:
I thought it was good in places, and just okay in other places. Regarding the latter, the presentation of policy and budget matters was standard fare. Not bad, but not necessarily exciting. If there was an exception, reigning in cellphone use in schools seemed to stir the audience a little.
On the other hand, the “Illinois as the canary in a coalmine” was an excellent statement on past and present overreach by our federal government. I loved the reference to the Pullman strike, but the contemporary assault by our federal executive branch militia (equated to Czarist Russia) upon the people of Chicago was important and presented very well. The love speech was powerful as well. It had the framework of a call for a more centrist approach to governing. “I know, right now, there are a lot people out there who love their country and feel like their country is not loving them back” should play well, even in Peoria.