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*** UPDATED x1 - Radogno calls it a “ploy” *** Durkin urges “great caution” on Madigan offer to Rauner, points to past as a warning

Monday, May 8, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The background is here. From House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…

“This announcement strikes a very familiar tone, one that should bring great caution to the public especially as we enter the final weeks of the legislative session. Two years ago, these same Democrats ‘engaged’ in working group discussions on these very issues only to walk away from the table to pass a budget that was more than $4 billion out of balance. Last year they once again ‘engaged’ with Republicans on these issues only to walk away and pass a budget that was $7 billion out of balance. The fact is, Democrats have a history of creating these working groups in an attempt to waste time and obfuscate from their record of more than 20 years of reckless spending and failed policies. As I’ve said repeatedly, we are willing to negotiate with Democrats to bring an end to this impasse, but that only works when both sides respect the priorities of the other side. We remain willing and ready to negotiate and compromise, but time is running out.”

From what I’ve been told, I don’t think the governor’s office will directly respond to Madigan’s offer, but one never knows for sure about such things.

*** UPDATE *** From Senate GOP Leader Christine Radogno…

“I see Speaker Madigan’s comments today as a ploy, typical of his pattern of behavior. It is clearly a political reaction to the progress being made in the Senate and our good faith efforts to reach a comprehensive solution. We continue to work on significant reforms coupled with a balanced budget. I’m still hopeful we can be successful with legislation in the Senate that can be sent to the House for consideration. The problem is solvable if there is the political will to do it.”

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What goes around comes around

Monday, May 8, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* NBC 5…

Two state lawmakers said Friday that Illinois’ budget crisis and Gov. Bruce Rauner share in the blame for the death of 1-year-old Semaj Crosby.

State Reps. LaShawn Ford and Mary Flowers, both Democrats representing Chicago, said that investigating DCFS for its role is not enough and predicted that without a budget compromise, more children will fall through the cracks.

The state’s budget crisis has forced cuts at social service agencies that once were available to families in crisis. As the two lawmakers see it, Rauner needs to find a budget solution, while a spokesman for the governor said the lawmakers are politicizing a horrible tragedy.

“It’s the governor’s responsibility,” said Ford. “It’s his department and if the governor really cared as much about the children as he cares about selling the Thompson Center—DCFS would get the help that it needs.” […]

The governor’s office refuted the accusations.

“This has nothing to do with the budget, and it’s sad that anyone would try to politicize this horrible tragedy. Like everyone across the state, the governor wants answers on how such a horrific tragedy could happen,” a spokesperson for Rauner said Friday. “The Will County Sheriff, DCFS and other agencies are actively investigating and we are anxiously awaiting their findings. Something like this should never happen – and we need to find out exactly why it did. As an administration, we will remain committed to do anything and everything possible to protect the children of Illinois and improve the Department of Children and Family Services.”

It most certainly does have something to do with the lack of a state budget, but I, myself, wouldn’t directly blame the governor for the death of that little girl.

…Adding… It should be noted that DCFS basically runs without a budget because it’s under a federal consent decree. However, a budget could increase funding for various tasks. Or, the administration could go back to the judge and ask for more money.

* However, remember this from October of 2014?…

Republican governor candidate Bruce Rauner today said he blames Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn for the deaths of child-abuse victims whose families previously had contact with the state’s child-welfare agency.

“Yes,” Rauner said when asked by reporters if the deaths of 95 children with past contact with the Department of Children and Family Services from 2011-2013 were attributable to Quinn.

“Pat Quinn is, in the end, responsible for the failings at the Department of Children and Family Services. If it was a one-year problem or a temporary problem you could say, ‘OK, maybe, there was, it’s not really his responsibility.’ But he’s been governor for six years. He’s had a revolving door of failure at Department of Children and Family Services for years and years,” Rauner said.

Rauner’s remarks came as he stepped up his attacks over Quinn’s DCFS oversight with a new TV ad today with a similar message to a radio ad that began airing a day earlier.

Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson has called the ad campaign a “false and malicious attempt to smear the governor.” She contended Rauner was cynically using for political purposes an agency that “intervenes in emergency life and death situations” involving at-risk children.

“To imply the governor is somehow responsible for the deaths of children in the horrific circumstances that this agency enters into while trying to save lives is despicable and a new low,” she said.

* And here’s the TV ad Rauner ran back then…

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*** UPDATED x1 - Munger responds for Rauner *** Frerichs comes out swinging

Monday, May 8, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From a recent press release…

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs will urge Governor Bruce Rauner [today] to focus on budget negotiations to avoid junk bond status. During Rauner’s tenure, Illinois has incurred six credit downgrades due to two years without a state budget.

Frerichs will outline the financial consequences and address the negative impact Illinois faces if credit agencies move forward with public warnings to downgrade Illinois to junk bond status.

* Treasurer Frerichs has been mostly quiet about Gov. Rauner and the impasse. “I prefer to play my part and do my job rather than to complain about others,” he told reporters today, then explained why he was speaking out: “The future of our state is too important.”

Gov. Rauner “paid big money” to win his election, “but he refuses to do his job,” Frerichs said. “The buck always stops somewhere else.”

“It is embarrassing and downright shameful that Illinois is in this deep of a hole,” he said, pointing to the six state credit downgrades and the recent warning from Moody’s that Illinois “is on a path to junk bond status.”

“Gov. Rauner needs to stop campaigning and start governing,” he said. “You can’t negotiate a budget when you’re out on the campaign trail. You can’t negotiate a budget through press conferences and television commercials,” the treasurer said at his press conference. “You have to be present here, present in Springfield calling the leaders together to work out his deal.”

“I don’t listen when someone says something is a priority, I look at their budget, I look at their actions. And then you can see clearly what is not a priority with this administration,” Frerichs said of the lack of funding for higher education and social services. He later said he was in favor of the House’s “lifeline” budget for those two areas as budget negotiations proceeded in the Senate.

Frerichs also said the lack of a budget would impact upcoming bond sales. “The added interest we’re paying will be ripped out of the wallets of Illinois citizens,” he said, claiming that another credit downgrade could “terminate interest rate swap contracts,” which would trigger some big payouts.

“This is not the Illinois we want it to be,” Frerichs said. “We need a budget and I call upon the governor to do his job now.”

* Frerichs also criticized Rauner for focusing solely on K-12 funding, noting that Rauner constantly crows about increasing education funding while slashing higher education dollars. “Education in this state does not end in the 12th grade,” he said.

I’ll post the Rauner administration’s response if I get one. Frerichs’ press release is here.

*** UPDATE *** From Deputy Governor Leslie Munger…

The fact is that the Treasurer spent years in Springfield voting for the very tax hikes and borrowing that landed us in this place. Instead of playing politics, the Treasurer should encourage members of his party to work with the Governor on real change to get our state back on track to long-term economic growth and balanced budgets.

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