* Before you listen to his answers, a warning. I took Oscar with me because he loves the grounds at the governor’s mansion, but he didn’t get a chance to run around before the interview. Stella, the Rauner family dog, wasn’t in town, either, so he was looking all over for her.
The bottom line is Oscar started barking toward the end of the interview. Loud. Insistently loud. The little guy really wanted to go outside and play. So, end of interview.
Gov. Rauner sat for other interviews, and we’ll have more on them in a bit.
Miller: I saw your op-ed in the SJ-R, but what do you think so far in one year has been your single most treasured accomplishment?
Rauner: I really have to say three: Having a “world record” education fundin’ for Illinois – most we’ve ever had despite no budget. That’s a big deal to me. Gettin’ innovative contracts with the 17 unions. That’s a big deal. And then saving over $700 million from the operating costs of the government.
Miller: Number one, though, all the Republicans voted against that bill and then you signed it – any regrets on that?
Rauner: None at all. We need education funding.
Miller: In October of 2014, you said to IRN “pushing any specific labor regulation is not my priority at all.” So what happened? What changed?
Rauner: Nothing has changed. Why do you say something has changed?
Miller: Well you have been pushing for different labor laws.
Rauner: You and a couple of the other guys don’t see the difference. I’m not sayin’ that communities can’t collectively bargain. I’m not sayin’ collective bargaining rights get stripped away. I’m not sayin’ that people can’t join unions. A lot of communities agree with you and others and they want to pay more taxes for prevailing wage. Terrific! They want to pay higher taxes to support collective bargaining in government. Terrific! I got no problem, I just don’t want one community telling another community how to do it. That’s not advocating some labor law.
Miller: Well it is.
Rauner: It’s not – it’s local control of government, not a labor law. That is democracy at work, getting the democracy to the level of the people. This is empowering the people of Illinois - that is what the agenda is about. 100%
Miller: One of the things that several of my commenters have been asking for months, including one of the top commenters I have on the blog, is do you have any –
::Oscar barks, making his presence known::
Miller: Oscar stop.
Miller: Do you have any specific data about what the return on investment would be on your Turnaround Agenda? For instance, what is the benefit to the state in dollars and cents for your agenda?
Rauner: We have quantified a lot of that stuff. We can send that to you. This is why I am frustrated when the Speaker says this is not related to the budget. For example, if we can get business regulatory change so I can recruit manufacturer’s here and more transportation companies here, and more businesses here, we can generate billions of new revenue without raising tax rates. That’s directly tied to the budget. And if we can get the pension reform I’m asking for and the local control of government costs, we can save billions for the taxpayers that’s directly related to the budget.
Miller: Billions?
Rauner: Billions.
Miller: Because the Illinois Policy Institute did a study on prevailing wage and they didn’t find much savings at all, you’re looking at ¾ of a point.
Rauner: I’d have to see the study. ¾ of what point?
Miller: ¾ of a percentage point on their property tax bills.
Rauner: That’s a lot of money.
Miller: When I took a look at their numbers it’s probably half that, so it’s less than half of a percentage point. That’s not billions of dollars.
Rauner: I didn’t say prevailing wage alone is billions per year, it’s a lot, it’s many, many hundreds of millions. All of those changes together - Local control is billions. Because local control on pensions, what gets collectively bargained, the prevailing wage, HUGE. Some agree with you. Fine! I’m not saying they can’t do what you want but why do the communities who agree with you tell the communities that agree with me how to run their communities? Where does that come off? That’s not what democracy is about.
Miller: Well there is some dispute over whether you can even do that at the local level.
Rauner: Well I don’t agree it’s disputable but let’s have the dispute – that’s fine.
Miller: It’s getting us nowhere because it’s not being accepted, there are veto-proof majorities in both the House and the Senate. You said recently to Dan Proft that we aren’t’ going to get a budget until Mike Madigan changes. And Mike Madigan is not a guy who changes very often. So if you accept the fact, I don’t know if you do or not, that neither you nor the speaker are going to compromise on what you call your “basic principles” –
::Oscar bark::
Miller: Oscar stop.
Miller: Do you think it’s time to try something different to break the log-jam?
Rauner: Well I am up for your suggestions. Let me dispute a couple of your assumptions. I have compromised and I will compromise. There are no one of my six bills that I say have to be the one that passes and any bill that does pass can be tweaked. There is nothin’ that is off the table for me in terms of what will happen. But what we can’t do – and I said this in the op-ed you read – a massive tax hike and nothing else? No. Failure. That’s a disaster for the state. That we can’t go there.. And the reason I am optimistic, the Speaker and I get along perfectly well, it’s not a personal thing. It’s always spun that we hate each other. Not true. The reason I am cautiously optimistic is that Mike has done things in the past that have really ticked off AFSCME or the teachers union or whoever and yes, do some of what I’m recommending do that? Yes, but he’s done it before. It’s not like it’s unheard of for him.
Miller: I agree with you. So I don’t disagree I just don’t see him doing it yet. Do you see him cutting a deal before the primary? Or before the General Election?
Rauner: I don’t know what timing he is going to choose. You know my buddies over in the Democratic caucus, some say that there’s a chance he’ll do it soon, others have said there is no way it’s happening before the primary. And more and more are sayin’ no way until after the general. At some point we got to lead.
Miller: How do you get there? You’ve faced complicated situations in business. You didn’t become who you were by just waiting everyone out.
::Oscar growing increasingly agitated::
Rauner: I haven’t played every card in my hand, I haven’t done everything I can do. I’m just going to keep doing what I can do to try and get a compromise.
Miller: Are you going to wait four years? Before we get a budget? Your entire term?
Rauner: Here’s the thing – I will not sign off on a tax hike that doesn’t have reforms in it.
::Oscar barking madly::
Miller: Oscar please!!
Miller: So, four years? Are you really willing to wait four years?
::Oscar continues barking as if to stop the interview all together::
Miller: Are you really willing to wait four years?
Rauner: I’m not waiting, I’m working my ass off 24/7.
Miller: Ok, are you willing to work your ass off and get nothing 24/7 for four years?
Rauner: We’ve already got a lot in the first year. I’m all about improvin’ the future for the people of Illinois.
Miller: (After a pause) Uh-huh.
