Quinn cries fowl on Rauner budget plan
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a point-by-point rebuttal by the Quinn campaign to Bruce Rauner’s “plan,” which is far better than the campaign’s initial hyperventilating response…
Here are some corrections and context.
Medicaid
RAUNER: Mentions $12M in payments to the deceased…over 44 years.
FACT: Most of it has already been recouped and every penny will be recovered in the coming months.
Prairie Chickens
RAUNER: Claims Gov. Quinn flew prairie chickens around.
FACT: Um, no he did not. State hunters pay a fee into an endangered species replenishment fund that transported this species. The federal government also supports this program. State taxpayers did not pay a single dime for this endangered species program.
Supreme Court
RAUNER: Counts $40 million in spending as “waste.”
FACT: Enhancing the state’s probation system to keep Illinois residents safer is hardly wasteful.
Governor’s Pension and Salary
RAUNER: Says he won’t take any pay.
FACT: In 2012, Rauner took in $53 million, about 300 times the Governor’s salary. Guess only millionaires and billionaires need apply.
Defined Contribution System for Legislators
RAUNER: Claims the change would save $60 million over 30 years.
FACT: Gov. Quinn’s REAL pension reform to the General Assembly Retirement System will save taxpayers $302 million over 30 years. Quinn’s full pension reform law saves Illinois taxpayers $140 BILLION over the next 30 years.
Constitutional Office Budgets
RAUNER: Wants a 10 percent cut.
FACT: Already happening - Governor Quinn has already reduced the Governor’s Office budget by more than 25 percent and called for other constitutionals to follow suit.
Comptroller and Treasurer’s Office
RAUNER: Wants a merger.
FACT: Doesn’t understand this requires a constitutional amendment.
CMS Cuts
RAUNER: Wants to cut $500 Million from Central Management Services.
FACT: CMS is the agency that handles administration of much of what the state does. It polices state purchases and makes sure they are handled fairly. Saying you can just cut the administrative agency that identifies efficiencies and achieves economies by finding better deals for taxpayers shows just how little Rauner understands about state government.
Medicaid Verification Reform
RAUNER: Wants it.
FACT: Already happening. And as a result of the Governor’s efforts to root out waste, fraud and abuse, Illinois is expected to save about $86 million this year. Not only has the Governor cut waste, he overhauled the state’s Medicaid program entirely in 2012, which has so far saved taxpayers more than $3 billion.
By the way, I brazenly stole the above headline from a “47th Ward” comment.
41 Comments  
|
*** UPDATED x1 *** Chickens?
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If he wanted to be taken seriously, perhaps he should’ve abandoned the idea of featuring a cage of live chickens while unveiling his new budget proposal…
Standing beside a trio of caged chickens, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner says he has a plan to cut $1 billion in “wasteful spending” in state government that calls on lawmakers to forfeit their pensions as they know it, to scrap a state plane system and, among other changes, stop the practice of flying in prairie chickens from out of state.
Rauner contended that state planes were used to fly the chickens. During budget debate in the Legislature, lawmakers noted that a federal grant paid for the project.
* Sun-Times photo…
So, we get a copied and pasted high school freshman-level “budget plan” and live chickens. This is so Pat Quinn 30 years ago.
Man, it’s gonna be a long season.
*** UPDATE *** From WLS Radio we get Rauner’s rationale…
GOP challenger Bruce Rauner is now attacking Governor Pat Quinn with live poultry. […]
“They are clear visualization of the fundamental problem,” Rauner said. “We have out of control spending. We have irresponsible politicians making decisions with taxpayer money on a sloppy, unaccountable basis.”
…Adding… I just asked an editor who was there if the chickens clucked throughout the press conference. They were amazingly quiet the whole time, he said. At least they got that part right. Chickens can be quite noisy.
108 Comments
|
* Click here to read it. The “blueprint” is incredibly weak. He’s found just $140 million in itemized budgetary “savings.” And most of those savings aren’t even recoverable or part of GRF.
…Adding… A Rauner ally just called to clarify that this is only waste. It’s just the first step, she said. It’s still weak.
On top of that, Rauner also calls for eliminating the state aircraft fleet, he wants an end to “slush funds” like the anti-violence initiative, and he vows not to accept a salary.
He claims unspecified reforms at CMS would save another $500 million. And another $250 million could be saved by verifying Medicaid eligibility.
* Basically, Rauner has given us a few pieces of low-hanging fruit, sprinkled it with some magic fairy dust and added a dash of hot rhetoric.
This isn’t a budget blueprint. It’s rehashed stuff he’s already talked about on the campaign trail. And it absolutely does not prevent the need to keep income tax rates high.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the Quinnsters…
Quinn for Illinois Statement on Rauner’s Budget Prank Today
Rauner’s Ploy Would Benefit Millionaires and Billionaires That Want to be Governor
CHICAGO - Following is a statement from Quinn for Illinois Communications Director Brooke Anderson in response to the Bruce Rauner budget prank released today:
“What Bruce Rauner released today is a giant prank on the public meant to hide the absence of any real plan to deal with the massive structural challenges facing Illinois.
“Gov. Quinn has cut wasteful spending and made the tough choices to pay the bills while Rauner tried to score political points from the sidelines.
“What Rauner released today is a collection of newspaper clippings and lesser versions of policies Gov. Quinn already has embraced, as the Governor has cut $5.7 billion in spending to date. In fact, as part of his current budget review, Governor Quinn is already evaluating the state’s plane usage.
“Gov. Quinn closed 50 state facilities, reformed Medicaid and enacted reforms that mean Illinois is actually spending less on operations than it did six years ago.
“Rauner’s prank today notably includes a grandstanding salary provision that would mean that only millionaires and billionaires could be Governor.
“Rauner has attempted to sabotage the real savings achieved by Gov. Quinn, whether it be real city and state pension reform, paying our bills and protecting homeowners from property tax increases.
“The question we are left with today after Rauner’s ploy is, ‘Where’s his real budget plan?’”
*** UPDATE 2 *** The official Rauner release just reached my in-box…
Rauner Unveils Government Reform Blueprint and Plan to Cut Wasteful Spending
- Outlines 10 Key Steps -
- Over $1 Billion in Savings -
Bruce Rauner today announced ten key steps needed to reform state government and eliminate wasteful spending as part of a series of policy initiatives he will continue to unveil in the coming weeks.
The proposals will form a Bring Back Blueprint that details the reforms needed to restructure state government so it can be run more effectively and efficiently, create an economic climate that will lead to more and better paying jobs, ensure a fair, pro-growth tax system and find the resources to invest in education.
Click HERE to download the Bring Back Blueprint: Government Reform and Cutting Government Waste.
Today’s reforms follow last week’s announcement by Bruce that the first major initiative he is pushing – legislative term limits – received official word from the state that it had enough signatures to be placed on the ballot.
“Pat Quinn spent five years preserving a broken system. His failure to act has Illinois stuck in a downward spiral that’s resulted in both a record tax hike and yet another phony budget,” Rauner said. “That’s why I’m laying out a series of structural reforms and savings that will transform our state.”
“From selling state planes to making sure chickens aren’t treated better than taxpayers, I’ll root out the waste,” Rauner added. “And I’ll reform broken and outdated systems of government. It’s time to shake things up.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** But, of course…
*** UPDATE 4 *** Commenter “Demoralized” sums it up well…
He identifies $60 million spent for correctional officer overtime as “savings” while at the same time saying more people should have been hired to prevent overtime. You aren’t going to save $60 million because you are going to spend a lot of that on new employees. […]
He identifies money at the Court of Claims as “waste” yet Court of Claims payments are for things owed by the state. I guess he’s for stiffing people what they are owed.
He says get rid of the state air fleet but doesn’t provide any analysis of the real savings because you will start to have to spend money on mileage reimbursement for individuals not taking the plane (not just the Governor uses the planes). He also says it only costs $65 to drive between Chicago and Springfield. It costs double that based on the current mileage reimbursement rate.
All of the audit issues he brings up with equipment aren’t savings. I have no idea how he comes to that conclusion.
As for the payments on Medicaid to deceased individuals that money has been recovered. No savings there either. I also have no idea in general how he comes up with $140 million in savings.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Rauner campaign spokesperson Mike Schrimpf.
“Only Pat Quinn would reject a billion dollars in cuts to wasteful spending and advocate raising taxes instead.”
See “Update 4″ for a pretty good response. Plus, half of those “savings” are from one agency, CMS, and his plan doesn’t even come close to specifying how he’d save $500 million. C’mon. This is so phoney.
116 Comments
|
Question of the day
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Reboot commissioned a new poll…
Conducted June 10 and 11 by pollster We Ask America, the survey below contains responses from 1,075 registered voters on the broadest question of the election: “If the election for Illinois governor were held today, for whom would you vote?”
Among all respondents, Rauner registered a 10-point lead (47-37, with 16 percent undecided). But Quinn had a commanding lead in Chicago, where his huge showing in 2010 helped him claim victory by a margin of less than 1 percent (46.79 percent to Bill Brady’s 45.94 percent; a difference of 31,834 votes).
“History teaches us to not make strong assumptions from these early polls,” said We Ask America CEO Gregg Durham. “Four years ago, Pat Quinn trailed Bill Brady by 10 points in August and fought his way back to win a close victory. Rauner’s lead in the collar counties and downstate is strong and may hold, but Cook County is the real battle ground.”
The poll shows Quinn leading 65-18 in Chicago, which is pretty darned good for Rauner. The Democrat trails the Republican 36-44 in suburban Cook, which is also pretty darned good.
* And, as we’ve already discussed, FiveThirtyEight gives Rauner a 75 percent chance of winning.
But Larry Sabato checked his crystal ball and rates the race a tossup…
Even though the Land of Lincoln is deep blue, Quinn is deeply vulnerable for many reasons, including recent allegations that an anti-violence initiative he started in 2010 is being investigated for possibly being a “political slush fund.” The GOP apparently chose wisely in its primary by selecting wealthy businessman Bruce Rauner, who is trying to position himself as the sort of outsider and moderate Republican that the state elected governor in the 1970s through the 1990s. […]
If Democrats can mobilize their large party base in Illinois and Connecticut, for instance, that alone would save Quinn and Malloy.
* The Question: What percentage chance of victory would you give Bruce Rauner? Make sure to explain your answer, please. Thanks.
53 Comments
|
Furlough logic
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Senate President John Cullerton defends eliminating legislative furlough days in the new state budget…
Cullerton defended the legislature’s decision to stop taking unpaid furlough days after five years. It will result in lawmakers collecting at least $3,100 more in salary next year.
The decision actually sprang from Quinn’s move last year to cut lawmaker salaries from the budget because they didn’t pass pension reform during the spring session. Cullerton and Madigan went to court saying Quinn couldn’t do that. Quinn’s lawyers argued it could be done because the legislature was already cutting its members’ salaries through furloughs.
The courts ruled against Quinn. Given that, Cullerton said, lawmakers couldn’t then turn around and continue unpaid furloughs.
I guess I see his point, but as long as Quinn signs the bill which includes making legislative salaries a continuing appropriation, furloughs probably won’t be an issue again.
* Related…
* Finke: Quinn veto budget? Not likely
* Lawmakers split on what to do with salary windfall - Springfield-area lawmakers are split on what they plan to do with a windfall pay raise they’ll see in the new budget year.
14 Comments
|
AFL-CIO endorses Topinka over Simon
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I told subscribers about this yesterday, and the Illinois AFL-CIO has now publicly revealed its 2014 general endorsements to the general public.
The most significant endorsement went to Republican Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka over Democrat Sheila Simon. Click here to see the full list.
Topinka was endorsed in the primary, but AFL-CIO leaders said at the time that they’d revisit the issue for the general. At the time, however, Simon slapped back at labor…
Simon was clearly stung by the show of support to her fall opponent, lashing out at the union brass and insisting she – not Topinka – carried the support of “rank and file working men and women across the state.”
“It’s not surprising that a small group of insiders endorsed Judy Baar Topinka behind closed doors – after their membership had already recommended no endorsement,” Simon spokesman Dave Mellet said.
That statement didn’t do her much good this week. Simon needed to prevent the AFL-CIO endorsement because those unions can give Topinka real money, which Simon doesn’t have. This is, therefore, a huge development in the race.
The state Fed also endorsed Gov. Pat Quinn, which isn’t much of a surprise.
17 Comments
|
Those weren’t rumors
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I hinted at this in comments on Tuesday and told subscribers about it yesterday. Bernie today…
Republican state Sen. SAM McCANN didn’t vote in the March 18 primary, Macoupin County election records show.
McCann, whose 50th Senate District represents part of Springfield, couldn’t be reached Wednesday, but the fact that he didn’t cast a ballot in March lends credence to the idea that he was already thinking of his almost-run for governor back then.
McCann on Tuesday issued a late-afternoon statement saying that, “despite rumors to the contrary,” he’s not running as an independent for governor.
But petitions with his name, and apparently his blessing, were being distributed.
Skipping the primary after enthusiastically endorsing Kirk Dillard, means that McCann planned this bid months ago. The “rumors” claim was completely bogus.
But his planning was spotty at best. He didn’t have a running mate’s name on his petitions, so he would’ve been tossed even if he gathered 25,000 valid signatures in a little over two weeks (another bad planning move on McCann’s part).
19 Comments
|
“I can’t stand it, I know you planned it”
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The governror accused Bruce Rauner of “sabotage” yesterday for working against various pension reform plans. Tribune…
“There’s always going to be people on the sidelines shooting at reforms,” Quinn said of Rauner. “He tried to sabotage the state pension reform, he tried to sabotage the city pension reform. The people in Illinois don’t want saboteurs.”
* The Trib also took a look at Rauner’s connection to the death of the Cook County pension reform plan…
Rauner’s campaign sent an e-mail to lawmakers saying the GOP standard bearer opposed the county plan. The memo also included comments from Illinois Republican Party Chairman Timothy Schneider, who Rauner backed for the statewide post he was elected to last month.
Schneider, a county commissioner from Streamwood, said Rauner staffers asked him if he had an opinion on the legislation. He said he told them he was opposed because it did not identify a way to pay for the almost $147 million more a year the county would be required to pay into the pension fund. They asked him if he “would comment on it.” Schneider said he agreed, and his statement was included in the e-mail. Schneider, however, said he did not personally discuss the issue with Rauner.
“An e-mail did go out that said I was not in favor of this bill unless there was a revenue source identified that was not a property tax or a sales tax,” Schneider said. “It turned out (Rauner) was opposed to it as well.”
Republican lawmakers echoed those concerns but argued they made up their own minds on the merits of the bill.
Yep. It’s all one big coinkydink.
30 Comments
|
* Ed Michalowski has refiled his sexual harassment and political intimidation lawsuit against Treasurer Dan Rutherford. The new lawsuit adds the Mitt Romney presidential campaign as a defendant. Sun-Times…
The allegations, filed in a first amended complaint in federal court early Thursday, adds racketeering counts and political discrimination charges tied to the Romney campaign and the Rutherford campaign.
“Beginning in early spring 2011, however, Defendant Rutherford coerced and intimidated, implicitly and explicitly, Plaintiff into performing political work on behalf of the Rutherford Campaign,” the complaint alleges. “For example, Defendant Rutherford demanded that Plaintiff coordinate lunches or dinners with individuals whom Plaintiff was acquainted with, and solicit donations for the Rutherford Campaign from each individual.”
With regard to allegations involving the hiring of interns based on political clout, the lawsuit states:
“Defendant Rutherford hired only candidates whose connections would be useful to the Rutherford Campaign, regardless of the strength of their qualifications or whether other non‐politically connected candidates had superior credentials.”
* From the lawsuit…
At some point during February or March 2011, Defendant Rutherford informed Plaintiff that he had in fact been hired solely to perform political fundraising on behalf of the Rutherford Campaign.
Michalowski also claims that he was ordered to hire college students to collect petition signatures for the Romney campaign. The petition drive didn’t go well. Rutherford allegedly refused to pay the students and allegedly told Michalowski to pay the kids out of his own pocket or be fired.
As far as I could see, there was nothing in the lawsuit directly implicating the people who ran the national Romney campaign in the lawsuit. Rutherford was the candidate’s state chairman, so that’s the sole connection.
21 Comments
|
Rauner to make “policy announcement”
Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A first from the Rauner campaign…
Media Advisory: Bruce Rauner and Evelyn Sanguinetti to Make Policy Announcement
Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner along with running mate Evelyn Sanguinetti will make a policy announcement today.
Event: Bruce Rauner and Evelyn Sanguinetti to Make Policy Announcement
Time: 12:30PM
Date: Thursday, June 12, 2014
Location: Courtyard Chicago Midway Airport — Stadium Room
6610 S Cicero Ave
Bedford Park, IL
Not sure if it’s relevant, but that hotel is in Speaker Madigan’s district.
Guesses?
55 Comments
|
Question of the day
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’m having some serious Comcast internet problems today, so blogging could be spotty. I never did find an entertaining photo of the governor’s bill-signing ceremony yesterday at a Harley dealership, so we’ll go with the cupcake girl…
* The Question: Caption?
82 Comments
|
Voted “least likely to succeed”
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Wanna try and guess the odds of this bill’s success?…
An Illinois lawmaker has introduced a proposal to ask voters in 2015 if term limits should be imposed on leaders in the state Legislature.
State Rep. Jack Franks filed legislation on Monday that would put a nonbinding question on the statewide municipal election ballot next April. The Marengo Democrat says that the structure of state government needs to be overhauled.
Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan recently became the longest-serving official in his leadership position in the nation.
Anyone also want to lay odds on how Franks votes when Madigan is up for reelection in January?
Look, I like Jack a lot. Always have. He’s a good legislator with some bright ideas. But he’s far too in love with these press release bills for my taste.
I do suppose, however, that his proposal could spark some debate, particularly when it comes to certain editorial boards. And I would assume that his idea has lots of support. But, c’mon, unless he’s willing to say he’d vote against MJM for Speaker next year, this ain’t exactly a serious proposal.
46 Comments
|
Reform and renewal
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Give state grant money to the head of one of the most effective Democratic political organizations in the state, and surprises are few…
Young job seekers in Chicago’s south suburbs stood to benefit from almost half a million dollars awarded by Gov. Pat Quinn’s now-defunct anti-violence grant program that’s under investigation.
But some of that money went to a local government official with ties to Thornton Township Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli, who is a south suburban power broker known for turning out the vote and a political supporter of Quinn, the Better Government Association has found.
Thornton Township Youth Director Jerry Weems, a Zuccarelli underling and campaign contributor, got part of his salary paid with state grant money; got nearly $10,000 for his own nonprofit; and even more money — $3,600 — for a company owned by his sister-in-law. […]
With the grant money, the nonprofit paid teens $8.50 an hour to pass out anti-violence literature at events. It also paid Weems’ own nonprofit organization, Vision Management Services, $9,600 in 2012 for leading young adult workshops on stress management, anger resolution and basic social skills, according to interviews and records.
The Youth Committee Program also gave Weems a salary of more than $14,000 total in 2011 and 2012 with grant funds. The payments were in addition to Weems’ annual township pay, currently $127,722. Separately, the Youth Committee Program paid Enhanced Skillstreaming Professionals Inc. $3,600 with grant funds in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. State records show that private company is owned by Toinette Hill, Weems’ sister-in-law. Hill declined to comment.
Again with paying kids to hand out anti-violence fliers. This is nothing but make-work. OK, it gets kids off the streets for a few hours, puts a few bucks in their pockets, but is it really accomplishing anything?
* Meanwhile…
The legislative commission that last month opened hearings into Auditor General William Holland’s audit of Gov. Pat Quinn’s scandal-tainted Neighborhood Recovery Initiative announced Tuesday a new hearing date in July to continue delving into the report.
The Legislative Audit Commission has set July 16 and, if necessary, July 17 to continue hearing testimony on Quinn’s 2010 anti-violence grant program that is now under state and federal investigation.
29 Comments
|
Yeah, that’ll work
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Personally, I think these campaign “countdown clocks” are goofy. And you gotta wonder how much staff time was used to create this silly little “website”…
Quinn for Illinois Launches www.RaunerBudget.com - A Laughing Matter for Bruce
In Honor of Day #464, New Countdown Clock Highlights Billionaire’s Budget Dodge
CHICAGO - A new clock is counting down the days and hours since Bruce Rauner promised to reveal his budget plan, as well as highlight what a laughing matter this silence has become for the billionaire tycoon.
Wednesday marks the 464th day since he entered the governor’s race that Billionaire Bruce has gone without disclosing a detailed budget plan of his own.
Go to RaunerBudget.com to see the clock - and hear just how important he thinks the issue is for the people of Illinois.
The audio file they use is Rauner laughing, repeated over and over again. But it’s poorly done and unless you know the back story (which, by the way, isn’t even linked on the site) you’d have no idea what the heck the clip was supposed to be about.
47 Comments
|
The jury got it right
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* After Rep. Derrick Smith’s guilty verdict was announced yesterday, a juror told the Tribune that the federal mole was “a slippery and disgusting character” and said the FBI’s investigation was “somewhat sleazy.” More from what the juror said…
Jason Carter, 29, said the jury’s reservations included the FBI’s use of an undercover informant and two-time felon – a man identified at trial only as “Pete” — who repeatedly pushed the West Side legislator on a plan to extort a day care operator who needed a letter of support for a state grant. The scheme was a ruse concocted by federal agents.
“It didn’t feel right to us,” Carter said. “It’s not like he went to a day care and shook them down. He went to an FBI day care…but that was not to be considered by us.”
But…
Finally, after four hours of sometimes-heated deliberations, the jury was able to use the judge’s legal instructions to come to a unanimous verdict on each count of bribery and extortion, Carter said. […]
For a time, the jury’s foreman – not Carter — was strongly opposed to convicting Smith. But in the end, it was Smith who convicted himself with his own words, caught on undercover recordings talking about “cheddar” and “seven stacks” of cash and insisting on hiding any paper trail of the kickback, according to Carter.
“He never said, ‘Hey, listen Pete, I do these letters all the time and they are to help my constituents, not for my own personal gain,’” Carter said.
That’s exactly right. Smith deserved what he got, even if the feds went overboard on this thing.
25 Comments
|
Cantor loss has Roskam ripple effect
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* US House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s stunning loss in last night’s primary to a tea partier - apparently the first ever primary loss by a Majority Leader in American history - has created an opportunity for one Illinoisan…
Roskam is currently the Chief Deputy Whip.
Curiously enough, voter turnout in Cantor’s off-year primary was actually 37 percent higher than it was during the presidential election. Some have speculated about possible Democratic involvement, but that’s just speculation at this point. Cantor’s internal polling had him 34 points up late last month. An independent poll conducted June 2nd had Cantor ahead 52-39.
Whatever happened, this is a big tea party victory and a huge defeat for the DC powers that be, including the US Chamber, who’ve launched a major effort to beat back the social right this year.
99 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
|
Comments Off
|
|
Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
|
   
|
Hosted by MCS
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax
Advertise Here
Mobile Version
Contact Rich Miller
|
