It’s estimated a retirement tax could bring in up to $2 billion a year, real money in a state that’s broke and getting broker.
But seniors can chill because, as I said, it’s unlikely this year.
As an old dude who’d be whacked by the tax, I’m relieved.
As an old dude who worries about the mountain of debt we’re piling onto our children and grandchildren, I think it should at least be considered as part of an overall solution.
Lawmakers in 40 states bit the bullet, faced the wrath of seniors and imposed a tax on retirement income.
Most are still around to talk about it.
But this is Illinois, a dystopian government Wonderland where a refusal to even consider the obvious is business as usual.
The Mad Hatter would love it.
* But AARP is not taking any chances and has launched an ad campaign just in case somebody tries to move it forward. Click here to see the newspaper ad, which is running in these papers…
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Sun-Times
Rockford Register Star
Champaign News Gazette
Springfield Journal Register
Peoria Journal Star
Belleville News Democrat
Illinois is in a deep fiscal crisis – and special interests and some elected officials are proposing a tax on your retirement income in order to solve it.
That just isn’t right or fair.
Retired Illinoisans did not cause this mess. They certainly shouldn’t be sacrificed to clean it up.
Ninety-percent of older Illinoisans, including those still working strongly rejected a tax on retirement income according to an AARP survey.
A tax on retirement income would have a dire financial impact on retirees and their families.
That’s why AARP is fighting to protect the financial security of retired Illinoisans and to make sure taxpayers are represented at the table.
Take action, fight back and make your voice heard! Urge your legislators to oppose the taxation of retirement income.
* And here’s a Chamber press release in response to today’s protest…
“The Illinois Chamber of Commerce appreciated that union workers are concerned about the state budget. The Chamber is too. But we have said for years that grossly unbalanced state budgets would lead to a crisis. You cannot expect smooth sailing when Illinois has been spending billions of dollars more than it has coming in for more than a decade. This was the year that the check came due.”
“To solve this problem, we need pro-growth reforms to bolster the Illinois economy, which will be good for workers, companies, state government, and the organizations that state government funds. Otherwise, we will be in an increasingly precarious situation with each coming year. Time is running out. Let’s solve this problem now.”
* No matter how unthinkable it might be, I can see it happening and I’ve been hearing members and other Statehouse types saying the very same thing lately…
Dem leader Rep Lou Lang at union rally: "We might not have a budget during the term of Bruce Rauner." pic.twitter.com/LxZB4dhvbj
How Leader Lang and others expect our human service provider network to survive even a few more months without an actual budget is beyond me, but we could easily be headed for an unimaginable dystopia come June 1st.
Also, too, what if Rauner is reelected?
…Adding… From an administration official…
It’s clear that Speaker Madigan and his most loyal members are doing whatever they can to derail negotiations and prevent a state budget deal. It’ll be up to rank and file Democrats to either fall in line with Madigan or push for a deal.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Prevailing wage is the minimum wage and workmanship standard for those who build our schools, hospitals, bridges, and other public facilities. Strong prevailing wage laws improve the lives of veterans, who work in construction at much higher rates than non-veterans, and come home to put their battle-tested leadership and problem solving skills to work building our communities while providing a good life for their families. Unfortunately, in the last two years, at least eleven states (including Illinois) have considered repealing or weakening their prevailing wage laws, which would hurt our economy and drive thousands of veterans out of their jobs and into poverty. Our veterans fought for us over there. Let’s show them that we have their back here at home. Stand with veterans and sign our petition for the strong prevailing wage laws that help veterans and their families access good paying construction jobs in our communities.
Chicago ranks 65th out of 70 metro areas for employment equality for blacks and 62nd out of 70 for income equality, according to the 40th annual State of Black America report, published yesterday by the National Urban League.
Unemployment for blacks in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area stands at 18.6 percent, compared with 5.8 percent for whites. Unemployment for blacks in the metro area that ranks first, Providence-Warwick, R.I., is 9.9 percent, compared with 6.8 percent for whites.
Black households in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area have a median income of $35,169, versus $74,759 for whites. By contrast, black households in the city that ranks first, Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif., have a median income of $46,438, with $60,668 for whites. That means in that area, black households’ median income is 76.5 percent that of white households; in Chicago, it’s 47 percent.
“Chicago is in a crisis, a perfect storm of inequities,” says Shari Runner, president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League. The unemployment rates for blacks ages 20 to 24 is 47 percent, and for 16- to 19-year-olds it’s 88 percent.
There was a bit of good news for Latinos in the region. They had the 49 highest unemployment in the 2015 report at 10.6 percent, but that was down to 42nd highest at 8.6 percent in the 2016 report.
* This was introduced very late in the game and it’s probably going nowhere in the Senate, which is run by an Emanuel pal…
As Mayor Emanuel continues to look for ways to prevent the city’s largest worker pension fund from going broke before the decade’s out, the folks who run the fund have sent the city a legislative message: just pay up.
The Municipal Employees Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago got Illinois Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, to introduce legislation Tuesday that calls for the city to ramp up its contributions to the fund, which is nearly $10 billion in the hole.
Under the proposal, the city would be given 40 years to bring the fund up to 90 percent funding, under the threat of reduced state funding for failure to do so. It does not reduce benefits, as did an earlier Emanuel plan that the Illinois Supreme Court struck down in March. […]
But Emanuel has said he’s still looking for a way to soften the blow on taxpayers when it comes to city workers and laborers. And the administration issued a chilly statement Tuesday in response to the bill: “Introducing and passing legislation that requires scheduled pension contributions from the city without also identifying a dedicated revenue source is irresponsible.”
* Strong opposition by the retailers along with a couple of pledged supporters who didn’t show up for the vote killed this one off…
Legislation that would allow municipalities to share confidential taxpayer information with third-party vendors in order to correct errors from the Department of Revenue was defeated in the Illinois Senate by one vote Tuesday.
This marks the second time in a week the bill has fallen short of passage.
The legislation would give third-party vendors access to information so long as they entered into confidentiality agreements with municipalities. Vendors could then use the information to discover and collect tax revenue that may have been reported to the wrong community by the Department of Revenue.
“Financial advisers may have abilities and software to provide checks and balances with the Department of Revenue,” said Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Tinley Park, the bill’s sponsor. “Time and time again, the Department of Revenue makes multiple mistakes allocating money that municipalities aren’t entitled to.”
As of Tuesday, a bill was making its way through the Illinois statehouse that, if signed into law, would make it easier for ex-offenders to get an occupational license in barbering, cosmetology, roofing, and funeral home directing. The bill would bar the IDFPR from denying occupational license applications to people with a criminal record if their conviction wasn’t “directly related” to the profession. It would also require IDFPR to issue a written decision if it did reject an applicant on the basis of their criminal record, as well as mandate a yearly report from the department on those decisions.
The bill wouldn’t do anything for the the dozens of other professions, like insurance, that require a license in the state. Illinois Representative Marcus Evans is sponsoring the bill in the house.
“We have these four categories which will provide more opportunities, and I think hopefully we can build on that,” he said. “Going through the legislative process you can’t always get everything you want. But as long as we are moving in the right direction I am reasonably satisfied. And hopefully we can get more in the future.”
After Tony Graham was denied his insurance producer’s license, he was unemployed for a while. He almost lost his house. But he eventually found work: driving for the rideshare service Uber.
Eleven of the 18 members of the Illinois Republican Party platform committee reportedly are agreed that the one-man, one-woman marriage plank should be removed from the 2016 platform. […]
Wednesday night, the committee is expected via conference call to confirm the platform they will be recommending to party delegates this weekend IL GOP State Convention in Peoria. […]
Committee members that support removing the section say the IL GOP’s position preferring one-man/one-woman marriage over same sex marriage is viewed negatively by younger voters that are more libertarian on the issue.
Others argue that since the Supreme Court ruled on same sex marriage, states are not allowed to hold positions differing from the decision, thus the position is irrelevant. Still others insist the Republican Party boasts a “big tent” that should welcome anyone with any position on the sanctity of marriage.
A. We recognize that a strong family, based on the institution of marriage, sanctified by God and strengthened by the legal protections afforded to that institution by government, is the basic building block of society. Accordingly, we support public policies that promote the formation, endurance, and autonomy of the nuclear family and that empower parents to provide a safe and nurturing home environment for their children.
B. We recognize that religious freedom is the “first” freedom, as enshrined in the First Amendment. While we oppose discrimination in any form, we also oppose public policies that seek to compel or coerce individuals, businesses, religious institutions, or other organizations to violate their core religious beliefs, including, without limitation, by participating in ceremonies that run contrary to their core religious beliefs.
C. We believe that parents—not bureaucrats—are best-positioned to make decisions regarding the health and welfare of their minor children, and we support public policies that preserve and strengthen parental rights.
D. We believe that the disintegration of the nuclear family is a leading cause of generational poverty and that a connection exists in this and other respects between “social” and “fiscal” public policy issues.
E. We recognize that the states reserved to themselves—implicitly throughout the U.S. Constitution and explicitly in the Tenth Amendment—the power to legislate on matters related to marriage and family, and we oppose efforts by the federal government to encroach on that reserved power.
* I’ve seen a ton of stories about the long security screening lines at O’Hare and other airports, but few point to the fact that this is self-inflicted. From a March 30th AP story..
Launched nationwide in 2012, PreCheck gives previously vetted passengers special screening. Shoes, belts and light jackets stay on. Laptops and liquids stay in bags. And these fliers go through standard metal detectors rather than the explosive-detecting full-body scanners most pass through.
PreCheck lanes can screen 300 passengers an hour, twice that of standard lanes.
The TSA offered Congress a lofty goal of having 25 million fliers enrolled in the program. Based on that and other increased efficiencies, the TSA’s front-line screeners were cut from 47,147 three years ago to 42,525 currently. At the same time, the number of annual fliers passing through checkpoints has grown from 643 million to more than 700 million.
As of March 1, only 9.3 million people were PreCheck members. Applicants must pay $85 to $100 every five years. They must also trek to the airport for an interview before being accepted. Getting once-a-year fliers to spend the time or the money to join has been a challenge. While 250,000 to 300,000 people are joining every month, it will take more than four years at that pace to reach the target.
* The last sentence in this excerpt pretty much sums up the philosophy of the Illinois Policy Institute…
As part of Taxpayer Advocacy Day, Swanson was one of about 50 Illinoisans who gathered Tuesday at the Capitol to lobby for sustaining Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a bill to send union negotiations to binding arbitration. If an unelected arbitrator were to rule in the union’s favor, it could cost the state billions, Rauner has argued
Over 200 people signed up for the taxpayer rally put on by Illinois Policy Action, an arm of the Illinois Policy Institute that conducts independent research and calls for limited taxation.
“We’re here to show there are people here who want to fix Illinois,” Swanson said.
While rally participants sought to encourage lawmakers to vote against an override of House Bill 580, Hugh McHarry of Havana said they were there to support government solutions that lower taxes and stop residents from fleeing the state.
“We are tired of talking about this in our homes,” McHarry said. “Illinois representatives should represent the taxpayers and not the tax receivers.”
What we really need is a better balance. As I’ve said many, many times before, we need to do things for employers like make workers’ comp insurance more affordable. We need to help local governments deal with their cost burdens as well. But it has to be a balanced approach. Until recently, the governor hasn’t been interested in that. I think he’s changing, at least in the context of making a budget deal before everything crashes and burns.
* And here’s something that the folks who don’t want a deal always miss: Once Rauner agrees to a tax hike, he will have a far tougher time holding everybody hostage. Yes, he can veto future budgets in order to try and obtain even more reforms. But if there’s ample revenue coming in, we won’t be racking up these huge deficits.
So, I think the working group on the “non-budget” items should make its product public, even though it’s not yet completed. Right now, opponents of a deal (including Speaker Madigan) keep talking about how they’ll fight to the death the governor’s proposed reforms from last year. But those proposals have changed, in many cases considerably.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The following is an excerpted letter to the editor from this week’s Crain’s, co-authored by James Hansen, President of Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions and Michael Shellenberger, Founder and President of Environmental Progress.
“…New legislation would invest in renewables and efficiency, and only support Exelon’s two economically distressed plants, Quad Cities and Clinton, not all of its nuclear fleet.
…We would prefer to see a 100 percent zero emission standard by 2030, one that treats all sources of zero-carbon electricity—from solar and wind to nuclear and coal with carbon capture and sequestration—equally. But that is not going to happen this legislative session, so we encourage the Illinois Legislature, Gov. Bruce Rauner, environmental groups, labor unions and others to put pressure on all sides to get a deal and pass a version of SB 1585 into law.
…Time is running out. If Illinois legislators fail to act quickly to pass legislation, the state will lose 23 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources and carbon emissions will skyrocket the equivalent of nearly 2 million cars over the next two years due to the loss of two nuclear plants, Clinton and Quad Cities.
We encourage all sides to agree to reasonable compromise so Illinois can be a leader on climate and green jobs.”
* This local is only about 50 members, but a four-year wage freeze and other stuff in this deal is on the table in the AFSCME negotiations. It’s also notable because today is the big labor rally…
Governor Bruce Rauner issued a statement [yesterday] following the Illinois Federation of Teachers ratification of four-year collective bargaining agreement:
“We are proud to announce that the Illinois Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO Local #919, representing educators at the Illinois School for the Deaf, ratified a four-year collective bargaining agreement with our Administration. This group of educators is dedicated to the School and the Administration’s shared mission “to educate students who are deaf or hard of hearing to be responsible, self-supporting citizens.”
“Through negotiations, our Administration created a lasting partnership with the Illinois Federation of Teachers that will benefit the parents and students we serve. The end result is a labor contract that is consistent with the contracts previously ratified by 17 other bargaining units representing over 5,000 state employees and is a testament to what can be accomplished when both sides are willing to compromise and negotiate in good faith.
“We are excited about the new day in our relationship with the Illinois Federation of Teachers.“
BACKGROUND
The agreement includes the following terms:
· A structure for new labor-management committee to facilitate biannual—if not more frequent—discussions between the Union and senior members of our administration to advance the School’s mission;
· Joining the health insurance program agreed to by other unions and offered to the state’s nonunion employees that will offer employees a variety of new options, allowing them to either maintain their current premiums, maintain their current coverage, or mix and match in the way that is most beneficial to them;
· A new incentive program to reward employees with performance bonuses for cost-saving measures and meeting or exceeding performance standards;
· A four-year temporary salary freeze;
· A commitment to improve summer employment opportunities for educators;
· A commitment to timely fill educator vacancies with well-qualified candidates, allowing sufficient time to recruit highly sought-out candidates with a degree from an accredited Deaf Education program; and
· A program to enable the State of Illinois to address minority underutilization in state government.
The Rauner Administration has reached collective bargaining agreements with the following unions:
· Teamsters (Downstate)
· Teamsters / Professional & Technical Employees Local Union No. 916
· Teamsters (Fox Valley)
· Teamsters, Local 700 (Cook County)
· Teamsters, Local 700 (Master Sergeants at Illinois State Police)
· International Brotherhood of Boiler Makers - Iron Shipbuilders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers
· Illinois State Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
· United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
· International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
· SEIU, Local 1, Fireman and Oilers Division
· International Union of United Food and Commercial Workers
· Laborer’s International Union of North America (LIUNA) (Prevailing Rate)
· International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers
· International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 399
· International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
· United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry
· International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, & Transportation Workers
Wednesday, May 18, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Despite increased costs resulting from the regulatory environment, credit unions are the only financial institutions which overwhelmingly offer free checking accounts. A study by Moebs Services confirmed that nearly 74% of credit unions offer free checking to their members, while only 46% of banks offer the same. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, new regulatory requirements have significantly increased compliance costs for all financial institutions. For many, the increased operating costs have been passed on to customers in the form of fees associated with financial transactions. However, credit unions continue to offer financial services at the lowest possible cost – sometimes even free – to their members.
Experience the credit union difference. Visit ASmarterChoice.org to locate a credit union near you!
After they had passed the tuition grant bill, [House Democrats] called votes on legislation to freeze property taxes, an item on Rauner’s legislative wish list. The bill doesn’t include the language Rauner has requested that would allow local governments to save on costs by setting limits on collective bargaining. That language is included in a separate amendment, and Democrats have spent the past year voting to approve the property tax freeze while rejecting the collective bargaining provisions. It’s a trick designed to allow Democrats to go on record supporting the property tax freeze, which is popular with voters, while forcing Republicans to cast protest votes against it.
House lawmakers spent much of the rest of the day debating whether it was the 17th or 18th time Democrats had called the legislation for a vote.
Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont said she remains “pretty skeptical.”
“We’ve had a lot of working groups, and (Madigan) disavows any knowledge or interest of them every time,” Radogno said. “I think ultimately the working group needs to be the speaker himself and the leaders because he manipulates the process and then nothing happens. That’s what I’m worried about.”
Video of Radogno’s remarks, along with House GOP Leader Jim Durkin’s comments, is here.
The meeting was the first of its kind since rank-and-file lawmakers last week presented leaders and the governor with a framework for a balanced budget for next year. That outline included roughly $2.4 billion in spending cuts and $5.4 billion in new revenue, which would be generated in part by raising the state’s personal income tax rate from 3.75 percent to 4.85 percent.
After the meeting, Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said Rauner reiterated his willingness to raise new revenue to balance the budget.
“That’s, I think, very helpful,” Cullerton said, “because if you don’t have revenue, you could never possibly come to a balanced budget.”
Cullerton said the governor declined to go into specifics about what revenue proposals he would support. The package lawmakers presented also included expanding the state sales tax to some services, an idea Rauner campaigned on.
While Cullerton labeled the meeting productive, Madigan issued a statement shortly afterward, saying Rauner continues to insist upon passing his “personal agenda” before discussions on a state budget could happen. […]
Shortly after the meeting, Madigan gathered enough votes to pass a bill to fully fund MAP grants — funded from the state’s general revenue fund. Rauner has said he’ll only approve spending bills if they come from special funds or from cuts. Lawmakers tried to pass a bill to fund tuition grants in February, which Rauner vetoed.
In a statement about the MAP bill, Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said the governor remains “committed to reaching a balanced budget alongside meaningful reforms in a bipartisan manner.”
Chicago Public Schools told some principals Tuesday to expect total school budget cuts of between 20 percent and 30 percent as the district plans for “the worst.”
The broke district, which has been begging Springfield all year for financial help, plans to chop its own per-pupil contribution by nearly 40 percent, according to proposed budgets given to 15 elementary and high schools. […]
The district says principals have to “plan for the worst — higher class sizes, loss of enrichment activities, and layoffs of teachers and support staff” while waiting for the General Assembly to take action on proposed pension help or revising the state’s funding formula, spokeswoman Emily Bittner said.
On average, schools will feel a budget cut of 26 percent once they receive their state and federal funding, she said. The base per-pupil rate will drop from $4,088 to $2,495 if the proposed budget becomes final. It includes an equivalent cut for charters, too, she said.
“Given the size and complexity of an average school budget cut of 26 percent, CPS has involved principals in the school budget process earlier than ever, and has begun working with example schools to understand how cuts will affect students,” the district said in a statement. “We are also exploring mitigation strategies to lessen classroom impacts. Even as we continue to seek equal funding in Springfield, we must continue to plan for the worst – higher class sizes, loss of enrichment activities, and layoffs of teachers and support staff.” […]
“When we are told by our principal that one out of every five teachers may lose their job, that breaks my heart because we have the most amazing teachers at that school,”said CPS parent Lynn Ankney. “Seeing the waste going on in the district– it’s maddening and it’s got to stop.”
This year’s per-pupil spending reductions were partly mitigated by $41 million in federal funds pulled from programs and reserve accounts the district never specified.
CPS has said in financial disclosure documents that each 5 percent cut to the district’s student-based school budget rates would save about $100 million.
The district projects it will end its current budget year with about $24 million in cash. That amounts to less than two days’ worth of operating expenses.
Union supporters plan to rally at the Illinois Capitol to protest Gov. Bruce Rauner’s calls to change collective bargaining policies.
A coalition of labor groups plans to march by the governor’s mansion Wednesday on their way to the state Capitol.
Rauner is in the midst of prolonged negotiations for a new labor contract with the largest union representing state workers, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
The march comes days after he vetoed a measure that would let an arbitrator settle state-employee wages and working conditions if union negotiations stalled.
* Press release…
Thousands of working people from across Illinois will hold a march and rally in Springfield today, Wednesday, May 18, to call on Governor Bruce Rauner and his legislative allies to drop their harmful demands and make Illinois work for all.
WHAT: Men and women representing labor, community, and religious organizations from across Illinois will march and rally to bring attention to the negative consequences Governor Rauner and his anti-worker agenda are having on their families and communities. Speakers will highlight how Gov. Rauner has held funding for critical services hostage until his destructive policy demands are met – demands that would drive down the wages of working people, strip their rights to negotiate together, and make it harder for injured workers to get needed care and compensation.
WHEN: Today, Wednesday, May 18, 2016
The march will begin at 11 a.m.
The rally is scheduled to begin at noon
WHERE: The march will start at the corner of 5th and Washington streets in Springfield, Ill., and will proceed down 5th Street, past the Governor’s Mansion, up 4th Street, and to the Capitol via Capitol Ave. The rally will take place at the corner of 2nd Street and Capitol Ave.
WHO: Rally speakers will include:
· Workers whose livelihoods are under attack by Rauner’s malicious agenda
· Illinoisans who have been impacted by the Rauner-driven budget crisis, including people with disabilities, seniors, students and others
· Michael Carrigan, President of the Illinois AFL-CIO
· Jorge Ramirez, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor
· William McNary, Co-Director of Citizen Action/Illinois
· John Bouman, President of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law
· Pastor T. Ray McJunkins, Union Baptist Church of Springfield
WHY: Governor Bruce Rauner is hurting Illinois, holding the state hostage in order to pass his own divisive agenda that is harmful to working people. Rauner and his allies need to drop their extreme demands and join with working families to make Illinois work for all.
Additional Info: The event is organized by Illinois Working Together and has been endorsed by:
· Action Now
· Alliance for Community Services
· Arise Chicago
· Brighton Park Neighborhood Council
· Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
· Chicago Jobs Council
· Citizen Action/Illinois
· Faith Coalition for the Common Good
· Grassroots Collaborative
· ICIRR
· Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans
· Illinois Main Street Alliance
· NAACP Illinois State Conference
· ONE Northside
· Quad Cities Interfaith
· Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
· SOAR (Steelworker Retirees)
· The Rainbow PUSH Coalition
“When the Republicans talk about how much Chicago spends per pupil, they always inflate the number by counting the money CPS puts into its pension fund,” Manar said. “Then they compare that to per pupil spending in the suburbs and downstate where residents don’t put anything directly into the state teacher pension fund. It’s apples to oranges and makes it sound like Chicago is spending $2,000 more per year per student than it is.”
* From the US Department of Health & Human Services…
Illinois Uninsured Rate Reaches Historic Low
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the latest National Health Interview Survey. The survey shows that the uninsured rate for all ages fell to 9.1 percent in 2015, making it the first year in our nation’s history that fewer than 1 in 10 Americans lacked health insurance.
In addition, the survey showed that the uninsured rate in Illinois had reached 6.8%.
* The full report is here. If you scroll way down, you’ll see that Illinois’ uninsured rate in 2013 for people aged 18-65 was 17.8 percent. By 2015 it was 9.9 percent. That’s a 44 percent decrease.
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner is all but summoning the bond vigilantes. In an exclusive interview with Breakingviews, the onetime buyout baron challenged a pervasive belief in markets that governments can always just raise taxes to plug deficits. The issue resonates beyond his state’s $140 billion fiscal mess. From Springfield to San Juan, debt investors have neglected to focus political minds. […]
“We’ve spun ourselves into incredible debt, the worst debt in America for any state,” he said. “We can’t cut our way out. We can’t tax our way out. We’ve got to grow.”
The message should resonate not just with elected officials, whose financial neglect over many years loaded the state and its biggest city with debt, but also debt investors who have abetted government largesse in Illinois and beyond.
“There is an underlying assumption that in the end, you can always raise taxes. Let’s not sweat deficits too much, they’ll raise taxes eventually” Rauner said. “Bond buyers end up being advocates for tax hikes. That’s not the long-term solution.”
Detroit’s general obligation bondholders, for example, ultimately agreed to be paid less than par value for their holdings in the city’s bankruptcy proceedings. Allowing over-indebted governments in Illinois to restructure their debts could further shake the market from its complacency. Rauner said bond investors “might have to be thoughtful and actually do work, actually assess risk and reward.”
He’s absolutely right that we need lots more growth. But he sure doesn’t sound like a guy who’s trying to pass a massive tax hike. Maybe he should keep that in mind.
Also, too, if he ever attempts to pass a capital bill he’s gonna have to convince those investors to give us a decent rate. Dumping all over the state ain’t gonna help.
* A letter written by Eastern Illinois University President David Glassman to the four legislative leaders and the governor dated May 2nd warned them that university administrators will “find ourselves challenged to make payroll for the second half of July and the first half of August” if it doesn’t get its full Fiscal Year 2016 appropriation very soon.
The university has already laid off 400 employees. The stopgap approp passed last month just won’t be enough to keep the doors open, Glassman said. “Our gap has not been filled,” he warned.
To clarify - we won’t “close” in late summer. We’ll have to raid restricted bond funds to cover payroll until fall tuition if no additional state funds come through.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that his office is upgrading security features to the Driver’s License/ID card design and expanding the central issuance process for driver’s licenses and ID cards to all applicants. With implementation of these changes, Illinois has moved closer to achieving full REAL ID compliance, which is a federal mandate of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
By the end of July, applicants visiting Driver Services facilities will no longer be issued a new permanent DL/ID card at the end of the application process. Instead, they will leave the facility with a temporary secure paper driver’s license, which is valid for 45 days and will serve as their DL/ID for driving purposes and proof of identification. The temporary, secure paper driver’s license or ID card will contain a photo and the basic information that appears on the permanent driver’s license or ID card. In addition, the facility employee will return the old DL/ID card back to the applicant after punching a hole in it.
Meanwhile, the applicant’s information will be sent to a centralized, secure facility in Illinois. After fraud checks have been conducted to ensure the applicant’s identity, a higher quality, more secure DL/ID will be printed and sent via U.S. mail within 15 business days to the applicant’s address.
“These changes are necessary for Illinois to be REAL ID compliant,” said White. In addition, the changes further enhance our efforts to protect Illinoisans from fraud and identity theft.” The upgraded driver’s license and ID card contain a variety of enhanced security features that take advantage of new developments in technology.”
For purposes of air travel, DHS states that it will accept the temporary document in conjunction with the old DL/ID to board an aircraft until the permanent card arrives in the mail. Illinois joins 39 other states that have moved to centralized production of DL/ID cards. This includes heavily populated states like California, Texas, and New York – as well as Illinois’ neighboring states.
These necessary changes are important steps toward becoming REAL ID compliant. DHS announced in January that Illinois DL/IDs will continue to be accepted as primary forms of identification to board commercial airplanes for domestic travel until January 22, 2018. The Illinois Secretary of State’s office continues to work with DHS and the Illinois General Assembly on the Real ID Act.
“Becoming REAL ID compliant is a step-by-step process, and with these changes Illinois is now 84 percent compliant with the federal mandate,” said White.
Central issuance provides better fraud and identity theft prevention by allowing the office to investigate possible fraud before applicants receive their DL/ID – and preventing its issuance and mailing. In addition, the design of the DL/ID card has been upgraded with important features that over-the-counter technology simply cannot produce. These types of anti-counterfeiting security features help prevent and deter fraud.
The transition to central issuance will take place in phases. First, beginning this week, Safe Driver Renewal applicants will receive by mail their new driver’s license with the upgraded security features. These motorists opted for and expect to receive their driver’s license via mail. Second, through a gradual rollout, Driver Services facilities throughout the state will implement central issuance using the newly designed card. By the end of July, all Driver Services facilities will have transitioned to central issuance.
It is imperative that applicants ensure their address is updated with the Secretary of State’s office in order to receive the permanent driver’s license or ID card. By law, address changes must be reported within 10 days. Illinoisans can update their address online at www.cyberdriveillinois.com. If an applicant does not receive their new permanent driver’s license or ID card after 15 business days of visiting a facility, they can check the status at www.cyberdriveillinois.com or call 217-782-7044.
While the driver’s license and ID card upgrades are being implemented, there will be more than one valid driver’s license/ID card until the old design format is phased out. Fees remained unchanged.
Kirk said he is running for another term because he believes he will be the “best advocate for the state of Illinois.” He sees himself as one of the more moderate members of Congress — he supports same-sex marriage and was the first Republican senator to meet with Garland, Obama’s Supreme Court nominee. Kirk called Trump a “river boat gamble” but said he still supports the presumptive Republican nominee.
“I had my reservations,” he said. “I’ve been thinking, in an age of Trump where you don’t know the direction of the country, the person you need most is a steady conservative hand like Mark Kirk in the Senate to be advising the president, especially on national security topics…which is my particular expertise after 23 years in the Navy.”
* Duckworth deputy campaign manager Matt McGrath responded…
“It is abundantly clear to most people in Illinois that Donald Trump lacks the knowledge and temperament to be President, and should never be placed anywhere near the nuclear codes. Republican Mark Kirk, who has been wrong about virtually every major foreign policy decision for the last 15 years, apparently views such a frightening possibility as an opportunity to increase his influence. Sad!”
OK, but I thought his statement, while admittedly self-serving, was somewhat reasonable.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Recently, a bill with strong bipartisan, labor, and community support called the Next Generation Energy Plan (NGEP) was introduced in Springfield that will drive Illinois’ clean energy future, while protecting and creating thousands of jobs and strengthening the state’s economy.
Specifically, the NGEP will:
• Introduce a Zero Emission Standard, keeping the state’s at-risk, nuclear facilities operating, saving 4,200 jobs, and preserving over $1.2 billion in economic activity annually.
• Enhance the reliability and security of the power grid
• Jumpstart solar energy in Illinois with rebates and more than $140 million per year in new funding for solar development.
• Nearly double energy efficiency programs, creating $4.1 billion in energy savings
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• Strengthen and expand the Renewable Portfolio Standard.
Members of the Illinois General Assembly: Vote YES on the Next Generation Energy Plan by May 31 to avoid lost jobs, economic activity and increased carbon emissions in our state.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The daily fantasy sports gambling industry is pressuring officials to pass a bailout that actually costs taxpayers. According to COGFA these Internet gaming giants would each pay just $900,000 in state taxes, but they could afford $500 million in television ads last year.
Taxpayers may actually have to subsidize regulating online sports wagering. The Illinois Gaming Board doesn’t know how much it will cost to oversee this new form of online gaming.
The state is facing an unprecedented budget crisis, but two out-of-state companies, which the Attorney General said broke law, want you to give them valuable Internet gaming licenses.
Everyone but paid fantasy sports operators agree, it’s gambling:
Proponents are telling elected officials a fantasy, but the budget crisis is real. Don’t make it worse and pass a fantasy sports bailout that actually costs the state money.
[GOP Rep. David Harris] said the continued impasse is due in part to the difficult and contentious policy issues, such as collective bargaining, worker’s compensation, prevailing wage and property tax freezes.
Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) said those ancillary policy disputes and the budget are the two major problems facing the state legislature right now.
“The budget problem is important – really important – and difficult – really difficult, but there’s kind of a mechanism to come together. You can average two numbers. You know what halfway between my budget idea and your budget idea looks like,” Biss said. “On some of these policy questions … you have diametrically opposite core philosophies. And so if the goal is to get all of those things worked out simultaneously, I think you’re going to have a great degree of difficulty getting there.”
Biss is mostly right about the budget, but there are always ways to find avenues for agreement on those non-budget issues. The Democrats whacked the teachers unions a few years back with their education reforms that private citizen Bruce Rauner was pushing at the time, for instance. They’ve taken away some union collective bargaining rights on outsourcing some school contracts in Chicago. They whacked AFSCME and the teachers on pensions… twice. They even jammed up the trial lawyers years ago on behalf of the Medical Society.
The problem isn’t the way forward, necessarily, it’s the will to move forward. And if there’s no will, there ain’t no way. And there’s very little will in the House Democratic caucus because everything has been so divisive for a year and a half and their leader is leading them away from compromise.
Biss said getting rank-and-file members to agree on a budget might be a path to success.
“I think there is an extremely strong opportunity for rank-and-file legislators to push. I think if you’re saying, will there be a coup where one of the four leaders is deposed? I think that’s unlikely simply because the situation is so tense that people tend to hunker down together,” Biss said.
Yep, and that’s something that the House Democrats still don’t quite understand. They expected a House Republican coup months ago. They’ve predicted it on a regular basis ever since. It hasn’t happened. Yes, the Republicans have risen up in protest, particularly on veto overrides, but the governor’s people are smart enough to know how to avoid a defeat on those things. They specialize in it.
So, maybe it’ll happen, but grumbling in the ranks is an extremely common thing. Just because they’re yelling about Rauner or Durkin in private (and I’ve heard it, as have others) doesn’t mean they’ll actually do anything about it. Open revolts are extremely rare around these parts.
And the same goes for the governor. He truly believed he could peel off significant numbers of House Democrats to force Madigan to the table. Hasn’t happened. Maybe it will happen, but experience says it probably won’t. They’re all hunkered down together.
* We have Speaker Madigan’s reaction to today’s leaders meeting…
Madigan: Comprehensive, Full-Year Budgets Achievable When Governor Drops Attacks on Middle Class
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker of the Illinois House Michael Madigan on Tuesday issued the following statement after Governor Rauner again insisted on passing his personal agenda before further discussions on a comprehensive state budget could take place:
“Progress has been made on budget items with Governor Rauner over the past year when he sets aside his non-budget agenda that attempts to lower the wages and standard of living of middle-class families.
“Illinois is in its 11th month without a state budget, and Governor Rauner’s refusal to make the budget his top priority has led to dreadful consequences for the elderly who rely on in-home care, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, college students and universities, disabled persons, and providers of critical medical care.
“Since March 2015, the governor has worked with the Legislature to pass six budget measures. Not one of these measures was dependent on passage of his agenda that hurts middle-class families. Clearly, progress on the state budget is made when the governor sets aside his agenda that attacks the middle class.
“The governor’s continued insistence on passage of his agenda that hurts the middle class is a clear indication he is not interested in passing and implementing comprehensive, full-year budgets that do not decimate needed services relied upon by the people of Illinois.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** From someone who was in the meeting today…
Perhaps this was drafted prior to the meeting and released without consultation with the speaker or his chief of staff. Not sure who to believe: the Mike Madigan in the room today or the Mike Madigan in this press release.
Interesting.
*** UPDATE 2 *** As I told you earlier, the governor’s main thrust today was to convince Speaker Madigan to allow the non-budget working groups to move forward on a more formal basis. And Madigan did just that, which makes his above statement even more odd…
Speaker left meeting w/o comment, but spox says: 1) House to take up full MAP $ 2) MM will appoint Reps to Gov's non budget working group
*** UPDATE 4 *** I just talked to Steve Brown, who said, “We made the appointments because the governor requested it.”
Madigan, Brown said, “continues to believe that entangling the buget with his personal agenda is proven not to be an effective way to make budgets.”
* Brown also said that Madigan’s appointees will have a specific role at the negotiations. “On most of those topics, people will be able to go to those meetings and explain what the House has already done on those topics in the past year and a half.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s choice to fill the college faculty slot on the Illinois Board of Higher Education has prompted backlash from faculty at the University of Illinois.
Rauner announced John Bambenek, a former Champaign school board member and a onetime Republican state Senate candidate, as his faculty choice in mid-April.
Members of the Urbana campus Senate Executive Committee will draft a letter protesting the nomination to the Rauner administration. The Faculty Advisory Council to the Illinois Board of Higher Education plans to send a memo expressing frustration over Rauner’s choice to the state Senate’s Executive Appointments Committee.
In response to questions about the appointment from The News-Gazette, Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly issued the following statement: “John Bambenek’s knowledge and experience make him a valuable addition to the Illinois Board of Higher Education. He is qualified under statute to serve in this position.”
He is apparently qualified under statute, and he also shares Gov. Rauner’s views that higher ed administration is eating up too much of the total college cost. Remember this op-ed he did for us last year?…
In light of potential higher education budget cuts, I decided to calculate how much of the University of Illinois’ tuition dollars end up in instructors’ pockets.
I teach 125 Computer Science students. Assuming they are all in-state and they are all 3-hour students, they pay about $1,655 to take the class. This adds up to $207,000 paid to the University. It’s actually much higher than that because about half my students are out-of-state and pay double the in-state tuition and I have about a half-dozen 4-hours students.
My salary and the grading staff pay is only about 13% of that $207K. So the vast majority of those tuition dollars goes to things other than actually teaching the class. By way of comparison, when I teach overseas I am paid between 50-60% of the course cost.
Ideally, the person representing professors across the state would be a full-time, tenure-system faculty member who understands the “lifeblood” of a university, said DePaul University Professor Marie Donovan, chair of the IBHE’s Faculty Advisory Council.
“No. 1, he’s not a faculty member. That has not been his livelihood,” she said Monday. “He’s not been working with students, advising them. He’s not been deliberating curricula, he’s not been engaged in sustained research, and he hasn’t had to juggle all of those teaching, research, scholarship and service activities,” she said.
“It’s not his fault,” she said. “I’m pointing our fingers at the governor and the governor’s staff who are responsible for advising him.”
I really don’t think the governor cares all that much. Not only is Bambenek in sync with the governor on administrative costs, Rauner probably knew the appointment would drive the profs up a wall.
Bambenek also denounced all campus unions: “unions on this campus are nothing more than an added expense placed on taxpayers and students. University unions, and public-sector unions in general, have largely hijacked the legacy of the unions from the days when they were necessary.”
In another column, Bambenek denounced “The misuse of ‘academic freedom’ as a bludgeon to impose academic serfdom.” He complained, “Instead of talking about intelligent design, the acolytes of Darwinism engage in character assassination.” Yes, that’s right: Bambenek demanded the teaching of creationism in college.
He proposed limiting academic freedom to only the right of researchers to explore ideas, and the right of students to “determine for themselves what is sound.” He explicitly rejected academic freedom in the classroom: “Academic freedom should not be a right of classroom instructors to turn their podiums into pulpits.” Bambenek concluded his column by declaring that universities that are too “liberal” ought to be shut down: “liberal academia needs to engage with the world and ideas around it, or we will close down these bastions of failed thought.”
Ah, unions. The governor’s sweet spot. Or bitter spot, if you prefer.
* Also, the link is broken, but complaining about character assassination is not the same as demanding that creationism be taught. I was able to get part of the column in question, however…
Academic freedom should be confined to two areas and two areas alone. First, the researcher should be free to explore ideas without having pre-planned conclusions. Second, students should be free to explore the wide range of ideas and determine for themselves what is sound. Academic freedom should not be a right of classroom instructors to turn their podiums into pulpits. Their role is to present information, not preach it. Diverse instructors should be hired to present all reasonable positions within the disciplines.
I’m not endorsing it because I haven’t had a chance to think it through, but that seems kinda reasonable on its face.
* I’ve admitted a soft spot for Bambenek in the past. He’s been more than a bit of a loose cannon, but sometimes those folks appeal to me on certain levels. We disagree on a lot, and he’s gonna have to rise and fall of his own accord. But he’s not an evil cartoon character (although he’s tried to be at times) and deserves a fair hearing. Aside from the union stuff, he’s more on the side of faculty when it comes to their share of the pie than they may realize.
State Rep. Reggie Phillips, R-Charleston, was surrounded Monday by a swarm of riled members of the Eastern Illinois University community, calling for better support for the university.
A day before the Illinois House of Representatives meets, members of EIU-UPI, a faculty union, and others marched toward the legislator’s district office to show their support for university funding.
From 20 to 50 people walked from Morton Park with signs reading “Reggie Phillips: Stand Up to Rauner. Fully Fund EIU,” to “remind” Phillips of their call for full funding, they said. […]
“We are out here because 30 percent funding is a 70-percent cut,” said Sace Elder, EIU-UPI march organizer. “We thought this was very good time to remind Representative Phillips that we expect him to stand up to Rauner (and) stand up to the naysayers in order to get our community fully funded.”
Phillips said those demanding that he “stand up” to the governor were “confused” as to Rauner’s authority over the House.
“Rauner is really the secondary player on this right now,” Phillips said. “It is in Mr. (Michael) Madigan’s hands … anybody that thinks that fund EIU is going to happen if we pressure Rauner is nuts.”
While Madigan is indeed a very big problem, the pressure needs to be on everybody, continually, until the end of the month. Phillips included. This gets us back to what Rep. Franks said…
“Both sides suffer under the delusion that it’s OK that real people get hurt as long as the other side gets blamed for it.”
* As we discussed last week, the Illinois Policy Institute is having a rally today and participants are eligible for $40 gift cards. According to a participant (who is actually on the other side) turnout is a bit light…
* There are free t-shirts…
* But they’re made in Bangladesh…
* The Bangladeshi-t-shirt-wearing mini crowd will descend on the Statehouse today to lobby these Republican legislators to ask them to vote against the AFSCME “no strike” bill…
…Adding… A closeup of the “Because… Madigan!” t-shirt…
They’re so clever.
…Adding More… And, of course, the teevee people apparently think it’s all organic…
Several folks showed up in front of Speaker Madigan's office in support of Rauner's veto HB 580. #twillpic.twitter.com/9TNpljeteh
* Just minutes before the leaders are set to meet for only the second time this year, House Speaker Michael Madigan filed a new amendment to a shell appropriations bill…
The sum of $227,274,400, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission from the General Revenue Fund for grant awards to students eligible for the Monetary Award Program, as provided by law, and for agency administrative and operational costs not to exceed 2 percent of the total appropriation in this Section.
Cue the “It has no real funding source and is therefore a sham” press release from the governor’s office in 3… 2…
Public Policy Polling was in the field for SEIU Health Care, looking specifically at five legislative districts where Republicans are incumbents. The surveys looked at Gov. Bruce Rauner’s approval numbers and asked about wages, policy issues and funding for child care. Remember SEIU Health Care is still in contract negotiations with the governor.
An accompanying memo reads: “Rauner’s approval numbers were upside down. Fifty-one percent of voters in the 99th District, where the State Capitol is located, said Rauner was doing a bad job, compared to 32% who said good. He notched similarly dismal numbers in two downstate districts and one Chicago area district. In a northern suburban district voters offered a split verdict, 40% good versus 37% bad, but expressed serious reservations about positions taken by the legislators.
“It’s not only the governor’s unpopularity that should be a cause of worry, but the lack of support for a number of his policies. In all of the districts, a majority of voters said they would be less likely to vote for a legislator who “opposed small wage increases for working poor Illinoisans who care for children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.” The question pertains to a stalled contract negotiation between the Rauner administration and SEIU Healthcare, the organization that represents those workers. Voters also did not look favorably on representatives who have stood behind the Rauner’s administrations cuts to childcare programs for lower-income working families, with a majority or near-majority in all districts saying it would make them less likely to vote for the member.”
As with the AFSCME bill, none of these results indicate that voters are truly up in arms about the policies.
Would you be more or less likely to vote for Representative Sheri Jesiel if you knew she voted to cut $200 million in funding for services that help frail senior citizens stay independent and prevent them from going to nursing homes that cost taxpayers more, or would it not make a difference?
More likely 27%
Less likely 44%
Wouldn’t make a difference 22%
Not sure 7%
You word a question like that and still only get 44 percent “less likely”?
How would you rate Governor Bruce Rauner’s job performance: good, bad, or are you neutral?
Good 34%
Bad 48%
Neutral 16%
Not sure 2%
If the election for State Representative were held today, would you vote to re-elect Republican Rep. Michael McAuliffe, or do you think it’s time for someone new?
Vote to re-elect Rep. Michael McAuliffe 45%
It’s time for someone new 40%
Not sure 15%
Would you be more or less likely to vote for Representative Michael McAuliffe if you knew he was supported by Governor Bruce Rauner, or would it not make a difference?
More likely 20%
Less likely 42%
Wouldn’t make a difference 36%
Not sure 2%
Would you be more or less likely to vote for Representative Michael McAuliffe if you knew he was supported by Donald Trump, or would it not make a difference?
More likely 22%
Less likely 44%
Wouldn’t make a difference 32%
Not sure 3%
When you’re as toxic to your incumbents as Donald Trump, there’s a problem. Just sayin…
How would you rate Governor Bruce Rauner’s job performance: good, bad, or are you neutral?
Good 40%
Bad 37%
Neutral 21%
Not sure 2%
If the election for State Representative were held today, would you vote to re-elect Republican Representative Sheri Jesiel, or do you think it’s time for someone new?
Vote to re-elect Representative Sheri Jesiel 36%
It’s time for someone new 43%
Not sure 21%
Would you be more or less likely to vote for Representative Sheri Jesiel if you knew she was supported by Governor Bruce Rauner, or would it not make a difference?
More likely 25%
Less likely 36%
Wouldn’t make a difference 34%
Not sure 5%
Would you be more or less likely to vote for Representative Sheri Jesiel if you knew she was supported by Donald Trump, or would it not make a difference?
More likely 22%
Less likely 43%
Wouldn’t make a difference 31%
Not sure 3%
How would you rate Governor Bruce Rauner’s job performance: good, bad, or are you neutral?
Good 30%
Bad 46%
Neutral 21%
Not sure 2%
If the election for State Representative were held today, would you vote to re-elect Republican Representative Avery Bourne, or do you think it’s time for someone new?
Vote to re-elect Representative Avery Bourne 42%
It’s time for someone new 47%
Not sure 11%
Would you be more or less likely to vote for Representative Avery Bourne if you knew she was supported by Governor Bruce Rauner, or would it not make a difference?
More likely 15%
Less likely 44%
Wouldn’t make a difference 37%
Not sure 4%
Would you be more or less likely to vote for Representative Avery Bourne if you knew she was supported by Donald Trump, or would it not make a difference?
More likely 20%
Less likely 38%
Wouldn’t make a difference 38%
Not sure 4%
How would you rate Governor Bruce Rauner’s job performance: good, bad, or are you neutral?
Good 32%
Bad 51%
Neutral 16%
Not sure 1%
If the election for State Representative were held today, would you vote to re-elect Republican Representative Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, or do you think it’s time for someone new?
Vote to re-elect Representative Sara Wojcicki Jimenez 33%
It’s time for someone new 49%
Not sure 19%
Would you be more or less likely to vote for Representative Sara Wojcicki Jimenez if you knew she was supported by Governor Bruce Rauner, or would it not make a difference?
More likely 18%
Less likely 49%
Wouldn’t make a difference 31%
Not sure 3%
Would you be more or less likely to vote for Representative Sara Wojcicki Jimenez if you knew she was supported by Donald Trump, or would it not make a difference?
More likely 14%
Less likely 45%
Wouldn’t make a difference 39%
Not sure 2%
The governor is seriously upside down in that state employee-dominated district which he won with 58 percent.
How would you rate Governor Bruce Rauner’s job performance: good, bad, or are you neutral?
Good 27%
Bad 50%
Neutral 21%
Not sure 2%
If the election for State Representative were held today, would you vote to re-elect Republican Representative Terri Bryant, or do you think it’s time for someone new?
Vote to re-elect Representative Terri Bryant 45%
It’s time for someone new 44%
Not sure 11%
Would you be more or less likely to vote for Representative Terri Bryant if you knew she was supported by Governor Bruce Rauner, or would it not make a difference?
More likely 17%
Less likely 40%
Wouldn’t make a difference 39%
Not sure 3%
Would you be more or less likely to vote for Representative Terri Bryant if you knew she was supported by Donald Trump, or would it not make a difference?
More likely 22%
Less likely 40%
Wouldn’t make a difference 35%
Not sure 3%
Rauner won that one with 60 percent, yet he’s more of a drag than Trump.
* Of course he’s for it. We have a super rich man wanting to plop a gargantuan homage to himself on the Chicago lakefront instead of building it where it could do some actual good for a community. I mean, what’s not to like?…
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner says he hopes the City of Chicago wins in a lawsuit over the placement of the George Lucas museum. Lucas chose Chicago in 2014 over sites in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The City has been in a legal battle with the group Friends of the Parks over whether the museum should go on the lakefront. Rauner says it’s not often people like George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson say they’ll give a 700-million dollar gift.
“I hope the Lucas family stays persistent and Mellody stays the course. I believe they’ll win in court eventually. I’m sorry the court process takes a while, but I think they should win because I think it’s the right thing for the people of Chicago and the people of Illinois.”
Friends of the Parks wants to keep the lakefront open, but the city wants the Lucas museum to replace a parking lot by Soldier Field.
With just two weeks left before the scheduled end of the Legislature’s spring session—and nearly a year since the state had a budget—Gov. Bruce Rauner and the General Assembly’s four top leaders finally plan to sit down face to face on Tuesday.
Expectations are low—to put it mildly.
Though the guv and the “four tops” haven’t met since winter, and though the loose outlines of a potential budget deal emerged last week, the stumbling block remains what it has been for a year and a half: whether Democrats will give Rauner some of the pro-business, union-weakening structural changes he wants in Illinois government, or whether he will cave in. […]
Of course, miracles can happen. Look at how “this year” finally has seemed to arrive for the Cubs.
Meanwhile, the speaker, Senate president and the two GOP leaders are set to gather at 11:30 a.m. in Rauner’s office in the Capitol. If nothing else, it ought to make for good TV.
I’m told that the question the governor will ask Speaker Madigan today is, essentially: Are you ready to let the non-budget reform negotiators move forward in a more official capacity?
The answer to that question is expected to be “No,” but if he surprises everyone then there’s still a tiny ray of hope that something can be accomplished by May 31st.
Madigan has often said that the governor needs to learn how to declare victory. He was absolutely right for many, many months. But there comes a time when the House Democrats need to learn the same thing. That time is now.
“Both sides suffer under the delusion that it’s OK that real people get hurt as long as the other side gets blamed for it.”
That’s exactly, totally right.
It’s how everybody involved in this mess sleeps at night, from the governor, to the leaders, to the members, to their respective cheerleaders.
They convince themselves that it’s all Rauner’s fault for being so anti-union and anti-bureaucracy, or it’s completely Madigan’s fault for being… Madigan.
* But real people are getting hurt out there. And it’s time for everyone to accept their own responsibility and find a way to come together and pass a freaking budget.
They continue to act as if they’re the real victims here, or they’re just helpless bystanders. They’re neither. The real victims are the homeless children and victims of domestic abuse who can’t find shelter, the rape victims who can’t find help, the college kids from poverty-stricken families who lost their dream of bettering themselves.
And the minions out there on both sides need to stop cheerleading this war. You are culpable as well.
A rough outline of budget ideas for Illinois may already be on the way to a dead-end; Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is giving a cool reception to a potential budget framework drafted by a group of state legislators. […]
“I think you will find many Democrats who will find that framework to be inadequate,” he said in an interview with NPR Illinois. “That’s an important thing to understand. Because you’ll find the majority of Democrats have a strong view as to what the government of Illinois should do for the people of Illinois. And I think that they would find that that framework would not be fully supportive of what they think the … government of the state of Illinois should do for the people in education, social services health care. So it was a group of people that met, they talked, they exchanged ideas. It hasn’t been shared with the general membership in the legislature. That’s an important thing to do.” […]
Madigan says he isn’t ready to pass final judgment on it. But he predicts many Democrats will find the framework “inadequate,” and that they won’t appreciate the depth of the cuts, and stressed it’s nature as a loose draft.
“Whatever the agreement is has not been shared with the people in the legislature,” he said. That would be a very interesting exercise.” When pressed on his own opinion, of the plan’s adequacy, Madigan answered: “I don’t know enough about it to say whether it’s adequate or inadequate. It’s a framework.”
OK, I see where he’s coming from, but wait a second here.
Speaker Madigan has said from Jump Street that crafting a budget was the most important thing that Gov. Rauner could do and what the state truly needs. So, they get to a budget framework and now he’s throwing ice water on it?
C’mon, man.
*** UPDATE *** If you listen to the entire interview, Madigan says of the governor…
“Why does he continue to insist that these [social service] agencies, that provide for the vulnerable in our society, are not paid for the services that they’ve provided to the state? Why doesn’t he deal with that?”
Um, Speaker. That (and more) is exactly what the framework is supposed to address.
For more than forty years, the Clark home was a gathering place for songwriters, folk singers, artists and misfits; many who sat at the feet of the master songwriter in his element, willing Guy’s essence into their own pens. Throughout his long and extraordinary career, Guy Clark blazed a trail for original and groundbreaking artists and troubadours including his good friends Rodney Crowell, Jim McGuire, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett, Verlon Thompson, Shawn Camp, and Vince Gill.
