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* Some commenters have pointed out that, despite pledging to never accept a salary beyond a dollar a year, Gov. Bruce Rauner got paid last week…

From the governor’s spokesman…

He had to take the check and then routinely will write one back for full amount of his pay.

From the Illinois Constitution…

Officers of the Executive Branch shall be paid salaries
established by law

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 11:48 am

Comments

Of course he got paid. Legally, he has to be paid. Will the public see copies of these checks he writes back?

Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 11:54 am
Not to mention, many state salaries and reports are tied to a percentage of the governor’s salary.

Comment by Elo Kiddies Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 11:55 am
Much ado about nothing.

Comment by John A Logan Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 11:55 am
Oh, PC.

Comment by Emanuel Can't Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 12:00 pm
Thanks for checking into that. I hope you and others will keep tabs on this to make sure he keeps his promise. FOIA requests may work.

Comment by Anon Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 12:03 pm
Politicians have always used this scam. They must be paid and their income reported to the IRS. I would assume the Governor will next donate the money to charity and take a deduction.

Comment by H.L. Mencken Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 12:09 pm
Thank you ! I was speculating last week that they wouldn’t be able to not pay him without system/law changes. He would have to write checks back to the Treasurer to keep this promise. I bet his SERS pension deduction has already started as well. I assume he is a Tier II employee

Comment by Anotherretiree Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 12:22 pm
There will be plenty of contradictions and hypocritical moments in the Rauner tenure. I highly doubt that this will be one of them. Clearly he didn’t take the job for the paycheck. In fact I have no idea why he did take the job.

Comment by pundent Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 12:28 pm
Aside from the Governor, I would be interested to know if, say, former Representative Rosenthal, has pledged not to use his appointment to boost his final pension or whether other local government appointees like Joe Aiello, after receiving their IMRF-funded pensions, will now try to become vested in the state retirement system, too. That seems to be rather ‘old school’ to me, and not quite Raunerian.

Comment by Savoir Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 12:30 pm
You would think that some crackerjack on his staff would just tell him what his full salary for the year will be and he could write one check now.

Let’s hope the rest of his administration isn’t run this inefficiently.

Comment by Juvenal Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 12:37 pm
Lord, of course he will reimburse Illinois. He isn’t Cheri Bustos.

Comment by Peoria Guy Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 12:39 pm
H. L. Mencken has most likely hit the nail on the head. When Governor Edgar said he refused his pay raise, what actually happened (as the press found later) was the money he gave back became a credit against his income taxes. The same has happened with legislators who have said they returned their raises. It’s not an uncommon practice.

Comment by Silent Budgeteer Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 12:48 pm
They have to get a “credit” as you say or deduction as the salary is taxable to them when paid to them. This allows them to break even.

Comment by Peoria Guy Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 12:50 pm
On this one issue, I actually believe Rauner.

But he should put the check he writes out there for full public view.

Comment by Federalist Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:08 pm
Juvenal - -my thought exactly.

Comment by Soccermom Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:11 pm
Oh stop.
It was all a gimmick.
Gimmicks don’t matter and this one never did either.

Ask Cheryl Bustos.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:12 pm
If he’s returning his checks, his net pay will still be higher than the value of his performance as Governor. Teachers, nurses and correctional officers add value to the state. Rauner by knocking the state, misdiagnosing its problems, and prescribing the wrong fiscal medecine is a net minus.

Comment by truthteller Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:14 pm
=Will the public see copies of these checks he writes back?=

C’mon, the Governor is no William j. Kelly! He doesn’t have to prove he wrote a check to maintain his credibility! (Snark intended.)

Comment by Nick Naylor Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:17 pm
In Rauner’s defense, others have tried to not accept a salary. Simply is no way to legally do it. It seems bizarre but that’s how it is…for now.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:26 pm
If he really wants to do something meaningful, he should cash out of all his investments and business ventures and put his wealth into Vanguard or other types of public mutual funds (and publish the fund names online). In fact, Quinn should have done this and then challenged Rauner to do it on the campaign trail every time Rauner said he wouldn’t take a salary.

Comment by David's Blanket Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:34 pm
I bet the Comptroller’s Office loves this one. Probably more expensive to pay the people to figure out how to make all of this work than any real savings from the gesture.

Comment by Bibe Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:39 pm
He can sign it over to me. I’ll spend it wisely & post pictures!

Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:44 pm
What is the point here of declining his salary? Obviously, he doesn’t need the money, but is the implication that we all should be willing to work for free? That we should be ashamed to take that paycheck? That we all can do with less? When you have 60 million as income last year, of course you can do without the paltry governor’s income. A very very poor choice for leadership in this state since I can’t think of many others who are as out of touch with the realities that 99% of us have to deal with. It’s a sour gimmick indeed.

Comment by AnonymousOne Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:02 pm
AnonymousOne - I don’t believe the message is we should all work for free or do with less. I think Rauner is merely underscoring the point that he doesn’t need the money and isn’t doing this for the salary. I suppose he would be subject to the same criticism and even more if he did take the money.

Comment by pundent Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:09 pm
Thank you AnonymousOne. Couldnt have said it any better.

Comment by Del Clinkton Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:11 pm
Maybe we should pay attention to the full purpose and effect of that Constitutional provision: it’s important that executive branch officers understand that they work for the citizens, who pay their salary.

“Not taking a salary,” as though being the head of our state is an exercise in charity, has offended me from the get-go. A new low in governance.

Comment by crazybleedingheart Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:30 pm
===A new low in governance===

You must be new to Illinois if this is your new low.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:31 pm
There is no logical reason for him to decline a salary. It’s just his way of saying, “Look at me, I don’t need the money! My motives are pure!”. As if anyone thought that maybe he wanted to be a Governor for the $177,000 salary. I guess we can disabuse ourselves of that notion. Phony, stupid, inefficient, etc.

Comment by Snucka Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:35 pm
It’s $233,308, but the point is the same. That means nothing to him.

Comment by Anon Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:42 pm
=- Anon - Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:42 pm:
It’s $233,308, but the point is the same. That means nothing to him.=

Look, pal - the Governor makes $177,411.96 per year. Next time you come at me, get your ducks in a row first.

Comment by Snucka Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:01 pm
In addition, until he releases all of his tax returns…he was NOT a successful businessman.

Comment by Del Clinkton Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:09 pm
Multiply $9,2721.20 x 24 or explain why he makes less than that result, please.

Comment by Anon Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:19 pm
$9,721.20

Comment by Anon Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:19 pm
The Governor’s salary is $177,500. That is what is appropriated in FY15. I don’t know why there is an argument about this.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:34 pm
I suppose the Del Clinkton’s of the world would be just as quick to criticize Rauner for taking a paycheck given the fact that he made $60M last year. This really is a non-issue as far as I’m concerned. Yes it was a campaign stunt more than anything but he doesn’t need the money and there’s really no disputing that. I’m all for criticizing Rauner but calling him out on this issue seems a bit silly.

Comment by pundent Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:39 pm
By the way Anon, state officers, agency directors and other positions paid via the state officers payroll at the Comptroller’s Office are paid one a month. So you only multiply those amounts by 12. I’m assuming that the monthly salary for the Governor for January was pro-rated since he was not Governor for the entire month.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:40 pm
The Governor is paid monthly, not bi-monthly. His monthly pay is $14,784. Rauner was only governor for roughly 2/3 of January, so his pay was roughly 2/3 of that.

Comment by Snucka Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:41 pm
- Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:31 pm:

===A new low in governance===

You must be new to Illinois if this is your new low.

********

I just prefer the straightforwardness of plain old graft (take the money, don’t do the job right, go to prison) over gaslighting (do the job? what job?)

Comment by crazybleedingheart Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 4:08 pm
any proof he will write the checks lol

Comment by foster brooks Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 6:39 pm
I give him credit for this!

Comment by Independent Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 6:56 pm
So the Constituion is clear the governor “shall” be paid and that’s all there is to it….no way around it…just like the Constitution is clear pensions “shall” not be diminished….and that’s all there is to it…no way around it….?

Comment by Vote Quimby! Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 11:03 pm