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Priorities, priorities

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Vickie Oriekaose is in her third week of free classes to get certified as a Microsoft Office Specialist, which she hopes will help her land a job that offers decent pay. Microsoft estimates that people who are certified can make as much as $16,000 a year more than workers who aren’t accredited.

“I’m trying to get back into the workforce,” said the 58-year-old widow, who has been a stay-at-home mom. Oriekaose has a son who is a senior in high school, and twins who are sophomores.

But the Eliminate the Digital Divide grant program, which this year is providing $4.1 million to 102 organizations that are training 25,000 people, would lose funding under the proposed 2016 budget of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner.

* Cuts to LIHEAP…

Today, I had to call about 100 poor, elderly, and disabled people to tell them that Illinois LIHEAP ended early (low-income energy assistance) because the state refused to match federal funds due to “austerity” measures. This is a safety-net program that many low-income people have come to rely on to supplement their rising electric bills. Thanks for making me do your dirty work, Governor Rauner — nobody becomes a billionaire without stepping on a few little guys along the way.

* Cuts to mass transit…

Transit fare increases and service cuts are “very likely” if Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposal to trim nearly $170 million in state funding from the CTA, Metra and Pace becomes a reality, RTA officials warned Wednesday.

The Chicago Transit Authority would be “disproportionately” and “hardest hit” by the plan, shouldering a $130 million revenue loss — up from an original estimate of $105 million, Regional Transportation Authority officials said.

To put the CTA revenue loss in perspective, the RTA estimated it was the equivalent of what a hefty 30 percent jump in CTA fares would generate.

* Cuts to municipal governments…

Champaign County Board members are on record as against proposed budget cuts that would strip at least $1.6 million a year from the county, or about 5 percent of its general fund.

The county board Thursday night passed a resolution protesting the cuts proposed by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. The resolution was adopted 15-5 with the “no” votes coming from Republican board members Stan Harper, John Jay, Gary Maxwell, Max Mitchell and Jack Anderson.

* Cuts to universities…

A tuition increase is off the table this year but just about everything else is on it at the University of Illinois if big budget cuts are enacted, top UI officials told lawmakers Thursday.

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget calls for a 31.5 percent, or $209 million, reduction at the UI for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

In separate appearances before House and Senate appropriations committees, UI officials outlined possible areas for cuts: personnel, student employment, extension services, public broadcasting and more deferred maintenance.

But Republican members of both the Senate and the House prodded university officials to seek efficiencies and to embrace reforms, including changes in workers compensation and procurement policies.

* And a quarter million dollars a year for one person…

A former Chicago charter schools executive is earning $250,000 a year to spearhead Gov. Bruce Rauner’s top education initiatives, a salary that is more than double what her predecessors received and places her as the highest-paid member of a Cabinet already under scrutiny for its lofty paychecks. […]

Purvis is being paid as an independent contractor and accepting neither state health nor retirement benefits, according to the governor’s office.

From 2003 until last year, Purvis, who holds a doctorate in special education, served as CEO of the Chicago International Charter School, a network of 15 schools in Chicago and Rockford. She previously worked as a special education teacher in Maryland and Tennessee, as a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and served on education advisory councils under the last two Illinois governors.

In an interview with the AP, Purvis said her salary is “commensurate with what I’ve been paid in the past” and cited her three decades of experience. Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly called Purvis “one of the few education experts in the country prepared to lead a true cradle to career approach to education.”

Look, I don’t usually care about state salaries. And I fully understand how difficult it is to recruit top talent with government money. But, man, is the governor ever gonna take a licking on this one.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:30 am

Comments

State employees are overpaid
Consultants are worth every penny, esp if they will be pushing charter schools. She is a superstar. Wonder whose budget will pick up the tab? Isbe?

Comment by Langhorne Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:36 am
It’d be somewhat more comforting if we knew what the Governor’s “top education initiatives” were.

Then again, there’s this:

“While Purvis’ salary is high for a Cabinet secretary, it’s in line with what local school administrators often earn.”

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:36 am
If U of I has to dip into their ample endowment and cash holdings for a year or two so other public services aren’t cut more, I won’t cry much.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:38 am
Basically, if Rauner knows you, you earn a bunch of money.

If you’re just some state employed schmo working anonymously at a desk, you’re an overpaid moron. Doesn’t matter if you have a masters or a PhD — you’re overpaid.

Of course, if Rauner got to know you, that’d be a different story. You’d be vital. The kind of talent the state needs.

Comment by Frenchie Mendoza Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:39 am
To “take a licking”, he’d have to care about what anyone says. I guarantee he’s already justified this ridiculousness to himself (aka “the only opinion that counts”).

Comment by CharlieKratos Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:39 am
The public education world is in an alternate universe when it comes to senior administrator salaries. Rauner shouldn’t participate in this madness.

Also, part of public service in state government, for those who have been markedly successful in the private sector, has been to make significant sacrifices in salary. There are many cases in previous administrations.

You work for less because you have the honor to be selected represent the public and to try to meet their needs. Rauner knows that personally. Why wouldn’t he expect it of his close staff?

Comment by walker Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:41 am
I was in Elementary & Secondary Ed. Appropriations when Will Davis asked if there was anybody from the Governor’s Office in the room and she raised her hand and said that they had no testimony at this time.

It was a solid quarter-milly move. She. Is. A. Superstar.

Comment by LizPhairTax Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:43 am
I wonder if there is going to be a power struggle with the State Superintendent and State Board of Education like in the days of Blago.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:43 am
- it’s in line with what local school administrators often earn. -

Who Rauner has repeatedly said are paid too much.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:44 am
She makes more than all the education agency heads, to do what exactly?

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:44 am
If she is a consultant and not a state employee wouldn’t this be considered a sole source contract? If so, what would be the justification for this being a sole sourced contract?

Comment by wndycty Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:45 am
That charter schools racket is just filled with sweet scores.

It’s a real growth industry across the country and the Dem hustlers are grabbing with both hands just as much as the GOP boodlers.

Go Into a distressed area, sing a sad song about “the children,”, point fingers at unions and bureaucracy, make sure the right people get the wink for jobs and contracts, and cha-ching.

Purvis’ charter network got put on academic watch list, No great shakes for performance at all. Yet the big scores keep coming for her.

Comment by Wordslinger Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:47 am
Rauner complains about the high salaries and benefits of teachers and administrators and then does this. Cut “them” but I need to pay more to “my” people to get the most qualified. My grandma use to say “Whats good for the goose is good for the gander”. Perhaps the Governor should try and follow her advice.

Comment by Downtstate Dem Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:47 am
Charlie -

He’s about to slash critical school programs while hiring a brand new education czar at a cost of $1 million over the next four years.

Was eliminating AP classes the bright idea of his new education czar?

There are six different ways this plays out, all bad.

Comment by Juvenal Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:48 am
Re the Digital Divide: At the end of a long and winding road we have training in private-sector skills the responsibility of the public sector. State aid to enable citizens to enroll, but these kinds of classes themselves surely is better provided by employers, acting in concert through trade groups, or by firms like Microsoft, whose markets are expanded with each person it trains to use their software.

Comment by Jimmy Jazz Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:50 am
Rauner seems to be throwing all the mud against the wall all at once hoping something will stick. He has a new outrageous proposal almost everyday. I can’t remember them all. It’s like “what did you have for lunch a week ago Tuesday”.

Comment by DuPage Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:52 am
As I recall, Champaign County supported Rauner big time in the last election. The chickens are coming home to roost (or roast).

Comment by John Parnell Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:52 am
For that kind of money, I hope she is doing some coaching on the side. Oh wait, we cut athletics.

Why can’t rauner get a corporate sponsor for her, and have her wear a nascar type jacket w logos?

Hey it’s half of what Arduin (sp?) gets. A steal.

Comment by Langhorne Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:53 am
The Purvis story made WXRT morning radio. Let’s hope there’s more to come.

Comment by Anon Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:53 am
So Rauner is not going to raise taxes at the state level because he does not want to take money away from the hard working citizens of Illinois. BUt his cuts mean higher taxes from other levels of government so they can provide the services needed by the hard working citizens of Illinois

Comment by Really Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:56 am
“Purvis is being paid as an independent contractor…”

So they complied with the procurement laws to hire this person? I would like to see that explanation and how it mangles the procurement process. Also what does the IRS have to say about this arrangement? Hiring somebody as a contractor is something on which the IRS has very strict rules.

Comment by Huh? Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 11:57 am
- it’s in line with what local school administrators often earn. -

==Who Rauner has repeatedly said are paid too much.==

I’m surprised Rauner hasn’t blamed this on the unions yet. Seems like his answer for everything else.

Comment by Wensicia Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:00 pm
@jimmyjazz Excellent point.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:03 pm
I don’t get too upset by state salaries either. I think the post the other day here about FOIAs and Assistant AGs jumping ship is a good example of why state salaries matter. You need to retain good people.

But I can’t figure out the hypocrisy that is Rauner’s M.O. Is he tone deaf or does he not care to learn the song? Either way the polling data shows that folks are catching on pretty quickly and we don’t like what we see.

Comment by Sangamo Sam Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:03 pm
In the world of public education, money doesn’t seem to have a great deal to do with educational outcome. So, what difference does it make? It’s only money.

Comment by Keyser Soze Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:12 pm
=== That charter schools racket is just filled with sweet scores. ===

And it’s about to get sweeter.

Comment by olddog Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:17 pm
Optics don’t personally matter to Bruce Rauner.

The ILGOP GA, I bet they won’t like how all this will poll.

It will be fun when the $250,000 a year consultant talks of “tightening belts and being fiscally smart”…

Or Rauner will hide he like Lt. Governor Sanguinetti from the Press.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:18 pm
=“While Purvis’ salary is high for a Cabinet secretary, it’s in line with what local school administrators often earn.”=

=The public education world is in an alternate universe when it comes to senior administrator salaries. Rauner shouldn’t participate in this madness.=

Maybe at the university level, at K-12, not so much. The Big dollar admins in K-12 are less than 10%. They are concentrated in Northern Cook county and the Chicago suburbs. The average for the superintendent position, cited by the SJR article, was $110,000. Some of those jobs are actually a combination of principal/superintendet. The position requires a degree beyond a Master’s and is typically well below private sector positions with commensurate responsibilities (CEO).

Every year 50-90 districts start with an interim superintendent because they cannot find qualified candidates. I guess we are all about what the market will bare until we don’t want it to be about what the market says because that is inconvenient for our narrative.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:21 pm
Olddog, I could see adding some cars to the charters school gravy train as something Dems and the GOP could hold hands and sing kumbyyah over.

For the children, of course.

Comment by Wordslinger Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:24 pm
Sickening, especially the cuts to LIHEAP, but really the whole thing.

Comment by UIC Guy Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:29 pm
An outsourcer, taking money from the already strapped schools and giving it to charters that don’t have to follow the same rules, great.

Comment by james the intolerant Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:29 pm
“Thanks for making me do your dirty work, Governor Rauner — nobody becomes a billionaire without stepping on a few little guys along the way.”

The leftists are keeping up their drumbeat of class envy and falsehoods. Bruce Rauner is not a billionaire. Pat Quinn and the democrats overspent and the left enjoys a chance to blame a conservative. Once Bruce Rauner’s turnaround kicks in, many low income people can benefit from the job creation that will result.

Comment by Muscular Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:29 pm
Granted, Rauner has inherited a fiscal near-crisis. But to many of those effected by these cuts, he’s trading a near-fiscal crisis for a humanitarian one.

Comment by Summerwind Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:31 pm
=== Purvis is being paid as an independent contractor and accepting neither state health nor retirement benefits, according to the governor’s office. ===

She wouldn’t be around long enough to vest a pension anyway. Purvis is getting more than enough to pay for health benefits that she probably already had.

Her role is to push charter schools. That makes her worth the money to Rauner. She’s not worth the money to the taxpayers.

Comment by Norseman Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:33 pm
Like his $18 watch, “takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’.

Comment by DuPage Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:34 pm
If the economy is growing, why shouldn’t government services be growing?

Comment by Carl Nyberg Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:34 pm
===Once Bruce Rauner’s turnaround kicks in, many low income people can benefit from the job creation that will result.===

Tell that to those on ventilators. Or were…

You’re welcome.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:37 pm
@Word- I recently saw a figure for public ed funding nation wide as $550 Billion. The for profit types, red and blue, are all salivating at those dollars.

For a guy that spends a tremendous amount of time attacking/complaining about the cost and pay of the “bureaucracy” all our governor has done is increase that cost. Hypocrite much?

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:39 pm
==The leftists are keeping up their drumbeat of class envy and falsehoods. ==

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:39 pm
– Once the Bruce Rauner turnaround kicks in….–

The cult of the messiah governors.

Comment by Wordslinger Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:39 pm
Fast on the trigger finger . . . apologies

==The leftists are keeping up their drumbeat of class envy and falsehoods. ==

First of all, anybody that begins a conversation by using the term “leftists” automatically betrays themselves to be a troll. But I’ll bite.

If you want to talk about class issues, you may want to advise the Governor to knock of his class warfare as well.

==Bruce Rauner is not a billionaire==

He’s only a multi-hundred millionaire. Great defense. Dope.

==Once Bruce Rauner’s turnaround kicks in, many low income people can benefit from the job creation that will result.==

Uh huh. What turnaround? The turnaround where he wants to LOWER wages? What a wonderful turnaround agenda.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:42 pm
==Thanks for making me do your dirty work, Governor==

He was supposed to take the day off from his job to do your job? /semi-snark

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:43 pm
I wasn’t sure it was possible, but my contempt and disgust for Brucie continues to grow on a daily basis as his contempt for the 99% is demonstrated under the guise of “budget crises”. His solutions are as phony as were his statements during the campaign.

Comment by D.P.Gumby Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:44 pm
@Demoralized:
“Uh huh. What turnaround? The turnaround where he wants to LOWER wages? What a wonderful turnaround agenda.”

Jeez, get with the program man! Once we cut wages 50%, we can hire 2x the workforce! See everyone wins!

Comment by How Ironic Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:46 pm
Bless that person for calling their LIHEAP folks. We have thousands on LIHEAP here, thousands, and they are just out of luck. They need to start praying for a warm spring. I expect we will have several house fires from folks lighting fires inside, in BBQ grills, and metal trash cans. The disabled and elderly are especially vulnerable. It’s real here folks. Just yesterday a dad was walking his young daughter to school. She was wearing dads coat, which came down to her feet and dad was bundled in a hoodie only. We naturally shut these images out. I can’t. Each day I drive to work in a city which looks like a war zone. I wish lawmakers could spend JUST ONE day at work with me.

Comment by Honeybear Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:46 pm
==But the Eliminate the Digital Divide grant program, which this year is providing $4.1 million to 102 organizations that are training 25,000 people, would lose funding under the proposed 2016 budget of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner.==

This kind of program would seem to be something that should be front and center in the Governor’s “turnaround agenda.” Providing trained people for business would seem to be a good thing. Apparently not. I suppose, though, the thinking could be that if a person is highly trained then you can’t pay them dirt cheap wages. Maybe that’s the theory behind the cut.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:46 pm
==Optics don’t personally matter to Bruce Rauner==

Seems so. He’s playing a longer game with a bigger prize than most in Springfield.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:47 pm
Rauner is tone deaf like no one I have ever seen.

Can’t believe Quinn lost to this guy.

Comment by too obvious Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:48 pm
Not that there is any guarantee he will ==win== or get what he wants.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:48 pm
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:37 pm:

===Once Bruce Rauner’s turnaround kicks in, many low income people can benefit from the job creation that will result.===

Except that they won’t be able to afford daycare and won’t be able to get to that job via public transportation and can’t ever hope for a better job because of the cost of higher education.

Comment by A Jack Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:50 pm
Sorry OW, I just copied from yours, but meant to edit it better. I know it wasn’t your post. Darn iPhones!

Comment by A Jack Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:54 pm
@Honeybear - a haunting comment. Very well said.

imho, much of this relates to the title of Rich’s post. One must wonder, would the specific part of the city you drive through look ==like a war zone== if we put a new $35M school there instead of in Speaker Madigan’s district? Or if we spent $10M there instead of on the privately-owned Uptown Theatre?

It took a team effort to get us to this point, not just one party or the other.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:56 pm
The line about her salary not being out of line came from Crain’s. Let’s look at the full context:

=== While Purvis’ salary is high for a Cabinet secretary, it’s in line with what local school administrators OFTEN earn. State records show the AVERAGE administrator’s salary at the state’s 860 districts was $101,096 last year, but they are as high as $357,117, . . . 65 (SIXTY_FIVE) school superintendents’ salaries were HIGHER than $250,000 last year.====

She makes two and half times a much as the state average for superintendents. 65 out of 850 superintendents make as much or more. I am not sure what “often” means, but she makes more than 93% of people with similar experience.

Whatever Rauner’s plans for her, this will hurt her credibility.

Comment by Urban Girl Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 12:57 pm
I hope Rauner can get her Golden Parachute ready for when she leaves in 6 months. These lofty corporate types expect nothing less.

Comment by Sir Reel Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:10 pm
“Once we cut wages 50%, we can hire 2x the workforce! See everyone wins!” (Yes I know that was snark.) Maybe, or rather than hiring more workers, they’ll just see their profits go up by 50%.

1) Cut wages
2) …
3) Profit!

Comment by Skeptic Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:11 pm
@ Wordslinger 12:24pm ===… I could see adding some cars to the charters school gravy train as something Dems and the GOP could hold hands and sing kumbyyah over. ===

Amen, brother. It’s been that way at least since No Child Left Behind passed Congress on a bipartisan roll call.

Comment by olddog Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:19 pm
I have no problem paying talent. Would happily divide Jay Cutler’s salary among 40 politically astute policy wonks. (Assuming you can find 40 politically astute policy wonks ).

Comment by Last Bull Moose Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:23 pm
She’s not “accepting” state health care and retirement benefits? Wow! Maybe that’s because she doesn’t qualify for them as an independent contractor….

Comment by Soccermom Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:24 pm
=Can’t believe Quinn lost to this guy.=
Quinn was exposed as an inept, faux-populist phony who also turned away federal money and mangled protections for workers. Also candidate Rauner didn’t campaign as the irrational right-wing zealot that we know as Governor Rauner.
Ultimately, the choice between Quinn & Rauner was irrefutable evidence of the utter failure of the two-party system.

Comment by Qui Tam Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:32 pm
“Maybe that’s because she doesn’t qualify for them as an independent contractor…”

Well, I think the spin is that she’s an ind. contractor BECAUSE they want her to avoid the bennies…

But I suspect that isn’t the case. If she were just a flat out state worker, wouldn’t she also be covered by the pay scale?

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:36 pm
=Can’t believe Quinn lost to this guy.=

Quinn blew it the day he was put on this earth to reform pensions

Comment by sparky791 Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:37 pm
Have Cronin or the Dupage County Board voted to support Rauner’s proposal to cut distributed funds? Weren’t they the example he used why this would work?

Comment by walker Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:38 pm
“utter failure of the two-party system.” And I would add “and the closed primary system.” But that’s a debate for a different day.

Comment by Skeptic Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:39 pm
Catherine Kelly’s quote is absolute BS.

Comment by From the 'Dale to HP Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:42 pm
2016 is going to be a great year for the Democrats!

Comment by Stones Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:43 pm
Walk, was College of DuPage part of that example local governments are supposed to follow?

I hear they have a nice restaurant. Price is right, too, for some.

Comment by Wordslinger Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 1:58 pm
I’m sure if I were making that kind of money, I could fund my own retirement and pay for my own medical!!!!! So she’s really sacrificing something to receive that salary! Sheesh

Comment by Challengerrt Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 2:05 pm
Rauner said she is “well worth every penny”, but the fact is she hasn’t done anything yet. Rauner has often implied that people should be paid based on performance; if so, she should not be paid until she has been appropriately evaluated per the goals which are publicly identified.

Comment by Buzzie Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 2:31 pm
and she does not pay into the health care and pension funds

Comment by Yatzi Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 2:52 pm
There are billions of dollars to be made by turning public schools into schools for profit. Venture capitalists regard this as a big win for Wall Street investors. They see the education industry today as the healthcare industry of 30 years ago, with Charter schools just the first step to billions in profits.

Comment by Enviro Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 2:54 pm
==She wouldn’t be around long enough to vest a pension anyway.===

If she was hired for Rauner’s full term at $125K/yr, she would be eligible for a $15K yearly pension from GARS beginning at age 62. (3.0% for the first 4 years of service = 12% * $125,000 = $15,000).

So for the state to break-even on Purvis’ lifetime compensation for her services, she would have to live up to the age of 95, not including health benefits.

Comment by nixit71 Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 2:57 pm
Saw this in an old post by chance

==One of Gov. Quinn’s problems is that he likes to appoint friends to important posts instead of searching around for the best possible person. He did that with his completely inexperienced State Police director, among other positions.==
https://capitolfax.com/2009/04/21/two-two-two-problems-in-one/

We are discussing $ here, but at least we are no longer discussing qualifications. Rauner will get hit on her $, but he has generally been bringing in qualified people.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 3:25 pm
Muscular-You get paid by the word, line, post, what?
Rauner-I’ll do it for half.

Comment by efudd Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 3:27 pm
How dare that widow with 3 kids use the taxpayers money to educate herself so she can provide for her family! Doesn’t she know she should be looking for a big box and find a bridge to live under?/snark

Comment by Minnow Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 3:31 pm
Nixit, she would not qualify for GARS. Only SERS and she won’t vest there.

Not that I’m in agreement with any aspect of this “hire.”

Comment by Arthur Andersen Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 3:37 pm
LIHEAP. talk about cold governor.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 4:00 pm
= =Bruce Rauner is not a billionare==

Which is why he drops his g’s when he talks.

Comment by Hedley Lamarr Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 4:03 pm
Bruce Rauner has a tiny pen. Is that true?

Comment by 340 East Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 4:20 pm
@JSMill: Thanks for the info on K-12 superintendent salaries around the state. It will adjust and broaden my perspective. Just because my locals are out of control in their competition for mythical superstars, doesn’t mean everyone is.

Comment by walker Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 5:02 pm
Senator Brady introduced an amendment that would turn all public universities in private universities. I guess that’s the plan for saving money on public higher education — just get rid of it.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900SB1565sam001&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=88258&DocNum=1565&GAID=13&Session=

Comment by The Old College Try Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 5:29 pm
“Once Bruce Rauner’s turnaround kicks in, many low income people can benefit from the job creation that will result.”

Are the 250 Caterpillar jobs heading to Mexico part of “Bruce Rauner’s turnaround”?

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Friday, Mar 20, 15 @ 5:37 pm