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* AP…

Illinois Democrats have scheduled a hearing on why Gov. Bruce Rauner’s education secretary is being paid from the state’s human services budget.

Lawmakers are expected to discuss Beth Purvis’ $250,000-per-year salary at a hearing Thursday in Springfield.

Documents obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times showed the money comes from human services, even though Purvis reports to Rauner’s office.

The Republican governor has recommended cutting millions from the agency’s budget for programs that deal with autism and burials for the indigent.

* From a press release…

State Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, announced the House Human Services Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing Thursday at the State Capitol on the $250,000 salary Gov. Bruce Rauner is paying his education secretary and why the money is paid from a state agency where the governor proposed deep funding reductions for the elderly and autistic children.

“This lucrative salary for the state’s head of education is paid by an agency where Governor Rauner recently eliminated funding for autistic children and after-school tutoring and wants to make further reductions that would drastically impact services for the frail, the elderly, children with disabilities and our most vulnerable citizens,” said Harris, who chairs the House Human Services Appropriations Committee. “Taxpayers and the families who stand to be seriously harmed by the governor’s slash-and-burn budget plan deserve an explanation. This six-figure salary buried within the Department of Human Services could go a long way toward helping to fund medical care services for the elderly, persons with disabilities, struggling families, autistic children or any number of other services provided through the department.”

Reports in March revealed Beth Purvis, tapped to be Rauner’s education secretary, would receive a $250,000 taxpayer-funded salary, more than double what her predecessors received. Then last week, following a Freedom of Information Act request, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Purvis’ salary was coming not from the governor’s office allotment or from the State Board of Education, but from the Department of Human Services.

Three weeks after Purvis’ contract was signed in March, Rauner announced $26 million in cuts to human services programs, including funding for autistic children. In unveiling his budget in February, Rauner proposed massive cuts to in-home care for senior citizens, homeless children, and breast and cervical cancer screening for women, while completely eliminating funding for after-school programs, homelessness prevention and services for children with developmental disabilities.

The House hearing follows a letter from Harris, delivered to the governor last week, in which Harris pointed out the human services budget cuts Rauner proposed. Rauner’s office, the Department of Human Services and the State Board of Education have been invited to testify at the hearing.

“We understand cuts will have to be a part of a balanced budget, but for the governor to pay someone a six-figure taxpayer-funded salary at the same time he’s planning to devastate critical services to vulnerable residents is unacceptable and completely out of touch,” Harris said. “What’s more, this game of hide-and-seek with his education secretary’s salary shows that the governor is not the change he promised. It’s more of the same business as usual that people are fed up with.”

The House Human Services Appropriations Committee will meet Thursday at 11 a.m. in Room 118 of the Capitol.

This is exactly the sort of thing we can look forward to for the foreseeable future as the overtime session drags on.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:06 am

Comments

“So, Ms. Purvis, what would you say…. you do here?”

“I’ve got people skills…..”

Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:10 am
“Ms. Purvis, did you know where you were getting your salary, and what are your thoughts to that?”

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:12 am
How about Sean McCarthy being paid out of DCEO? Or some of the others. It’s going to be harsh when the layoffs come because departments don’t have enough cash in payroll to make it because of these folks being offshored. Not good optics

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:12 am
It is so refreshing to have a guy smarter than Madigan in the governor’s office. And he understands the average citizen in Illinois. And he has the resources and access to resources. That is the trifecta combination to finally put Madigan out to pasture. I’m cautiously optimistic. Let’s hope he is successful we never see the likes of Madigan again. For our sake and our State’s sake. No one should have the power to do that much damage to the state for that long of time.

Comment by The obvious Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:15 am
Yardbirds, huh? I’m waiting for the guitar break.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:16 am
I’m a bit late to this issue - but what authority does this “Secretary” have?

Comment by Juan MacLean Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:17 am
@ The Obvious
“It is so refreshing to have a guy smarter than Madigan in the governor’s office.”

I think you meant smarter by half?

Comment by How Ironic Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:17 am
“Ms. Purvis, where are the main offices of the Department of Human Services located in Springfield and Chicago?”

Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:17 am
Has anyone done a full analysis of where funds for people/positions in the Governor’s Office are coming from?

Comment by Left Leaner Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:18 am
The silly thing about Rauner doing business as usual is less that he promised he’d change. The really silly thing is that he actually has the ability to do it where other governors have been too afraid. And yet he hasn’t cleaned up this practice, he’s continued it on steroids.

Why can’t Rauner overpay his people and put them all into his office budget? So what if he gets criticized for it? He has the resources and message to counter any attack along these lines, so really, why is he afraid of transparency here?

I don’t get it. I guess they’d rather be accused of same old, same old, meet the new boss kind of run of the mill hypocrisy rather than shake and bake or whatever he promised he was going to do to Springfield.

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:19 am
I’m wondering if Rauner and his staff will blame the decision on the elderly gentleman they sold DHS to last week in a fire sale?

Comment by How Ironic Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:20 am
- The obvious -,

How would you explain the years of Thompson, Edgar, and Ryan with Madigan?

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:20 am
Wow! this is the best people can do to try to beat up on Rauner. Highlight an agency had, who is being paid at a rate higher than in the past. Please!

Comment by Apocalypse Now Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:21 am
The Obvious, aren’t you supposed to tailor your talking-point script just a little bit to relate it to the topic at hand? Or is the compensation not worth the effort?

Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:23 am
Oswego Willy: The way I explained it before.

Comment by The obvious Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:23 am
“We have a mindset too much in government that everybody’s identical, everybody should be treated the same and the only difference should be based on seniority,” Rauner said.

Governor, that’s a concept you should have learned during civics class in grade school - it is called equality. Its kind of a big deal here in the US.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:23 am
- Apocalypse Now -

… and getting that salary out of the same pot of money that the Good Friday Massacre cuts were taken from those losing funding.

Please, keep up. It’s the money, where its coming from, and why some might have a problem with it.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:25 am
@AN: “Wow! this is the best people can do to try to beat up on Rauner.”

The best? No, this is low hanging fruit. Why is Purvis being paid $250,000 (TWICE the rate of her predecessor) out of an agency she isn’t in, while Rauner is eliminating autism funding?

Riddle me that Apocalypse.

Comment by How Ironic Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:26 am
@The obvious: Were you commenting on the topic of this thread?

Are you saying Rauner is “smarter” because he figured out how to pay his senior staff more, and to cover her salary in another department?

Or is yours just some general cheerleading?

Comment by walker Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:26 am
“Wow! this is the best people can do to try to beat up on Rauner. Highlight an agency [head], who is being paid at a rate higher than in the past.”

1) Paid more than twice as much, and
2) Paid out of the human services budget targeted by Rauner.

Do try to keep up.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:27 am
Yikes. If I had to sit through this one, I’d demand my per diem. Really goofy. No there, there. This is what the overtime call was to deal with? Ugh.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:27 am
- The obvious -,

Can you… expand… your overview to the context of what’s at play here?

Also, like the ILGOP throwing Thompson, Edgar, and Ryan under the bus, has there been a good Republican governor, or is this about Raunerite ideals?

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:28 am
Apoc, I think the question is more “why is she in DHS if she’s doing ISBE work”, coupled with “why is her pay coming out of an agency her boss is doing a hatchet job on”. It’ll play worse when/if those cuts are implemented. Not only is DHS no longer paying for working class child care or senior living assistance, it’s paying a quarter mil to someone that’s not even working on its core mission.

Comment by Stuck on the 3rd Floor Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:29 am
I like Greg Harris, but he’s usually more serious than this.

The hearing itself, is a self-serving waste of time. This is one that should lack a quorum.

Comment by walker Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:29 am
The democrats are working hard again to generate negatives for Bruce Rauner rather than working on structural reforms. She is going to be paid by the state somehow. Fortunately we have a private equity manager like Bruce Rauner who is accustomed to entering an organization, breaking some china, dealing with dissatisfaction and dissent and turning the mess around to something functional.

Comment by Muscular Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:31 am
===Fortunately we have a private equity manager like Bruce Rauner who is accustomed to entering an organization, breaking some china, dealing with dissatisfaction and dissent and turning the mess around to something functional.===

… that either goes bankrupt, or you sell off the valuable parts and then go bankrupt.

What were Rauner’s business successes? Where were jobs created under Rauner?

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:34 am
A guy,

You seem like you pay attention to the minutia of state government more than the average commenter. Governors have long hired staff who were paid out of the budgets of other state agencies. It’s a time-honored tradition meant to conceal the actual size of the Governor’s staff as well as the actual amount of the budget for the Governor’s office. Previous Governors have been afraid of getting hit with an attack along the lines of “Governor So-and-so increased the size of his personal staff by 35% and his office budget increase by 40%.”

You’re right, this is pretty weak sauce. But I thought your guy was supposed to be different? Are you suggesting he’s just as afraid of transparency as his predecessors?

Rauner should own it, celebrate it, tell the whole world he’s bring the best and brightest to Illinois and shine a big spotlight on the improvements they’re making.

Well, at least once they finally get around to actually doing something.

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:39 am
Walker: Yes my comment was general. It covers this and other “important” things Madigan is trying to throw the governor’s way. Makes Madigan looks like an amateur thinking stuff like this will work. Rauner’s thanking his lucky stars. Not to mention Rauner is very lucky to have beloved Madigan as his opponent just like Clinton had Newt Gingrich.

Comment by The obvious Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:41 am
===Walker: Yes my comment was general. It covers this and other “important” things Madigan is trying to throw the governor’s way.===

Example?

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:43 am
Agree this is not a big policy issue. The problem for the Governor is that this is another in a series of missteps in executing his strategy that distract from the overall objective. Does $34 million overcome the poor execution of the strategy? Maybe, but only if the execution gets a lot better.

Comment by vibes Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:43 am
“where were jobs created under Rauner”

- They were created oversees.

Comment by throwing stones Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:45 am
Oswego Willy: Takes too long to explain. Which is another thing I’ve learned from Rauner that it’s not productive to spend a lot of time on blogs.. Or capital fax for that matter.

Comment by The obvious Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:50 am
===Takes too long to explain. Which is another thing I’ve learned from Rauner that it’s not productive to spend a lot of time on blogs.. Or capital fax for that matter.===

Are you a victim of having so much knowledge on Rauner, you can’t explain it?

If you can’t make the case, then you can’t.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:57 am
Takes too long to explain. Which is another thing I’ve learned from Rauner that it’s not productive to spend a lot of time on blogs.. Or capital fax for that matter.

Bluff called and fold.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:58 am
47, we’re in agreement here. The Gov. should send a medium level staffer to this nutty hearing and simply state the obvious: whatever reason it is she’s being paid out of this bucket rather than than one. Heck, maybe it has to do with the acceptable salary range in one vs. the other.

We’re talking about finding $3.5B (give or take a few mil) $250K for a very responsible job title is crushed peanuts in the grand scheme. Absolutely not worth this dumb sham hearing.

I’m a guy who agrees with Walk and even (gasp) Slinger on this. There is going to be a tax increase, or a number of them. There has to be. To get there, Rauner’s got to get substantive reforms.

Rauner can get the increase. Speaker and Sen. Pres. cannot. It’s just that simple. Negotiate as hard as you want, but the new revenue is going to exact a price.

Pay the price (like you’re asking this Gov. to do- and it’s a steep price) and let’s get this over with and get going. It’s never going to be like the last 12 years for at least the next 4.

Adjust to the reality, make your best deal and go. The Speaker doesn’t have the only keys to the bus anymore. That’s the hang up.

And let’s quit these ridiculous hearings.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:04 am
===You’re right, this is pretty weak sauce. But I thought your guy was supposed to be different? Are you suggesting he’s just as afraid of transparency as his predecessors?

Rauner should own it, celebrate it, tell the whole world he’s bring the best and brightest to Illinois and shine a big spotlight on the improvements they’re making.===

Well said.

That’s why, same thing;

If the Rauner Good Friday Massacre cuts are to be blamed on Madigan and Cullerton as some in the press also believed and wrote about, then why not have Rauner, on a session day, in front of microphones, blast Madigan… for the cuts… Rauner made.

If you believe something, stand up and own it. This lack of just taking ownership of the job of Governor is mind blowing.

I said if many times, I really have no beefs with the Crew Rauner brought on, of how they were brought on. But, do not tell me business as usual is over as business as usual continues, and especially don’t continually tell me Rauner is there to stop business as usual as business as usual continues.

Eat it, own it, and govern.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:08 am
===It is so refreshing to have a guy smarter than Madigan in the governor’s office. And he understands the average citizen in Illinois. And he has the resources and access to resources. That is the trifecta combination to finally put Madigan out to pasture. I’m cautiously optimistic. Let’s hope he is successful we never see the likes of Madigan again. For our sake and our State’s sake. No one should have the power to do that much damage to the state for that long of time. ===

Read yesterday’s article about the damage Missouri’s pet plutocrat is doing to their state. Rauner’s 58, btw, so unless somebody gets him addicted to fried foods/high cholesterol/cigarettes/alcohol he’s likely going to be around for a long time to come.

Comment by GraduatedCollegeStudent Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:14 am
@The Obvious:
“Not to mention Rauner is very lucky to have beloved Madigan as his opponent just like Clinton had Newt Gingrich.”

Yeah, tell us again about the time that Newt shut down the Gov, and how the GOP didn’t get blamed, and they won everything they wanted, and Clinton didn’t get reelected again!

Oh wait….

Comment by How Ironic Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:16 am
=== And let’s quit these ridiculous hearings. ===

A guy, you know the hearing is part of the PR war for the hearts and minds of the folks. Something we hear you talk about ALL the time. It would be great if all sides called a Flag Day PR Truce (closest holiday I could come up with in keeping with our recent Guns of August analogy) and start working on compromises to get things done.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:21 am
The Governor last week declared war on the Cullerton/Madigan leadership by declaring that he would be unleashing a multimillion dollar negative ad barrage against the Democrats. What Harris is doing here is just a reaction to that IMO. If you are going to go negative on us to sway public opinion against us we are going to use our power of the majority and reciprocate. I wish the Democrats would spend their time on more important items but war has been declared on them and I understand why they feel they have to fight back.

Comment by The Dude Abides Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:27 am
“I told you before, Beth is a real superstar, and deserves every penny of that salary. But why don’t I let her tell you herself about all the turnaroundin’ she’s doing. Here she is…. Beth?…. Beth?…. Ck, get on the phone to California and tell her we need her here ASAP!”

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:41 am
Here’s a question someone should ask Goldberg: who else reports to the Governor’s office but is paid from a different agency?

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:45 am
“Are all the superstars so super that paying them in the appropriate agencies isn’t… possible?”

“Does ’superstar’ mean that hypocrisy of the governor’s words versus these actions don’t exist?”

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:49 am
“I wish the Democrats and Republicans would spend their time on more important items but war has been declared”

Better

Comment by Skeptic Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:51 am
Guy, there are no “acceptable salary ranges” in contracts. Keep diggin’ though!

Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 12:14 pm
I think i used a banned word or maybe overgeneralized since my earlier comment’s gone. Let me see if i can improve.I see this as a big deal. People (in my opinion)should be paid out of the appropriate line item in the budget- that’s why we have line items that we can fine tune. If education or the governor don’t want to pay her from the right agency, then maybe she should not have been hired.

Is this more acceptable, Rich?

Comment by Thoughts Matter Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 12:24 pm
MrJM and OW: you guys are funny.

Comment by The obvious Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 12:47 pm
- The obvious -,

You can make your point at any time, no one is stopping you, and the question stands; examples?

Also - MrJM is indeed very funny, and not like a clown funny, the way he tells the stories…

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 12:50 pm
Which is another thing I’ve learned from Rauner that it’s not productive to spend a lot of time on blogs.. Or capital fax for that matter.

Or as we clearly see, on any facts.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 12:52 pm
I don’t pretend that my experiences are universal, but my friends and family that I consider persuadable talk about Rauner’s staff’s salaries far more than the budget (to the extent that the two can be separated). And that tracks with the news coverage I’ve seen of the issue and the way the political actors are treating it. This is not to say that it’s all negative for the Governor; operating under the proviso that most persuadable voters would ultimately prefer that most public servants get paid worse than Denny’s waitresses, there are some I’ve heard defending the practice, or at least wanting to give the “superstars” a chance. But it certainly appears to be enough of a topic of conversation that I don’t have a problem with the legislature taking it up.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 12:52 pm
THIS
……………….
- Stuck on the 3rd Floor - Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:29 am:

Apoc, I think the question is more “why is she in DHS if she’s doing ISBE work”, coupled with “why is her pay coming out of an agency her boss is doing a hatchet job on”. It’ll play worse when/if those cuts are implemented. Not only is DHS no longer paying for working class child care or senior living assistance, it’s paying a quarter mil to someone that’s not even working on its core mission.

Comment by zonz Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 12:54 pm
+++ Norseman - Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:21 am:

=== And let’s quit these ridiculous hearings. ===

A guy, you know the hearing is part of the PR war for the hearts and minds of the folks. Something we hear you talk about ALL the time.+++

OK, Norse, I’ll bite. A single heart or mind won over here today?
This is less than A baseball doing a goofy hearing on this. The guy’s embarrassing himself by having it. No doubt he’s offering others on all sides the same opportunity at buffoonery. Lot of noise. Nearly no one noticing. Just wasted time. No PR value I can ascertain.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 1:05 pm
Artie A, listen to the hearing if you want to know the answers. I’m not the spokesman. But, the gratuitous shot is noted and not the least bit unexpected. Such is your way.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 1:09 pm
NEW COMEDY TROUPE: “Rich Goldberg and The Rauner Superstars”

“RGTRS … a real Laffer”

. . . a heady mix of arrogance, elitism, hubris and self-delusion about discredited economic theories
________________________
rereading *The Best and the Brightest* by David Halberstam on the origins of the Vietnam War

This was “heady stuff,” Halberstam writes, and it came to grief. The term “best and brightest” has become an insult, not an accolade, thanks largely to Halberstam’s magnificent, scabrous epic about the policymaking blunders that swept the United States into Vietnam.
. . .
The final reason for rereading The Best and the Brightest ought almost to go without saying: It’s simply impossible to open the thing today and not hear the echoes of Iraq. To take just one example, when the State Department’s George Ball warned JFK that Washington would soon have 300,000 troops in Vietnam, the president laughed and said, “George, you’re crazier than hell.” . . . Maybe you can’t beat brains, but brains can often defeat themselves.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54795-2005Jan6.html

Comment by zonz Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 1:29 pm
Any other superstar salaries “offshored”?
What does she actually do? Who reports to her?
What issues is she responsible for?

The comparison w staff is specious

Comment by Langhorne Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 1:38 pm
I think Purvis is fair game, if she is being paid from the source the Dems identify. (Hey, it’s a war, and both sides are firing.) But the salaries have to compete with the private sector for top talent. So it is not a case of too much money, it is a case of whether the talent lines up with the salary.

Comment by Percival Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 1:49 pm
Examining ==business as usual== of others soon draws similar attention to your own practices.

Wake me up when we have a budget.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 2:57 pm
==- A guy - Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:04 am:==

There has to be a tax increase? That’s not what was screamed on here for months by Rauner himself and commenters who supported him. What changed?

Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 3:37 pm
Lou spanking Goldberg on the floor about his behavior in committee. Lou has always been good at slicing people up. Doesn’t move the ball, but then again Goldberg is not going to be able to help move the ball either with his act.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 4:16 pm
Ron, your no Lou Lang.

P.S. Ron, it used to be 5 on 3, now its 5 on 4, but you still are working from behind.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 4:24 pm
Ron, you’re not being paid.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 4:25 pm
Ron, your no Bill Black either. Stop rambling.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 4:27 pm
All this about the governor’s budget and where Beth Purvis is being paid from is classic political distraction. Pay attention to this kind of thing, that is over literally hundreds of thousands of dollars, while IL is drowning in debt of hundreds of billions of dollars.

Comment by Southern Illinois Hoopdee Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 4:30 pm
==== Southern Illinois Hoopdee: “IL is drowning in debt of hundreds of billions of dollars.”====

SIH,
Please explain where that statement comes from so I can do my own research and look closely at the component parts.
Thanks,
zonz
______________________
- Southern Illinois Hoopdee - Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 4:30 pm:

All this about the governor’s budget and where Beth Purvis is being paid from is classic political distraction. Pay attention to this kind of thing, that is over literally hundreds of thousands of dollars, while IL is drowning in debt of hundreds of billions of dollars.

Comment by zonz Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 4:37 pm
The Owl Sandack embarrasses himself more, all on his own, than anything others say about the behavior he shows.

“Who” thinks the Owl is helping?

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 4:38 pm
PC, where you looking to go? There are 2 budgets that come up over $3K short. Pick one or the other, still short. The price for not being short is reforming some processes that got us here. Try to stay awake in class. Did nothing budgetary occur over the 12-16 months of a gubernatorial campaign? Or did a lot change?

Can’t have it both ways. Now print this and bring it to someone who can explain it to you better. I’m pretty much done with you.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 4:39 pm
Perspective?

Ron Sandack stood up for himself, took on Uihlein, beat him, and was respected for bringing some common sense to the HGOP.

I miss THAT Ron Sandack. That Ron Sandack is long gone now. The Owl hoots on command, “who, who”, rambling in words and phrases that a Mayor Sandack may not see the same.

The Owl Sandack never understood the role Bill Black played, but knows what needs to be said to please the Governor.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 4:42 pm
zonz, use Google. I found a bunch with “Illinois pension debt”, the Bloomberg article showed $111 billion. This shouldn’t be hard to find.

Comment by Southern Illinois Hoopdee Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 5:00 pm
Guy, you make no sense.

Why do you persist that Rauner has leverage on revenue when he needs it more than anyone.

He, after all, is the governor and chief executive 365 days a year. Legislators go home. He will have to manage the mess of a budget short by 10 percent of needed revenue.

And leave phrases like “reforming some processes that got us here” to the Tribbies and the kids in the press office.

They’re meaningless. Get educated and get specific on what youre talking about, if you think you have something to say.

Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 6:40 pm
It was interesting that Madigan mentioned in his presser that after July 1st, if a budget has not been passed and signed that Rauner has no authority to spend anything. That’s why he has the leverage here. He basically told Rauner, you’ve got till July 1st to work a deal with me, or your failure to compromise will result in no budget, and no authority to spend anything. Checkmate plutocrat!

Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 8:42 pm
Except, ps, the governor may want to lock all the employees out and not spend anything, come July 1. If that is his goal, he has some leverage.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 10:21 pm
I’d love to see him try that bluff, Anonymous.

Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:20 pm
- Southern Illinois Hoopdee -

The discussion is about $250K out of the $32B or so operating budget. You’re comparing current year fiscal shortfalls versus long term debt situations.

If you’re going to count the pension shortfall as immediate debt, then you need to count all the outstanding Illinois bond issues, both GO and capital, as immediate debt also.

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Jun 4, 15 @ 11:50 pm