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* Madeline Doubek wonders who will win and who will lose during the shutdown crisis…
Madigan seems content to continue to paint the governor as extreme and wait for the fallout as agencies and non-profits that help children, the elderly and disabled bear with the brunt of the funding drought like the one they cried about when their funding got cut earlier because of an unbalanced Democratic budget. […]
Rauner and Republicans are betting, in the end, and with the aid of millions of dollars at their disposal and control of the state’s purse strings, that they can apply that heat and squeeze the Democrats. They calculate they still can pay state workers, or at least be able to say they tried to pay state workers, and then it’s the Democrats who caused those children, elderly and disabled to suffer. […]
Rauner can be right that Democrats made this mess until the end of time and still lose. He could pay the price if this ends with him signing a tax increase that’s just big enough to bother those who voted for him but don’t especially like him. Or Democrats could go home for the holiday and other summer events and get tagged for driving us down the debt drain and always turning to taxpayers for more.
The biggest risk? The biggest unknown? What happens when the horror stories start?
That last question is the most important. The governor has a big bully pulpit and his signing of the K-12 appropriations bill, his solidarity with state workers over their paychecks, etc. were all quite deft. His TV ads were as much about keeping his own numbers bolstered as they were about whacking MJM.
* And perhaps we’ll see more editorials like this one..
State Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, gets points for honesty in openly admitting that he backs powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago.
Still, we are discouraged that our state representative has tied himself to a state leader who keeps a political stranglehold on Illinois. Madigan has been speaker for all but two years since 1983. In 1998, he became chairman of the state Democratic Party. […]
Certainly, Mautino, who has served since 1991, can point to projects in his district that resulted from his relationship with Madigan, but these benefits do not outweigh the damage that Madigan and his loyalists have done to our state.
In the current state budget showdown, many newspaper editorial boards are blaming Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic legislative leaders for the stalemate, yet fail to hold their own lawmakers accountable. It’s easier to point the finger at politicians in a distant city, rather than those close to home.
Yet Mautino must take at least some responsibility for the state’s budget mess. He has been aiding and abetting Mike Madigan for years.
It’s time that Mautino stake his own ground and become part of the solution.
That’s gotta sting, and you can bet some of those quotes will be part of next year’s GOP mail campaign if Mautino runs again.
Then again, you could write the same sort of thing about Republican lawmakers who have time and time again voted against their own consciences and their own districts this past spring because of pressure from the governor.
Remember all that pressure the governor put on HGOPs to vote “Present” on “right to work”? And then days later, the governor completely abandoned the plank from his Turnaround Agenda platform.
As much as Democrats enable their leaders, Republicans are doing the very same thing.
* Even so, it is always easier to blame the big dog at the top rather than the local legislator you know and like. Governors normally wear the jacket for crises and failure, and that’s why Rauner has been so eager to appear “reasonable” on so many things.
Without a compromise on the horizon, we’re about to head into some very dangerous territory for everybody.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:26 am
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“Wow, I pulled back the wrong throttle”, Govenor Rauner was heard to say as Illinois crashed into a shallow river in Taipei.
Comment by A Jack Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:31 am
Partisan finger-pointing is SOP in politics. A leader who really wanted to shake things up would take responsibility instead of attributing blame.
Comment by nona Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:32 am
* Even so, it is always easier to blame the big dog at the top rather than the local legislator you know and like.”
That statement is what is wrong with the Rauner strategy. Plus add in the map is the map is the map. It’s 60/30……
No matter who gets the blame for the budget mess and the fallout from it, after the next election,most Dem’s in the GA will be elected and re-elected because people/voters “like” their local Rep. & Sen.
The Dem’s. will have at least 60/30 and Madigan will be re-elected Speaker and Cullerton will be re-elected Sen. Pres.(and with the Repubs on a boat load of really bad votes, who knows, Speaker may even pick up a seat or 2?)
Comment by Are Ya Kiddin' Me? Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:38 am
The governor signed a big chunk of the budget with the K-12 approp. So some are more equal than others.
He could have used his veto powers to make any of the other approp bills work within available revenues, but chose not to.
A budget could be done in a hurry. Budget matters are not what are driving a shutdown.
Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:38 am
With statements like: I’m gonna shake up Springfield and we’ll shut this thing down if we have to! Governor Rauner owns this mess. He planned for it and now he’s trying to duck blame by claiming he’ll see state workers get their pay checks and conveniently blame another Madigan if they don’t. He thinks he can control the game with his millions and the PR it’ll buy. We’ll see…
Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:41 am
Republicans have always counted on Democrats to cave thinking they will agree to bread crumbs instead of nothing. Maybe the pain will be worth it in order to show Republicans that game plan doesn’t work in Illinois. The tax restoration act needs Republican and Democratic votes.
Comment by Triple fat Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:42 am
– his solidarity with state workers over their paychecks–
That’s very funny.
Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:45 am
Get ready for another large media buy on why the Gov’s not to blame for the crisis. Illinois in perpetual campaign mode.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:45 am
When it comes to who blinks, it’s going to be a matter of who has the thinner skin, Rauner or Madigan.
Rauner has gotten under Madigan’s skin to where he’s kind of explaining himself with the unprecedented weekly press conferences. But Rayner has also instantly reversed almost every action he has received criticism on; he can’t take the heat. And Rauner is the one spending money on ads to both attack Madigan and boost his own image. Plus both sides know Rauner needs a tax increase of some kind.
While we’re in uncharted territory, I’m putting my money on Rauner being the first to blink.
Comment by RNUG Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:48 am
“– his solidarity with state workers over their paychecks–” “I’ll do everything in my power…” Translation: Twice nothing is still nothing.
Comment by Skeptic Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:52 am
The Pantagraph also had an editorial yesterday criticizing Madigan and Cullerton. ==Democratic duo needs to compromise==.
That opinion is apparently spreading beyond just the Trib.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:52 am
There has been more thought to how not wear the jacket by the Guv’s Crew than trying to understand 60/30 and now 71/36 and having the skill(s) in the legislative processes to know what will be able to pass now, what needs time to ripe, and what can actually be a great piece of the Turnaround Agenda that can be traded, to get many more wins down the pike.
I wear the jacket for looking at the Executive and seeing “fault”. I own that. I also see “yellow” pressed by the GOP GA despite the idea of rational thought to governing. I see LLs and a Press Shop giddy with tweets and digs instead of counting noses and giving counsel to the Executive like, “being a true believer in this instance will hamper you, governor, and people”. I see a miscommunication of working with the majority, as opposed to a governor telling the majority demands without getting the vote totals to be effective.
Sometimes, “blaming”, it’s really about warning.
Sometimes criticizing, it’s really about steering for things to be looked at, and understand fallout.
Sometimes, it’s really about taking your wins, curbing your loses, and building credibility and trust when you really need it most.
Sometimes.
Three tasks; FY2015 fix, FY2016, AFSCME contract. That’s a huge first 6 months for any governor, especially a rookie governor with a divided government.
Along the way, the sidetracking, and the true believing and the animosity spiraled, now we have campaign Tee-Vee Ads about blame, and “please still love me”
That’s not how the first 6 months should be end. It real, it has ended that way, so now what?
You can’t claim, as Governor, your hands are always and will continue to be tied. Is the governor a victim of success leading to failure?
If the goal, the end game includes blaming MJM in the $100 million “Fire Madigan, 2.0″, where do the governmental responsibilities kick in? At what point is a lack of successes more about focus and doing the job and less about those pesky Democrats?
It’s the budget. Rauner will sign a budget. Eventually, “collateral damage” might not be “worth” it.
Are we all willing to find out?
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 9:54 am
Willy, thanks for conceding the monumental tasks the rookie governor has had in his first six months. I may have misjudged you.
Comment by DuPage Don Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:03 am
You have a lot of them, but this is one of your finer posts, Rich.
Comment by GA Watcher Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:03 am
Rauner can afford to do what he’s doing on a multitude of levels. Just as some of the current legislators and executive staffers. They, frankly, do not have to worry about their retirement or paying a mortgage or figuring out how to get/keep affordable healthcare for their family members or themselves. They can walk away, move away, shut the door, and their bottom lines are hardly impacted. Sure their investments may take a dip here and there, but in their long-run, that’s just a blip, not a life-changing event.
While there are people in the government, at all levels, who are committed to the concept of servant leadership, the few who want what they want are causing severe damage to a system they don’t even need.
On a similar note, compare and contrast our current situation with this article:
https://hbr.org/2013/05/six-myths-about-venture-capitalists
Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:04 am
==Budget matters are not what are driving a shutdown.==
Boy, if only all editorial writers and the public would see this truth!
Comment by walker Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:05 am
It’s the budget. Rauner will sign a budget. ===Eventually, “collateral damage” might not be “worth” it. Are we all willing to find out??===
Not sure I understand all your comments (yea, I’m the “D” word), but in my 40 years in state govt., Mr. Madigan has been playing his silly games such as the worker’s comp bill/nonsense then throwing it back at the Rep. He intimidates his own party and IL deserves better than him.
Comment by Soccertease Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:14 am
- Soccertease -
With respect,
Are you wanting to see partisan gamesmanship or pragmatic governing, especially right now?
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:18 am
Ottawa Times has always been pretty much just a mouth piece for the IPI.
Comment by G'Kar Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:21 am
OW, just wanting to see someone do the right things. Not all the blame s/b on Madigan, but the same pattern year after year?
Comment by Soccertease Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:23 am
I hate to say this but I don’t blame Madigan or Cullerton… It goes back to when the Federal Congessional Republican majority cut Medicaid funding to the states and Illinois electing a Democratic Governor vowing not to raise the State Income Tax. I guess he thought a unicorn would fund his Medicaid expansion. The only Governor to support a tax increase was elected to one term. I guess Blago isn’t the only one who believes in unicorns.
Comment by Triple fat Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:23 am
Phew, that was close! The Democrats were almost held responsible.
Comment by William Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:25 am
- Soccertease -,
Me too. I’d like to see some “right thing” going on.
For me, if it comes down the avenues of partisan gamesmanship (even intraparty) or pragmatic governing, I’m guessing being pragmatic might lead to more “right thing” outcomes.
With respect.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:29 am
Perhaps unions should demand answers from these editorial boards as to whether they support the end of collective bargaining and prevailing wage. See if they really have an understanding of the issues involved. We know the Trib editorial writers don’t.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:35 am
Illinois thought it was getting someone who could be governor. He sold us as the guy we needed. He saw what he was getting into. He knew he was going to be a governor with little political power in the GA. He isn’t the first governor to face a tough first six months.
What he did was foolish. He didn’t govern. He didn’t build bridges. He didn’t find compromise. What did he do to help himself get these three tasks done? He prioritized wrong. He blew his honeymoon period. He took the credibility he won with his election, then showed us that he didn’t tell the truth about himself. RTW was not more important than the budget or AFSCME. Rauner repeatedly chose poorly.
I don’t pity him for where he is now. It was completely avoidable. No one expected the New Guy to overturn 40 years of Illinois government and politics in six months - except himself.
The most important thing Rauner needed to do is be a successful governor by governing. Then build upon that success. He didn’t do that. He actually set back his own agenda with his poor understanding of how government works.
Rauner didn’t see the positive in government. He focused upon his own political spin, then showed us that he didn’t know what he was doing in Office. Bruce Rauner has no credibility beyond what he can buy. Bruce Rauner did not earn the Office - he bought it, and then needed to show that he was worthy of earning it too. He failed.
He is to blame. Period.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:39 am
Ottawa Times is known to be a partisan paper.
Comment by Augie Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:45 am
OW, I wonder how long it would take were the governor to do what you suggest - work on those GA numbers until he gets a majority. Do you really think he could do that and get legislation passed that looked any different from the bills that MJM allows to come to a vote? How would that change the BAU climate that has existed in Springfield since the days of Big Jim Thompson?
I get that the process is one that involves careful creation of voting blocs, etc. But can you really hold to the idea that ANY governor could move an agenda forward unless it had full support of MJM?
Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 10:54 am
- dupage dan -,
With respect,
The poison pills Rauner put into bills, with solid anti-Union rhetoric, do you think the legislative process was helped or hurt when the “pills” were removed and the GOP GA, went “yellow” on the board?
MJM, even Edgar concedes, requires trust from partners.
How the legislative session has gone, both sides, see much trust? Divided government works with trust. You lose trust, the rest is the end product of a list of trust. Sprinkle in animosity, snark, and the premise that a shutdown “is worth” it…
Trust. It’s boiling down to trust versus blame, isn’t it?
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 11:04 am
Vanilla Man says it perfectly. “Bruce Rauner has no credibility beyond what he can buy” is the most accurate statement I have seen to describe this governor and all of his actions. He just can’t seem to figure out that he is not CEO of Illinois! He can’t continue to make demands and expect immediate action. Even former Governor Edgar publicly warned him that his actions were not helping the budget negotiations. It’s not all about him! Meanwhile, the most vulnerable will suffer the most. Rauner and his staff need a serious reality check.
Comment by Way South of I-80 Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 11:16 am
Vanilla Man nails it as usual!
Comment by XDNR Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 11:29 am
If Mautino’s successor is a Republican who votes lockstep the way his leaders tell him, what are the odds the Ottawa Times will complain? If voting the way leaders want is a fault, then criticism should fall on both parties.
Comment by nona Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 11:29 am
Nona - Voting with the leaders is just fine, if that is what you told the voters you’d do when you were running. Someone (of either party) who votes much differently than he/she acted on the trail deserves some thorns.
Comment by chicon Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 11:34 am
What are the chances we go into fall — or late fall — without a budget?
Comment by Frenchie Mendoza Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 12:04 pm
If you read the whole editorial you see:
“The state also continues to pick up school districts’ portion of pension costs, creating a system that lacks accountability. It allows school boards to give teachers big, end-of-career raises to spike their pensions, spreading the long-term financial pain to all state taxpayers.”
Of course that is the “free lunch” Madigan sought to phase and we believe the record will show Madigan at or near the front of the line stop end of career salary spikes. So for those who listen Mautino willingness to speak out and the paper’s silly rant comes down another TeamBungle botched attempt.
But it was good to see Capt Fax bringing this up for discussion.
Comment by Anonin' Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 12:29 pm
Fact #1: Democrats have held total control through one party rule for 12 years.
Fact #2: Democrats got us where we are - worst run state with the worst deficits.
Fact #3: It’s all the Republican’s fault.
This is what passes for logic in the Democrat controlled world. No wonder we are where we are.
Comment by Nobody important Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 12:35 pm
“Fact #1 + Fact #2 + Fact #3 = Raunerbot Gold Star”
Please add “Shakin’ and Bringin’ back” and for the new Ad, please incorporate “working’…”.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 12:51 pm
Actually, Rauner is the perfect example of the disconnect between the super wealthy and the real world. He doesn’t get it. He can’t function successfully as governor of a state because he’s incapable of changing his CEO personality to that of a public servant who has to work cooperatively with others; he just issues orders. He doesn’t even realize the damage he’s doing to this state and/or just doesn’t care.
Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 12:59 pm
Illinois’ best chance may be if the public decides to blame both their rep and Rauner, to pressure both into getting a deal done.
I blame Rauner more, agree with majority here that he has been awful. But I do blame both. The Dem position resembles “You’ll get nothing and like it!”
I’d love to see a simple trade of some workers comp reform plus redistricting for a tax hike signoff.
Comment by Robert the Bruce Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 1:26 pm
Since the dems refuse to use their super majority to pass a budget, Rauner should take a lesson from the president. After all, Rauner also has “a phone and a pen”. Rauner should just issue an executive order.
Pity democrats won’t use thei
Comment by Nobody important Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 1:39 pm
- Nobody important -,
Back to the dorm room after lunch?
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 1:43 pm
OW, I understand that Rauner hasn’t been doing anything to get secure any respect from Madigan. I am stating that, given the state of the state, the small advances MJM would suffer at the hands of ANY governor would do little to resolve the serious structural mess this state is current in. I think that is how Rauner is viewing this. He wants to run roughshod over Madigan and enact his vision. For that he has to reduce the GA’s power thru other means. On the national stage we see the president doing this with some success. True, the tactics Obama has available to him are different than those available to Rauner but I think he is trying to throw the whole thing into turmoil.
So, yes, it comes down to trust vs blame. I’m not a psychic but I just don’t think Rauner has seeking trust as part of his game plan. He’s shooting for the moon, methinks. Don’t ask me how ’cause I haven’t a clue. And I don’t think he has a chance. And I question his ability to succeed in any meaningful way during his term(s?).
With respect
Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Jul 2, 15 @ 3:50 pm