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Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration is considering a second contract extension of high-priced budget consultant Donna Arduin, even as the state is rounding out its second month of the fiscal year with no budget in place. […]

After roughly eight months and about $165,000, Arduin’s contract may be extended again, according to the Rauner administration.

…Adding… Finke…

The administration confirmed Thursday that Arduin’s contract is “under review” for a possible second extension.

Reuters is also reporting this.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 4:50 pm

Comments

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 4:52 pm
Would this “turnaround, come back” plan be the first Turnaround Agenda item enacted?

Comment by The Captain Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 4:53 pm
Let me guess, till the end of November.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 4:53 pm
What do conservatives like Rauner always say about throwing good money after bad?

“Won’t solve the problem” or some such.

Comment by Ghostbusters Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 4:55 pm
Well of course. She’s done such a fabulous job afterall and hasn’t finished trying to turn Illinois into Kansas.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 4:56 pm
The money line “-115″ Arduin stays.

The only reason I can think to keep Arduin on now is the inevitable hard cut choices and someone “outside, yet inside” saying the governor needs more revenue, as a recommendation.

Rauner needs an in-house scape goat sometime soon for both revelations. Rauner can’t and won’t own them on his own…

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 4:56 pm
You have to be kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But then again, why should I be surprised.

Comment by illini Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 4:56 pm
Duh.

Comment by ArchPundit Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 4:58 pm
3.5 billion unpaid to vendors. I say extend her, as long as she is at the back of that line.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 4:58 pm
Can anyone say it’s time for performance-based contracting? Pay for outcome only- an enacted budget. Lead by example.

Comment by Wishful thinking Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 4:58 pm
She’s the $165,000 U-Turn Gal. Are we really surprised that Team Bungle is once again turning the ship around?

Comment by How Ironic Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:00 pm
How can the governor’s office legally enter into a contract with Arduin, let alone pay her?

She is not a state employee, and therefore not covered by the court order.

Comment by Juvenal Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:06 pm
Yeah, but which agency or department is she actually drawing her check from?

Comment by illini Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:08 pm
Well so much for thinking things might possibly get better.

Comment by Because I said so..... Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:11 pm
I know that the Friday afternoon news dumps often do not get much attention - maybe this needs to be carried over to tomorrow ( just a suggestion Rich ).

Comment by illini Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:13 pm
==- Juvenal - Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:06 pm:==

The rules only apply to us plebes.

Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:14 pm
His budget stategy is sure saving the state a lot of money…

Comment by LIberty Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:15 pm
Oh no! I predicted this in my comment to the earlier post.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:15 pm
“Hi Rich-

Just kidding. Arduin staying.

Thanks!
ck”

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:16 pm
She cant go. Bruce wont let her. Things are going great, madigan is about to buckle, but the job is not done. Besides, she signed a year lease on her condo, and cant afford the hit.

Seriously, i think the first bruce heard of her departure was reading cap fax. Cant break up the constellation of superstars before the victory party. This is the crew that blew $2 mil on anti madigan ads, and more on mailers. $165 k is chump change. We are sooo close. Cant quit now.

Comment by Langhorne Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:17 pm
Can the Procurement Policy Board or Ethics Commission deny the extension of the contract? I thought there was supposed to be a hearing on extensions.

Comment by ToughGuy Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:19 pm
Just did a spit take on my keyboard…

Comment by D.P.Gumby Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:22 pm
“Ok, sure, Ms. Arduin started at 30′K’ a month. Then she went to 15′K’. Now? We got her now for $6,125 a month, she pays her own travel, Starbucks, office supplies, and no reimbursement for red pens. I mean, this is really, when you really look at it I mean, a real deal, overall for Illinois. It’s almost like Ms. Arduin is paying Illinois.” - Rauner ‘Superstar’

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:26 pm
Donna: “No progress. Contract is up. I’ll take the sword.”

Brucie: “You’re stayin’ put. I’ll tell you when to take the sword.”

Comment by Austin Blvd Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:27 pm
As a “superstar”, she was just taking the slingshot around the Rauner to gain momentum for her next pass by. Her “crater” will eventually be very deep.

Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:30 pm
I just can’t quit laffering

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:31 pm
Get a job

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:32 pm
Rich, sorry to have been so presumptive as to tell you what to do with your site. I apologize.

Comment by illini Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:36 pm
So what envelope is Bruce on now again?

Comment by How Ironic Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:37 pm
What an utter waste of taxpayer money. Use it to fund a bit of LIHEAP or something instead.

Comment by Tournaround Agenda Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:43 pm
No grifter worth his salt leaves town until the marks stop borrowing money to pay ‘em.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:44 pm
A contract extension?!? Why? Won’t one of her last states, like California, Michigan, or New York let her back in? Maybe she just needs a place to stay for a while.

Comment by South Central Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:44 pm
South Central - you forgot Kansas.

Comment by illini Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:47 pm
She is a success. Don’t you see? She came in and helped indentify all the social services and programs that Gov could then cut to try to use as leverage over GA. That was her mission. Mission accomplished. She is a superstar if you define that word as cutting the bottom out of the social safety net.

Comment by GA Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 5:56 pm
Maleficent stays?

Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 6:10 pm
I bet it would be interesting if someone were to submit a FOIA request on her schedules etc for the last few months. I wonder what she has been up to and where she has been. I’m sure the request would be denied for absurd reasons (as Rauner did for similar requests for his information), but maybe the PAC would eventually rule the information had to be released.

Comment by ABC123 Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 6:26 pm
Groundhog Day continues.

Comment by Jorge Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 6:34 pm
Watch for more glowing op-eds of Rauner from her business partners, Laffer and Moore.

That’s been the ROI to date, as state and federal judges have been cobbling together a wildly unbalanced budget since the governor went on the milk carton.

Seriously, what’s the division of labor between the “budget consultant” and the budget director? Is the budget director not up to the job or something?

It’s like Bruce’s Ark with this administration — two of everything. A COO and a Chief of Staff. An “education secretary” and a superintendent of education.

Does the governor need both hands held at all times?

Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 6:34 pm
And EXACTLY what has Ms. Arduous ACCOMPLISHED in her first two tours of duty on the taxpayer’s, not Raunner’s, dime?

Comment by sal-says Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 6:35 pm
I guess she isn’t leaving until she turns Illinois into a giant truckstop like Oklahoma.

Comment by Jorge Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 6:50 pm
Okay then

Rich: Betcha can’t get a statement from her!

Comment by walker Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 6:56 pm
The state has never been worse than it is now under Arduin’s guidance, why wouldn’t you want another stint of that captain at the helm? Supply-side economics, the alter upon which Arduin’s worships, has never worked and has been repeatedly proven to be an abject failure. Absolutely reasonable to bring her back, NOT.

Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 6:58 pm
Word, the strategy is to make Arduin’s directive work. If they don’t, the frat boys gear up to blame Madigan. What can go wrong with that strategy?

Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 7:03 pm
Word - I think you are on to something. And Public Servant is right on. Lets wait for the frat boys to begin doing their magic.

Comment by illini Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 7:29 pm
Apparently Chef Rauner must think there is still some meat on agency bones so Arduin needs to re-hone the knives and keep carving!

Comment by XDNR Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 7:48 pm
Her knife has definitely made some cuts. Childcare has been deeply wounded in Illinois. Went too far. Now on chopping block is Medicaid through onerous rules that make it harder for people who need the system which serves the lower income communities.

Comment by Bluecollargal Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 7:48 pm
what has she done? you can call these people out any day rich

Comment by foster brooks Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 7:53 pm
Pretty sure this money would be better spent on those low-income parents who can’t get their child care subsidies, or the developmentally disabled who can’t get their funds. If the comptroller can’t pay them, she should be denying payment for this. I can’t see too many ‘Superstars’ signing a contract when they don’t know if they will get paid, let alone when.

I wish the legislators could block this extension.

Comment by thoughts matter Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 7:54 pm
In all seriousness, what has she delivered for the amount spent?

We don’t have a budget. She didn’t advise the Gov. to cut the budget submitted to balance it and the Gov. never submitted it.

This is starting to look almost criminal. Can anybody point to anything that she has delivered?

Comment by Gooner Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 8:01 pm
hasn’t Nuding rubbed shoulders with her enough already for the superstar to be running through his veins?

Comment by PoolGuy Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 8:12 pm
Arduin’s salary is outrageous and a slap in the face to the people facing cuts, as well as state workers who are vilified by Arduin types as overpaid. What kind of message does this send, paying Arduin outrageous amounts of money while out of the other side of the mouth some supporters of Arduin and her ilk scream that the state is broke?

“In all seriousness, what has she delivered for the amount spent?”

What has she produced for that money that countless state workers haven’t produced in far greater amounts for far less money per worker?

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 8:13 pm
I keep hoping that Rauner will pivot. This would be doubling down.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 8:22 pm
I could swear….Is this the same woman that told a homeless guy, and maybe a veteran, to get a job when approached from her vehicle at an intersection?

Comment by anon Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 8:23 pm
Well said Word.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 8:40 pm
Anon at 8:23: Yup, one and the same.

Comment by Crispy Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 8:44 pm
Ms. Arduin

If your don’t go, how can we say good bye and good riddance?

With warmest personal regards,

People of the State of Illinois

Comment by Huh? Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 8:49 pm
Chef Rauner and his overpaid cooks, and frat boy waiters and CK hostess will keep blaming Chef Madigan for wanting to put the necessary meat on the table to satiate the need. And his meat locker negotiators with the union will keep up offering scraps. This man does not know how to cook and bring all families to the table!

Comment by XDNR Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 8:54 pm
How can you be in two places at once when you’re not anywhere at all!!!

empty suit.

Comment by Amalia Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 9:07 pm
How could ck have been so wrong in the first report from Erickson this morning? Did she get it wrong that Arduin was leaving or did everybody change their minds over lunch? Who’s running the press shop over there?

It feels like there must be a backstory here somewhere. Very odd behavior from Team Rauner today.

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 9:08 pm
I’m of the belief, given “ck” and her statement…

This is Rauner’s call, and he U-Turned on his own Press Shop.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 9:12 pm
Maybe it’s not the Superstars, even the Press Shop ones driving anything, but it’s something like this… maybe it’s just a whole bunch of really talented people are at the whim of one man, and trying to react the best they can to those whims(?)

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 9:20 pm
Is she at least cute??

Comment by Me nard Guy Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 9:25 pm
Willy, if you’re right, then it’s way worse than I thought in Raunerville.

I was kind of hoping Arduin was leaving to work for Donald Trump. Seems like a good fit for her, what with the high-salary, low-expectations niche she’s developed.

Whatever it is, there’s more to this story.

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 9:25 pm
- 47th Ward -

The past 8 months, there’s been a simplicity to their reactionary moves, including the U-Turns.

The Arduin pivot seems like the “slip is showing”, meaning, this whim, Rauner finally got caught in the Press Vacuum.

It scares me too, to tell you the truth.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 9:32 pm
Me nard guy….use Loogle and be your own judge.

47th, I thought it was Raunerstan.

Comment by Jorge Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 9:35 pm
Willy, if by “pivot” you mean “violent u-turn,” and by “slip is showing,” you really mean the “Governor is naked,” then I agree 100%.

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 9:39 pm
- 47th Ward -

I set them up, you knock them down…

Policy doesn’t change as violently and dramatically when hashed out three steps ahead of what any decision means in the governing.

This… whatever it was… is giving, at least me, some really interesting insight… that I just hoped might not be as true as it seems now.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 9:46 pm
Back in Februrary, Gov. Rauner said Arduin was well worth the money because “she’s going to save us billions.”

How many billions is that to date?

Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 10:44 pm
== How can the governor’s office legally enter into a contract with Arduin, let alone pay her? ==

I don’t know about her specific contract, but a lot of the Personal Services contracts (which I assume her’s is) contained clauses specifying said contracts could be extended for a specific number of times or a specific period of time.

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 11:51 pm
== I was kind of hoping Arduin was leaving to work for Donald Trump. Seems like a good fit for her, what with the high-salary, low-expectations niche she’s developed. ==

That’s what she had planned, but Trump fired her before she showed up for work … so she had to U-Turn to another contract extension.

/s

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 11:53 pm
== How many billions is that to date? ==

Between -$5B and -$8B according to the latest budget shortfall estimates

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 11:56 pm
Now Bruce Rauner can say he created a job!!

Comment by Jordan Friday, Aug 28, 15 @ 1:09 am
RNUG-it’s not a personal services contract. It’s a contract between GOMB and Arduin Associates, Inc. What I still don’t understand and hoping there are folks who can explain it to me is how this vendor got not only her FY 15 voucher paid ahead of a bunch of other vendors, but also got her work done in July and August (so FY 16) paid by FY 15 funds.

Comment by Thinking Friday, Aug 28, 15 @ 5:40 am
Threepeat

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 28, 15 @ 6:19 am
Corrupt bargain for just a trainer what a sham

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 28, 15 @ 6:47 am
What a waste of my money.

Comment by Aldyth Friday, Aug 28, 15 @ 7:19 am
Just imagine how contract talks have gone …

Yes, Governor, $30K a month buys you the unconstitutional pension reform package and an unattainable $2.2 billion in savings.

Oh, you can only afford $15K a month?
Well, for that we’ll still give you the unconstitutional pension savings you’ll never see, and we can throw in running to court to keep payroll going AND we’ll expand Medicaid payment court orders statewide.
Here at Arduin & Associaates we call it the “switchin to glide” AutoPilot package.

Why yes, we’d love to stay on and continue to help.

Another satisfied customer.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Aug 28, 15 @ 7:25 am
http://extra.heraldtribune.com/2014/01/24/arduin-story/

Comment by Anon221 Friday, Aug 28, 15 @ 7:53 am
How can we miss her if she doesnt leave?

Comment by The Way I See It Friday, Aug 28, 15 @ 7:58 am
Anon221, Great article. Thanks for sharing.

It is unbelievable that Arduin has been called out by so many economists and professors.

Comment by Jordan Friday, Aug 28, 15 @ 8:04 am
The six month seminar needs a three month refresher course, missed out on that IU job

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 28, 15 @ 8:12 am
She is a modern day phrenologist denouncing what she sees as the damage of self-abuse disease within the racial tree of white evolution.

She quacks when she walks.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Aug 28, 15 @ 8:17 am