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* Gov. Bruce Rauner yesterday…
“Only the Legislature can authorize a budget, and they have failed to meet their constitutionally required obligation to pass a balanced budget.”
That’s true, of course.
* But there’s another passage in that document which is almost never discussed. From the Illinois Constitution…
The Governor shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly, at a time prescribed by law, a State budget for the ensuing fiscal year… Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget.
Now, the difference here is that the Democrats’ budget was blatantly unbalanced and the governor’s budget used blatant gimmicks and smoke and mirrors to “balance” his budget.
But nobody’s hands are clean here.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 9:33 am
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…and only one person is holding the office of governor, and consequentially is personally responsible.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 9:38 am
and the unbalanced budget was sent to the Governor who vetoed it in full, but kept spending and obligating money… Unclean hands all around but the Governor is responsible for any discretionary spending going on (State Fair, non-vital government services, new hiring, travel,…)
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 9:38 am
If the governor wants the Democrats to put a monetary value on Rauner’s Agencies, and dictate tobthe governor how monies are to be spent, where they’re spent, and where monies can’t go because Bruce Rauner himself acknowledges he can’t do the job of getting a budget and understanding how to properly fund his agencies, I will support that.
Rauner can’t propose a blueprint to his administration via monetary values? Ok, Rauner can’t do the job, I get it.
That’s the dishonesty.
If you are an appointee of Gov. Rauner, running an agency, Gov. Rauner refuses to frame your priorities, mission, your assets to do what the Governor appointed you to do.
That’s real. Your agency? Collateral damage right now, and since February. A budget for your agency, it’s not up for discussion until the Turnaround Agenda is addressed and passed. Rauner has said that time and again.
So, Rauner blames the Democrats in the General Assembly refuse to dictate to Bruce Rauner his monetary priorities for Rauner’s own agencies, giving up one of the most important measuring sticks a governor has to show where they stand in governing, and the prioroties of the administration.
No words.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 9:45 am
The governor owns the increased spending for the K-12 budget that he signed. Why doesn’t he tout that as willingness to compromise? He was too lazy to reduce or eliminate line items in the rest of the budget bills he received, which is a governor’s constitutional perogative. Maybe one signing exhausted him. His GOP (Governer’s Own Puppets) legislators are certainly capable of introducing their own budget. Besides, that the House Dems do not have a “super-majority”, so belabor that. The super-minorities need to step up and show some leadership.
Comment by My New Handle Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 9:48 am
If the only means of achieving a truly balanced budget is to cut pension benefits, which provision of the constitution trumps the other?
Comment by Interested Observer Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 9:51 am
So when do we reach the point where elected officials are not performing their duties, as required by the Illinois Constitution?
If officials, who took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the State of Illinois, are violating that oath, is there anything that can legally be done about it?
Is there a remedy in Illinois for elected officials who sit on their hands and refuse to do their job? If there is, what has to happen before someone takes that remedy?
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 9:53 am
Each side has used one portion of the constitutional budget provision to pummel the other. That may make the partisans feel better, but that doesn’t resolve the problem at hand.
Both sides know that a tax increase is needed to balance the budget. The challenge is finding a creative way to come up with a face saving way to get the votes to pass the tax increase and the signature to make it law. Right now, hearts are too hardened to even think about creativity - other than to come up with the latest snarky soundbite.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 9:56 am
=== If the only means of achieving a truly balanced budget is to cut pension benefits, which provision of the constitution trumps the other? ===
It’s not! Dilemma resolved.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:00 am
Where is the political middle? No one seems to be able to find it anymore….it must be somewhere? It’s not politically popular to find it and use it. Both sides need to give up some stuff. Simple but hard.
Comment by Belle Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:04 am
Anybody have thoughts on a writ of Mandamus (which requires a public official to do his duty)to the Il Supreme Court requiring the governor to “The Governor shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly, at a time prescribed by law, a State budget for the ensuing fiscal year… Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget.” per the constitution.
Comment by Roscoe Tom Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:05 am
Streator Curmudgeon: I wondered the same thing-can legal action be taken that could end up with a judge ordering Rauner to submit a budget?
Comment by downstate commissioner Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:06 am
Rauner & his administration do not want people to know the priorities of his administration. They know the voters won’t like it. He is going to crash IL just like Scott Walker did in WI.
Comment by Mama Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:09 am
The general public is still stuck in the “it’s all Madigan and the Democrats’ fault” and Bruce is just trying to clean up after years of mismanagement.
That paradigm is about to shift…or is it?
Not if Rauner and the Illinois Policy lapdog Institute have their way.
Comment by Austin Blvd Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:14 am
@Belle, the political middle is being targeted and run out of office. Sid Mathias is a recent example.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:16 am
Meh, it’s academic, but I doubt very much that the governor would have signed a “balanced” budget back in May. Or June. Or July. Or now.
The one thing that he’s been very clear on is that he wants his anti-union agenda and is willing to let others bear a heavy cost to get it.
Term limits and redistricting are just for goo-goo show. If he really wanted those, he could barnstorm the state and flood the airwaves to beat the Dems like rented mules on these popular measures.
The GOP wants those two items alive as issues for the 2016 election.
For now, the only thing on the governor’s agenda is the anti-union stuff. I’m convinced that they are the only reason he wanted the gig in the first place. The game plan certainly isn’t fiscal responsibility or efficient, rational governance, as we are reminded every day.
Busting unions is his obsession, to the neglect and detriment of everything else.
Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:16 am
Oh please. Stop with the courts ordering the submission or passage of a balanced budget. The judges are not going to get in the middle of this political mess.
If the courts could play a role, I would rather they order the appointment of a mediator to oversee negotiations by the 5 leaders. Yes, that is a fantasy on my part. But so is the idea that the judges will issue a mandamus to do a budget.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:27 am
==The judges are not going to get in the middle of this political mess.==
There’s a lot of court ordered spending going on now so I would say that judges have already inserted themselves into the middle of this mess.
Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:29 am
It’s like the playground chant, “did too did not … did too did not” (repeat ad nauseum).
Somebody has to blink, right?
Comment by Sir Reel Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:31 am
No doubt this is why the Governor is avoiding questions. It seems like lately the reporters are asking about his budget proposal.
He can’t hide behind the GA forever. Any decent CEO should be able to create a budget based on input from his directors. Previous governors managed to do it even during strong recessions. Yet we are in a slow growing economy and the Governor can’t create a balanced budget based on his directors input.
Simply put, the Governor doesn’t seem qualified to run a fast food restaurant. (No offense fast food restaurant managers).
Comment by A Jack Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:40 am
@Streator Curmudgeon - Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 9:53 am:
“So when do we reach the point where elected officials are not performing their duties, as required by the Illinois Constitution?”
==I’d say we’re already there. Lawmakers aren’t doing their jobs. They’re not governing, but playing politics instead.
“If officials, who took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the State of Illinois, are violating that oath, is there anything that can legally be done about it? Is there a remedy in Illinois for elected officials who sit on their hands and refuse to do their job? If there is, what has to happen before someone takes that remedy?”
==Voters need to elect new faces in the General Assembly who are willing to work together to get the job done, who have independent thoughts (and votes?) rather than blindly following the dictates of party leadership.
Comment by T-Ray Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:43 am
=== There’s a lot of court ordered spending going on now so I would say that judges have already inserted themselves into the middle of this mess. ===
Yes they have, but not by ordering the combatants to come up with a budget as folks have been advocating here.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:46 am
=But nobody’s hands are clean here.=
Perfectly stated.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:53 am
Why don’t Democrats approve a new budget which includes a surcharge on millionaires that’s large enough to cover any budget shortfall. Send that to the Governor. Budget balanced, done.
Comment by anon Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 11:29 am
Yet some, even here, continue blaming only one party or person for this. smh
Comment by Formerly Known As... Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 11:38 am
OW, do you remember when candidate for president Perry, stated he wanted to abolish three Departmnts and couldn’t name them all? Seeing any similarities here?
Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 11:49 am
Am I going nuts or did the Ovenor’s budget also have the pension hole, though he blatantly said it wasn’t going to pass and was unconstitutional. Then why did he include it in his budget?
Comment by Dale Cooper Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 12:33 pm
== If the only means of achieving a truly balanced budget is to cut pension benefits, which provision of the constitution trumps the other? ==
I would say the Pension Clause because the IL SC has made a clear ruling on it that included the observation the State has other alternatives, including raising revenue.
Comment by RNUG Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 12:43 pm
== Simply put, the Governor doesn’t seem qualified to run a fast food restaurant. ==
Based on his track record to date, he can’t run an 8 year old’s lemonade stand.
Comment by RNUG Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 12:46 pm
Rauner owns the budget veto. Talk of constitutional requirements doesn’t matter. He could have rewritten the budget and made the cuts he wanted.
Comment by Liberty Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 1:16 pm
RNUG, he would buy the lemonade stand for $5 and flip it to the kid down the street for $10. No operations knowledge needed.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 1:33 pm
==If the only means of achieving a truly balanced budget is to cut pension benefits, which provision of the constitution trumps the other?==
An impossible scenario, but if the conflict were only between the balanced budget and pension provisions of the Illinois constitution, the federal constitution’s prohibition against states passing laws impairing contracts would come out on top.
Comment by Anon. Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 1:34 pm
==The Governor shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly, at a time prescribed by law, a State budget for the ensuing fiscal year… Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget.==
Since that section of the Constitution comes before the section on the GA’s budget responsibilities, can’t we assume that the Governor has to act first?
Comment by Joe M Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 3:58 pm
it wild be….interesting if madigan passed Rauners budget as written without any other changes or other bills just on the number he submitted and sent it back to him…. then he could say he gave the gov the budget he asked for….
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 4:45 pm
Hang in there Governor, you are doing a great job.
Comment by realworld Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 8:02 pm
Simply stated, he doesn’t give a ~*%#+ about any of the office’s governing requirements. He came to town to demolish unionized, collective bargaining-period.
When that doesn’t work, he’ll leave- with the State in ruin-showing no remorse.
Comment by Property of IDOC Friday, Oct 9, 15 @ 6:00 am