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* Riopell…
In remarks [last] week, Gov. Bruce Rauner publicly raised the idea that the outcome of Illinois not having a budget could be even more severe.
“Universities and community colleges will not receive state funding, causing some to wonder whether they will be open for the second semester. Outrageous. Should not happen,” Rauner said.
Sigh.
He’s such a helpless victim.
* But, at least in the suburbs, it’s not true…
No local community colleges are talking publicly about drastic action, and how individual colleges will fare as the state budget impasse drags on could “vary widely,” Berry said. Community colleges get a large share of their income from property taxes, and suburban districts tend to have higher property values than colleges elsewhere in the state. So the effects might be less serious in the suburbs.
Oakton Community College spokesman Paul Palian said he doesn’t know of any class-cutting plans, but he said schools are “preparing to tighten our belts even further.”
* Wordslinger has been saying in comments for months that the governor is using a “hostage-taking” model. For instance…
The governor feels entitled to certain things he can’t achieve through traditional and conventional means (public support, legislative majorities, in this case), so he takes hostages and threatens great harm to them unless his demands are met.
In an attempt to demonstrate purity of motives and avoid a backlash of public opinion, some hostages are released (K-12, public employee salaries).
In hostage situations we’re all familiar with from the past, the released are usually those who could be perceived as innocent - poor women, children, the old, sick or infirm.
Universities and colleges aren’t quite on the list yet, although some will most certainly be harmed in the coming months.
* James Krohe recently wrote a particularly gruesome take on the same subject…
Rauner basically kidnapped state government last November, and, determined to show he means businesses, started cutting off his prisoners’ ears and fingers and sending them to the General Assembly with his ransom notes.
But kidnapping only works if the threat of death alarms more people than the victim.
The museum closing stirred a furor in Springfield, and to a lesser extent in Fulton County, but outside these places the shutdown has had less impact than would closing a fish census station.
Rauner finds himself in the situation of the Italian thugs who kidnapped oil heir J. Paul Getty III in 1964; they demanded $17 million from his family but his rich grandfather thought the kid was worth only $2.2 million. In the end, the gang got paid only $2.9 million, and that only because dad took out a loan.
* That brings us to House Speaker Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown, who told the Illinois Policy Institute’s news service this week that his party doesn’t trust the governor to make a budget deal…
“The Governor is ultimately the person who spends the money regardless of the legislative actions, so there would have to be some ironclad understandings of how that money is gonna be spent.”
Apparently, the idea here is to do what most did with the Illinois State Museum and simply ignore the hostages altogether until the ransom price is drastically reduced.
You gotta wonder how long that can last.
Your thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:09 am
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It has been a long standing tradition that the United States Government won’t make deals with a hostage takers. Now in Illinois the Governor is saying “Give me your collective bargaining rights, or grandma gets it”. “Give me redistricting reform or tiny tim is on the street this Christmas”.
Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:15 am
“Nice little state ya got there . . . Shame if somethin’ happened to it . . .”
Comment by Ray del Camino Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:16 am
Why give in to drastic demands when you can force the demander to “get back to reality”.
Its forcing someone to negotiate with himself before the negotiating begins.
Madigan is great at this.
Comment by Abe the Babe Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:16 am
Krohe says Rauner began his hostage taking last November. Before he took office?
A little less hysteria here and a little more talking by all sides, please. Everyone needs to put on their Big Boy Pants to do this.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:25 am
However one might descibe Rauner’s refusal to negotiate the budget until his agenda is passed, such a strategy isn’t particularly democratic and certainly doesn’t reflect his proper role under the state constitution.
Comment by AC Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:28 am
City Colleges of Chicago: tuition is up, property tax levy is up, enrollment is down, so let’s pay more for administrators and award them bonuses! Let’s construct some new college buildings at the same time.
Comment by After Further Review Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:28 am
@Louis G. Atsaves, he’s probably referring to Rauner asking the legislature not to extend the tax hike before he was sworn into office.
Comment by Stuff Happens Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:28 am
Hostage taking sounds about right to me. That is what is happening. What will you pay to keep the unions in power? Are you willing to throw pointy headed liberals in their ivory towers under the bus?
The attitudes’ seem reminiscent those great nattering nabobs of negativism Nixon and Agnew.
Comment by Niblets Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:29 am
Oh wait. I need to a cooling off period.
Comment by Niblets Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:30 am
Democratic lawmakers are not going to give into the hostage demands.
Even an MOU on this year’s budget would just lead to more hostage-taking next year.
No, the only thing that is going to change things is if (when seems optimistic) things get so bad as they did in Kansas that moderate Republicans (the revolt started with local elected officials) finally decide to break ranks with the Governor, which leads to Republican lawmakers breaking away from the governor, which leads to the governor suddenly dropping his turn around agenda or offering a solution.
The path around Governor Bruce “Stonewall” Rauner is going to have to come from the GOP.
Comment by Juvenal Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:30 am
Winter is coming. If it turns out to be a particularly nasty one, Rauner will be further backed into a corner as his words come back to haunt him (as stated earlier in another thread, i.e. crisis is a “good” thing). People may get sick and die for lack of care. Roads may close for lack of salt and plows. Electricity may be cut off because people can’t pay. Any of these mays can and possibly will happen and add to the “body” count. Dissatisfaction and distrust will continue to grow. He is not going to get what he wants, and even his war chest will not buy him back his “reputation”. It’s past time for the ILGOP to stand up to him and say “thank you, but NO!”.
Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:32 am
@- Louis G. Atsaves - Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:25 am:
“A little less hysteria here and a little more talking by all sides, please.”
And by ‘talking’ I assume you mean the Gov actually talk to Madigan/Cullerton? Or just more of the same baloney about ‘calling’ them…
Comment by How Ironic Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:32 am
Rather than a hostage taker, I’d describe Rauner as a local bar & restaurant promoter who forgot that he was a governor.
Comment by AC Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:32 am
The courts lessened the impact of the hostage taking, to the disappointment of the governor.
Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:33 am
The hostage analogy is perfect, except for one thing: this hostage taker won’t even give a list of specific demands. Because he can’t. Because what he wants is very, very unpopular with the public.
Comment by Sam Weinberg Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:34 am
How are CSU and EIU holding up right now? Will they open their doors in January? How many of the MAP students will be told they can’t enroll in January?
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:41 am
It isn’t the Democrats and the Governor that need to sit down. It is the Republicans in the General Assembly that have to get sickened enough to stop sipping on that sweet political nectar coming from Rauner. Democrats rose up and stopped Blagojevich - Republicans need to do the right thing and represent the people, not their party.
Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:41 am
He’s a trader with little of value to trade.
“If you give me what I want, I’ll let you give me what I need.”
Comment by walker Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:42 am
The Better Government Association and Crain’s Chicago Business have been following the activities at the City Colleges of Chicago. Here’s a quote from a recent Crain’s article:
Critics accuse City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Cheryl Hyman of building a massive downtown bureaucracy at the expense of the individual colleges. Ms. Hyman says she is consolidating services and imposing modern accounting practices on the seven-college system.
On top of that, Ms. Hyman says, she balanced her budget without raising taxes.
Budget documents put district office spending at $65.3 million in fiscal 2013, which began in July. That’s up 36 percent from the $48 million spent in fiscal 2010, when Ms. Hyman took office. The seven college budgets grew an average of 12 percent over the same period.
Most of the added headquarters expense has come from new hires; salaries and benefits are at $55.3 million in the 2013 budget, compared with $29 million in 2010. Of the 130 City Colleges employees paid more than $100,000, 75 work in the district office. Ms. Hyman hired 20 of the 28 employees who make at least $125,000. Except for the seven college presidents, all work in the district office. Ms. Hyman’s salary is $250,000.
“We used to think the downtown office was filled with cronyism, and no one expected anyone to do anything,” says Sheldon Liebman, chairman of the humanities department at Wilbur Wright College on the Northwest Side. “But now they want to make all the decisions and second-guess everything we do.”
Comment by After Further Review Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:43 am
There’s an element of “hoisted on their own petard” to this, too- Republicans have spent so long telling everyone who’ll listen that we barely even NEED a government that their own people believe it, and don’t agitate when they’re without one.
Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:46 am
My sources at SIU tell me that they were able to cover the MAP grants for this semester but will not be able to for the spring. This will cause a 35% decrease in the SIU enrollment for spring. My sources at EIU are all actively looking for other employment.
Comment by Gruntled University Employee Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:48 am
Some may call it hostage taking. Others ‘the art of the deal’. I don’t agree with the union bashing, but I do wish past governors would have negotiated collective bargaining issues with an eye toward the future as opposed to political gain.
Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:48 am
It’s unreal to hear a governor of Illinois talking causally about shutting down universities and pretending he has nothing to do with it.
Such dishonesty.
Some of the people all of the time, I guess.
In reality, it’s part of the plan, the hostage-taker’s promise. Give me what I demand or I will inflict great harm on the hostage.
Are there any examples that anyone can think of where such tactics are not considered the act of a sociopath? Any “good” hostage-taker stories?
Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:49 am
It has to be story of significance if Wordslinger is quoted … said no one. Ever.
Comment by Georg Sande Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:52 am
Rauner has been negotiating against himself from the very beginning. He’s going to fold eventually, the question is how much damage will be done before then?
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:54 am
I view the hostage-taking analogy as entirely appropriate. I don’t see what Rauner is doing as any different than from the so-called “Freedom Caucus” in the U. S. House would like to do. Neither Rauner nor the Freedom guys care about negative impacts to the government or innocent people — that is just acceptable collateral damage for getting your way. I guess it is no wonder that Rauner thought he could jam through an unpopular union busting agenda with a Democratic legislature — after all he is fabulously rich and always gets his way. I particularly disliked his stick and stick approach to the local yokels who may not have wanted to smite their union workers — let’s see what they do after Rauner freezes their property taxes and cut their state aid! Yes, Rauner wants to run Illinois like a business — drive it into the ground and walk away with the money. Could we just give him the money now if he would just leave?
Comment by kimocat Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:54 am
== People may get sick and die for lack of care. Roads may close for lack of salt and plows. ==
Outrageous. Outrageous. Shouldn’t happen.
Comment by Dale Cooper Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:54 am
Word is a little rash to speak about hostage taking. The issue is about the fiscally conservative minority exercising leverage. Part of our democratic process involves accommodating people with minority viewpoints.
Comment by Muscular Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:55 am
Because of research cash, enrollment/tuition levels or foundation collateral that can help float things, U of I, and maybe ISU and NIU can get through this. The other public universities are going to be in an advanced stage of hurt. It is really hard to imagine how EIU and CSU in particular can manage to pay for the second semester essentials.
Comment by chad Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:01 pm
To the Post,
1) - Wordslinger - has been on this since jump street, kudos for seeing what some couldn’t see that early.
2) The second Governor Rauner submitted a budget that required a tax increase. It is a required tax increase. You can’t leverage a tax increase when you (Gov. Rauner) can’t make the numbers work on your budget without it.
3) By letting the Income Tax level expire, Rauner and his Crew thought that also may force the Democrats to bargain. “See #2″ as to why that was never going to happen.
4) As pointed out often; “Allowing” Democrats to vote for a tax increase AND legislation to severely weaken and/or dismantle unions isn’t a “bargain”, it’s not even a starting point. Rauner owns the GOP GA. They 100% will vote for the Rauner Tax Increase and would vote to weaken and/or dismantle unions. “Why?”. The GOP GA has no choice, that’s whay.
5) Lastky, the hostile/bloodless takeover of the ILGOP went so well, Rauner felt embolden to try for the complete takeover of another branch of government through hostages. The Geddy Model was never factored in as a result. Rauner may have felt; “The GOP went fast and quiet. The Legislature should too.”
Great Post, Rich, kudos to - Wordslinger - too.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:02 pm
@ OW-
In regards to #2, I still hold that if Rauner could have written a balanced budget, ESPECIALLY if he did it by line-iteming the one the GA passed, the GA would have let him. Sure, they would have fumed about this and that being cut, but they would ultimately let it become law. The problem is, Rauner had to put his anti-union fanfic in the way.
Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:08 pm
- Arsenal -
Point taken.
But, to be very fair about it…
===The problem is, Rauner had to put his anti-union fanfic in the way.===
… I can’t remove the Union requirement, because Rauner himself never made that possibility… possible.
Much respect.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:20 pm
Gee, Wally…. What do you say to someone who thinks their choices are always correct and everyone else wrong?
Gosh Beav, I don’t know…. Maybe there’s something wrong with them and we oughta just stay away
Yeah…..I guess you’re right Wally.
Comment by Union Man Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:20 pm
If there was a Nobel Prize for Snark, the winners would be splitting the cash and medals for responses in this column.
Comment by Aldyth Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:21 pm
===How are CSU and EIU holding up right now? Will they open their doors in January? How many of the MAP students will be told they can’t enroll in January? ===
EIU sent out a press release earlier this week saying that they were planning on having a spring semester.
Of course the fact that this needed a press release speaks volumes as well.
Comment by GraduatedCollegeStudent Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:29 pm
So the GOP is going to sit back and passively watch Rauner destroy higher education in Illinois?
Rainer writes the checks, people. Not Madigan. This is Rauner and the Raunerbot’s created fiasco.
All to pass junk that affects nothing for many years.
Maybe Dems should take JRTC hostage.
Comment by cdog Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:29 pm
===Word is a little rash to speak about hostage taking. The issue is about the fiscally conservative minority exercising leverage. Part of our democratic process involves accommodating people with minority viewpoints. ===
I thought another aspect of fiscal conservatism was that you don’t do things to damage your assets.
Rauner’s behavior is doing long-term damage to public assets, such as higher education in this state.
Comment by GraduatedCollegeStudent Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:31 pm
“….fiscally conservative minority….”
What in the world are you talking about? Where’s the “fiscal conservatism” in the governor’s actions?
Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:32 pm
Cdog-higher education is destroying itself.google some of UIC pensions and you will see my point.
Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:33 pm
BDD, yes of course.
It’s always much better to burn down the whole neighborhood instead of doin any maintenance.
Comment by cdog Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:41 pm
Is it hostage taking? Or following a tried and true model perfected by other pols in Illinois to push their agendas and tax hikes for many years? Even the lottery was originally supposed to be “for the children”.
The point would be more accurate if the GA had passed a balanced, or even semi-reasonable budget, that Rauner wouldn’t budge on while holding out for more. But this is more like two mountains, or children, in the form of Rauner and Madigan clashing without regard for the immediate harm to residents.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:48 pm
It will last until the Gov gets his way or his money friends ask him to quit. Not earlier. Never. The Gov only cares for the little people are in word, not in deed. Never.
Comment by Easy Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 12:49 pm
==Some may call it hostage taking. Others ‘the art of the deal==
No, no they don’t. It’s just you and Rauner and his superstars who call it that. Literally everyone else calls it hostage taking.
Comment by Lester Holt's Mustache Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:05 pm
Maybe I’m a pessimist at this point, but I see this ending in only 1 of 4 ways (in order from slim to none):
1) Rauner decides (on his own, on advice from the 1%, or from overwhelming public demand) to drop his demands and actually negotiate on a budget without preconditions
2) Rank and file GOP unite with rank and file D’s (and tacit approval from the leaders) to start the recall process to remove Rauner.
3) a unanimous vote by both parties in both chambers to pass a veto-proof budget and tax increase
4) Rauner resigning
Comment by RNUG Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:13 pm
==The issue is about the fiscally conservative minority exercising leverage.==
No, its not. It’s about a Governor who doesn’t understand realities.
Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:18 pm
== The issue is about the fiscally conservative minority exercising leverage.
No, its not. It’s about a Governor who doesn’t understand realities. ==
More accurately, it’s about a Governor who doesn’t seem to understand the process.
Comment by RNUG Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:21 pm
Lest we not forget, this is SOP for the GOP.
Their inter-tribal dysfunction and scorched-earth obstructionism are just symptoms of a failed ideology and bankrupt faux value system.
Comment by cdog Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:21 pm
BDD, for the 653rd time, if Illinois is going to have a medical school, it’s going to have med school salaries and med school pensions. Not surprising, not unusual.
Comment by PolPal56 Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:23 pm
===More accurately, it’s about a Governor who doesn’t seem to understand the process.===
Respectfully…
“More accurately, it’s about a Governor who doesn’t seem to understand, and doesn’t respect, the process.”
Respectfully.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:23 pm
This is a shakedown, pure and simple, advised by a kitchen cabinet of billionaires unaffected by a state budget — other than they do business with the state or pay taxes.
Rauner is the tool they have always wanted.
Comment by Austin Blvd Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:24 pm
==Part of our democratic process involves accommodating people with minority viewpoints.==
Nonsense. Our obligation is to protect the rights of the minority, including free speech. But that doesn’t mean the minority gets its way.
Thought on article: I’m with Wordslinger that it is surreal for the governor to distance himself from a situation he has created. It creeps me out.
On another topic, I am startled to read that Paul Palian left NIU this year. Didn’t expect that.
Comment by yinn Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:27 pm
RNUG: Please let me add to your list of unlikely escape routes.
Both sides come to an agreement on remapping reform driven by the GA, before the public petition process forces all hands. Rauner declares “victory” to all his constituents, inside and it of government, for a big step in Shaking Up Springfield. Then come quick budget and tax compromises.
Comment by walker Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:29 pm
- Austin Blvd -,
===Rauner is the tool they have always wanted.===
Yep. They cut out the “middle man”
There isn’t a “middle man” anymore… They now have one of their own as the “made member”
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:29 pm
If the governor is a hostage taker, then the legislature is following the Israeli model: they don’t negotiation with hostage takers.
Comment by Worker Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:32 pm
OW. Better analogy. Thanks.
Comment by Austin Blvd Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:42 pm
Dang… When even RNUG references the possibility of the “R-word”, no matter how remote, you know things are serious.
Comment by CharlieKratos Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:43 pm
LesterHM-you’ve mistaken me for a Rauner supporter—NOT. But reality ck. nearly 2,000,000 fellow Illinoisians thought he had(has) the answers.
Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:45 pm
What’s interesting here is that the same voters Rauner is trying to fool with his “reforms” would be fooled with Rauner announcing a “victory” (even if the victory didn’t include decimating unions.)
In other words, Rauner doesn’t have to do much — or get much — to say, “See, I won!” He just needs to get something — even a little something.
What’s more interesting — and actually pretty weird — is that Rauner doesn’t understand this. He knows a large block of his voters is a lock-in no matter what he does. But as this drags on, he loses more and more from the “I sorta liked Rauner, but now …” crowd.
It’s as though no one is telling him to reel it in, negotiate a bit more, declare victory, and move on — to next year. He’s trying to win a complete war here when all really has to do is come out of the battle with a few cuts and bruises.
Comment by Frenchie Mendoza Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:47 pm
I don’t know, Charlie. For a number of days I’ve been wondering just how much of a one issue political dilettante Rauner is, and is he might just possibly at some point pull a Palin.
Comment by PolPal56 Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:49 pm
“Rauner’s behavior is doing long-term damage to public assets, such as higher education in this state.”
It is part of Rauner’s plan to privatize all public universities, colleges, Pre-K-12.
Comment by Mama Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:49 pm
dang - if, not is
Comment by PolPal56 Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:50 pm
When things go crappy, I always blame the guy in charge. He wanted the job and that is what he is supposed to get - blame.
What we have now is someone who hasn’t the slightest idea how to be a governor, and has no respect enough to be advised, listen or even try.
Remember - he has a lot of money, so that means he knows what he is doing and is obviously a legend in his own mind.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:54 pm
++==More accurately, it’s about a Governor who doesn’t seem to understand the process.==++
Respectfully…
“More accurately, it’s about a Governor who doesn’t seem to understand, and doesn’t respect, the process.”
Respectfully.
I would like to add the Governor does not care if IL crashed and burned as long as “business” profit from the take-overs.
Comment by Mama Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:58 pm
“It’s as though no one is telling him to reel it in, negotiate a bit more, declare victory, and move on” Sports metaphor time! “Punt, and play for field position.”
Comment by Skeptic Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 1:59 pm
At least the Getty hostage-takers didn’t keep on slicing off body parts as time went on. And I would point out — the hostage doesn’t get more valuable as you take pieces off…
Comment by Soccermom Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 2:14 pm
Why does he continually play the victim card? He’s a governor, start acting like it instead of whining - go down to the 4 tops offices and start a respectful discussion. Does he not understand that the 4 tops get elected in their own districts, and that they aren’t going to lose elections? Why would a district vote a 4 tops person out of office when they will suffer with less power as a result? Does he understand that he only got elected ‘because Quinn’, and that’s not a likely event next time around?
As OW says, governors own the budget, or lack thereof. I’m not going to blame Madigan when SIU or EIU close their doors.
Comment by thoughts matter Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 2:18 pm
I think the hostage taking analogy is totally fair, and it’s very analogous to the kinds of demands in D.C., between the House and Barack Obama. The thing is that you say you want to negotiate - but you won’t negotiate about the “leverage” itself. The only way you’ll negotiate, in other words, is while poor people are in the process of losing their services. That part is non-negotiable.
Now on the flip side, what distinguishes this is
a) the person doing the hostage taking is the governor, not the legislature, and he has the biggest bullhorn;
b) the whole thing is way less covered and discussed in the news media, and so people are way less informed / attentive to it, and still the flagship paper whose opinion by default the most people will read, is wholly in Rauner’s corner.
So those are two points for Rauner. We’ll see.
Comment by ZC Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 2:49 pm
Arsenal, the reason that he didn’t use line item and reduction vetoes is because he knows that a tax increase is needed. While an avowed union hater, Rauner also wants to use his turnaround agenda as political cover for supporting a tax increase. If that wasn’t the case, he would have cut the Dem budget to balance it or presented another “balanced budget” with huge cuts.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 2:51 pm
“This anti-political political ethos produced elected leaders of jaw-dropping incompetence. Running a government is a craft, like carpentry. But the new Republican officials did not believe in government and so did not respect its traditions, its disciplines and its craftsmanship. They do not accept the hierarchical structures of authority inherent in political activity.”
David Brooks’ recent article about Congressional Republicans could have been written about Rauner…
Comment by Appalled Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 2:54 pm
===Universities and colleges aren’t quite on the list yet, although some will most certainly be harmed in the coming months.===
While the publics and community colleges are in a worse situation, the damage is being done across the board for everybody in higher ed in Illinois. Right now, the private non-profits are deciding who to recruit for next year’s Freshman class. Does anybody think they’ll focus more on needy students given the uncertainty over MAP? I don’t think so.
MAP-eligible students who are Seniors in high school are also getting screwed and they just don’t know it. Good luck getting into a good college in Illinois. Many of them might be better off leaving Illinois for college because the privates won’t enroll as many and the publics don’t have any room for more low-income students.
The crisis is already doing real damage to higher ed. It’s just that those responsible have no idea of the damage they’re doing.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 2:55 pm
“When things go crappy, I always blame the guy in charge”–Vanilla Man
Neither side knows how this impasse will turn out or who will be blamed by the voters. Both sides engage in wishful thinking to create the scenarios they prefer. But as more people become affected, the public will begin to pay attention and assign blame. It won’t be the insiders, but it will be the mass of relatively low-information voters who don’t want to be bothered with this mess, that will determine the culprit. Their decision will come all at once, like ice falling from a mountain in spring, triggered by some incident perceived as the last straw.
It is always easier to blame one person than 70. So it is the Governor who is most likely to be blamed.
Comment by James Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 3:36 pm
the gov doesnt need legislation to eliminate collective bargaining in order to bargin for changes… he did it with the teamsters…. so the stalemate continues until the gov drops his personal vendetta. note during the election the gov threatened the unions that they needed to support him or he would get them…. this all just looks like a rich guys vengeful tantrum, children and the elderly be danged
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 4:11 pm
ABC7’s Charles Thomas — who tends leftward politically — had some interesting comments last Friday on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review”:
“If the Democrats took a vote and they passed revenue — a tax increase — to fund the government and then Bruce Rauner vetoed what they were spending, or even their tax increase … then they’d have something to talk about…. But right now they’re just talking; they haven’t provided revenue.”
“[I]f they just provided the revenue that they keep talking about, and let him veto it, then I think they’d have a case to make with people because right now they have not provided the revenue for anything. Like child care, Bruce Rauner is forced to raise the eligibility rates, not because he’s a mean guy, but because he doesn’t have the money; he wants to make sure that those most in need are able to have it.”
And on a somewhat related theme:
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2015/10/pastor-corey-brooks-african-americans-are-fed-up-with-the-democrats-way-of-doing-things.html
Comment by Anon Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 5:14 pm
===Bruce Rauner is forced to raise the eligibility rates===
Charles should know better. Rauner proposed slashing that program way back in his February budget proposal.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 5:17 pm
===Charles should know better.===
Hate to say it, when you have people in any business, any, that do things they should know better, one of the reasons they “do it”, could be laziness…
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 5:21 pm
Surely our Governor and his supporters know the price of everything, and the value of nothing as Oscar Wilde put it some time ago. Some day they may find things they hold dear held hostage in a similar manner and it would not be the first time in human history that the rich & powerful have hand their own backs up against the wall for a change.
Comment by James Knell Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 5:34 pm
=Where’s the “fiscal conservatism” in the governor’s actions?=
Exactly!! This charade of “conservatism” is absolutely not “conservatism” in any real way. They pass out public monies to business mostly big, but a few small. That is the EXACT OPPOSITE of conservatism.
BTW- helping the poor and less fortunate is not “liberal” or socialist or whatever. It is a good investment in people. It cuts not increases societies costs. You know, like low cost or free child care for working families trying to climb their way up he ladder.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 5:45 pm
==Rauner proposed slashing that program way back in his February budget proposal.==
Fair enough, but Charles is also alluding to a broader theme. Elsewhere in the program he mentioned hopelessness as a primary cause of the Chicago violence. Rauner has presented a proactive, pro-business plan that he seems to believe in. The Democrats seem only to be saying “No.” So one might wonder if declining to negotiate and declining to provide a forward-looking agenda of their own is working for the Dems. One part of that is whether Brooks, Thomas and Dunkin are outliers or part of a trend.
Comment by Anon Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 6:23 pm
Why would a rich guy invest tens of millions of his on money in any venture? Because he plans to get a big return on his investment.
Rauner is all-in on his turn-around agenda which, if passed, would save businesses 100’s of millions of dollars. NPR broadcast a two-part look at changes to worker’s comp this week and it all started to make sense. If you clip back the unions, it opens up the ability to cut expensive things like workers’ comp and the myriad of other protections workers have, but rely on unions to enforce. It’s hard to see Rauner giving up on his investment. Losing some universities or any government services doesn’t bother him, he doesn’t need any of that. The pessimistic side of me says he keeps pushing because he does not plan to give up on his investment.
Listen to this story and what Rauner is likely going for becomes pretty clear.
http://www.npr.org/2015/10/14/448544926/texas-oklahoma-permit-companies-to-dump-worker-compensation-plans
Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 7:45 pm
Fine with me… I’d rather live in a wasteland under a bridge than be owned by the likes of this chump. Shake it up some more, buddy. I know he’s got a lot more to lose than I do.
Comment by jknell Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 9:37 pm
Rauner ran and won on the claim that the Quinn tax hike was unnecessary. He says if he gets his turnaround agenda he will consider a tax hike. If it isn’t necessary, why would he consider it at all, with or without passing his agenda? Was he lying then or is he lying now?
Comment by ottawa otter Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 10:36 pm
OO, given Rauner’s recent statements regarding Dems using their alleged super-majority to pass a tax increase (which literally, doesn’t exist, with the death of Rep. Golar) and a resolution in January, I believe he’s asking that the Dems do the heavy lifting alone.
Ain’t going to happen.
Hostage takers should not be rewarded. All you get from that is more hostages.
Tne governor has chosen a strategy that he will do harm to certain classes of citizens - poor, children, old, sick, infirm, small business state vendors, universities — unless Dems acquiesce to doing harm to another class of citizens — working stiffs.
Outrageous is way too nice a word for it.
It’s demented.
Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:04 pm
Patty hurst was a hostage
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Oct 15, 15 @ 11:28 pm
The state is running out of money despite the fact that only court ordered payments are being made and little to nothing else. No budget means no spending authority. We are running as lean and mean as we can but still going broke. Rauner and the Trib said the tax hike wasn’t needed. So, make it work Gov. You said you would and do it without a tax hike.
Comment by ottawa otter Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 6:30 am
Oswego Willy:
Begging your pardon, but Rauner and the GOP are convinced they will only have to put 16 House Republicans on a vote to raise taxes and about that eight Senators.
I do not think any of the folks around the negotiating table understand what math the other side has in mind.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 8:19 am
Oh - YDD -,
How cute!
Reality will be like cold water to the face…
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 16, 15 @ 8:47 am