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This is a fantastic idea!

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Illinois

* Yes, let’s stop playing games and work on common sense, bipartisan reforms. Please!…

The governor put the brakes on capital development projects around the state. In fact, he made his remarks just steps away from the stalled Stevens Building project on the NIU campus.

“I’m sorry that DeKalb is suffering from no budget. They shouldn’t have to suffer,” said Rauner. “It’s wrong what’s going on. And what we’ve said to the Legislature is, ‘Stop playing games. Let’s vote on common sense, bipartisan reforms, let’s get a truly balanced budget so we can grow our economy and help great communities like DeKalb.’ “

Now, if he’d just follow his own advice we might actually get somewhere.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:11 am

Comments

That is a sound idea. Certainly we can look forward to Madigan outlining the list of “common sense” reforms he supports when Rauner outlines the “common sense” budget he supports during their next meeting.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:17 am
Does Bruce Rauner realizes he IS Governor Rauner…

Governors aren’t helpless.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:18 am
Step one. Fix the budget.
Step two. Propose reforms.
Step three. Explain how reforms benefit state.
Step four. Hold hearings on reforms.
Step five. Hold a vote on reforms.

Or, we can hold the one thing we need hostage to get reforms that have had no explanation or examination.

Comment by Dilemma Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:19 am
I feel like this is all a dream. One thing is said, then another thing happens.

Gov. Rauner - What is the minimum you will take to pass a budget?

Legislative Dems - What is the most you are willing to give up?

Someone, anyone, please ask these two questions. What if the answers are the same and we are just fighting over egos? (Hint, they are)

Please, get the answers to those questions.

Comment by Try-4-Truth Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:19 am
I agree, but I believe the old saying is, “it takes two to Tango.”

Madigan and Rauner are both going to have to agree to these common sense, bipartisan reforms. And Madigan still has his super majority which is all he really cares about.

Comment by Ahoy! Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:21 am
“Let’s vote on [the] common sense, bipartisan reforms [I told you to pass] . . .”

Comment by Skeptic Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:22 am
Drip…drip…drip. Rauner showing signs of weakness. Madigan now #winning.

Comment by pwned Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:23 am
Common sense, bipartisan reforms don’t get you rave reviews in the WSJ editorial page.

Comment by slow down Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:24 am
===I’m sorry that DeKalb is suffering from no budget.===

You vetoed it Guv’na…

=== They shouldn’t have to suffer ===

Except for the fact that he needs hostages to leverage his ideology into law.

Comment by PublicServant Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:25 am
The word for Rauner is infuriating. Simply infuriating.

Comment by DuPage Dave Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:31 am
Sheesh, not a hint of ownership. Almost sounds more like coffee shop banter than an assessment from the chief executive.

Hey superstars, governin’s easy right?

Comment by Abe the Babe Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:33 am
Ahhh, wish it was all about common sense bipartisan reforms…

Illinois is in the worst financial condition ever. We were slowly climbing out of the hole before the income tax was reduced. Now we have fallen deeper into it - intentionally to create a crisis.

Rauner is using this crisis to strip power from the Democratic party by eliminating the revenue and foot soldiers from public unions.

There are common sense bipartisan opportunities for reform - but not at the cost of power transfer from Democrats to Republicans.

But if Rauner does this, he will have lost the biggest source of leverage to win back power from the Democratic organization.

This is about political leverage - not economic reform.

Comment by archimedes Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:33 am
Enough with the “I’m sorry.”

The “suffering” is the key to the strategy, the “leverage.” It’s deliberate.

The fact that the governor feels the need pretend that he’s just another victim of this strategy, rather than its architect, just reveals that’s he aware that it’s immoral.

Comment by Wordslinger Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:37 am
I just finally realized that the Governor’s thesaurus includes blame as a synonym for turnaround… mine doesn’t.

Comment by Poolguy Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:42 am
archimedes hits the nail on the head…. Rauner could have used his veto power to reshape the budget and institute reforms instead he has gone after workers. Downsizing Illinois economy is not the answer.

Comment by Liberty Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:45 am
Rich,

Has Rauner said he won’t bargain on any of his reforms? Because if he said he will bargain on them (i.e., bargain further, not just drop a couple of non-starters ahead of time) as well as the budget items, the one who isn’t following advice is Madigan, who refuses to put “common sense reforms” on the table.

Comment by lake county democrat Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:50 am
Just curious - Was that out of the Left side of his mouth, or the right side?

Comment by WhoKnew Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:53 am
Rainer sometimes strikes me as a man who made a lot of money and thought he knew who he was. Today he’s still vastly rich but now living in a world where he is being hammered severely, which is new. Cracks may be forming in his suit of invincibility, and his self-image. His thumbs up, fly around, time wasting notecard cliches may be an indication he has no real idea what he’s doing. Increasingly Flaccid. Ironic, ain’t it?

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:55 am
He made a speech a week or two ago then urged the audience to “contact your Legislators.”

Hello? You’re standing right there. What’s wrong with YOU contacting them?

Quit acting like somebody has to solve this besides you.

Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 9:55 am
DeKalb’s social service network, which has been stable if half-starved for years, is now collapsing. And we haven’t been recovering all that great from the recession, so this will be very bad for a long time if not satisfactorily resolved.

Outside the Holmes Student Center ballroom where Gov. Rauner spoke, at least three hundred people representing various social service agencies — and students — rallied together. We usually have dismal turnouts for stuff like this.

Comment by yinn Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:01 am
My wife and I always joke about the show “Special Agent Oso”. Sean Astin is the voiceover for the main character, and he always has to follow “three special steps” to complete a task/project. We use that to prove points with our kids. “Is it really that hard to not spill milk all over the table?! Just follow these three special steps!” Usually we are met with blank stares…

Here goes:

Step 1: actually sit down and talk.

Step 2: come to a @#$%^&* agreement.

Step 3: sign the @#$%^&* legislation based on the agreement.

There. You did your three special steps.

Comment by Team Sleep Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:03 am
The “reforms” the Governor proposes are not “bipartisan” or “common sense.”

Comment by Retired lawyer Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:04 am
Yinn: Not in a place where I can check myself, but did any media cover the crowd outside of the Student Center?

Comment by GA Watcher Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:05 am
again this assumes Rauner has an interest in being an actual govenor. i still say he could car less about being govenor or the state. he came to wreck unions and reduce wages. so that will be his end all be all.

Comment by Ghost Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:10 am
His statements are so innocent victim bystandery its stunning. The students at NIU held a rally against the cuts.

Comment by burbanite Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:11 am
And I want to say to Gov. Rauner- Stop.playing.the.role.role.of.victim! You are the Governor. Start acting like it.

Comment by Former Hoosier Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:11 am
Attendees actually laughed when he tried this nonsense last night. He v-e-t-o-e-d the bills that stopped the projects….gave highed ed zero…only name on veto message ….SuperStar..no Madigan , no Cullerton

Comment by Anonin' Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:18 am
“I’m sorry that DeKalb is suffering from no budget. They shouldn’t have to suffer. It’s wrong what’s going on.”

It’s slowly becoming apparent that, in his mind, Bruce Rauner is somehow being held hostage by Bruce Rauner.

It would be pathetic if it weren’t so–

Nope.

It’s just pathetic.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:24 am
Just imagine…if the General Assembly had sent the Governor a balanced budget in the first place we probably wouldn’t be in this protracted struggle. There would have been no reason for a veto and no attempted leverage for the reforms.

Comment by Illanoyed Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:25 am
“if the General Assembly had sent the Governor a balanced budget in the first place” he still would have vetoed it because it didn’t have his reforms.

Comment by Skeptic Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:26 am
He’s like the three year old in the toy aisle who believes if he keeps asking his parents to buy him a certain toy that they will eventually do it.

Comment by Buzzie Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:30 am
—Stop playing games.—rauner is all about games. Painful games of hostage taking.

—Let’s vote on common sense, bipartisan reforms, let’s get a truly balanced budget so we can grow our economy and help
great communities like dekalb.— at face value, this sounds eminently reasonable to the average person. But in rauner-speak, it means capitulate on his union busting agenda. Thats why he doesnt want a public meeting.

Comment by Langhorne Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:32 am
>> Does Bruce Rauner realizes he IS Governor Rauner… Governors aren’t helpless.

Said it before, will say it again: We are now in Illinois seeing the true “permanent campaign” in action, and it ain’t pretty.

Comment by ZC Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:36 am
Anyone thank Rauner for the NIU credit downgrade that his games cost them?

Go Huskies!

Comment by Norseman Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:41 am
==if the General Assembly had sent the Governor a balanced budget==

If the Governor had proposed a balanced budget…

Comment by HangingOn Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 10:41 am
Halting capital projects is easy. More hostage taking.

But the Governor and his superstars will discover that restarting them won’t be so easy and will increase their costs. Things change, the 2015 construction season is over, contractors move on to other work.

See, this is how you run government like a business. A business that you run into the ground.

Comment by Sir Reel Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 11:13 am
Melville’s central thesis on hatred and obsession:

All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the lees of things; all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby Dick. He piled upon the whale’s white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart’s shell upon it.

-Moby Dick, Chapter 41

Comment by PolPal56 Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 11:19 am
“I’m sorry that DeKalb is suffering from no budget.” But, frankly, I don’t care who suffers or how much because I want what I want what I want? - Gov. Bruce Rauner - - - oh wait, Gov. B.R. - - - oh wait, it’s gettin’ cold outide. Just call me Gov. Brrrrr.

Comment by Anon Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 11:26 am
“I’m sorry that __________ is suffering from no budget. They shouldn’t have to suffer, …”

This is getting to be the new over-used slogan from the governor’s shop. Have they grown tired of “Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls …”? It’s so mendacious and flexible. You can fill in the blank with the University if you’re on a campuses, any local city name, children, the infirm and the elderly, and the list goes on. Great work, superstars!

Comment by X-prof Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 11:48 am
* a campus *

Comment by X-prof Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 11:50 am
Anonymous at 9:55 a.m. hit the nail right on the head. This administration has no neither a clue nor a strategy. The whole administration is dysfunctional and the state of Illinois continues to dig itself deeper and deeper into irrelevance and all our Governor knows what to do is point the finger at someone else. Time to be a leader Governor Rauner.

Comment by Magic Dragon Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 12:24 pm
I think the Gov wants to inflict maximum pain/leverage and so will refuse any budget deal offered before January. He WANTS people to have a dismal holiday season to further reduce morale, increase anxiety, and continue ruining Illinois’ economy.

Comment by cailleach Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 1:03 pm
There are many victims who don’t deserve the pain being intentionally inflicted on them. We will continue to hear their stories every day.

But the Illinois voters as a whole absolutely deserve this guy and his intransigence–for four long years. He provides the best possible lesson on the importance of a motivated, informed electorate.

Comment by James Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 1:44 pm
We are getting into the timeframe where major damage has been done, that won’t be easily repaired after any agreement. That impact gets worse every week now. Only the ideological government destroyers could be happy with this path. I’m confident most Illinois Republicans aren’t happy with such long-term destruction. I hope the Governor Rauner is fully aware that these short and long term costs are firming up, while his assumed long-term benefits remain very shaky.

To simply say “the status quo was not acceptable” is not sufficient to justify just any plan, good or bad. It can work in business because you can always liquidate assets or declare bankruptcy if your plan turns out bad — government allows no such escapes.

Comment by walker Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 2:59 pm
As a follow-up to Yinn’s comments about yesterday’s “Pass a Budget” rally at Northern Illinois Univ., there was indeed a good turnout Yinn mentioned at least three hundred people there No doubt there would have been more in attendance if the weather had not been so bad

Speakers at this rally spoke on how the budget impasse was hurting students, families, individuals with special needs and how the budget impasse was impacting both them and the local and state economies

In the meantime the Governor was next door at a dinner mingling with local “business” leaders and presenting his usual spin

Comment by Earl Shumaker Friday, Oct 30, 15 @ 3:53 pm