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Don’t get your hopes up

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* This “unfunded mandate” stuff is something the Rauner folks have been saying on background since Wednesday…

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration says it is reviewing a bill lawmakers approved Tuesday that is aimed at reopening the Illinois State Museum to the public.

However, even if the governor signs the bill, some supporters of the measure aren’t sure that it will mean the museum and its satellite facilities can reopen soon.

“Obviously, we’ve got a budget issue,” Guerry Suggs, chairman of the museum board, said Thursday. “Even if the governor signs it, I think his answer’s going to be, ‘It’s an unfunded mandate, we don’t have a budget, so I’m not going to do anything.’ I don’t think anything’s going to happen until a budget passes.” […]

By itself, the bill would not force the museum to reopen to the public. “I think this bill will help us in the future,” Suggs said. “I don’t think it’s going to do anything for us right now because of the budget issue.”

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 8:54 am

Comments

Will it help, however, ease the minds of the museum accreditation board???

Comment by Anon221 Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 8:58 am
“Hang in There!” Illinois State Museum.

Maybe Ken Dunkin chose poorly. Maybe Ken Dunkin shoulda chose the Illinois State Museum when he wasn’t askin’ for anythin’ or offered anythin’.

To the Post,

What’s discouraging for me is the plain fact that this move can not clearly lead to an eventual ending. I absolutely do not blame the Museum for the confusion.

The Rauner Administration has made even their own “helpful” moves confusing to those getting the alleged help.

Of course, having a passed budget would have negated all these U-Turns, while “Hanging in There!”…

I hope. I always have hope. I hope for the Museum.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 9:05 am
A ridiculous sideshow of a sideshow.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 9:32 am
Wordslinger–

Does this make him “Sideshow Bruce?”

Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 9:35 am
===This “unfunded mandate” stuff is something the Rauner folks have been saying===

People being paid by an unfunded mandate have a problem with unfunded mandates? The whole gd state is an unfunded mandate.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 9:43 am
Are the court ordered payments “unfunded mandates”?

Comment by Joe M Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 10:01 am
=== Will it help, however, ease the minds of the museum accreditation board??? ===

Probably not.

According to American Alliance of Museums accreditation commission chair Kenneth Schutz, “The actions by the Illinois state government that forced the Illinois State Museum system to close to the public left us no choice but to place this museum on probation pending further information from the museum system. We have grave concerns about the impact of this closure on the long-term viability of the museum, including affecting its ability to retain a professional staff and operate at the highest professional level; impairing the museum’s ability to care for the 13.5 million specimens in its collection; impacting donor support; risking its role as a major educational resource in the state of Illinois; and harming its reputation as a premier international museum and research institution. The Commission will review the museum’s status at its next meeting, and looks forward to a status report from the state of Illinois as to how these concerns are being addressed.”

Comment by olddog Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 10:05 am
Thanks olddog.

Comment by Anon221 Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 10:08 am
Not a “hostage release” if it depends on the budget passing. It is “proof of life.”

Some of the other hostages are likely dead.

Comment by walker Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 10:15 am
Governor Rauner’s approach to doing business does not recognize value within the staff within the organizations he operates. Just as we see with his own gubernatorial staff, Rauner doesn’t really hires superstars, he hires amateurs and then calls them superstars. He believes that bragging about his people will cause them to strive towards superstardom - not actually possess any upon arrival.

Consequently, we see Rauner’s approach used at the Museum and how it guts an organization. To Rauner, a staffer is just a number on a pay stub, not an actual valuable asset. He doesn’t care that he is losing a talented experienced staffer, the Rauner approach just focuses on how much was saved by firing the talent, and replacing them with low cost, low skill amateurs.

The Rauner approach justifies only cost. It is how a discount department store works. So what if the staff isn’t as good. So what if they aren’t as knowledgeable or as skilled. So what if they aren’t experienced or respected within their field. The Rauner approach doesn’t value anything like that because Rauner doesn’t value talent. The Museum staffers were just replaceable costs.

So the Museum’s accreditation isn’t a big deal to Mr. Bottom Line. To him, he fired expensive people and is replacing them with cheap labor. Rauner doesn’t go to the Museum. He doesn’t depend upon it. He doesn’t care.

The Rauner approach turns Illinois from a world-class US State, into a zip code where cheap crap can get made, serviced or shipped from. The Rauner approach sees Illinois competing with Bangladesh, Vietnam or Macao for business - not New York, California or Texas.

This is what Illinois is going to become with Mr. Bottom Line - cheap government for cheap people in a cheap state. Why would he want us to remember what he did by putting that craptastic legacy in a museum?

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 10:25 am
If I recall from the frat boys rhetoric, we had to go ahead with the State fairs because their operation was required by law. Evidently their view of required by law differs when it comes to museums where you don’t hand out Rauner shopping bags.

Comment by Norseman Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 10:34 am
“…The Commission will review the museum’s status at its next meeting, and looks forward to a status report from the state of Illinois as to how these concerns are being addressed.”

The Commission summed up the problem quite precisely and concisely. The problem basically now is that the management in IDNR is very unlikely to deal effectively with these major issues. Another legislative package will be needed to secure a permanent source of funding that cannot be stripped willy nilly by the governor and an agency head that have absolutely no interest in the Museum.

Comment by Vole Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 10:45 am
$4.5-5 million is the reason for the closure, according to the Executive Branch. Could (or has) the Museum Board release a report showing the costs to run the Complex vs. all of the dollars the Complex receives IN ADDITION TO that $4.5-5 million (grants, endowments, donations) in detail? I’ve searched for an online annual report, but could not find one. Right now, that would be very helpful evidence of what Rauner is willing to throw away as his office conducts it’s “review”.

Comment by Anon221 Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 11:21 am
As long as my beloved World Shooting Complex is mothballed, shut everything down. I am mad as hell, and can’t take it anymore.

Comment by Blue dog dem Friday, Nov 13, 15 @ 1:03 pm