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The coming showdown

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Rauner was more clearly aiming at the mayor’s jugular with his comments on the city’s problems and the prospects of getting help from the state.

“Let’s be clear, Chicago Public Schools are in dramatic trouble, as is the city, but the schools are worse,” he said.

“The mayor will attempt to blame Springfield and say Springfield owes it to us to send us lots of cash. That is fundamentally wrong, fundamentally not true,” Rauner said, arguing CPS already receives more than its fair share of state education dollars.

CPS has a different take on that, which we will explore on another day, but for now what’s important is to understand that the governor doesn’t plan to give unless he gets.

“We’ll work together cooperatively if the city is helping us reform the state,” Rauner said. “If the city is opposing reform for the state, which so far they are, or staying silent and letting the Speaker block reform, no, I’m sorry. We’re doing things to help the city of Chicago, as much as I would like to.”

He always throws in a line about how much he would like to help the city, just so we don’t get the idea he doesn’t like us.

Why can Rauner accomplish in 2016 all that he could not in 2015, starting with a state budget?

“Frankly, there is a lot of impetus, a lot of pressure,” Rauner said.

And he’s only too happy to add to the pressure.

The governor pretty much covered all the bases there.

But the question becomes what happens when the Chicago doo-doo really, truly hits the fan? Will Rauner stand firm? Or will he do what he’s done in the past (FY15 budget, autism cuts, local government money, federal funds, etc., etc., etc.) and work out a deal unrelated to the Turnaround Agenda?

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:13 am

Comments

The Mayor needs a lot from Springfield and so the smart move for him has always been to not take sides in the war and keep as many people happy as he can. Unfortunately for the Mayor the two sides are currently so hostile that they won’t accept him playing the middle and he’s become worse off for it. At this point I don’t see how he isn’t forced to pick a side, but if he does any chance of Chicago getting help pretty much goes out the window. He’s playing a game where there is no winning move, and there may not even be a surviving one.

Comment by The Captain Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:17 am
“Let’s be clear, Chicago Public Schools are in dramatic trouble, as is the city, but the schools are worse,” said the governor who’s state has been operating without a budget for over six months.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:18 am
===“We’ll work together cooperatively if the city is helping us reform the state,” (Gov. Bruce) Rauner said. “If the city is opposing reform for the state, which so far they are, or staying silent and letting the Speaker block reform, no, I’m sorry. We’re doing things to help the city of Chicago, as much as I would like to.”===

Why would any Dem, especially a Chicago Dem worry.

Rauner owns this.

Rauner is choosing NOT to help Chicago.

Rauner says so.

Ok.

Good luck with that, Governor.

Until you fold again. Why? Governors own, they always do.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:19 am
The Governor’s job is not so easy, is it Mr. Rauner?

Unless of course you just keep putting things off, hoping for the best.

Also, kicking a guy when he’s been knocked down by something else, is not a reflection of your strength or bravery.

Comment by walker Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:22 am
Why is Rauner drawing a line in the sand over a problem that, at this second, he doesn’t own? Why get his hands dirty before everything goes belly up?

“I could be the one who saves the day, but you know what, I think being the villain is a better strategy.” — Rauner and the Frats.

Comment by From the 'Dale to HP Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:23 am
I am praying to God that Rauner and his owls realize that the whole state is a symbiotic system. What happens to one part effects all the other parts. Eyes open and act.

Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:33 am
Rauner is almost gleeful in his eagerness to tell anyone and everyone–pain will be inflicted on the most vulnerable for as long as it takes to get dems to capitulate on his agenda.

Comment by Langhorne Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:34 am
The governor complains about the business climate, but he can get some workers compensation reform. The governor complains about property taxes, but the GA would give him a property tax freeze. The governor complains about too many government units, and if I’m not mistaken, Cullerton just said he supports policy that would address this issue.

“Three yards and a cloud of dust,” governor [h/t to John Boehner]. Get what you can and let’s move on.

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:41 am
Where did Rauner say he would not help the City of Chicago? I believe he said he would help fix Chicago’s problems if Chicago helped fix the State’s problems. Seems very basic. If they want a Chicago casino or anything else for that matter, a compromise must be reached. As far as owning Chicago’s problems, only OW can pin the blame on a fellow Republican. No one else would.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:44 am
Nothing will be done until at least 2017, unless downstate is hit by a major crisis. Rauner will hold out expecting Rahm will be the fall guy for Chicago problems. The sycophantic editorial boards will back him up on that.

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:46 am
===Rauner is choosing NOT to help Chicago.==

Rauner is offering to help Chicago if there is some “give” and not all take.

Comment by justacitizen Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:50 am
“The mayor will attempt to blame Springfield and say Springfield owes it to us to send us lots of cash. That is fundamentally wrong, fundamentally not true,” Rauner said.

“The State has the primary responsibility for financing the system of public education.” Illinois Constitution, Article X, Section 1

Comment by DeKalb Guy Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:50 am
- justacitizen -,

Tell that to the hostages. It hasn’t worked yet. Rauner folds. Rauner folds because governors own. Rauner choising NOT to help Chicago purposely will come back to Rauner.

Rauner is choosing. Chicago can sink, until Unions are decimated.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:54 am
With each passing day it is even more apparent that this Governor has one goal - and one goal only - the weakening/destruction of unions. Nothing else is as important as this one goal. Not meals to the elderly. Not education to college kids. To this guv, those things are just things that can be used as leverage to get what he wants. He will take everything he can and use it as leverage. Leverage is all people like this guv know. To get the things they want, they don’t rely on reason, or goodwill to convince someone to change the way they think. They rely on brute force (leverage) - to force someone to do what they don’t want to do.

I don’t see anything changing until he is voted out of office. The guy is simply on a crusade (the recent trip to Spain and Morocco is too perfect).

Comment by Henry Francis Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:54 am
Why do my Dem legislators keep telling us (their constituents) they oppose diverting suburban school funding to Chicago if Rauner owns all this?

Asking for a friend.

Comment by lake county democrat Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:54 am
So, according to the governor, ensuring that Chicago schools remain open is not a worthy objective in and of itself?

That’s a strange position for a governor of Illinois to take.

Where did Rauner get the idea that Emanuel has any independent influence in the General Assembly? That he can flip votes? Did the Frat Boys tell him that?

Emanuel couldn’t do it before the McDonald video was released. He certainly can’t do it now. He’s radioactive.

It’s all a bluff, anyway. If you’ll recall, Rauner had his GA sheep vote against the K-12 funding bill, then gave them a royal rodgering by signing it, with only 30 minutes notice.

You think Rauner is going to take the heat for 300K Chicago kids not being in school? Take the risk of something happening to some kids on the street when they should have been in school?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:59 am
“Let it burn!”
- Bruce Rauner to City of Chicago

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:04 am
I don’t know how much Rahm could help Rauner even if he wanted to. How many Chicago Dems in the General Assembly can Rahm convince to take sides with Rauner against Madigan/Cullerton/Labor? Seriously. Name them. I can only think of a few possibilities and it’s because they (or their spouse) happen to be on the city payroll.

Rahm and Rauner could agree on CPS rescue plan that forces the teachers to assume their full pension payments, but I don’t think they can get it through either chamber unless Cullerton or Madigan are on board — and even then it would be tough. Chicago area GA members are more worried about crossing Karen Lewis than ticking off Rahm. This mayor has never had much juice in Springfield, and given the events of the past two months, he has even less than he did before.

Comment by CM&A Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:04 am
As I have stated repeatedly CPS can go to ISBE and request being placed under an oversight board. Then it will become the Governor’s problem. If ISBE denies that status to CPS they will litigate and probably win. One only needs to read the School Code to see the provisions for oversight.

Really Mayor Emanuel can pass the buck to Rauner and see how well he and Rev Meeks can do.

Comment by Rod Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:06 am
Chicago is a big economic engine for the whole state of IL. If Chicago fails, then the whole state will feel the effect. I’m not saying that Rahm should get whatever he wants, but we should keep in mind that Chicago is not an enemy, but a city that plays a major role in our state’s economic health.

Comment by Big Joe Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:09 am
Why is Rauner against unions? To paraphrase Willie Sutton because that is where the money is? The Speaker’s war chest is mostly for labor with the rest from trial lawyers. Rauner is going after the power structure of the Democratic Party. So is Rahm to a certain degree advocating for workers comp reform and a phase out of the pension pickup for CPS.

We don’t know how Springfield democrats will balance the Star s or Chicago’s budget- they won’t say

Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:14 am
Gov. Rauner presumably believes that the pain currently inflicted on the most vulnerable was an eventuality absent structural reform in Illinois. He has merely moved the timeline up.

Once upon a time, there was enough slack in the Illinois economy to facilitate our “symbiotic system”, as it is referred to by Honeybear @ 10:33am. May I suggest that this symbiosis is not beneficial at this time in Illinois. It seems more like a synergy of evil, whereby the various power factions in Illinois, which may have served well in the past, now seem to be desperate parasites struggling to find a place to feed.

Insofar as “who owns the jacket” in what eventually results, it appears to me it will not be Gov. Rauner. He already has his money and security, and can disappear into one of his often referred to numerous homes. But the “jacket” must be worn, if I understand this line of political thought. Won’t that be whoever is left, unless a solution is found to fund Illinois government without over - reliance on penalizing a shrinking private sector middle class?

Comment by Cook County Commoner Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:20 am
So this is the post camel ride Trump costume….SuperStars fail on their own so they announce they will screw Chicago school kids till they get their antiworkers stuff….sheer genius

Comment by Anonin' Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:24 am
Feels like campaign rhetoric to me. Everybody in
Illinois doesn’t live in Chicago and even many Chicagoans don’t send their kids to public or even publicly-funded charter schools. Maybe there’s not a lot of enthusiasm for sending hundreds of millions of state funds into a failed system, while raising income taxes on all Illinois taxpayers. Any polling out there on how much Illinois residents would be willing to pay in additional taxes to “save” CPS?

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:27 am
I believe the latest scandal can be traced to the Governor. In April of 2012- the same year the Rauner Family Foundation donated $500,000 to the Chicago Public Education Fund (CPEF) - Barbara Byrd-Bennett (B3) was hired by CPS as a $21,000 a month consultant to the CEO. Sound familiar? I believe that was probably Rauner’s opinion of the going rate for superstars.

Comment by Triple fat Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:29 am
I don’t like Rahm but I don’t support this for the same reason I don’t support term limits-we have elections and that’s where the forum for this sort of thing is. Chicago knew Rahm Emanuel, warts and all and chose to re-elect him just like they knew Bush 43 had problems in Iraq and chose to go with him again.

You do this stuff, you diminish the value of elections and the people that play by those rules.

Comment by Shore Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:41 am
CM&A,

The most they could achieve would be to get the teachers to pay the employee portion of the pension contribution. Anything beyond that would violate the ‘the rules in place at time of hiring …’ interpretation by the IL SC.

Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:49 am
When is the last time CPS passed an honest balanced budget?

This problem is entirely self-created, and CPS still continues the practices that created this problem.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 12:05 pm
I never saw a governor enjoy himself more while inflicting pain on innocent bystanders.

Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 12:14 pm
===Rauner is choosing. Chicago can sink, until Unions are decimated.===

I think Rauner is willing to negotiate. Dems won’t budge an inch.

Comment by justacitizen Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 12:31 pm
===I think Rauner is willing to negotiate. Dems won’t budge an inch.===

lol.

=== “If the city is opposing reform for the state, which so far they are, or staying silent and letting the Speaker block reform, no, I’m sorry. We’re doing things to help the city of Chicago, as much as I would like to.”===

Nope.

“Do this, or nothin’…”

That ain’t negotiatin’, that’s hostage takin’

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 12:46 pm
@RNUG

I agree…that’s what I’m refering to. Chicago teachers only pay 2 percent of their 9 percent employee contribution, the Brd of Ed picks up the rest based on decades old collective bargaining agreements. Rahm and Rauner would love to eliminate the pick-up statutorily. It would save Rahm cash and give Rauner a chance to remove pension matters from collective bargaining.

Comment by CM&A Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 12:46 pm
I’d simply say that they will be no FY17 budget proposed and passed until there’s a completed FY16 budget..

Comment by Mouthy Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 1:24 pm
More Rauner hostage taking…
I’m not defending Rahm, not in any way. This isn’t about Rahm or the job he’s done. This isn’t about anything other than breaking unions and Rauner doing what he does best when it comes to his Turnaround Agenda…take something hostage and ask for a ransom in return for that hostage.

Comment by Bulldog58 Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 2:12 pm
CM&A brings up a good point.

Rauner’s obsession with eliminating collective bargaining rights has made middle-the-road solutions virtually undoable — and Rahm can’t change that.

Asking Chicago teachers to assume the total cost of their own pension contributions (especially if it’s phased in over a couple of years,) is hardly a radically anti-union proposal. In another time — like 12 months ago — I could easily see Madigan and Cullerton pushing such a plan as part of a bigger CPS relief package. But Rauner’s war on unions has sent both sides to the trenches. For Democrats, voting for any bill that is seen as even remotely anti-union is now considered unconditional surrender to the enemy.

These are the same Democrats who bucked the unions not long ago and supported bi-partisan pension reform. That would never happen today. In Bruce Rauner’s Springfield, there is no middle ground.

Comment by Phil T. Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 2:34 pm
As MJM has said repeatedly, this budget will be solved in moderation and not in the extreme. The budget will be a combination of cuts and taxes. The number one problem facing the state is the budget, and the non budget items are standing in the way of a budget.

Comment by Facts are Stubborn Things Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 2:59 pm
The Autism Program is not receiving any funding. With no service contact for FY16 and with multiple sites around the state having already closed, it looks like Rauner has successfully killed the program.

When he cut the program unilaterally in ‘15 after a bi-partisan effort to sweep funds to pay for it, he owned the cuts and couldn’t get away with it. However, once it was part of the “budget stalemate,” the “political feud,” the “budget impasse,” the pressure was off.

It’s sad. Rauner cares more about his anti-union agenda than the autistic kids. Too many lawmakers are more scared of an angry anti-tax mob, than doing the right thing. They need to muster the courage to say these kids are worth the cost.

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20151003/NEWS/151009783/?Start=1

Comment by Bull Moose Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 3:13 pm
Was there a CTU strike date established?

Comment by Blue dog dem Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 6:52 pm