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* The Tribune crunches the numbers…
(T)he state faces a $6.6 billion budget deficit. Under the proposed budget, Rauner assumes he’ll be able to find $2.7 billion in savings by reducing health benefits of state workers, reining in state payments for pensions and making agencies operate more efficiently. But Rauner would need help from lawmakers and a new contract with state workers to realize much of those savings. The governor also is hoping to avoid having to pay back $454 million that his administration borrowed from special funds last year to help get through the budget impasse [but he’ll need legislative approval for that as well].
That leaves a roughly $3.5 billion hole. Rauner didn’t spell out how he would bridge it.
And yet he vetoed a budget that was $4 billion out of whack.
* Related…
* Editorial: State budget speeches 2, actual state budgets 0
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 10:37 am
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What a bunch of poindexters.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 10:38 am
Good to see that there’s still a handful of poindexters on the Tribune payroll.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 10:40 am
Aha! So the Trib has number crunchers. Perhaps they were insulted when they were referred to as ‘poindexters’?
Wait — these number crunchers aren’t the *same* people that a few days ago called number crunchers poindexters, right? I mean, they work for the same company — but they’re sitting in different parts of the building?
Right?
Comment by Macbeth Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 10:41 am
Just more “Smoke and Mirrors” and games being played at the expense of everyone who lives on our State.
Comment by illini Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 10:43 am
“But Rauner would need help…”
Good Luck. Keep beatin’ and name callin’ and stretchin’ the truth- yep, that’ll bring peoplr runnin’ to help out.
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 10:44 am
This fact finding by the Trib and add in Eric Zorn’s column today about Rauner not being willing to use his ability last year to veto line items in the budget (thus resulting in no budget), there may be hope for the Tribune. They may be ready to start to provide more facts to the public.
Comment by illlinifan Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 10:45 am
C’mon poindexter, all that math is too difficult to understand.
Comment by SAP Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 10:45 am
Let me see if I can remember the mantra correctly. We can’t support the “unbalanced unconstitutional” Rauner budget.
Comment by Norseman Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 10:48 am
But of course those are the tea party talking points- reduce waste and fraud, cut overpriced union (means every public employee) salaries and benefits and promote government efficiency.
He is simply still campaignin.
Comment by Liberty Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 10:56 am
Well, I know I’m in the minority view on this one, but I see it the opposite way. The Democratic Caucus wants to balance the budget with magic beans. Rauner is recognizing by including the $3.5 billion figure in his budget that it can NOT be balanced with pixies and fairy dust. Only with specific cuts that will bring the state back to fiscal sanity, or with a revenue increase - which he says he won’t support without reforms. The Governor recognizes the budget is unbalanced and that something must be done to fix it. The Democrats are the ones refusing to recognize that reality.
Comment by Jack Kemp Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 10:58 am
= The governor also is hoping to avoid having to pay back $454 million that his administration borrowed from special funds last year to help get through the budget impasse [but he’ll need legislative approval for that as well].=
So the Governor just matter of factly assumed the GA would allow him refuse to pay back the borrowings? I mean if not why wouldn’t the $454M be lumped under “working together”?
Comment by Get a Job!! Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:18 am
Hey, look at it this way: if the governor keeps introducing budgets that get half a billion dollars closer to reality every year, we will be able to begin to get out of this mess in seven years.
Comment by The Drummer Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:54 am
The SJR article nails it.
Comment by burbanite Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 12:23 pm
==The Governor recognizes the budget is unbalanced and that something must be done to fix it. The Democrats are the ones refusing to recognize that reality.==
You have got to be kidding me. The fact that you take Rauner’s budget seriously indicates to me that you really don’t have a clue as to what is going on with his proposed budget. He’s in the same boat as everyone else. They all know there’s a problem with the budget. They all recognize it’s out of balance (contrary to your assertion), but none of them really know how to fix it. The Democrats passed an unbalanced budget and sent it to the Governor. The Governor introduced an unbalanced budget and punted back to the General Assembly.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 12:24 pm
“Only with specific cuts that will bring the state back to fiscal sanity” Such as…?
Comment by Skeptic Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 2:32 pm
“Only with specific cuts that will bring the state back to fiscal sanity” How do eliminating prevailing wage, imposing term limits and redistricting help?
Comment by Skeptic Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 2:36 pm
The Tribune Editorial Board makes the rest of that paper pay a steep price.
It must feel like swimming upstream, working at the statehouse when @StatehouseChick and her brethren try to undercut your hard work.
Daily.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 3:06 pm
++- Skeptic @ 2:36 pm:++ “Only with specific cuts that will bring the state back to fiscal sanity” “How do eliminating prevailing wage, imposing term limits and redistricting help?”
Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda/Structural Reforms do nothing to bring the state back to fiscal sanity. If it did, the Dems would jump on it.
Comment by Mama Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 3:25 pm