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* My Crain’s Chicago Business column…
If you Google “Rauner kick the can” (without the quotation marks) you’ll get 187,000 search results.
You can now make that 187,001.
The reason? Well,
Click here to read the rest before commenting, please. Thanks.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:30 am
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Previous Post: That one’s gonna leave a mark
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The question is whether this infotainment should be classified as a dark comedy or a tragedy.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:39 am
I have a real problem with expanding Government Services to Babysit Pot Smokers (”Prisons”).
If we are going to do that then hire former Big Box Greeters to serve them for minimum wage.
Or gut the Prison Unions.
Turnaround Illinois.
Comment by Jack Stephens Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:39 am
So Rauner is at fault if he doesn’t compromise, but he’s also at fault when he offers a budget that he thinks the legislature will accept? Remember, how great IL’s finances were before Rauner ‘manufactured’ a crisis? Yeah, I wasn’t paying attention to the news for the past twenty years, either.
Comment by OK Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:40 am
===he’s also at fault when he offers a budget that he thinks the legislature will accept?===
When did he do that?
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:45 am
His proposed budget (which is out of balance) and him saying that he’s willing to sign a tax increase (if he gets something out of the legislature) is not compromise?
Comment by OK Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:47 am
OK, accepting the simple laws of mathematics is not the same as compromise. If the Governor wants to offer up $6+ billion in cuts, he should feel free to have at it. But Governor “I’ll take the arrows” doesn’t seem to be willing to do that.
Comment by Juice Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:49 am
===So Rauner is at fault if he doesn’t compromise, but he’s also at fault when he offers a budget that he thinks the legislature will accept?===
Rauner complains about Democratic budgets out of whack, and Rauner proposes a budget $6.6 billion out of whack, and wants Democratic support. So what are you trying say exactly?
===Remember, how great IL’s finances were before Rauner ‘manufactured’ a crisis?===
Are you glossing over the Billions (with a ‘B’) Rauner has added to the debt for his absolute manufactured crisis? Again, between your mouth-breathing, what are you trying to say exactly?
===Yeah, I wasn’t paying attention to the news for the past twenty years, either.===
Read McKinney, read connects here, see that no one is ignoring the problems, but looking at the hostages, the destruction, the “poison pills”, the leveraging, the hypocrisy, and the failure to govern by Rauner.
Please, keep up. “Ok?”
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:50 am
“What we saw the other day was merely a finely crafted work of infotainment.”
To be fair, the governor’s budget address was neither informative nor entertaining.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:50 am
It was an excellent column Rich. You really nailed it. I have difficulty seeing the governor’s end game on this. I mean I know what he hopes for, but at GOPers have told us for years, hope is not a strategy. All I see coming from the gov’s current strategy is pain…
Comment by Chicago Cynic Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 9:51 am
===His proposed budget (which is out of balance) and him saying that he’s willing to sign a tax increase (if he gets something out of the legislature) is not compromise?===
Are you purposely ignorant or blussfully unaware.
Think. If Rauner’s own proposal requires… That’s requires… revenue, how in the name of all that us budgetary is that a “give”?
Seriously. Revenue is required. Not an optional give in a negotiation.
Geez, Louise, giving on a requirement isn’t even in the parking lot of the ball park of compromising.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:00 am
Commenter OK seems to share the opinion of Democrats that many across the state seem to share. Namely, that “giving” a tax increase to the Dems, just cuz, is a compromise. Dems love arbitrary tax increases! Similarly, when the Governor proposes a wildly out of balance budget, it’s also a compromise to Dems because Dems LOVE deficits.
That’s how far afield we are
Comment by Johnny Pyle Driver Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:14 am
–“But you know what?” Rauner also told the Pork Producers. “It’s not really about the budget. It’s about the future direction of Illinois.”–
LOL, sorry, Gov. Houdini, that weak attempt at rhetorical sleight of hand doesn’t cut it.
The budget is the governmental instrument used to set the direction of the state. It’s the plan.
That direction, under the current state of affairs, is unprecedented GRF debt amounting to $12 billion in unpaid bills by the end of the fiscal year, the dishonoring of state contracts with Illinois businesses and non-profits, the shredding of the social services safety net and the abandonment of public higher education.
No hocus-pocus-dominocus in a lame speech can dispute those cold, hard facts.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:19 am
Can you imagine the blowback if the Dems offered up a budget plan that opened the door for skipping pension payments?
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:29 am
Where can I locate the informative part of ‘Rauner’s Budget Infotainment’?
Comment by Mama Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:32 am
“Infotainment” is a very good way to describe Rauner’s budget, and maybe also his “strategy”.
Comment by Harry Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 10:43 am
It may just be me. And being redundant again.
BUT….
Hundreds of thousands, if not millions by now, of Illinoisans continue to suffer the consequences of Raunner’s non-governing as he continues to destroy the fabric of IL.
Where ARE the consequences .TO. Raunner for his continuing violations of his oath of office; violations of the IL Constitution and violations of IL Statutes going on 2 budget years now.
Where are the consequences?
Hello Lisa? Hello GA? Hello Repubs? (other than Edgar & Thompson)
//
no /s
Comment by sal-says Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 11:05 am
Rauner is no longer an unknown, good article Rich.
Comment by Liberty Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 11:11 am
Excellent article Mr. Miller.
Comment by Jimmy H Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 11:23 am
A fine piece, Rich.
Too bad anyone who can do anything about it doesn’t care.
And too bad that mainstream Illinois is not attuned.
Perhaps in time.
Comment by Austin Blvd Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 11:24 am
Actions. Words.
Its not a balanced budget, when a $6.6 B deficit is “covered” w magic beans. It would be one thing, if the magic beans would be the subject of real negotiation. But then they would not be, well, magic beans.
The sad thing is, when rauner is mouthing conciliatory platitudes (w TA tucked in), i think he actually believes it. Winning. Inexcusable not to have a budget. Etc, ad nauseum
Comment by Langhorne Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 11:25 am
The problem is that he cannot explain the inexplicable. Cannot defend the indefensible.
His trickle-down theories have been repeatedly disproven. What’s there to say about it?
Do we really need to follow Sam Brownback down the rabbit hole?
Unfortunately, Toto, we’re all in Kansas.
Comment by TinyDancer(FKA Sue) Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 12:22 pm
Well put Rich.
Comment by markg8 Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 12:53 pm
It is interesting to contrast the comments here vs. there. Two very different groups of readers I suspect.
Comment by logic not emotion Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 1:23 pm
–It is interesting to contrast the comments here vs. there. Two very different groups of readers I suspect. –
But the numbers remain the same. By June 30, the backlog of unpaid bills will have increased to as much as $12 billion, compared to the $4.3 billion when Rauner took office.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 6:24 pm
Proving, Word, that no budget, is infinitely worse than an implemented budget with a deficit. And especially when that lack of a budget decimates those most in need of our assistance. The democrats have proven that they’ll negotiate with Rauner’s STATED turnaround agenda items without his anti-Union poison pills. That compromise is in spite of Rauner’s STATED lack of any social agenda during the general election. His refusal to sit down and negotiate with the GA regarding the budget, and the horrible social and financial consequences that have ensued are ENTIRELY his fault, and the people of Illinois know Rauner is to blame. The only way out of this Rauner-created crisis is Republican legislators with enough backbone to defy Rauner’s money and actually do what’s best for their constituents, thus rendering the governor’s veto powers impotent.
Comment by PublicServant Monday, Feb 22, 16 @ 8:05 pm