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* WMAY…
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton says Governor Bruce Rauner’s “inexperience” is the biggest hurdle to getting a deal together on pressing issues like a budget, school funding and pension reform.
Cullerton says Rauner doesn’t understand the complexities of trying to pass a pension reform plan or implement a school funding formula that doesn’t harm poorer school districts.
* The Question: Do you agree or disagree with Senate President Cullerton’s analysis of the “biggest hurdle” to breaking the impasse? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:37 pm
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I agree and I also think that Gov. Rauner has no interest in learning the complexities of trying to pass a pension reform plan or implement a school funding formula that doesn’t harm poorer school districts. Why would he? He’s the Governor; he’s the big thinker!! He leaves the little issues, like actually passing legislation, to the little people.
Comment by L.A. Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:41 pm
The biggest issue is not inexperience - it’s fundamental, philosophical differences regarding the role of state government. The second biggest issue is a refusal of the persons who hold subscribe to those philosophies to compromise in any meaningful way.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:44 pm
Rauner seems to know nothing about political compromise, but that’s assuming that he really cares.
Comment by forwhatitsworth Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:44 pm
Disagree. I think Rauner knows exactly what he’s doing: “squeezing the beast” for the “necessary shakeout.”
He’s pushing more than $2 million into Dunkin’s campaign.
Dunkin’s vote doesn’t get him any closer to sixty to pass legislation he wants. But it does keep Dems from overriding his vetoes that are running up deficits and gutting higher ed and social services.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:44 pm
Where has all Cullerton’s experience gotten us…
Comment by Doode Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:45 pm
Yes, but I’m not sure inexperience is the best term to describe what I think Cullerton means. Cullerton is being polite too.
This really isn’t a business deal, where the major players can agree in principal and have the lawyers draw up the papers later. You need to know the costs and trade-offs involved with pension reform. You need to understand the law as well as the politics. You need to remember that this isn’t a corporation dumping its long-term debt onto the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
Same with school funding. You need to know a little bit about the many, many school districts throughout the state, their history, who they serve and how they’ve been funded. The formula is really complex, but even minor changes to the formula can have wide-ranging unintended consequences.
No, Cullerton was being polite when discussing Rauner’s “inexperience.”
Perhaps we can have a QOTD sometime asking us to substitute one word to describe the biggest hurdle to getting a deal together. I don’t think inexperience will come up, but I think “Rauner” will get some votes.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:47 pm
Rauner, and his inability to think of anything except his aptly named “Runaground Agenda” is the biggest hurdle.
Comment by How Ironic Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:48 pm
Disagree. The biggest hurdle is neither side realizing they don’t have absolute control of the situation and must compromise. The next biggest hurdle is understanding the meaning of the word “compromise”. I think the governor is convince that if he gives in, a budget will pass, and nothing will have been done to change the long-term direction of the state and it’s dire finances caused by overspending. So he’s dug in. So is Madigan. God help us all…
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:48 pm
No. Inexperienced is only part of the problem. Arrogance and entitlement are the major causes for the impasse.
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:48 pm
Disagree - Inexperience can be overcome and Rauner has certainly surrounded himself with more than capable experienced staff. Rauner’s actions are deliberate and driven by his narrow ideology. It would be naïve to chalk this up to rookie mistakes.
Comment by pundent Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:48 pm
‘Do you agree or disagree with Senate President Cullerton’s analysis of the “biggest hurdle” to breaking the impasse?’
Disagree. I think the biggest hurdle to breaking the impasse is Governor Rauner’s belief that the impasse is working to his advantage.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:49 pm
Agree with Word. It’s not inexperience, it’s purposeful. Either let him destroy your union base, or watch while the other half of your base suffers. Either way he sees it as a win.
Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:52 pm
My thoughts are along 47th Ward’s thoughts.
I take “inexperience” here to mean a certain political immaturity in addition to Rauner’s obvious lack of interest in policy details. I think it’s absolutely correct to blame the impasse on the rather naive belief that one can hold the budget hostage to unrelated issues.
Comment by the Other Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:52 pm
Disagree. There are too many people (Durkin, Rodogno, Edgar to name a few) willing and able to help overcome his “inexperience”. If only he would ask and listen.
Comment by Casual observer Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:52 pm
Yes, only if “inexperience” is a catch all for arrogance, willful ignorance, stubbornness to a fault, run amok ego, lack of empathy, lack of heart,lack of interest and uncontrollable “g” dropping. Otherwise I think it is of a piece.
Comment by And I Approved This Message Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:53 pm
No. I think that he knows what he is doing and is doing it.
Comment by Another Prof Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:55 pm
His political “inexperience” stems directly from his experience of “You can buy anything you want as long as you are willing to pay for it.”
Unfortunately, in politics, that can take awhile. And as we are seeing, there will be bodies.
Blaming Madigan and Cullerton is his form of crisis management”, or “damage control”.
Comment by Austin Blvd Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:55 pm
Agree. He hasn’t the character to deal with people who tell him no and that only comes with experience.
Comment by Politix Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:57 pm
Disagree
It’s Rauner’s ideology.
His inexperience may reflect why it might be taking longer than he may have expected.(?)
Comment by Qui Tam Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:57 pm
I voted yes - but with the caveat that inexperience is a polite way of listing all the various reasons how Rauner is failing as a Governor.
Comment by Thoughts Matter Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:58 pm
I don’t think that it is his inexperience governing but rather his life long experience of buying and then running businesses. The governor is not the state’s CEO. Rauner’s experience is that he orders and minion follow. The General Assembly doesn’t see itself as the governors minion and will not comply simply because the Govenor said so.
Comment by TominChicago Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:58 pm
I think he is being very diplomatic in his analysis. How do you explain a governor who wants to eliminate the state’s unions and diminish pensions before he will negotiate? Is it inexperience … or just a billionaire with an agenda! I wonder how Trump would phrase that analysis!
Comment by BBG Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 2:59 pm
I would say the Governors Ego and Yes Men. But that may be less tactful than Cullertons response.
Comment by State Engineer Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:00 pm
The Democrats seem to want Rauner to abandon all of the changes he claimed he wanted to make, do a mea culpa, morph into a Democrat and agree to a Pat Quinn sized income tax increase on the middle class to fund their government wish list. Especially the latter. The good old days of money flowing every which way. And Rauner takes the heat for the income tax increase all the way to 2018, when he loses a second term bid. The new Democratic governor then gets to revel in all the billions including special state largesse for political supporters, cronies, and relatives. Back to normal.
I have no idea if Rauner’s ideas would improve Illinois’ business climate or not, but even we political amateurs out here in the regular world know this scenario is unlikely.
Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:02 pm
Ideology, not inexperience.
Comment by Molly Maguire Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:03 pm
Agreed. You can’t shake your head at every effort of compromise if you’re unaware of how far the opposing side has come off their position, which, respectfully, seems to be the case.
Comment by Conn Smythe Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:04 pm
Disagree- the problems are the point and purpose. Willfully breaking the system of government and process of governing is what he wants to do.
1)Buy it
2)Break it
3)Sell it
It is the strip mining that a venture capitalist does.
This is on purpose. Cullerton is diplomatically giving cover. Nice but who is going to pay for all this damage. No we as a public should be all about accountability.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:04 pm
Rauner is a bust out artist. Break things up into little pieces, sell off the salvageable and then….light a match. The notion that government can be run like a business is what hampers the gov, he is used to “command and demand” top down management. …when folks like him run into the messy thing called representative government they get mighty frustrated and lash out. Career government types just wait guys like him out.
Comment by Gordon Gecko Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:06 pm
Rauner needs to quit using Goldberg as his mouthpiece and come to the hearings himself for once. Using financial extortion against people who disagree with you doesn’t solve problems.
Comment by Rew23 Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:06 pm
Voted yes. Unrealistic expectations and lack of knowledge to get things done. Also his public demeanor hasn’t helped his cause.
Comment by Stones Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:07 pm
==No. Inexperienced is only part of the problem. Arrogance and entitlement are the major causes for the impasse.==
Unbelievable arrogance and entitlement are the only way someone with zero experience shoots straight to governor of one of the largest states in the union.
I voted yes, but that’s because “inexperience” is code for so MANY other nasty characteristics of his that are inextricably linked to his lack of any redeeming qualification OR interest in, you know, governing.
Comment by crazybleedingheart Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:08 pm
Disagree. Auto accidents are common for inexperienced drivers. Deliberately driving a car off a cliff? Not so much.
Comment by CrazyHorse Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:10 pm
Disagree. Rauner knows exactly what he is doing.
Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:13 pm
CrazyHorse +1
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:14 pm
No, I do not believe that the Gov’s lack of experience is the biggest hurdle. I believe there is a large ideological divide which accounts for the hurdle.
However, I do believe that Cullerton is accurate in his assessment about the Gov’s lack of knowledge about what it takes to write and implement complex legislation. The Gov’s not exactly a detail kinda guy.
Comment by Former Hoosier Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:16 pm
Voted “No”
“Why?”
The decisions like “Good Friday Massacre” make things clear, and while President Cullerton is being polite, I feel, it’s difficult to ignore behavior over a year, and decisions and ultimatums too, designed to either lead to a hurtful outcome or destructive consequence.
Voted “No”
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:18 pm
I voted to agree, but I believe it is Governor Rauner’s inherent distrust of the system, he knows all too well and is/was and always will be part of. His ego is the biggest hurdle.
Comment by Union Leader Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:19 pm
It’s not inexperience, it’s deliberate stonewalling until he gets his way on TA items that will never get enough votes to pass. Experienced politicians on both sides of the aisle have told him this, but he thinks his millions can change the politics of this state. There’s no reasoning with him. None.
Comment by Wensicia Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:21 pm
No on inexperience, but it has come down to a major miscalculation.
Rauner thought dems couldn’t stand by and let things like CSU or LSSI go down, so they’d cave. But the reality is they can, because they have someone to blame it on. In politics you either need to accomplish something or prove that you’re the key to stopping something really terrible from happening. Dems have taken the second choice.
Comment by m Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:22 pm
Voted yes, but have changed my mind. Yes to inexperience would have gotten 1.4% through the end of FY2015. Since last July, it is all arrogance and ideology.
Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:26 pm
LOL- yea lets overlook that Mike and I sat by and ran up 115 billion in unfunded pension liability along with like 20 years of structural deficits. Besides that if only Rauner had decades of govt experience everything would fall into place. Give me a break John
Comment by Sue Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:27 pm
I voted “no”. Arrogance is clearly the Governor’s biggest hurdle.
Comment by Try-4-Truth Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:27 pm
M, I sure hope Rauner or someone on his staff reads your comment. This stand off reminds me of a line from The Usual Suspects, “What [Rauner] never figured out, and what I know now, was that [Mike Madigan] would never break, never lie down, never bend over for [nobody nobody sent].”
Comment by Me too Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:28 pm
@Word - “Disagree. I think Rauner knows exactly what he’s doing: ’squeezing the beast’ for the ‘necessary shakeout.’”
He couldn’t care less. No empathy in that man.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:29 pm
I would agree as long as “inexperience” is kept confined to its quotation marks;)
Rauner is aware of what he’s doing. He is not stumblin’ done the path. He’s grinnin’ and steppin’ right along. However, based on the testimony at the budget act hearing, maybe, just maybe, there are some cracks showing on the R side. Radogno seemed more even and not harping on the Rauner rhetoric. Then again, once the Senators are outside the committee room, it might be back to finger pointing. Rs and Ds are going to have to work together to overcome the poison pills that are sure to be thrown into upcoming bills.
Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:29 pm
- Sue -
Can Rauner count to 60 and 30?
You can get back to me, no rush.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:31 pm
Oops. Anonymous at 3:29 was me.
Comment by Geek Marine Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:31 pm
I’d like to change my vote. I was being charitable when I said Rauner doesn’t understand. He does–he just doesn’t care.
Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:32 pm
Rauner made a decision to destroy a key Democratic constituency. Inexperience may have influenced that decision. But his persistence is not just inexperience.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:35 pm
Sue, that debt was being serviced just fine until Rauner demanded the income tax not be extended. Granted, the dems obliged knowing he would have to demand a tax increase to fund government, but he asked. Now he is peddling the fiction that even after he adds 8 billion dollars to the bill backlog, bringing it to a staggering 12-13 billion dollars, or more than a third of revenue, we can cut our way out. The truth is that the only way we were ever getting out of the hole was to keep the higher rate and try to limit expenditures. You know how we’re funding 90% of programs by court order? Know why? That spending is mandated. So we can cut ten percent sure, then watch as social services crumble and our universities default. I wonder how many businesses will want to relocate or start up in a third world state. That’s what your 1.25% gets us, people starving in the street, granny freezing in the winter, doctors and hospitals not being paid, more people going to jail rather than being treated for mental illness or getting support services, and much worse. One of the biggest issues though might be that since state services are being cut, people will no longer be able to remain clothed, fed and housed when they are paid Walmart wages with no one accepting their medicaid. Oh sure they are insured, but since their insurance company doesn’t pay, they aren’t really covered. Neither are some state employees for that matter.
Oh, those two you mention got us in debt, but we weren’t broke just yet. Now, we’re still not broke, but it is going to take massive tax increases to get us out of this near bottomless hole that has been dug simply because one man hates unions. His plan was simple, get the dems to abandon one half of their base to save the other. He didn’t count on the fact that they knew if they abandoned the unions, they’d shoulder the blame, but if the poor were hurt because of a budget standoff, the impediment would get the blame, rather than the democrats. He’s the impediment.
Comment by Me too Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:41 pm
=Mike and I sat by and ran up 115 billion in unfunded pension liability along with like 20 years of structural deficits.=
Along with innumerable Republican legislators and governors. About 50% came under republican governors.
Just in case you were interested in facts.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:46 pm
Rauner — dumb like a fox
Comment by Diogenes in DuPage Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 3:48 pm
To speak to President Cullerton’s remarks,
I said he (Cullerton) is being polite, but if I take step back and look at the legislative wrangling not done by Rauner’s Legislative Shop, due in large part to Rauner’s legislative “agenda” to sweat out the Dems or the passive dismantling by doing nothing.
I’d like to see the Rauner Legislative Shop pull off something, given the vast wasteland Rauner gave them to do it.
Rauner’s acidic words, or Rauner refusing to keep his word has got to make Staff and Crew want to spit nails.
In that prism, yeah, I can see why Cullerton is giving ghe benefit of the doubt, sure.
But, counting noses is both and art and science, and even by accident a governor can get thibgs passed. These heavy lifts, no accidents happen. Work is the order of the day and not helping your Crew and Staff could very we’ll be part of that inexperience.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 4:00 pm
Nothing really meaningful will happen until after the November elections.
Comment by Buzzie Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 4:05 pm
Experience got us into the fiscal mess we are in today.
Comment by old pol Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 4:10 pm
Voted: Disagree.
If it were merely ‘inexperience’, a guy smart enough to con voters into electing him would also be smart enough the hire some savvy political pros who would guide him; rather than his school-boy-snarky-SuperStarts.
The real problem is his personality, regardless of what -path you choose to call it.
raunner JUST DOESN’T CARE about the damage he, and he alone, is causing in IL. And, not smart enough or caring enough to understand this is not WI where that gov had a ‘friendly’ GA.
Just not that smart.
Comment by sal-says Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 4:13 pm
Agree. We’ve had corrupt, we’ve had incompetent, we’ve had inexperienced (to an extent) and egotists out the ya-ha. But for a man who claims to have made his fortune in business, he sure doesn’t communicate well, nor does he understand the job he’s undertaken. It’s become a bigger embarrassment than having 4 of the last 7 governors in prison — and that’s saying a lot!
Comment by Not quite a majority Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 4:15 pm
Incompetence due to inexperience was a factor for abut the first three months.
Now it’s simple intent to fail at normal governing.
Comment by walker Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 4:16 pm
Disagree. For a long time, I thought the main problem was Rauner’s inexperience. But it’s been more than a year now, and he’s shown no capacity to learn from experience. I have to conclude the damage he’s inflicting is deliberate and ideological in origin.
Comment by olddog Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 4:18 pm
Disagree. The biggest hurdle to overcome is the Speaker and President’s unwillingness to really compromise with the Governor. The Governor’s rhetoric against the Speaker and others has not been helpful at moving the budget impasse towards a conclusion. But we aren’t in a budget impasse because of the Governor’s “inexperience”. We are here because none of them spend much time in the same room together. Until the 4 tops and the Governor are meeting daily, we won’t resolve this crisis anytime soon. All 5 of them need to figure out a way to get 60 votes in the House and 30 in the Senate and the Governor’s signature. This has gone one too long. The Speaker is a political animal and will hold out as long as it is politically beneficial to him. He couldn’t care less about the social service providers that are closing because so long as they blame the crisis on the Governor, he wins. That mentality has to end and end immediately.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 4:46 pm
“Inexperience” suggests someone who can learn. Rauner considers all government corrupt, and minimally necessary or beneficial, beyond some basics. Therefore, he is justified in destroying it, to remake it according to his views. You cant negotiate w someone like that.
Winning.
Comment by Langhorne Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 4:48 pm
I voted yes. BVR is used to a one-person chain of command, and that isn’t how it works here. We have, on purpose, checks and balances to prevent an “administrator” from imposing his or her own will.
Compromise. Apparently something BVR doesn’t do. We can all give 100 examples of compromise by MJM or Cullerton. Please show me some by BVR.
Comment by Mongo Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 4:49 pm
Crazy Horse, that was good.
Comment by Mongo Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 4:53 pm
No.
But I do think Cullerton is being polite by attempting to give Rauner cover. Rauner should play along.
If Rauner’s personality issues will allow it, he should show that he can be humble and become a student of the political process, as Cullerton is hinting is necessary.
Rauner can fake a few eureka moments, then maybe we can get some where with fixing the $12b problem.
Comment by cdog Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 5:47 pm
Politics is a profession…a skill to be learned. A businessman does not have the skills of a politician.
Comment by NoGifts Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 6:03 pm
Disagree. Cullerton is being polite. Too polite.
Comment by Emily Booth Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 6:42 pm
Agree. Extremely inexperienced as a politician.
Madigan’s weakness with electorate: dysfunctional government. Rauner’s chosen line of attack: deliver even more eye-popping government dysfunction. One could go on….
Comment by Peon Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 7:02 pm
No the govenor is ineffective and about to become insignificant
Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 8:03 pm
Disagree -
Both sides know exactly what they want -
Comment by cannon649 Wednesday, Mar 9, 16 @ 9:01 pm
I voted agree because Cullerton knows the Governor better than I do, and knows how to make government run in Illinois, better than I do.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Mar 10, 16 @ 8:37 am