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Budgeteers talking taxes

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Illinois

* As subscribers were told this morning, this is true, but we’re still a long way from the end…

The wheels in Springfield are churning, with the so-called Budgeteer Group meeting in private on Tuesday evening and reportedly making progress in talks… On Tuesday, talk included the possibility of tax increases.

The governor’s office, too, has been meeting with the group and according to a Rauner administration official, there’s real movement. “From the beginning of the process our office has been forward leaning in the interest of getting a deal,” the official told Illinois Playbook. “The budget group is a place where only bipartisan, bicameral agreement can come forward. Folks with an agenda might want to advantage themselves by putting revenue ideas on one party but the group will only produce something that everyone can agree to.”

No huge surprises on the table here: The governor’s office is willing to talk about revenue options but they must be paired with reforms. That’s something Gov. Bruce Rauner has long discussed and the Republican first-term governor has backed off significantly from what reforms must be part of a budget package. The X factor, as always, is Democratic House Speaker Mike Madigan.

Madigan has repeatedly said he’s wanted a mix of cuts and new revenue and has rejected pairing Rauner’s turnaround agenda with a budget. But we are far away from the kinds of demands Rauner was making a year ago. We are also much farther in the hole on a bill backlog, pension debt, and we have a litany of social service groups screaming for help.

We need a real budget. Keep your fingers crossed.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 8:40 am

Comments

Dear Rauner Crew,

Remember “#TaxHikeMike”?

===“The budget group is a place where only bipartisan, bicameral agreement can come forward. Folks with an agenda might want to advantage themselves by putting revenue ideas on one party but the group will only produce something that everyone can agree to.”===

I think it’s been said 17,462 times here…

Structured roll calls and a clean signature, even for Revenue, must be the order of the day.

The sheer ignorance of placing #TaxHikeMike as a chip in an ongoing battle of wills speaks volumes to how your Crew stifled these processes, and now…

===“The budget group is a place where only bipartisan, bicameral agreement can come forward. Folks with an agenda might want to advantage themselves by putting revenue ideas on one party but the group will only produce something that everyone can agree to.”====

Funny, for a Governor willing to take “slings and arrows” and willing to spend multiple millions against Madigan, including #TaxHikeMike….

… it comes down to your “position” that anyone watching has said IS the only way… and now… golly, we need bicameral, bipartisan… ”

Ugh. No kidding.

Next time, hows about a lil less #TaxHikeMike and a lil more “how can we all spread the pain of this revenue problem and keep the politics out of it”.

What a complete and utter WASTE of months and months and months… because #TaxHikeMike was just so important in “winning” than trying to govern in the first place.

Learn a lesson here, and… fund your state agencies.

Oswego Willy

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 8:52 am
So, will this be this year’s budget or next year’s budget ?

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 8:52 am
===So, will this be this year’s budget or next year’s budget ? ===

Yes.

lol

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 8:54 am
Very much glad to hear of real budget progress. Please, please keep our K-12 schools running as they should. and as I’ve expressed from heart so many times before, keep the pressure on to reduce costs in higher education as so many other schools and states have done - Administrative costs can be reduced to a fraction through cooperative organizational reform, on line courses will reduce brick and mortar cost and make more, better quality courses available to more students. Having been involved in higher education in several states over many, many years, I know this can be done.
Thank you everyone for coming together to solve your state’s budget issues. You all have best intentions in heart.

Comment by rpatel Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 8:54 am
Presumably Rauner hasn’t dropped all of his “demands” and time has shown that some demands are a lot more important to him than others. Personally I don’t think he really cares about term limits, redistricting and w/c reform so I could easily see him abandoning his past demands for reforms in those areas. At the same time that’s likely where there is the most room for compromise. The real question is whether of not the poison pills are off the table. Take those away and something could happen quickly.

Comment by pundent Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:04 am
–The X factor, as always, is Democratic House Speaker Mike Madigan.–

The X-factor is what will Rauner sign. Unless House GOP members bolt, Rauner continues to hold the trump cards.

Last I recall anyone counting them up, there had been more than 60 failed veto overrides. There have been more since then.

That’s the real power. The legend of the all-powerful speaker is just that.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:05 am
I certainly hope there are serious proposals to cut spending in the plans being discussed.

Comment by Tone Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:08 am
“The legend of the all-powerful speaker is just that”
Although I get what you’re saying Word…for me it’s more of republican legislators enacting a dereliction of duty and responsibility to their constituents of epic proportions that have resulted in 60+ non veto overrides.

Do. Your. Job!

Comment by Captain Illini Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:12 am
===…legislators enacting a dereliction of duty and responsibility to their constituents of epic proportions that have resulted in 60+ non veto overrides.===

The Raunerite refusals, until the heat was just too bearable, to vote for Higher Ed when they represent state universities comes to mind immediately, along with the FY2016 K-12 “Red” buttons pushed, and Rauner signed it clean, as not to own any cut to K-12 funding that passed.

But, it WAS stopping the overrides that IS the power over any GA, including this GA.

The Executive forcing its will, 60 times, that ain’t no accident.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:17 am
OW is on it.

I hope that #TaxHikeMike thing was fun. No way this goes through without Republicans going “green” on the REQUIRED tax hike.

It was always required. It was always going to have Republicans green. That’s not a give, that’s math.

Honestly, though, I hope the Superstar frat boys (and ladies) had fun with #TaxHikeMike. It’s not like they’ll have to be elected at any time, so why not?

Comment by illini97 Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:20 am
I’ve had my fingers crossed for so long they’re stuck that way.

Comment by Gruntled University Employee Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:23 am
Something to Ponder…

‘Nember when Rauner was looking like he was using the Thompson Pivot early on, setting what usually would be a table of conpromise that would include cuts, but understanding revenue would be required, because “things are far dire than I thought”?

A good Crew would’ve seized on the opportunity, months and months and months ago to “leverage” the Thompson Pivot and reforms (see: Zero. Poison. Pills.) to get easy first month victories.

What happened? Visits to Decatur, PowerPoints, and Ron Sandack hooting tweets about frustration but budget stalemates are A-Ok.

My point?

I’m happy and pleased there may be an end to this. I’m saddened by all the purposeful damage that was required to get here, but, if you take “A” (Thompson Pivot) to “C”, (Bipartisan, Bicameral truth of February 2015), it’s always the 14 months of the in between “B”, and the choice of that I’m not celebrating.

At all.

Get this done, learn something.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:28 am
=Honestly, though, I hope the Superstar frat boys (and ladies) had fun with #TaxHikeMike.=

Do a Twitter search. They had a hilarious amount of fun. Some of it is pretty funny.

Comment by Robert the 1st Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:30 am
===They had a hilarious amount of fun. Some of it is pretty funny.===

I’m sure LSSI and many other social service groups might not agree, with layoffs and cut programs when in the end, the truth of “bicameral, bipartisan” truth of February 2015 finds us all in May of 2016… with that same truth.

I can’t be more pleased if this gets worked out. I want conpromise, but I’m looking at the wanted result, and the damage inflicted.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:35 am
So when does AFSCME take a little boat ride down the river to the market? This is it right? Let’s be honest about the costs of this deal. Rauner has only wanted the destruction of Labor as his price for compliance. Legislators will do anything to make the pain stop. I get it. The thing about forcing AFSCME to be the sin eater. It never does take away the sins. You can force us to take this role. You can bust our union. You can blame us for everything. Make us eat the bread on the body. Run us out of town on a rail. But just as in medieval times, it didn’t take away the sins. There will be judgment. There will be retribution. Dems take note of McCann. Unions giveth and unions can taketh away.

Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:37 am
I just can’t see any of the challenged Dems voting for a tax increase six months out from a general election to bail out the Governor. The Republicans are going to have to put up most of the votes on this to get to 60 and 30 and there aren’t that many of them. The Governor has backed his caucus into this corner. Interesting days ahead.

Comment by Tough Guy Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:41 am
@rpatel 8:54 ==…keep the pressure on to reduce costs in higher education…===

Are you saying you want Rauner to continue not funding state universities and community colleges?

Comment by DuPage Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:45 am
- Tough Guy -

It was always, always, ALWAYS going to come down to structured roll calls and clean signature, and the “math” being Tier 1 targets getting a “Pass” to cobble the votes needed.

Raunerites will have to vote for revenue, and Rauner will sign a revenue increase…

The #TaxHikeMike, the sheer ignorance to believe the politics of making hay, even in real-time, it was like watching a train wreck knowing … “Bicameral, Bipartisan… ” was going to need to happen.

Amateurs, needing to Tweet, Hoot, Giggle… but refusing to understand the politics… because, after 14 months, it’s going to go down as it was going to have to go down, but with damage now, and the joke #TaxHikeMike on GOP GA members that will be required to be “Green”

I’m “frustrated”, but hopeful a lesson is learned.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 9:51 am
A tax hike is required? Someone tell Tax Hike Mike to tell his deputy Lou Lang to cancel that tax cut he proprosed for 99 percent of Illinois residents.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 10:16 am
while no one wants to be a downer it might be hinted that BigBrains still yearn to shaft cities, universities BEFORE revealin’ which anti worker item must pass.
But one never knows all the BudgetBuddies might tell the BigBrains to go away……might

Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 10:23 am
===But one never knows all the BudgetBuddies might tell the BigBrains to go away……might===

A 71 and 36 structured roll calls, “bipartisan, bicameral” might make that possible… but going “Green” on Revenue, twice, once to pass, again to override… heavy lift.

Of course, Rauner double-crossing GOP GA members hasn’t happened so… Oh… Yeah… K-12…

I do know, hearing the Governor’s own words, Rauner is a passive passenger, passing on whispers and rumors as to what’s going on, so there’s that.

I’m hoping, and I’m wanting bipartisan, bicameral work that can be signed clean and with compromise that all agree on.

I hope.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 10:36 am
The Governor is already back on his everything is the fault of Chicago Democrats message this morning as you can see here and here.

If the Gov really thinks all the state’s money goes to Chicago let’s bring back that bill that would separate us into two states again. Either way this rhetoric from the Governor is divisive, intentionally so. And I just spent so much time this morning reading how the Governor had changed his tune and toned it down and was doing all these great things to get a deal done.

Comment by The Captain Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 10:37 am
So what about the Governors remarks is untrue? Can anyone see Senator Murphy’s point that Chicago was shafted in the previous school funding formula by Speaker Madigan and the Senate President is an absurdity?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 10:46 am
If, and that is a big if, a tax hike is approved, I think the legislators who vote for it in an election year should get a medal for courage.

Comment by Norseman Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 10:59 am
Need some cash? extend sales tax to legal fees and advertising revenues.

Comment by 13th Ward Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 11:05 am
What’s the percentage going to be on revenue vs cuts? Old blue predicts 90-10 with revenue on top.

Comment by Blue dog dem Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 11:25 am
As of yesterday, word filtering from higher-up down through our agency says to plan on there not being a budget until December…2016, I presume.

Comment by Johnnie F. Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 11:32 am
- Norseman - Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 10:59 am:

“If, and that is a big if, a tax hike is approved, I think the legislators who vote for it in an election year should get a medal for courage.”

Or maybe at least a certificate of recognition that they are not spineless.

Comment by Jimmy H Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 11:55 am
Tone @ 9:08. What do you have in mind?

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 12:19 pm
“I’m hoping, and I’m wanting bipartisan, bicameral work that can be signed clean and with compromise that all agree on”.

This was never about compromise. It was and is about extortion. Drop the extortion, a deal is done tomorrow.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 12:29 pm
Word of the Day is bicameral….. brought to you by OW….. guests of OW stay in the shed out back when in town for taping…..

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 12:33 pm
- Ghost -

I’d check in Rich’s Post where I borrowed it from in the quote…

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 12:39 pm
==A tax hike is required? ==

Yeah, a tax hike is required. So are cuts. Next question.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 1:07 pm
details details…..

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 4:48 pm
The “cooperative” effort is just for campaign use. Nothing will come from it. When they finally do agree, well after the election, the middle class will take it in the teeth.

Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 5:28 pm
Public. You are correct.

Comment by blue dog dem Wednesday, May 11, 16 @ 6:04 pm