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Fun and games

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After they had passed the tuition grant bill, [House Democrats] called votes on legislation to freeze property taxes, an item on Rauner’s legislative wish list. The bill doesn’t include the language Rauner has requested that would allow local governments to save on costs by setting limits on collective bargaining. That language is included in a separate amendment, and Democrats have spent the past year voting to approve the property tax freeze while rejecting the collective bargaining provisions. It’s a trick designed to allow Democrats to go on record supporting the property tax freeze, which is popular with voters, while forcing Republicans to cast protest votes against it.

House lawmakers spent much of the rest of the day debating whether it was the 17th or 18th time Democrats had called the legislation for a vote.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 9:51 am

Comments

The Tribune paid attention to a legislative session? Maybe they also have time to fact check a few numbers from the Governor.

Let’s start with the billion dollars saved by procurement reform. I’ll sign up for a home subscription if they can provide that in an infographic.

Comment by illini97 Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 9:58 am
How is this a trick? If they want a property tax freeze, vote for it. If they want a property tax freeze AND to eliminate collective bargaining, they should admit it.

Comment by Bull Moose Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 9:59 am
Seems like the GOP wants to eliminate collective bargaining more than they want to freeze property taxes. Rauner is using it as a Trojan horse.

Comment by Bull Moose Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 10:01 am
illini97, you just need a high powered microscope to see the fine print noting that the savings is over the next 25 fiscal years.

Comment by Norseman Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 10:01 am
Bradley introduced the amendments with the poison bills, but I guess it’s all Madigan’s fault./s

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?GAID=13&GA=99&DocNum=673&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=88&LegID=85147&SpecSess=&Session=

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 10:05 am
===The bill doesn’t include the language Rauner has requested that would allow local governments to save on costs by setting limits on collective bargaining. That language is included in a separate amendment, and Democrats have spent the past year voting to approve the property tax freeze while rejecting the collective bargaining provisions. It’s a trick designed to allow Democrats to go on record supporting the property tax freeze, which is popular with voters, while forcing Republicans to cast protest votes against it.===

When you control the chamber, you can control what you want voted on.

This fun and game is the wake up call to the Trades and Labor… “It’s about you, Capiche? ‘Who’ is with Labor… and specially, the Trades?”

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 10:06 am
“pills” not bills…

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 10:06 am
You can’t place limits on revenue increases without providing the means to place limits on spending increases. Since the vast majority of K-12 spending is for salaries and benefits, that necessarily means limiting employee and staffing increases to revenue increases.

Just a “property tax freeze” makes no fiscal sense.

What WOULD make sense is enacting a statute that requires all public school contracts to contain an escape clause whereby aggregate increases in compensation under a contract cannot exceed 65% of new revenues for instructional operating funds, and provide a method of distribution of new revenues across the contract schedules.

This would be similar to the PTELL laws which allow districts to request any tax increase they want, but still be limited to increases of rate of inflation (not to exceed 5%) plus new construction coming on the tax rolls.

This could go a long way towards cutting the animosity, or making commitments that will bankrupt schools, in school contract negotiations.

BTW, this should apply not just to teacher contracts but the administrative and support staff contracts as well.

That’s what fair minded, responsible adults would do to address the overspending problems in public education, which is why it probable has no chance in Springfield.

Comment by Arizona Bob Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 10:06 am
You can’t place limits on revenue increases without providing the means to place limits on spending increases. Since the vast majority of K-12 spending is for salaries and benefits, that necessarily means limiting employee and staffing increases to revenue increases.

Just a “property tax freeze” makes no fiscal sense.

What WOULD make sense is enacting a statute that requires all public school contracts to contain an escape clause whereby aggregate increases in compensation under a contract cannot exceed 65% of new revenues for instructional operating funds, and provide a method of distribution of new revenues across the contract schedules.

This would be similar to the PTELL laws which allow districts to request any tax increase they want, but still be limited to increases of rate of inflation (not to exceed 5%) plus new construction coming on the tax rolls.

That’s what fair minded, responsible adults would do to address the overspending problems in public education, which is why it probable has no chance in Springfield.

Comment by Arizona Bob Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 10:09 am
What Bull Moose said. +1

Comment by The Captain Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 10:09 am
- Arizona Bob -

You should talk to - Zonker -, I think - Zonker - made the same case… surprisingly. lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 10:10 am
Maybe it’s a trick to show that Republicans are more interested in bashing unions than they are in freezing property taxes

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 10:10 am
The red herring here is the demand to allow locals to eliminate collective barganing…. why eliminate? it is barganing…. the locals are free to negotiate the deal they want.

Its like term limits, he wants to remove choice. The locals are not forced to agree to anything, so why end barganing?

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 10:13 am
The Tribune should read Eric Zorn’s column.

Zorn checked the claims of savings and found that there wasn’t any savings, but the workers were paid less.

But savings isn’t Rauner’s objective, it is a move to cut the workers pay and allow the connected few to increase their profits.

Comment by Chicago 20 Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 10:37 am
I know the title is meant to be snarky using “Fun and Games,” but this is exactly the type of crap that leads to Madigan being less popular than the Govenor, but keeps him in power. And it is also the type of crap that leads to budget stalemates.

Comment by A Modest Proposal Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 11:00 am
Eric Zorn wrote something critical of Governor Rauner? Shocking. What is the point of 17 or 18 sham votes when 1 will do the trick.

Zorn had a nice column about Governors today that neglected to mention 8 of the 10 most popular governors are Republican with deep blue Massachusetts and Maryland leading the pack

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 11:11 am
==- A Modest Proposal - Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 11:00 am:

I know the title is meant to be snarky using “Fun and Games,” but this is exactly the type of crap that leads to Madigan being less popular than the Govenor, but keeps him in power. And it is also the type of crap that leads to budget stalemates.==

How many years has Madigan been Speaker? How many years have we had a budget stalemate?

Comment by What the What Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 11:18 am
Yes, 8 of the 10 most popular governors are Republican. But 8 of the 10 least popular governors are also Republican. Roughly 6 out of 10 (61%) of all governors are Republican. Make of that what you will, but it didn’t seem to me to have much to do with my column on Failed Gov. Brownback.

Comment by Eric Zorn Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 11:55 am
I will do my best to focus

Comment by Brook Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 12:02 pm
===Zorn had a nice column about Governors today that neglected to mention 8 of the 10 most popular governors are Republican with deep blue Massachusetts and Maryland leading the pack===

I just care about Illinois, thanks…

Oh - Lucky Pierre -… Rauner isn’t a Republican, Rauner is a Raunerite. It’s fun you think Rauner is a Republican, thank you.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 12:10 pm
@Lucky Pierre -

The lead story on the Massachusetts’ Governor’s website is a joint press conference with the Democratic Attorney General of his state.

I also invite you to watch the State-of-the-State for the Governor of Maryland, praising two Democrats with a combined 50 years as legislative leaders.

I humbly suggest that they are the two most popular Governors in the nation because they have adopted a very different strategy than Governor Rauner.

Comment by Juvenal Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 12:12 pm
Eric Zorn why would you fail to mention the # 2 least popular Governor Democrat Dan Molloy of Connecticut but list the only Republican’s?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 12:28 pm
People, if you have questions for Eric, ask them on his site or send him an email.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 12:29 pm
The door swings both ways Juvenal. I would bet the Maryland and Massachusetts legislators probably don’t run their Governors bills 18 times while publicly urging a no vote.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 12:32 pm
Sorry Rich

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 12:33 pm
Lucky:

Do you have a point? Or are you just whining for the sake of whining?

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 1:54 pm
Lucky:

My recollection is that the doors in the Governor’s office do not, in fact, swing both ways.

Regardless, as Oswego Willy constantly reminds us, Governors Own. Bringing the legislature together to find common ground is part of the governor’s job description. And ultimately, the governor’s responsibility. George Ryan was brilliant at it, but the state was flush with cash then. Then Jim Thompson. I’d rank Quinn, Edgar, Blagojevich next. Rauner is bloody awful.

It’s not a secret why. Rauner has contempt for compromise. He believes he is part Professor X, part Batman: with the power to simply bend minds to his will or alternately the various strategies or inventions of his own device, bring the bad guys to their knees.

Comment by Juvenal Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 5:33 pm
==- What the What - Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 11:18 am: ==

Budget stalemate is one year - since Rauner became governor.

Comment by Mama Wednesday, May 18, 16 @ 9:46 pm