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The more things change…

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Illinois

* May 22nd, 2015…

Illinois Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, said Friday that Democrats need to approve a series of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda” bills before they will talk about adding taxes to plug a $6 billion budget hole.

Radogno, the chief sponsor of five bills representing Rauner’s agenda filed Friday in the Senate, said the proposed legislation reflects a compromise from the governor’s office that includes input from Democrats.

“People of this state have to really come to grips with the fact that we cannot continue down the road we’ve been going down,” Radogno said. “May 31 can come and go, but the problem is we have to change direction. That’s what this ‘Turnaround Agenda’ is about.”

Asked if the bills reflect the areas the governor insists must be changed before discussing a tax increase, Radogno said: “Yes, he has been very clear . . . reform before revenue. He has never said revenue is off the table.”

* May 23rd, 2016…

Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont flatly said Republican lawmakers will not support any revenue increases without reforms passing first.

“We will not accept any more tax increases until these things are dealt with,” Radogno said. […]

Radogno said members of the public still view the budget stalemate as a test of wills between Rauner and Madigan.

“This is not just a battle of wills,” she said. “We are fighting for the very soul of the state.”

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:04 am

Comments

YOU introduce the bill to add taxes Senator. Quit waiting.

Comment by Union Man Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:06 am
We are fighting for the very soul of the state.

Words like that are often uttered by an individual with a red face and horns. But he generally goes after individuals, not a whole state.

Or does the Gov see himself as an exorcist? Of course he does. Ultimately, the voters will decide … or not.

Comment by X-prof Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:09 am
I’ll repeat a daydream:

Rauner and the party leaders agree to a Bowles-Simpson like group with each party getting an equal number of picks. They create a budget/turnaround package. It gets put to an up/down vote. Throw in that Rauner agrees not to link non-budget items to budget for the rest of his term if it passes. Everyone grumbles and it passes.

Comment by lake county democrat Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:11 am
Saying/doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results is the definition of ?

Comment by Thoughts Matter Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:12 am
Rauner needs the tax increase just as much as the Democrats - maybe even more since Governors are responsible for the well-being of the state. So Rauner and the GOP need to quit trying to identify a tax increase as a concession to the Democrats.

Comment by Joe M Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:15 am
– “We are fighting for the very soul of the state.”–

“The Body of Bruce compels you! The Body of Bruce compels you!”

Does the Holy Goalie still do exorcisms down in Springfield?

LOL, that’s some serious Bad Springfield Opera.

But could you be a little more specific? About anything?

If you’re trying to sell something, perhaps it would help if you put together a business plan that quantifies projected benefits, just like the big boys and girls do in business.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:16 am
“We are fighting for the very soul of the state.”

What a bunch of self-righteous garbage.

Comment by Boooooooo Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:16 am
“We will not accept any more tax increases until these things are dealt with,” Radogno said

It’s not like we are spending at roughly the same level we did when income taxes were at 5% so we can just wait for Democrats to throw their constituents under the bus, right? Plus, our debt and backlog aren’t growing at a record pace, are they? /s

Comment by AC Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:16 am
“We are fighting for the very soul of the state.”

And this is just the kind of rhetoric people use when they’re in the midst of a good-faith search for reasonable compromise solutions.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:18 am
She said it well the other day.

People are generally not willing to pay even more for the same broken government and no changes.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:19 am
Joe M, you’re so right. Rauner wants a tax increase and the abiliy to blame the Dems for it.

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:21 am
Souls for revenue.

Comment by Chicago 20 Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:22 am
We are fighting for the souls of those who earn at least 1 million a year. The rest are welcome to leave.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:22 am
==And this is just the kind of rhetoric people use when they’re in the midst of a good-faith search for reasonable compromise solutions.==

Well said. At least she waited before dropping that line.

Speaker Madigan trotted out his ==epic struggle== quote almost one full year ago.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:24 am
==People are generally not willing to pay even more for the same broken government and no changes.==

When you buy something with a credit card, do you view the purchase as occurring when you swiped the card, or when the bill comes due? Do you control spending by not making the purchase in the first place, or by not paying the bill? If the Governor had used the power of amendatory veto to have controlled spending, this argument might have merit, but even he wasn’t willing to cut that deeply. So, now we’re arguing over the bills that are due for spending that already occurred.

Comment by AC Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:26 am
Vito Corleone at the sit down arranged by Barzini….”and I swear, on the souls of my grandchildren, I will not be the one who breaks the peace…”

Comment by Gordon Gecko Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:32 am
Second try at posting-

In 2015, what were the bills Radogno sponsored, and the results of the votes? How about the poison pills injected into other bills and appropriations throughout the past year? If votes have been taken on the “reforms” and the votes went against what Rauner wants, then the message has been sent by the GA. And, how many communities have (or are still) signed onto the TAR (TurnAround Agenda Reforms)? Bottomline- Rauner won’t accept that work has been done already on some of these topics, or that other topics are just plain non-starters. Right now he has gotten himself boxed in by going to the IL Labor Board asking that the impasse in negotiations be declared while also wanting Cullerton to take all the responsibility on pension reform. But when Cullerton says not yet, he proclaims his good friend John is just “goofy”. Radogno can continue to be a NV (SB2038 for instance) and stand by Rauner side (although she needs to stop rolling her eyes and looking so uncomfortable at the pressers -see yesterday’s press conference with Rauner), or she needs to step up and say to him- it’s not going to work. It’s a hard decision, and frankly, no one seems to want to make the first step in declaring the “clothes are invisible”.

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:33 am
==Governors are responsible for the well-being of the state==

Respectfully, they are all responsible for the well being of the state. That includes the Governor, the 4 tops, the state officers, the Senate, the House, staffers, agency directors etc

The constitution also requires two branches of government in passing a budget. The Governor and the GA are both necessary to pass a budget. One needs the other to function, and to have a budget.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:36 am
- Gordon Gecko -

Don Vito didn’t break the peace.

Michael broke the peace. If you see the 7 hour version there’s about a page of dialogue that covers that.

I’m not following you - Gordon Gecko -

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:36 am
And how many “souls” have been damaged by “squeezing the beast”? She voted NV for the social services stopgap bill (SB2038).

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:38 am
–“We are fighting for the very soul of the state.”–

Who knew that policy disputes over workers comp and collective bargaining were a fight between Good and Evil? I’m guessing Sen. Radogno believes she’s with the angels and those who disagree with her are the demons?

I guess her attitude makes sense as they’re selling the Turnaround Agenda as a matter of faith, without any appeal to logic or reason by way of quantifiable projected benefits.

Is “squeezing the beast” (her phrase) part of the exorcism? Once 666 social service providers have been put out of business, will it be over?

And she’s the brains of that Senate GOP outfit? That explains a lot.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:41 am
“We are fighting for the very soul of the state.”

There’s a world of difference between rhetoric and oratory. It’s the difference between Baldwin and Churchill… and oh how we have a surplus of Baldwins in Illinois politics.

Comment by In the Middle Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:45 am
==The Governor and the GA are both necessary to pass a budget==

True, but first the Governor has to come up with a budget. Which he has failed to do.

SECTION 2. STATE FINANCE
(a) The Governor shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly, at a time prescribed by law, a State budget for the ensuing fiscal year. The budget shall set forth the estimated balance of funds available for appropriation at the beginning of the fiscal year, the estimated receipts, and a plan for expenditures and obligations during the fiscal year of every
department, authority, public corporation and quasi-public corporation of the State, every State college and university, and every other public agency created by the State, but not
of units of local government or school districts. The budget shall also set forth the indebtedness and contingent liabilities of the State and such other information as may be required by law. Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds
estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget.
(Source: Illinois Constitution)

Comment by Joe M Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:49 am
Soul? Hmmm.

So a guy with two kids and a mortgage falls off a ladder at the warehouse and breaks his back. Can’t work for a year. Does he have to lose his house or declare bankruptcy because he got hurt on the job?

Only a person with no soul would think it’s fair to treat injured workers so poorly as to force them onto welfare or worse in the name of “pro-business” reform.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:53 am
Just show the return on investment and we can all figure out if the Turnaround Agenda is worth the pain. Please show all backup data and assumptions for calculations.

I recommend IDOR, they can be remarkably accurate in their predictions.

Comment by illini97 Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 11:05 am
“I finished dissectin the State’s heart, now I want the soul.” - Fake Rauner

Comment by Jimmy H Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 11:08 am
Why do boring things like budgeting mixed with holy rolling? Let us move on already.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 11:08 am
Nothing but more distraction from the intentional destruction of the human service and higher education systems.

Comment by Earnest Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 11:16 am
This is cheap rhetoric. They think they can come out of the election winners or at least break even. The leverage will continue.

Comment by Liberty Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 11:31 am
So in Sentor Radogno’s word, every Governor and budget has been wrong for the past 30+ years. That includes, of course all the budgets that this so called budget expert has been involved in since 1997. Now she has apparently saw the light in savior Rauner and his TA Agenda. They are now fighting for the sole of Illinois. If the magority party will help them save Illinois they will reluctantly give the Democrats the tax hike they so desire, not that it’s needed. I say take your argument to the voters, if the turn around has such merit. Win some elections and there wouldn’t be a need to hold the annual spending plan hostage.

Comment by GOP Extremist Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 11:50 am
Back to square 1.

Comment by DuPage Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 12:24 pm
== People are generally not willing to pay even more for the same broken government and no changes. ==

She can have her opinion but she can’t change the math. Next taxes are a given.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 12:45 pm
12:45 was I. Still having phone issues

Comment by RNUG Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 12:53 pm
“Reform before revenue” seems a bit dry. Maybe the Republicans need a more catchy term to get the Democrats onboard? I (sarcastically) suggest they use: No increases in taxation with reformation.

Comment by TheCantrallKid Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 4:21 pm