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Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said the responses from Republican leaders on Monday have all been heard before: “Clearly it was nothing new. We’ve already heard this 30 times before. Maybe tomorrow they’ll have a budget to propose.”

Background is here.

Brown is right that the governor has yet to propose a real budget as the state Constitution requires. But the General Assembly is also required by that very same document to pass a balanced budget, and it has not done so in a long while.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:18 am

Comments

By that same logic, Mal, Madigan has been Speaker for many years, and hasnt brought a balanced budget up for a vote.

Comment by Ractin Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:24 am
>Maybe tomorrow they’ll have a budget to propose.

Said with less snark, it could be the beginning of a coherent message for Illinois Democrats from the leader of their party.

Comment by Earnest Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:27 am
Brownie, OW and other Dems might be right about Rauner’s leadership failures with respect to the budget … but that’s NOT the issue in the clear opinion of the public. No, this is a PR/messaging issue and it’s clear the public blames Madigan for the State’s financial and other woes. Rauner’s money has branded Madigan a political pariah and the other House Dems are next.

Comment by Deft Wing Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:28 am
Expect the Madigan approach to change today.

Comment by Winnin' Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:30 am
—
Expect the Madigan approach to change today.
—

Yeah, here’s hoping he doubles down and doesn’t give an inch. Seriously.

We’re the single blue state in a sea of red. Why in the world would the dems capitulate to Rauner’s agenda? What’s to gain — especially for the dems?

Comment by Bobby Catalpa Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:33 am
If you’re one of those who is skeptical that there will be a budget resolution at any point in the next two years, and I’m one of the skeptics, then these daily blame game volleys will be the norm. You may as well create a boilerplate and just add in the minimal detail needed to have satisfied relaying the day’s blame.

Comment by The Captain Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:35 am
The order of those two clauses in the constitution indicate that the legislature was meant to deliberate the submitted balanced budget proposal of the executive branch and pass a bipartisan budget after those deliberations. No executive starting point budget document, nothing for the legislature to deliberate.

Having said that, Madigan and the Democrats have to match the Republican propoganda, tit-for-tat. Get on it Mike, or get out of the way.

Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:37 am
===== - Deft Wing - Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:28 am:

Brownie, OW and other Dems might be right about Rauner’s leadership failures with respect to the budget … but that’s NOT the issue in the clear opinion of the public. No, this is a PR/messaging issue and it’s clear the public blames Madigan for the State’s financial and other woes. Rauner’s money has branded Madigan a political pariah and the other House Dems are next. =====

Is the Governor willing to go down with the Speaker? That’s the problem here. Gov. Rauner needs to build a coalition to pass what he wants. As long as Madigan’s holds, the Gov. is sinking fast too. That’s the end game here. 2018 is it. Madigan, in my humble opinion, will take the arrows as long as some hit the Governor too. If Gov. Rauner is wildly unpopular in 2018, and the Dems. run a decent candidate with just a little bit of political savvy, Madigan can win the long game.

Comment by Try-4-Truth Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:37 am
Each side should publicly present their vision of a budget with the necessary cuts and revenues. This is long overdue

Democrats have not laid out any cuts and the only revenue is a millionaires tax that they strangely did not push for the necessary constitutional ammendment.

Republicans have there share of the blame for the failures of the past 22 months , but only a blind partisan would blame Republicans for the deterioration of Illinois finances during the 12 years of total Democratic control of state government.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:38 am
As long as Rauner requires attached “reforms” under the ridiculous premise that revenue is a “give”, given the one Rauner outline required billions in revenue and much more than that if you factor in the ridiculous pension balancing act, they all will pretend that any discussion has a possibility to be “something”, but Wong lead to anything.

Eastern already issued statements they are going thru with THIS year, and Chicago State is not doing well either.

Social services are closing, Rauner continues to feel not paying social services what is owed, when it’s owed is fine too.

K-12 is “fine”, they got their funding.

Rauner will continue to read demands off a sheet of paper that have not chance at getting 60 and 30, and Madigan will lose the media daily war with 1954 style of “talking” to the people from a podium with easels and talking points, as sterile and cold as an operating room with a patient on the brink.

Madigan needs to go to the meetings, when they’re scheduled, sit there, say nothing, then finally decided to at least join the 21st century, any of the 16 years would do, and make the case that 3 families and a phony Democrat are hurting Illinois in hopes to make people “decide” on something governors would never do, if they cared for people..

Lower Labor pay and right to nothing, or no Higher Ed, Social Services, oh and by the way… Your taxes will skyrocket… Like 67% higher.

… but lower wages and collectible bargaing gone will mean great things, and I’ll save what is left of social services, and The Ounce, thankfully, will be OK too.

So go, Speaker, but if the 1954 Madigan Plan is THE plan, then the stalemate will continue, and that’s more than fine with Diana Rauner, Bruce Rauner, Richard Uihlein, and Ken Griffin.

The key is with Leader Durkin. Can he lead?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:38 am
Governor Rauner, bring at least a framework budget to the meetin’ please.

Thanks,
A Resident of Illinois. I think you prefer to call us taxpayers.

Comment by illini97 Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:39 am
Rauner will take a page from the Trump playbook; lie, blame & etc.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:40 am
- Deft Wing -

At least let me comment before you go after ME…

If the goal is to troll me, at least be smart enough to have a message.

Governors Own.

That’s why Rauner… was able to beat Quinn.

Rauner can’t run against Madigan and an opponent AND pretend he (Rauner) is a babe in the woods in 2018.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:41 am
The governor could honestly PROPOSE a budget made with rainbows, unicorns and sprinkled with pixy-dust. The general Assembly must PASS a balanced budget. Two very different actions. The failure of PASSING a budget is squarely on Madigan and Cullerton. They own the failure of PASSING a budget, not the Governor. (OW in 3…2…1…)

Comment by Big Muddy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:41 am
We are definitely drowning in a sea of red and one man has been at the leadership reins for basically the entire time.

Comment by NobodysAccountable Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:41 am
Maybe the Dems should look around and consider the 2014 mid-terms and the unprecedented upset last week and pull their collective heads out of the sand.

It just wasn’t that long ago when many were crowing about the demise of the Republican party. Today, the Dems are in panic mode and licking their wounds.

Comment by Piece of Work Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:41 am
What governor doesn’t want a budget to fund their government, their programs, their visions?

There is a very specific reason Governors propose budgets… it’s their agencies.

The utter ignorance of connects here saying ANY governor should defer the want and constitutional protected right to propose a budget just shows the lack of understanding that’s embarrassing to both Rauner and the comment.

If Rauner doesn’t want a budget, what does Rauner want?

Ahhh!!!!

Capiche?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:46 am
It warms my heart to see that the Speaker is finally ready to put the campaign behind him and work for solutions to our State’s many problems.

Comment by Not It Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:47 am
Agree with OW and the Captain. If Rauner would just set aside his reforms and negatiate a budget, we’d have a budget. Otherwise, we aren’t seeing one until 2019 or the court sends all state employees home because they won’t get paid.

Comment by Thoughts Matter Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:49 am
===The governor could honestly PROPOSE a budget made with rainbows, unicorns and sprinkled with pixy-dust.===

Why would Rauner want to do that? Rauner doesn’t want more monies or a higher measure of monies for his Criminal Justice reform? How about more monies for schools Rauner keeps talking about.

Rauner can’t come up with a plan to weigh and measure what a Rauner Administration stands for with budgetary muscle?

Or is there no want to govern? What does Rauner want?

Capiche?

Your ridiculousness is embarrassing to the actual governing required.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:51 am
The Gov presented a bill that had reforms and savings from a change in policies. Madigan & Cullerton didn’t like it and stopped the whole process. They didn’t like it, OW doesn’t like it but them’s the breaks. Madigan and Cullerton have failed and continue to fail at doing their jobs. Complain about the Gov all you want but the holdup is within the House and Senate. Spin away but that is reality.

Comment by Big Muddy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:52 am
===It just wasn’t that long ago when many were crowing about the demise of the Republican party.===

The Illinois Republican Party no longer exists.

Either keep up with the Rauners, Uihlein, and Griffin or you are fooling yourself and trying to have a lemming thought seem smart.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:53 am
From my perspective, Madigan only suffered a minor setback last week. His main goal is retaining power. In that regard, he might have lost a battle, but the size of his majority will take another decade to undo.

Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:55 am
While the budget is the topic du jour, central Illinois GOP legislators are trying to save their nuclear plants and add an electric tax on consumers to keep those plants open.
What are Durkin, Radogno and Rauner willing to do to help their GOP legislators and constituents who want to keep the plants open.
Will they blame Madigan if nothing passes?

Comment by Winnin' Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:55 am
- Big Muddy -

What governor doesn’t want a budget?

Reforms are not budgetary requirements.

Making them so… Isn’t helping by a governor with no desire to BE a governor outside ruining social services, state universities, and eventually destroying labor.

Again, what governor doesn’t want a budget?

A governor only wanting an agenda, and nothing else.

That’s not spin, that’s what IS going on here.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:56 am
=Rauner’s leadership failures with respect to the budget … but that’s NOT the issue in the clear opinion of the public. No, this is a PR/messaging issue =

Wow, just wow.

So, to be clear, governing is not the issue.

Hanging blame is.

That is what you think?

Clearly that is what the Governor is doing, because he is definitely not governing.

There are a few of us that think the REAL issue is a lack of governing as in failure to negotiate a budget.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 9:58 am
=K-12 is “fine”, they got their funding.=

With respect- we are getting 2/3rds which is better than many. Much better, I definitely realize that.

But the politicians keep saying full funding and that is not anywhere near the truth.

Approaching the halfway point of the year and no MCAT’s payments. Not one. And GSA is lower.

The revenue does not exist to pay the bills, I doubt very seriously if any MCAT payments will happen, yet Rauner and the ILGA are not getting called out for their fibbing on K-12 funding as they continue to tout “FULL” funding.

Just a point of clarification is all.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:02 am
Willy, The Illinois Republican Party does exist, just not in bright blue Chicago. It is very healthy elsewhere. Maybe those bright blue folks should look around and recognize what just happened.

Keep up.

Comment by Piece of Work Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:06 am
Why would Rauner throw away the only leverage he has and take all non-budget items off the table? He has little chance of being reelected and the GOP aren’t taking control of either chamber for a long, long time. Whether you like what he’s trying to achieve or hate it, this is his only way of achieving anything meaningful.

Rauner could present a budget that would surely be voted down - he wouldn’t even have to specify cuts, he could just do across the board (save a couple of departments) sequestration like the federal government did, and apparently nobody is enforcing the balanced budget so it wouldn’t have to be *that* draconian. If that’s all it takes to fulfill the “constitutional duty” it doesn’t seem like such a big deal.

Comment by lake county democrat Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:11 am
“Brownie, OW and other Dems…”

First, I don’t think OW is a Dem if I’ve been keeping up…

To the Post:

OW is right…period. Rauner does not have a budget in mind, merely talking points and a not-so-hidden agenda that speaks more to his lack of governing knowledge. His agency heads are robots incapable of derision - e.g., why else would IDNR not oppose the road funds lock box when the result would slash millions from their budget…because they were told to keep silent probably. Factor in the other agency heads, and you’ve got a thousand cuts going on bleeding out the best and brightest to retirements - leaving many jobs unfilled. The same is going on in university towns - yes, that’s the game…forego the legislature and govern by edict, PR, talking points and billionaire pixie dust. Pathetic.

Comment by Captain Illini Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:13 am
—
Maybe those bright blue folks should look around and recognize what just happened.
—

What, that Clinton got 2 million more popular votes than Trump but Trump won the election?

There’s a lesson there, but it’s not what you think.

Comment by Bobby Catalpa Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:14 am
What DID happen?

Rauner lost his veto-proof crutch.

Rauner lost his statewide constituional

Rauner now is governor of a state with 2 Democratic US Senators, 4 Democratic statewide constitutionals, lost a congressional seat to the Democrats, and now with 51 House and 22 Senate seats, Rauner needs a minimum of 17 Democrats to flip and stand behind Rauner to move anything.

When 3 families and a Democrat fund a party at 90%+ totaling $60+ million, it’s not a party, it’s Raunerites dictating to those… or there will be $@*#% problems.

There’s no big tent, it’s 3 penthouses and those three families telling others to eat cake until an agenda is passed.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:14 am
- JS Mill -

Your clarification here is noted, and appreciated, and with respect, I probably had fine in quotation marks for a reason, like the one you cited very well.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:16 am
@Big Muddy - So the part about the Governor proposing a balanced budget in the Illinois Constitution is the same as unicorns? I’ve recently thought that maybe the D’s should pass verbatim the Gov’s proposed unbalanced budget and see what happens…

Comment by Illinois O'Malley Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:18 am
LCD - you bring up a great point about “across the board” cuts. Bill Brady first threw out that idea and people thought it was horrible. Given current circumstances it would have been a better alternative.

Comment by Team Sleep Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:26 am
If they weren’t passing balanced budgets during the Quinn years, then how did the backlog of bills drop from $10 billion at the height of the recession to $4.4 billion when he left office?

Where did that $5.6 billion come from?

By the way, the comptroller estimates the backlog will be $10 billion at the end of the calendar year, while Moody’s estimates it will be a record $14 billion at the end of the fiscal year.

That means a nearly $10 billion increase since Rauner took office.

How much alleged economic growth are we talking from the governor’s agenda to cover that nut?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:29 am
The longer this goes on, the more simple sounding the solution is going to need to be. You’re arguing with angry people now with a much lower level of tolerance.
That isn’t easy.
Brown may want to at least pretend that they’re taking this a heckuva lot more seriously. The snippy, condescending response is offensive to people who are now watching. They don’t know him, Madigan, or about the process even a little. All they know is to focus in that direction. The curt and flip responses are going to bury them.
They need to start acting very serious even when they aren’t.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:37 am
We have big problems in Illinois. So far our political leadership has done little to actually solve, in any fundamental manner, the real problems.

The Democratic party lacks a clearly articulated vision for improvement. They seem to be about random acts of support (for labor mainly) alternated with acts of opposition.

Articulating a vision may give the ILGOP something to target, but the ILGOP HAS embraced the Rauner vision. It is relatively succinct and straight forward: drive down wages, eliminate regulation, and reduce governmental spending as an inducement to business growth. We can all tell he is after labor and his plan is not supported by any modeling or data. But, it condenses nicely and most people want 30 a second message that they can repeat. The ILGOP gets that done.

Most (gross generality) Illinoisans have not felt the pain created by the devastation of social services or the defunding of community colleges and universities.

That is why some funding was provided to keep K-12 up and running. Had K-12 not been funded, Most in Illinois would feel the effect.

My greatest fear is that we will limo along like this for years to come. With both leaders more than willing to oblige in an effort to destroy the other politically, because we know it won’t hurt them economically.

Members of ILGA are too cowed by Rauner and MJM to rise up and get something real done, and it would have to be both sides of the aisle to make it happen.

It seems to me that there just isn’t much courage or character out there to do what is really genuinely good for the bulk of Illinoisans.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:39 am
–The snippy, condescending response is offensive to people who are now watching. They don’t know him, Madigan, or about the process even a little.–

High praise for the people. But they don’t know Madigan? I thought he was the biggest issue on the doorsteps in the precincts.

If people don’t know Madigan by now, I’m guessing the governor is going to want a refund on all that dough he spent.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:47 am
Rauner proposes a budget. It’s unbalanced. He submits it to the GA.
The GA looks at the Rauner Budget. Changes line items- increase, decrease. It’s unbalanced. Sends it to Rauner.
Rauner vetoes the entire budget. Maybe just saves a couple of items, like K-12 funding. Then tells the GA to show him the money for all that he vetoed, but not all he proposed.
Compromise starts when the budget is sent back to Rauner. But instead, he chooses competitiveness. That is not governance. Gamesmanship, yes. Not Governance.

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 10:47 am
(Tips cap to - Thoughts Matter - and - Captain Illini -)

It appears via Tweet, Speaker Madigan sees a budget possibility with nothing attached to it.

Now, if there’s a way to get that budget done, will Rauner be driven for a budget, or driven for an agenda?

That’s the question.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 11:00 am
==High praise for the people. But they don’t know Madigan? I thought he was the biggest issue on the doorsteps in the precincts.===

Reasonable observation Sling. They do know “about” him. They know what they’ve been told. They’re only now observing him more closely. We’re used to his quirky style and evasiveness. They aren’t. He’s confirming every last thing they’ve heard about him and his spokesman looks like a wise guy.

Sincerely thank you for pointing out the lack of clarity in my remarks. They were not clear enough. Hope this helps.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 11:02 am
@A Guy — where is Rauner’s proposed balanced budget per the Illinois Constitition?

Comment by Illinois O'Malley Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 11:13 am
It’s simply false, to claim that state budgets have not been “balanced”, by any reasonable standard, for decades. I wish people would stop repeating that meme.

Technically and legally, all but two have been balanced.

One might fairly say, when looking at the funds sweeps, skipped payments, and borrowing that were used technically to “balance” budgets, by both sides, that some more budgets did not really meet that standard in the last thirty years. But not the majority of them.

The cumulative effect, of course, was destructive. Only a few governors, like Quinn, went out of their way to try to catch back up.

Comment by walker Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 11:13 am
ILL O’M….What Walk just said…

The Illinois Constitution isn’t a tool of convenience for anyone. So please stop. There’s enough hijinks on every side.

Rest and come back with a better argument.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 11:47 am
walker- My reference to a balanced budget is more in line with what you wrote concerning how do items get paid for. My point was that the budget shouldn’t be used, by either side, as a game piece, and only a game piece. And Rauner has done that more than anything else in his first two years. Other administrations and GA’s have somehow been able to get together enough to at least pass a budget, balanced or not. Using a “budget stops here…until…” mentality is just the wrong way to get your way.

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 12:10 pm
@A Guy — Stop deflecting, where is Rauner’s proposed balanced budget?

Comment by Illinois O'Malley Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 12:43 pm
ILL O’M,
In his left pocket. Where’s the Speaker’s? The one that isn’t $7B more than the revenue we take in that provides all the protection against Child Predators that he’s protecting us and no one else cares about.

Are you new here? Catch up. The leaders and the Governor should all be negotiating right now. Instead we get more dilly dally with an appointed negotiator??

Someone didn’t hear something last Tuesday.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 1:02 pm
- A Guy -

Rauner signed a stopgap, $8-9 billion out of whack.

Rauner not only doesn’t have a budget, Rauner signed a stopgap budget worse than the budget Rauner vetoed.

But you already knew that.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 1:11 pm
I did indeed Willy. And now the Speaker wants to codify it with the second half.

Good faith is in pretty short supply.

Something tells me Greg Harris isn’t thrilled about this vote of confidence and assignment. It’s not a career maker, that’s for sure.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 1:37 pm
@A Guy — your continued deflection shows all the capfax readers that the Governor had refused to fulfill his constitutionally mandated duty to propose a balanced budget. There is nothing you can say here to refute this fact

Comment by Illinois O'Malley Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 1:45 pm
ILL O’M….you caught me…in front of the whole CF community.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Nov 15, 16 @ 2:54 pm