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* Tribune…
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday expanded the list of Democrats he says are working against him, adding Mayor Rahm Emanuel to the group he contends is trying to create havoc in Illinois. […]
Rauner brought Emanuel into the fray Tuesday, saying the mayor was causing a “crisis” at Chicago Public Schools by demanding the state pick up $215 million in teacher pension costs or the school year could be cut short.
“It seems to be part of a plan orchestrated by Attorney General Madigan, Comptroller Mendoza, Mayor Emanuel, working with the speaker — attack, criticize, create crisis. We see it everywhere,” Rauner said. […]
“They’re defending a broken system. They don’t want to change the system. They want to force a big tax hike on the people of Illinois with no changes. That’s not fair. It’s not right. We’ve got to change our system,” Rauner said.
* From the mayor’s spokesman…
Gov increasingly Trump-like in his rhetoric. Never his fault, conspiracies all around him. Better idea: #DoYourJob https://t.co/7eDKYQ6QlK
— Matt McGrath (@md_mcgrath) March 22, 2017
* McGrath’s full response was even harsher…
“Governor Rauner keeps accusing others of trying to ‘create a crisis,’ when it’s painfully clear to everyone else that the entire state of Illinois is already dealing with the crisis of going two-plus years without a budget. Across Illinois, social services have been slashed, universities are making devastating cuts, and college students are fleeing the state in droves. The fact that Governor Rauner can’t see the crisis he’s created is just further proof that he’s lost touch with reality.”
Ouch.
As the years drag on and the governor’s poll numbers drop, people are seemingly less afraid of firing back. I cannot imagine what life will be like in late 2018 if this keeps up.
…Adding… From a senior Rauner administration official…
Just another reminder that every time you hear machine Democrats say “Do Your Job,” they mean just raise taxes and bailout Chicago.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:05 am
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This is coming form a man whose city he runs is in shambles. Murder is double that of NY & LA combined, his city and schools are financially bankrupt. I wouldn’t defend Rauner either, but Rambo isn’t the right messenger. It’s like a crook complaining to you about how much the other guy steals.
Comment by Ahoy! Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:12 am
For the Governor’s first two years there was very little push back on messaging (organized or otherwise) from the Democrats and for the most part the voters mostly gave him the benefit of the doubt. None of that is likely to hold true in the latter half of this term, and we really haven’t seen his Gubernatorial opponents go after him yet in a sustained way. However tough the Governor thinks he’s had it so far it’s only going to get exponentially tougher going forward and he’s now fighting a multi-front war, some of it his own making.
Comment by The Captain Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:14 am
Rauner- Always the victim, never the victimizer. Sad.
Leverage. Persistence. Rascality. All paint on Rauner’s brush as he retreats into the corner he bought.
http://news.wsiu.org/post/illinois-issues-social-cost-rauner-v-labor#stream/0
Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:15 am
Rauner has lost touch with reality….
Maybe…..what we’ve got here is failure to communicate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhaY9oDNvdk
Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:18 am
To the Post,
===”…Across Illinois, social services have been slashed, universities are making devastating cuts, and college students are fleeing the state in droves. The fact that Governor Rauner can’t see the crisis he’s created is just further proof that he’s lost touch with reality.”===
“The fact that Governor Rauner can’t see the crisis he’s created is just further proof that he’s lost touch with reality.”
Bruce and Diana Rauner know exactly what they’re doing, and financing this complete destruction by putting tens of millions dollars to… for example… blowing up the Senate compromise… purposely.
Everything that was said is spot on. The belief that the Rauners, Diana and Bruce are out of touch with reality is disingenuous. The Ounce got the $5 million from the Pritzkers, Diana and Bruce keep tens of millions in Bruce’s campaign fund to destroy social services, higher education, and Bruce vetoes bills to purposely hurt Chicago students, because Bruce is emotional.
There’s no lacking of reality, it’s fulfilling a dream.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:20 am
Rauner’s not crazy or stupid. He’s certainly cognizant of the predictable consequences of his actions. Squeeze the beast is, indeed, the plan.
His actions and their results just aren’t popular in some circles so he engages in obfuscation, deflection and misdirection to take the heat off himself and hide his true objectives.
It’s been two years of this — there’s no mystery, no unintended results. Pay no attention to his words, observe his actions and recognize that he knows what he wants to do and is achieving it.
Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:21 am
Look. I’m not anti-geriatric. But seriously, the amount of rich old guys making terrible governance decisions is sickening. There may be sort of correlation. Just saying.
Comment by New Slang Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:23 am
==As the years drag on and the governor’s poll numbers drop==
And as Rauner proves singularly incapable of even enacting his terrible agenda? Rahm and Rauner were “friends”, and Rahm probably doesn’t mind a good 60% of the Turnaround Agenda. If Rauner were getting it done, maybe Rahm holds his fire. But it’s a different story when the guy is both hated by Rahm’s constituency and can’t get done what Rahm wants.
Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:23 am
As to Rauner and his poll numbers and leverage, I’m still of the belief it’s Rauner “numbers” in his back account to destroy Raunerites that are the numbers at play, maybe not the polling “numbers” that won’t help Rauner in his own race.
Rauner, right now? Rauner may only want to win agai to ensure his signature is required on a Map.
Rauner has proven having a signature on a budget has not been any type of priority.
If I learned anything from Rod, it’s that sitting governors with bad numbers but loads of cash can get across the finish line.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:27 am
The emperor has no clothes. The walls are starting to close in. People aren’t buying what Rauner and the spinners are selling. And, in the back of their minds they know that $50 million, $100 million, $200 million may really not be enough to convince Illinoisans of the governor’s finery.
Comment by Moe Berg Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:27 am
The meme from last week with the bar chart of unpaid bills going down before Rauner’s Reign, then skyrocketing, says it all.
Democrats don’t even have to respond with words and if they’re smart, that meme will be plastered everywhere.
Just show that picture.
Comment by cdog Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:29 am
Even very conservative voters know that the Governor is hurting the state. Business hates instability almost as much as business hates taxes and workmen’s comp payments.
Comment by Fool On The Hill Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:29 am
I agree with much of McGrath’s statement except that Rauner has lost touch with reality. He knows what he’s doin’. To Rauner and some of his supporters, this is a mercy killing. It’s better to let the state break apart and millions of people to be harmed if it means taking total power, enriching themselves further and permanently weakening their self-created enemies.
I’m not clever enough to coin a phrase, but to me it’s Rauner Destruction Syndrome, and it works in large part by deflection and projection, like Rauner does when he accuses others of creating a crisis.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:37 am
I thought Rauner lost touch with reality yesterday when he proposed spending a billion on cyber security. He is okay with hurting Chicago school kids over $215 million, but somehow is going to come up with $1 billion to spend on security consultants?
Comment by A Jack Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:38 am
There seems to be a growing sense that Rauner is being backed into the ropes. Trump’s boorish flailing on the national level isn’t helping the R’s, either. 11/2018 is a long way away. That said, I see no reason to reasonably believe Trump will do anything but fail, pathetically. If Rauner can’t get back on message, the Dems might just need a warm body without a sex scandal in his/her background to retake the executive’s office.
Comment by AlfondoGonz Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:43 am
Oh Rauner Crew… lol…
===Just another reminder that every time you hear machine Democrats say “Do Your Job,” they mean just raise taxes and bailout Chicago.===
Yeah, that’s a “swell” try at pivoting off Chance’s chant that seems to resonate so well, the Rauner Crew can’t stop it, but want it ton”try” to mean something else.
#DoYourJob, Governor Rauner.
By not doing your job, the Rauners are purposely forcing the collapse of Illinois, financing the political gridlock, preventing compromise and nothing getting done.
Not oblivious or an accident.
#DoYourJob…
It means just that Gov. Rauner. Not getting around what it means too.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:48 am
==they mean just raise taxes and bailout Chicago.==
As opposed to raising taxes (and blame Dems for it), crush unions, and renege on social services and pension debt.
Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:49 am
Computers over folks, both young, old, and in between.
Comment by Barrington Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:49 am
Tough talk from a mayor who is prepared to forfeit Federal funds by pandering to Latino politicians and defying the US government by arguing the Chicago is entitled to declare itself a “sanctuary” city where immigration laws do not apply.
Comment by Ward Heeler Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:55 am
“Just another reminder that every time you hear machine Democrats say “Do Your Job,” they mean just raise taxes and bailout Chicago.”
Except that it’s a lot more people than “machine Democrats” saying this.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:55 am
== Just another reminder that every time you hear machine Democrats say “Do Your Job,” they mean just raise taxes and bailout Chicago. ==
That’s falling on many deaf ears, both republican and democrat.
Comment by Saluki Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 9:56 am
So is Rainer an inept governor or ‘ept’ destroyer? The ‘gruntled’ faction of the population is around 12%, according to last weeks poll, and likely to drop more. Illinois politics is incredibly corrupt - take a poll on that question! - and both parties are complicit, and have been for a long time. Legislators, with few exceptions, are fearful of losing their jobs, so they decline to fight the good fight. They bray about how they want to ’serve the people’. If by ‘people’ they mean themselves, then they are spot on. If a politician isn’t truly bothered by criticism, or open minded about it, what have they got to lose by maintaining their status quo? How does corruption persist? Because we let it.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 10:06 am
===Illinois politics is incredibly corrupt - take a poll on that question!===
A poll on a belief and the actual facts supporting an opinion are two different animals.
Good try, thou.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 10:07 am
===If I learned anything from Rod, it’s that sitting governors with bad numbers but loads of cash can get across the finish line.===
OW, do you think it’s possible voters learned their lesson with Rod thus preventing them from making the same mistake with this governor?
Comment by Cubs in '16 Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 10:09 am
Maybe Rauner should give his daughter an office in the 4th floor. That’ll fix it.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 10:13 am
I believe this Governor has been consistent and persistent. He has an end game plan. If he can jackpot the state beyond what even a sizable tax hike would remedy he will be in position to declare critical crisis and revisit pension cuts.
Comment by wondering Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 10:21 am
I think a lot of our politicians, including those that think we can just go on they way we have, have lost touch with reality.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 10:30 am
The saddest part of this drama is domestic violence shelters tetter on edge and BigBrain believes citizens are unsafe because the Comptroller has taken $100 million for computer consultants out of the rapid withdrawal lane.
Unconfirmed reportin’ suggests the coordinatin’ crew has reject Rahm’s application for membership.
BigBrain bunglin’ makes the idea of coordinatin’ unneeded.
Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 10:43 am
To lose touch with reality implies having ‘touch’ to begin with. A man that was raised having his own ‘people’, that has never cleaned a toilet, prepared his own meal, had ‘people’ to care for his family, and a trust fund turned into venture capital millions (or billions) probably never had much of a ‘touch’ to begin with.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 10:48 am
Illinois government has many cases of corruption. Two Governors jailed, many Aldermen, Congressmen including Rostenkowski and JJJ. I put Hastert in a separate category.
Add in bribe taking by inspectors and the stench of corruption permeates political discussion.
There are many good people in government, but voters tolerate corruption. We have come to accept it as endurable and not correctable . Sort of like my arthritis.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 10:53 am
Rauner isn’t crazy, he’s a guy who told us he wasn’t interested in making his known hatred of unions a priority in his administration. He’s guy who campaigned claiming he had no soc8ial agenda. He’s a guy who campaigned as a deal-maker who can find bipartisan compromises to save Illinois. He is a guy who tells us that he can fix Illinois, propose stunning reforms, but never shows us how those reforms can fix Illinois. He is a guy who sells promises we wanted, using solutions we can’t accept.
Then two weeks after his inauguration, he revealed himself to be someone completely different.
He wanted to win the election and he knew that if he told us the truth, he’d lose. That isn’t a crazy guy detatched from reality.
He’s a persistent rascal. A guy who say and do whatever it took to get his way. He doesn’t tell us the truth. He knows reality. He knows the truth. He won’t be honest with us. That’s not crazy.
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 11:08 am
===do you think it’s possible voters learned their lesson with Rod===
Judging by comments, AFSCME members still haven’t learned their lesson from the Quinn loss.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 11:36 am
===do you think it’s possible voters learned their lesson with Rod===
I think Rich makes a solid point with AFSCME/Quinn.
I guess we’ll see if $80, $90… $100 million is enough to pull another “Rod” miracle.
Rod had GWB in the White House, Rauner will have Trump.
I’d also think the pivot off #DoYourJob is “Democrats saying…” may not be the needed pivot that will blunt #DoYourJob
Tough to beat an incumbent governor flush with cash.
Tough for an incumbent with 58% disapproval, today, and be the party in power in DC, running in the Midterm elections.
===do you think it’s possible voters learned their lesson with Rod===
Dunno.
But I know Rod showed a path for Rauner. That is all I know. Today.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 11:45 am
The AFSCME members who still support Rauner either don’t pay any attention to what’s happening around them or are party loyalists. My hope lies with the people who held their noses and voted for Rauner. Hopefully these voters will be motivated not to allow this type of ‘governing’ to continue. I’ve read enough comments here from Republicans who say they’re disgusted by Rauner’s approach to give me hope.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 12:33 pm
- Cubs in ‘16 -,
Labor’s largest and only challenges are;
Educate membership where Rauner has failed Labor and make clear the Decatur PowerPoint is still very much the plan and at play.
Mobilize and organize significant turnout with large plurality within Labor to significantly impact the plurality against Rauner.
That’s the list, those are the objectives.
Can Labor, state-wide, be that impactful block that negates that 2 in 5 for Rauner now embarrassing historical measure.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 12:48 pm
Always someone else’s fault….
https://youtu.be/-95QqBXLG2I
Comment by ILGOV2018 Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 1:02 pm
Thanks OW. Always appreciate your insights.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 1:08 pm
- Cubs in ‘16 -
Your always welcome, but especially thank you for the kind words.
Though only 2 “asks” of Labor I see, they are large asks, and treating them less than large asks could be where weakness Clyde be exploited by Rauner.
Also… Labor can start at any time in tackling these asks.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 1:15 pm
==I’d also think the pivot off #DoYourJob is “Democrats saying…” may not be the needed pivot that will blunt #DoYourJob==
Probably not, but he’s gotta do something about it. That little hashtag will kill him. Too simple and universal. This? This probably isn’t enough. But he has time to hone a message.
Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 1:37 pm
===Probably not, but he’s gotta do something about it. That little hashtag will kill him.===
That’s the crux of the problem;
The hashtag is brutal already, the response so far has been brutal to blunt it.
There are a couple “easy” reversals here, if the Superstars think for 13 minutes or so about it.
The response about “Democrats saying… ” is lazy to the work, and also lazy to the politics and damage being inflicted.
===But he has time to hone a message.===
Agree, 100%. That said, this “one” doesn’t work, so they need to move on from it.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 1:46 pm
==So is Rainer an inept governor or ‘ept’ destroyer?==
Being a venture capitalist, the man knows what he’s doing. This is an intentional FUBAR.
Comment by Nikolas Name Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 4:06 pm
“If he can jackpot the state [then] he will be in position to declare critical crisis and revisit pension cuts.” That’s exactly the argument Quinn used (emergency powers) and the ISC shot that down in flames and poured gasoline on the smoldering remains.
Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 4:15 pm
Over 100 AFSCME had a nice time yelling at Rauner in Lincoln tonight. He tried to slip in a side entrance, but we saw him and gave him a piece of our minds anyway!
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 22, 17 @ 10:17 pm
Kudos to the senior Rauner administration official for issuing a finger-pointing statement that didn’t include the word ‘Madigan’.
Now ##DoYourJob.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Thursday, Mar 23, 17 @ 7:57 am