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Rauner complains about the press, brags about “blocking ol’ Madigan’s bad behavior”

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* If you click here and go to about the ten-minute mark, you’ll hear Gov. Rauner say this to a friendly GOP fundraiser audience last night…

The change is so tough, it’s so slow. And, boy, I’m getting the stuffing kicked out of me every day in the press if you haven’t noticed. Well, talk about bias. Oh my goodness, in the press. […]

Now, it’s a battle. It’s a battle, but we’re making changes. The press doesn’t talk about it, but we made big changes.

You know what I’m proudest of? We blocked Madigan’s $7 billion out of balance budget. He wanted way more spending… We blocked billions of dollars the Democrats wanted to spend beyond what we’re spending right now. And we blocked the Democrats’ massive income tax. Right there saving you billions of dollars by blocking ol’ Madigan’s bad behavior and that’s a big deal.

* Four points:

1) The dude gets pretty good media coverage, considering his lousy poll numbers. But, whatevs. Every politician complains about the media.

2) Blocking Madigan’s budget proposal almost a year ago is the action he’s the “proudest of?” Sure, the proposal was out of balance. Way out of balance. But our current bill payment backlog is $13.4 billion. At the time he blocked Madigan’s budget, the backlog was $7.7 billion.

3) Not having a budget isn’t saving anybody anything because those bills are going to have to be paid one day, so taxes are going to go up one way or another at one time or another.

4) That Madigan budget was defeated last year mainly because a large number of rank and file Senate Democrats refused to support it. Click here for the roll call.

* By the way, the Pritzker campaign sent out a video before that Rauner fundraiser last night…

Not exactly the best vid I’ve ever seen.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:10 am

Comments

Rauner has utter contempt for the citizens he’s representing. It’s astonishing.

He’s selfish and self-absorbed. He has no moral foundation. He has no idea what governing means.

Comment by Mr. K Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:17 am
That quote excerpt is positively Trump-ish. If I didn’t know better, I’d think the President himself said it.

Comment by Stringer Bell Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:20 am
Stella must love rolling around in his speeches.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:21 am
If and when Rauner signs the Rauner Tax, arguably one of the single most permanent income tax increases in Illinois history, ol’ Bruce will wonder aloud is letting the backlog get so bad was such a great ideas.

That also assumes the RaunerS have a conscious. That’s still up for discussion.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:21 am
Watched the ad. Already forgot what it said.

Comment by walker Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:21 am
*** Not having a budget isn’t saving anybody anything because those bills are going to have to be paid one day, so taxes are going to go up one way or another at one time or another. ***

Right; and let’s not forget to add the 1% interest *per month* that accrues after 90 days. This is fiscal mismanagement in the extreme.

Comment by X-prof Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:28 am
Regardless of when an increased income tax goes into place, it should always be titled the Rauner Tax. This will be part of his infamous legacy, whether or not he is re-elected.

Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:29 am
The UofI whiz kids say that the FY17 budget Rauner pushed and signed has a $13B deficit. COGFA said $8B.

13 and 8 are both larger than 7. Don’t need a phony and redundant secretary of education at $250K a year to know that.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:30 am
Lame video from the Jeb! campaign

Comment by John Rawlss Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:31 am
The most out of balance Madigan budget would be better than the big nothing Rauner has provided. At least we got something with that debt

Comment by Rogue Roni Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:32 am
at the :13 mark, the Pritzker campaign misspelled “governors.”

Comment by Oops Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:33 am
I forgot the Madigan budget only got 17 votes in the Senate

Biss was a yes, so much for standing up to the Speaker. All talk

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:34 am
’saving you …’.

There is what he cares about - saving people who attend GOP fundraisers money. Doesn’t care about serving the developmentally disabled, mentally ill, autistic, epileptic, victims of domestic violence, homeless, hungry, suffering from PTSD citizens of Illinois.

Of course, he’s not really saving the attendee’s money because they are going to have to pay the necessary increased taxes too in the end.

Comment by thoughts matter Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:36 am
Some media is startin’ to slide away from DopeyDuct. We are thinkin’ they finally realized he is not well grounded (looneytunes)
His oonstant claims offer solid evidence that there is little to hope of taking his word on any budget solution. Good Friday Massacre II was not a confidence builder either.

Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:37 am
God forbid a Senator works with the President, even if he is from the opposing party.

Maybe if our Senators did they could save the EPA Chicago office from closing.

The never Trump routine will severely impair Federal help to Chicago

JB should know better, but there is a liberal base to appease

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:37 am
You forgot #5 - And he complains about a $7 billion out of whack budget the year he introduces a $7 billion out of whack budget.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:37 am
Well, people see what they want to see…

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,
but when the wicked rule, the people groan.—Proverbs 29:2

Comment by Baruch Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:39 am
==We blocked billions of dollars the Democrats wanted to spend beyond what we’re spending right now.==

Translation: We blocked money to higher education, social programs, and a whole host of other necessary areas. And we also blocked paying $13.4 billion of our bills on programs we did authorize.

Comment by Joe M Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:42 am
The video feels like a DNC product, poorly produced and terribly executed.

Comment by Chairman McBroom Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:43 am
The press is critical of him?
When did that start?

Comment by btowntruth from forgotonnia Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:43 am
Rauner has become a caricature by his own design. He knows Governors own because he said as much about Quinn. In his mind, blame can’t fall upon a caricature. But he’s still going to own all of this. Ryan and Edgar have told him as much.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:44 am
I did a spit take when I saw the press comment. Rauner has had most editorial boards dancing to his tune. For the most part, unsophisticated local media play his misleading and false messages without challenge or seeking comment from the other side.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:49 am
=13 and 8 are both larger than 7.=

Math confirmed.

=But our current bill payment backlog is $13.4 billion. At the time he blocked Madigan’s budget, the backlog was $7.7 billion.=

And 13.4 is bigger than 7.7.

Has anyone ever checked the governor’s SAT math scores or transcripts? Evidence would suggest that he is not good at math.

I would suggest some tutoring from the State Superintendent of schools and Secretary of Education but neither are credentialed in Illinois and Tony Smith has never held a teaching credential.

So there you have it.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:51 am
“…unsophisticated local media…”

Unsophisticated? That’s being too kind. How about “dumb” and “uninformed” and “lazy”.

That’s the media now.

Comment by Mr. K Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:53 am
Isn’t Governor Rauner the one that always says “he doesn’t want to negotiate legislation with/through the press”? So why is he complaining?

The press can’t keep printing old rehashed lines. It isn’t…news.

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:56 am
By any measure Rauner is a failure. Any measure except the destruction of a state government and all of its infrastructure. There he is a success and LP and his ilk somehow enjoy and cheer that destruction. Pitiful.

Comment by don the legend Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:57 am
That pol ad was very weak. With so much money one would think the research and ads would be much stronger. Pritzker camp needs a better platform. But it’s still early.

Comment by Rocky Rosi Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 10:58 am
I was there last night, and overall it was a good speech. For the crowd, blocking Madigan is in itself an accomplishment. The biggest applause came from saying we are going to take 8 seats in 2018.

Comment by ste_with_a_v_en Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:01 am
Don the Legend

What has caused the destruction of this state’s finances is unsustainable pensions addressed in the other post. Unfunded liabilities have almost doubled since 2008.

Rauner is one of the few trying to fix the problem. The elected officials that created the problem sit on their hands and pretend they had nothing to do with it. They call it Rauner’s personal agenda. Pitiful deflection.

How will the state have the funds to operate if 25% of the revenues go towards pensions?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:09 am
====saying we are going to take 8 seats in 2018===

Did he really say 8 again? I didn’t hear that part. lol

8 gets him to a 59-59 tie.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:15 am
Rauner is running on 2 big accomplishments.

1. Beating Madigan (whether it is taking seats from his majority or defeating his budget)

2. Defeating any attempts to raise taxes.

Now for many people, that is a woefully short list of accomplishments for a governor. But my guess is with the crowd he was speaking to, it was just what they wanted.

Whining about a press biased against him was just icing on the cake.

Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:16 am
- Lucky Pierre -

As you said yourself, cowards and loser live in the past, as Mike Ditka said.

Are you a coward or a loser, - Lucky Pierre -

Here’s what is at play, - Lucky Pierre -

When a budget, a number of bills to fund state government, Gov. Rauner only chose to sign funding for K-12, and by those vetoes, Rauner personally chose not to fund his own state agencies, the state government, higher education, the refusal to pay past due bills not covered by court order, and… Bruce Rauner, like in his 2012 statement, feels that the holding of hostage this state, via wedges to hurt real people…

… Rauner, as governor… has refused to make Illinous better

By nearly every measure, Illinous is worse since Rauner became governor.

It’s things like this… that the math makes it all too clear.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:17 am
I just listened again. He said 9 seats. That gets him a majority.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:18 am
Lucky Pierre—can you please name anything of real meaning that Governor Rauner has accomplished since being elected? This has got to be very tiresome even for you to keep up this ridiculous cheerleading and defense of Rauner.

Comment by ILGOV2018 Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:20 am
With Trump as POTUS, and the headwinds of Rauner not accomplishing any major within the governmental…

59-59 would be something so epic, Illinois politics would be reset in such a way that not only would Illinois be an outlier to its own history and the history of midterm elections, the idea that term limits and a non-partisan map would be so moot, no side could resurrect it, lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:21 am
== Not having a budget isn’t saving anybody anything because those bills are going to have to be paid one day, ==

I think Rauner intends to invoke the non-appropriation clause and avoid paying for much of the contractual services the State has / is receiving.

The only way I see those vendors getting paid is if a budget is passed that EXPLICITLY recognizes those previous FY and current FY contracts are valid and owed. Even with that, I could see Rauner trying to line item them out with an AV.

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:22 am
JB needs to hire some better video people.

Comment by Saluki Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:30 am
“This has got to be very tiresome” Bots never get tired. He’s proven himself to be unworthy of discourse.

Comment by Skeptic Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:32 am
Worry about what positive things you can do for the State Governor. Blaming the Democracts for two years is getting old. What are your ideas for a budget?

Comment by Valvino Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:33 am
Rauner didn’t sound last night like someone who is interested in compromise. Of course, it’s not unheard of for him to contradict himself. Take him seriously, we have to. Take him at his word, I’d say experience teaches us that’s not a good idea.

Comment by IRLJ Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:36 am
My bad Rich, he said nine but I hit eight. Still the crowd was overall enthusiastic. Dan Proft also proclaimed the path to victory is through the Northwest Suburbs.

Comment by ste_with_av_en Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:40 am
IL GOV 2018,

Illinois is not a monarchy, please list the accomplishments that the co equal legislative branch has passed since Rauner was elected

Because there are none, you could list the proposals for changes but there aren’t any of those either.

Should be an interesting election, changing Illinois or keeping the same failed policies in place for decades

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:43 am
==Not exactly the best vid I’ve ever seen.==

NO focus. Is he running against Ron Johnson? Really conceptually foolish.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:45 am
LP—Rauner is one of the few trying to fix the problem.— Really. Three straight unbalanced budgets, hiring Munger, killing a compromise, non stop campaigning. I guess I missed his proposed fix.

Comment by don the legend Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 11:51 am
LP- I find it amusing that you turn every question around when asked of you about Rauner and yet you never answer the question.

Let me help you a bit.. Rauner did not produce a balanced budget as required by the IL Constitution. Rauner sabotaged the bi-partisan Senate compromise and killed it. Rauner is destroying social services (even though he has no social agenda). Rauner is trying to force AFSCME into going on strike so he can replace them. Rauner started his tenure off with lying about phone calls placed to Madigan and Cullerton on election night. Rauner took over the ILGOP and rebranded it in his own image.

Does that help?

Comment by ILGOV2018 Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:14 pm
Yes really, why start the clock on unbalanced budgets when Rauner was elected and ignore the previous decades of unbalanced budgets?

Can the Governor balance the budget without the help of the legislature?

Did you miss the Speaker’s comments about the Grand Compromise and how they did not support?

I am sure you can detail all of the Speaker’s efforts to compromise with the Senate and the Governor. Should be a piece of cake

Why is hiring a competent executive an impediment to fixing the problems? She is nowhere near as partisan as Susana Mendoza.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:15 pm
LP-let’s not forget he is destroying public education in Illinois and he said quite publicly he wants to “starve the beast”.

On a side note-he is definitely following the Trump playbook, heck he invented the playbook. Never answer the question and point to the other guy as the problem. Yep, we all got what we deserve in Illinois.

Comment by ILGOV2018 Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:17 pm
Rauner makes a good point, we wouldnt have the states largest unfunded liability ever without him

Comment by Ghost Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:18 pm
Rauner believes in the power of the big lie. Lie. Keep lying. And it becomes truth for many.

(And, for yesterday’s thread about how great his team does with the small town media outlets…that’s like praising the high school varsity baseball team for blowing out the tee-ballers.)

Comment by Moe Berg Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:18 pm
Did anyone notice in the Senate roll call that one of our candidates for governor voted for Madigan’s irresponsibly unbalanced budget? And he claims to be the ‘math’ expert???

Comment by Concerned Mom Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:20 pm
===Can the Governor balance the budget without the help of the legislature===

Article VIII, Section 2, (a) requires a governor to do so.

If you wavy yo admit Rauner is grossly inept, I can agree.

===Did you miss the Speaker’s comments about the Grand Compromise and how they did not support?===

Rauner blew it up. You keep forgetting that.

Why not support the compromise and put Madigan in the corner with the compromise passed

Also, if you then say Rauner wanted “changes” that’s why he blew it up, then you not only admit Rauner blew it up, but purposely undercut Leader Radogno.

This is the first time today you are being reminded Rauner blew up the Senate Grand Bargain, something even Leader Radogno agrees.

===I am sure you can detail all of the Speaker’s efforts to compromise with the Senate and the Governor. Should be a piece of cake===

What’s a piece of cake is what’s undisputed.

It was Rauner himself, alone, that blew up the compromise.

It’s not up for discussion, it’s not even up for debate.

This, however, is my favorite;

===Yes really, why start the clock on unbalanced budgets when Rauner was elected and ignore the previous decades of unbalanced===

So you are admitting Rauner proposed 3 phony, sham, grossly unbalanced, status quo budgets…

… exactly what Rauner promised he’d stop.

Rauner promised. No one else is holding him to anything but his own words, lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:24 pm
“If you wavy yo admit..” Far out, man, that’s some groovy autocorrect, I can dig!

Comment by Skeptic Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:30 pm
=Should be an interesting election, changing Illinois or keeping the same failed policies in place for decades=

If Rauner couldn’t accomplish his legislative agenda in four years how does re-electing him change things? Are we supposed to keep voting him into office and watch him fail until the math works to his advantage?

Comment by Pundent Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:31 pm
“If you want to admit Rauner is grossly inept, I can agree.”

- Skeptic -,

It’s 4-20. I’m out of pop tarts avid pizza rolls, but my phone might be enjoying 4-20 more than… others.

:)

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:32 pm
- Can the Governor balance the budget without the help of the legislature? -

No. But I’m still waiting to hear why he can’t even propose a balanced budget.

Comment by Daniel Plainview Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:33 pm
Question. If previous governor’s used tricks to submit a “balanced” budget and those were acceptable, then why does Rauner get so much hate for it? Not trying be snarky or anything, but I’m just curious as to what has been considered an acceptable balanced budget for the GA to act? Is it because Rauner is supposed to at a higher standard than his predecessors? It seems like a game of “my not really balanced budget is more acceptable than your not really balanced budget.” I mean, if that’s the case isn’t everyone wrong then?

Comment by ste_with_av_en Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:37 pm
- ste_with_av_en -

Ya must’ve missed all that Rauner “sham” this, “phony” that, and “shaking up” and “bringing back”.

Rauner claimed to be “different” not the “status quo”

The reality is Rauner IS the status quo, pretending he’s not and parading around saying he’s not.

Capiche?

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:42 pm
When is the last time the GA passed a Governors proposed budget while not changing anything.

I would guess this has never happened and I am most certain it has never happened while Speaker Madigan has been in office.

Prove me wrong

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:44 pm
OW,
No I got that. I also remember Quinn and Blago saying they were there to clean things up. And again, no actually balanced budgets. Didn’t stop the GA from acting on them. I get the partisan angle, but really it’s a kettle pot situation.

Comment by ste_with_av_en Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:47 pm
===
When is the last time the GA passed a Governors proposed budget while not changing anything.

I would guess this has never happened and I am most certain it has never happened while Speaker Madigan has been in office.

Prove me wrong===

When was the last time a governor’s budget director, agency heads, legislative affairs testified they had zero cuts to suggest.

Prove me wrong

lol

Bruce Rauner is so grossly inept at budgetary matters his own budget direct and agency heads can’t name one cut, not a single cut.

Just admit Rauner is far too inept at formulating a budget then it even appears, then I’ll worry about the legislature taking on Article VIII, Section 2, (a) for the inept Rauner.

Heck, after admitting it - Lucky Pierre - we can both call on the legislature to take over Rauner’s responsibilities, for the state’s sake!

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:51 pm
@ILGov
Lucky is the ultimate deflector. He had to answer every question with a question or gives a nonsensical answer (i.e. Yet to admit Rauner hadn’t produced a constitutionally mandated budget). You can’t have a logical discussion with an illogical person.

@Lucky— Rauner’s increased the state debt $8 billion as CEO! Rauner fail!!!

Comment by Illinois O'Malley Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:51 pm
when Hurrican Kristen heard Rauner complaining about his media coverage, a tear formed in the corner of her eye, she stood up from her desk in the relatively empty Tronc newsroom and declared, “I promise to do better, Governor.”

Comment by TominChicago Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:53 pm
===Didn’t stop the GA from acting on them. I get the partisan angle, but really it’s a kettle pot situation===

… didn’t stop Thompson, Edgar or Ryan either.

You seem to forgot them… or…

It’s about 60 and 30.

Thompson, Edgar, Ryan, even Rod and Quinn found a way to get a budget and 60 and 30.

Rauner can’t. Rauner refuses to even support a compromise his own Senate Leader is cobbling.

If you can’t see all this, I can’t help you…

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 12:55 pm
OW,
You didn’t answer the question. Check the GOMB website, theres a budget, and by all the previous standards it’s good enough for the GA to act.

Comment by ste_with_av_en Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 1:06 pm
BTW OW, in case you don’t remember.
First comment https://capitolfax.com/2016/06/23/pat-quinns-selective-memory/

Comment by ste_with_av_en Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 1:09 pm
- ste_with_av_en -

You seem to “feign” an ignorance to 60 and 30. If you can’t grasp that concept, this place might be too deep of water fur you. If you do understand it, and this is a gag as to “Rauner is facing partisan… “… baloney… there are enough trolls here to keep you company.

I fed you. Go troll on your merry way.

Good luck.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 1:10 pm
- ste_with_av_en -

So you are a Raunerite faking “surprise”?

Quinn’s LAST budget, a lump sum budget I was not at all in favor of, and not the way the state should function.

Use the Google Key.

“Thanks!”

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 1:12 pm
OW,
I’m just trying to find your standard for success?
Pat Quinn got 60 and 30 and failed. Why is Rauner suddenly at a higher standard?

Comment by ste_with_av_en Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 1:22 pm
===I’m just trying to find your standard for success?
Pat Quinn got 60 and 30 and failed. Why is Rauner suddenly at a higher standard?===

Willfully ignorant or blissfully unaware?

Rauner hasn’t got 60 and 30.

You already know that. Rauner fails even at the simplest of tasks, getting 60 and 30 for a budget.

Then again, you know this, you aren’t fooling me, Rauner is destroying higher education and social services until his turnaround agenda is passed…

… and Democrats voting to destroy Labor, thru ending prevailing wage and collective bargaining, and then vote to pass arguably the single largest income tax increase…

.. then Rauner will talk about the budget.

Willfully ignorant. That’s my guess.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 1:27 pm
Oh, I get it now. I wasn’t aware that the GA only uses the Governors proposed budget when they craft one. That makes so much sense. Oh wait..I don’t think that’s ever happened.
And look, I’m no constitutional scholar, but it seems to it’s actually up to Madigan in the House and Cullerton in the Senate to get 60 and 30, respectively. Since I know you’re so strict with Rauner needing to follow the constitution, one can assume the same applies to the GA.

Comment by ste_with_av_en Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 1:44 pm
- ste_with_av_en -

Your brazen phony cluelessness knows no bounds…

Gov. Ryan?

===“The governor is the top guy. He is the leader. House Speaker Mike Madigan is not. The governor has to make things happen. If he doesn’t get everything he wants, he’s got to figure out how much he can get. To get something done. He’s got to take the wheel. He’s got to have a plan. It’s like everything in life.”===

Gov. Edgar?

===“He comes from a different background than I do. But I just think it’s very important for a governor, you’ve got to have a good budget and you need it in place,” Edgar told reporters. “You can try to compromise on some issues — and I think there are certain things (Democrats in the Legislature) might give him — but some of the things he’s asking for, they’re not going to give him. They’re just not going to give him===

- ste_with_av_en -, Willfully ignorant to the governing.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 1:54 pm
===Oh wait..I don’t think that’s ever happened.===

Only just about every year until the past couple.

C’mon. Negotiations have to start somewhere. And in the past they almost always started with what the governor put on the table.

Don’t be clueless.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 1:56 pm
” might be enjoying 4-20 more than… others.” By golly it *is*! Maybe that’s why I’m feeling a bit more peckish and a bit more serene today than usual.

Comment by Skeptic Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 1:56 pm
Lucky Pierre, you can justify the governor’s actions however you wish but that still doesn’t get us around the fact that our brightest kids are leaving the state to get an education because we can’t guarantee state colleges will be around long enough for them to graduate. And there are a lot of us depleting our savings and missing pay checks to prevent the governor’s harm from hurting the people we care for. There are antiviolence programs defunded and the accompanying escalation of shootings in Chicago. You can type all of the things you seem to want to type to protect Governor Rauner. But more and more people are seeing what’s going on and we can all tell a difference between pre Rauner and post Rauner. When my mother looks at the duct tape commercial and yells, “You’re the governor, fix this,” I would say regular people are starting to figure it out. You and your governor can spin all you want. The facts and the losses contradict you both.

Comment by CCP Hostage Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 2:19 pm
“it’s actually up to Madigan in the House and Cullerton in the Senate to get 60 and 30,” perhaps, but they have to have something to vote on.

Comment by Skeptic Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 3:01 pm
Lucky Pierre,

When’s the last time a Governor got 100% of everything he ever wanted?

Comment by Union Man Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 4:05 pm
I think Lucky must’ve worked for Sam Brownback.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 4:16 pm
- ste_with_av_en, you still ignore the basic constitutional requirement.

“The Governor SHALL prepare and submit to the General Assembly, at a time prescribed by law, a state budget for the ensuing fiscal year…Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget.”

SHALL as in MUST as in this is not discretionary. Rauner has failed to propose a balanced budget in his 829 days in office. First governor ever to do that. And this year he didn’t even pretend except in campaign commercials.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 4:26 pm
How about the Gov taking a salary and fund the states payables? Be a “big guy” if he does not want to present a budget as he is required? Money is issue and he will not address the problem. How about a 4 year term limit on our Gov and not about re-ellection?

Comment by bear3 Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 5:05 pm
Rauner is the first Governor to not propose a balanced budget?

When was the last time Illinois had a balanced budget?

It has been decades, but in your mind the trouble started with Rauner and the 130 billion dollar pension debt is his fault.

Care to revise your assertion or explain how every previous budget was balanced but we have this monstrous debt?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 6:54 pm
===Illinois had a balanced budget?

It has been decades, but in your mind the trouble started with Rauner and the 130 billion dollar pension debt is his fault.===

Governors Own.

“Pat Quinn failed”

Rauner also proclaimed he could balance the budget without a tax increase.

Another obvious Bruce Rauner fail..

I forget - Lucky Pierre - are you a coward or loser, living in the past, lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 6:57 pm
Of course you attack me and not Chicago Cynic who says Rauner is the first Governor to have an unbalanced budget.

One of the most completely ridiculous posts I have ever read

Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 7:06 pm
- Lucky Pierre -

Your phoniness is just too delicious… lol

As to - Chicago Cynic -

Rauner said he’d stop phony sham budgets…

… am I not suppose to believe him?

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 7:09 pm
==One of the most completely ridiculous posts I have ever read==

I’ve read many and they all come from you. You deflect. You don’t engage in honest discussion. It’s all Madigan all the time with you. Is it all Rauner’s fault? No. But what is going on now is his fault. But, you refuse to acknowledge it. You twist in the wind trying every way you can to defend him. Anytime someone challenges you it’s always the same song - “yeah, but Speaker Madigan.” You have no arguments. You have no honesty.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Apr 21, 17 @ 8:15 am