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Rauner fully pivots to 2018

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Illinois

* Remember yesterday when we talked about that Bruce Rauner campaign fundraising letter wherein the governor says taxpayers “deserve a balanced budget without any tax increases”?

Finke delved a bit deeper, pointing out all the times that the governor has said cuts alone can’t balance the budget and how he’s open to tax hikes. And then he talked to a few legislators and Speaker Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown, who said the letter was just another example of the governor’s flip-flops…

“The document, taken in the context of the last two or three weeks where there’s been a variety of positions announced, it now seems he needs to really explain what his position is, at least for the next month,” Brown said. […]

[Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington] also said that mathematically a budget could be balanced with no new revenue, but the cuts “would be very difficult, even from a Republican standpoint when it comes to government services.”

“The problem that you’ve got is there would have to be severe cuts in Medicaid eligibility. Education would be dramatically affected,” he said. “When you have such high fixed expenses in pensions and debt, it would necessitate some pretty dramatic cuts.” […]

“My immediate reaction is, what has the governor been trying to negotiate for now going on 2 1/2 years?” [Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill] said. “It makes it impossible to negotiate. The first rule of negotiating is you have to stake out your positions. This governor has yet to stake out a position.”

* Here’s the envelope, by the way…

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 9:32 am

Comments

It takes real cojones to put out a letter like that when you failed to present a cuts-only balanced budget 3 times. That darn Madigan!

Comment by Jibba Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 9:37 am
===[Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington] also said that mathematically a budget could be balanced with no new revenue, but the cuts “would be very difficult, even from a Republican standpoint when it comes to government services===

All day, “this”

There’s a pretty doggone good reason Rauner won’t submit the “IPI budget”, and won’t go on and propose a budget that has “cuts only”

Rauner would not only own the cuts, the “Rauner Cuts” would’ve get 60 and 30, and the “Rauner Cuts” would cripple so many things, the functioning state wouldn’t have the possibility to show the true functions of safety and the well being of those the state needs to look after.

The “Rauner Cuts” and the “Rauner Tax” will need to be, if Rauner wants a budget.

Same as it was, January 2015.

Revenue isn’t optional, it’s required.

Math and politics say it’s so.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 9:40 am
“We’re negotiating in the Senate right now. Democrats and Republicans are coming together. We’re very close. We could get it done in the next couple of weeks.” — Bruce Rauner, last week.

“Springfield Democrats REFUSE TO FIX our state. Illinois taxpayers deserve a balanced budget WITHOUT any tax increases.” — Bruce Rauner, this week.

Serious question: What kind of person still finds Bruce Rauner credible?

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 9:49 am
>the last two or three weeks where there’s been a variety of positions announced,

Seems like a fertile area for an opposing party to put out a simple, clear, cohesive message that candidates can build on as they focus on various issues, from taxes to budget to the march today.

Comment by Earnest Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 9:51 am
Interesting they use the throwback picture where Bruce is looking much less gaunt

Comment by Grand Avenue Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 9:54 am
Another day, another Rauner song and dance.

Comment by DuPage Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 9:54 am
But Rauner will never say specifically what he would cut. Never. Total joke. State politics is a complete waste of time. No one is serious. Just same old tedious rehashing of what everyone was saying a year ago. So boring.

Comment by GOPgal Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 9:57 am
I give credit to both Brady and Manar for stating the obvious. Revenue is required and Bruce refuses to negotiate in good faith.

Until enough R’s stand up to the bully (and his $50 million dollar club) it’s going to be hard to come up with any type of budget.

Comment by Jocko Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 10:05 am
I had given Rauner a modest bit of credit until now for acknowledging that revenue as needed as part of a balanced budget. He’s always been careful/cagey so no one has a video on him saying he’ll raise taxes, but he had not, to this point, said he was absolutely against new revenue.

Here is what he is banking on - Lies + Money = The Truth.

That’s his entire campaign strategy. And also why we won’t have a budget as long as he is the governor.

Comment by Montrose Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 10:19 am
So Rauner is now to the right of Sen. Bill Brady. Does that make Brady a big-taxing liberal, like Madigan?

Comment by anon2 Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 10:24 am
If Illinois deserves a “balanced budget without any tax increases,” than it’s incumbent on the governor to propose one.

Indeed, a balanced budget proposal is his Constitutional duty.

He has plenty of whiz kids at his disposal at GOMB, plus Munger and her entourage who are supposed to be a second set of budget experts. Get busy cipherin’.

What’s he waiting for? No one can stop him from doing so. If he doesn’t do so, he only has himself to blame.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 12:12 pm
== Interesting they use the throwback picture where Bruce is looking much less gaunt.==

I believe medical marijuana can now be used for anorexia.

Comment by Bewildered Herd Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 3:25 pm