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A meeting that shouldn’t have been news

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Illinois

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…

In normal times, a 40-minute, late-April meeting to talk about the budget between a governor and the House speaker would be so routine that it would likely go unnoticed by pretty much everyone under the Statehouse dome.

But these ain’t normal times.

A funded, full-year state budget has not passed during a spring legislative session since 2013, almost exactly four years ago. We’ve had partial-year or “stopgap” budgets ever since.

And House Speaker Michael Madigan hasn’t formally met with the governor since Dec. 6 of last year, about five months ago. Gov. Bruce Rauner announced at the time there would be no more such meetings until the Democrats were prepared to offer up a balanced budget with specific reforms — something that the governor hasn’t done since, either.

So, it was definitely news when Speaker Madigan requested a private, one-on-one sit-down with Gov. Rauner last week and then the two actually met.

Speaker Madigan issued a statement saying that he had urged the governor “to turn his focus to the budget.” Gov. Rauner’s office then claimed that Madigan “hinted that he may be willing to enact a truly balanced budget with changes that will help create jobs, properly fund our schools and lower property taxes.”

Did they really make progress?

Well, we all know that the governor is prone to exaggeration. He said repeatedly during the two-week spring break that the grand bargain negotiations were close to being wrapped up.

He even claimed at one whistle stop that negotiations were going on between the two caucuses as he spoke, with another scheduled for the following day. None of that was true.

The House speaker has his own issues. He doesn’t say much except to repeat what he’s been saying over and over for two years: The governor should focus on passing a budget. Madigan himself, meanwhile, has been completely focused on denying the governor any wins on Rauner’s terms. All wins must instead be on Madigan’s terms.

Madigan’s spokesman reacted to the governor’s statement by pointing to a bill the House passed last week to make workers’ compensation insurance “more affordable.”

That bill (HB 2622), however, sets up a state-run workers’ comp insurance company to compete with existing private insurers. Trial lawyers and unions insist that the hundreds of workers’ comp insurers in Illinois are colluding to keep prices high. Hey, maybe such a thing could work.

But creating a government insurance company is not exactly the sort of reform that our Milton Friedman-worshipping governor will ever accept as a “win.”

Even so, I choose, for the millionth time, to look at the bright side. At least they met. At least there was apparently a mention (no matter how brief) of non-budgetary reforms. At least they didn’t full-on whack each other after their meeting ended.

You gotta crawl before you can walk, so I’ll take it, no matter how pathetically tiny or how temporary that microscopic bit of progress may have been.

It’s been Madigan’s habit over the years to send the Senate a budget and then announce that the House has completed its work. He did it again last year and was ultimately stymied when the Senate refused to pass it.

But Madigan likely can’t even pass another budget bill out of his own chamber this year, mainly because a group of 10 or so independent Democratic women in his caucus are sick and tired of these impasse games. They have enough votes to block him if they stick together.

And if the Senate ever does send Madigan its grand bargain, those 10 House members and several more will demand that he take some action. This impasse is killing them back in their districts, along with the blame that the governor has so successfully pinned on Madigan with tens of millions of dollars. A deal would take an enormous amount of heat off Madigan’s members, and, by extension, him.

Rauner, for his part, is dangerously close to being permanently labeled as a failed governor. Everything he’s tried has failed. Sure, he can point to minor administrative successes, but he wasn’t elected to save a few bucks on data processing.

And constantly awarding himself an “A” grade by pointing to these little administrative successes comes close to making him look dangerously separated from the reality that his state is rapidly going down the drain.

Both men have good reasons to find a way out of this mess. But they’re also the most stubborn men on the planet. Let’s hope they keep talking.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 1, 17 @ 9:14 am

Comments

Just wondering, do any of these exciting new businessmen, who are in government, actually understand how our System of Government works?

The Executive Branch PROPOSES, the Legislative Branch DISPOSES. There is a Schoolhouse Rock video out there that puts it in simple terms, in case there is any confusion.

Comment by Mike Cirrincione Monday, May 1, 17 @ 9:25 am
I think Illinois needs a budget in the worst way! My concern is that some might feel that giving the Governor a “win” this close to the election increase the likelihood of 4 more years of this insanity. Are we passed the point of no return? It is hard to imagine a budget prior to the next election, but I hope it happens!

Comment by Ole' Nelson Monday, May 1, 17 @ 9:27 am
Exactly Ole Nelson. I doubt any budget will happen now that the campaining has begun. Dems are not going to allow Rauner any victory now that his back is against the wall.

Comment by Generic Drone Monday, May 1, 17 @ 9:38 am
19 Days and Counting…

Can stubbornness and “I’m right” (on both sides, just to be clear) be cured in 19 days? Hope is still “in the box”, but her wings are tattered and torn, and she’s on life support.

Comment by Anon221 Monday, May 1, 17 @ 9:47 am
Squeeze the beast is progressing nicely, creating a new social services reality in the state. That’s not an accident.

I’d say that’s based more on an atheistic, narcissistic Randian “philosophy” than on Friedman. As a privatization advocate and a monetarist, Friedman probably would have favored private vendors actually getting paid for the work that they were contracted to do for the state.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, May 1, 17 @ 9:52 am
In normal times, there would be a deal cooking. Today, I just see it as a sign that the cold war might thaw a bit before 2019.

Comment by RNUG Monday, May 1, 17 @ 9:56 am
Why are there just 10 independent women legislators who can read polls about who the most unpopular politician in Illinois by far is?

At least ten women understand the reality that their backs are against the wall too,

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 1, 17 @ 10:00 am
Thank you for your optimism Rich. Unfortunately I can’t share any. At this point, does anyone really think the Guv or the Speaker want a deal? How can the Guv get a budget with enough wins to justify the damage caused?

He is in a corner and it seems like his only 2 options are 1) agree to a budget with minimal reforms and big cuts and a big tax hike or 2) continue to blame everything on MJM and claim as an accomplishment that he stopped MJM from raising our taxes.

Comment by Henry Francis Monday, May 1, 17 @ 10:06 am
Both sides are trapped by the dishonest discussion about revenue. The State must have revenue to maintain even court ordered services.

But neither side will advocate fo the necessary tax increases.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Monday, May 1, 17 @ 10:15 am
Out of curiosity, who exactly are the 10 “independent” democratic women in the house?

Comment by I'mDone Monday, May 1, 17 @ 10:18 am
It is all smoke and mirrors. The month of May will begin and end much like it has in years past. There will be exciting talks of a budget in the works. It will be a by partisan effort and be rumored to have support.

Then it will fall victim to party politics in the final hours at the end of the month. Fingers will then be pointed and they will all turn to election mode.

Even though Gov Rauner is already in election mode and arguably has never left it.

Comment by OpenYourEyes Monday, May 1, 17 @ 10:20 am
As a regular follower of this blog, this sentence really surprised me, I has no idea it was that bad.

A funded, full-year state budget has not passed during a spring legislative session since 2013, almost exactly four years ago. We’ve had partial-year or “stopgap” budgets ever since.

For all of the Blame Rauner bots, he took office in January of 2015.

The Democrats could not agree to a balanced budget by making the necessary compromises within their own party when they had total control of state government.

Any surprise that they can’t compromise with a Republican?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 1, 17 @ 10:34 am
The state run insurance sends a good message to Rauner. Maybe the state also needs a free market option so injured employees could sue at will.

Comment by Liberty Monday, May 1, 17 @ 10:35 am
“comes close to making him look dangerously separated from the reality.”

Oh I think we crossed that bridge some time ago.

But come on, cut the guy some slack, he’s got a family of foxes to look after now.

Comment by GOPgal Monday, May 1, 17 @ 10:58 am
If anyone doubts our workers comp system is harming our job creation and business retention, this should be enlightening.

visiting players hurt at Soldier Field, who can file claims in Illinois rather than their home state, where the benefits might be less generous.

http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/watchdogs-injury-claims-have-cost-bears-12-5m-team-seeks-cut/

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 1, 17 @ 10:58 am
independent

So why can’t Madigan just deny them money etc like he always does when someone gets out of line?

Perhaps the mushrooms marching into the sun isn’t such a bad thing?

Comment by Fav Hum Monday, May 1, 17 @ 11:03 am
LP, I would hesitate to call you a follower of this blog, even if you do comment a lot. You tend to jump to conclusions but end up in the mud. The FY14 was indeed the last of the good Quinn budgets. The FYI5 did need to be fixed in Spring 2015 but that “failure” was small relative to no true budgets at all under Rauner, who has never proposed a balanced budget at all. To equate Rauner’s failure with Quinn is completely wrong on all levels.

Comment by Simple Simon Monday, May 1, 17 @ 11:10 am
Not equating to Quinn but the failure of the GA continues under Rauner.

Rauner never proposing a balanced budget at all is also a tired, stale talking point.The Governor would support new revenue that would balance the budget as long as there were some compromises (like every other single budget negotiation in history).

Seeing as the GA has always treated a budget from even there own party’s Governor as only suitable for the trash, it is totally wrong for you to just pin the failure on Rauner.

It is not as simple as you say Simon

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 1, 17 @ 11:40 am
Just because someone doesn’t walk in lock step with the liberal leaning of this blog does not mean they jump to conclusions, it just means they realize that doing the same thing that yoiu have done in the past is not going to solve any of Illinois problems. Madigan has not gotten along very well with any governor of either party when they stand up too him.

Comment by Arock Monday, May 1, 17 @ 11:50 am
” . . . a tired, stale talking point.”

Maybe, but is it true or false?

It is true. Believe and act accordingly.

Comment by perry noya Monday, May 1, 17 @ 11:59 am
Just because something is tired and stale does not make it untrue. And for the record, I spread the blame around. I blame Rauner for lying to the public that he could balance the budget without a tax hike and hiding his true intentions to destroy universities, unions, and social services to get his way on the TA. I blame the dems for not finding a way out of the box Rauner and his money have put them in. As I suggested the other day, when power is split and neither side will give, a bare bones caretaker budget should have been enacted, which would have been preferable to the financial nightmare we’ve seen.

Comment by Simple Simon Monday, May 1, 17 @ 12:07 pm
I have no confidence anything will be done before 2018.

And if both Rauner & Madigan are reelected in 2018 I have no confidence anything will be done then either.

I’m pretty sure Madigan will be reelected to the House and to the Speakership.
Less so about Rauner.

As long as one of them goes I’ll consider that progress - and right now Rauner feels more vulnerable than Madigan.

Comment by Biscuit Head Monday, May 1, 17 @ 12:08 pm
===… it just means they realize that doing the same thing that yoiu have done in the past is not going to solve any of Illinois problems.===

Really? So “those” dinging the governor for is flat out phoniness is for this ignorant “stale talking point” of favoring the status quo? That’s not an argument - Arock -, that’s just ignorance passing as thiughfulness. Read comments, then get back to us.

===Madigan has not gotten along very well with any governor of either party when they stand up too him.===

… and yet, the date functioned to have social services paid, higher education funded, and Rauner is destroying both, and it’s Madigan’s fault Rauner chooses to hurt the people if Illinois by the choices only a governor can make?

That’s fun…

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 1, 17 @ 12:26 pm
===A funded, full-year state budget has not passed during a spring legislative session since 2013, almost exactly four years ago. We’ve had partial-year or “stopgap” budgets ever since.

For all of the Blame Rauner bots, he took office in January of 2015.===

So Rauner himself IS the Status Quo.

Thanks, appreciate that.

===Rauner never proposing a balanced budget at all is also a tired, stale talking point===

… and yet, undisputedly true, lol…

===The Governor would support new revenue that would balance the budget as long as there were some compromises (like every other single budget negotiation in history===

…again, raising revenue isn’t a give, it’s a required element. The only way it’s not a required element is if, you guessed it, Rauner proposed a balance budget without Revevue.

That’s why Rauner/balance budget talking point is not only NOT stale, but it embarrassingly makes your rationale continually look ridiculous, first by the sheer math…

===Seeing as the GA has always treated a budget from even there own party’s Governor as only suitable for the trash, it is totally wrong for you to just pin the failure on Rauner.===

“Pat Quinn failed” - Candidate Rauner. Rauner owns as Quinn owed.

“Questions?”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 1, 17 @ 12:32 pm
Why aren’t there any Republicans protesting the defunding of higher ed, especially those in places like Charleston, Carbondale, Macomb, and DeKalb?

Comment by Teach Monday, May 1, 17 @ 12:33 pm
My greatest fear is that all factions are more concerned with the political fight than the survival of the “hostages” … or worse yet, that the demise of lots of “hostages” is seen as a “plus” in the fight (both as campaign message fodder and as reducing the budget provisions that need to be made for them later on).

Comment by titan Monday, May 1, 17 @ 12:36 pm
OW Speaking of tired and stale talking points, you forgot to mention Madigan and the rest of the GA failed (for over a decade) but that is typical for you.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 1, 17 @ 1:00 pm
But, - Lucky Pierre -

1) Rauner said, “Pat Quinn failed” pinning everything under the sun, including sunshine, at every turn.

2) Rauner is against the status quo, yet, just above we all are suppose to accept Rauner is indeed, the status quo, aren’t you upset that Rauner is exactly like Quinn?

3) Rauner could show those pesky GA members by showing the Rauner Cuts and Rauner Tax to pay for things that the state needs. Why won’t Rauner? Rauner’s own budget director, in testimony, refused to name a single cut. Why is that?

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 1, 17 @ 1:06 pm
OW, no they passed a temporary tax increase during a veto session to pay off those past due bills, did nothing to fix the system before they let the tax increase expire once again during a veto session. K-12 schooling funding was already decreasing and a broken school funding system wasn’t and still hasn’t been fixed. Higher education was also losing in student migration to other states as well as outward migration of regular citizens to other states. Illinois was heading the wrong direction before he became governor and as I said before not a fan of his but not seeing Madigan pressing forward with any reforms only raise taxes.

Comment by Arock Monday, May 1, 17 @ 1:07 pm
==Rauner never proposing a balanced budget at all is also a tired, stale talking point==

Lol. This coming from the king of peddling tired and stale comments.

== it is totally wrong for you to just pin the failure on Rauner.==

I don’t believe we have. I know for a fact I haven’t. I’ve called out Madigan before. But then again we’re honest. I don’t think you’ve ever placed one lick of blame on the Governor.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, May 1, 17 @ 1:09 pm
Rauner has proposed no cuts? Quick tell AFSCME and all the administrators in our bloated higher education bureaucracy they have nothing to worry about.

Not even trying today?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 1, 17 @ 1:15 pm
===no they passed a temporary tax increase during a veto session to pay off those past due bills, did nothing to fix the system before they let the tax increase expire once again during a veto session.===

How did Candidate and Governor-Elect campaign, and react to the tax sunsetting? lol.

===K-12 schooling funding was already decreasing and a broken school funding system wasn’t and still hasn’t been fixed===

Not according to Rauner. According to Rauner he’s put more into education…

===Higher education was also losing in student migration to other states as well as outward migration of regular citizens to other states.===

… and yet, once Rauner refused to fully fund higher education, something no governor has done since the 1850s, Governor Rauner forced a state university to write a letter, basically saying, “we plan to stay open”… Even as Rauner wants that school closed.

=== Illinois was heading the wrong direction before he became governor===

… and yet, Crain’s says by nearly every measure Illinois is worse off since Rauner became governor. Hmm.

===..,and as I said before not a fan of his but not seeing Madigan pressing forward with any reforms only raise taxes===

Rauner’s measurable are 1.4% or $500+ million. Rauner still needs to raise the Rauner Tax…

So… what are you advocating?

Rauner, by every measure has made the state worse… citing all about… but… “Because… Madigan”?

lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 1, 17 @ 1:18 pm
And one more thing on this. I would totally respect Rauner if he said he wants us to live within our means and proposed a $33B budget, then actually withstood the slings and arrows. Needless to say, I do not need to pay that respect now.

Comment by Simple Simon Monday, May 1, 17 @ 1:19 pm
(Sigh)

===Rauner has proposed no cuts?===

According to committee testimony, yes. From budget director to agency heads, not one cut proposed.

===Quick tell AFSCME and all the administrators===

That’s a union contract, not a budget cut, thus why the budget director didn’t include your silliness, I’m guessing.

===…in our bloated higher education bureaucracy they have nothing to worry about.===

So the budget director isn’t truthful? Maybe you need to have the Adminstration put all that as a budgetary cut that Rauner owns. Why won’t the governor?

===Not even trying today?===

Aw, I think you’re being to hard on yourself - Lucky Pierre -, Rauner gives you so little to work with…

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 1, 17 @ 1:23 pm
Oh, and this…

===Why are there just 10 independent women legislators who can read polls about who the most unpopular politician…===

Madigan - 61% unfavorable
Rauner - 58% unfavorable

You really think highlighting polls in popularity is a… good… thing?

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 1, 17 @ 1:52 pm
K-12 % of funding by the State was going down pre-Rauner that is what I was getting at, the state wasn’t paying their share and did not reform at broken school funding system.

Doesn’t matter how he reacted Madigan and Quinn failed to extend, the only reform Madigan would give him is why Illinois is worse off after no other reforms were forth coming. Madigan was more than happy to watch Rauner fail even if it meant bringing down the whole house.

If you say Rauner has failed then you have to say that Madigan is a failure as he has been the Speaker of the House during the time that Illinois started its death spiral yet you progressives keep him on as your leader. He and his policies dug the largest deficit around and the only thing we have heard from him is raise taxes.

Comment by Arock Monday, May 1, 17 @ 2:07 pm
Finally, “to the Post”

Rich took the reality of what should be normal and by taking the reader along as to the unmitigated silliness that we “cheer” something that should be so routine, even in divided government, and these two takeaways for me really made me think…

===And if the Senate ever does send Madigan its grand bargain, those 10 House members and several more will demand that he take some action. This impasse is killing them back in their districts, along with the blame that the governor has so successfully pinned on Madigan with tens of millions of dollars. A deal would take an enormous amount of heat off Madigan’s members, and, by extension, him.===

This is why Rauner blowing up the Grand Bargain isn’t helping, and forcing Madigan to face unprecedented heat, given the climate of the last two years, the Senate sending something over that Rauner sign on for, it’s the play yet to be chosen by this administration, confusing since this play fits “because Madigan” brilliantly.

… then there’s this too…

===Rauner, for his part, is dangerously close to being permanently labeled as a failed governor. Everything he’s tried has failed. Sure, he can point to minor administrative successes, but he wasn’t elected to save a few bucks on data processing.===

You can’t claim victories geared toward judicial victories to pay state employees, while refusing to pay social services and seem to be an “A” student… which leads here…

===And constantly awarding himself an “A” grade by pointing to these little administrative successes comes close to making him look dangerously separated from the reality that his state is rapidly going down the drain.===

“Pat Quinn failed”

Where can Rauner say, administratively through process and governing “I succeeded”

They both need something, but Illinois needs everything to finally come to an end.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 1, 17 @ 2:08 pm
==He and his policies ==

Contrary to popular belief “he” (as in Mike Madigan) doesn’t rule the State of Illinois single-handedly. I know that’s the popular talking point but saying it 100 times doesn’t make it true. While the Speaker wields significant power he needs a bit of help to get anything done. Senate votes. Governor’s signatures. Mike Madigan has surely had a hand in the policies of the State for many years. Mike Madigan has not made those policies all on his own.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, May 1, 17 @ 3:22 pm
They haven’t met since the day after the surrender of the comptroller office in the proxy war? Someone got emotional and went to the trenches

Comment by Rabid Monday, May 1, 17 @ 4:05 pm
“Mike Madigan has not made those policies all on his own” - he has had more than enough hand in Illinois politics with 32 years as Speaker that it is his to own.

Comment by Arock Monday, May 1, 17 @ 4:19 pm
==that it is his to own.==

I believe I said that. I just don’t happen to buy into the “Blame ONLY Madigan” meme that some of y’all cling to.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, May 1, 17 @ 4:51 pm
“Pat Quinn failed,” said Bruce Rauner, until he was elected Governor. Then, suddenly, everything was Mike Madigan’s fault. Why doesn’t Bruce also wear the jacket, like every other Governor, regardless of party, before him? After all, he bought it.

Comment by Usually silent observer Tuesday, May 2, 17 @ 9:24 am