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“I didn’t do it. Mike Madigan did it.”

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Illinois

* Gov. Rauner was in Bloomington the other day…

Of whether residents can expect another state budget impasse — Illinois went two years without a spending plan, wreaking havoc on local social service agencies — Rauner laid the blame on House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat who passed budgets for decades under other governors.

* I listened to the raw audio and the reporter, Derek Beigh, specifically asked him about his 2015 statement to the Tribune…

“Crisis creates opportunity. Crisis creates leverage to change … and we’ve got to use that leverage of the crisis to force structural change,” said Rauner

Beigh pointed out that the impasse was a crisis that had been devastating to many in the Bloomington area and asked Rauner if he would pledge not to do something like that again…

Well, you’re supposing that I did it. I didn’t do it. Mike Madigan did it. Mike Madigan has been in charge of the state for 35 years. He’s the one who’s caused the deficits. His control has caused the debt. And all I said was, ‘Let’s have a balanced budget.’ And I proposed a balanced budget my first two months in office. He ignored it. He passed an out of balanced budget, with more deficits and debt and I said, ‘That’s unconstitutional.’ We have a requirement in this state, by constitution, to have a balanced budget and by policy that’s what we should have.

And people say, well, it’s my fault that there’s a budget impasse. All I’m trying to do is say let’s have revenues match expenses. Madigan said ‘No.’ And he forced a tax hike through over my veto, as you know, in June. He forced a new budget through over my veto. And we’re still running a $2 billion deficit. This is unsustainable.

And anyone who says, well, it’s better to have any budget at all than no budget. The reality is we had a budget and we’ve been running deficits for years. Every year we had some sort of a budget. Every year for 35 years under Madigan’s control it’s been a deficit budget. If it was a family, it would’ve had to declare bankruptcy. If it was a business, they would’ve gone out of business.

He often claims he submitted a balanced budget plan in 2015, but that’s just not true. From a story on the Civic Federation’s analysis…

Rauner’s budget assumes $2.2 billion in immediate pension savings from changes that have not yet even been introduced to the General Assembly, much less approved or run through a gantlet of probable legal challenges. “It is unlikely that the governor’s new reform proposal could be implemented in FY 2016, and the state’s fiscal condition would worsen if the savings were budgeted but not achieved,” it says. And passage of a possible constitutional amendment to clear the legal path is “not feasible” next year.

* Anyway, the governor was in Decatur today…

“We’ve got some things done, but now is the time to do transformative things, really large things,” Rauner said during his visit to T/CCI, which manufactures compressors at a facility on North 22nd Street.

The pro-business, anti-establishment theme was similar to Rauner’s past messaging, both as a candidate and as governor. In particular, Rauner targeted his frequent opponent, longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan, telling employees that they should not support any candidate who is opposed to term limits or who would not unequivocally oppose voting for Madigan to remain speaker.

Rauner later told reporters that he would push for lawmakers to roll back the recently passed income tax increase, which took the personal income tax to 4.95 percent from 3.75 percent. When asked, Rauner was noncommittal about how long that would take, but said he believes it could be lowered to at least 3 percent. To offset the loss of revenue, Rauner said revenue would grow through pension or Medicaid reform, and that more money would flow into the state’s coffers if there was workers’ compensation reform and other policies that would make the state more business-friendly.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:17 pm

Comments

Pension and Medicaid reform, huh? Well we know how pension reform went. Hes privitized or will soon privitize most of Medicaid. The question back to the Gov is, will he throw people off of Medicaid? Will he cut coverage for Medicaid recipients? Let me quess…he will cut fraud waste and abuse and that will do the trick!

Comment by Red Ranger Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:23 pm
==I didn’t do it. Mike Madigan did it.==

LOL.

When you’re explaining, you’re losing.

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:24 pm
The magic beans are back.

Comment by Keyrock Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:25 pm
The Victim Warrior

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:27 pm
Mike Madigan ate my homework.

Comment by ChicagoVinny Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:30 pm
He knows what he did hurt people, so he lies about it.

He lies constantly, about matters large and small. You can’t trust him, as GOP legislators have been pointing out.

That’s why every legislator but three voted to override his veto of the debt transparency bill.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:31 pm
But will GovJunk be spendin’ the extra cash while he works on his rollback?
His budget nonsense is just that and it seems some are beginnin’ to understand.

Comment by Annonin' Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:33 pm
He better be careful with his Madigan argument. No one likes a whiner. I thought republicans were about personal responsibility? “I’ll take the arrows”.

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:35 pm
Madigan’s been in charge of the state for 35 years?

Can Governor Two-Face be more insulting to state leadership over the last 35 years? Jim Thompson wasn’t in charge for 16 years, Edgar for 8 wasn’t in charge?

Two-Face Brucie can’t claim to be a victim of a speaker of the house, be governor, and claim that everyone leading Illinois over the past 35 years took a back seat to Madigan.

Lying nonsense.
Shameful.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:36 pm
We all know how this exchange will be reported in most papers and what the headlines will be. Yet that is what many voters will remember ( and tacitly agree with ).

The lies keep on coming and voters continue to be gullible enough to believe them.

Comment by illini Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:36 pm
Heck of a campaign theme: Mike Madigan stole my plan to wreck government.

Comment by Vole Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:38 pm
Madigan’s been in charge of the state for 35 years?

For the past 31 years we’ve had governors. For the past four, we’ve had Two-Face Brucie who repeatedly lost to Madigan.

Madigan isn’t governor. But then neither has Two-Face, has he?

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:39 pm
The Democrats should pass Rauner’s tax decrease next year and send it to Rauner. See what he does.

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:40 pm
What does Rauner campaign on if the the General Assembly sends him a tax decrease? If he signs it, he blows a hole in state government budget. If he doesn’t, well, he speaketh with a forked tongue. Brucey may have just boxed himself in.

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:42 pm
Michael Madigan and the out-of-balance-budgets-proposed-by-not-my-fault-Governor-Rauner he controls.

Comment by thunderspirit Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:43 pm
Just to set the record straight, Rauner didn’t create the mess. But he didn’t fix it either. As much as he is a tough businessman, Madigan was even tougher. At the end of the day neither one cared who was getting hurt in their battle. Certainly neither cared about the most vulnerable in this state. I am sick of hearing about cutting waste in Medicaid. First, you find it for me, then maybe I’ll believe you Mr. Rauner. Then, I am sick about hearing how the Dems will make sure that the poor and disabled will get the care they need. Baloney! It is because of the Dems that there is an almost 20,000 person waiting list for developmentally disabled services, and the only reason the list is that small is because the state was taken to court. And don’t try to tell me how the Dems take care of the caregivers when they let almost a decade go by without any increase in funding for the care of the disabled. Both parties are liars and self-serving. But until the public starts demanding more there won’t be any change. It sure would be nice to hear the media accurately report the ineptitude of all our leaders in Illinois.

Comment by NeverPoliticallyCorrect Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:44 pm
Reporters should ask Rauner if he would sign a bill to reduce the tax rates? Put him on record.

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:48 pm
“Mike Madigan has been in charge of the state for 35 years.”

I’d pay good money to hear Pate Philip’s response in “pure Pate” …

Comment by Smitty Irving Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:52 pm
Mike Madigan did it? Well then, I think he deserves the credit for Illinois employment rate being down and the tens of thousands new jobs that have been created since the beginning of 2015. Right?

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:53 pm
The Rauner campaign…

“Vote for me, I’m a failure” - Fake Bruce Rauner.

It’s more fun watching phonies like Mr. Barickman down Bloomington way voting against his district.

That’s the embarrassing part, Jason Barickman.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:56 pm
Who knew that a sole state representative is more powerful than the chief executive of the state?

Thus, this is why I call him the “governor” - scare quotes and all.

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 3:09 pm
==And I proposed a balanced budget my first two months in office.==

What is that huge fireball erupting over Bloomington? It’s Rauner’s pants bursting into spectacular fire.

Comment by IllinoisBoi Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 3:11 pm
And yet, OW, he (Barickman) will probably run unopposed again. For being an area with multiple state facilities and universities, the Democratic Party in the area is sorely lacking.

Comment by Fixer Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 3:14 pm
===…will probably run unopposed again. For being an area with multiple state facilities and universities, the Democratic Party in the area is sorely lacking===

While that’s 1,000% true… Barickman choosing to be a flag out phony and also vote against his district is a choice, which speaks to Mr. Barickman’s lack of character, especially when in an alleged safe seat.

Makes the phony that Mr. Barickman is even more disappointing.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 3:17 pm
“Det är Madigan fel.”

–Bruce Rauner’s grandfather

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 3:45 pm
=It’s more fun watching phonies like Mr. Barickman down Bloomington way voting against his district.=

Bill Brady was the only R that I saw mentioned in the article.

=At the end of the day neither one cared who was getting hurt in their battle. Certainly neither cared about the most vulnerable in this state.=

This doesn’t get said enough, people only want to blame one side depending on which side they are on.

The biggest difference is that one looks a lot closer to victory right now.

Comment by m Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 4:01 pm
===Bill Brady was the only R that I saw mentioned in the article.===

If you have a point, make it. Barickman represents the region of ISU as well.

Barickman is a phony to his region, his district, and can’t decide if he supports Rauner or not. That’s on Mr. Barickman alone.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 4:05 pm
NPC @2:44-from your mouth to the Chicago Tribunes,Sun-Time,SJR and any other newspapers ears.

Comment by justpeachy Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 4:11 pm
Madigan and the Republican senators he controls (blowing up the grand bargain).

Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 4:44 pm
I believe there is truth that Madigan is obstinate. And he is certainly not a popular politician. And he certainly is of retirement age. And I doubt Illinois’ problems will even be addressed while he is still in power - whomever the next Governor will be.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 6:51 pm
Govornors have come and govornors have gone, and some have even gone to prison. And through it all has been Mike Madigan.

Rauner has not been a good govornor, but I don’t think he’s going to prison.

As for Mike Madigan, well the only thing for certain is that he’ll die in office. He has the moral compass of a jackal. He is starting to resemble one as well, but I digress.

It is unlikely that Rauner will win re-election, so Mike will get a chance to try and mold another govornor in his own image. If he’s successful, we’ll have Govornor Jackal. Though it might be a heavy set jackal.

And then maybe we’ll finally see the state that has been ranked among the worst fiscal states in the union for the last decade start to improve. Because Mike had nothing to do with the fiscal nightmare we find ourselves in. That was all Rauner.

Comment by Southside Lefthander Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 8:12 pm
Do your job, I didn’t do it

Comment by Rabid Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 9:07 pm
SS, your membership in the Rauner Whine Club is duly noted. Is it okay to hold Rauner accountable for his actions during his tenure?

An objective review of Rauner’s actions reveal that he has been a special kind of fiscal disaster, on purpose.

It ain’t easy in 2.5 years to pile on $12B in unpaid operating bills to Illinois vendors at the same time you’re gutting higher ed and social services and neglecting infrastructure. You really have to work it.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 9:20 pm
“- NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:44 pm”

The most truthful comment I have seen on his blog.

Comment by Arock Tuesday, Nov 14, 17 @ 8:49 am