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* It’ll be mildly interesting to see which office Rauner chooses to use when he’s in town this week. That’s often interpreted as a sign of who’s most in favor. Then again, it’s also sometimes misinterpreted. And, then again, he may choose to go to legislators’ offices instead. Sun-Times…
Governor-elect Bruce Rauner is to arrive in Springfield in time for Thursday morning’s session.
Since winning the Nov. 4 election, Rauner has spoken to more than 50 lawmakers, his staff says. […]
Rauner is headed to Springfield after first traveling to Florida on Tuesday for the Republican Governors Association annual conference.
What Rauner won’t be doing in Springfield is lobbying on any issues — not the Uber bill or a proposal to increase the minimum wage — his staff says.
I still think that there’s more going on behind the scenes on that Uber bill than is being publicly acknowledged. And maybe even the minimum wage bill.
* And speaking of the minimum wage, from a press release…
Chicago working families are outraged at the news today that Speaker of the House Michael Madigan and State Senator John Cullerton are considering robbing Chicago of its freedom to set its own minimum wage, by annulling Chicago’s ‘home rule’ control over its own regulations and forcing the city to adopt a proposed statewide minimum wage of $10/hour.
According to the United States Department of Commerce, the cost of living in Chicago is higher than any other city in the Midwest, and 20.1% higher than the rest of Illinois. Local residents have spoken out demanding a higher minimum wage. In the March primary elections, 86% of voters in 103 precincts called for a citywide minimum wage of $15/hr, leading legislators to introduce a $15/hr ordinance into City Council in May.
By moving to revise state constitutional law to deny Chicago the right to raise its own minimum wage, Madigan and Cullerton are listening to the interests of low-wage employers and groups like the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, who have given them hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, and new Republican Governor-Elect Bruce Rauner, who met privately with the two legislators last week, instead of the Chicago citizens they were elected to represent.
That would require a three-fifths super-majority in both chambers, which means Republican votes, particularly in the House. We’ll see.
* By the way, the House has some hearings scheduled for this afternoon. Click here to see the schedule. We’ll start our live coverage today at noonish.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:00 am
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Let the City of Chicago raise the minimum wage to $15. Maybe, $20. All they are doing is driving more business out of the city of Chicago neighborhoods and weakening those neighborhoods.
Comment by Apocalypse Now Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:05 am
Glad someone is recognizing that it is legitimate for the minimum wage to vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and a statewide one size does not fit all.
Comment by Put the Fun in unfunded Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:06 am
That’s right Apocalypse Now, strong neighborhoods are built on low wages!
Comment by Sun Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:11 am
I’m either impressed that Cullerton and Madigan can change constitutional law by themselves or amused by the histrionics of those who accuse them of doing so
Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:11 am
===All they are doing is driving more business out of the city of Chicago neighborhoods and weakening those neighborhoods.===
Your opinion, AN, is not backed up by the facts.
http://www.dol.gov/minwage/mythbuster.htm
As for a backroom deal to strip Chicago of its home rule powers, I wonder how Rahm feels about that?
Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:11 am
Raise the minimum wage now to prevent Rauner from using it as a bargaining chip next year.
Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:13 am
Is this press release directed at a specific bill, or is it intended to be pre-emptive?
Comment by cover Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:14 am
Higher wages hurts the economy…how? I thought if you made more money, you saved and spent more.
Comment by Del Clinkton Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:15 am
I’ve actually heard from two different well-placed sources that Rahm is actually pushing this. It allows him to not raise the minimum wage while being able to claim no responsibility for not supporting a popular measure. To think people said Rauner wouldn’t be able to work with Democrats.
Comment by Carhart Representative Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:26 am
Public Servant, that link does not refute AN’s claim. I live in a suburb next to the City of Chicago. The small businesses in the City neighborhood adjacent to me would be in a competitive disadvantage to the ones in my suburb (literally across the street in some cases). The City’s higher minimum wage may not hurt downtown businesses much, but it will hurt the ones that are on the outskirts and in competition with suburban businesses.
Comment by Southwest Cook Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:27 am
PublicServant, you are going to use that link as support to raise the wage? Uh, okay.
MEMO: Raising the minimum wage, without other cost saving measures, will hurt small bsuinesses, some a lot. Is that so hard to figure out?
Comment by anon Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:28 am
==higher wages hurts the economy…how? ==
Well heck, why are we only talking about 10 or 15 per hour then? If it doesn’t hurt anything, let’s just raise it to $50 an hour
Comment by Anonymoiis Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:30 am
When talking about whose office Rauner will use, are you referring to the caucus leaders (Madigan, Durkin, Cullerton, Radogno)? I never gave much thought to where governors-elect work in Springfield before they’re inaugurated. Interesting.
Comment by ??? Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:33 am
We learned a lot about money during the Great Depression but sometimes it seems we’ve forgotten all of it.
“The money was all appropriated for the top in the hopes that it would trickle down to the needy. Mr. Hoover didn’t know that money trickled up. Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will have it before night, anyhow. But it will at least have passed through the poor fellow’s hands.”
~ Will Rogers, 1932
Comment by yinn Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:42 am
@Southwest Cook - If the businesses in your suburb want to hold down employee turnover and retain good employees, they’ll shortly be following suit and matching the wages being paid across the street. At any rate, we’re talking about raising the state minimum here, and allowing Chicago to maintain their home rule powers.
@anon - Your blanket statements of opinion without any cites to support what you just know to be true is laughable. Try again.
@Anonymoiis - I was wondering how long it would take to see the Reductio ad absurdum argument hit the bricks…not long, I see…get new material dude.
Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 9:44 am
==get new material dude.==
So you’re in agreement with Del then that raising wages has no negative effect?
Comment by Anonymoiis Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 10:00 am
@Anonymoiis - Thanks for asking. I agree with the Nobel prize winning economists and the many studies that state unequivocally that raising the minimum wage from its current inadequate level is beneficial to the economy. Will there be individual winners and losers? Sure. But, putting more money into the hands of people who will spend it (at those struggling small businesses out there) is beneficial from a macroeconomic perspective, and in this economy is a no-brainer, and is also supported by the vast majority of the public. Get on board, or get run over.
Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 10:13 am
PS, someone’s post is laughable. Lack of knowledge and self awareness points to you. Thanks for tryin.
Go back and reread, slowly, each item in that link you posted and I believe(hopefully) you can figure it out.
Comment by anon Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 10:14 am
Rauner should set up shop in the Capitol, senate Republicans office spaces.
The House is “at” the veto-proof number. With the senate farther away, less ruffled feathers of encroachment to the process.
Plus, Rauner is in the building, available to see and be seen.
Just a thought.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 10:17 am
Gee, AN, when you get a raise, does your business lay off others?
Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 10:30 am
anon, if you have a point to make regarding the link that I provided, please spit it out. It’s as simple as that.
Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 10:31 am
Passing a statewide minimum wage, does not necessarily remove Chicago’s power to set a higher one within their jurisdiction. Fake issue.
Rauner walking the dingy halls of legislator’s offices, like lobbyists, would be a good sign of openness. Then some unannounced strolls through the big state offices in Springfield, talking to some employees, will add to his understanding of that environment.
Just like scoping out a new company if you’re a hands-on manager.
Bruce: Try to avoid appearing above it all. That is what people fear about you, and would be your achilles heel.
Comment by walker Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 10:45 am
I suggest Bruce work out of the van for a few days.
Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 11:39 am
“Passing a statewide minimum wage, does not necessarily remove Chicago’s power to set a higher one within their jurisdiction. Fake issue.”
It does remove Chicago’s power when you include an amendment that takes away Chicago’s home rule powers on the issue.
Comment by Aaron Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 11:47 am
==Rauner has spoken to more than 50 lawmakers, his staff says.==
Hopefully his staff is more truthful than he was on election night.
Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 11:47 am
@carhart representative - those were my thoughts exactly when I saw the e-alert from the Grassroots Collaborative.
Comment by kristiinchicago Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 12:01 pm
=== Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 11:47 am:
==Rauner has spoken to more than 50 lawmakers, his staff says.==
Hopefully his staff is more truthful than he was on election night.====
Dude, I thought being “unpleasant and sore” was a phase for you. Now I realize it’s a condition. chill man.
Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 1:54 pm
Who wants to tell Mitt the House convenes at 9 a.m. and has no committees….hope he gets in early to chat with the rentals
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 4:34 pm
Check out the Tribbie edit headline:
“A minimum wage hike will cost jobs.”
Can you imagine what a misanthropic, willful moron you must be to put pen to paper with that?
It has to be either Big Brain Bruce or Statehouse Chick. No one else is that stupid to peddle such nonsense.
Do yourself a favor, if you care not to look so stupid: google Sea-Tac minimum wage.
The edit never backs up he headline, of course. To do so, they’d actually have to make an argument against the concept of a minimum wage, which has been in effect in this country since 1938.
There are no facts or evidence in the edit. Just a lot of Rush and Sean yammering about taxes, Indiana, unspecified “burdensome regulations” blah, blah, blah, and how “corporations” just won’t come here if you have to pay another nickel for your Happy Meal.
You’d never know that Illinois is an economic powerhouse on the world scene: Chicago metro has the fourth largest GDP on Earth, Illinois has the fifth largest GDP among the 50 states.
Why don’t those Tribbie ignorant hicks move to the promised land of Indy?
Of course, they had a remarkable edit on Cardinal George as well. Shocking, coming from an alleged newspaper, allegedly dedicated to the complicated and hard truth in a tough town and world.
Years from now, reading the edit, you’d never know there were abused altar boys, pederast priests or a church hierarchy that obstructed justice to protect the criminals and cover it up, as has been so horribly and thoroughly documented by Catholic lay groups, led by by serious and brave people such as Justice Burke.
What’s next from these clowns? Way to go Joe Pa, you’re a swell football coach?
.
Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Nov 18, 14 @ 10:40 pm