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* If you thought the Tribune editorial board was stacked with Raunerite boot-lickers, get a load of Steve Forbes…
Roaring into this massive morass as Illinois’ new chief executive is a former venture capitalist turned radical reformer, Bruce Rauner. That a Republican could win the governorship in Barack Obama’s deep blue state is testament to the state’s distress. Democrats may still hold supermajorities in both houses of the legislature, but, with the force of a Paul Bunyan, Rauner is acting as if the opposite were true. He is vigorously and unapologetically pushing forward with changes on every front. […]
The governor appeared at the Forbes Reinventing America Summit in March. No one came away from that interview doubting his resolve or sincerity. When I asked him about criticism that he’s taking on too much, especially in fighting unions that have immense influence with Democratic state legislators, he responded: “Structural reforms and fighting the unions are inseparable. If all we do is get a balanced budget and modernize our tax code without changing the structure, the next governor after me–and believe me, we’re gonna get some other Blagojeviches [Rod Blagojevich is a former governor serving a 14-year sentence in federal prison for corruption] because Illinois is good at bringin’ those kinda people–our budget will be blown out again. It’ll be back in massive deficit again.”
The financial outlook for beleaguered Chicago? He replied that it will go bankrupt. The unions won’t allow needed changes.
Can Rauner cut down the opposition as Paul Bunyan chopped down trees? He may well get a lot of what he wants. As a fig leaf for legislators to approve hefty parts of his package, the governor could, for instance, allow a small increase in the state’s 3.75% income tax to, say, 4%. (It’s already down from 5%.)
So, Illinois’ Paul Bunyan is gonna entice Democrats to agree to local “right to work” zones, elimination of prevailing wage, massive workers’ comp reforms, radical pension reforms, property tax freezes and municipal bankruptcy in exchange for… a quarter point increase in the state income tax?
Did Steve Forbes move to Colorado?
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:22 am
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MJM: “I can make my members vote for another tax hike, and all I have to do is strangle my natural allies in the unions? WHERE DO I SIGN?”
Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:26 am
What a pile of baloney.
Comment by illinoised Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:32 am
This is the Rauner agenda, garnering personal harrumphs from the likes of the Church Lady’s twin.
What’s with the Paul Bunyan references, anyway? Illinois, Minnesota, one of those places out by those big lakes?
Forbes is tight with the Laffer crew that Arduin works for.
Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:33 am
The fact that Rauner is heading towards failure seems to elude him. How could someone support Rauner, except a guy who ran a useless vanity campaign thirty years ago?
Rauner looks like he’s got a lock on an invitation to Forbe’s Colorado ranch. There they can compare their geldings.
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:38 am
Actually the Forbes family has a very large”ranch” /estate in southern Colorado so there you go!
Comment by Dixiechick Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:41 am
That’s not fair….the citizens of Colorado are too smart for that guy, probably because of and not in spite of what they’re smoking.
Comment by Doofman Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:42 am
He might have been making a joke. He did host SNL one, IIRC.
Comment by Jakita Wagner Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:44 am
===There they can compare their geldings.===
Hah!
Any names come to mind VM?
Comment by walker Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:44 am
*once
Comment by Jakita Wagner Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:44 am
This pretty much encapsulates Rauner’s term so far: Tremendous success impressing national movement republicans (e.g. the WSJ, Nation Review, Forbes) while alienating almost all constituencies necessary to actually govern.
Comment by slow down Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:48 am
==because Illinois is good at bringin’ those kinda people==
So now he’s insulting the entire state. This guy seems to have quite a bit of disdain for a state he is Governor of.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:49 am
“testament to the state’s distress.” Give him some credit, he got that right. It’s just that the “distress” was more Rauner’s opponent than anything else, but whatever.
Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:49 am
That is some grade-A Outta Town Stupid.
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:50 am
Unions are to billionaires as communists were to Hoover’s FBI.
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 10:57 am
=== Did Steve Forbes move to Colorado? ===
Sounds like a Rauner trial balloon, not a Forbes trial balloon.
Perhaps Forbes and Rauner haven’t noticed the clock on the wall, but that train has left the station.
While Rauner is playing out the doomsday scenerio to justify a tax increase, his refusal to even publicly consider additional revenue has left the field completely wide open to Democrats to define the solution.
And MJM has said it should be the millionaire’s tax. Period.
Comment by Juvenal Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 11:03 am
Ironic that the Governor that Mr. Rauner has been most frequently compared to is Mr. Blagojevich.
Someone should ask Mr. Rauner what he thinks of Rod’s favorite president, Richard Nixon.
Comment by jerry 101 Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 11:04 am
Are you asking if Steve Forbes is high? lol
Comment by Levois Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 11:22 am
To quote Norm McDonald on an SNL skit: “Tuck you Teve Torbes!”
Comment by Team Sleep Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 11:44 am
Gov. Rauner seems to be channeling Dan Walker, still knocking state government after taking charge as governor. Still fighting with the Democratic legislature as if in campaign mode.
Hello Can we start governing for a change, rather than campaigning? More meetings and discussions and less firebombs, please.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 11:45 am
Colorado? More like Jamaica.
Comment by Deep South Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 11:49 am
==because Illinois is good at bringin’ those kinda people==
And he should know.
Comment by Juice Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 11:59 am
Yep, someone with a voice that always picks losers has picked our governor. I honestly would have been disappointed if all the billionaire weirdos didn’t come out in favor of him.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 12:14 pm
Steve Forbes isn’t the only guy on the outside looking in that has this kind of view of our state. There are plenty of people on the inside looking out who feel the same way. It’s one of many perspective pieces. No more, no less. It does shed some light we should be looking to get out of. Multiple governors in jail over a span will do that for you. Our uniqueness in this regard isn’t helping locally or nationally.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 12:16 pm
Are we fixed yet?
Comment by Mouthy Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 12:20 pm
That “deep blue” Illinois was in such dire straits that it elected a Republican for governor reminds me of stuff that was said about the USA when Obama was elected president.
Comment by vole Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 12:42 pm
Which of Rauners reforms has succeeded? The ones thta have no introduced bills, or the one that didnt need a bill that was just blocked by an agreed injunction?
Cubs fans should be on board here, they are used to praising an organization that has had no success…..
Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 1:02 pm
Ghost,
As a long time Cubs fan, I think I was just insulted … but we’re used to bottom feeder comparisons.
All good … I got a laugh out of it.
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 1:12 pm
We should start keeping a record of the number of times our Governor insults the people of the State of Illinois. He’s not the first elected official to harbor disdain for the voters, but he’s among the most open at expressing it.
Comment by orzo Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 1:21 pm
This CF comments thingee needs a “like” button for posts like orzo’s. I’ve never heard of a Governor of any state who held the citizens of his own state in such open contempt as Ruiner does.
Comment by IllinoisBoi Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 1:35 pm
😀
Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 2:17 pm
Steve Forbes, yet another dummy who just doesn’t get how we do things here. Seems like everyone in the Fortune 500 is simply too stupid to see how it works. /heaviest dose of snark ever.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 3:22 pm
Guy
The story was a load of crap and you know it - or at least you should. It disturbs me if you really don’t think it is.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 3:47 pm
Steve Forbes is not a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Not even a Forbes 500.
Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 3:54 pm
Demo, plenty of hooey to the article. Not hooey, but a sad state, is how we’re being viewed by people inside and outside of Illinois. They don’t have the institutional knowledge that reporters and editors here do, but anyone who presents anything approaching the truth of our poor fiscal management gets filleted here. Forbes, Tribune, Sun Times, most of them. We’ve got a severe image problem nationally in addition to a heavy dose of inferiority complex locally. Frustration by people who live here is understandable. Give Rauner an ounce of credit for trying to escape the malaise that the state has become. I agree with you often about the finger pointing and blame game. It’s destructive…no matter who’s doing it.
===- Wordslinger - Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 3:54 pm:
Steve Forbes is not a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Not even a Forbes 500.===
Focus dude. You’re slipping. Treat them as two separate thoughts. Take your time.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 5:09 pm
Guy, ramble on in your incoherent way all you like.
Steve Forbes shares Rauner’s ideology and thinks he’s a swell guy. Forbes is tight with Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore of Arduin Laffer and Moore, who are on the state payroll.
Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 5:27 pm
A guy - most states all have some sort of image problem. these RTW states that brag about how business friendly they are also have horrible median household incomes. and other union and/or high tax states (including IL) have median household incomes well about the national average.
and Indiana and Wisconsin are praised for their lower unemployment rates, yet their median household incomes are below Illinois (Wisconsin) and below the national average (Indiana).
Comment by PoolGuy Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 5:49 pm
This sounds like a bunch of Babe the Blue Ox droppings.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Apr 15, 15 @ 7:03 pm
==Give Rauner an ounce of credit for trying to escape the malaise that the state has become.==
I believe that’s what he believes he is doing. I don’t think he is, but I don’t doubt his honest belief about it.
Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Apr 16, 15 @ 7:40 am