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* The Senate Democrats held a press conference yesterday after numerous Rauner administration agency directors refused to specify in committee hearings where they’d cut their budgets. Some even warned that cuts would be harmful. Press release…
After a week of testimonies from Gov. Bruce Rauner’s cabinet members on potential cuts they could make in their departments, it’s clear that Rauner has no plan to balance his proposed budget.
“Governor Rauner has once again proved that he is all talk and no action,” Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) said. “He has spent the past two years harping on the need to reduce spending, but when given the opportunity to offer cuts, his cabinet members were silent.”
Senate Public Health Committee Chairwoman Van Pelt is one of several Senate committee chairs who spent the week asking state agency directors what programs they intend to cut to help balance the nearly $5 billion in deficits Gov. Rauner proposed.
“Every state agency across the board would need to cut spending by 20 percent to achieve the balanced budget the governor wants,” Van Pelt said. “I am absolutely stunned that Gov. Rauner hasn’t even asked agency directors to provide a list of cuts they could make in their departments. Every day without a budget costs the state $11 million. The governor should be offering solutions, but instead he is creating chaos and destruction.”
* From Doug Finke’s story…
“Time and again, agency director after agency director told us in very certain terms that they cannot cut their budgets any deeper than they already have been,” said Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, chairman of one of the two Senate Appropriations committees.
Manar said the message from Gov. Bruce Rauner is “the state is in crisis, that we have to have budget cuts.”
“His own agency directors came before us and said that cannot happen,” Manar said.
Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, who chairs the other Senate Appropriations committee, said Rauner has asked lawmakers to give him authority to balance the budget if they can’t agree on a spending plan with parts of his reform agenda.
“I would suggest he may be ill-prepared … when not a single one of his agency directors can even suggest a single cut,” Steans said.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:28 am
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I feel bad for a lot of those agency heads (of course, I know some of them, so that may be all there is). They don’t want to cut their budgets, but probably know they have to and how best (”least-worst”) to do it, but obviously can’t get out ahead of the Governor’s office, but some of them are as frustrated by this as anyone…there’s a lot of cross currents for them to navigate, and they have to do it all in front of a Senate Committee.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:31 am
The Rauner Cuts.
Rauner doesn’t want to own them, but those agencies are Rauner agencies.
To offset the Rauner Cuts, the Rauner Tax will be signed.
Can’t deny signatures, Governor.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:33 am
IL Dems seem to think there will be some type of bailout from DC and the Gov is trying to run the state like a business. We need help and fast.
Comment by Rocky Rosi Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:34 am
“Buh… buh… but… waste, fraud and abuse!!1!”
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:34 am
==IL Dems seem to think there will be some type of bailout from DC and the Gov is trying to run the state like a business. ==
What are you talking about? Dems are trying to determine what specific cuts to make, and Rauner’s going into his third year without a budget. What business runs that way?
Comment by Arsenal Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:37 am
The governor needs to slap his crew into line on getting rid of the waste, fraud and abuse. Right now, they appear to be in open revolt against his promise.
Two years in now, what’s the dollar count on waste, fraud and abuse that has been eliminated?
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:42 am
Real amateur stuff from the usually politically expedient Rauner. What a joke!
Comment by Anon Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:44 am
After reading about the non-answers from agency directors’ testimony and Mrs. Munger’s payroll sources, it seems the only waste, fraud, and abuse is coming from Rauner’s office. Imagine that.
Comment by My New Handle Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:44 am
Rocky Rosi,
What on earth are you talking about? The Governor said he wanted more cuts. The Senate Dems asked the executive branch what cuts they would recommend. The response? Crickets. No layoffs can be made, no facilities closed, no grant programs cut back, no new programs dropped. Nothing.
Comment by Juice Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:45 am
“Campaigning is easy, governing is hard.”
Comment by Skeptic Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:49 am
If only these agency directors worked for the Governor.
Oh wait, they do.
Never mind.
Comment by Sir Reel Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:49 am
It seems inconceivable that the governor has not tasked his agencies to come up with a list of cuts reflecting different percentages of reduction in funding levels, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%.
If he ever got the authority he asked for to make the cuts himself, would he wait until then to ask his department heads to develop the numbers?
Few things surprise me anymore, but this is shocking.
Comment by Tommydanger Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:51 am
Nobody who works for Rauner knows what is going on. “I know nothing…”
Serious question: When and how is it going to be possible to remove Rauner from office?
Comment by downstate commissioner Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 9:58 am
In the past, governors designated a percentage cut that agencies were expected to include in their budgets.
Has Rauner failed to take this this basic budgeting step?
Comment by A Jack Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 10:00 am
Does anyone even think that BVR is yet even remotely aware of the difference between campaigning and governing?
Do Your Job !!!!!!!
Comment by illini Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 10:06 am
downstate comm: While technically possible, any sooner than the 2018 election is highly unlikely.
Comment by Skeptic Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 10:06 am
==It seems inconceivable that the governor has not tasked his agencies to come up with a list of cuts reflecting different percentages of reduction in funding levels, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%.==
It seems like the GO gives very little guidance to the agencies.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 10:15 am
It appears the tide is starting to turn …
Seriously, I can understand the Directors not wanting to identify specific program cuts for either political or public relations reasons but they should have been able to answer that they have said they have identified x% of their requested budget that can be reduced, then stonewalled with “we are not prepared to release specific details at this time”. Doesn’t anyone in this administration know how to play the budgeting game?
Comment by RNUG Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 10:20 am
Tommydanger, if he ever got that authority he would assuredly blame the Dem General Assembly for not specifying the cuts he must now make with the authority they gave him.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 10:25 am
Part of the problem, too, is that the closest thing to “bloat” in some of these agencies is the very guys called in to testify. You got Directors, Deputy Directors, Chiefs of Staff, and I know they all have noticeably different duties depending on the agency, but it’d be a lot easier to consolidate their tasks into one job than it would inspectors, accountants, etc.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 10:26 am
I think Arsenal and RNUG are on it, these folks cannot get out ahead of the governor.
Rauner’s iron fisted control makes Madigan’s look like fuzzy mittens.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 10:47 am
The Governor walked right into this one. The Democrats have been berated, and rightfully so, for not offering up budget cuts. The Governor says we need more cuts. But then his Administration cannot identify any. Egg on face.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 10:58 am
Democrats have a point here. Anyone that proposes cuts should specify them. You’ll take heat, but everyone knows that cuts need to happen.
Comment by BK Bro Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 11:03 am
OTOH, If a Director was foolish enough to walk into an approp hearing with a list of cuts in this environment, he or she can kiss that cash goodbye.
Arsenal, granted it’s a tiny fraction of the deficit, but Thompson, Edgar, and Ryan’s agencies got along just fine for the most part without Chiefs of Staff and the like. Thank Rod & Co. for introducing this particular piece of bloat.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 11:10 am
Odd they cant detail cuts. They have had no problem defunding or starving big chunks of govt, doing lasting damage.
My guess: they dont want to wear the jacket unless it is a done deal. They think they can frustrate the members til they abrogate their duty and give his nibs blanket authority to cut willy nilly.
Rauner has zero respect for constitutional roles or processes.
Comment by Langhorne Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 11:12 am
==Arsenal, granted it’s a tiny fraction of the deficit==
Yes, good point.
==but Thompson, Edgar, and Ryan’s agencies got along just fine for the most part without Chiefs of Staff and the like==
And in some cases, those agencies were bigger than they are now.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 11:17 am
skeptic, thank you. Timeline would put it close to the election, and maybe something can be done then.
Comment by downstate commissioner Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 11:34 am
The Democrats did the exact same thing with the Republican sequester proposal for the federal budget, then did a complete 180 after it was largely a success. President Obama repeatedly crowed about how he had lowered the budget deficit during the 2012 campaign (including the tv debates).
You may now return to your Rauner Two Minute Hate.
Comment by lake county democrat Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 11:34 am
==Rauner’s iron fisted control makes Madigan’s look like fuzzy mittens.==
In some ways, it’s not even Rauner, though. Even good Governors wouldn’t want their cabinet going out there advocating cuts that the GO hadn’t vetted.
==You may now return to your Rauner Two Minute Hate.==
*Rolls eyes* Just because Rauner keeps stepping on rakes doesn’t make it 1983.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 11:41 am
John McLaughlin used to ask his panel “who won the week?”
The Senate Dems did — decidedly. Second week in a row. But it comes after several consecutive losses.
Comment by Roman Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 11:42 am
Roman..what did they win?
Comment by blue dog dem Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 12:18 pm
Waste fraud and abuse are all descriptive of the governor himself.
Comment by 61571 Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 12:34 pm
The governor has known since before being sworn in that we can’t cut our way out of this. He has line item veto capability and could have “balanced” the budget himself if he wanted to. How far down the toilet will he take us before we all put on our “big boy” pants and do what needs to be done? Not having a budget is hurting us (and costing us more) than a tax increase and honest budget would. Why would anybody locate a business in a state which can’t pass a budget and holds education (your future workforce) hostage?
Comment by Just the Facts Friday, Mar 10, 17 @ 1:11 pm