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* Retiring GOP state Rep. Chad Hays spoke at a recent event and gave what he called “the most unvarnished presentation of my career.” He talked about several things, including last summer’s bipartisan budget deal…
“The fact of the matter is that had we not done something, the income tax rate would have been much higher than it is now, the unpaid bills would have been around toward $25 billion, headed toward $30 billion. Let that wash over you for a minute. We only had $15 billion of unpaid bills. If it gets to $25 or even $30 billion, the entire general revenue budget is only $36 billion. We could have been facing a situation at the end of this fiscal year where the unpaid bills in this state were as high as the general revenue taken in by the state. Can you imagine such a thing?” […]
Hays again disputed the claim advanced by some Republicans that the GOP lawmakers who broke ranks and worked with Democrats on the tax and budget issue overturned work being done by other Republicans.
“From my perspective, I hung in there a long, long, long, long time, and we were no closer to a budget the first of July last year than on the day the governor took office. We were not. Anyone who tells you that wasn’t there. And if they were there, they weren’t in a room where the negotiation was actually happening. And I’ve told those people that to their face. They know it.
* I liked this analogy…
“From the minority, any candidate who tells you that we’re just going to go over there and we’re going to tell them [in the majority party] how it’s done and we’re going to crack them in the back of the head with a 2 by 4 because if we hit them hard enough, they’re going to come around to our way of thinking, that sounds great. But the likelihood of that happening with the head count the way it is in the General Assembly (a 67-51 Democratic advantage in the House; 37-22 Democrats in the Senate) is nonexistent. This notion that we’re going to go over there and hit a 3-run home run and we’re going to drive everybody in (while in the minority) is fool’s gold.
“Let me tell you how it really happens in the minority, using a baseball analogy. You beat out an infield hit, you steal second and you bunt the guy to third and you score on a wild pitch. And you plant your flag in the ground and you take the progress you made and you live to fight another day. That’s reality.”
Go read the whole thing. Lots of good stuff in that Kacich piece.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:47 am
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“…you steal second and you bunt the guy to third and you score on a wild pitch.”
Sabremetrics has not been kind to the bunt and the probability of a wild pitch is less than 1%. So the minority party plan ignores statistics and is 50% reliant on chance.
Even Jim Fregosi would disapprove.
Comment by City Zen Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:59 am
“…he fell out of the political lucky tree and hit every branch on the way down.”
Restaurant quality.
Comment by Skeptic Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:04 am
With both sides able to spend unlimited money, Rep. Hayes makes clear, it’s all about the map.
Comment by don the legend Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:08 am
Imagine how much more effective government would be if non-lame ducks (on both sides of the aisle) would speak (and act) in such an unvarnished manner.
Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:14 am
As a voter and Illinois resident, I again thank the Republicans who broke ranks with Rauner and voted for revenue and a budget. Rauner apparently also wanted these things (quick vetoes/quick overrides), he just wouldn’t be brave and honest about it.
I completely agree with the part about not having the votes. One would think it’s Governing 101. The governor apparently thought a crisis would be good for his agenda, by breaking people’s wills and dividing people. Now he wants to bypass Madigan and achieve his goals by reducing union membership—as if he took the GA and governing seriously to begin with.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:14 am
-Henry Francis-
We prefer the land “Sane Ducks”
Comment by Chad Hays Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:18 am
Should be “We prefer the label “Sane Ducks”
Comment by Chad Hays Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:19 am
Such honesty is refreshing and all too rare. As always, I love the honest numbers. He offered great critique of Madigan without resorting to weak caricature and even brought it around to the progressive point of view as well. Illinois will be the better for it if he can have the productive last year in office he’d like, getting things done with negotiation and compromise but not abandoning his Republican principles.
Comment by Earnest Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:20 am
Exactly exactly. This all day long.
Fight hard, fight smart
Make some gains
And build towards growth
Of your ideas and party
Rauner violated Just Politics
With Perfidy
Total Perfidy
He bought the party
With promise and deception
But perfidy
He never honored promises
He never governed
He never administrated
He never supported his law makers.
He did just enough
To enable the perception
Support
Governing
Administrating
But it was fake, phony, false
Perfidy
To achieve a goal
Known only to a few
Destroy Labor
And
Destroy the Administrative State
Capital uber alles
Rauner has not failed
Rauner has succeeded wildly
In creating the crisis
Which forces the change he wants
He has done what he came to do
Rauner just lied
Committed perfidy
To hide his true goals.
I welcome and embrace Republican
Who engage in
Just politics
And advocate and wrestle
For limited government
And free market principles
Rauner is a hostage taker
And a charlatan.
Hardly ever has he actually been
A Governor
Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:25 am
@ Chad Hayes
Good on you and thanks.
Comment by We'll See Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:26 am
==unpaid bills in this state were as high as the general revenue taken in==
And your suggestion is what, exactly?
Comment by Jocko Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:28 am
“==unpaid bills in this state were as high as the general revenue taken in==
And your suggestion is what, exactly?”
Perhaps “Reduce incoming revenue” should not be one of those options.
Comment by Skeptic Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:33 am
Hmm…
I do thank Mr. Hays for being part of the solution to get Illinois a budget. Sincerely. If it wasn’t for him abc others, who know…
But…
As Mr. Hays thinks it’s clever to call himself a “sane duck”, he must’ve become “sane” in the last few months, as he was part and parcel of holding Illinois hostage for a whole Heneral Assembly that sat without a budget, with that sweet analogy and voting record to continue to hurt Illinois.
I can NOT thank you and be grateful enough for all you did this last budget, but the ridiculous “sane duck” thingy and self congratulations isn’t warrented.
Rep. Breen has it right, when it comes to Rauner.
The GOP aided and abetted, it was wrong.
Saying you had enough isn’t nearly enough to claim a “sane duck” status.
Thank you. Sincerely.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:36 am
-OW-
It was levity for the sake of levity. Not a serious request.
Comment by Chad Hays* Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:49 am
“I hung in there for a long, long, long, long time…”
Indeed. Thanks for finally letting go, but everyone could see it was needed at least a year and $5B earlier.
Comment by Jibba Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:54 am
Oh man, sure going to miss Chad. Wish we had more like him.
Comment by Because I said so.... Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:56 am
Representative,
I do like and respect you. Your remarks in the article above do show the unvarnished realities and your understanding and institutional knowledge that has shown past successes.
I always felt that the HGOP and Leader Durkin held many of the cards to help a governor willing to be helped. If anything, the budget revolt should’ve been a budget success, if the Governor’s Office was willing to take wins when they were offered.
Your levity is welcomed, but the insanity that was before is to raw to ignore too.
With great respect, and a hope you understand, and I should’ve taken that levity as it was intended.
OW
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 11:03 am
That 60/30 thing really isn’t confusing. Surprising how many people don’t get it.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 11:20 am
The baseball analogy is very telling.
Hays believes it’s Republicans versus Democrats.
The reality is they’re all playing for the same team.
While Hays is focused on scoring against his teammates, the team loses.
But that’s “something that happens” without leadership focused on long term solutions.
Comment by Chicago 20 Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 11:32 am
The baseball analogy would be more apt if it was taxpayers vs the bills that needed to be played. It seems some team members refused to emerge from the dugout for two years. In the mean time, we all took a real drubbing from those bills.
Stepping in when it’s 15 billion to zero is better than 30 billion to nothing, sure, but that old score of under 5 billion was much more palatable, honestly.
Comment by illini97 Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 11:35 am
== I hung in there a long, long, long, long time ==
A reminder of how useful the Senate’s long and painful “grand bargain” negotiations were. It seemed such a foolish effort at the time, but it proved to those who became the House GOP rebels that Rauner was never, ever going to get to “yes.” Radogno’s resignation was the clincher.
Comment by Roman Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 11:58 am
==The baseball analogy would be more apt if it was taxpayers vs the bills that needed to be played.==
The baseball analogy is quite apt for Illinois. 50% of his strategy to score - bunting and waiting for a wild pitch - totally ignores modern day statistics on how baseball should be played.
Comment by City Zen Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 12:30 pm
- City Zen -
Go easy on Chad, he had a pretty impressive WAR last season. Though, it may have been artificially inflated by his BABIP.
Comment by Roman Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 1:09 pm
I like the analogy, but still don’t see any logical answer for allowing the hostages to suffer from any R’s. If Bruce were a baseball player he’d be Harry Hartman, no accomplishments (outs) one game (term) and done, but good on you Bruce for spending a billion on one term and Zero Accomplishments. Also, Madigan would be Ripken, some good years, but around way too long.
Comment by Rutro Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 1:20 pm
While I’m glad that some of the Republicans broke away from Rauner to solve the crisis, it is sad that they were with him in the first place. It would have been different if he had an actual budget plan, but he didn’t. They chose their party over their communities until we were at the breaking point. We see the same from the Democrats who continue to re-election Madigan to the Speaker chair despite all the harm he has done to the State. It is sad that so many have bought into the idea that their party is more important than their communities.
Comment by Pelonski Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 1:28 pm
**Sabremetrics has not been kind to the bunt and the probability of a wild pitch is less than 1%. So the minority party plan ignores statistics and is 50% reliant on chance.**
Actually, Chad is probably an old school baseball guy. But your point strengthens his. His point is that the minority party doesn’t get to take a bunch of walks and hit a bunch of home runs. They have to “manufacture” wins, and get lucky to do it.
Comment by JoeMaddon Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 1:50 pm
**Also, Madigan would be Ripken, some good years, but around way too long.**
At age 38 (he only played two years after that), he put up a line of: .340/.368/.584 OPS: .952 OPS+: 144. Yea, he only played a half season, but he was still very productive and put up 2.9 WAR. The next year he struggled, but still put up 1.3 WAR. His last season was his only really bad year.
So he was pretty strong even at the end of his career.
**If Bruce were a baseball player he’d be Harry Hartman, no accomplishments (outs) one game (term) and done, but good on you Bruce for spending a billion on one term and Zero Accomplishments.**
Mark Appel would be a good comparison. First draft pick, talked a big game, etc, but has been a complete and utter disappointment.
Comment by JoeMaddon Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 2:06 pm
==Madigan would be Ripken==
That’s too complimentary. If you’re thinking longevity, Gaylord Perry and Pete Rose might be more apt. Add a little Gary Sheffield for good measure.
Comment by City Zen Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 4:50 pm
Just curious…so the plan is to not let the bills get to $30 billion. But if you don’t fix the problem, you pay the bills down some, but then the issues that put you in the predicament in the first place eventually raise the rates to hit that $30 billion anyway. It’s classic Illinois “Kick the can” politics. When will all sides stop and realize that when you spend more than you have, and keep spending more than you have, you eventually have nothing left.
Comment by NotKerryWood Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 5:11 pm
Honey B It aint always BR thats to blame for all things budget etc. We all get your disdain for the guy but others are culpable in the quagmire that is the Illinois budget/pension financial fiasco that continues not to be solved.
Comment by the Cardinal Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 6:53 pm
Just another corporate shill. We’ll see who ends up lobbying for
Comment by SameolG Friday, Jan 12, 18 @ 9:56 am