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* From the Wall St. Journal…
The Janus back story illustrates the corrupting influence of public-sector unionism. It started with Rod Blagojevich, who in 2002 sought to become Illinois’s first Democratic governor in 26 years. According to Mr. Rauner, then- Rep. Blagojevich asked Afscme for “$3 million and a couple thousand of your taxpayer-funded people” to work for his campaign. He won the election. “Then he went to the state employees and he said, OK, if you’re in my administration, if you’re in a union, I’ll give you 4% annual raises as long as I’m governor. And if you’re not in a union, I will never give you a raise as long as I’m governor.”
$3 million? Hmm.
* Shelbyville Daily Union…
“I respect peoples’ right to join a union or not join a union,” said Rauner. “But a governing union, when they go to a politician and say, ‘I’ll give you $3 million bucks for your election and I’ll give you 500 of my taxpayer-funded members to work for your campaign and then when you get in, I’ll negotiate a contract with ya, that is corruption.”
There’s that $3 million again.
* According to Illinois Sunshine’s website, AFSCME gave Blagojevich’s campaign $377K through 2003. Blagojevich received nothing after that. From September of 2006…
However, Blagojevich has had a more difficult time drumming up support from the state’s two largest public sector unions, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, which represents state and local workers, and the Illinois Education Association, which represents many of the state’s teachers.
Earlier this month, AFSCME and the IEA opted to formally support neither candidate in the Nov. 7 election.
AFSCME didn’t endorse in the Democratic primary earlier that year, but did back Republican Judy Baar Topinka in her primary race.
* I asked AFSCME’s Anders Lindall for a comment…
Like nearly everything that Bruce Rauner says, these wild claims are false and have no basis in reality.
* Also, too…
Gov. BRUCE RAUNER, while visiting a business in Morton last week, described an ambitious effort to cut the state’s income tax — more ambitious that what’s actually in the proposal he submitted.
“I’ve recommended a budget that rolls back the income tax hike that they passed over my veto last summer, roll that back to 3 percent, from the 4.95 percent,” Rauner said at Morton Industries, LLC.
Actually, the budget he proposed Feb. 14 would cut the current 4.95 percent personal income tax to 4.7 percent. But that decrease — of just a quarter of a percentage point — would only happen, according to his proposal, if lawmakers enact a pension reform plan that would face a likely court challenge. So even that cut is not assured, and may not come in fiscal 2019, which begins July 1.
I asked the governor’s office to explain his comments in Morton.
“Governor Rauner has proposed incrementally rolling back the income tax hike passed last summer over his veto,” spokeswoman RACHEL BOLD said. “To make that possible, he supports full implementation of a consideration model for pension reform which will save taxpayers nearly $1 billion a year, making it possible to begin rolling back the tax hike with a 1/4 percent tax rate cut. We believe it will also spur economic development which could speed up the pace of the rollback.”
* Related…
* Is the Supreme Court inviting a ‘Pandora’s box’ of unintended consequences if it rules with Rauner in his anti-union lawsuit?: All three of these cases, says Maher, are about making the government face the consequences of ruling with Janus. That if he doesn’t have to pay his agency fees because collective bargaining is speech he disagrees with, that makes the very act of collective bargaining—speech. And therefore can’t be restricted. In other words, Janus unintentionally argues for unions’ right to free speech. “If this is the way the Supreme Court rules, it will be hard to limit free speech of unions,” Maher says. “This Janus case has been presented [by conservatives] as providing workers with a choice, but they already have a choice not to pay for the political speech of unions. This is the choice to get collective bargaining and not having to pay for it—something for nothing.”
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:14 pm
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==and a couple thousand of your taxpayer-funded people==
==give you 500 of my taxpayer-funded members to work for your campaign ==
Is it a couple thousand? Five hundred? You need to get your story straight Governor.
The man lies like he breathes. He doesn’t even think about it.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:18 pm
“I’m a salesman, not an analyst.”
That was more revelatory than we realized.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:21 pm
Rauner just can’t help himself. He lies about everything.
Comment by Because I said so.... Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:21 pm
How can you work with someone incapable of telling the truth?
That’s a question asked across the political spectrum. The answer is, you can’t.
What can you hope to accomplish with a governor no one can trust? The answer is, nothing.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:39 pm
When he starts a conversation with anyone about anything, he response is suspect. If he said he had eggs for breakfast, I would want to see the unwashed plate. He does not know how to tell the truth. He makes up silly stories, and expects everyone to just believe his nonsense. He is insulting the intelligence of the listener, and every citizen of the state.
Comment by Retired Educator Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:39 pm
I am guessing he read about Blago’s $3M AFSCME conspiracy in an INN report.
Poor guy. Can someone get him better newspapers, or better yet a subscription to Capitol Fax, so he can stop looking so foolish.
Comment by Henry Francis Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:44 pm
Bruce there you go again.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:44 pm
Pandora’s box? Are you really expecting consistency in rulings by this conservative court?
Comment by Norseman Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:47 pm
It is still telling that AFSCME and IEA did not have the courage to stand behind JBT in 2006. That tells me a lot about them and their priorities.
Comment by Yeah but Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:51 pm
He needs to be fact-checked before he gets out of bed in the morning. This is just, well, oh well.
Shaun Richman has had some similar things to say re: Janus assuming it goes 5-4 as anticipated. He writes regularly for In These Times and was on Sarah Jaffe’s Belabored podcast last week. He’s good, knows his stuff (long-time union organizer), and interestingly, is not overcome by despair at the prospect of AFSCME’s loss.
Comment by dbk Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:55 pm
We continue to wonder if GovJunk will savage the non-union workers if their free loader status is reversed. Seems like they will be without the protection contract and GovJunk can impose whatever wage and benefit levels he wants
Comment by Annonin' Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 2:13 pm
- Norseman - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:47 pm:
There is none in any court
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 2:21 pm
He literally has a commercial where Jeanne Ives is the Mike Madigan candidate-, she won’t get rid of the income tax increase and he’ll get rid of the tax increase.
He now is clarifying (via spokesperson) and taking Ives talking point, saying the exact same thing she said in her Sun-Times response about rolling it back over time, saying that’s what he’s meant all along.
I just don’t understand how this can be so blatant and folks still believe all of it? At this point I’m losing faith in the electorate, their lack of engagement and overall lack of ability to decipher truth.
Comment by Dupage Bard Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 2:24 pm
To the pension/tax cut piece-
So now Rauner has pivoted from saving $1 billion from the deader-than-Elvis cost shift to saving $1 billion from the highly speculative, “consideration” proposal version 3? Do I have this right? Well, I guess that’s better than selling the Thompson Center a few more times, but not by much.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 2:29 pm
===At this point I’m losing faith in the electorate, their lack of engagement===
Just now?
Voters have almost never paid much attention to state government, except when Rod got arrested.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 2:32 pm
“* According to Illinois Sunshine’s website, AFSCME gave Blagojevich’s campaign $377K through 2003. Blagojevich received nothing after that. From September of 2006…”
Sadly, people who lie assume no one will ever check their statements. That inevitably gets all of them in trouble.
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 2:35 pm
So where is the outcry regarding the “Corrupting influence” of billionaires supplying similarly corrupt help like outright buying elections, dark money funding, ALEC, etc.?
Hopefully SCOTUS will see through the dog-and-pony show that makes unions the evil minions…
Comment by revvedup Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 2:38 pm
Touche Rich, well said.
Comment by Dupage Bard Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 2:41 pm
Forget state government. The one election that affects us the most, how about them school board elections.
Comment by Blue dog dem Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 2:54 pm
Rauners point is valid but his statement would be better served if he brought up the SEIU endorsement and contributions which seemed to be later rewarded with the recognition of the home health care workers which was a huge boon to union membership and ultimately led to the Harris case. Does anyone doubt that unions throw money at Illinois Dems in exchange for their later support of union isdues
Comment by Sue Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 3:16 pm
Good thing the Guv is extremely wealthy. With all the time his pants have caught fire his clothing replacement bill must be costing a small fortune.
Comment by Steward As Well.... Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 3:19 pm
My question for the failed Illinois Governer?
What’s the difference between accepting union money or money from your tax player funded millionaire friends?
Bruce Rauner: Worst.Governor.Ever.
Comment by Mike Cirrincione Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 3:20 pm
How is it that millionaires are”tax funded”?
Comment by Sue Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 3:28 pm
The Governor lies, and lies a lot. He may over take President Trump.
Comment by Rufus Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 3:53 pm
A good question to ask is “Will there be an Illinois Constitutional Convention in 2020?”
Comment by Rufus Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 3:55 pm
==Rauners point is valid ==
Kind of hard to find a valid point through all the lies.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 4:07 pm
==Rauners point is valid ==
What part do you think is valid?
Comment by Mama Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 4:51 pm
The valid point is Blago made pro union commitments in exchange for union endorsements and union campaign contributions.
Comment by Sue Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 5:10 pm
My job title didn’t used to be covered by the union. That was done under Blago. A number of job titles moved under the union at that time. Blago was no friend to State employees.
Comment by cailleach Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 6:33 pm
Sue. And Rauner made pro business decisions after taking Koch brothers and Alec’s money.
Let me guess. You only think business should be able to buy our government.
Comment by Generic Drone Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 6:34 pm
“The valid point is Blago made pro union commitments in exchange for union endorsements and union campaign contributions.”
Rauner gave Illinois Republicans millions of dollars while being governor. For all intents and purposes, he owns the party. If he didn’t lie and betray conservatives, they’d be jumping to his commands, just like they did when the grand bargain was blown up.
Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 8:40 pm