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* Hmm…
For the nation as a whole,
average annual job growth during IL impasse: 1.69%
average job growth in the 12 months since: 1.62%
That is to say - it wasn't the national jobs environment that killed Illinois' growth during the impasse
— Illinois Working Together (@IllinoisWorking) July 19, 2018
* Meanwhile…
What if they built a railroad depot and no trains came?
That’s the situation the Quad Cities find themselves in after proposed Amtrak service between Chicago and Moline — originally expected to begin in 2016 — has been held up by the state budget impasse and other snags.
“They haven’t given us any kind of date” for completion of the project, said Ray Forsythe, Moline’s economic development director.
A $177 million federal grant that got the project rolling in 2011 has been extended to this time next year, but service is no closer to getting underway. Gov. Bruce Rauner halted funding for the project shortly into his term in 2015, blaming the state budget impasse. While funding has since been reinstated, the project is still mired in logistical problems, with track improvements required on the western end of the line between Moline and Wyanet, owned by the Iowa Interstate Railroad.
According to Forsythe, the Illinois Department of Transportation was leading the project at this point. IDOT spokesman J. Scott Speegle said the agency is working on it with the Federal Railroad Administration. […]
There’s no timeline for service to begin.
A year ago, Rich Harnish of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association blamed Rauner for the failure to get service going, telling WQAD-TV, “The reason why this project isn’t done yet is because he put it on hold when he came into office.”
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 10:38 am
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This issue not only impacts the QC as a whole but could severely damage WIU’s campus in Moline. Train access to Chicago has helped recruit students to UIUC, ISU, WIU in Macomb and Knox in Galesburg. Without it, you aren’t going to get as many kids going to the QC campus.
Comment by Former Downstater Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 10:42 am
===Gov. Bruce Rauner halted funding for the project shortly into his term in 2015, blaming the state budget impasse.===
“I’m frustrated too, but taking steps to reform Illinois is more important than a short term budget stalemate”
… that lasted an entire seated General Assembly.
Raunerites purposely hurt projects like this. It wasn’t accidental, it was the game plan, and Raunerite GA members gladly obliged.
Bruce got the myth of Janus.
Diana got HB40.
What did Moline get?
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 10:45 am
I appreciate the tweets and the attempt at context. But in a broader picture, anyone who follows IL economic trends will note that we historically always lag behind national trends. We lose jobs slower and we gain jobs slower than the national averages. So this is interesting, but not totally all on Bruce.
Comment by siriusly Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 10:51 am
===So this is interesting, but not totally all on Bruce.===
“Pat Quinn failed”
Questions?
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 10:56 am
As stated in a he WSJ today what’s killing our jobs environment is a that pension costs are growing at 3.5 times faster then State revenues. The impasse has nothing to do with the States last 20 years of feeble economic growth
Comment by Sue Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 10:56 am
==Raunerites purposely hurt projects like this. It wasn’t accidental, it was the game plan, and Raunerite GA members gladly obliged.==
Lots of pain was caused because of this plan, projects like this being only one very small area of the total damage caused. Rauner’s policy of refusing to accept half a loaf and instead holding the budget hostage turned out to be the single most destructive policy a state has been purposefully subjected to since Sherman was sent through Georgia.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 11:03 am
== , anyone who follows IL economic trends will note that we historically always lag behind national trends. We lose jobs slower and we gain jobs slower than the national averages. ==
Back when I followed this as part of my job, the lag existed. It was anywhere from 9 to 18 months, both going in to and coming out of a recession.
However, the actual rate of recovery did match the national trends. But that was in the days when manufacturing and agriculture we’re the major industries. Now that Illinois’ is more of a service economy, it may not hold true.
Comment by RNUG Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 11:05 am
==He put it on hold when he came into office.==
But things will be different after Rauner’s re-election…right?
Comment by Jocko Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 11:06 am
Ok thanks for the correction RNUG. Lester Holt - I am amused by the Sherman through Georgia analogy. But are you saying that Bruce Rauner purposefully wreaked destruction on Illinois in a feeble attempt to save it ? Because I don’t think Sherman actually wanted to save Georgia.
The destruction part may be correct.
Comment by siriusly Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 11:08 am
–Gov. Bruce Rauner halted funding for the project shortly into his term in 2015, blaming the state budget impasse.–
Reminds me of how he halted funding for the Chicago VA around that same time.
It’s been said in various ways here, but I have never used this adjective of a public figure: there was something vindictive in BVR’s behavior throughout the budget impasse. It was as if he wanted to force the GA to bend to his will, and there was no thought of the citizens of Illinois.
And he lost that struggle. And Illinoisans are paying for it.
Comment by dbk Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 11:28 am
=As stated in a he WSJ today what’s killing our jobs environment is a that pension costs are growing at 3.5 times faster then State revenues.=
Yet Pat Quinn (who I’m no fan of) was able to make the payments and argued to continue the tax increase. Bruce Rauner said we didn’t need the higher revenue and then purposely brought a budget crisis upon on.
Remind me again why none of that matters?
Comment by Pundent Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 11:29 am
Another day, another post from Sue that disregards the evidence at hand. That the WSJ edit board issued a screed decrying any plan that makes guys like Pritzker, Rauner and Griff pay more in taxes is not surprising. Stating the WSJ article proves a claim which it does not really make (and would be false even if it did) is also not surprising. Using said untrue claim to defend Rauner’s failed tenure in office - again, not surprising.
One of these days you’ll submit a post that is entirely accurate, and that will be surprising.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 11:33 am
With apologies to Neil Young and VM
I caught Bruce knockin’ at my cellar door
I love you governor can I have some more
Ooh, ooh, the damage done.
I hit the city and I lost my head
I watched the impasse take another friend
Gone, gone, the damage done.
I sing the song because I love the man
I know some of you don’t understand
campaign money, to keep from running out.
I’ve seen the impasse and the damage done
A little part of it in everyone
But every not for profit like a settin’ sun.
Comment by don the legend Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 11:47 am
Rich should also note here that Illinois jobs growth declined relative to trend after the 2017 tax hike, while US jobs growth remained virtually constant. Second graphic here: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-jobs-growth-spikes-in-june-double-the-growth-of-the-rest-of-the-u-s/
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 11:54 am
Lester- the opinion piece in the Journal speaks for itself. Where was my misstatement?
Comment by Sue Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 2:14 pm
OE- my earlier post in no way defended Rauner who I agree has been a big disappointment- having said that- the Journal does link the unfunded pension problems to the State’s economic performace
Comment by Sue Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 2:17 pm
Sue, the Journals opinion piece is a continuation of what they always do, claim that the sky will fall if taxes are increased in any way, shape or form on the super wealthy. It’s nonsense, always has been. They do not go out of their way to claim specifically that jobs are not being created because the pension debt is high, but they do imply it - which is also nonsense. Just having high pension debt in and of itself does not deter job creation. This group of plutocrat-loving sycophants has in the past argued that uncertainty over whether or not taxes would change stifles job creation - which I would argue - but that argument holds no water now that we have the trump/Roskam tax cuts. I mean, every single republican in the nation has told us and continues to tell us at every opportunity that their tax scam bill will lead to an explosion in hiring and gigantic economic growth (still waiting for that to happen, btw). Not one of them has ever added “except in Illinois, because pension debt”. Neither you nor the WSJ edit board can argue that these tax cuts will magically work everywhere except for Illinois. Either that bill will lead to job creation as the republicans claim, or it will not. Caveats for pension debt would border in the insulting.
And finally, your post states “The impasse has nothing to do with the States last 20 years of feeble economic growth”. In my mind, this can only be read as meaning that Rauner’s ridiculous budget hostage-taking policy has done nothing to damage job creation in the last three years, despite the numbers cited above, but instead is a continuation of long term issues. This is untrue, and you know that because Rich details it here almost daily. Rauner and his caucuses policy has damaged Illinois job growth in any number of sectors, including higher education, construction, human services, health care, etc etc.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Jul 20, 18 @ 4:11 pm