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* Tina Sfondeles interviewed Gov. Rauner on his campaign bus yesterday. You really should read the whole thing…
“The president is not on the ballot. Who is on the ballot is Pritzker and [Illinois House Speaker Mike] Madigan, and then Rauner and [Lt. Governor Evelyn] Sanguinetti,” Rauner said. […]
Rauner also claimed Madigan “orchestrated” the budget battles, which ultimately led to a historic and destructive impasse.
“Madigan — Pritzker wasn’t around then — Madigan, this was all orchestrated. Madigan’s always thinking. I give the guy credit. He was thinking about this election, that fight in 2015, three years prior. Cause a fight, blame the governor. And Madigan, because he’s so powerful and there are so any elected officials loyal to him, the comptroller, the treasurer, the members of the General Assembly in the super majority, all chattering to you in the media, all saying, ‘Oh it’s the governors’ fault. He’s so unreasonable.”
Rauner said he proposed “so many” budget ideas, compromises and policy reforms: “I was willing to do things that I didn’t agree with but would compromise to get some other good reforms done.”
“It was all to spin. Spin a story of, the governor was the problem,” Rauner said. “I’m one guy. They could do any budget they wanted.”
Rauner should at least make Madigan pay rent for all the space he’s been occupying in the governor’s head.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:19 am
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Previous Post: Two candidates who deserve notice… and respect
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Kinda sounds like loser talk
Comment by Anon E Moose Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:22 am
Maybe if the Governor listened to, oh I don’t know, say former Gov. Edgar or reached out to current Mass. Gov Charles Baker, he would understand what a politician is. And he would have done better in his first term.
Comment by Mestro Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:23 am
I read the piece and watched the interview, which had several points where it appeared that follow-up was cut or perhaps edited out. I’m wondering whether or not Tina checked Rauner on some his claims that are false or misleading. “They could do whatever budget they wanted” and “Madigan is on the ballot” (but Trump isn’t?) are a couple of examples…
Comment by unspun Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:24 am
If Rauner had done more thinking and less whining, Illinois would be in better shape.
Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:25 am
Taking all the arrows, per usual…
Comment by Fixer Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:26 am
“Pat Quinn failed”
Also, Rauner had “his” Comptroller during the budget crisis Rauner created.
Rauner vetoed 66 of 67 attempts to stop Rauner’s crisis, with Rauner bragging how he used Ken Dunkin.
Revisionist history, Rauner knows those involved and watched… Rauner wanted “no $&@#% problems”… welp, turns out Governors own when Rauner is governor too, and that’s a $&@#% problem…
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:29 am
Quintessential Rauner. Blame Madigan, lie and take no responsibility. Democrats lost their supermajority in the House in 2017 and didn’t have a fully-working one when they had it, with the likes of Drury, Franks and Dunkin. This is the real Rauner, behind the costumes.
I read that Chicago early voting is up over 60% from the last midterm. In Cook County it’s reported that there are more early votes so far than the entire 2014 election.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:30 am
So those Republican legislators who basically committed political suicide by voting green on the budget and then the override were complicit in this grand scheme to make Rauner look like the bad guy?
Comment by Cubs in '16 Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:33 am
Gov. Ahab
Comment by Chito Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:33 am
So much projection. He’s learned nothing in four years.
Comment by beach panda Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:33 am
“Madigan’s always thinking”
Well dah. How do you think Madigan has stayed in power for so long? How do you think he was able to box 1.4% into a losing administration?
Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:35 am
He has been suffering on Madiganitis for almost 4 years. I don’t see a remedy, except extreme rest away from the carrier. Hopefully in 6 days he starts getting that much needed rest.
Comment by Retired Educator Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:36 am
Others here have accurately described Rauner as playing checkers to Madigan’s chess.
Part of this comes from Gov Junk’s conscious decision to play checkers despite knowing the game This started with his election night lies about phone conversations. Since then, it has been one unforced error after another.
Comment by MickJ Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:37 am
Shouldn’t that have been “thinkin’” or wasn’t he downstate when he said it?
Comment by Streamwood Retiree Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:41 am
Thanks to Ron Sandack (who?)… I knew from Jump Street that the budget crisis was created, cultivated, and purposeful… by the Raunerites and Bruce Rauner.
“I’m frustrated too but taking steps to reform Illinois is more important than a short term budget stalemate”
That one sentence… refuted all the Madigan head-living Rauner thinks.
Members, Raunerites, of the 99th General Assembly… you are, and were, WHOLLY complicit with the purposeful destruction… with the likes of Scott Drury… and Ken Dunkin.
I have the receipts.
I’ll forgive, but there better be a serious mea culpa a-commin’, and a realization of what ya did… was wrong.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:43 am
Gov. Queeg.
Comment by Chicago 20 Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:44 am
“I was willing to do things that I didn’t agree with but would compromise to get some other good reforms done.”
He was not willing. He had that opportunity. If he’d have given his Senators the go-ahead with the grand bargain, he could have triangulated Madigan either to compromise or to own the impasse. He won nothing and allowed Madigan to remain silent.
Comment by James Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:44 am
I finally saw the bio video on WTTW last night. Bruce Rauner seems like a nice enough guy, smart and a good businessman. But his contempt for government is palpable, which explains in part, why he never bothered to study it. He didn’t know the first thing about budgeting, except the simplistic “taxes = bad,” “spending = bad” hogwash.
Just the phrases he used when talking about government money, something about how that spending isn’t part of the “productive economy” whatever that means. It really belied his fundamental misunderstanding (being generous) or his absolute Friedman-esque zealotry (less generous).
Either way, he was poorly equipped to be Governor and, unfortunately, he showed no curiosity about it. He could have tried to learn, but he thought he knew it all already.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:45 am
Rauner is a poorly delivered joke.
Comment by AlfondoGonz Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:46 am
Per Rauner, He is on the phone with the White house Often?
Comment by DeseDemDose Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:48 am
What a whiner.
Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:48 am
A good indication of the Governor’s truthiness is his use of the word baloney. If he says it, its likely being used to refute truth.
Comment by Gallactic Cupcake Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:49 am
===Rauner also claimed Madigan “orchestrated” the budget battles, which ultimately led to a historic and destructive impasse.===
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgT9QVkGXxI
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:50 am
Rauner claims he wanted to thank the President of the United States, but then shows up looking like someone rejected as an extra for Sons of Anarchy.
Can’t wait until Tuesday when I’ll register what I think of this man’s absurd double-talk.
Comment by Chris P. Bacon Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:53 am
At this point, if Rauner can figure out who stole the strawberries he’ll at least have one victory for his tenure.
Does he understand how he sounds?
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:56 am
It’s rare in politics to see someone so outflanked and defeated during a single term in office. To a great extent I blame it on the Governor’s lack of political experience and not understanding the role and process of being Governor. And of course, ego.
Comment by Stones Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:58 am
Yes, and I should make Rauner pay rent for all the space he’s been occupying in my head. Pay still frozen at entry level despite appellate court decision because of him.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:59 am
Stunning self denial.
Comment by Barrington Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 9:59 am
–“. . . Madigan — Pritzker wasn’t around then
. . . “–
So when is Rauner saying Pritzker came under the evil spell of Madigan, to do his bidding in an unholy union /s
Comment by Christopher Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:00 am
Trump doesn’t like Rauner because he is a loser.
=Thanks to Ron Sandack (who?)…=
Almost forgot about this guy. So smart he got scammed by an internet lolita.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:07 am
Reminds me of an interview I saw many years ago between Gene Okerlin and wrestling manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan:
Okerlin: “That’s some strategy you’ve got there.”
Heenan (pointing to his head): “The Brain. Always thinking.”
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:07 am
“Does he understand how he sounds?”
Rauner’s a multimillionaire CEO who’s used to getting what he wants. He can’t relate to hoi polloi and can’t handle that other people have power and rights. It drives him nuts. He’s fighting a war he started, getting bedraggled, worn out and running up a sand hill of his own making.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:08 am
- “smart and a good businessman”
- “spending isn’t part of the “productive economy” whatever that means.”
How do you correlate that Rauner with the Choose Chicago Chairman Rauner that spent public funds with reckless abandon with absolutely no ROI?
Rauner was quoted saying “A dollar more spent by the city on marketing today generates two dollars back in city tax revenues within nine months,” Mr. Rauner said in an interview Wednesday. “Not many investments double in nine months.”
Rauner’s “investment” didn’t double in nine months or even in nine years leaving the MPEA billions in debt.
Comment by Chicago 20 Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:09 am
Christine Radogno is somewhere laughing about Rauner’s claim of wanting to compromise.
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:10 am
What interesting revisionist history. Looking forward to November 7th and sleep.
Comment by Biker Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:11 am
Hey 20, Choose Chicago spends its dough mostly by handing it out to private bidnesses.
MPEA exists to hold debt. It will always have debt. It will never not owe hundreds of millions of dollars to bond holders. That is its purpose, the reason it was created.
Now we can argue about how many hotel dollars and other revenue is generated from McCormick Place and Navy Pier, but blaming Rauner because MPEA has a lot of debt is just dumb.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:18 am
Madigan isn’t on most of Illinois’ ballot.
Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:20 am
Like it or not, Rauner may have a point (this time). The four year fight between the Speaker and the Governor has a certain deja vu feeling to it. I recall when Madigan was out of power as the House Speaker for two years (1995-97) following the 1994 Republican electoral sweep. His organization went into a constant campaign mode until he reclaimed the majority and the office. In several South suburban swing districts, the mailings never stopped. One GOP legislator simply bowed out after one term rather than stand for reelection.
Comment by Practical Politics Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:23 am
I think there is significant overlap in:
- the reasons Rauner couldn’t get his agenda passed, and
- the reasons Rauner’s going to come up well short of winning re-election.
Reading this article, much of that is on display.
Comment by The Captain Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:25 am
He belongs in Italy. He will fit right in a whine country.
Comment by Chunga Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:30 am
Hey, has Rauner said whether he will accept his pension? He’ll qualify after four years of “service”.
Comment by Soccermom Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:37 am
Buh-Bye Bruce. Hey, is that Madigan behind that bush? And that bush? And…
Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:47 am
I picture him, in a straightjacket, in a padded cell, on his back with a piece of chalk between his toes, writing “Madigan” on the wall, like Chief Inspector Dreyfus at the end of The Return of the Pink Panther.
Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:48 am
47, do you somehow have access to Choose Chicago’s financial statements to make that statement?
Which businesses received money from Choose Chicago and how much did they receive?
I don’t understand how you can justify Rauner’s Choose Chicago’s spending of $35 million a year in secret with no quantitative financial benefit.
The MPEA tax authority tax revenue was $151.5 million dollars last fiscal year.
The MPEA debt service ramps up from $196.6 million to $347 million over the next 37 years.
Where will the State of Illinois find the additional $195.7 million a year to pay the bond debt service?
Comment by Chicago 20 Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 10:59 am
“Madigan’s always thinking.”
He is also near silent. His press conferences were rare. When he said something, people listen.
Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:01 am
More revisionist history from a Governor who has been a disaster for our state. The fact is he came into looking for a fight. As someone previously mentioned ask Christine Radogno if Rauner was sincere in seeking compromise. Create a crisis and use that crisis as leverage. Those were Rauner’s own words. It’s funny that Edgar left office with a budget surplus when Madigan was Speaker and Quinn actually had cut our then all time high of unpaid bills almost in half when Madigan was Speaker. Those men were able to do some positive things for the state when Madigan was Speaker but Rauner simply lacked the political acumen to lead this state forward regardless of who the Speaker was.
Comment by The Dude Abides Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:01 am
===Madigan’s always thinking. ===
And with one statement, Rauner inadvertently admits that he wasn’t always thinking and got completely outflanked. He’s never been good off the cuff.
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:09 am
20, I am not in the habit of saying nice things about Bruce Rauner, but your criticism of his role at Choose Chicago/MPEA is, sadly, misplaced. There are plenty of things he’s done poorly that are fair game for criticism. MPEA’s debt is not one of them. Period.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:15 am
++Madigan’s always thinking. I give the guy credit. He was thinking about this election, that fight in 2015, three years prior.++
So what was Rauner doing when he saw Madigan doing all this thinking? Was Rauner not thinking, too?
Sheesh. Thinking isn’t the problem.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:19 am
Tina, thank you for the great question, I’d like to use my lifeline?
Can I phone a friend? Poll the audience? Take the 50:50?
Comment by DuPage Bard Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:25 am
47, so you are just making statements without any factual basis?
Comment by Chicago 20 Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:27 am
It took Rauner 4 years to figure out Madigan is smarter politically than he is?
That alone is a good reason to not vote for Rauner.
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:34 am
If we suspend reality and accept what Rauner says he’s making it clear that he was beaten by Madigan at all turns. So what’s the argument for four more years since the Governor clearly can’t coexist with a speaker who shows no indication of resigning?
Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:36 am
Bruce Rauner-noun. Living proof that the wealthy have no idea what to do once their wallet is a non-issue.
Comment by efudd Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:49 am
Rauner lies as much as Trump if that is possible.
Comment by Sparky791 Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:56 am
Diana rauner apparently found out last spring that italy has a new experimental drug to cure madiganitis. What you waiting on? Go get your man cured.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 11:57 am
Fake Rauner - “Madigan and I had issues right from the beginning, starting on election night when I called him. I said to myself then this guy is a real thinker”.
Comment by XDNR Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 12:29 pm
Rauner got himself out thunked by a diminutive senior citizen
Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 12:29 pm
Rauner said he’d have to “shut things down for awhile”… until he got what he wanted. What he couldn’t do without a working legislative majority he tried to do with tactics that hurt real people. Own up to it, Bruce.
Comment by James Knell Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 12:31 pm
He could have been a real governor if he only listened to the real governors who tried to get Bruce to listen.
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 1:15 pm
Choose Chicago is a marketing entity, the new name for the old Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. They have no say, at all, over MPEA issuing debt.
MPEA can’t issue new or refinance long-term debt without the approval of the General Assembly and governor.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 1:26 pm
Practical Politics - that is what politicians do. That is how you get elected. However, there was never a point during the Lee Daniels speakership where Madigan endeavored to shut down Illinois. (I recognize that he couldn’t.) Here, Rauner did not resort to politics to defeat Madigan or the Dems, he instead relied on holding the state hostage to get his way. It didn’t work.
Comment by TominChicago Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 2:49 pm
Rauner will lose. Rauner will also be the happiest man in Illinois on the morning after election day. He has campaigned likes someone with absolutely zero desire to win. His own party smelled that in the primary.
It is actually astounding how bad of a job he did.
Comment by 5th Floor Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 5:06 pm
To clarify, the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau and the tourism portion of Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture was combined to form a new nonprofit called Choose Chicago.
The MPEA board approved this change and Rauner was a member of that board.
Because they set up Choose Chicago as a nonprofit they refuse comply with FOIA requests or publish a financial statement even though the vast majority of their funding is public money.
When Rauner became the Chairman of Choose Chicago the budget increased from $12 million to over $35 million a year.
Since Choose Chicago was created McCormick Place has lost 14 trade shows.
It was Rauner who hired Don Welsh who was paid over $718,000 a year to lose these 14 trade shows.
Rauner spent the taxpayer’s money and claimed that the City would receive double the money back in revenue in nine months, which is spending for a productive economy.
It’s not reasonable for anyone to expect that a tourism marketing dollar would return 200% in nine months time. A smart, intelligent, experienced businessman should have been very leery of this astonishing and blatantly disingenuous claim.
Rauner was named the Chairman of Choose Chicago and had a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers for the $35 million of annual spending to benefit Chicago and McCormick Place.
A good businessman expects what he inspects.
Rauner failed to inspect, no due diligence, no reviews, no performance objectives, no quantitative results, no transparency.
The Illinois general assembly set a cap on the amount of bonds but the MPEA keeps renegotiating the terms and keeps readjusting the repayment ramp.
The current Authority tax revenue will soon need to more than double in order to pay the currently scheduled bond debt service.
The MPEA operational deficit went from $309 million in FY 2008 before the reforms to $1.7 billion in FY 2017.
In the same time period McCormick Place exhibitor prices have increased 200% to 300%.
Bruce Rauner was on the MPEA interim board and then was named to the replacement MPEA board and approved these devastating “reforms” that we all will be paying for years to come.
These “reforms” are a bad deal for the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois and exhibitors at McCormick Place and will cost the taxpayers millions.
Bruce Rauner failed as an MPEA board member, as the Chairman of Choose Chicago and as Governor.
Comment by Chicago 20 Wednesday, Oct 31, 18 @ 6:17 pm
“The new statistics from the mayor’s office and the city’s visitors bureau, Choose Chicago, credit the tourism industry with supplying an estimated 146,500 jobs — some 22,000 more positions than in 2011, when Emanuel took office. A key driver of that job growth has been the city’s expanding hotel footprint. Chicago opened five new hotels in 2017; eight more are scheduled to debut this year.”
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/ct-trav-chicago-tourism-increase-2017-0114-story,amp.html
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Nov 1, 18 @ 8:41 am
You need a more credible source.
Those are formulated numbers from the same people who claimed their 5,000 attendee trade show had more of an economic impact than the Super Bowl.
Choose Chicago continually publishes press releases which directly contradicts Choose Chicago’s website data.
https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2018/02/22/choose-chicago-scrubs-occupancy-charts-from-web.html
Comment by Chicago 20 Thursday, Nov 1, 18 @ 9:45 am