Illinois Statewide Mega-Thread: State has first budget in over a year

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It's better that the IL den machine got complacent this year than in 2010, when redistricting was up. Hopefully they learn to start kicking out corrupt people like Quinn. Shameful that they let him continue to the general without a serious primary challenge.

Agreed that we need more real primary challenges to take down bad Democrats. We'd better take down Cuomo next time so that he doesn't drag down the whole party again.

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Well Urbana-Champaign isn't one of those college towns that turns its whole county solid Democratic like Ithaca NY, Madison WI, Boulder CO, or Santa Cruz CA.

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Governor Rauner issued budget proposal today

Proposed:

-$600 million cut to local governments, a 50% decrease
-$110 million cut to public transportation, 50% paid by CTA, rest by Metra and Pace
-$25 billion cut to pension system (cuts COLA, freezes benefits, increases retirement age, eliminates overtime)
-$125 million cut to teacher health insurance downstate and in suburbs

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150218/BLOGS02/150219820/rauners-first-budget-pension-shifts-transit-cuts-shared-pain

He's downright delusional.

Republicans always have a vendetta against public transit. Arnold got through some cuts against public transit that were estimated to hurt the economy by $8 per dollar cut.