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

[Mr. Illini]

Rauner's minimum wage proposal mocked by gallery at State of the State

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-dietrich/gov-bruce-rauner-faced-de_b_6645890.html

[Miles]

Looks like Rauner wasn't joking when, in the debates, he said he looks up to Walker, Snyder and Scott:

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[Mr. Illini]

Looks like Rauner wasn't joking when, in the debates, he said he looks up to Walker, Snyder and Scott:

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Don't blame me, I voted for Pat Quinn.

[Mr. Illini]

Champaign County, IL 2014 Gubernatorial by Township



Pretty cool to me that you can follow the path of I-57 heading south on the map into Champaign, as the communities along the highway broke slightly less for Rauner.

The city of Champaign was about 50% for Quinn (terrible performance) while Urbana was about 61% for Quinn (still terrible for the standard). It's no wonder the county voted for Rauner.

Look for more township-level maps from me in the near future.

[Vosem]

Champaign County, IL 2014 Gubernatorial by Township

Very cool map -- I lived in Champaign for 3 years (which is what my avatar originally referred to), and it's very interesting to see the election played out at the local level. (Though for Champaign Co these aren't usually particularly hard to guess).

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

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.

[Mr. Illini]

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.

The county is usually Democratic-voting, not having voted Democrat for President since 1988. Of course the college effect always has a lesser umph in midterms (we don't vote in those, apparently).

Dane County WI would also be staunchly Democrat without the university. Madison is a very liberal community and even the other townships in Dane are Democratic.

Here's St. Claire County, IL, for the 2014 Gov. These are St. Louis suburbs.



East St. Louis was 90% for Quinn but the county still voted for Rauner. Belleville is that exurb that went to Rauner.

[Mr. Illini]

A couple more, this time from the Chicago suburbs.

Lake County, IL: The three jurisdictions that went to Quinn are Zion (diverse community), Waukegan (heavily Hispanic area), and Highland Park (very wealthy Jewish community). Rauner dominated the Barrington area (wealthy, religious, Christian area) at upwards of 70%.



DuPage County, IL: Rauner killed it here, a swing county in recent years. His performance looks like a throwback to the 80's when this county was loyally Republican, although he didn't break 70% anywhere.



I'm going to compile all of the Chicagoland results into one big Chicagoland map (one exists for the 2012 Presidential, so we can compare) once I get all of the counties done.

[Bojack Horseman]

Madigan is an idiot for saying she'll work with this clown. The Legislature in Illinois needs to do to Rauner what Boehner and McConnell have gone to Obama: shut down his entire legislative agenda. No to anything Rauner.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Madigan is an idiot for saying she'll work with this clown. The Legislature in Illinois needs to do to Rauner what Boehner and McConnell have gone to Obama: shut down his entire legislative agenda. No to anything Rauner.

With 4 years until election, Madigan doesnt want to appear she is running yet, eventhough she is. Also, the Dems are working with Unions in underminding Rauner. Dems right now are trying to see how far they can go with Rauner in opposition.

[CapoteMonster]

'Aight kiddos, Brucey gave his State of the State speech at noon today.

Reuters article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/04/us-usa-illinois-governor-idUSKBN0L829Z20150204

"At a Glance" article from Pantagraph: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/gop-gov-bruce-rauner-s-proposals-at-a-glance/article_3f8c789a-b3eb-501a-bc6c-d251b38fcb1d.html

Full text via WQAD: http://wqad.com/2015/02/04/what-illinois-gov-bruce-rauner-said-in-the-state-of-the-state-address/

He:
- endorsed "right-to-work zones" where local officials can declare their area RTW
- proposed freezing property taxes for two years and expanding the sales tax to services (such as haircuts and auto repairs)
- wants to increase public school spending and lift the cap on charter schools
- hire more prison guards, reform the parole system, and develop a program to have non-violent offenders do community service rather than go to prison
- advocated consolidation of Illinois' 7,000 units of local government, noting that Illinois has the most of any state in both raw numbers and in per capita terms (far outpacing similar-sized or larger states such as Pennsylvania and Florida)
- ban political donations from unions that have government workers, and amend the state constitution to a.) allow changes to future pension benefit promises, and b.) prohibit the carrying over of unpaid bills to other fiscal years. He also wants future benefits to be determined in a 401(k) plan or reduced pension plan, while protecting benefits already earned.
- give municipalities protection from bankruptcy

The supermajorities of Democrats present were suprisingly quiet, and Madigan said that he was willing to work with Governor Rauner on some of his proposals. Madigan also said earlier this week that he was open to Rauner's proposed workers' compensation reforms. Unions, however, immediately ripped into the Governor's proposals as "an assault on working people and unions".

Rauner did not mention how he would pay for any of his proposals. Illinois faces an immediate $1.5 billion shortfall in the current fiscal year, and a projected $5.7 billion next year. He is due to release his 2016 budget proposal on February 18th.


Gonna be an interesting year...

Rauner will probably lose if the state's economy stays the same or marginally improves.

[Bojack Horseman]

Madigan is an idiot for saying she'll work with this clown. The Legislature in Illinois needs to do to Rauner what Boehner and McConnell have gone to Obama: shut down his entire legislative agenda. No to anything Rauner.

So you are basically criticizing Republicans for some kind of gridlock they created (can you give examples?) while encouraging Democrats to do the same.

The difference is the motivation behind it. In 2009, Republicans were driven by their hatred of a black man who'd assumed the Presidency. In this case, Rauner's policies are a real threat to middle class workers all over Illinois. What they really ought to do is do what the Democrats did to Linda Lingle in Hawaii: unite as a caucus, force the Gov to veto, and override them all.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Mike Madigan is a conservative Democrat who wants to cut programs anyways, and already has. The main goal of theirs is to keep property tax low and rescind Quinn's tax hike.

[Bojack Horseman]

Mike Madigan is a conservative Democrat who wants to cut programs anyways, and already has. The main goal of theirs is to keep property tax low and rescind Quinn's tax hike.

Then why the hell does he keep getting elected Speaker?

[Mr. Illini]

Mike Madigan is a conservative Democrat who wants to cut programs anyways, and already has. The main goal of theirs is to keep property tax low and rescind Quinn's tax hike.

You're confused. Madigan was adamant in the same interview where he said he'd work with Rauner that he opposed a sales tax hike and favored extending the temporary income tax increase. It was about the only thing he would say for sure.

Madigan isn't a conservative or a liberal, he's a calculated politician. He has strong union funding, so he's quite union-friendly, but he's also very involved in the business community, so he's moderate on a number of things that impact them. I wish he were more liberal, but I'd never call his governance conservative. He's had control of this state for decades and we haven't exactly seen it go in a conservative direction.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Mike Madigan is a conservative Democrat who wants to cut programs anyways, and already has. The main goal of theirs is to keep property tax low and rescind Quinn's tax hike.

Then why the hell does he keep getting elected Speaker?

This is the same man who throttled Blagojevich in impeachment and on busting spending caps, Mike Madigan.

The Madigans are into criminal justice. Just like stepdaughter Lisa, who is Attorney General, police union supports their leadership.

[Mr. Illini]

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.

[Mr. Illini]

Madigan calls Rauner's budget proposal "reckless"

Says you can't balance Illinois' budget without new revenue streams, which he insists on if he is to work with Rauner in spending cuts.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

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.

I like how there's the $125M and $100M figures, then a little bounce to $600M, then a whopping $25 billion tucked away in the middle. Almost missed that.

Anywho, he's probably trying a similar move like Obama did with his recent budget proposal: set their number higher, so the final numbers that are passed by Congress/the IL legislature are more in their favor. Rauner knows his proposal as it stands has a snowball's chance in hell of being passed, but the pension reforms are a good start.

Now we'll see the Democrats' response proposal on spending and revenues. This was far tamer than what I was expecting

[Mr. Illini]

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.

I like how there's the $125M and $100M figures, then a little bounce to $600M, then a whopping $25 billion tucked away in the middle. Almost missed that.

Anywho, he's probably trying a similar move like Obama did with his recent budget proposal: set their number higher, so the final numbers that are passed by Congress/the IL legislature are more in their favor. Rauner knows his proposal as it stands has a snowball's chance in hell of being passed, but the pension reforms are a good start.

Now we'll see the Democrats' response proposal on spending and revenues. This was far tamer than what I was expecting

Can't tell if srs or not...? I think it is pretty draconian, harsher than I was expecting. In fact, I was about to reply by asking when you and the other moderate indies of the forum are going to turn on him, seeing as he clearly isn't coming in with any sort of moderate angle.

(also, disclaimer, the $25 billion is over many years, the pension system would see a $2.2 bil hit in 2015)

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

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.

[Senate Minority Leader Lord Voldemort]

Question: In Illinois, if the Democrats have a supermajority in the legislature, does it matter who the governor is or what he/she does?

[muon2]

It is important to note that the law in IL requires the Governor's proposed budget to be based only on those revenues that are statutorily available at the time of the budget address. Blago had a habit of sending budgets that were based on revenue that would never pass the General Assembly. When the income tax was increased in 2011, the law was also changed to stop that practice.

Last year Quinn provided two budgets, the one required by law with lots of cuts, and one that was consistent with his reelection and an extension of the tax hike. Since the income tax hike was not extended after Quinn lost, the available revenue at the time of the budget address was going to be considerably lower. Rauner simply followed the law, and he noted that there could be future revenue increases if there were reforms to the state systems.

[muon2]

Question: In Illinois, if the Democrats have a supermajority in the legislature, does it matter who the governor is or what he/she does?

The IL Gov has broad powers to issue executive orders. More importantly, it is very difficult to require the IL Gov to spend money that is appropriated. Even if the legislature passes an appropriation to a specific project but the Gov doesn't release the funds, those funds aren't spent.

[muon2]

Madigan calls Rauner's budget proposal "reckless"

Says you can't balance Illinois' budget without new revenue streams, which he insists on if he is to work with Rauner in spending cuts.

And he knows full well that the Gov's official budget cannot include new revenue streams. See my comment about the law he passed in 2011.