Rauner, Illinois' Scott Walker

[marym625]

This guy is going to tank Illinois. Unbelievable. Cut everything that helps people.

Illinois Governor Proposes
$6 Billion in Cuts and Reducing Pension Benefits
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Budget Would Cut Spending on Universities and Health Care

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/us/politics/illinois-governor-proposes-6-billion-in-cuts-and-reducing-pension-benefits.html?_r=0&referrer=


Have a meeting to get to but had to share his atrocious proposal

[City Lights]

1. I heard he said something about being in such dire straights

that he can't afford to be compassionate. Fuck him and the losers he rode in on.

[marym625]

2. I can't believe he was elected

We will be a "right to work" stare soon. It's coming. And he will bust the unions.

[City Lights]

5. I can't believe it either.

I thought Illinoisians were smart enough to not elect an assclown like this. I am just sick about it.

[Drale]

9. Half the state is uneducated redneck hillbillies

Usually Chicago can overpower those POS's in elections but the media made Pat Quinn s name so toxic that even we couldn't help.

[ND-Dem]

23. do you think that was by design?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

3. Typical Repricklican economics. You'll get what we give you when we trickle down to you!

"Like a family, we must come together to address the reality we face. Families know that every member can't get everything they want."

Meanwhile he's billing the govt for a staff for his wife and upgrades to the governors mansion.

[truebrit71]

11. And belongs to a wine club that charges $20000 per bottle....

I blame ignorant down-staters, and the media who were just as culpable in NOT educating the voting public what this rich, arrogant prick's REAL agenda was before-hand.

I am on of the few people that actually LIKED Gov. Quinn. I thought he had done a decent job given the crappy hand he had been handed, but the Chicago-based media just piled on him mercilessly...not surprising since Mitt Rauner had intimate ties with at least one of the major newspapers in Chicago...

Now we ALL get to suffer because of the voter apathy...unless of course he follows the great Illinois tradition of Governors going to jail....we can but hope...

[n2doc]

4. They ALL follow the same script

Written by Koch and co.

[BubbaFett]

6. The only thing that can save Illinois is Chicago

but Chicago can't even save itself.

What a load of horseshit.

[MohRokTah]

7. Meh, it will arrive at the Illinois Legislature and be delivered directly to the trash bin.

The Democrats have a veto proof majority in both houses.

Rauner is going to end up being the latest convicted Illinois governor. Mark my words, we send our governors to federal prison and since Quinn didn't do anything illegal we're overdue for another convict governor.

[hfojvt]

8. missing part of the story

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150217/BLOGS02/150219836/the-wealthy-got-the-bulk-of-illinois-tax-cut-policy-group-says

[truebrit71]

12. I am shocked....SHOCKED!!!

[marym625]

14. Thanks for this

I don't know why I always forget about Crains. It's a great source

[hfojvt]

16. I just googled

for "Illinois tax cuts".

I figured there was something driving it - just like in Wisconsin, Louisiana, and Kansas. If not also New York and New Jersey.

[justhanginon]

10. And now we in Illinois can join in

the race to the bottom along with other republican led states like Wisconsin and Kansas.
I disliked this phony in his Volkswagon bus and Carhartt jacket the minute I saw him and my snap judgement has been born out in spades. His record in the private sector was less than sterling and I am sure it will carry over as he takes our state to the bottom trying to outwalker Scott Walker And Brownback.

[marym625]

15. He's actually smarter and much richer than walker

So I have a real fear of what he can do

[justhanginon]

18. I agree. He's no dummy and has a ton of money still left after purchasing

the governorship and my big fear is he will win the race to take us to the bottom. The only hope is the Dems have control of both houses so it won't be and easy ride. We have to keep the pressure on with letters and e-mails as these bills come up.
It's sad that people of this caliber can attain office so easily and we in turn will pay a hefty price for the voters ignorance.

[marym625]

20. oberweis was never able to

I really wonder what the difference is.

Yes, we must keep vigilant on everything. Completely agree. And whoever wins the mayoral race, like there's a question, has to stay on top of it too

[ND-Dem]

13. k&r. I remember reading about rauner a few years ago. i can't remember the specifics but

remember coming away with a very negative impression.

In 2008, Rauner's daughter was admitted to Walter Payton Prep school in Chicago through the "principal picks" process. The family maintains several residences, including one in downtown Chicago that enabled her to apply to the Chicago-based school. Although she had top grades, she had missed several days of school and therefore did not qualify through the regular admissions process.[59][60]

It was later revealed that Rauner had sought information on this process from his personal friend Arne Duncan, then CEO of Chicago Public Schools. Rauner has said he had no recollection of speaking with Duncan directly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Rauner

[marym625]

21. Let's not forget the threats he made to a female employee

In a sworn deposition, CEO Christine Kirk testified that Bruce Rauner personally threatened her. In addition, she testified that a company Board member also relayed threats to her from Mr. Rauner. In separate sworn testimony, that Board member confessed to relaying the threats saying, “threatening things were said to her.”

According to the former outsourcing CEO, and in some cases other witnesses, Bruce Rauner not only threatened Christine Kirk, but her family as well. She testified that Rauner personally threatened her saying, “If you go legal on us, we’ll hurt you and your family.” The suit also names Chrysler Financial executive and fellow Board member Thomas Gilman as a witness to the threats.

Kirk swears Bruce Rauner used Gilman as a middle man to relay threats such as, “I will bury her” and “I will make her radioactive.” The lawsuit also quotes Rauner allegedly telling Gilman, “She will never get another job anywhere, ever. I will bankrupt her with legal fees. I don’t know if she has a family or not. But if she does, she better think twice about this.”

http://www.illinoisherald.com/articles/2014/q4/bruce-rauner-well-hurt-you-and-your-family/

And he still won.

[ND-Dem]

22. he's a pig. imo, of course.

[marym625]

25. yep. exactly

[KayLaw]

17. Divide and Conquer

The pension cuts exclude police and firefighters.

[marym625]

19. Great point

Thanks

[ananda]

24. Illinois is becoming the new Wisconsin.

Sigh

[marym625]

29. Rauner has his way

It will be

[upaloopa]

26. Who voted for this?

I compare my state of CA to these states with right wing governments and wonder if people wanted these cuts when they voted the right wing into power.
What would make a person vote for this shit?

[marym625]

30. got me

This particular budget is just a proposal at the moment. He did already Chang the tax rate (story is linked in reply #8)

I am hoping this won't pass. But I put nothing past the Illinois legislature

[guillaumeb]

27. all great points

as to the school situation with Rauner's daughter, left out was the point that Rauner made a $250,000 "donation" to the school prior to his daughter being accepted. A coincidence?

While the average Illinois taxpayer will receive a $500 yearly tax cut, Rauner will receive a $750,000 tax cut based on his $60 million retirement income.

Like Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, Rauner, or Baron von Carhart as some union workers call him, wants to replace the money lost from the income tax cut by substantially raising sales taxes. Given that this sales tax burden will fall far more heavily on the working class than rich people, his strategy makes sense. Kansas went from a budget surplus to a budget deficit in 4 years. What awaits Illinois?

By the way, Kansas income tax cuts did help 2 of Kansas' favorite sons: Charles and David Koch. Gives them more money to purchase politicians.

Only 34% of Illinois voters bothered to vote. 55% of them voted for Rauner. That works out to 18.7% of the electorate. Is this what the GOP calls a mandate

nice post marym625

[marym625]

31. Thanks!

Yeah, the voter turn out was terrible.

We are well on our way to following in the footsteps of Wisconsin and Kansas.

The sales tax rate in Chicago is already astronomical. To go to a drive thru, there's a 10.25% tax on the food. Ridiculous. Any higher and no blue collar worker will be able to afford anything

[Freethinker65]

28. I predict a one term governor

Rauner will not be able to buy the next election. Chicago will GOTV next time. Right to work will go nowhere with the state legislature (perhaps give him a test city downstate and watch it go ala Kansas). Some pension reform is necessary, but even Quinn could not get much approved. I just hope unions survive his "fair share" lawsuit, and the University of Illinois is spared.

[marym625]

32. Me too!

We need to start supporting unions more loudly and with more velocity here. I know we already do but they're too under fire.

I hope you are right about it not passing. Fingers crossed