Madigan delivers body blows to Rauner's extremities

When Madigan wants to hurt a guy (publicly), he has the word for it:

Rauner . . . blasted Madigan, saying he stood to personally profit from a failure of a property tax freeze. 

That drew a strong retort from Madigan later in the day. At a Capitol news conference, the speaker said he has always held strong ethical standards in his law business and encouraged Rauner to stop “functioning in the extreme.”

Same news conference:

Rauner reiterated on Tuesday that he wants a property tax freeze before he’ll agree to talk about other budgetary issues. And he wants to [?make?] other business-friendly changes, too.

“We’re being reasonable. We feel he is functioning in the extreme as he advances these issues,” Madigan said.

 It's a favorite. From an interview several days ago, again referring to Rauner:

“If peo­ple are op­er­at­ing in the ex­treme, . . .  he’s on the ex­treme, . . . op­er­at­ing in the ex­treme,”

Well, he didn't get where he is today by arguing his case. Anyhow, consider how little practice he's had with anyone smart enough to take him on.

State rep. suggests Chicago Public Schools should declare bankruptcy | abc7chicago.com

Amazing comment by Chi Teachers Union v.p. about financial problems:

But some union leaders say the Sandack bill [allowing bankruptcy as way out of fiscal crunch] is a backdoor attack on public worker contracts and pensions. Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey says he believes a federal bankruptcy judge would respect what the State Supreme Court has ruled on pensions.

Nothing amazing there, but consider this:

"Financial crisis is no reason to go back on what basically was a promise made to people who taught the last generation of school children," Sharkey said.

The fellow has a different understanding of financial crisis than most people, I'd say. You're running of money, but that's no reason to stop spending it? Come on.

To which we might add something nonsequitur-ish from Mayor Rahm, also opposing the bankruptcy option:

"We should not allow the finances to undermine all the educational progress our principals and teachers are making," Emanuel said. "Because what you don't want to do is put the system into a process that could actually distract away from the educational things."

By solving its insoluble money problems, he means, sounding like a teachers-union vice president.

When is a rookie governor something else? Good question

Rauner, Democrats spar on property taxes as stalemate enters 2nd week - Chicago Tribune

The rookie governor . . . wants lawmakers to approve his pro-business, anti-union agenda as part of a deal, and a property tax freeze is one of the items.

 Am slightly flummoxed over "rookie" here. Promising rookie maybe? Hard-hitting? Candidate for rookie of the year?

Or: Citizen governor? Governor not from the political class? Growth-oriented?

Possibilities abound. Playbook has "rookie," but one can always think outside it.

Prevailing wage for public projects benefits whom?

Unionized workers and their unions, not the general public.

Rauner in press conf., socking it to the opposition

I support his policies and heard him do well among supporters during the early campaigning but did not know how good he is, arguing his points, handling qq, etc.

Sen. C. Radogno also quite good. A good team, here making case for lower real estate taxes and local control over same.

The guy is good -- and he tore into Madigan et al. as being good only for the "political class," making millions off high taxes (by lawyering breaks for taxpayers).

=======================================
Later: More specific on this at Bloomberg Business, where Chi Trib's John McCormick free-lances about it:

Rauner’s remarks about Madigan’s income were a reference to Chicago Tribune stories in 2010. They examined overlaps between Madigan’s roles as speaker and state Democratic Party chairman and tax work done by his law firm, Madigan & Getzendanner.

High taxes calling for legislator-connected relief are made to order for making bucks for legislators, not to mention for encouraging nicely targeted campaign donations. A circle of mutual aid it is. 

Like city ordinances, pumped high enough to (a) require variance and/or (b) punish violators selectively. 

Tougher the law, more the power to officials. It's a rule.

 

why illinois municipal retirees fund does so well - Google Search

Yes, Virginia and all you ships at sea, there is a public employees retirement fund in Illinois that is fully funded, earned 6.1 percent in 2014 investments ($2.1 billion), has $35 billion total, and 1982-2014 had an annualized total fund return of -- are you listening? -- 10.24 percent.

It's IMRF, the Illinois Municipal Retirees Fund, which is doing very well indeed in these days of inadequate funding, perils-of-Pauline existence, and inadequate funding. This fund is funded, believe it or not.

why illinois municipal retirees fund does so well - Google Search

Rauner's the one, says Sun-Times

Having vowed to "shake [the state] up," he is showing "what a shake-up looks like," demanding "basic pro-business reforms before he will even talk about raising taxes. . . . Nobody should doubt he will continue to chop away if he and the Legislature’s Democratic leadership cannot find common ground."

He will be "the bad guy" if necessary. "He clearly won’t settle for yet another politically expedient short-term fix."

"He's not kidding." Not so the Democrats, says S-T, "especially House Speaker Michael Madigan." Smart money will not go on him. "It doesn't make sense," when the bettor considers his 30 years at the helm (as House Speaker), of the last 32.

Problem? Unemployment 6 percent, vs. 5.4 percent nationally, "far higher" that the Midwest average. Population growth "stagnant." The business climate "consistently ranked among the worst in the nation," bond rating worst. The state’s awash in red ink — pension obligations "threaten to gut the entire government."

Time for a change. Rauner is "all about change, which is why he was elected." Madigan is "all about no change," offering " a yet "deeper hole."

Rauner’s cuts "a scare tactic," say Dems. "But it looks to us like a real plan." Again, he's not kidding, holds out possibility of cutting "much more."

“Middle-Class Agenda,” Dems have responded, (typically) "long on crowd-pleasing gift-giving": new tuition tax credit, higher minimum wage, free community college, and "guaranteed paid sick leave for all workers in the private sector, even those who work only part time"! (Santa Claus, we hardly knew you!)

Lovely, but how pay for it? (Classic Dem response to this question was by Congressman Danny Davis at Malcolm X College in August of 2009, as ObamaCare was being debated, "No matter the cost, quality health care should be provided for every citizen.")

S-T: "Except for a call to close 'corporate loopholes,' nothing in the Democrats’ plan even hints at the sad truth that our state is broke." Downplay the problem, Downplay the problem -- like Sen. Don Harmon in a series of town hall sessions in the summer of 2013.

Which leads S-T to ask who is the real champion of the middle class" -- the legislature that can't say no or "a governor . . . who understands that Illinois is in desperate need of more fundamental reform?"