Bruce Rauner and the Winds of Change - Ricochet
Sounds like we need to listen tomorrow 2/18 to the Governor's budget address, as some of this fallout will directly affect all of Illinois. To me it sounds like Home Rule might not be the be all end all for Home Rule cities, if we are going to become responsible for the mess we have created with little state money coming our way in the future.
38 comments:
Definitely a must watch event. It is time to take back our state government - one executive action at a time.
the fundamental problem in Illinois is that people have a perverse view of what government is supposed to do.
Anon 3:09 PM In full agreement with you and will go a lot further. The government has a perverse view of what it is supposed to do.
The government was not created to do everything for everyone and we cannot afford to pay for some of the things it is doing.
Sadly many act as those costs which the state and federal government pay for are provided on a no cost basis.
Presently the State of Illinois is in such a condition that Gov. Rauner's only chance of making a mistake is to do nothing. With what he has taken over passing gas in church is a improvement from the past number of years.
If Gov. Rauner can turn things around that it is no longer a Republican - Democrat thing but a State of Illinois thing he will have made significant progress.
AMEN 8:02
8:02 - I don't think it has ever been an Democrat - Republican thing. I think it has always been a Chicago thing - better described as Corruption Thing.
I'm happy that Rauner is brining in talent from outside Illinois. I think he knows that if he draws from the pool of employees that the various Illinois Governments have to offer he will find nothing but corruption and incompetence. Especially if they come from the northeast corner of the state.
So Governor "Compassion" has decided one of his first moves will be to cut health care funding for the most vulnerable in our society and to also cut funding for higher education. WOW! THAT'S SOME REAL CUTTING EDGE GOVERNING THERE BRUCE! Well, what's next, cutting Early and Pre-K education programs? How bout that awful school lunch assistance programs? We don't really need that Vaccination assistance program, right? That recent Measles outbreak is nothing to be concerned about. Gotta get rid of that Housing program too, right folks?
Note to the Nit-Wits: Please save your ignorant comments
about welfare queens, and food stamp recipients as you will only reveal yourselves as the slack-jawed bigots you are. Balancing any budget on the backs of the most vulnerable in our society is exactly what Rauner said he would "NOT" do. And here we are!
I think the City of Peru better just stand fast on additional spending for the moment. It sounds like tax money being funneled to cities is going to be cut quite a bit.
12:55 - sounds like the speech was a hit. Can't wait to listen to it tonight AFTER WORK.
Oh... and the Measles outbreak. Most likely caused by all the Central American kids being shipped up north last summer. That and the recent crop of parents that don't believe in immunizations.
I'll comment on everything else after I hear the speech for myself.
The speech said nothing. Typical political pandering. Gov Rod gave a better and more conservative speech. It's just a speech. What matters is the budget that is actually adopted and the governor has very little power anyway.
Anon 1:28PM Peru has such income that most other towns of 10,000 would be happy to have a smitten of its revenue.
With what Peru should have saved up money from the state should never be a concern.
Of course there have been quite a few who have been determined to to make sure they have found ways to have expenditures and wages higher than revenue received.
Maybe it would be best to limit the amount of money the state gives a lot of these towns. This should make people think when they vote for certain representation who not only support but push no bid contracts and million dollar financing of private businesses.
Anon 3:02 PM Gov Rod? Whatever happened to him? Otto, Dan, Rod and Sec of State Powell were all a lot to be proud of!
Anon 5:01 PM Talk about a bunch of rotten apples.
OK. I listened to the speed on YouTube. I didn't hear any of what 12:55 described.
What I heard is that it is time to close the loop on special interests. What I heard is that Governments across Illinois are structured in such a way that they benefit themselves, not the citizens. What I heard is that our current pension system is taking 25% of every tax dollar collected by the state and no matter what - the money does not exist to continue like this. What I heard is that Illinois' economy is shrinking and the only way out of this mess is to make it expand by encouraging new business.
In other words - I heard a lot of what makes sense. Its time to stop spending, take care of what is necessary. In order to pay for our compassion we need to expand the economy.
1255 iObama Care should pay for the vaccines. You a fool too!
320 million paid in overtime last year at the state prisons, that's nuts, it didn't go to officers it went to the nurses. Some nurses made 183k with overtime. There some.small town doctors that don't make that much! Rauner's right about one thing it's going to take both parties to fix the problem! Both caused them. Both should fix them!
Yes it will take both parties to fix state problems. When did the idea start that a politician stays loyal to the party after election rather than voting for the governments mission?
One thing they can do is shut down at least one of the publically supported Sate Universities.
Lets see, we have Chicago State, Eastern Illinois, Governors State, Northeastern State, Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois, University of Illinois, and Western Illinois.
Great idea 6:47. Let's just discontinue funding all state universities in Illinois. That strategy will fit right into the "Dumbing Down" of the masses in this country and will provide corporate America with another justification to lower wages even more. How long will it be before Rauner, Scott Walker, and others call for a "reduction" in the Minimum Wage? I guess we have to ask if we really need to be funding any level of public education in Illinois? Think of the great savings we can accomplish and the balanced budgets we can have if we just stop funding education. Considering the lack of insight and intelligence I see on this blog, it's pretty clear public education in the Illinois Valley has failed pretty miserably for many. Also, considering the people that keep getting re-elected in Peru it's pretty clear public education has failed to educate most. At least most of those who vote.
6:47, I take it you didn't go on to higher education using a state funded university, when I got out of the service it was the most affordable school to get my education, even getting rid of one school would be detrimental to young people in different areas in Illinois. When you make remarks like that it shows how far your education took you.
6:47 you mention 8 Universities but do not mention how many students or locations. Do any of these universities have the same or larger number of employees as they had years ago with a present lower enrollment? What are the size of their classes? What would a through audit provide by a independent firm provide? ETC.
I think 8 state funded universities is a little to many. Putting that aside - a 10% reduction on ALL state spending would not be reasonable and I bet nobody would even notice.
10:19 The real cost savings would be to de-fund social security. Education tells all to not rely on social security for your future. Continue education and you won't need social security. Tell all those 25 year olds to stay in college and fund their learning with the idea that they will not receive social benefit programs in the future.
I see rauner gona look at townships finally Get rid of debo and hocking Worthless spending
Those 25 year olds don't know what social security is. Also, those 25 year old who went to college with an bachelor's degree and on federal student loans, are in debt for 20 years or more paying on their loans. Why can't we be like other countries and everybody is entitled to go to college and students don't have debt. It's free. Colleges are like our public school system. If you don't believe me check it out.
We need to fundamentally change public education. To many kids are going into long term debt and either not finishing their degree or getting a degree that does end up paying them enough money. I mean really - how many English Lit. BA's are needed?
A couple of Universities in the State are fine. But we really need to concentrate on funding skills training in High School and Community Colleges. For every one English Lit. Major - we need fifty welders or 100 machinists. A good Electrician can demand higher wages than someone with a degree in Art.
Liberal arts degrees are worthless basically. Easy to obtain.$10 an hour jobs. Take that job with $30,000 college debt, how long to pay off??? Add monthly living expenses.
Really, your probably the same person complaining how over paid the teachers are with their liberal arts degree.
The County government is worthless! Sell the County nursing home! Big Savings to the tax payers!
6:27 - nope, front line teachers are definitely not overpaid.
Administrators are overpaid.
College Professors are overpaid.
the problem is the administrators who are let go with huge severance packages and who are able to retire and collect pensions from many schools instead of just one. as far as regular teachers I heard of a gym teacher collecting $50,000 for a pension! how many of you are making $50,000 when you retire?
Bye bye worthless clerk supervisor and township highway people
Yes it is not unusual for a coach-gym teacher to retire at way better than $50,000.
Another very lucrative teaching position is drivers education which should not be a subject at any tax funded school.
Upon going to the K thru 8 level there is a unrealistic drop in wages for teachers of any subject.
As 1:37 already commented upon if your interested in talking about some real money school administrations and retirement are unbelievable. Quite a few years ago I knew a grade school superintendent who was retired at $122,000/year in this area.
What is the pay and benefits for a union custodian?, a union operating engineer?, a union electrician?, a union plumber- pipe fitter?, or a union car mechanic?
The large majority of this area do not make $50,000/year working as well as retired unless they are professional or belong to a union trade.
Does anyone remember being taught in college that you were not considered a professional if you were a member of a union? I do. It was in a college sociology class. Admitting teachers were a highly underpaid profession and processed to a much higher pay and benefits upon becoming unionized. Although still underpaid in the K thru 8 level it has gotten better.
I am not a teacher but if I was I firmly believe that the system is set up to be anti-education. The school wants the teacher to become a employee who continues advancing their education but if a teacher wants or has to move the next school not only does not want to allow them to move with equal pay it normally does not want to hire them and will only employ them if they agree to take a starting teachers wages. So the only way you can advance is to teach at your starting school for your entire career. Educators must rid themselves of the idea of locking A teacher into his/her starting classroom for a lifetime tenure and enable a competitive vocational viewpoint with other occupations to continue to draw from the best students available.
5:00, so what your saying is to have a good retirement become a professional or join an union, growing up you did have choices, maybe you picked the wrong one.
The best way to have a good retirement is to save 10% of your paycheck starting with your first job. This should not be hard for everyone to do. I wish I knew this at a much younger age.
@2:07 How do you know what I picked and what picked me?
@2:49 Fortunately I was advised to do this when I started working. Great advise. Remember this is a %of the paycheck not a set amount. When setting the percentage make sure it is a goal you can reach all the time. It can always be raised later. With this method you do not need to be a financial wizard just have a lot of determination.
2:49, it's a good thing in theory, but with some low paying jobs people are lucky to make it paycheck to paycheck. Financial consultants are always telling everyone to do that, if I would make the money they do I would be glad to save 10 percent.
10:39 - that is the beauty of using a percent and not an amount. If you can't do 10%, do 5% or 2.5% - the key is to save something and don't touch it until you retire. Compound interest is the key.
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