Financial crisis keeps growing deeper
The state's fiscal crisis is only going to get worse, and the solution is becoming more difficult by the day. As you know, the General Assembly and the governor have...
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Window of opportunity or funhouse mirror?
I think on Aug. 19 a new and brief window of opportunity opened that could finally help wrap up this long and drawn out legislative overtime session. But that window...
Emanuel may be key to ending budget deadlock
The absurdity of this long-running state government impasse might best be summed up with two statements: *Gov. Bruce Rauner to Democrats: "Just support my plans to eviscerate organized labor, and...
Don’t look for winners in Statehouse showdown
There are those who believe strongly that one side or the other is "winning" our latest and perhaps greatest Statehouse impasse in Illinois history. I think it's too early to...
Rauner asserts his control of Illinois GOP
If there were any doubt before last week, there's zero uncertainty now. Gov. Bruce Rauner won't allow anyone else to interfere with his dominance of the Illinois Republican Party. When...
Gov. Rauner’s Mike Madigan fantasy
Last week, Gov. Bruce Rauner declared to reporters that if it wasn't for House Speaker Michael Madigan the state budget impasse would've been resolved. And perhaps if the sky were...
Rauner ignores Mike Madigan’s advice
House Speaker Michael Madigan told reporters this month that he had a "frank discussion" with Gov. Bruce Rauner, "and I gave him good, solid advice." Word is, that advice had...
Legislative session is Theater of the Weird
After staring at my computer screen for more than an hour, I realized that my goal of providing you with a succinct and thoughtful analysis of what happened on a...
Rauner taking no blame for Illinois’ budget mess
Gov. Bruce Rauner is proving to be quite adept at skirting responsibility for the current Statehouse impasse and impending government shutdown. He has relentlessly painted himself as the good guy,...
Madigan sends message to ‘triangulators’
House Speaker Michael Madigan likes to send "messages." He doesn't often explain what those messages are, but last week's surprising defeat of a bill to give the Chicago Public Schools...