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| RAUNER: He should listen to himself |
I
couldn’t agree more with the statement that Gov. Bruce Rauner made this week
with regards to the ongoing delay in putting together a state budget. Even if
for not the same reasons he intends with it.
It
has been just over two-and-a-half months since Illinois Fiscal 2016 began, and
we’re no closer now to resolving the split that keeps state government
officials from approving the Constitutionally-required budget for government to
operate properly.
THE
REASONS FOR the split haven’t changed – Rauner was interested in gaining
political power because he wants to use it to ram through a series of measures
meant to undermine organized labor in Illinois. He wants to blame it for
society’s ills, or the fact that it hurts the financial bottom line of the
corporate interests of he and his business colleagues.
Meanwhile,
the overwhelming Democratic Party-majority of the General Assembly is taking up
the cause of the labor unions, particularly those who represent the employees
of state government.
Both
sides are clinging steadfast, which is why there isn’t a budget in place and no
sign that there will be one approved any time soon.
I
still wonder if we’re destined for Fiscal ’16 (ending June 30, 2016) to be the
year without a budget – which would be a financial disaster for so many
entities, as Rauner conceded this week.
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| MADIGAN: As stubborn as the governor! |
BUT
LET’S BE honest; his intent in making that statement was to try to scare his
political opposition into thinking they are the ones who need to concede. That
just won't happen!
Then
again, it would be equally arrogant for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan,
D-Chicago, to think the Rauner opposition will suddenly “come to its senses”
and back off.
This
really is about compromise – something we haven’t seen any signs of during this
political brawl. Which is why we could go for the fiscal year without a budget
unless we get a catastrophe that forces the two sides to come together.
Although
I can’t conceive now of what catastrophe would achieve such a goal – I could envision
both sides being more interested in assessing blame on the other.
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| CUPICH: Will anyone listen? |
WHICH
IS WHY I found it intriguing that Catholic Archbishop Blasé Cupich felt the
need to get himself involved (and also invoke the names of Pope Francis and
former Cardinal Joseph Bernardin) in the mess.
For
the pope made it clear the Catholic church is siding with the labor unions,
while adding that business, government and organized labor need to cooperate
for the good of Illinois. “In the church, we call that solidarity, a word I
know is very familiar to union members,” Cupich said when speaking to the
Chicago Federation of Labor.
Whether
anyone in government will be swayed is questionable. A part of me would fully
expect certain people to think (if not tell him outright) that the church ought
to mind its own business.
WHICH
IS CURIOUS. The ideologues of our society seem to approve when the church tells
people (such as on abortion) what they must do. But call for cooperation, then they
think the church should shut its mouth.
So
I don’t expect that anyone with the governor is going to be swayed by the
archbishop. Both sides are entrenched so deeply that the governor’s words come across
as mere lip service.
Not
even the Pope’s emissary in Chicago can change their mind. For all I know, God
himself could speak on the issue, and nobody would be swayed.
That’s
how stubborn the state of Illinois has become these days!
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