Rauner: Term Limits for All?

Rauner: Term Limits for All (except Leslie Munger)

According to opponents to term limits, each time a politician comes up for election, the people (voters) have an opportunity to end the pol’s holding an office; ergo, a built in term limit. 

Don’t like him or her?  Dislike their policies? Vote them out of office.

For Bruce Rauner, a rookie governor of Illinois who came into office with a plan to shake things up, term limits were one necessary item on his Turnaround Agenda if we were to Make Illinois Great Again.  Or at least economically competitive.  Or – in actuality – get him to agree to an annual state budget.

Others included pension reform, lessening workmen’s compensation, cutting mandates, local tax control, property tax freezes, ending collective bargaining…

Last summer, Rauner toured to promote his argument for term limits: "The only way to overcome entrenched political power is for the people of Illinois to never give up, to keep pushing forward for reform. That's why we're here today."

Of course, Rauner’s continuously mentioned and identified target is Speaker Michael Madigan, whom Rauner argues is his political equivalent of the evil Illuminati in the State’s General Assembly.   You’ll remember a procedurally faulty attempt to include term limits in last election’s state referendums failed, and Rauner doubled down on getting some traction this year as the state once again approached a budgetary deadline. 

Under Rauner’s leadership – and the lack of a budget for more than two years – Illinois has built an immeasurable amount of debt which generates additional bills in meeting the interest payments for not owing providers.  “See those big-box pharmacies on the corners?” one state official told me.  “”Just remember Illinois owes $millions to them each time you pass by one on a corner. And at 1% APR, that becomes a continual $10,000 out of our pockets for absolutely nothing…” 

Last year at this time, the Chicago Sun times reported that a year’s deadlock in the state budget generated an additional $6.2 billion in debt.  One percent of that?  $620 million in a single year.  …for absolutely nothing…

But that's leadership under businessman Rauner, and Change causes pain,” reminded Governor Rauner in an interview with the New York Times in 2015.  Moreover, term limits are non-negotiable when it comes to the changes he wants.

The Wingman 

That is, unless you happen to be his “Wingman,” previous Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger. 

Munger, financially backed by Rauner in her losing proxy war against Susana Mendoza was as much a victim of Rauner’s immovability in refusing a budget bargain with Dems as her own vocal attachment to an increasing unpopular governor. 

She lost her election.  

But now the Governor has hired Munger to a post as deputy governor in Illinois.  In her position, Munger will be responsible for the long-term budget processes and helping the human services in Illinois trying to manage with the lack of any budget.  In that capacity, she will receive an annual salary of $135,000. 

That’s not cronyism.  That’s protecting your wingman.

And, really, if you can stretch your thinking into strange an unfamiliar shapes, for Bruce Rauner that’s throwing a bone to the many, too many people suffering in Illinois from lack of human services as a result of his own intractable positions in every budget offering. 

In surreal Springfield, Munger get "selected" to a political position again, and the poor and marginalized in Illinois are "helped" by the man who threatened their well-being.  What's wrong with that kind of leadership.  

How about this?  Let’s add the recent drop of credit rating for Illinois by Fitch to near “junk bond” status.  Triple B?  Because of Rauner's refusing a budget compromise for two, and now maybe three years?

Term limits?  Change causes pain?  I’m for workin’ families? 

Hypocrisy, thy name is Bruce.