Tag: Chicago Bailout

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ICYMI: Editorial Boards Side with Rauner on SB1

Rauner Efforts to Stop “11th Hour” Chicago Bailout are “Reasonable” 

While Mike Madigan and his allies pervert the legislative process, intentionally preventing SB1 from reaching Governor Rauner’s desk, editorial boards across the state are siding with Rauner and calling out Madigan’s Chicago machine.

The Chicago Tribune editorial board called Rauner’s plan to remove the Chicago pension bailout a “reasonable” change, and blasted John Cullerton for resorting to “pure brinksmanship.”

They write, “The bill has languished in the Senate since May 31. It passed both chambers even after House Democrats inserted last-minute perks for Chicago Public Schools. But Senate President John Cullerton has been holding on to it rather than sending it to Rauner’s desk for the veto the governor has promised. At first, Cullerton said he wanted time for emotions to calm down. But then his tactic became pure brinkmanship.

President Cullerton, release the bill. We won’t be surprised if Rauner then removes from it money Chicago Public Schools would receive for its annual pension costs. He also could veto money folded into the formula that is specific to Chicago, intended to make up for CPS’ loss of some grant funding.

Fine. Those changes are not unreasonable. We have said Chicago should get help with its pension burden if and when lawmakers pass a statewide pension reform bill. That was the deal lawmakers reached a year ago. So far, Democrats who control both chambers have put no pension reform bill on Rauner’s desk.”

The Telegraph editorial board skewered Democrats for an “11th hour” provision inserted into SB1 – the Chicago bailout.

“So of the $778 million set aside for kindergarten through high school public education in the state, Chicago schools — which account for about 19 percent of the state’s students — would get 64 percent of the money.

So much for fairness.”

They continue, “Rauner made the right call. Pension debt is a serious matter and must be dealt with, but it is damaging to all school systems to allow provisions that favor a single district stay in this plan. It should not be included in Senate Bill 1.”

It’s time for Mike Madigan and John Cullerton to do the right thing, release SB1, and drop their demands for a Chicago bailout.

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Cullerton ADMITS Chicago Machine Holding School Funding Hostage

“We slowed down the process”

Senate President John Cullerton admitted yesterday for the first time that Democratic politicians in Springfield are intentionally holding SB1 from reaching Governor Rauner’s desk.

Cullerton told the Chicago Tribune that “We slowed down the process in the Senate in order to let everyone blow off some steam, politically speaking.”

This is a direct admission that the Chicago Machine is holding school funding hostage.

John Cullerton has no right to pervert the legislative process in this way. It’s an affront to democracy.

John Cullerton and Mike Madigan should stop helping try to get their friends in Chicago a $500 million bailout and allow SB1 to reach Governor Rauner’s desk for an amendatory veto.

Anything less is a slap in the face to the voters of Illinois and their confidence in our democratic system.

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ILGOP Supports Rauner Decision to Call Special Session

Mike Madigan’s Attempt to Hold Schoolchildren Hostage Needs to Stop

“It is beyond inexcusable that Mike Madigan and his allies refuse to release education funding for all Illinois schools unless they get their $500 million Chicago bailout. It’s just another attempt by Madigan to hold our state hostage for his disastrous Chicago agenda.”

“Governor Rauner’s decision to call lawmakers back to Springfield is necessary to protect students across Illinois from Mike Madigan’s hostage-taking.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe

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ILGOP Releases Digital Ads

Ads Highlight Mike Madigan’s Chicago Bailout, Attempt to Hold Schoolchildren Hostage

Mike Madigan’s attempt to hold schoolchildren hostage for a $500 million Chicago bailout is everything wrong with Illinois politics.

Madigan is willing to put politics ahead of the interests of Illinois children. He’s willing to take money from children across the state to bailout his friends in Chicago with no promise of reform. It’s just plain wrong.

That’s why today, the Illinois Republican Party is releasing digital ads calling out Mike Madigan for his scheme to force through a taxpayer funded Chicago bailout.

The ads:

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Editorial Boards Call on Democrats to Release SB1

Madigan Democrats Should Stop Holding Schoolchildren Hostage

Mike Madigan and his allies in Springfield are holding schoolchildren hostage for a $500 billion Chicago bailout. They’re refusing to release SB1, the education funding bill, to Governor Rauner’s desk for an amendatory veto to release school funding and remove the bailout.

They are trying to use our children’s education as a leverage for Madigan’s Chicago bailout.

It’s wrong, and editorial boards across Illinois are calling them out for it.

The Belleville News-Democrat editorial board is calling it “legislative extortion”.

“Send the bill to the governor now. Let him use his amendatory veto, and put it to a vote now.”

The Southern Illinoisan editorial board wrote this weekend that, “Some things need to be above politics. Educating our children should be at the top of the list.”

“Take out the Chicago pension funding provision and get the bill to the governor’s desk.”

Mike Madigan – it’s time to release education funding and drop your Chicago bailout.

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Editorial Boards Slam Democrats for “Deliberately Refusing” to Release Education Funding

Madigan Democrats Trying to Force $500 Million Chicago Bailout

“Mike Madigan is trying to hold schoolchildren hostage to get a $500 million bailout for Chicago, just like he held the budget hostage for years to pass his 32% tax hike. It’s a desperate ploy to direct more taxpayer dollars to Chicago by using children as pawns. It’s sick, but that’s the Madigan way.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe

Democrats in the General Assembly are holding the future of Illinois schoolchildren hostage by “deliberately refusing” to send Governor Rauner any bill to fund education and ensure that schools open.

The News-Gazette editorial board blasted Madigan’s Democrats earlier this week, writing that, “They’ve been holding the school funding formula legislation in the Senate since May 31 — more than six weeks — deliberately refusing to send Senate Bill 1 for action to Gov. Rauner.”

“Democrats need to get the bill to Rauner’s desk as soon as possible.”

The Dispatch Argus editorial board highlighted how Madigan booby trapped his 32% tax hike budget in order to force a bailout.

“Among the devilish details in the 583-page Illinois budget we outlined Wednesday lurks a potentially dangerous phrase requiring school funding to be given out via an evidence-based system…. Senate Bill 1, which creates a needs-based funding method, was approved by the Illinois General Assembly in May. But it has never been sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner. Leaders reportedly are holding it while they seek ways to avoid a veto of the bill over what the GOP leader called a pension bailout for Chicago schools.”

“Critics believe Democratic leaders’ real motivation is to tar Gov. Rauner with slamming closed the schoolhouse doors.”

It’s time for Mike Madigan and his fellow politicians to stop holding children hostage and agree to bipartisan education funding that does not take money from students across the state to bailout Chicago.

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Chicago Machine EXPOSED – Admits SB1 Is Just About a Bailout

CPS Claims School Funding Reform Bill is Really Just About a Chicago Pension Bailout

On Monday, the Chicago Machine tipped its hand on SB1.

After months claiming that SB1 was about fixing the school funding formula, Chicago Public Schools started making the unsubstantiated argument that an amendatory veto of the bill to remove the Chicago bailout would change the “fundamental purpose” of the legislation.

It’s a clear admission by the Chicago Machine that the “fundamental purpose” of SB1 is a Chicago pension bailout, and not school funding reform.

It’s time Madigan Democrats in the General Assembly either send SB1 to Governor Rauner for an amendatory veto to remove the Chicago bailout, or pass true bipartisan school funding reform that excludes a multi-hundred million dollar bailout of Chicago at the expense of schools across the state.

Otherwise, this is just another case of Mike Madigan and his machine holding Illinois hostage for his Chicago agenda.

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