2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forum(GOP IL Gov Candidate) Rauner is wrong: School funds rising under Quinn
Rauner is wrong: School funds rising under QuinnRich Miller, columnist, Crain's Chicago Business
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20141004/ISSUE01/310049971/rauner-is-wrong-school-funds-rising-under-quinn#
The Associated Press in April uncritically reported a statement by Republican nominee Bruce Rauner, who criticized Quinn for cutting funding to schools by some $600 millioncuts that led to teacher layoffs and larger class sizes.
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A spokesman for Mr. Rauner sent me charts published by the Illinois Commission on Government and Fiscal Accountability, which, the spokesman claimed, showed that nonfederal state education funding decreased by $551,936,800 from fiscal 2010 (Mr. Quinn's first budget) to the current fiscal year, which began July 1.
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But the numbers still were wrong, and I sent the spokesman a link to a budget document that showed $791 million in federal money was included in the commission's state money charts (see the PDF). The federal money was stimulus aid, a temporary boost intended to help the state through the Great Recession. Mr. Quinn didn'tand couldn'tcut federal aid. It expired on its own. You can't blame him for that.
His campaign is missing some important facts.
It turns out that the commission wasn't provided with complete information. It unknowingly mixed the federal stimulus money with state money in the chart that Mr. Rauner was using, according to Dan Long, director of the bipartisan governmental agency.
So a mistake was made. Instead of a cut, spending actually has risen slightly. I was ready to move along if the Raunerites were willing to admit they were wrong. Instead they tried to change the subject.
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Instead of a big cut, state education funding actually has risen roughly $440 million, to about $6.81 billion in 2015, from nearly $6.37 billion in 2010. Nothing to cheer about but not horrible when you consider that teacher pension spending has increased by about $2 billion during the same period.
You're just wrong on this, I emailed Mr. Rauner's spokesman.
It is true and we will keep correcting you, he wrote back.
At that point, I rose from my computer and banged my head against the wall.
I saw another Rauner commercial over the weekend that repeated this lie and I had to go find the facts-- and heeeere they are. Just for good measure, though, let me add that Rauner is a lying, thieving, sunovabitch surrounded by more of the same.
mikekohr
(2,312 posts)-snip-
Just look at who the Republicans have driving their clown car here in Illinois. Mitt Rauner wants you to trust him with the keys to the Governors mansion, but he doesnt trust you with his tax returns. Whats he hiding? His budget has a 4 billion dollar shortfall in it that he promised to explain 15 months ago. He still has not. If what he is peddling sounds like a con job, its because that is exactly what it is!
If you want a preview of what Illinois would face under Rauner just look at what Governor Sam Brownback did to Kansas. Brownbacks Voo-Doo economics has pushed Kansas so far into the red that they are auctioning off a warehouse of sex toys to pay off their debt. Whats wrong with Kansas! Ill tell you whats wrong with Kansas! They elected a Republican Governor! And God help us if we elect one here in Illinois!
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