Governor recommendations to begin to improve our state they included:
• Legislative Term Limit reform;
• AFSCME union (state workers) and giving back control to local government regarding collective bargaining; this means changing the law as to a state employees right to “collective bargaining”
*Alleviating Illinois’ high tax rates that he says is killing businesses;
• Rehabilitating prisoners programs;
• Changing the way we educate our young people.
First: Listen to Rauner’s State of the State
address (link below)
http://www.c-span.org/video/?403755-1/illinois-governor-bruce rauner-state-state-address
respond to THREE of the bulleted issues : In a double-spaced, ONE PAGE document, Give your opinion for each of the THREE of Rauner’s , suggested remedies you picked.
Do you: a) see them as positive and doable or
b) contrary and close to impossible to improving our state’s
fiscal health and WHY (some resources are in the attachment to
get your started please use resources to back up your opinions).
All three of your opinions are to be included in that one page
document.

3Political Activities – Governor Rauner’s 2nd State of the State (SOS) Address
I heard from the Governor recommendations to begin to improve our state they included:
• Legislative Term Limit reform;
• AFSCME union (state workers) and giving back control to local government regarding collective bargaining; this means changing the law as to a state employees right to “collective bargaining”
• Alleviating Illinois’ high tax rates that he says is killing businesses;
• Rehabilitating prisoners programs;
• Changing the way we educate our young people.
Political Activities Assignment Criteria for Rauner SOS:
1. Listen to Rauner’s State of the State address (link below)
http://www.c-span.org/video/?403755-1/illinois-governor-bruce-rauner-state-state-address
Choose and respond to THREE of the bulleted issues above suggested by Rauner to improve our state:
2 In a double spaced
3. ONE PAGE document
4. Give your opinion for each of the THREE of Rauner’s suggested remedies you picked. Do you: a) see them as positive and doable or
b) contrary and close to impossible to improving our state’s fiscal health and WHY (some resources below to get your started please use resources to back up your opinions)

Resources:
Illinois State of the State Governor Rauner – January 27, 2016
http://www.c-span.org/video/?403755-1/illinois-governor-bruce-rauner-state-state-address

AFSCME response to Gov. Rauner’s State of the State address
AFSCME Council 31 executive director Roberta Lynch issued this statement:
“Once again, Gov. Rauner falsely attacked public-service workers in state government and mischaracterized our union contract negotiations.
“The state employees Governor Rauner is obsessed with attacking keep communities safe, protect kids, care for veterans and more. Like all working people, they deserve affordable health care and wages that sustain a family, but the governor is trying to double their health care costs while freezing their pay for four years.
“His claims about state employee compensation and our union’s proposals at the bargaining table are simply false.
• Contrary to Rauner’s untrue claim that state employees are paid more than private-sector workers, the University of Illinois revealed that Illinois state workers are paid 13.5% percent less than their private-sector counterparts.
• Rauner also falsely claimed that state employees are higher-paid in Illinois than anywhere else; the U of I study shows Illinois ranked ninth.
• With respect to the union’s proposals in contract negotiations—which don’t come close to the governor’s fictional $3 billion figure—AFSCME has modified our initial positions, including on wages, and we’ve made clear we’re prepared to negotiate further on wages, benefits and all other topics.
• Contrary to the governor’s negative portrayal of state employees, Illinois state employees are exceptionally productive. Illinois has one of the nation’s smallest state workforces per capita, while inflation-adjusted payroll has held steady for a decade and represents barely 7% of total state spending.

“AFSCME has consistently sought to find common ground, but the governor relentlessly seeks conflict. The people of Illinois need stability and solutions, but the governor has terminated contract negotiations and walked away from the table, trying to force confrontation and disruption.
“It’s past time for Governor Rauner to stop making blatantly false claims, return to bargaining and work with us to reach an agreement that is fair to all.”
Here is the link to the IL state law that gives public employees the right to bargain together
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=108
Illinois takes in more taxes than any other state….
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-state-government-takes-in-more-tax-dollars-per-person-than-every-neighboring-state/
Where public employees are paid the most…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2013/08/29/where-public-employees-are-paid-the-most/
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31negotiations with the Governor shut down Jan. 16th…
http://watchdog.org/253875/illinois-afscme-talks-break/
Punishment Fails. Rehabilitation Works
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/12/18/prison-could-be-productive/punishment-fails-rehabilitation-works
Rehabilitating our Prisons
http://www.angelfire.com/hi5/pinkskittle/prison.html
Legislative Term Limits
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2014/03/18/legislative-term-limits