Rauner said he’d fix Illinois… but he’s done nothing of the sort. Rauner has spent his time bullying the state legislature to make a point, mismanaging his staff, flubbing basic policy procedures, going back on promises he made while campaigning, firing his staff, and most importantly, holding the state of Illinois back from economic growth. Because of Rauner, Illinois’ public colleges and universities have faced enormous hardships, forcing them to cut faculty and staff and leading to fewer options for Illinois students… and fewer students altogether.
American Bridge spokesperson Lizzy Price made the following statement:
“Bruce Rauner has failed at every aspect of leadership and his bullying tactics and mismanagement has led to economic and educational setbacks that only harm Illinois students and stunt their future growth. Rauner isn’t fixing Illinois – he’s dimming the lights on what would have been a bright future for Illinois students.”
Just take a look at the effects of his disastrous moves as Governor:
Crain’s Chicago Business: The state’s budget mess hits U of I anew: its U.S. News ranking
- University of Illinois cites budget stalemate the reason the school dropped from 44th to 52nd in U.S. News and World Report ranking.
- Illinois universities lost $660 million in funding over two years, causing them to face credit downgrades and forcing them “to exhaust cash reserves, raise tuition, and eliminate academic programs and faculty.”
- Illinois public colleges and universities cut 7,500 jobs, more than $1 billion a year in economic output.
- Of those jobs lost were 2,300 faculty positions paying an average of $88,000 per year, reducing teaching capacity in computer science, nursing, business, mathematics and science.
- In-state tuition rose 7 percent – nearly $1,000.
- Schools enrolled 72,000 fewer students.
- “This bill will provide a helping hand to student borrowers and their families coping with an often confusing and complex college loan system.”
- “It’s also a significant step toward addressing a growing student loan crisis, one that’s dealing with rising defaults and could morph into a nationwide financial catastrophe.
Chicago Times: Can Bruce Rauner bounce back from a terrible summer?
Published: Sep 12, 2017