Caution: Gov. Rauner's Harsh Budget Reality and Pension Reform Fantasy May Make You Dizzy

Three months into Bruce Rauner’s governorship, I’m beginning to see two distinct sides to the state’s new chief executive. Never were these two sides on display more clearly than Tuesday at the Capitol.

One side of Rauner is the numbers guy. This is the private equity deal-maker who made a fortune by analyzing businesses, looking at their bottom lines, setting goals and charging forward to achieve them. Meeting those goals may mean difficult decisions — like cutting staff or closing offices. Shrinking from those difficult decisions jeopardizes your goal. And you never jeopardize your goal.

“I’ve been involved in a lot of turnarounds,” Rauner told the Wall Street Journal in March. “A key lesson in a turnaround is go big, go strong, go fast early. You don’t wait around; you don’t think about it; you don’t wonder.”

You go by the numbers, not by emotion.

I saw that side of Rauner vividly at a Senate committee hearing Tuesday afternoon. More on that in a moment....

To read the rest of this column, go to Reboot Illinois.

Like what you see here from Reboot Illinois? Then sign up for our daily email to get more great content right to your email inbox.