Bruce Rauner Sworn In As Governor
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) --Republican Bruce Rauner became the 42nd governor of Illinois and only minutes after being sworn, he enacted a statewide spending freeze.
CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports Governor Bruce Rauner put Democrats and special interests on notice that what for years has been business as usual was over. It was a sugar coated pill; with tough talk cloaked by a Hollywood worthy production.
You couldn't help but cheer when Jim Cornelison sang the National Anthem on a stage set to reflect the view of the capitol's colonnades, but the cheers were mixed with stony silence from Democratic leadership when Rauner got up a head of steam.
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"To the people of Illinois, and the people outside our state who have been reluctant to invest in Illinois because of the insider deals and cronyism, I say this: I'm nobody that nobody sent," Rauner said.
The variation of an old Chicago political saying was preceded by a threat to those who he claimed got rich by taking advantage of taxpayers.
"They see lobbyists writing bills for special interests and taxpayers being left with the tab," Rauner said. "They see government union bosses negotiating sweetheart deals across the table from governors they've spent tens of millions to help elect."
"The campaign is over, said Chicago Federation of Labor President Jorge Ramirez. "There were still campaign aspects to the speech, but it's time to govern."
Rauner's pro-business stance was music to the ears of corporate leaders who helped underwrite the event.
"The past administration was fine, but now we are in a new era and we have new leadership, we have different leadership and I think we have tremendous opportunity," said Dick Duchossois, an inauguration underwriter.
Though Rauner cautioned in his 23 minute address that at the beginning, everyone would have to sacrifice.
"My first action as governor will be to direct every state agency to freeze non-essential spending," he said.
No one really knows yet exactly what non-essential spending is and Rauner has already asked agency heads to cut 20 percent out of next year's budget. As he tries to pull the state out of what he described last week as a death spiral.
