State employees in Illinois can rest assured-- Governor Bruce Rauner does not want to cut their salaries.
But a memo sent to state legislators Monday warned of other changes the governor would like to see.
The memo included PowerPoint slides to showcase state jobs that Rauner said paid too much. He said state workers such as cooks and barbers make far more than the average wage for that job.
The Republican wrote that spending on salaries is unsustainable, and called for major, structural reforms.
It’s a bit of a reversal for Rauner. Shortly after becoming governor, he tried to spread goodwill by reaching out to workers with visits to state offices.
“I want to make Illinois a wonderful place to work for everyone here. I want good, fair compensation,” he said at that time.
Then came a series of speeches in which he said Illinois' payroll is bloated. Those were followed by the memo.
The speeches served as a preview for Rauner’s State of the State address, which he will give Wednesday, February 4. The speech can be heard live on Tri States Public Radio beginning at noon.
