Republicans Beware: Dillard Accepts IEA Endorsement
- - IEA Opposes Litany of Pro-Student Reforms, Supports Income Tax Hike - -
- - Questions Persist About His Vote on Pension Bill in Exchange for Endorsement - -
After originally telling a group of Republicans that he’s never took IEA money, Senator Kirk Dillard today accepted the endorsement of the Illinois Education Association. News outlets reported that Dan Rutherford had also sought the union’s endorsement.
“It’s no surprise that a twenty-year Springfield insider like Kirk Dillard would seek and receive the endorsement of a government union that typically backs Democrats and opposes pro-student reforms while supporting a massive tax hike,” said Mike Schrimpf, spokesman for Bruce Rauner’s campaign. “This endorsement is a clear reminder to Republican primary voters that Kirk Dillard is part of the problem and will not fundamentally shake up Springfield.”
In 2010, Kirk Dillard took $250,000 in contributions from the IEA. Over the course of his career, Dillard has taken nearly $500,000 from various government unions.
Dillard has also faced questions about whether his vote against the pension bill was in exchange for IEA support. Unlike Bruce Rauner, who opposed the legislation on principle, Dillard has not provided a clear reason for his “no” vote.
In November, the Sun-Times reported:
“Word was also spreading that Dillard may not back a pension compromise deal that’s scheduled to be voted on Dec. 3. Dillard strongly denied that, saying he’s voted twice in favor of pension reform.
‘I always supported pension reform. I want to see what the final bill is — but I can’t imagine I wouldn’t be (in support). Pension reform is not an easy vote — it’s not a matter of being easy, it’s a matter of being fiscally prudent for the taxpayers and retirees.’
Illinois Education Association Positions:
Supports: A Progressive Income Tax
(Source: http://www.ieanea.org/media/2013/01/Why-Illinois-needs-a-graduated-income-tax.pdf)
Opposes: School Vouchers for Students in the Worst Performing and Most Overcrowded Chicago Public Schools
(Source: http://www.ieanea.org/media/2011/03/SB-1932-School-Vouchers.pdf)
Supports: Tenure After Just Three Years for New Teachers
(Source: http://www.ieanea.org/media/2012/08/2013-2014-Legislative-Platform.pdf)
Opposes: Merit Pay Programs for Teachers
(Source: http://www.ieanea.org/media/2012/08/2013-2014-Legislative-Platform.pdf)
- funny boy - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:06 pm:
Funny coming from Rauner when he pays - sorry contributes - to Cross for his pension vote - again with Rauner it’s do what I say, not what I do!
- DuPage Rep - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:10 pm:
IEA also opposes home schooling. Not going to sit well with these folks. They vote.
- Powell - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:10 pm:
funny boy-
typical dillard response. non-sensical, non-contextual, off-message. sums up the Senator’s campaign to date.
- Norseman - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:11 pm:
Surprise!
P.S. Dillard is a 30 plus year insider.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:12 pm:
Dillard should respond here with an attack on Bruce for Payton Prep. He badmouths teachers unions so much, yet he was willing to buy a condo in the city of Chicago, lie about his residency being in Chicago and not the New Trier school district and use his ties to Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Democrats just to get his daughter special placement in a school taught by unionized teachers that happens to be the top-ranked in the state. What a hypocrite.
- Dee Lay - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:23 pm:
HGF - Dillard needs to go full negative at this point. Put the spot light on the Baron and let him dance on the frying pan for a few seconds until his next $500K ad buy starts up.
- Roadiepig - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:24 pm:
Maybe Dillard can get a commercial on TV to point out The Baron’s hypocrisy on public schools . Oh wait- he has no money. Oh well…
- OneMan - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:31 pm:
When it comes down to it I am not sure this is going to help him get the voters he needs off of Bruce also it is going to hurt him with some social conservatives (not just the home school folks).
The problem is Dillard made a bunch of moves to the right (making folks not so far right look at him differently, me included and now he gets the IEA endorsement a group that is at odds with many of his views that moved to the right since last time).
Is he the Diliard that doesn’t seem to think government should set a minimum wage or is he the Diliard that a liberal union endorsed. It seems that he can’t really be both.
- Susiejones - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:33 pm:
“…that he’s never took…” Rauner’s press people must have been educated by those nasty union teachers or they would have written the release in better English…just sayin’
- blah - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:41 pm:
Does Rauner (or any conservative) realize that a school board now has the final say in firing a teacher? Not an arbitrator, not the union, not anyone else.
- Past My Prime - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:41 pm:
Just a point of clarification to posters who consistently identify Payton HS as the top HS in Illinois. North Side College Prep is consistently ranked the top High School academically. Payton is ranked two or three in most rankings.
http://www.schooldigger.com/go/IL/schoolrank.aspx?
- AFSCME Steward - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:43 pm:
Rather than endorsing a twenty-year Springfield insider like Rauner.
“It’s no surprise that a twenty-year Springfield insider like Kirk Dillard would seek and receive the endorsement of a government union”
- Walter Mitty - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 12:47 pm:
Although this could go on the other post about DR dropping out. I think this solidifies the concept that the 3 get together today…And decide who has any chance to beat the Farmer. If not, decide as a party on how you are going to back your general election candidtate against PQ or not… ? The time to wish and dream is done. DR gambled and lost. Dillard has said everything and everything… Brady has no money… Consolidate or the Farmer is the choice. If you think he has no chance against PQ in the general are the same who thought he had no chance in the primary….
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:11 pm:
Hmmm. Rauner didn’t turn down that $50 million from TRS or the same from the State Investment Board for his GTCR because “union bosses” voted for it.
- Carl Nyberg - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:17 pm:
Does Rauner want the GOP primary to be about who is the real “Conservative”?
Bill Brady wins that primary, doesn’t he?
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:19 pm:
AA, HGF, you’ve got game.
Rauner demonstrates time-and-again the depths of his cynicism, hypocrisy and contempt for the voters’ intelligence.
As long as he’s on the public stage, expect more of the same.
- Mason born - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:30 pm:
Dillard should be able to make a pretty easy response.
“As a State Senator i took an oath to support the constitution both of this state and the U.S. Constitution. I can not in good consious vote for a bill that violates the constitution. I understand Mr. Rauner is not used to respecting the founding documents of our government but i however must follow my oath.”
- other guy - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:33 pm:
with “D” LARD, now we are backing ALEC and the Koch bros?
- Jimbo - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:39 pm:
hey Brucey, not everyone is filthy rich and vehemently opposed to a progressive tax. In fact, most people support the idea, even some republicans.
- Walter Mitty - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:43 pm:
Jimbo…. I am curious what republicans support a progressive tax?
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:44 pm:
“It’s no surprise that a twenty-year Springfield insider like Kirk Dillard would seek and receive the endorsement of a government union that typically backs Democrats and opposes pro-student reforms while supporting a massive tax hike,”
This is pretty tame stuff and is already starting to get old, in my opinion. This is what might hurt Rauner. Is he going to be saying the same types of things in a few months? What does he have to offer? When he opens his mouth on policy, he seems to put his foot in it.
“typically backs Democrats”
That’s something that Rauner never did.
“TRS”
Speaking of pensions, here’s an article that was just released, that may be of interest. Some large companies have been scaling back on their 401(k) contributions. This bodes ill for workers.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/companies-squeeze-401k-plans-facebook-050100596.html;_ylt=A0LEVyhLbv5SiC4Acm9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0NzhxNXJ0BHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDM3N18x
- RNUG - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:45 pm:
This one …
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:46 pm:
DuPage Rep -
You’re kidding, right?
Best guess is that only about 60,000 kids are home schooled in Illinois.
Maybe you’re talking about 30,000 parents. Perhaps 20,000 are registered to vote.
But if you’re that die hard about homeschooling, my bet is as a social conservative you were never voting for Bruce Rauner. You were voting for Brady…he’s got the bona fides.
But let’s put that in perspective: There’s 130,000 current IEA members. That does not count their spouses. That does not include retirees or their spouses.
It is an endorsement that is coveted by elected officials for a good reason, that has been bestowed on Republicans in the past including Jim Edgar and George Ryan. Sure didn’t hurt them much.
- Walter Mitty - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:48 pm:
RNUG… Sorry I meant elected officials… My guess is none or not many…
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:51 pm:
–Jimbo…. I am curious what republicans support a progressive tax?–
Abraham Lincoln. He used to be big in the Illinois GOP.
The national government and 34 states have progressive income tax rates. Not exactly a Bolshie concept.
But for Farmer Bruce and his Civvie friends, it would be a hit on their personal income taxes.
So they’re against it, on principal, not principle.
- Demoralized - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:56 pm:
People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Any argument Bruce Rauner makes regarding somebody’s too-close affiliation with Democrats or Democratic groups is pretty funny considering his amble ties to Democrats.
- Demoralized - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:56 pm:
*ample*
- Walter Mitty - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 1:58 pm:
I think if you are thinking that a republican will run for governor on that platform in this climate. You have given the nod to PQ as a Republican. That tax will raise the middle class as well… If that is something you want from your party… The Super Majority has plenty of room for the bandwagon….
- lake county democrat - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:01 pm:
If I understand Wordslinger and his brethren’s argument, the public would have no “intelligence” in concluding that no matter what Raunner has done in his business/personal life, he’ll still take a hard line with public unions because he’s campaigned so explicitly on that plank. Because nobody would ever act in their business life/personal life inconsistently with their political views, even if that meant hurting yourself and your family. Also by this theory, in the general election they’d be idiots to use the same standard to judge Pat Quinn’s various flipflops and weigh those against Raunners.
Some might say it’s more “cynical” to believe that Raunner would take such a consistent anti-union position and govern radically differently once taking office.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:01 pm:
Walter, Rauner is a great admirer of Scott Walker and the GOP controlled legislature up in Wisconsin.
You know, the Cheeseheads allegedly stealing all the jobs with their “business-friendly environment?”
Here are the taxable personal income rates for individual up yonder:
$10,750+ — 5.84%
$21,490+ — 6.27%
$236,600+ — 7.65%
- PoolGuy - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:08 pm:
in a twisted way Bruce has “tooken” union contributions same as Dillard and Quinn. he made millions off public pensions and in turn he is using portions of that money to fund his own campaign. so when you see his paid ads on tv bashing unions and union bosses, remember he’s using union money in a roundabout way.
- Walter Mitty - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:09 pm:
Word… Thanks for that… Some of the projections I have seen for Illinois are considerably higher. No matter what the final numbers may be, if higher than current, in my opinion, only mine does not seem like a good platform…
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:09 pm:
@MasonBorn - Dillard doesn’t even need to get in the weeds of his pension vote because Rauner opposed the bill too.
“I am pleased today to accept the endorsement of teachers across Illinois through the Illinois Education Association. Although I and the IEA may not agree on every issue, I accept this endorsement with a desire as governor to partner with teachers to make our schools as strong and efficient as possible. And I think the reason I received this endorsement is that throughout this campaign, unlike Rahm Emanuel crony Bruce Rauner, I have been clear about my positions on issues and what I would do as governor. And unlike billionaire financier Bruce Rauner, I respect teachers enough that even when I may disagree with them on policy, I will never scapegoat them personally the way that has done repeatedly to teachers in his disgraceful campaign. Teachers did not cause this states fiscal mess. Chicago Democrats did. The same Chicago Democrats that Bruce Rauner spent milions to elect in the past. The same Chicago Democrats that Bruce Rauner courted as friends and invited to his Montana ranch for special access and favors when needed for his business or his family. The same Chicago Democrats he admits to voting for in the past. This is why I think the Illinois Education Association saw me as the best REPUBLICAN candidate for governor.”
- SonofSuperAbe2014 - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:10 pm:
Let’s see wordslinger: 2nd highest property tax in nation, combined w/ high sales tax & a progressive income tax. Gee what is there not to like.
- Dee Lay - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:17 pm:
@HGF - Spot on.
- OneMan - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:19 pm:
YDD –
Not sure about your numbers, but do not underestimate the homeschool parents (the moms in particular) We had a group of homeschool kids in the Cub Scout pack I was a leader in (including one really, really liberal mom who would complain about the militaristic parts of scouting) they are, with out a doubt one of the, if not the most focused group of people you would ever meet.
I have said before, if I ever had to do some sort of WWII type against all odds mission, I would not pick prisoners, I would pick home school moms…
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:24 pm:
SonofSuperAbe2014 — my that’s quite a handle.
==Let’s see wordslinger: 2nd highest property tax in nation, combined w/ high sales tax & a progressive income tax==
How do you figure second highest property tax in the nation? I know I pay about the highest in the state, but here’s a state-by-state average.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/10/business/11leonhardt-avgproptaxrates.html
- SonofSuperAbe2014 - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:28 pm:
WS…Thanks for the seven year old date. Of course, seven years ago my home had more value, the Cubs looked good and Obama gave us hope. Things have changed and your data is out-of-date. Only New Jersey has a higher property tax rate then IL.
- Jimbo - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:32 pm:
Walter, the only proposals I’ve seen would lower effective taxes on 90-98% of the population. They can’t do that with higher rates than current.
Now, I know some people can’t understand how marginal tax rates work. You need to figure the tax on each bracket. First 10750 = 0,
(21490-10750)*.0584 = 673.398 then whatever you make over 21490 multiplied by .0627. Take that number and divide it by your salary. That equals your tax rate. In Wisconsin the effective tax on someone making 50k is 4.8%. A little math can help people not to get so scared when they see 6, 7, and 8% rates in a marginal tax table. True story: I’m in the 30% federal bracket. My effective rate is less than 12%. So Walter, no most proposals would not have higher effective rates, just higher marginal ones. Do some analysis of the proposals out there. You’ll be surpised to find they aren’t as scary as you’ve been led to believe.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:34 pm:
–I have said before, if I ever had to do some sort of WWII type against all odds mission, I would not pick prisoners, I would pick home school moms…–
What, like “The Dirty Dozen?” I don’t think home-schoolers are a bunch of psychos facing the hangman.
No biggie, but the analogy struck me as odd. I have neighbors who home school til high school. They are great neighbors and their kids are awesome.
I don’t see a Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland or John Cassavates connection, lol.
- OneMan - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:41 pm:
wordslinger
I mean it in terms of willing to do what is needed with a focus and not thinking of the risk to themselves.
I have actually used this example with a couple of them and they at least acted like they thought is was funny..
They are the most organized, focused folks I know..
Also agree they are fine folks (no worse than people in general)..
But really focused, also a badger that you should not poke when it comes to home schooling.
- Walter Mitty - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:49 pm:
Jimbo… Thanks… I will wait to see the real numbers. … I am guessing and you are as well…I think the truth is in the middle… That middle is a raise on most middle income folks… I am coming from the concept of a republican candidate for governor. My guess, it’s not a winner to do this… The totality of the taxes we pay for property and everything else…Going up is not a winner. The voters will decide. Just as interesting, if I pay high property tax and it goes for good schools.. square that circle if you want meaningful school funding reform… My guess…It’s going no place as well…If a home in a suburb is $300,000 and $8000 in property tax… Will not be easily understood to change that either.. If that house in southern illinois is $175,000 and $2000 in taxes… There is a reason why we are in a mess.. These issues are not easily fixed.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 2:57 pm:
OneMan, I got you. Like I said, no biggie.
In some circles, home-schooling is considered anti-social. In my experience, that’s not the case, at all. Just like the gay dudes across the street and their little girl don’t threaten my marriage or family.
What a concept. Different people, happily living together as neighbors. I seem to recall a man from Galilee chiming in on that.
Why my neighbors choose to pay the freight in Oak Park for a house with elementary, middle and high schools within walking distance is beyond me.
But it’s also none of my business. I’m just lucky to know them.
“The Dirty Dozen” popped into my head, and let’s face it, those dudes were crazy!
- Old and in the Way - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 3:00 pm:
“There are lies and then there are damnable lies…..and then there are statistics.” Mark Teain
There are lot of way to rank property taxes. It’s not just the gross amount of tax you pay but rather the tax relative to the value of your home that is the fairest measure of property tax fairness or rankings.
The Tax Foundation found that homeowners in these states paid the most in property taxes compared to home value. The percentages represent the percentage of home value that homeowners pay in property taxes.
New Jersey - 1.89%
New Hampshire - 1.86%
Texas - 1.81%
Wisconsin - 1.76%
Nebraska - 1.70%
Illinois - 1.73%
Connecticut - 1.63%
Michigan - 1.62%
Vermont - 1.59%
North Dakota - 1.42%
Anybody but me notice Texas and a few other “low tax states” in this?
- walker - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 3:29 pm:
Lake County Dem 1:58PM:
Sorry, had trouble following your argument above.
Are you saying that Rauner would act as Governor with the strident anti-unionism of his recent campaigning, or that he would not?
Do you think he would then abandon the hard right funders that supported him from out of state?
As far as being “brethren” with Wordslinger, I resemble that remark.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 3:36 pm:
I had no idea I had brethren. Thanks for cluing me in, LCD.
- VanillaMan - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 3:41 pm:
This is so stupid.
How far back is Dillard in the polls?
There is no way Dillard is going to win the GOP primary with this endorsement, but Rauner could lose the General with comments like these!
Who is he giving money to for this kind of stupidity?
- very interesting - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 3:41 pm:
Interesting that Rauner bashes public school teachers but had to beg (i.e. bribe) his daughter into a public school taught by those very same people he vilifies daily.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 4:00 pm:
–There is no way Dillard is going to win the GOP primary with this endorsement, but Rauner could lose the General with comments like these!–
LOL, huh?
Mr. Cicci, could you expand on your statement?