* Bruce Rauner released an Internet video yesterday blasting Gov. Pat Quinn. Rate it…
* Sun-Times…
The minute-long piece, titled “Truth,” juxtaposes statements Quinn made at previous press conferences and public appearances with data that seemingly contradicts the governor’s own words.
“When you hear Pat Quinn’s promise, remember the ones he broke,” the narrator says.
The commercial opens with Quinn vowing to lower taxes, particularly for families with household income of $60,000 or less, and notes how in 2011 he signed off on a 67-percent increase in the state income tax. It goes on to feature Quinn talking in 2011 about the need for a “restraint of spending” but highlights the state’s $6 billion backlog of unpaid bills.
* The Quinn campaign kinda responded today…
Billionaire Bruce Rauner’s Brutal Budget Would Slash Education by More Than $2 Billion
Rauner’s Draconian Cuts Would Lay Off One in Every Six Teachers Across the State, Drastically Hike Property Taxes
CHICAGO - Billionaire Bruce Rauner’s FY2015 brutal budget would decimate education, raise property taxes and stall economic growth. Under Rauner’s plan to “run Illinois like a business” with a 3% tax rate, he would decimate education funding by an estimated $2 billion this year – hitting K-12 schools especially hard. These catastrophic cuts would force local school districts to lay off an estimated one in every six teachers (22,100), crowd our classrooms and rob Illinois’ children of valuable educational opportunities. Property taxes across the state would also skyrocket just to keep schools open.
“Rauner’s sales pitch to run Illinois like a business would run our state straight into the ground,” Deputy Press Secretary Izabela Miltko said. “It’s clear his plan would take a sledgehammer to education, lay off tens of thousands of teachers and leave Illinois’ students at a huge disadvantage. His inability to provide real solutions for our state makes it clear he can’t be trusted to run Illinois.”
According to recent legislative testimony by Illinois State Board of Education Superintendent Chris Koch, if the current tax plan was rolled back to the original 3.75%, the potential cuts would mean $967 million less for education, leading to 13,400 teacher layoffs, increased class sizes and cuts to key extra-curricular programs. (”Agency directors describe severity of proposed state budget cuts,” Associated Press, 3/21/14).
If you think these cuts are dangerously deep, Rauner is advocating for a 3% tax rate that would slash education even further, resulting in the lay-off of 22,100 teachers.
With much of Illinois already divided into “have” and “have not” school districts as a result of public education being primarily financed by property taxes, Rauner’s cuts would force districts to raise property taxes just to survive. (Kadner: State board eyes special ed changes,” Southtown Star, 1/20/14)
While Bruce Rauner will do whatever it takes to help himself and his campaign, by contrast Governor Quinn tackles the tough issues and does the right thing to get the job done, even when it’s not politically expedient.
The 2012 election results show that proposed budget cuts were far scarier to voters than the very real income tax hike. But 2014 won’t be as favorable for Quinn as 2012 was to the down-ballot Dems, who also had the benefit of a favorable map.
- Bill White - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 9:36 am:
With more than 7 months to the election, no one can complain that the two candidates are shying away from the central political issue facing Illinois:
Do the people of the State of Illinois want well funded universal public education, or not?
We will choose and we will end up with the State we deserve.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 9:42 am:
Hell of an ad….
- Upon Further Review - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 9:44 am:
It was not an accident that Quinn postponed his budget address until after the primary.
- Downstater - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 9:47 am:
Confirms that Quinn and the Democrats in Illinois are not capable of affectively managing the finances in Illinois, even with a 67% increase in income taxes.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 9:47 am:
Going to be a lot of this til November.
- John A Logan - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 9:48 am:
If Rauner can keep this up, it’s going to be a blow out.
- A guy... - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 9:49 am:
It’s an A. Rationalize away at your own peril. This is PQ testifying against PQ in a dramatic and forthright way. This campaign is reflecting the electorate is crystal clear ways. Pat has to make a case for changing his mind. He isn’t. He’s just saying ‘we charged you a lot more and it isn’t enough’. In voterland they hear: This dude wants and open checkbook and we’re already hurting.
- Upon Further Review - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 9:53 am:
When the “temporary” state income tax increase was enacted, we were told that the additional revenues were going to be used to pay old debts.
Once again, the politicians lied. But this time, they are going to tell us the truth and play on the level.
- facts are stubborn things - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 9:55 am:
Blue state when it comes to services and a red state when it comes to taxes….that equals a structual deficit.
- Bill White - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 9:55 am:
= Pat has to make a case for changing his mind. =
True. And he has seven months to do it.
As Rich Miller said
= The 2012 election results show that proposed budget cuts were far scarier to voters than the very real income tax hike. =
Setting aside personalities, this remains the core issue.
What do we want Illinois government to accomplish?
- concern1 - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 10:03 am:
Im still voting for Mickey Mouse as a write in…..it beats either one of these a……!!!
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 10:11 am:
Bruce Rauner’s lack of understanding of government and the decimation of the state budget he apparently plans scare me a lot more than Pat Quinn.
- Old Shepherd - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 10:18 am:
I once heard that Karl Rove’s strategy was to attack a candidate on his or her strengths rather than his or her weaknesses, i.e. John Kerry’s military service. Rauner appears to be employing the same strategy. I often hear people comment that while Quinn may be an ineffective Governor, at least he is honest. Honesty is Quinn’s strength, and Rauner is trying to change that.
- Skeptic - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 10:27 am:
The last time we had a “temporary” tax hike which then became permanent was when, back in the 90’s? Wasn’t it Republicans that did it that time? (I’m asking, partially rhetorically, partially informationally because I don’t honestly remember.)
To the post…the mud is sure going to be flung far and wide by next November. Can’t we call a time out for a few months to let us recover?
- OneMan - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 10:31 am:
== The last time we had a “temporary” tax hike which then became permanent was when, back in the 90’s? Wasn’t it Republicans that did it that time? (I’m asking, partially rhetorically, partially informationally because I don’t honestly remember.) ==
Yep and if I remember correctly, Jim Edgar ran on that and won. So the question is, can Quinn…
- Casey - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 10:33 am:
I believe it was Geroge Bernard Shaw that said:
“A government which robs Peter to pay Paul, can always count on the support of Paul.”
Quinn is going to demogogue Rauner to the “Paul”’s in the state, while Rauner is trying to appeal to the “Peter”’s.
Unfortunately for Rauner, Quinn has the easier task because he will successfully convince most illinoisians that they are “Paul” and deserve more of “Peter”’s money.
- Rod - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 10:44 am:
The Republicans have already in committees laid out a plan for the future of education without making the income tax rate height permanent. It”s simple raise property taxes if districts want to maintain current levels of instructional services, charge fees when possible for any and everything, and increase class sizes when necessary. If people don’t want the property tax increases they can vote them down.
I would also argue that as far as I can see there is no Republican plan for Human Services, the State prison system, or the Illinois department of transportation (maybe to sell off major roads like I55 and I57 to for profit tollway firms but that hasn’t been publicly discussed).
Politically Quinn has a problem, he and other Democrats (with the exception of Cullerton) sold the pension bill to the public at large as saving the State from fiscal collapse. Now it is not fixed, Cullerton admitted this during the pension debate, many others including Quinn only wanted to talk about the sunny side of things. Madigan only discussed the impossibility of the pension payments.
I can’t tell you how many people are upset that the pension deal hasn’t fixed everything. Democrats like Representative Michael Zalewski went on TV and totally distorted the savings that would be immediately realized and said there was no back loading of savings in the pension deal. The Democrats will have to reap what they have planted in the public mind, I have no idea how this will all turn out.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 11:11 am:
Very impactful video.
Well done and well organized.
The Quinn “kinda” response puts it more in a harsher light than standing alone.
- dupage dan - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 11:17 am:
=== - facts are stubborn things - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 9:55 am:
Blue state when it comes to services and a red state when it comes to taxes….that equals a structural deficit ===
yep
- Walker - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 11:18 am:
Much of what our commenters like to lay out are true facts. Unfortunately the bulk of true facts will never make it into the average voters’ minds, and therefore will not affect the outcome.
Elections are more about image and emotional draw. Both Rauner and Quinn are highly vulnerable to the right attacks.
Rove would say attack perceived strengths: Quinn’s “honesty” and “caring”, and Rauner’s “wealth makes me independent” and “business leadership.”
Toss up.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 11:29 am:
While I wish I could say I liked the ad, I didn’t. You can’t begin an ad with EXTREMELY over-dramatized blinking eyes and then expect people to believe you when you claim someone is fibbing or lying–no matter how many alleged facts you toss at them.
Mr. Rauner, ads such as these put your credibility into question. This isn’t the way to go.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 11:39 am:
Anonymous
Did Pat Quinn not say those things? Did Bruce use some of huge cash to hire Industrial Light And Magic to make his say that folks making under 60K would pay less? Did he not say we are going to close the deficit and balance the budget? I am confused…
Oh, wait, he used a government reported job loss number that is different than a different not as bad but still kind of bad government job loss number. Because as we all know, only those candidates we disagree with do such things…
Complain all you want about using the 85K number, but is a number that is reported by the government. It isn’t something Bruce made up…
- liandro - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 11:40 am:
I have long thought that whoever the Republican nominee was, they should emphasize Quinn’s lies about the tax hike, etc. Quinn was already in office, had access to all the numbers, and made the election promises (vs. Brady) anyway. Nobody in that situation changes their mind so quickly after an election–it was lying to win.
Emphasize that, tie it together with the $50mil+ taxpayer-financed re-election slush fund, and hammer it home all summer. Expose Quinn as not just a “bumbler”, but a politician who will say, and do, anything to keep power.
If this is one small part of hammering home that message, I give it an “A”.
- Sunshine - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 11:41 am:
Great presentation with a hammering home ending!
Can hardly wait for the robo calls to start.
- Birdseed - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 11:43 am:
= Mr. Rauner, ads such as these put your credibility into question. =
You think that ad dealt Rauner’s credibility a blow instead of Quinn’s? Really?
Also, I’d have to say it is perfect timing given that Quinn is about to address the budget and propose extending the “temporary” tax hike.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 11:43 am:
===Rove would say attack perceived strengths===
Yes, a trademark of Mr. Rove. He also favored projecting your greatest weakness on to your opponent (see Swift Boating of John Kerry). Quinn’s team should spend some time finding good examples of Rauner’s failed business practices, especially laying off workers and Rauner’s problems with telling the truth. We already know about Payton Prepgate, minimum wage flip-flop, the massive fraud in one failed company and the nursing home tragedy in another failed company. How many people lost their jobs when those companies went bust? There must be a way to wrap these little gems up into a neat little package to hang around Rauner’s neck, turning Quinn’s perceived weakness into weakness for Rauner.
Or maybe not. Truth is, Rauner has the resources to set and maintain the narrative. He’ll have the initiative and Quinn will be reacting to it. Rauner has a big advantage unless outside groups get very involved on Quinn’s side.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 11:45 am:
Boom! Kapow! Bang!
A.
- liandro - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 11:48 am:
“Also, I’d have to say it is perfect timing given that Quinn is about to address the budget and propose extending the “temporary” tax hike.”
Great point, Birdseed. Great point. The media will be far more likely to cover Rauner’s point if Quinn makes it fresh and relevent in the address. Seize the opportunity.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 11:55 am:
=Complain all you want about using the 85K number, but is a number that is reported by the government. It isn’t something Bruce made up… =
OneMan, if you’re replying to me and my comment, I didn’t even think about the numbers. I found the over-dramatized blinking insulting and therefore my mind shutdown to the ad almost immediately.
You seem to be asking for an analysis on something where the data was not successfully delivered.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 12:02 pm:
=You think that ad dealt Rauner’s credibility a blow instead of Quinn’s? Really?=
Wow.
M-e-t-h-o-d. A-p-p-r-o-a-c-h.
Not d-a-t-a.
I know it’s hard for some to believe that how one approaches the public in all types of communications during a campaign still matters. Maybe it’s a Republican thing. Maybe it’s a Voter v. “consultant” thing.
- Lunchbox - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 12:05 pm:
Very well done ad. Maybe shorten it up and move it to TV?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 12:10 pm:
– Rauner has a big advantage unless outside groups get very involved on Quinn’s side.–
All about the Senate for big Dem money. I think it’s going to be very tough for Quinn to raise big outside money.
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 12:10 pm:
Rauner is definitely taking a page out of the Rove playbook. Governor Quinn’s greatest strength is his reputation for honesty. If Rauner succeeds in undermining that, then he takes a giant step toward the Mansion. It is critically important for the Governor’s campaign to hit back, fast and hard.
Use the Rove technique. Rauner says he wants to run government like a business? well boom — nursing homes. boom — lost jobs. boom — federal investigations.
We’ve seen what Rauner does to businesses. Don’t let him do it to Illinois.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 12:11 pm:
And just for the record, my “emotional” side believes that more good-paying jobs were lost during the subject period than even Rauner stated.
- downstate hack - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 12:21 pm:
Good ad. Would have been more effective with a voice over on the rebuttals. JMHO
- A guy... - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 1:12 pm:
====- Soccermom - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 12:10 pm:
Rauner is definitely taking a page out of the Rove playbook. Governor Quinn’s greatest strength is his reputation for honesty. If Rauner succeeds in undermining that, then he takes a giant step toward the Mansion. It is critically important for the Governor’s campaign to hit back, fast and hard.
Use the Rove technique. Rauner says he wants to run government like a business? well boom — nursing homes. boom — lost jobs. boom — federal investigations.
We’ve seen what Rauner does to businesses. Don’t let him do it to Illinois.====
Seems to me I saw this scenario play out before, hmm…when was it? Oh yeah, less than a month ago. C’mon S-mom, didn’t it strike you odd that all of those nursing home vignettes were narrated by a wizard behind a curtain and not one, NOT ONE, single family member of those victimized seniors was willing to share the anguish and spite and hurt they had over this situation? The unions thought they hit a home run preying on this topic. It turned out to be a pop up foul ball that didn’t leave in the infield. FO-2 on your score card. You may hear of some Federal investigations, but it may have more to do with the Community gang policing money wasted. There is no “boom”. Millions were spent to find and illustrate “boom”. Then they resorted to the great “cross-over” that was very well executed, but not nearly enough. As a GOP precinct captain, I’m more than a little tickled that the Dems are now going to have to spend 3 election cycles rinsing this out of their data pool just like the GOP has had to with all the Obama cross overs over two cycles. The big difference: Obama’s cross over came organically. We knew we needed to win them back. This time: not organic. Union made. Now they get to deal with flawed election data until 2020.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 1:48 pm:
According to my memory, when the temp income tax was passed, there was a Part 2 to bond out the “lapse period” debt at lower interest and then pay it off with a dedicated portion of the increase (that 0.75% that is going to hang around). The General Assembly never passed Part 2 … you can’t blame that on Quinn.
And as far as fixing the pension, there is only one fix … pay the bill.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 2:44 pm:
==NOT ONE, single family member of those victimized seniors was willing to share the anguish and spite and hurt they had over this situation?==
There has been no reports to my knowledge that any family members were even asked to participate in these ads, so this doesn’t even matter. What would they have said in 30 second ads anyway that isn’t better said by a narrator? These weren’t 90, 120, 150 second spots.
- Hans Sanity - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 4:08 pm:
It seems that both campaigns are going to rely on presenting their opponent rather than speaking directly.
If Governor Quinn’s opponents are going to bang at it again and again and again, maybe it wouldn’t hurt his campaign to remind voters that 2 divided by 3 is the same as “67%”, in other words, yes, there was a 2% increase.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 4:14 pm:
It is a very good ad, BTW.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 4:16 pm:
And I doubt Rauner is gonna propose any Draconian cuts.
- Holdingontomywallet - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 6:34 pm:
Soccermom - “Rauner is definitely taking a page out of the Rove playbook. Governor Quinn’s greatest strength is his reputation for honesty. If Rauner succeeds in undermining that, then he takes a giant step toward the Mansion. It is critically important for the Governor’s campaign to hit back, fast and hard.”
I agree, and it it doesn’t help Quinn when he refuses to honor a contract and is blatantly dishonest about the “temporary” tax increase. Those are difficult to defend. He will constantly be dodging and weaving on those issues.
- Mokenavince - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 7:28 pm:
Rauner makes Quinn look like Pinocchio and a bull in a china shop in one ad.
And we still at the starting gate.
- tomkat1000 - Wednesday, Mar 26, 14 @ 8:56 pm:
The comptroller’s office was reporting more than $8Billion in general funds payables prior to the tax hike. Today, if you go to the comptroller’s website ledger.illinoiscomptroller.com. we see a backlog of 4.2Billion. Clearly some of the tax increase is being put to good use. That’s good news.