The fisherman speaks
Friday, Feb 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Fox Chicago talked to Travis Loyd, who resigned last week after reporters started asking the state why he was at fishing tournaments while on medical leave from the Department of Natural Resources…
Loyd, who resigned as deputy DNR director last Thursday, recalls very clearly the conversation with his doctor last spring where she told him he needed to find a way to reduce his stress.
“She said I want to know where a happy place is for you. and I said, well there’s no happier place for me, and anybody who would know me, would know this, I love to fish, its been a lifelong passion,” Loyd said.
So his physician, Doctor Tricia Warner, recommended that Loyd take some time off, and keep fishing. Loyd said the doctor had just informed him that a chronic hereditary illness had flared up, and could be life threatening.
“There was possible organ loss that could take place. very scary consultation, scared me to death, to be quite frankly,” Loyd said.
His doctor notified the DNR, and agency officials approved his medical leave. […]
“I’ve had great loss, I’ve lost sponsors, I’ve lost my job, and its all simply put, I followed the rules,” Loyd said. […]
Loyd said his doctors orders, approved by the DNR, should outweigh the prohibition against holding a job while on medical leave..
“While it might be weird that a doctor would prescribe me to go to a stress free zone, and as it be, its’ fishing for me, they cant say I didn’t list my dual employment. They can’t say I didn’t file for family medical leave act, and they can’t say they didn’t approve it. It was all there,” Loyd said.
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Let’s be careful out there…
Friday, Feb 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the ISP…
– Illinois State Police officials are reminding motorists of the potentially dangerous road conditions as hazardous weather conditions continue. Roadways throughout Illinois will be icy, and motorists are urged to reduce speeds and drive with caution.
Illinois State Police officials are especially warning motorists traveling on I-55 near the Bloomington and Lexington areas of hazardous road conditions due to ice and snow covered roadways.
Motorists should monitor the road conditions before driving and remember to keep emergency items inside the vehicle. Speed is a contributing factor for accidents when conditions are wet and slick and drivers should reduce speeds and allow for extra travel time.
Illinois State Police also want to remind motorists to yield to emergency and snow removal equipment. It is the law (Scott’s Law) to proceed with due caution, change lanes if possible, and reduce your speed.
Stranded motorists are encouraged to remain inside their vehicles and wait for first responders if stranded. Motorists involved in accidents that require no emergency care may file an accident report within 10 days at the nearest police station.
A complete list of road closures can be found on the Illinois Department of Transportation website www.gettingaroundillinois.com or 1-800-452-4368. [Emphasis in original.]
* The Bloomington area is, indeed bad. There tons of wrecks today…
OSF St. Joseph Medical Center is currently treating seven patients from the car wreck that occurred on I-55 involving approximately 40 vehicles.
The last patient has been transported from the scene of the car wreck and OSF St. Joseph Medical Center is not expecting any additional patients from the I-55 wreck.
All seven patients are non-critical and are currently being treated for their injuries sustained from the wreck. None have been discharged at this time.
* And there is also sad news…
Michael Holmes, a 49-year old Illinois Department of Transportation employee from Wyoming, was killed Friday morning when he was struck by a car. The accident happened shortly after 9:30 a.m. two miles west of Toulon on Route 17.
According to a preliminary accident report and witness accounts at the scene, Holmes was driving a snowplow truck. He stopped on the highway and got out.
An SUV driven by Sherry Landergren of Kewanee approached the truck and attempted to pass it.
The collision occurred when a car driven by Donald Rhoades of Toulon approached. Both drivers lost control and started to slide on the snow-covered road.
The Rhoades vehicle spun around and struck the snowplow and Holmes before sliding into the northside ditch and coming to rest in a field.
Landergren’s vehicle skidded into the same field.
* From Gov. Quinn…
Governor Pat Quinn today issued the following statement regarding the Friday morning Stark County accident that killed Illinois Department of Transportation employee, 49-year-old Michael Holmes of Wyoming, Ill.:
“Michael Holmes is a hero. He gave his life while making our roads safer for his fellow citizens. Michael selflessly faced challenging conditions every winter since 2007 so the rest of us could arrive safely at our destinations.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fellow employees during this difficult time.
“I am ordering the state’s flags to be flown at half-staff so all Illinois citizens can be reminded of Michael’s dedication and sacrifice.”
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Corporate America funding DGA Illinois?
Friday, Feb 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Check out some contributions that the Democratic Governors Association - Illinois has reported today…
Walmart $21,100
Bechtel Corporation $10,000
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation $21,100
American Gas Association $20,000
American Gas Association $20,000
National Association of Home Builders $21,100
And not a union on today’s list.
From what I hear, the DGA is going all out on this anti-Rauner blitz. But Walmart and Bechtel? Weird.
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Rauner reacts to IEA backing for Dillard
Friday, Feb 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a press release…
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)
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Unclear on the concept
Friday, Feb 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) supports raising the minimum wage to $10 an hour and talked a bit about the impact on small business…
Smiddy said he agrees that more of the tax burden should be shifted from small businesses to large corporations. He believes that loopholes would be closed by shifting away from what he calls an antiquated tax system based on property.
“Illinois is one of only 7 states that still have a flat-tax system,” Smiddy said. “We need to move to a graduated-tax system.”
* OK, this is a bit off on at least a couple of levels.
1) Big corporations don’t pay a whole lot of corporate income taxes. But unless they’re in a TIF district, some of the only taxes that big corporations pay are property taxes. Shift property taxes to the income tax and corporations won’t be paying much of anything. Unless something else is done, the burden will be shifted to individuals and small businesses.
2) Except for the 2.5 percent Personal Property Replacement Tax, most small businesses don’t pay the corporate income tax at all, but they do pay personal income taxes. Increasing tax rates on higher earners will most definitely impact small business owners.
You want to help out small business in exchange for raising the minimum wage? Well, one option would be to lower or eliminate the PPRT, or do something more about workers’ comp and unemployment insurance costs.
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Keep your word, Dan
Friday, Feb 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Not good at all…
State Treasurer Dan Rutherford has decided to not release the results of an internal investigation related to allegations made by a former employee.
Rutherford, a Republican candidate for governor, was accused by Ed Michalowski of sexual harassment and claims that Rutherford asked him to perform campaign duties on state time.
The report from the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office about its internal investigation was scheduled to be released Friday, but Rutherford’s spokesman said Thursday that no further information from the investigation will be released “except through the courts.”
* More…
Rutherford had said he would tell his side once the investigation was complete, but Andjelkovich said he wanted to keep the information for court.
“Under the circumstances, he can’t continue to be talking out in the public forum,” Andjelkovich said. “That doesn’t mean that there’s something out there that’s being hidden or not disclosed.”
* Sorry, but I find this difficult to believe…
Andjelkovich said people shouldn’t draw conclusions from the secrecy.
“There is nothing to hide,” he said.
More information could come out as Michalowski’s lawsuit progresses. But before the March 18 primary election?
“Unfortunately, these things don’t go fast,” Andjelkovich said.
* Svenson makes some good points here…
Christine Svenson, the attorney for Rutherford’s accuser Edmund Michalowski, told Wolf and Proft that she knows why Rutherford does not want the report made public:
“He was in favor of the report before he was against it. Clearly he doesn’t want to produce this report and I know why. I know what the witnesses told the investigator. They corroborated my client’s testimony, and they had new evidence that no one had heard before that is not favorable to Mr. Rutherford.”
She says the report includes testimony from three Rutherford employees who say Rutherford also subjected them to uncomfortable sexual comments, and asked them to do campaign work on taxpayer time.
* And…
Meanwhile, one Illinois treasurer employee who gave a statement to the independent investigator is complaining that the office would not release copies of his own statement.
“Even the Warren Commission made copies of witness statements available to witnesses when investigating the assassination of President Kennedy,” the employee wrote to the treasurer’s in-house counsel, according to a letter obtained by the Sun-Times.
“This hardly rises to the level of a grand jury investigation or the Warren Commission. This is also a very stressful time for many of our colleagues in the office. I have no desire to add to that stress by being forced to litigate or make a public request simply for access to a copy of my own statement for my records.”
Ugh.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
A new state-by-state report card evaluating America’s support for emergency care has been released, and the results for Illinois are dire: Illinois is ranked 45th in the nation with a grade of D.
This ranking is a striking decline from the 27th place and grade C Illinois received in 2009. The message is clear: Without action, the emergency care environment in Illinois continues to worsen — threatening access to life-saving care for the citizens of Illinois.
Review the complete results of “America’s Emergency Care Environment, A State-by-State Report Card – 2014” produced by the American College of Emergency Physicians online at emreportcard.org.
Emergency care is the safety net of the health care system, and state support is key to maintaining this safety net. The 2014 Report Card shows the lack of support and limited resources in Illinois have stretched it to breaking point. Without significant changes, access to care for Illinois citizens is threatened. Don’t let the safety net break: Support medical liability reform and disaster relief funding to keep emergency departments open and resources available when you need them most.
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*** LIVE VIDEO *** IEA to endorse Dillard
Friday, Feb 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I gave subscribers a heads-up about this yesterday morning. Tribune…
The Illinois Education Association, one of the state’s major public teachers’ unions, is scheduled to endorse state Sen. Kirk Dillard for the Republican nomination for governor, sources familiar with the endorsement said Thursday.
The endorsement, to be announced during a news conference in downtown Chicago on Friday, could re-invigorate the veteran Hinsdale lawmaker’s campaign. Dillard has languished in fundraising against the high-dollar, TV ad-focused bid for the nomination waged by Bruce Rauner, a foe of the teachers’ unions and what he calls “government union bosses.”
The IEA, which represents teachers outside Chicago, endorsed Dillard for governor four years ago, but he came up short by 193 votes to state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington. The union gave Dillard’s campaign $250,000¿ along with a cadre of political foot soldiers.
Dillard voted against the state’s new law changing Illinois’ public employee pensions, a measure that aims to close a $100 billion unfunded liability within the next 30 years. The endorsement is a setback for state Treasurer Dan Rutherford, who also opposed the new law and contended unions should have had a voice in drafting a reform bill.
* An e-mail from Dillard’s campaign early this morning…
Republican candidate for Governor Kirk Dillard will hold a press conference Friday to announce a major endorsement in the 2014 campaign for the GOP nomination for Governor.
When: Friday, February 14, 10 a.m.
Where: Union League Club of Chicago, Room 700
65 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604
* You can watch live video of this event by clicking here.
Discuss.
…Adding… Some of y’all are getting a little too excited about this endorsement in comments. In my opinion, unless the teachers are in for major seven figures, all this does is play into Rauner’s “big government union bosses” argument.
Rauner can pretty easily counter any impact this might have with a directed TV ad shot at Dillard. The teachers will be calling and mailing their members, and they have a lot of members, but I’m just not sure yet that this’ll bump Dillard up enough to put him in play. We’ll see.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
A new state-by-state report card evaluating America’s support for emergency care has been released, and the results for Illinois are dire: Illinois is ranked 45th in the nation with a grade of D.
This ranking is a striking decline from the 27th place and grade C Illinois received in 2009. The message is clear: Without action, the emergency care environment in Illinois continues to worsen — threatening access to life-saving care for the citizens of Illinois.
Review the complete results of “America’s Emergency Care Environment, A State-by-State Report Card – 2014” produced by the American College of Emergency Physicians online at emreportcard.org.
Emergency care is the safety net of the health care system, and state support is key to maintaining this safety net. The 2014 Report Card shows the lack of support and limited resources in Illinois have stretched it to breaking point. Without significant changes, access to care for Illinois citizens is threatened. Don’t let the safety net break: Support medical liability reform and disaster relief funding to keep emergency departments open and resources available when you need them most.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Feb 13, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It’s kinda late in the day for a “serious” question, so how about we lighten things up with a caption contest? Rep. Lou Lang and Gov. Pat Quinn share a moment…
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More like this, please
Thursday, Feb 13, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The oftentimes brutally confrontational, divisive and even mean-spirited Bruce Rauner talked like a reasonable human being for a change…
Does downstate Illinois get too big of a share of the state’s road fund? The Republican candidates for governor don’t think so.
Legislators from Chicago and its suburbs have complained that less populated parts of the state receive a disproportionate amount of transportation revenues. Currently, funds are divided in a 55/45 split, with the Chicago area getting the smaller chunk. Bruce Rauner thinks it’s an extension of a feud as old as the state itself.
“I’ve heard the debate about downstate versus metro Chicago,” Rauner said. “The fighting within our state is one of the problems we’ve got.”
The regional fighting will never go away, but it has to be toned down. For too many years, particularly in Downstate, politicians have spent millions of dollars ginning up regional hostilities to benefit their own political hides. People quite often take their cues from their leaders, so the campaign rhetoric is not helpful in the least.
* But if regional fighting is bad, as Rauner admits, what about his threats to set a torch to the Statehouse? Food for thought, Bruce.
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* There have been a rash of stories lately about various bills introduced to tweak or greatly modify the state’s new concealed carry law, which isn’t even fully operational yet. I’ve mostly been ignoring them.
Rep. Phelps is spot on…
State Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, who was chief sponsor of the legislation that created the new concealed carry rules, said it’s too early for either side to be making changes.
“Everybody needs to take a deep breath,” [Phelps] said. “This is monumental legislation. Let’s let it go into effect and see what it’s like before we try to change it.
“I really believe that neither pro-gun nor anti-gun bills are going to see any movement in the legislature right now.”
Keep that in mind when you read the almost non-stop stories about how one legislator wants to enact more concealed carry restrictions or another legislator wants to loosen some restrictions. It’s all for show. Ain’t none of them moving very far unless they have an agreed bill.
*** UPDATE *** And while it pains me to say it, the same goes for medical marijuana…
State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) said the state has to prove it can handle medical marijuana first after it was enacted last year.
“I would prefer to wait, just to make sure this rolls out correctly,” Lang said, after the huge tax revenues brought in by Colorado with the new year reignited the debate over legalization last week. “If this doesn’t roll out right, there’s no way full legalization is going to roll out.
“There will be some who want to jump the gun and propose it,” Lang added. “And there are some proposing a middle ground, where we don’t legalize it, necessarily, but we decriminalize it and make it a small misdemeanor. So there are a lot of different ideas out there.”
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Time to take a breath
Thursday, Feb 13, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Pat Gauen…
Returning from lunch during a murder trial one day, I rode a Madison County Courthouse elevator with the accused killer and two guards.
The shackled fellow recognized me as a reporter, and unloaded a loud but unconvincing earful about being railroaded. He capped it with a declaration that the prosecutor was a “ho-mo-sexual.” I write it now the way he said it then.
What, I wondered, was the point. Why would it matter? A prosecutor’s sexual orientation wouldn’t make the guy in chains any less guilty.
Then I realized from the rage in his eyes that “ho-mo-sexual” was the ugliest accusation this guy could imagine. It was the kind of thing he could hope would stick. […]
I don’t know that I ever heard anyone just shout out a gay accusation like that before. But I heard plenty of whispered sexual innuendos during years of writing about politics.
It’s a heckuva column and you should go read the whole thing.
* Which brings us to this Tribune story…
Rutherford shared rooms with assistant - Treasurer says practice a way to save money
State Treasurer Dan Rutherford routinely roomed overnight in hotels and a Chicago apartment with a low-level treasurer’s office employee whom he has given a 50 percent pay hike, raising questions about the workplace judgment of the Republican candidate for governor.
Rutherford said he has shared a room with his executive assistant, Joshua Lanning, scores of times since taking office in 2011, a practice he says is a way to save money for his campaign fund.
“We double-bunk in the campaign,” Rutherford said. “We always double-bunk when we can. Totally as a cost-saving measure.”
The Trib wasn’t as juvenile as the Sun-Times has been on this, but it suits the same purpose - to spread innuendo about the candidate.
* Bill Cameron follows up with Rutherford…
The innuendo of the Tribune story is obvious, but Rutherford is not taking the bait.
“This is hardball in Illinois and I understand people will do what they feel they need to do, but we’re moving forward with the campaign and we’re getting a tremendous amount of support and feedback,” Rutherford said.
When asked if the story perhaps says more about the Tribune than about him, Rutherford replied, “Well, I’ve always learned you don’t get into an argument with someone who buys ink by the barrel or someone who has a recording device that can go in as an item, so let’s just say that they’re out there doing what they feel they need to do and I’m moving forward. I have the ball and we’re moving ahead to get the nomination for Governor of Illinois.”
Good for Bill.
…Adding… Greg Hinz is also a must read today.
* The story is turning into a feeding frenzy. Fox 32 showed up at Ed Michalowski’s workplace…
It’s the news making waves this week as State Treasurer and Gubernatorial hopeful Dan Rutherford is slapped with a federal lawsuit. Ed Michalowski, a former lawyer and director in Rutherford’s office, claims Rutherford made inappropriate sexual advances and regularly forced him to do political work on state time. In tonight’s top story Fox News Correspondent Mark Flannery caught up with Ed Michalowski to find out what he had to say.
Flannery: We’d just like to ask you why you waited for two-and-a-half years before you filed a complaint?
Edmund P. Michalowski: I’m working right now. Per my work arrangement, I’m not supposed to be talking about any of this on state — on county time.
Flannery: You’re walking in a hallway. Why did you wait 2-1/2 years before you filed these complaints, made these allegations?
Michalowski: Sir!
Flannery: Why did you wait 2-1/2 years before filing these allegations?
Michalowski: Okay. You know what? I understand. You guys have a very important role in all of this, reporting all of these things. I’ve asked you to respect my work environment.
Security eventually had to step in. Watch the video.
* Meanwhile, tomorrow looks like it’ll be another busy day here…
A report from the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office about its internal investigation of allegations made by a former employee is expected to be released Friday.
The internal investigation has been conducted by a former IRS agent who has been paid $250 an hour in taxpayer funds to examine Michalowski’s allegations.
* Other stuff…
* Rutherford posts position papers letting public know where he stands
* Bill Brady weighs in on accusations against Rutherford: “I think those are personal attacks that shouldn’t take place in a primary. Talking about issues wins elections.”
* Editorial: Clarity hard to come by in claims against Rutherford
* Bernard Schoenburg: Rutherford’s long political climb suddenly tougher
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* Progress Illinois reports on a recent statewide Public Policy Polling survey on unemployment benefits…
In the poll of 506 registered Illinois voters, 63 percent said Congress should reinstate the unemployment benefits, which expired last year, while 31 percent were opposed to the idea. Of those in favor of reinstating the unemployment assistance, 83 percent were Democrats and 44 percent were Republicans.
OK, it’s pretty popular. But is it really an issue that will drive votes one way or another? Meh…
Of those polled, 40 percent said Kirk’s vote makes them less likely to support the senator in the future, while 31 percent think they would be more likely to support him. Twenty-four percent of respondents cited that Kirk’s vote makes “no difference” on whether or not they would support him in the future, while 5 percent said they were not sure.
That 40 percent number isn’t really high enough to matter all that much.
* And if you look at the crosstabs, just 33 percent of African-Americans and 37 percent of independents said they’d be less likely to vote for Sen. Kirk because of that vote.
* I did find this of some interest, however…
Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Mark Kirk’s job performance?
Approve ………………………………………… 28%
Disapprove …………………………………….. 32%
Not sure ………………………………………… 39%
He was out of the public eye for so long after his stroke that he doesn’t seem to be on a whole lot of voters’ radar screens. 48 percent of women have no opinion of him, as do 44 percent of Democrats.
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* Remember Travis Loyd? He’s the former deputy director at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources who was given the heave-ho after news outlets started calling about a months-long sick leave he took last year. Loyd participated in several fishing tournaments while on leave and even posted photos to his Facebook page.
DNR told me Monday that Loyd was on a “physician-approved” family medical leave. And Loyd says his doctor recommended that he go fishing. No joke…
Loyd said he took the time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA. He insisted DNR officials, including director Marc Miller, knew full well where he was and what he was doing.
“For them to indicate that they didn’t know I was out at fishing tournaments, baloney!” Loyd said. “This was them knee-jerking. I did absolutely nothing wrong.”
Loyd’s doctor, Tricia Warner of Mount Vernon, said in an email to Loyd she did indeed recommend he attend fishing tournaments while on leave in order to reduce stress. She copied the BGA and NBC 5 on that email at Loyd’s request.
“We discussed hobbies and activities that might alleviate stress,” Warner wrote. “You mentioned fishing and being involved in fishing tournaments as very enjoyable and relaxing for you. I encouraged your participation in these activities.”
Loyd insists his superiors were given that information when they approved his leave.
Hilarious.
Not.
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Poll has Oberweis leading 52-15
Thursday, Feb 13, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Tribune’s poll of Republican primary voters has a wholly unsurprising result for the US Senate race…
* Jim Oberweis: 52%
* Doug Truax: 15%
* Undecided: 32%
* From the Trib…
Though he has yet to spend much money this time out, Oberweis has 88 percent name recognition among Republican voters. That’s due to not only the family’s namesake dairy stores, but also the millions of his own money that Oberweis spent during one campaign for governor and two U.S. Senate bids that date to 2002. Oberweis also lost special and general election bids for Congress before breaking through with a state Senate win in November 2012. […]
Despite that, the poll indicated little voter fatigue among Republicans over Oberweis’ ambitious and frequent attempts to win public office and the sometimes controversial gaffes he committed along the way. Overall, 40 percent viewed Oberweis favorably while 9 percent looked upon him unfavorably. Another 39 percent had no opinion of him. […]
Truax has yet to introduce himself to many Republican voters — 52 percent said they have never heard of the military veteran and a managing partner and co-owner of Oak Brook-based Veritas Risk Services. Of those who said they were familiar with Truax, 36 percent had no opinion of him while only 11 percent viewed him favorably and 1 percent had an unfavorable view.
The Truax campaign has been almost solely about the candidate’s public speaking engagements. He’s everywhere and he’s received some local party support for his efforts. That often gives candidates the sense that they’re gaining some traction. But in a race like this, you gotta get your name out there.
If the choice is between a guy they know and someone they’ve never even heard of (who could be anybody, even a disguised Democrat, for that matter), voters will almost always go with the guy they know. And since Truax has almost zero cash on hand, he has no resources to get himself known.
It’s gonna take a miracle for Truax to pull this one off.
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