74 Comments - Curious - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:23 am: B-/C+. The “real person” lines seem a little affected the first two times, but it ends on a very high note because they come across as more genuine. - Jimbo - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:24 am: The dialog leaves something to be desired, but I’m glad someone is finally trying to up his negatives. It’s about time people other than political junkies know some of this stuff. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:25 am: “B+, B” Short and sweet, same message as before, now with a woman commenting on each point in the commercial. “Why not an ‘A’?” Rauner inoculated the taxing the retirement income “business” with his own Ad about taxing Social Security, so confusion will be the order of the day in that point. - Jimbo - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:26 am: Who leaked this to the Rauner campaign? I’m joking, but didn’t he just put an ad out yesterday saying “no way” to taxing social security? - Diogenes in DuPage - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:29 am: B: Class warfare sells in a Blue state. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:30 am: ===Who leaked this to the Rauner campaign? I’m joking, but didn’t he just put an ad out yesterday saying “no way” to taxing social security?=== Rauner knows where he is going to have “trouble” and with no worries on money, he inoculated first, then attacks second, because he can… If money was an issue, I would be scratching my head a bit too, but the Rauner M.O. has always been “inoculate, than attack”… - walker - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:35 am: We “cannot trust” Bruce Rauner.” We “cannot afford” Bruce Rauner. Not especially calling out his wealth or “greed.” Interesting directions they are going. They focus on countering Rauner’s attacks on Quinn for “lies” and tax increases. Coopting their opponent’s messages. Production so-so. Message pretty strong. C+/B- - PublicServant - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:37 am: Loopholes for me, but not for thee. I give it an A. It goes to tax fairness, and shows that Bruce is more than willing to game the system that is set up to make sure that the little guys pay every penny they owe, while rich guys like Bruce use so many gimmicks that in the end, he pays fewer pennies per dollar of income than they do. - Roadiepig - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:39 am: With Mr. Rauner ( I am committing to civility from here on out, at the least in addressing others by name) changing his stance on so many issues depending on who he is addressing and what day of the week it is ,and his spokesman’s non-committal commitment to not raising taxes on retirement income ( no matter what he said in his latest round of carpet bombing tv ads) the statements in this Freedom PAC Illinois ad are either true or they are false. Your choice depends on who you like (or hate) in this race - Ash - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:39 am: And Quinn moved to steal pension money from public workers and teachers. Two wonderful candidates we have here….. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:42 am: If you are a very rich person campaigning for political office you probably shouldn’t talk much about which segments of the middle class you plan to tax more. It’s ok to talk about taxing the rich generally. But the elderly? It is pretty outrageous that so many wealthy and upper middle class Illinois residents don’t pay state income taxes on their pension income, even if they have Romneyesque payouts from their deferred comp accounts and/or lavish corporate pensions. But the Democrats haven’t done anything about this outrage in over ten endless years of one-party rule of Illinois state government. There is a reason for that. So why set yourself up if you’re Rauner. Dumb. Is anybody doing a don’t-be-stupid check on Rauner’s campaign statements before he goes out on the trail. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:47 am: Meh, there are the makings of a good spot, but way-lazy execution. Who’s Ellen? (The way they just put up the super “Ellen,” like that’s supposed to communicate something, is hilarious). Obviously, she’s on a lit set, and is not a random person on the street. She’s an actress or a partisan, so there goes the empathy factor. With a little hustle, just button-holing real people on the street and cherry-picking the best responses, and you have a killer spot. This is just phone-it-in. C minus minus. - Snucka - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:47 am: Maybe I’m missing something, but I believe Rauner’s ad says he is opposed to taxing Social Security income. The Quinn claim is that Rauner didn’t pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, which nearly everyone is expected to do. - facts are stubborn things - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:48 am: Where is Sen. Dillard? Oh that’s right he was too moderate for the GOP primary. I wish the GOP had given so many of us a real choice to vote for. I have PQ on one hand who was put on earth to dramatically diminish my constitutionally protected pension from me and BR on the other hand who says that PQ’s plan did not go far enough. - facts are stubborn things - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:52 am: From a man who makes millions ( a good thing by the way ) and then pays zero SS tax to be talking about taxing SS seems a bit hypocritical. Since a SS tax is not going anywhere in Illinois, I don’t understand whey he even brings it up — especially since he went two years without paying any? - Snucka - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:52 am: Adding… I know the Freedom PAC ad also mentions the retirement income issue, but it seems like just another case of double-talk from Rauner now that he has reversed his position. Anyway, it’s good for Quinn that the PAC is already up on the air. They’re going to need all hands on deck for the next couple of months. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:53 am: There is no excuse for a Democrat to have no racial or gender diversity in a campaign ad. Cutting to the same person, who is obviously sitting in a studio - not live on a street - fails. I cannot relate to this lady who keeps making over the top statements that don’t seem tied to the facts. You can’t keep using one person repeatedly. She comes off as an opinionated wacko. Each time the ad needed a response, it needed to show a different kind of Illinoisan, with a different kind of reaction. Each reaction can be negative - but what they did here was sloppy and not well thought out. A campaign ad that fails to show diversity? Worse - it is for a Democrat who needs to win in Chicago? I call that a big FAT ZERO. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:54 am: ===…just button-holing real people on the street and cherry-picking the best responses, and you have a killer spot.=== That would be the Ad I would like to see… - Big Muddy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:56 am: Meh. C grade. BVC should counter with the actual amount he pays in taxes each year to counter the rate claim. Hard to relate to a rate but dollars everyone understands. - logic not emotion - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 9:57 am: -Ash: There’s a guy from the Fairfield area who recently announced his write in candidacy. I can’t remember his name; but he’s quite possibly the “best person” of the three candidates. He has zero chance of winning though and is more likely to play a spoiler role. - Toure's Latte - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:10 am: C. Not visually interesting. WS pointed out the ad cries for multiple man-on-the-street responses: a miss there. Good that it hits negatives that Quinn’s already hit. Once more with gusto, then move to the nursing home deaths. And please, put Republican quotes of disgust and horror on that one. - Taxandspendfolly - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:11 am: Well, we know we can’t afford Pat Quinn now as the Governor. Does Quinn attack Mike Madigan and Ed Burke for making $$$ lowering corporate real estate taxes through their buddies on the tax boards? Did Quinn take any deductions on his taxes - those are loopholes and tax avoidance too. - A guy... - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:16 am: In the world of pass/fail, it’s a pass, but not a strong one. Very forgettable. Oh, Ellen…Yeah, Ellen who? Why her? It doesn’t drag as much as the ones from the Quinn shop, but it does drag. Tax rates are very confusing. The whole notion of “rich people have access to loopholes”, true or not is an old line. Rauner’s pre-emptive on the SS tax thing, so this looks like an accusation after the fact. He can absolutely come back and illustrate tax returns showing that he paid X Million in State tax; a number folks can relate to a lot easier than the stratospheric numbers people can’t relate to. If I were this PAC, I wouldn’t put a ton of money into this one. I’d go back to the studio and try to concept a more resonant message. I’m still scratching my head over who Ellen is and what credibility she brings to any of this. She could be rich for all we know. - Anonymoiis - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:29 am: ==BVC should counter with the actual amount he pays in taxes each year to counter the rate claim== Perhaps also add in that Rauner pays at a higher rate than Quinn - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:36 am: This Ad is a continuation of a narrative of paying zero social security and zero Medicare taxes. The idea that in taxes, Bruce Rauner paid a lower rate than most voters, that is part of a continuing narrative. You can’t explain away zero. Zero is Zero. I gave the grade I did because it continues to hammer the idea of Zero. - Shark Sandwich - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:38 am: Seems like they hit it backwards. Why not: “Why is BR ready to tax ss & retirement income for Illinois seniors? Because as a billionaire, he doesn’t need them. Heck, the past 2 years, he didn’t even pay in…” - G'Kar - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:39 am: This is not the first ad from Illinois Freedom Pac that said Rauner wants to tax SS. I’ve seen this one numerous times recently: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCWs4GdUIws I suspect Rauner is responding to it, and not the Ellen one. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:39 am: VMan: I haven’t spent a lot of time in the crosstabs, but some of Quinn’s numbers among white women are pretty weak. - allknowingmasterofracoondom - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:40 am: To the ad, and those here commenting: You all do realize Rauner paid Capital Gains Taxes on this income right? 15% Fed, 5% state. That is not a loophole, everyone can do it. There is no SS taxes due when you sell assets and make a profit. If you sell your car, and make a profit, did you pay Cap Gains taxes? No? You are a cheater. If you sell your home, and don’t reinvest the profit, you owe the same Cap gains taxes, not SS taxes. If you sell stock, and make a profit, you pay Cap Gains taxes, not SS taxes. Those situations are not “loopholes”, they are the law. Rauner didn’t make the law, he just followed it. Understanding these commercials are for the under informed voter, it works well. For those on this blog who may be confused, as the person who does your taxes to explain the difference between a capital gain and an income tax. - G'Kar - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:41 am: P. S. I find it interesting that Rauner’s new ad only mentions SS and not all retirement income. - 47th Ward - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:54 am: ===I cannot relate to this lady who keeps making over the top statements that don’t seem tied to the facts.=== But she believes them to be true, so there you go. ===She comes off as an opinionated wacko.=== So yesterday’s comment is no longer operative? What did I miss? - allknowingmasterofracoondom - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:54 am: To Rich, bad choice of words based on V. Mans post from yesterday - not “under informed voter”, what I mean is those who “may not know the tax code very well” Don’t ban me bro! But I think the spot works very well…. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:57 am: She is overused. She comes off as an opinionated wacko. I didn’t say she is. The opportunity was to use the diversity of Illinois to find different people. If they had three different people saying the exact same things - then none of them would have come off as a wacko. But having ONE person saying this three times makes her come off as a wacko. It isn’t her. It is that they overused her. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:58 am: ===So yesterday’s comment is no longer operative? What did I miss?=== Thought the very same exact thing, but didn’t want to be the one to point that out… Maybe - VanillaMan - should read - VanillaMan -…(?) - Wally - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 10:59 am: OW says you can’t explain away zero. I think Allknowing just did, with much clarity. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 11:04 am: - Wally -, If you think that explanation makes a good retort Ad, the Quinn Crew would thank you. Perception? “Look, Rauner paid zero!” Reality? “If you look at the tax structure…” Explaining it away in :30 seconds or a minute is answering. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 11:06 am: They set Ellen up and made her an issue. Had they used a diverse group of Illinoisans, they would have made a stronger presentation. If they put those people outside, so that viewers could see people like themselves saying that they didn’t trust or like Rauner - that would have been even better. I’d fire the people who thought this was a good ad. It is bad at a very basic level. Back in 2010, I unloaded on a Brady ad for the same reason. He had a whole bunch of people in his ad - and not a single one of them was African American. Crimony! In Illinois? But we’re talking Brady and an Illinois GOP in 2010. Clueless! So what gives that we’re seeing this from Chicago’s own Democrat Patrick Quinn? YDD says Quinn is polling weak with white women. I’d say that all voters recognize themselves in an ad written for all. I’m confident in our human ability to empathize with one another beyond race, gender or age when the issue effects us all. Quinnsters dropped the ball. When did they start even putting this stuff together? August 1st? - Jimbo - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 11:07 am: Anonymoiis, Quinn pays less than 16%? Or did you mean Quinn paid less in dollars? Allknowing, that 15%+5% ended up being 16% total with no SS on his earned income either. Yes BR did have earned income, but it was offset with “losses” from his ranch. You see even though it is nothing more than a vacation spot, he writes it off a money losing business enterprise. Hey, I suppose I’d do it too, but if I started a business and lost money for a few years straight, the IRS wouldn’t let me keep zeroing out my taxes with a sham business entity. So he did use loopholes, and he used a fake business entity to avoid paying income tax or SS tax. The deduction for the ranch land is particularly egregious. Why don’t you try to incorporate your cabin in the woods and use its costs to zero out your income every year, after about three you’d have some suits at your door. - Wally - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 11:14 am: I said nothing about an ad, but Allknowing explained why someone wouldn’t pay SS on those transactions, thousands of like transactions that take place everyday across the US. These transactions are common for most people in business, BR is just in another stratosphere. In debates, in interviews with newspapers, on social media and likely in a 60 second ad, it can be explained fully and clearly. And, I expect it will. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 11:20 am: - Wally -, This is an Ad. This issue is going to be in lots of Ads. It’s about the Ads, not the Debate Society. With respect. - Jimbo - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 11:21 am: That last comment was a bit choppy, so let me put it more plainly: Bruce Rauner rents out some of the land he owns in western states, however he doesn’t turn a profit on the land. Because of this, he takes a loss on owning that land. This loss is what allowed him to zero out his earned income in the tax years that have been disclosed. Because he had zero earned income, he didn’t pay social security taxes. Now, if I rented the shed in my backyard to someone, it probably wouldn’t cover the cost of upkeep for my property. Even so, I couldn’t claim a loss on the property and deduct it from my earnings on my taxes. BR was able to do just that based on the way he structured everything. You and I can’t set up our holdings that way, so it is seen as unfair. Also, even though we know capital gains are taxed lower, many people don’t like the fact that rich folks like Rauner who receive nearly all of their icome in the form of capital gains, don’t have to pay the same rates those of us who work for a living pay. Its funny though, I just calculated my overall federal tax rate. It’s 15.5%. I’m in the 33% bracket, but that is only on dollars above a certain threshold, so my overall rate is much lower. Anyway, I’m less mad about BR paying 16% now, but being that I still had to pay state and SS on top of that… - Anonymous - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 11:23 am: Many state employees were never allowed to pay into Social Security or Medicare while working because they had a state pension and insurance. Quinn and the Legislature ended the state paid insurance program only to have it overturned by the Il Supreme Court. They also legislated away cost of living raises and are in court over that and it will undoubtedly go the same way as the insurance issue did for them. Point is, Quinn and the Legislature would never allow state employees to contribute to SS and Medicare, then cancelled their insurance, then diminished and impaired their colas and then…..left them without any SS or Medicare coverage. Real leadership…..! - Wally - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 11:43 am: Jimbo, how many dollars did you contribute to the state coffers and how much did BR contribute in 2012. What about the federal coffers? Get away from %, how many dollars did you pay and how many dollars did BR pay? - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 11:50 am: ===Get away from %=== No. To do so would be goofy. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 12:02 pm: The “Percentages” put into focus how much of your income goes to taxes, “equal” to what can be easily measured of one person versus another… … dollars only tell the amount, not relatable to what each person may feel, measurably, like…say a percentage. - Chris - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 12:07 pm: “The Quinn claim is that Rauner didn’t pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, which nearly everyone is expected to do.” Nearly everyone except for … people like PAT QUINN!!! How many $$ of Social Security and Medicare taxes has PAT QUINN paid in the past *decade*?? - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 12:08 pm: I give it a B. It’s short and to the point. It speaks of the loopholes that the very wealthy use to lower their tax rates to be close to the rest of us. The question I have is do the rest of us want to pick up the tab for those making $53 million a year? I don’t want to pick up that tab, not only because it’s not fair but because it provides no significant gain to the economy. “Get away from %” It’s all about percentages. Didn’t Rauner pay something like a 19% effective tax rate? That’s pretty low, compared to what others pay and what he earned. - Wally - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 12:11 pm: ok, I could pay 20% and throw $15k-$30k into the tax cofferes and BR can pay 15% and throw $10-$15 million into the tax coffers. Goofy or not, BR is a lot more valuable to the government and the economy than me and by all accounts, pays what the tax code says he should pay. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 12:16 pm: === BR is a lot more valuable to the government and the economy than me=== How so? - Louis G. Atsaves - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 12:24 pm: I rate this ad a B+. Typical class warfare stuff. Works for what it was intended to do. - Ahoy! - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 12:35 pm: I’m wondering if the narrative of Rauner paying less taxes has a lot of traction here. Rauner pays less taxes because of the way the US tax code is set up and Rauner is running to be the Governor of Illinois. This tactic worked on Romney because he was running for US President on a platform of not only keeping the same tax code, but eliminating certain taxes that he and other extremely wealthy people pay. I don’t blame Rauner on this issue, I blame Congress. - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 1:11 pm: “BR is a lot more valuable to the government and the economy than me” First of all it dependes on who you are, income wise. From what I learned about economics, and what I’ve observed, the trickle-down theory is not supported by evidence. Economic growth is stronger when “middle class” (a fluid term, perhaps) people have more money, because they spend a higher percentage of it. The wealthiest eat only one meal at a time, and they probably buy other needs like clothing, household necessities like cleaning supplies and other things in amounts that are not greatly different than everyone else, overall. If money is concentrated more to the middle, many more items of clothing will be bought, as well as cars, restaurant meals and other items. - Chris - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 1:26 pm: OW: “You can’t explain away zero. Zero is Zero.” And zero is what PQ paid in Social Security tax, too. I did look it up, and see that PQ *does* pay Medicare tax. So, ok, on that. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 1:44 pm: - Chris -, A “Gov. Rauner”, even earning $1 a year, would pay no SS tax from those earnings… That is how state jobs work… As opposed to “working it to pay none”… Slippery slope. - Chris - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 2:33 pm: OW: “A “Gov. Rauner”, even earning $1 a year, would pay no SS tax from those earnings… That is how state jobs work…” That is also how Capital Gains income “works” with respect to Social Security. If there is a “problem” with that, the answer resides with the US Congress, not the individual taxpayer. And, no doubt, the tax treatment of Carried Interest is horseshi…stuff, but that’s the law. Just like it’s the law that PQ doesn’t have to pay the Social Security tax (and, make no mistake, it’s a tax, not a contribution to a retirement plan). Look, I’m a lifetime D who can’t vote for Quinn, bc I don’t believe in him *at all*, but who won’t vote for Rauner, unless PQ absolutely drives me to it (and Brucey doesn’t go further in driving me away). - Wally - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 2:42 pm: I am comparing BR and me, that’s it. BR gives a lot more to charity, he pays a lot more taxes which support services, he consumes more goods and services, drives the economy far more than I do, pays more in sales taxes and real estate taxes. Succintly, he is worth far more to both the government and the economy than me. Again, goofy or not, I don’t get wrapped up in % so much because deductions are very different for many. Some pounded Brady because he paid no tax on a tax return or returns. The housing market took a beating those years and his business lost money. Those losses offset any earnings he may have had. That is how the tax code is set up and I understand it and it is legal. - Demoralized - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 2:56 pm: @Wally: I get exactly what you are saying. Really, I do. But you are completely ignoring the emotional aspect of this. The average person doesn’t like to hear about somebody not paying taxes. The reason doesn’t matter to them. This is a winner as far as attack lines go. - Chris - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 3:06 pm: Willy– Like Demoralized sez “The average person doesn’t like to hear about somebody not paying taxes. The reason doesn’t matter to them.” This applies to PQ, too. Quinn hasn’t paid social security tax since … when? At least 12 years now, right? So long as PQ and his proxies are making an issue of paying Social Security taxes, I don’t care *why* PQ doesn’t pay, just that he hasn’t. - Wally - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 3:14 pm: The average person should care Demoralized because the Rauners, Bloombergs, Pritzkers, et. al. greatly help all of us. When Powerball or Mega Millions gets in the 300-500 mil range, I think people play so they can dream. How they would live, who they would help! The Obama camp played the class warfare gig against Romney along with telling some big whoppers. The R’s should have responded better but they didn’t. I feel the Rauner camp will do a good job of pivoting and countering.Exhibit A is the counter to the Cayman Islands story. And when you say “somebody not paying taxes” I would say paying more than $10 mil in federal taxes and more than $2 mil in state taxes in 2012 alone is paying taxes. We’ll see. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 3:17 pm: ===the Rauners, Bloombergs, Pritzkers, et. al. greatly help all of us=== Oh, knock off the suckups, please. lol - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 3:18 pm: First to the post: I don’t know how the tax attack on Rauner will play in November. I think Rauner’s campaign is much better than Romney’s campaign in 2012. Rauner’s team responds quickly to attack ads, whereas Obama seemed to have a lot of time to attack and define Romney. “Succintly, he is worth far more to both the government and the economy than me.” I disagree. I think you have to look at the big picture. The economy was better for more people when income distribution was concentrated more toward middle income earners, like in the 1950’s. Certainly wages were not the only factor that gave us economic strength in the 1950’s; we probably had more manufacturing jobs then, because as someone pointed out, large parts of Europe were reduced to rubble in WWII, and we were the top dog. I don’t think Bruce Rauner is more important than me, in the economy or otherwise. I look at myself in the aggregate and see that economies and standards of living are better when more income is concentrated in the middle. - Wally - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 3:32 pm: Sorry Rich, I meant to include the Millers with that group and I forgot. Please forgive me!!! - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 3:39 pm: ===This applies to PQ, too. Quinn hasn’t paid social security tax since … when? At least 12 years now, right? So long as PQ and his proxies are making an issue of paying Social Security taxes, I don’t care *why* PQ doesn’t pay, just that he hasn’t.=== Watch how short this is. Ready? “State employees, specifically governor, don’t pay into Social Security. The job, no matter who hold it, doesn’t pay into it.” No 8 paragraphs, charts, tax codes…simple. George Ryan and Rod lost their pensions. People know Guvs get state pensions, because they are reminded by those two not getting theirs. - Demoralized - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 3:40 pm: ==The average person should care== Should and do are two different things. ==I would say paying more than $10 mil in federal taxes and more than $2 mil in state taxes in 2012 alone is paying taxes.== Maybe you should write their rebuttals. - LisaC - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 5:13 pm: Pat Quinn like many state employees doesn’t pay SS tax but he also CAN’T COLLECT. State employees who don’t pay SS and leave state employment for a private sector job pay SS tax then. However, when they reach SS eligibility they get a pittance because of a Windfall provision. Very different from someone who doesn’t pay SS tax due to some loop hole but can collect full benefits at the appropriate age. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Aug 6, 14 @ 8:20 pm: I finally figured out who Ellen is supposed to be. The hair, the look, the delivery - THE NAME - they are shooting for the Ellen DeGeneres crowd! They are trying to reach that audience - I betcha! - Chris - Thursday, Aug 7, 14 @ 7:50 am: “Pat Quinn like many state employees doesn’t pay SS tax but he also CAN’T COLLECT.” You know who else can’t collect–people who never earn any OI–if it’s all cap gains, that person never gets social security either. Rauner earned ZERO credit for SS from those years he paid no tax. C’mon people, all you’re doing is reinforcing my point. If you all think that the “typical voter” is dull enough to fall into it, you’re probably right, but that doesn’t change the FACT that boy of them are doing the same thing with respect to social security tax. Honestly, truly, the conversation *here* pushes me closer to holding my nose, closing my eyes, praying for forgiveness, and pulling the Rauner lever. It would be my first vote for an R for state/federal office in 25 years of voting, but the tenor of the whole conversation sickens me. - Just The Way It Is One - Friday, Aug 8, 14 @ 1:52 am: Really strong Ad–just saw it on TV today. That ZERO they throw out there as to how much in taxes Brucie DIDN’T pay really stings and stands out… - Anonymous - Thursday, Aug 14, 14 @ 10:32 pm: Who is this “Ellen” who says ‘We’ cannot afford to have Rauner as our Governor? Who is she to assume that I’m a pert of her “we” ?? - "Ellen" Quinn - Tuesday, Aug 19, 14 @ 6:28 am: He pays a lower “tax rate” but he pays more taxes than most people. How many people no taxes period in this state? A lot! Thanks Cook Co. for destroying the state! - Ellen - Tuesday, Aug 19, 14 @ 6:40 am: Just in today. IL workforce shrank 17,100 jobs in July. Labor force participation at 35 year low. 170,000 fewer jobs than before the 2008 recession. Can’t wait till Quinn is off to prison with all the other past IL Gov. - Jdore - Tuesday, Aug 19, 14 @ 9:25 pm: Who cares what Ellen thinks…one of the dumbest ads I have ever seen. - Mike - Tuesday, Aug 19, 14 @ 9:35 pm: Rauner makes more money than most and if it was up to Dems he would “gift” the state with 99.9% of his profits to pay for all the welfare rats that pay ZERO in taxes, yet expect the same level of fairness. Socialism at its best, good work Dems, you’ve got all of your voters duped. It’s the folks that don’t believe your lies that will be your downfall. Me, I hope Quinns ends harshly, painfully and also hoping for the same for the Madigans, Daleys and POTUS. All fruit from the ROTTEN and SICKENING plant. - Patti - Thursday, Aug 21, 14 @ 5:38 pm: I am in my 60’s and this is one of the worst political commercials I have ever seen. If anything I would think it will lose votes for Quinn. Just awful. Don’t even get me started on “Ellen” balderdash. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.