Today’s number: 32 percent
Monday, Aug 11, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From last week…
Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign says the 2013 hiring of an $80,000 per year policy analyst at the state’s transportation agency had nothing to do with politics.
But, records show Edward M. Healy, 29, served as chairman of a campaign fund that had close connections to the Chicago Democrat’s campaign until June of that year.
Healy, who serves as a public transportation policy analyst for the Illinois Department of Transportation, chaired the Stronger Illinois Committee, which raised money from labor unions and funneled it to Democratic candidates running in the 2012 election for the General Assembly
The executive director of the Stronger Illinois committee was Cheryl Byers, a longtime Quinn friend and supporter who is now back on the governor’s campaign payroll as political director after helping him win the race for governor in 2010.
Byers is considerably more than just “a longtime Quinn friend.”
* And most of the money raised by the committee didn’t get funneled into legislative campaigns. Take a look at this breakdown of the Stronger Illinois Committee’s finances…
* Total money raised: 22 receipts totaling $227,800
* Transfers out to campaigns: 142 Expenditures totaling $74,010
* Total expenditures excluding transfers out: 136 Expenditures totaling $150,935.66
* Cheryl Byers, payroll and reimbursements: 36 Expenditures totaling $77,409.08
* Taxes: 32 Expenditures totaling $43,149.24
* Rent: 24 Expenditures totaling $6,000
Transfers out to campaigns totaled a mere 32 percent of total funds raised. Expenditures were twice that of transfers out, and Byers’ pay and reimbursements also exceeded transfers out.
Sheesh.
- OneMan - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 12:06 pm:
It’s just a coincidence that’s all…
- LincolnLounger - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 12:15 pm:
If nothing else comes out of this election, Pat Quinn’s phony reputation as a “reformer” has been destroyed.
- A guy... - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 12:17 pm:
It’s a good time for them to repeat where this sharp young fella went to school.
- CircularFiringSquad - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 12:20 pm:
Hey if the ex-squeeze is in play let’s dial up the ex-Mrs Mitt to see about her insights on the BizWiz and his governing skills. Maybe she knows CaymanCutie or two
- mcb - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 12:25 pm:
- LincolnLounger - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 12:15 pm:
If nothing else comes out of this election, Pat Quinn’s phony reputation as a “reformer” has been destroyed.
Yes.
- Modest proposal - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 12:35 pm:
When I saw that today’s number was 32 percent I assumed it was going to be the percentage of comments from Oswego Willy out of the total made since the beginning of the year.
- Norseman - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 12:36 pm:
Quinn spinners be aware that the manure belongs on the fairgrounds and not being spread telling us that this guy’s hire was on the up and up.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 12:40 pm:
IDOT is full of these kinds of people.
They really know very little about transportation, but only IDOT seemed to have the ability to hide political players seeking employment post election.
Quinn was the king of patronage decades ago, so this shouldn’t be a surprise, really.
- Norseman - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 12:48 pm:
Perhaps Quinn’s supporters are only worth 32%.
- Norseman - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 12:48 pm:
Darn, it’s hard to get cheap help on these campaign committees.
- Wondering - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 2:04 pm:
What impact will this have on fundraising for the governor’s race?
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 2:19 pm:
“a longtime Quinn friend” - umm that’s a nice euphemism. I also felt badly for Cheryl. She stuck with PQ for 17 years in the wilderness then when he finally made it to the promised land…unceremoniously kicked to the curb, albeit with political parting gifts.
- Arizona Bob - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 2:39 pm:
If this was a charity, I wouldn’t give ‘em a nickel.
- dupage dan - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 2:45 pm:
Party Political Patronage Hack. LL is right. Quinn’s sheen as a reformer is gone.
- walker - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 2:57 pm:
“Long time friend”, “political supporter”, and “governor appointee” are highly overlapping terms. Don’t know if that was the same for all governors, but it stands out with this one.
- Truth - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 3:14 pm:
Wow. A policy position was filled by a Harvard grad. Let’s all complain about it.
- anon - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 3:54 pm:
Of course this was politics. It was an appointed make work position. This is just silly. Saying it wasn’t shows they have the same level of respect for voters as Rauner: zero.
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 4:02 pm:
==- Truth - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 3:14 pm:==
When you’ve got nothing else to do but complain, you’ve got to find some to blame.
- steve schnorf - Monday, Aug 11, 14 @ 10:59 pm:
walker, so do you expect “long time enemy” and “political opponent” to be a more likely fit with “governor appointee”?