And here it is again…
Thursday, Sep 4, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a press release…
The Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, one of the oldest statewide business organizations in the nation, is issuing its first ever endorsement for the office of Treasurer and is backing Republican candidate Tom Cross. Illinois State Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Maisch said Cross’ commitment to balancing the budget and fighting corruption will serve taxpayers and employers well.
“Tom Cross has distinguished himself as a leader in the fight for responsible, accountable government,” said Maisch. “As House Republican Leader, he fought for common sense lawsuit reform, worked to reduce burdensome regulations and vigorously opposed the Quinn income tax increase. Tom Cross is exactly the type of Treasurer we need to protect taxpayers. Cross’ plans to demand a balanced budget, and take on corruption and fraud are among the reasons we took the historic step of endorsing him for Treasurer.”
* But check out the main subject matter of the Mike Frerichs campaign response…
Rep. Tom Cross is the ultimate Springfield insider, voting over the past 20 years with the special interests and against the interests of Illinois families. In return, lobbyists showered Tom Cross with more than $22,000 in free meals in recent years, but those meals were likely cooked and served by minimum wage workers whose income isn’t keeping up with rising costs thanks to Tom Cross who has opposed raising the minimum wage three times.
Now we know that Tom Cross’ closest ally and one of his biggest donors, Bruce Rauner, would abolish the minimum wage altogether if he could. Those are not the values that Mike Frerichs was raised with in Central Illinois or that he will bring to the Treasurer’s office.
The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is part of a group of business interests that are working against raising the minimum wage from $8.25 to $10.00 in Illinois. Rep. Tom Cross has not voted to raise the minimum wage three times in his 20-year Springfield career (2003, 2006, and 2014). If Rep. Cross had his way, the minimum wage in Illinois would still be $5.15 as it was in 2003 when he first voted against raising it.
- Da Moat - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:22 am:
Yes. Because the Constitutional duties of the Office if the Treasurer are all about “balancing the budget” and “fighting corruption.”
- Da Moat - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:24 am:
And if people don’t think illegal aliens will still work under the table for less than whatever the minimum wage is at any given time they oughta wake up.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:25 am:
Good “get” by Cross, some of the rhetoric is weak, at best, but the “get” was good politics…
Now, …. by far, not even close, the best “work product” that has come out of the Frerichs’ Crew this whole run. Period.
Maybe - YDD -, is helping those guys(?)
- Twitter Proofreader - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:25 am:
But once the voters hear about the typos Frerichs’ interns made on twitter, Cross will seal the deal. I mean, what a bumbling fool Mike is not to have released his entire oppo book in a 17 page press release already and stupidly sitting on what could have been great hits, like Cross taking 22K in free meals from lobbyists and voting three times against raising the minimum wage. If only he could have got that out there in July like Cross did. A million bucks of TV time? Too little too late. His twitter typos have already sunk him.
Aren’t I right, Springfield conventional wisdom?
- IL Spoof Team - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:27 am:
Does a 7th grade girl write Frerichs’ press releases? I can hear the screeching from here.
The second sentence… holy run-on batman. There are teachers who had to be talked out of throwing themselves off the roof of a school building in Gifford after reading that.
- Cassiopeia - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:29 am:
I can’t help but wonder if the Democrats are not overplaying the minimum wage issue. The number of people truly effected by this are small AND, more importantly, the Democrats have been in charge of the Governor’s Office and the legislature for over a decade and haven’t seen fit to raise it to the levels they are now touting.
Plus Quinn’s stunt this past week is insulting to working people.
- IL Spoof Team - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:32 am:
Twitter Proofreader-
Zack Koutsky, is that you? Or are you one of the Champaign sycophants who have become internet refugees now that Big Debbies House closed down?
- RNUG - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:33 am:
And exactly what constitutional authority does the Chamber think Tom Cross will have to balance the budget?
- John Boch - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:34 am:
Frerichs was my state senator for a whole lot of years.
I don’t recall him introducing or championing any minimum wage increases these past few years.
His “advocacy” seems a little bit opportunistic.
But then again, I repeat myself as he’s a politician in Illinois…
John
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:34 am:
@FakeMikeFrerichs - I just can’t catch a break, I have Dopey commenters reminding others to Mock me over and over #MoreFakeTweetsPlease
- Easy - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:35 am:
Was not paying your taxes also part of Frerichs value system that he will bring to the Treasurer’s office
- LincolnLounger - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:36 am:
RNUG: He’s going to sue the General Assembly/Governor if they keep passing these “balanced” budgets that aren’t balanced.
It’s an interesting proposal. Nothing else has worked, so . . . .
- Anon - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:42 am:
The Chamber forgot to remind conservatives that Cross also voted for driver’s licenses for undocumented aliens, for medical marijuana, and for marriage equality.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:47 am:
It appears that the Minimum Wage controversy is in play so that there could be more than a few Democratic voters this November. The entire thing plays to Democratic voters and anything a GOP candidate can do to address it in any way, is a loss for the GOP.
My advice is to let them use the Minimum Wage Increase to somehow help with their turnout and avoid falling to any arguments over it.
If it was such a savior, Pat Quinn would have ensured that the Illinois Minimum Wage would have increased more than the quarter it has since he has been governor.
Actions speak louder than words, and Quinn’s actions on the Minimum Wage don’t synch with his words during this campaign. It is a big ruse.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 11:48 am:
The Minimum Wage is Pat Quinn’s Property Tax Freeze.
- IL Spoof Team - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 12:28 pm:
If the Democrats really wanted the minimum wage to be a turnout driver, they should have made it a binding referendum, something the legislature is perfectly able to do.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 12:34 pm:
What does a commitment to balance the budget have to do with the Treasurer’s Office? That’s not even within the powers of that office.
- IndependentVoter61282 - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 1:12 pm:
Once again Mike Frerichs stands tall for Illinois’ underpaid workers!
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 1:25 pm:
–Cross’ plans to demand a balanced budget, and take on corruption and fraud are among the reasons we took the historic step of endorsing him for Treasurer.”–
I understand candidates pretending that treasurer is a big job, but the chamber looks silly getting into the act.
“Historic” how, by the way? In their own minds?
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 1:41 pm:
== The Minimum Wage is Pat Quinn’s Property Tax Freeze. ==
I thought the Property Tax Rebate was Quinn’s Property Tax Freeze? /s
- A guy... - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 3:26 pm:
Is there a font big enough out there to stress this is the first time they’ve ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, taken a position in the um, um, um, um, um, Treasurers race. That’s not even big news in a cubicle.
- walker - Thursday, Sep 4, 14 @ 7:27 pm:
The problem with Cross suing the state for producing a not-really-balanced “balanced budget” is that he could be a material witness for both plaintiff and the defendant.