* 2012: Gov. Pat Quinn replaces Manny Sanchez at the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority in a bitter fight over the governor’s choice for executive director. 2014: Manny Sanchez endorses Bruce Rauner for Governor. 2015: Manny Sanchez appointed to Illinois Sports Facilities Authority by Gov. Rauner…
Manny Sanchez, ousted from the board of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority two years ago, has been reinstalled by Gov. Bruce Rauner to the city-state panel that owns U.S. Cellular Field.
The Chicago attorney, who was removed amid controversy in 2012 by Gov. Pat Quinn, has been named chairman of the ISFA’s seven-member board. He replaces former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr.
“I’m ecstatic,” Sanchez said today. “I look forward to growing the revenue sources at U.S. Cellular Field and protecting the interests of the state and the city in terms of (the ball park’s) fiscal viability.”
*** UPDATE *** The AP basically describes this as a Rauner reform move…
Gov. Bruce Rauner has replaced the leader of an Illinois agency that gave ex-Gov. Pat Quinn’s former campaign manager a $160,000-a-year job.
Rauner on Monday appointed supporter Manny Sanchez as chairman of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Sanchez replaces former state Sen. Emil Jones Jr.
Jones was among the four Quinn appointees who voted last month to hire 30-year-old Lou Bertuca to lead the agency that built and operates U.S. Cellular Field. Three board members appointed by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel voted no.
- Del Clinkton - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:35 pm:
“Shakin up Springfield” arentcha Bruce!
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:38 pm:
Anyone would be an improvement over Emil.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:39 pm:
“Debt paid” - Bruce Rauner
- Liberty - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:39 pm:
Why am I not surprised?
- CircularFirin'Squad - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:41 pm:
This should draw praisin’ from Handout Andy, ReBooters, IPI and all the rest of the so-called reformers.
- Big Joe - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:42 pm:
Helps to back a winner, doesn’t it?
- anonymous - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:43 pm:
Bruce the BSer - just the beginning folks. Shakin’ down Springfield
- Commander Norton - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:44 pm:
Well, he only promised to shake up Springfield. Chicago, as always, is an entirely different matter.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:46 pm:
“Would you like a recept?” - Manny Sanchez
- 1776 - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:48 pm:
I’ll take Manny over Emil Jones seven days a week.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:50 pm:
Somewhere Jerry Reinsdorf is planning an expansion of the Captain Morgan Club. I mean, why wouldn’t he dream big? We’re the ones paying for it.
You can put it on the taxpayer’s tab…YES!
- anon - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:51 pm:
even if this isn’t really a shakeup isn’t this still an improvement?
- anon - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:05 pm:
Baam!
- Anon - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:19 pm:
Excellent choice. Quality guy through and through.
- Snucka - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:20 pm:
- anon - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:51 pm:
even if this isn’t really a shakeup isn’t this still an improvement?
Maybe, maybe not. The fact is that Rauner is doing just the same things for which he slammed Quinn.
Reading stories like this, and then the quotes from his hatchet woman Arudin, chills me to the bone. Pat Wuinn warned of “savage cuts” under a Gov. Rauner. I fear that such rhetoric will pale in comparison to the human suffering that these animals are about to unleash on the great State of Illinois.
- A guy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:21 pm:
That’s like appointing 2 people when you consider who’s replacing who.
- Been There - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:25 pm:
Does Rauner have anyone running Boards and Commissions? Nothing has been updated on that site for awhile. This would be an easy thing to do to at least look transparent.
- Mokenavince - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:25 pm:
Just the same old revolving door in Springfield.
- anon - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:25 pm:
And I’m sure Rauner would deny there is any payback for Manny’s endorsement, and that he would deeply resent any insinuation to the contrary. No more business as usual, indeed!
- Under Further Review - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:27 pm:
Go Bruce go! Now shake up the clowns that Jones installed at Chicago State University.
- Old Timer - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:45 pm:
I’ll take anyone over Jones
- JS Mill - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:50 pm:
Politics. As. Usual.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:58 pm:
Now it makes sense that the Rauner Cew wanted AP to be the only news source at the Inaugural.
First the Sun-Times, now the AP…
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:59 pm:
I was being snarky…
- NorthernGOP - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 4:11 pm:
It has been a good week for the Dems, Bruce has been better to the Dems that Quinn has!
Manny had a good week, his law partner gets Labor and he gets sports authority!
seems like all the appointments are going to Democrats and out of stator’s???
I voted for him because I thought he was a republican!!!!!
- Soccermom - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 4:14 pm:
I guess I left my outrage at home. PQ kicked Sanchez off the board because Sanchez supported the more qualified candidate to lead ISFA. Sanchez, justifiably annoyed, publicly supported Rauner. Rauner demonstrated to the political world that he understand the favor economy by putting Sanchez back on the ISFA.
There’s a lot I don’t like about Rauner, but this seems pretty straightforward. And by all accounts, Sanchez was doing a decent job of board oversight when he got booted off for his refusal to support an unqualified candidate. So NBD.
- Wordslinger - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 4:48 pm:
Some of the comments here are hilarious, like Sanchez is some goo-goo choice. It’s old school politics payback, pure and simple.
Sanchez was on the ISFA board when they ponied up $7 million in tax dollars to build Jerry’s Bacardi at the Park restaurant.
The ROI for taxpayers? Zero, every year, in perpetuity.
That’s shakin it up, Businessman Bruce.
Sanchez wants to increase revenue? Start with that $1.5 million in rent the Sox pay every year for 82 dates, while the taxpayers foot an exponentially larger bill for all operations, maintenance and renovations, and get nada on concessions, parking or tickets (unless the Sox draw over 1.925 million).
Not to mention the $50 million in debt service the taxpayers shell out on the construction bonds every year.
Going to get some concerts there, Manny? I don’t think so. Jerry no likey concerts at Cominskey, because he doesn’t get a cut and they compete with his United Center.
The ISFA is a testament to public funding of private fortune.
Sanchez will be a “reformer” and Rauner will shake it up when they kick Jerry off the welfare.
- Original Rambler - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 4:58 pm:
Been There 3:25
No.
- JS Mill - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 5:14 pm:
@Wordslinger- Cubs fan? Kidding.
You are absolutely spot on with US Cellular. As much as I love my Sox this was a TOTAL bilking of the tax payer. This has become the norm in America though. The uber wealthy use the public treasury for special deals and bailouts to preserve or increase their wealth.
- Judgment Day (on the road) - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 5:45 pm:
“…..and get nada on concessions, parking or tickets (unless the Sox draw over 1.925 million).”
Is that over a 5 year or a 10 year period?
- Soccermom - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 6:10 pm:
Word, I yield to your greater knowledge on this one.
- DuPage Dave - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 6:38 pm:
Perhaps I’m misremembering, but wasn’t the vote on the “new Comiskey” the one where they stopped the clock at 11:59 to scrounge up more votes? Or at least one of those examples.
Still waiting for McCuddy’s to re-open in their new location, Jim.
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 7:18 pm:
==- DuPage Dave - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 6:38 pm:==
It was.
Anyway, Wordslinger is spot on with his facts and assessment.
More here: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20111026/NEWS02/111029790/reinsdorfs-sweet-deal-at-u-s-cellular-field-gets-even-sweeter
- Raunerbot - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:11 pm:
Well done Governor…we need competent people everywhere.
- Raunerbot - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:12 pm:
So much to do still in order to weed out the political hacks, and incompetent wannabe’s.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 27, 15 @ 7:24 am:
- Raunerbot -,
This is political payback not political cleansing.
Please know the difference.
- Hit or Miss - Tuesday, Jan 27, 15 @ 9:13 am:
I see the appointment of Manny Sanchez as chairman of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority as a strange way to ’shake up’ things in Illinois. A better way would be to shut down the Illinois Sports Facilities after selling all of its assets to someone in the private sector. The funds paid to the state for the assets could be used to pay some of the states unpaid bills and/or partially fund the states various pension plans.