* From the Paul Simon Institute’s poll of southern Illinoisans…
Almost 80 percent of registered voters in the region think the state and the nation are headed in the wrong direction. Fewer than 15 percent think Illinois and the U.S. are on the right track.
“These results probably reflect some of Illinois ’ current conflicts. Most polls show that more people feel their state is doing better than the nation. Not here. ” said John Jackson, a visiting professor at the Institute. […]
Only 37.4 percent approve of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s performance in office, while 50.7 percent disapprove. About one in eight ( 11.9 percent ) had no opinion about the Republican chief executive.
Senator Mark Kirk’s job approval rating is 30.4 percent, with 22.9 percent disapproving. A plurality of voters in the region – 46.6 percent – don’t know how they feel about the GOP lawmaker.
Senator Richard Durbin has approval ratings that exceed his disapprovals , but not by much. Half ( 50.6 percent ) approve of the Democrat’ s performance and a third (33.5 percent) disapprove. There are 16 percent who don’t know.
* Who was polled…
The Simon Institute’s Southern Illinois Poll interviewed 401 registered voters across the 18 southernmost counties in Illinois. The counties are: Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union, Washington, White and Williamson.
It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. This means that if we were to conduct the survey 100 times, in 95 of those instances the results would vary by no ore than plus or minus 4.9 percentage points from the results obtained here.
* React…
“Voters here have been in a bad mood and they continue to be,” said David Yepsen, director of the Institute.
“The only surprise is how many people don’t have an opinion about Senator Kirk. For a statewide Republican incumbent to have such ambivalent ratings down here isn’t a good sign for him as he heads into a tough re-election campaign. He needs to be running well in this area to offset Democratic strengths elsewhere in the state,” he said.
Charlie Leonard, one of the Institute’s visiting professors supervising the poll, said “though Democrats and Republicans are evenly distributed in our southern Illinois sample, this is still a conservative area, and one might have thought of it as fertile ground for Gov. Rauner. For his approval ratings to be ‘upside down’ in southern Illinois this early in his administration may not bode well for the pro-business agenda he’s been trying to push.”
Charlie is right. These are not good numbers at all.
Rauner won all of those counties last year, some by as much as 2-1 or better.
And Kirk? Yikes. He’s almost an unknown quantity. The only elected official doing better than expected in this poll is Durbin.
- LizPhairTax - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 8:26 am:
FWIW Governor Rauner disapproves of most of them as well.
- Doofman - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 8:28 am:
How’s that internal Rauner poll from a few weeks back looking now?
- Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 8:34 am:
Sham polling.
- Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 8:36 am:
I would betcha, with Kirk, his recent statements have made people go from liking him to not knowing how they feel. I think he was a pretty popular guy down there (could be wrong, not looking at any data. Just a feeling.). And now they are questioning his abilities.
- Jack Stephens - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 8:37 am:
When Bruce was talkin’ about Shakin’ up Springfield he never bothered to explain that the Downstate Union Prison workers need only make as much as the greeter at the store just off the exit of the interstate.
Corrections is a huge industry downstate. And Union.
Does society want to continue Mass Incarceration? If so, at what cost? If we are, then taxes must go up to pay for it.
- Keyrock - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 8:41 am:
Blame Madigan for this, too. It must be his fault. /snark
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 8:42 am:
If you have $20 million for 20 races, $9 million in IllinoisGO cash to take on Dem Primaries, this doesn’t poll scare you in the least. Scary Rauner thinks that way, isn’t it?
Rauner also feels he can spend $2 million to “Blame Madigan” which works just as well to disparage bad polling numbers too.
If I’m the GOP GA Political Crews, this doesn’t scare me, it keeps me awake at night with cold sweats.
If I’m the Munger Political Crew, this doesn’t scare me, what scares me is if Unions, Social Services and their Advocates, and Democrats decide the “Munger Statewide Race” is a referendum on Bruce Rauner and… decide to prove a point. That… that would worry me.
- The Captain - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 8:43 am:
Good news for Forby, Phelps, Bradley and Costello as well.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 8:44 am:
Strange that a U.S, Senator could fly so far under the radar.
- Anonin' - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 8:49 am:
OK….so now we go do a press conference to “explain” it all
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 8:52 am:
To Kirk,
Strangely,
This might be “good news” for Artl and that Crew. Maybe they can start over and define Sen. Kirk, reinvent Kirk again, with a plan starting in January, and package Kirk, as Kirk appears to be an Incumbent as an Unknown Quantity.
Yeah, this is 42% snark, but… 58% could be a way for that Crew to make a case, without defending a record(?)
Yikes.
- Jason Horwitz - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:01 am:
“This means that if we were to conduct the survey 100 times, in 95 of those instances the results would vary by no ore than plus or minus 4.9 percentage points from the results obtained here”
Not quite. There’s a 95% chance the results from this sample are within 4.9 percentage points of opinions population-wide. If you were to conduct the survey 100 times, in 95 of those instances, the results would vary by no more than plus or minus 4.9 percentage points from the opinions of the entire population in those counties.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:01 am:
I told the Governor not to close the Sparta shooting range. He didn’t listen. All kidding aside I think this reflects a couple things.
1) Those of little Egypt know lip service out of Pharoah. Wearing Carhardt and riding a Harley are patronizing at best. The man hasn’t worked a hard honest day in his life. His “trash can van” and other stunts show his perfideous character.
2) He’s untrustworthy. Add the above to his actions which shows he doesn’t care about anything south of Chicago. Southernors read daily of closures and layoffs in places South of Chicago. (I’m sure there are one’s north but really the ones south hurt) Money from DCEO flows to the big guys, not South to the little ones.
3. Where are the regional reps for DCEO? Answer: gone. They’ve got one for the whole south. One. Thus, no business help, no representation in the South. No visits. Nothing. I was talking to my local Mayor last month after a community function. He was saying “Rauners folks only called when the Turnaround Agenda was on the docket. Otherwise we’re on our own.”
4) All Bad All The Time About Illinois press shop. There are no good news stories out of the Rauner crew. In their effort to break it so that they can offer the solution to fix it, they have broken the spirit of the people. Is it any wonder that Southern Illinoisans don’t think Rauner is doing a good job? He’s not and they know it. They are not the sheep that he presumed. They don’t want dog and pony shows. They want help and advice, and yes some hand holding and gospel good news to get them through this tough time.
- Anon - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:06 am:
Willy,
===If you have $20 million for 20 races, $9 million in IllinoisGO cash to take on Dem Primaries, this doesn’t poll scare you in the least. Scary Rauner thinks that way, isn’t it?===
I don’t disagree with your assessment at all, but in order to find these poll results somewhat unnerving they would have to both assign validity to the numbers and take a step back from hubris enough to care. I’ve seen politicos take information like this and use it as an excuse to redouble their commitment to the current course of action.
They may also be operating with their own internal polling figures that sample from a much different universe of voters that provide them a different number, and reassure themselves by saying “No — we poll the people who will actually vote. Nothing to worry about here.” There’s not really a name for this, but I guess we could call it the Romney Effect? Romney Bias?
Kirk’s numbers in Southern Illinois are actually kind of impressive for a guy that has spent so little time down here. I just don’t know how they can avoid voters asking the basic question, “so what’cha been up to?”
- Jack Stephens - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:16 am:
Honey:
To your 4th point.
Bruce is using Class Warfare to break the unions to convince us that we need to make less money.
Ironic coming from the man with a mansion in Winnetkastan.
- Apocalypse Now - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:18 am:
Blah! Blah! Blah! John Kasich was in he tank, the upper 20’s in job approval, after his first year in office. Now, he is in the upper 50’s. A timely well timed poll to back up an agenda.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:20 am:
“Voters here are in a bad mood and they continue to be”. All parties, all regions, all ages.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:21 am:
=== after his first year in office===
Yeah, and do you know what turned his numbers around? He stopped bashing unions.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:27 am:
Kirk is an unknown in southern Illinois because a) he never visits the area and b) he has no staff down there. He was advised early in his tenure to open an office in Edwardsville or Marion or Effingham and have a wandering staffer. He chose against it, and he now has almost no presence anywhere south of I-80. I would bet that Governor Rauner will help with that, though, and will ensure that a liaison or two will be “assigned” to central and southern Illinois.
- Deep South - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:29 am:
Its like everywhere else in the state. Voters didn’t vote for Bruce Rauner…they voted to get rid of Pat Quinn. IIRC, Rauner, during the campaign, never gave real specifics about his “agenda.” Well, now that he’s been in office for a few months, Southern Illinoisans are starting to catch on…and they don’t like what Rauner’s trying to sell.
As for Mark Kirk…its more like “Mark who?” around here. I don’t think the guy knows Southern Illinois exists…can’t remember the last time he was south of Mt. Vernon.
- illini - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:30 am:
Honeybear - great points.
Most all my neighbors voted for BVR and are now realizing their folly and wishing they could have an opportunity to reconsider their vote. Granted Pat Quinn had his issues with Southern Illinois. Most were expecting more but are now realizing that they were voting for a caricature rather than someone who was prepared to lead.
Granted MJM and Chicago politics is not completely off the hook, but their harshest critics are now beginning to modify their comments and realize that the problems are much bigger and not as simple to solve as they had hoped.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:31 am:
=== === after his first year in office===
Yeah, and do you know what turned his numbers around? He stopped bashing unions.===
Which is why I’m looking at Kasich as in my Top 3 right now;
Kasich learned.
- AN -, please keep up.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:34 am:
AN, are you suggesting Gov. Rauner do a 180 like Kasich?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:35 am:
“Class warfare to break the unions”? He has successfully reached agreement with unions and negotiated in good faith, unlike the AFSCME override attempt.
The candy jar is empty. Some people refuse to accept that and insist on negotiating as if nothing has changed.
- Sam Weinberg - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:36 am:
- Apocalypse Now -
You’re citing Kasich? You know why he was in the thank after a year? Because Ohio voters hated the anti-union Senate Bill 5 (which contained much of Rauner’s current labor agenda). In a 2011 referendum, voters rejected it 61-39.
Since then, Kasich has run right up the middle and hasn’t raised a finger against labor. And guess what, his numbers rebounded.
So if your point is Rauner’s numbers could be in the 60s if he took a page out of Kasich’s playbook and stopped the union-busting, then I think we’d all agree. Otherwise, I’m not sure what Kasich has to do with anything.
- chi - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:36 am:
To Honeybear’s second and third points, I cannot fathom a lack of DCEO regional reps making Rauner’s approval numbers negative. Look how few people in the poll even have enough info to form an opinion on their Senator. And these same people are basing their opinion of the Governor on DCEO reps?
- Iron Kaiser - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:37 am:
As a Republican from southern Illinois, Kirk is a huge disappointment. During his election the Downstate GOP worked their butts off for him, since then he has done his best to ignore us and what we want. Honestly it’s amazing his approval rating is in the 30’s, because at least amongst the activists downstate there is a great feeling of betrayal. It is very unlikely that Kirk will receive the grassroots support in 2016 that he received in 2010. I have to give Durbin credit, at least he’s down enough for people to actually know who he is.
- CharlieKratos - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:39 am:
Kasich seemed ok until he told seniors they had to “get over it” in regards to lowered social security benefits.
- DecaturGuy - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:40 am:
this summer polling had kirk job approval at -20 and he was losing in double digits. fast forward to fall, and polls have the race at -4/-6 and he has a net positive job approval in this poll.
Everything is very early, but Dems definitely had the opportunity to do a kill shot this summer and they didn’t. That may be the story of this race if Kirk can stay on message and the trajectory maintains.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:43 am:
- He has successfully reached agreement with unions and negotiated in good faith-
Anybody have an update about the Teamsters contracts? I know one was ratified but what about the other 3? I would like to speculate that he only sought those contracts because he was so threatened by SB1229. I know a Teamster over at IDOT who is intensely not happy that they made that deal. Oh, and I have to also think that it was a corrupt bargain with Coli. Being appointed to the labor board after the agreement. Man that smells bad.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:43 am:
Socially liberal Chicagoans were never going to be “popular” in absolute terms in Southern IL. They’ll still beat the Dem down there when they have to, though (though, sure, turnout and margins could be a concern, I guess).
- Jack Stephens - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:44 am:
Republicans support Unions.
The so-called “freedom” wing does not support the 1st Amendment Right to Assemble.
I believe that Kasich “might” understand this.
- From the 'Dale to HP - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:44 am:
Agree with Deep South, there were more anti-Quinn (Dems) votes than pro-Rauner (and GOP) votes than I think most of us realized at the time last year.
I don’t think Rauner cares though because his base is DuPage, DuPage, little of Lake, parts of Cook, and DuPage again. Southern/Central(?) Illinois might be catching/have caught on to this. My guess is downstate GOP legislators realize that they’re carrying a lot of water for the Rauner/DuPage agenda right now, and might be looking for a way to bail. This will give them a little bit of an opening… be interesting to watch over the next few months.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:46 am:
Honeybear - my lovely bride is a Teamster. They ratified the contract. We did the math and, even with a wage freeze, we will come out ahead given the healthcare savings.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:48 am:
- Anon -,
It’s Rauner’s Shop. They feel they know. They feel they know better. Rauner isn’t up for 36 months, the GOP GA, Kirk, Munger, they’re up in 55 weeks.
Granted 55 weeks is like 5 lifetimes, but Rauner wants what Rauner wants, and that $20 million sitting there isn’t to help the GOP grow, it’s there to demand Owl Obedience, even if it costs seats. Rauner can buy/leverage another seat, the members are chits, and only chits.
I can’t tell you how being a fan of the Legislature and it’s processes how ALL of this with the GOP GA has really saddened me.
I hear ya, - Anon -, much respect.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:48 am:
Dale, DuPage ain’t enough to win anything.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:49 am:
==this summer polling had kirk job approval at -20 and he was losing in double digits. fast forward to fall, and polls have the race at -4/-6 and he has a net positive job approval in this poll.==
Never saw those polls in the summer, but remember that this one is regional only. Might not be an apples-to-apples comparison. Every poll I’ve seen for quite a while has been the same- Duckworth up low-to-mid single digits. Feels about right.
==though Democrats and Republicans are evenly distributed in our southern Illinois sample==
Is that a proper sample for this region?
- Jack Stephens - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:50 am:
@anonymous:
If you believe you should earn less money, head into the bosses office and let him/her know.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:50 am:
One other thing to consider with the Kasich “turnaround” - Ohio is a toss-up state in presidential years. Why ruin that by making the national GOP look worse when barnstorming through the state?
- RNUG - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:51 am:
The truest words so far on this topic bear repeating:
== Voters didn’t vote for Bruce Rauner…they voted to get rid of Pat Quinn. ==
- Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:53 am:
===Kasich seemed ok until he told seniors they had to “get over it” in regards to lowered social security benefits.===
That and more. I had high hopes for him. But sadly, no wait, happily, there is apparently no room for me in the GOP. I ain’t pullin’ a GOP ballot to vote for George Pataki. Waste of my time.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:57 am:
Team Sleep, is your spouse the one who ratified right away or one of the other three? Just trying to figure out what happened with it. Oh and thanks for responding. What did you mean about healthcare savings? Is it that the Teamsters have different non-state healthcare? I didn’t quite understand what you meant. Thanks again.
- Snucka - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:58 am:
As others have alluded to, these counties are not Rauner’s base. Yes, he got 63% in these deep southern counties. However, the fact is that iis the vote totals there were reversed, Rauner still wins. Show me a poll that has Rauner at 37% in the collar counties and then you’ll have a better case that he’s in trouble politically.
I think this poll reflects the “buyers remorse” of pro-Union (or at least non union-hating) Republican and independent voters who somehow missed the man’s main message during the campaign and voted for him.
That said, I’m always fascinated by how differently people see “the state” or “the country” as compared to their own local situation. Almost 80% believe that the state and country are going in the wrong direction, and yet only 37% feel that way about their own area. Sort of how everyone hates Congress, but they like (or at least re-elect) their own representatives every two years. Interesting.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:04 am:
Honeybear - the Teamsters will go onto the Teamsters healthcare plan, which of course is separate from the state plan. It all depends on what internal plan you choose. The plan we would likely pick has a VERY low premium, almost no (or no) deductible and marked savings in prescriptions. The co-pays for doctor visits, hospitalizations, surgeries and ER visits are about the same. So at worst the savings is a wash, but some will see an increase in take-home pay.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:07 am:
- Team Sleep -,
1) Are the parameters of the Teamsters’ contracts the same as what’s being offered to, let’s say, AFSCME?
2) Can AFSCME go into the Teamsters’ Health Benefits plan?
Respectfully, OW
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:10 am:
Kasich is hardly the only successful approach.
Wisconsin had a Dem governor and legislature in 2010, and voted Dem for Pres for years.
Scott Walker’s first year was 2011, he survived a recall in 2012, was re-elected in 2014 and until recently was running for President himself. Walker may be an even better example than Kasich.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:11 am:
Willy - no to both.
- Mason born - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:13 am:
Rauners ego led him down this path. All he had to do was be a competent administrator and pick a couple popular issues to “shake up” Springfield say fair maps and term limits. Even if he’d failed to get either he’d be better off than today. Then he could’ve attempted to change his party’s seats and improved his chances at getting any change.
Instead he has championed a set of “reforms” he never sold to voters that at best isn’t even on their radar. Pushed a budget stalemate to the point where D.C. looks functional with no end in sight.
I’m ashamed he polls that high.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:16 am:
” - Anonymous - ” (ugh)
Gov. Walker, what was the majority party of the legislatures during his Administration? Did you forget that point, or…
- Team Sleep -, respectfully, thanks.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:17 am:
Only 37.4 percent approve of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s performance in office, while 50.7 percent disapprove.
“Well, maybe you can’t fool some of the people all of the time.” — Abraham Lincoln (attributed)
– MrJM
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:23 am:
@Jack Stephens:
If you believe you should be paid the same or more even when your employer is overwhelmed in debt, head into the boss’ office and let him/her know you volunteer for the first round of layoffs that will become necessary.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:26 am:
Willy - welcome, and sorry that I couldn’t delve more deeply into specifics.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:30 am:
==Scott Walker’s first year was 2011, he survived a recall in 2012, was re-elected in 2014 ==
The recall was ill-advised, Walker was never really unpopular until his recent crap with the U of W system.
- Jack Stephens - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:36 am:
Don’t feed the trolls!
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:38 am:
“- Oswego Willy -” (ugh)
Gov. Kasich, what was the majority party of the legislatures during his Administration? Did you forget that point, or…
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:40 am:
” - Anonymous - ”
What “happened” that changed Gov. Kasich’s mind when it came to unions, union-bashing, and a labor agenda?
- Louis G. Atsaves - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:43 am:
Most interesting is the overwhelming majority of those polled felt Illinois was on the wrong track, yet the same polled felt their local governments were fine or were on the right track.
- Jack Stephens - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:43 am:
@anonymous:
Should a large beer company buy another….taking on all that debt….for minimal profit?
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 11:04 am:
Poll: Majority of Southern Illinois voters disapprove of Rauner
Rauner didn’t think that he had to prove to citizens that he knew what he was doing. So right after the inauguration, he went “owner” on us, instead of going on a honeymoon and building needed relationships within the State.
This is a man who has always bought his right to make decision wrecking people’s lives, not earning it. So he didn’t understand how to build any credibility in a government.
Rauner wasn’t smart enough to understand that winning the election is the start of his job interview as governor. He isn’t smart enough to recognize that governing means working within an open decision making process, not a closed one like in a business.
Rauner blew it by thinking he can just buy Illinois and then run it like he always ran any other of his acquisitions. Rauner is just a businessman running Illinois like it is a discount department store and completely missing the differences between them.
He should never had run for any elected office, he is like a fat man at a runner’s shoe store, who hates exercise.
It was eventual that everyone is going to figure out that he is in over his head. Polls show that they are now figuring out that he is a disaster.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 11:12 am:
Vanilla- you are so on the money.
1) Buy it
2) Break it
3) Replace it
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 11:20 am:
“- Oswego Willy - ”
Is that an admission you actually made the mistake you were just mocking someone else for making? Or did you forget there were Republican legislatures under both? What “happened”?
No matter what is said about the Ohio referendum or the Wisconsin recall, or even party control of general assemblies, your numerous comments will continue “teaching” us regardless of accuracy or discretion.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 11:25 am:
” - Anonymous - ”
Walker and Kasich are different, as Illinois is different from Wisconsin AND Ohio.
===No matter what is said about the Ohio referendum…===
LOL. “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?”
If you can’t think of a name, that’s says loads about you. The fact you can’t see how a referendum changed Kasich, that’s says loads about your political acumen.
- SO IL M - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 12:11 pm:
I believe that everyone is missing the point on why the poll numbers are what they are in southern Il. Its really very simple why Rauner and Kirk poll so low and Durbin is middle of the road.
Rauner and Kirk —Cub Fans
Durbin—- Toss up could still be a Cardinal Fan
- Juvenal - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 12:27 pm:
The policy institute poll seems to undermine the numbers released by the Rauner Team claiming he walks on water.
Someone is wrong.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 1:28 pm:
Chi- my point about the DCEO reps is simply that small business, heck any business, feels no help from the Rauner administration. Small businesses are the economic foundation of Southern Illinois. They aren’t getting any help. They aren’t getting any advice. They hardly have numbers that they can even call. It used to be that the regional rep was involved in every project, every deal in their region. The RED team rep was the visible face of the Administration. Now nothing. It’s obvious now that no one is even going to get hired to do the job. Thus the lack of business help does indicate an abandonment of Southern Illinois. My opinion
- Williamson County Resident - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 1:42 pm:
== Voters didn’t vote for Bruce Rauner…they voted to get rid of Pat Quinn. ==
Indeed, now is only the electorate that did so would realize elections have consequences, i.e. be careful what you wish for.
- AJ_yooper - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 2:02 pm:
You said it well, Honeybear!
- logic not emotion - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 2:21 pm:
They should have polled a bunch others too. I’d bet that most statewide politicians’ and legislative leaders’ poll numbers would be very low. People are simply tired of the impasse and those who are contributing to it.
- kj - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 2:37 pm:
There is no way Durbin above water in those counties. I would like to see more methodology and a greater background because something smells fishy in these numbers
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 3:33 pm:
== Voters didn’t vote for Bruce Rauner…they voted to get rid of Pat Quinn. ==
I’ll say once again, go read the numbers for 2014, the base Republicans voted, the Democrats didn’t. So by not voting, labor and other Dems allowed Rauner in.
- Saluki beancounter - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 3:34 pm:
Oops forgot to post my nickname on the above anonymous comment.
- illini - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 3:51 pm:
SO ILL M - you could be right - but I am not sure this is the comparison you really want to make.
Game 4 has just started, with the Cards ahead early.
Go Cards!
- Blue dog dem - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 5:45 pm:
Honeybear—good stuff. If poor Shiela Simon weren’t running for Luckys seat. The dems would be poised to pick up a seat. This shooting complex stuff has irritated even die hard repubs. They are laughing at raun man over shutting it down, but continuing to pay workers. What’s next ,releasing the prisoners at Menard and Pinkneyville and paying guards?!
- Johnnie F. - Wednesday, Oct 14, 15 @ 1:54 pm:
Most state building are dumps…ours was built in the 60s and still has all the original bathroom fixtures and rusted unusable cabinetry and work surfaces. We’ve been told since the state owns it, it is cheaper to keep employees using it than renting a different location from the private sector. Thompson Center employees will be moved from one dump to another…only now in some remote and undesirable location. As an employee, be careful what you wish for. This process will not be an exercise in morale building.