About that new ad…
Monday, Feb 8, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* You may have noticed a new ad today on the blog. Well, they’re not just advertising here…
FULL COURT PRESS. Today’s Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times readers are being hit with splashy full-paid ads courting public support for a resolution in the stalemate between CTU and CPS. Behind the ads: Illinoisans for Growth and Opportunity, a nonprofit organization that says it “is driven by a fundamental belief, grounded in progressive principles, that if government is to be an agent for change and equal opportunity, it must operate effectively and efficiently to maintain public trust and confidence.” In a statement to Illinois Playbook, the group blames the CTU bargaining committee for rejecting a contract offer that it says “met every major demand - guaranteed raises, job security, and pension payments - while avoiding cuts.”
– CLAYPOOL AGREES: In op-ed in the Sun-Times, CPS CEO Forrest Claypool hit the same points: Under the headline “A message to Chicago Teachers Union: Trust is a two-way street,” he writes: “I understand the frustration of teachers. They work hard and give their hearts and souls to their students and in return they expect a fair salary and a dignified retirement. I truly believe that our proposal met those goals.” http://bit.ly/1mmBSGO
– CTU DOES NOT: The union sent a letter to parents late last week, accusing the district of promoting “lies” regarding the district’s economic woes. From DNAinfo’s David Matthews, the letter “is authored by top CPS executives and says the rejected contract would have “raised teachers’ pay, prevented teacher layoffs for economic reasons, and provided for autonomy for teachers in their classrooms.’ ‘It was an agreement worked out with CTU leadership and that was good for teachers, good for parents and most importantly, good for students,’ the letter states.” http://dnain.fo/1L9HZVg
I don’t know what a “full-paid ad” is, but I will be billing them.
* Their ad on this site is entitled “Our elected officials need to tell us: do you support the Chicago Teacher’s Union’s contract rejection?”
But, wait. Didn’t their pal Gov. Rauner also reject the CPS contract offer?
Perhaps a foolish consistency really is the hobgoblin of little minds. We’re in the presence of greatness!
/snark
…Adding… From the twitters…
- There is power in a union... - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 2:29 pm:
The ad fails to mention that 2000 members would have had to retire or the contract would have been reopened.
- The Captain - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 2:34 pm:
FYI, when I first read this ad this morning it wasn’t clear who paid for the ad, there was no identification. I don’t know if that was by design or an oversight but I was curious so I’m glad this cleared that up.
- BIG R. Ph. - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 2:41 pm:
I think I would be gettin’ a credit card # and not tryin’ to collect on invoice…Just sayin’
- Honeybear - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 2:50 pm:
“foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”
Is that Thoreau or Emerson? Love that quote.
- titan - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 2:52 pm:
Perhaps they meant “full page ad”?
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 3:00 pm:
The Captain - Glad I was not the only one.
- Blue dog dem - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 3:15 pm:
I was going to voice my displeasure earlier, but I looked at the VisitorOurAdvertisers clip and saw the culprit. Unfortunately in life I haven’t always thought thing out before I shot my mouth(pen,keyboard) off. I thought as we get older we’re supposed to get wiser?
- Jake From Elwood - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 3:24 pm:
I love it when the Bearded One quotes Emerson.
“adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines”
- Anon - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 3:38 pm:
The CTU appears unreasonable to many. So be it.
But I’d like to see someone make the case that the compensation of Chicago teachers is extraordinarily rich compared to other Illinois school districts, or that their working conditions are more pleasant.
Otherwise, you’re left with two possibilities:
1) Teachers are overcompensated throughout the state. So make that case, rather than singling out Chicago.
2) It’s entirely appropriate that teachers in wealthier school districts make more, because local residents are able and willing to pay more. And it is also appropriate that their relatively rich pensions are then picked up by state taxpayers.
- The Way I See It - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 4:01 pm:
“Full paid” means that they want you to bill them triple your normal rates. Your friendly small business advisor /s
- Eugene - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 4:06 pm:
An ad which may as well be anonymous repeating the talking points of an extremely unpopular mayor. Yes, that will be effective.
- From the 'Dale to HP - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 4:22 pm:
What a waste of money. Maybe they’ll have to have their lunch handed to them a second time by the CTU to understand they’ll never win this way?
- Rod - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 4:37 pm:
Its absurd for the Illinoisans for Growth and Opportunity to argue that the proposal given to the CTU bargaining committee offered “guaranteed raises” and “job security.” Over the life of the contract each teacher would be giving up thousands of dollars. When you lose 3.5 percent of your take home pay each of the first two years of the deal its not a raise is it? If thousands of families flee Chicago the no layoff pledge has no meaning because it was only for “economic layoffs” not those based on declining enrollments.
On the other hand some of the claims made by the CTU that CPS is not as broke as it makes it out to be, i.e. the broke on purpose argument are equally absurd. Even more amazing is the CTU claim the CPS Board was fooled by the banks into losing millions in SWAP deals when it had on it when they entered into the deal one of the leading bankers in Chicago. It was a bad bet plain and simple. The old saying is: If you have a hunch bet a bunch, if your hunch is wrong your bunch is gone.
- TinyDancer(FKA Sue) - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 4:50 pm:
Illinoisans for Growth and Opportunity, a non-profit 501(c)(4) group with anonymous contributors - who makes up these Orwellian names?
Full page spit-takable ad in today’s Trib.
Guess they’re hopin’ the Trib’s readers are just readin’ the ads and skippin’ the reportin’ on what’s actually happenin’.
- foster brooks - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 5:54 pm:
who can afford the tribune?
- Juice - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 6:11 pm:
“Didn’t their pal Gov. Rauner also reject the CPS contract offer?”
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right.
- RRJ - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 7:07 pm:
Just wondering if this is the first shot in a new line of attack from the folks at ILGO(P). They did some weak and unfocused CPS-related mail in Chicago-based legislative districts last summer. Are they going to do a similar mail plan now to get Chicago-based GA members to take sides against CTU?
If so, they have their work cut out for them. I’m no Karen Lewis fan, but I bet her approval rating in Chicago is two or three times higher than Rahm or Rauner’s.
- ANON - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 8:50 pm:
cap fax ad best use of gopac money yet. $9 million more reasons to stay with Rich!
- DuPage Bard - Monday, Feb 8, 16 @ 11:38 pm:
The game continues…the Governor’s front group sides with Emmanuel to say CTU is wrong. Rauner doesn’t side with CTU, but yet still tries to make Emmanuel look bad. Anyone starting to think Rauner wasn’t trying to tank the bond deal but rather scare CTU into going with the Mayor’s contract? Without actually supporting the mayor?