Today’s number: $1 million
Friday, Mar 11, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a St. Louis American article last summer about Bob Romanik, “The Grim Reaper of Radio”…
Whether he’s talking about “plantation negro” leadership in East St. Louis or the so-called white elite “bottom feeders,” as he likes to refer to St. Clair County bigwigs, Romanik takes no prisoners.
He’s an ex-East St. Louis and Washington Park cop who often refers to himself as “poor white trash” from the Roosevelt Homes housing projects of ESL and makes no apologies for refusing to snitch on his friends – which, in part, led to his serving a 20-month sentence in the U.S penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas.
Since that time, the former strip club mogul’s new toy is his radio empire. He owns a number of stations that focus on everything from golden oldies to country, sports and talk.
But nothing seems to make his day more than lampooning and humiliating local politicians, with nicknames like state Sen. James “Foghorn” Clayborne, “God” Sprague and Judge John “Red on the noodle like a [expletive deleted] on a poodle” Baricevic.
Lately, though, Romanik has gained the attention of local media with his billboards in the Belleville community, which comically lambast St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern.
His current billboard pictures Kern in a bikini with the caption “Mark ‘Sweetcakes’ Kern should have been a stripper. He’s already stripped us of our tax dollars!”
* We’ve already discussed Romanik. He’s running as a Republican in the East St. Louis-based 114th House District race against Democrat LaToya Greenwood.
Back in January, Romanik stunned some political observers by putting $125,000 of his own money into his campaign account.
Yesterday, Romanik upped the ante by loaning a million dollars to his campaign committee.
* When the Democrats redrew the district maps, the ESL-area district wound up being just 42 percent African-American.
And former Gov. Pat Quinn just barely won the 114th in 2014, 48.3 to 47.6 for Bruce Rauner.
* In other words, you can’t totally count this guy out. Not with that kind of money and reach.
- Dilemma - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 8:26 am:
When did it become ok for crazy people to run for public office? When did it become ok for people who hate government to try to become part of government? Taxes might be too high, and there are a lot of good arguments that can be made for or against any position, but is the voting public so angered that they stopped insisting on intelligent people? (I say this not knowing if he is intelligent, I don’t know him. This just seems ludicrous)
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 8:31 am:
When you have the cash and the name ID, and a window to utilize both, he’s got a shot.
Million bucks with 5 days to go? Wouldn’t count him out at all.
- Bill White - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 8:34 am:
Eh, the Greenwood v Romanik match-up will be in November.
The real question (for me) is whether Romanik can be bought by Rauner.
- Soccermom - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 8:35 am:
Thank you, Rich, for introducing me to this expression, which is apparently well known to others. It even figures in the title of this film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262728/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm
Good to know.
- titan - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 8:36 am:
This is a year where well financed bombastic “outsiders” are gaining some surprising traction.
- Tone - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 8:46 am:
Illinois needs a shake up. We have been ruled by fools for far too long. We have one of the highest tax burdens in the nation and not much to show for it.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 8:48 am:
Clayborne was almost taken out by a challenger with NO money and little support from any establishment entity. Not that any establishment types will help Romanik, but he will be on StL TV (which is expensive).
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 8:50 am:
- Tone -
What are you going to do come next year when the Rauner Tax comes into play?
Rauner requires revenue, and that’s going to happen, even if Rauner closes Easten, Western, and CSU.
- Anon2U - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 8:55 am:
This guy will fit right in with Ives and Phillips. Maybe they can start a scorched-earth caucus?
- cdog - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 8:57 am:
On Romanik, Grim Reaper article says, “Who quietly donates money to food pantries, drives around with dog food in the trunk for stray dogs or assists the destitute without fanfare?”
The Republicans could Rauner even converse with a guy that has a little humility and compassion like this guy might?
Will be fun to watch this dude.
- Ahoy! - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 8:58 am:
If the race is competitive, I’m sure the outside money will flow in the millions.
- cdog - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 9:03 am:
Tone, what tax are you talking about “highest tax burdens in the nation?”
Property tax, yes. Income tax, no. Keep up.
Rauner Tax?
You bet, to get us out of the Rauner Recession.
(IL unemployment in January, moving up to 6.3%. National 4.9%)
- Anon2U - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 9:19 am:
cdog,
Overall tax burden in Illinois is one of, and in a few reports the highest, of any state in the nation. Overall tax burden includes all taxes, property, income, sales, gas, etc…
- AC - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 9:30 am:
State Taxes: Illinois vs. Neighboring States
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vzdgCftMQM
- Honeybear - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 9:32 am:
You think you Northerners have a lock on crazy? But to quote Rich, on a lot of things “he’s not wrong”. There are more than a few kernels of truth in his over the top comments. He should know having been involved in the corruption endemic in the Metro East. Romanik is the product of a complex political landscape down here. He exhibits many of our best and worst traits. Loyalty, generosity, remain in him but his natural humility was long ago corrupted by the seedy side of our region. But maybe his new footing is what allows him to speak his version of truth to power. Like any version of truth it is both correct and incorrect simultaneously. He is a perfect example of a morally ambiguous modern Metro Easterner.
- AlabamaShake - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 9:56 am:
**Million bucks with 5 days to go? Wouldn’t count him out at all.**
He’s running unopposed in the primary. The $1M will be used in the general.
- train111 - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 9:58 am:
Those Illinois Election Data figures on Quinn v s Rauner in that district are garbage. I took those precinct figures from the SBOE and divided them up by Rep District last year and got a significantly different result. However, when I took the precinct data and took every precinct in 114 and didn’t account for split precincts I got the exact same result as Illinois Election Data–meaning that they took every precinct in 114 and added the Quinn, Rauner , and Grim totals for each entire precinct and didn’t take into account that some precincts are split between Districts. My figures-taking into account precinct splits are Quinn 15.611 or 51.93%, Rauner 13,285 or 44.19%, Grimm 1,165 or 3.88%.
Not as close as what’s reported above, but still a lot closer than the Dems would like.
train111
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 9:59 am:
===He’s running unopposed in the primary. The $1M will be used in the general.===
I can think of a better place to park a million bucks…
- Century Club - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 10:01 am:
A millionaire anti-establishment candidate saying crazy things to gin up the right wing - what could go wrong?
- cdog - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 10:09 am:
AC, what a great video by IEPI. It compared all the neighboring states’ tax packages to Illinois’, in a very easy to understand and graphic method.
We have massively lower taxes than these states, sans property taxes. duh.
But, when the MILLIONAIRES TAX FOR EDUCATION AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ACT and/or CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT is passed, and that dang school district comes off my property tax bill, life will be good.
(Curious as to where Romanik stands on Rauner. A self-professed Bot, or still exercising Free Will? What does he say on radio about Rauner?)
- anon - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 10:52 am:
Romanik strikes me as someone who might not just be willing to take orders about how to vote, unlike the current GOP caucuses (except McCann).
- Payback - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 11:01 am:
“..the so-called white elite “bottom feeders,”
I refer to the cliques of aging baby boomers that run or think they run most all-white small towns south of Joliet as the Rotary Club Mafia.
Mostly lawyers, politicians and real estate people who feed off the transactions of others. People who incentivize Wal-Mart to come to town, kill off the local hardware stores, and wrangle IDOT to use eminent domain to destroy farmland to build the Wal-Mart. The type of people who smile at you in church on Sunday, then backstab you with rumors during the week at their crummy nine hole golf course. Illinois small towns and townships are full of these people.
I don’t know who Bob Romanik is, but I like him already.
- Blue dog dem - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 11:14 am:
The RAUN Man would have more voting control over LaToya!! Go Bob Go. We need 118 more just like him.
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 11:21 am:
–Illinois needs a shake up.–
Absolutely.
This state needs more proudly racist ex-cops who’ve done time for going Five Street and apparently have banked millions that they can show the IRS from owning strip clubs.
Positively Lincolnesque.
Seriously, this gangster owns radio stations and can “lend” himself a million dollars?
Tone, how do you think this ex-copper got that money, selling lemonade in East St. Louis?
He must have a heck of a launderer to be able to front a million dollars in the clear.
- Honeybear - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 11:26 am:
-Romanik strikes me as someone who might not just be willing to take orders about how to vote, unlike the current GOP caucuses (except McCann).-
OW/guru’s et al, learner question. Are we seeing the beginning of the end of caucus politics in Illinois? That thought just occurred to me.
- Blue dog dem - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 11:27 am:
Word… The strip club owner may have higher moral standards than the venture capitalist.
- Anonymous - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 11:37 am:
Go Bob Go!
- BIG R. Ph. - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 12:01 pm:
I swear that if elected he will wear this outfit on Day 1 of the Legislative session:
http://www.bnd.com/news/nation-world/national/article46722390.html
Entertaining? Absolutely!!
Who would he align with? Himself. He will be a party of 1 that will be interested in only hearing himself speak.
Where did the money come from? Back in the day (before they were legal) he and Venezia ran the video machines in bars etc in all of St. Clair county. Here is the background:
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/win-lose-die/Content?oid=2492586
Bottom line: He has the $ to get elected.
- Blue dog dem - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 12:10 pm:
Big R….will be interested in only hearing himself speak. You just described 95% of all politicians. But two really jump out that fall into that category. Bill Clinton and that Ron Sandack fellow.
- Tone - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 12:25 pm:
- cdog - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 9:03 am:
Tone, what tax are you talking about “highest tax burdens in the nation?”
Property tax, yes. Income tax, no. Keep up.
Total state and local taxes. Illinois is the 5th highest in the nation.
http://taxfoundation.org/sites/taxfoundation.org/files/docs/State-Local_Tax_Burden_FY2012.pdf
- Tone - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 12:25 pm:
Get your head out of the sand folks. Illinois is one of the highest taxed states in the country. We are also losing population faster than any other state.
- Qui Tam - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 1:29 pm:
“When did it become ok for people who hate government to try to become part of government?”
Since Sam McCann won his first term running on the Tea Party platform with the support of anti-government state workers.
- Aldyth - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 3:04 pm:
Any comment that includes “get your head out of the sand” or “wake up America’ usually isn’t worth reading.
- Apacollypse - Friday, Mar 11, 16 @ 5:00 pm:
Too bad Romanik doesn’t live in Madigan’s district. Now, that would be a primary battle for the ages.