92 Comments - Waffle Fries - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:06 am: I just…what? None of this is real right? - RNUG - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:08 am: A Labor Day parade without Labor? Unbelievable … you can’t make this stuff up … - Fusion - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:11 am: ==I think the unions have been destroying this country for 50 years now== Mr. Caffray and I have two different definitions for the word “destroy.” Exactly what death, destruction, and mayhem have unions been causing since 1966?? - Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:12 am: ===says effort to curb unions really intended to protect nation’s hardest workers=== “Yeah. If those worker’s got to do as little as I do as poorly as I do, nobody would get a thing done.” - @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:14 am: But the most important thing is that Pat Quinn learned himself a lesson, rite? – MrJM - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:14 am: Oswego. The center of Illinois politics. To the Post, I guess the only thing is say to all of labor, be it teachers, laborers-trades, police and fire… … the traditional labor supporters of some Republicans as far back as… 2014… If you are in labor, have family in labor, and understand the historic significance labor has had with Illinois Republicans, all Rauner is doing is destroying, scorching the earth, actually, to bringing Republicans and labor to a compromise. That’s the key, isn’t it? Conpromise? I can’t image labor as a whole, or each group individually, thinking… “We can support that Raunerite, um, er, that Republican” No quarter, labor. None. Vote accordingly. You won’t win everywhere, but your presence will be felt everywhere. You may have more McCann results than just taking what Rauner is giving. Be impactful, labor, be the difference. No passes, that’s over now. OW - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:17 am: Governor Rauner, Your Decatur slides in a PowerPoint made clear… lower wages. How is protecting the hardest workers coincide with… lowering wages for workers? “You earn less, purposely, but you’ll thank me” Makes zero sense. - Bobby Catalpa - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:18 am: Caffray’s comments — and comments like that — are usually sour grapes. Unions get benefits. If I can’t get the same benefits without a union, unions are bad. Ergo, we’re better off without ‘em. Rauner’s comments, on the other hand, are trickle-down-econmics-Laffer-esque. Which is to say: completely bonkers. - kimocat - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:19 am: Bruce Rauner — new champion of the “hardest workers!” Gag. - Publius - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:21 am: Ignorance has no bounds - illini - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:21 am: This just keeps getting better. First he endorses The Donald and now he walks in a non-union Labor Day parade. Wondering what will be next? - ChicagoVinny - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:23 am: Taking Caffray’s comments at face value, in that time period the union membership rate has declined from nearly 30% -> 11% nationwide. Which means unions are 3X more efficient at destroying the country than they were 50 years ago. Impressive! /s - IllinoisBoi - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:24 am: Rauner: You, the nation’s hardest workers, need to make less money. - A Citizen - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:25 am: We have one of the best of the top nine Governors in our great country. That being said yall feel free to return to your repetitive snarky comments. - Nick Name - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:25 am: “Jim Caffray…appreciated the fact there weren’t any unions in the parade.” “Rauner at Naperville parade; says effort to curb unions really intended to protect nation’s hardest workers.” Um…um…vote accordingly, Labor. - chi - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:26 am: “Protect” them from high wages, health and retirement benefits. - @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:27 am: Ever notice how some people will unconsciously tilt their head to the side when they’re listening to somebody say something unbelievable? – MrJM - Buster crab - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:29 am: The decline of union membership in this country has coincided with the stagnation of wages and a shrinking middle class. Those who think the State of Illinois will save money by crushing unions haven’t thought it through. Any money saved will be absorbed into the budget. Your taxes won’t go down. The only palpable result for most people will be that their neighbors will be poorer, and wages in Illinois will continue to stagnate. - JS Mill - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:30 am: =Your Decatur slides in a PowerPoint made clear… lower wages. How is protecting the hardest workers coincide with… lowering wages for workers? “You earn less, purposely, but you’ll thank me”= OW boils it down very nicely in his post. This is really the whole point of the Rauner “movement”. Lower wages, for just about everyone. Not innovation, better service, better products, just lower wages. That is where big business is these days. Somebody help me understand how lower wages fixes things. - RNUG - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:31 am: Napierville, one of the State’s wealthier and less diverse communities. From the city’s website: Population: 146,128 as of the 2014 Census estimate Demographics (as of the 2010 Census): White - 76.5% Asian - 14.9% Hispanic or Latino - 5.3% Black -4.7% Median Age: 35 Median Family Income: $127,554 (via 2010-2014 ACS) Median Household Income: $109,512 (via 2010-2014 ACS) - Give Me A Break - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:33 am: Remember AFSCME members, this is the guy you went with instead of PQ, you know him, the Gov. you pulled your stunts on during Gov’s Day at the State Fair. How’s that working out for you AFSCME folks? Lady Karma says hello. - Honeybear - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:33 am: I particularly love the fawning spouse. Perfect Perfidious Social Services support perfidious Governor marching in a perfidious Labor day parade. Literally perfect perfidy - Aldyth - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:41 am: Nothing like walking a Labor Day parade in a community that won its War on Poverty by pricing homes upwards of $350,000. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:45 am: I really have to question whether those who are anti-union ever were schooled in why unions came to be in our history. Do they understand that union activity has resulted in better working conditions for every worker? Union or non? A voice for working people to support their rights so that sweat shops aren’t the norm? Or are sweat shops a really really good thing? I’m so amazed by how so many would advocate for their own demise. Unless, of course, they own the business. - Anon221 - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:45 am: Keepin’ Illinois in his back pocket! (Look at the pic in the Sun-Times article. Looks like a seal of Illinois cap.) - GraduatedCollegeStudent - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:56 am: be right back, I’m trying to find a Veterans Day parade without all of those pesky soldiers. - Nick Name - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:58 am: “I think that’s great, actually. Because I think the unions have been destroying this country for 50 years now,” he said while enjoying a paid day off that exists to honor the sacrifices of unions. Fixed it. - Honeybear - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 9:59 am: Give me a break. point of order, it was mostly trades that went with Rauner. Ironically it was the IDOC Afscme’s that voted for Rauner. True, a lot of AFSCME’s didn’t vote at all but the majority of support came from the trades. I am 100% confident that the vast majority for Rauner amongst AFSCME has dried up with his attacks. I’m still worried about the trades folks who still believe in the line of “shaking up Springfield”. - Huh? - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:02 am: “We have one of the best of the top nine Governors in our great country.” Ok, I’ll bite, what makes 1.4% one of the best if the top 9 governors in the country? Is he one of the best because he is dismantling the social safety net for the less fortunate citizens of the State? Is he one of the best because he has seriously underfunded higher education to the point where professors are leaving for more stable institutions? Is he one of the best because he is not paying the bills of vendors and suppliers? Or is it because he is refusing to negotiate with AFSCME? Or is it because he runs around the State on non-stop campaign mode claiming that everyone who disagrees with him is corrupt? - Huh? - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:07 am: I have a request - if you are going to write a post such as this one: “You, the nation’s hardest workers, need to make less money.” Please add the unsaid sentence: “So I and my rich buddies can make more money at your expense.” - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:09 am: ===We have one of the best of the top nine Governors in our great country.=== Every single governor in the country has a budget, but one. Even Pennsylvania. Crain’s… “By nearly every measure, the state is worse off since Rauner took office.” Questions? To the Post, Let’s not forget the Mexican Salad tweet. Let’s not forget how Trump sees people in such a cartoonish way. If you’re an ethnicity, Rauner has a stereotype for you(?) That’s not building a party. Ever. - Rabid - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:10 am: My govenor thinks the hardest worker is the one who makes the most money that must be protected - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:11 am: ===If you’re an ethnicity, Trump has a stereotype for you(?)=== My apologies. Typo. I was wrong. Rauner’s support of Trump… that’s tough to explain away. - Anon - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:12 am: Interesting that a billionaire use a labor day parade to say that unions don’t protect hard workers. It’s like this dude is unaware of the history behind when people like him used to kill people like me for not wanting to work 12 hour days 6 days a week. - Sam Weinberg - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:12 am: He’s making a statement. Though — like his preferred presidential candidate’s visit to Mexico — the statement is “I’m a coward.” He talks plenty tough. But he wouldn’t last 5 minutes in a parade that included men and women from the trades. And he knows it. - A guy - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:13 am: That parade culminates a festival in town called “Last Fling”, more of an end of the Summer celebration than a Labor Day parade. But, it is on Labor Day. It seems Naperville jumped on this one years ago because it didn’t have to compete with some of the other holidays. That’s always a pretty fun parade. That community has gotten so big that there’s sort of a north and south to it now. Their Ribfest and their Last Fling are among the events that tie them all together. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:13 am: By the way, has anyone told our governor that he is a public servant? In fact, he is the ultimate public servant. He’s supposed to be serving the best interests of the citizens of the state. Maybe if he knew he was a public servant he’d abdicate his role. - illinoised - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:15 am: A new tradition, Unlabor Day. - Huh? - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:18 am: “If you’re a member of a union, Rauner has a stereotype for you.” Fixed it for you. - phocion - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:21 am: Off topic, but the Governor looks very thin lately. - Trolling Troll - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:25 am: Well he can’t send those non-Union hate workers to ITT tech. Just like every other greedy flimflam Ponzi scheme perpetrated by the 1%, it has closed its doors. $3billion in federal tax money gone! Now tell me why we don’t need protection from these people. I bet those teachers had health benefits, defined pensions, and severance packages. - steward - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:27 am: Sure. Protect workers by eliminating their protections on the job? Riiiight… Figures rauner would find Naperville to be friendly territory. That place is boss heaven. A Labor Day parade without unions? That’s like seeking out a MLK day parade that the NAACP doesn’t bother going to. Hilarious. Labor Day was basically created out of the Pullman Strike. That ceremony that Rauner wasn’t allowed to go to when Obama signed the bill making Pullman a national park. - crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:31 am: ==Off topic, but the Governor looks very thin lately.== Which is strange since 85% of his “governance” has consisted of instagramming at restaurants. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:32 am: …more of an end of summer celebration than a Labor Day parade…. Baghdad Bob, The City of Naperville on its website references its Labor Day Parade as The Labor Day Parade at least a half dozen times. Google Naperville Labor Day Parade. - Scamp640 - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:35 am: Studies show that unions help to raise the wages even for non-union workers. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2016/08/30/decline-unions-has-hurt-all-workers-study/89557266/ I admire Rauner for consistently preventing facts from getting in the way of his ideology. - steward - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:44 am: So everyone morally against unions was at work yesterday right? /s You’ll enjoy the fruit of what labor fought for but demonize the organizations. Kind of like anti-union employees in union jobs. Boggles the imagination… - Matt Vernau - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:45 am: To jsmill at 9:30. Lowering wages and benefits will “fix” things. In the long run the workers will get another chance to figure out why organizing is important. Grandpa Vernau used to hide Wobblies in the basement. Honeybear what is your source on how various subsets of union workers voted in the last election? - @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:47 am: “Google Naperville Labor Day Parade” But isn’t Google more of an end of summer celebration than a search engine? – MrJM - Honeybear - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:50 am: –Off topic, but the Governor looks very thin lately.– Okay so switching collars (a Navy phrase, the chaplains cross is on one side and the officer rank is on the other. So for this I’m switching to the cross) He does look thin. I noticed that immediately. Yeah, that’s not healthy. I might fight him tooth and nail but I don’t like anyone loosing a lot of weight. Hey, they don’t call me honeybear for nothing. - Honeybear - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:53 am: Matt Vernau, totally anecdotal and knowing my membership AND also having worked contacts and events with a lot of folks in the trades community in the last year and a half. Sorry my bad, I presented it like a fact with no disclaimer. Thanks for busting me. Keep me honest folks. - City Zen - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:54 am: @RNUG - Your Naperville demographics… White - 76.5% Asian - 14.9% Hispanic or Latino - 5.3% Black - 4.7% …versus Minnesota, the state that everyone here holds up as the model Illinois should mirror: White - 84% Asian - 5% Hispanic or Latino - 5% Black - 6% Naperville is more diverse than you think, just not in the way you define diversity. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:56 am: - Matt Vernau - Just note 2 in 5 labor households voted Rauner. Check the Google. If labor get that to 1 in 5 or better 1 in 6 in the micro races, that could be impactful… in the right races. See “McCann” - Louis Capricious - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:57 am: === I particularly love the fawning spouse. === Yup. The constant adoring smile must strain the face. - A guy - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 10:59 am: ===“Google Naperville Labor Day Parade”==== Sorry fellas, just trying to give you some local perspective. Been to, and in, that parade many times. It’s never emphasized the labor component. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 11:02 am: Diverse is so subjective. I believe Naperville has one of the highest Asian percentages per population. Is Asian not the right minority to be considered diverse? - LizPhairTax - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 11:03 am: Naperville’s laborless Labor Day parade is good, but is it Winnetka Bud Billiken parade good? At that one, everyone gets a dog whistle. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 11:08 am: ===Been to, and in, that parade many times. It’s never emphasized the labor component.=== Then I guess “they” seem to be missing the whole “Labor” aspect of Labor Day? Ugh. - Give Me A Break - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 11:15 am: Honeybear: Agree many of the trades helped lead the charge for Rauner. But I saw lots of AFSCME workers (many DHS Harris Bldg. types) telling others to vote for Rauner to show PQ that won’t take his “abuse”. I’m really having a hard time feeling any pity for AFSCME right now, they picked a horse to ride and now that horse has tossed them and I’m suppose to feel sorry for them? - Obamas Puppy - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 11:16 am: Sometimes in those quiet places the truth comes out. - Groundhog Day - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 11:26 am: Hi, old Naperville girl here. I like to say–honestly–that I grew up in a small farm town called Naperville. Anyway, A guy is entirely correct. In Naperville, the big celebration on the weekend that includes the first Monday of September was “The Last Fling” celebration, including a parade. This goes back at least until the late 1960s. I grew up not really understanding the significance of Labor Day. Just an end of summer celebration. - paddyrollingstone - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 11:29 am: A better quote about Labor in America than Governor Ruaner’s: The labor movement means just this: It is the last noble protest of the American people against the power of incorporated wealth. Wendell Phillips - Mama Retired - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 11:46 am: Notice the people in the background have their backs turn to him, LOL! - OneMan - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 11:47 am: I walked that parade with a GOP group when Keys ran for Senate (it was right after he was named the candidate and the Chicago TV stations where there), it was US some kids doing karate then a large group (larger than they allowed) walking with Keys. At least back then there were a several unions in the parade, even joked with a guy from one of the groups about a Union parade in Naperville. - Jack Kemp - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 11:51 am: Why is a Labor Day parade without “labor” so unbelievable? I’ve been to dozens of Labor Day parades across this state, towns big and small. I’ve rarely-if-ever seen “labor” represented there. Well, insofar as we apparently consider unions the only laborers. - steward - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 11:56 am: “Well, insofar as we apparently consider unions the only laborers.” Read the history of Labor Day… - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 11:59 am: - Jack Kemp - Re-read your comment. You haven’t seem labor, you don’t know if you’ve seen labor… What are you saying exactly? lol - Chicago 20 - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:03 pm: Rauner doesn’t seem to know what Labor Day commemorates or is rewriting history for his agenda. From WLS-TV, “Happy Labor Day! Enjoy the parade,” said Rauner. “It’s about celebrating the accomplishments, the achievements of the hardworking people across the United States.” - HRC2016 - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:07 pm: Jim Caffray, a home remodeler from Oswego, says he likes that the governor is fighting the Democratic machine, and appreciated the fact there weren’t any unions in the parade. “I think that’s great, actually. Because I think the unions have been destroying this country for 50 years now,” he said. [Emphasis added.] Just unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable! As a proud and strong union member for the last 20 years, I think people like Jim Caffray need to learn the history of the labor movement. Oh and Naperville, you should probably call it the Last Fling Parade and not a Labor Day Parade if there is not going to be any Labor unions marching in your parade. - Anotherretiree - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:08 pm: Eric Cantor said it best… “Today, we celebrate those who have taken a risk, worked hard, built a business and earned their own success.” - sal-says - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:10 pm: What’s the caption? The Mrs: ‘My Hero. The ‘heck’ with those poor souls in need that My Hero keeps stiffing.’ - Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:10 pm: I have never been to nor have I heard of a Labor Day parade, complete with big union members (only) marching. Does anyone know of such a thing? I guess Naperville needs to rename it’s parade to Last Fling parade, since that is exactly what it’s intent is in culminating a weekend of festivities to celebrate the end of summer. Labor Day just happens to coincide with the beginning of school, beginning of fall (not literally, but we all know that September is not a “summer” month in most peoples’ minds) and closing of swimming pools, etc. Naperville: rename your parade. - AC - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:11 pm: The Quinn/Rauner race is over, and hopefully there will never be another Quinn/Rauner race. Democrats need labor, even the ones that protested against Quinn at the state fair. Schadenfreude probably isn’t the best strategy for Democrats to GOTV. Similarly, labor needs Democrats, more than ever before, because the Illinois Republican party is now a mostly owned subsidiary of Rauner. Defeating labor is Rauner’s central goal, and he wants Munger, Wojcicki Jimenez and other hand picked folks to help him do that. - sal-says - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:12 pm: Would also suggest a read: The Whitestone, NY’s Queens Tribune has a commentary by Ron Shafran titled: “Thoughtful Voting Rings Loud On Labor Day” - Steve Polite - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:20 pm: Give Me A Break @11:15 am: I’m really having a hard time feeling any pity for AFSCME right now, they picked a horse to ride and now that horse has tossed them and I’m suppose to feel sorry for them? AFSCME Council 31 endorsed Pat Quinn not Governor Rauner. Individual members are free to endorse, campaign, and vote for whomever they choose. http://www.afscme31.org/news/afscme-sets-course-for-nov-election - Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:20 pm: – Rauner…. says efforts to curb unions meant to protect nation’s hardest workers– Gov. Rauner doesn’t think you’re very smart. - Reality Check - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:35 pm: @Give Me A Break and @Honeybear, in fact AFSCME endorsed Quinn not Rauner in the general, and endorsed Dillard not Rauner in the primary. Leave your revisionism at the door. - Jocko - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:36 pm: In the spirit of things, Bruce is planning on dressing up as Leif Erikson for the upcoming Columbus Day parade. - Demoralized - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:48 pm: ==Well, insofar as we apparently consider unions the only laborers.== I guess we have to balance out the Governor’s assertion that going after labor protects the hardest workers. So we’re even right? Sheesh. - Doug Simpson - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:49 pm: @jocko: At the National White Pride Parade, er, I mean Thanksgiving parade….what will Bruce dress up as? - blue dog dem - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 12:56 pm: Maybe…..maybe Barak Obama, in light of his support of TPP, should also have marched in this parade. Unions. Vote. Accordingly. - Give Me A Break - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 1:14 pm: AFSCME may haved endorsed PQ, but their rank and file members walked away from him the election. Look at the totals Rauner rang up in Sangamon County, those numbers reflect state workers voting and they did so in large numbers for Rauner. I worked in the Harris at the time, I heard what they were saying and watched their actions. Sorry AFSCME, Rauner is your guy, live with it. - Anon poster - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 1:16 pm: Kinda like celebrating the 4th of July as British Colonialism Day. - Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 1:23 pm: When is America going to wake up and realize corporate overlords really do have our best interests at heart? - Dr X - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 1:32 pm: So havin’ unions protects only non hard workin’ workers. That is the real message. But I imagine there is a prison guard in S. Illinois shakin’ his head in approval of Rauner’s quote cuz the guard knows in his heart that he’s not the problem - it is the other guards. Pretty soon he’ll find out that Rauner has no respect for ANY state worker. But by then it will be too late. - Last Bull Moose - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 1:35 pm: Unions were free to march in the Naperville parade. They chose not to march. And yes there are unions in Naperville. Teachers union is strong. - A guy - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 1:37 pm: ===Then I guess “they” seem to be missing the whole “Labor” aspect of Labor Day?=== Yes. I suggesting just that. I’ve been to, and in the South Side St. Pat’s parade too. I know what a “labor” parade looks like. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 5:33 pm: –Rauner at Naperville parade; says effort to curb unions really intended to protect nation’s hardest workers @WGNNews– Woof, Randi, thank you. That’s one for the books. You know, books by Orwell, Heller, Kafka. No worries, the dude will say anything and knows that enough of some of the people, all of the time, will buy it. But that one’s maybe the biggest whopper yet from Gov. Burger King. ===Been to, and in, that parade many times. It’s never emphasized the labor component.=== The Labor Day Parade didn’t emphasize the “labor component?” So is it more like a floor wax or a dessert topping, or both? It’s true, popular traditions grow up among holidays. That doesn’t diminish or replace the profundity of why those holidays were established and why they endure. At Christmas, Hardrock, Coco and Joe aren’t the Three Wise Men, and they don’t help Santa deliver the Baby Jesus down the chimney at the manger. Suzy Snowflake and Frosty aren’t even in the Bible. Neither is Peter Cottontail, who, at Easter, doesn’t hippity-hop down the Bunny Trail delivering crucifixes and crowns of thorns to all the girls and boys. After Gettysburg, Pres. Lincoln didn’t issue an executive proclamation (thanks, Obama!) for a Day of Thanksgiving to honor generally lousy NFL games in Detroit and Dallas, plus dangerously lunatic shopping at big box stores. Memorial Day doesn’t honor the Indy 500, Top Rock 500 Countdown or first trip to cabin in Wisconsin or Michigan….. and so on and on. You must be unclear on the concept as to what “unclear on the concept” means if you can’t recognize the absurdity and hypocrisy of Gov. Rauner marching in a Labor Day parade. The man, clearly, through actions and words, has devoted the rest of his life and fortune to tuning up any working stiff he can put a mitt on. Why, is beyond me, because the few rationales he rarely offers are so preposterously untrue (dozens of corporations lined to relocate in Illinois) or so incomplete (budget, ROI on Turnaround Agenda) as to be useless. One thing’s for sure — that ain’t a picture of Bill and Melinda up top. - Kathryn - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 5:39 pm: Pat Quinn caused Gov Rauner. Quinn ignored a signed union contract regarding salary increases, and he could never get his act together. He had the daycare kids running the state instead of experienced administrators so don’t pretend he was an innocent - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 5:41 pm: A Naperville resident told me today that President George W. Bush wanted to march in the parade, but wanted the name changed from “The last fling.” So, the name was changed to Naperville Labor Day parade. lol - Winnin' - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 5:46 pm: Quite the new “legacy” for our governor and his “Democratic” wife pictured with him. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 5:57 pm: “Do not let any calamity-howling executive with an income of $100,000 a day, …tell you…that a wage of $15 an hour is going to have a disastrous effect on all American industry.” Paraphrased quote from FDR in 1938 - Enviro - Tuesday, Sep 6, 16 @ 8:21 pm: …effort to curb unions really intended to protect nation’s hardest workers… Venture Capitalists who make $50 million? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.