An amateur nails it
Monday, Oct 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a letter to the editor in the Hillsboro Journal-News…
Judging from recent political advertisements which clog my mailbox each and every day, I am so glad that I did not decide to run for public office this year.
If I had run for office, I can just see the bold headlines that would appear under the worst photo of me that they could find:
• He pocketed over $1 million in taxpayer dollars!
• He socialized with convicted murderers, rapists and known drug dealers!
• He accepted free meals, free office space, and free parking all at taxpayer expense!
• He took orders from four notorious convicted felons!
And all of these statements are true! However, the opposition would conveniently leave out a few other pertinent facts:
1) Yes, I worked for the Illinois Department of Corrections for 32 years. (That $1 million spread out over 32 years comes to an average of $31,250 per year.)
2) I did have a case load of murderers, rapists and drug dealers with whom I interacted on a daily basis.
3) Yes, my lunches, parking, and office space were “given” to me free of charge.
4) As a state employee, I did follow the orders given to me by Governors Kerner, Walker, Ryan and Blagojevich, all four of which went on to serve prison terms.
Like so many ads, they contain a truthful statement which becomes horribly twisted when taken out of context.
That’s not far off the mark. He might have a future in politics.
- Rabid - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 6:38 am:
If you want to vote on your contract your part of Madigan’s machine
- the Cardinal - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 7:43 am:
Excellent his words say it ALL…..The Spin has been getting worse and worse over the past few cycles…who is to blame ?decide for yourself…..Its a wonder ANYONE would want to run for ANYTHING in this State. There is no civility or morality left. This is the sad state of political affairs in spend and tax Illinois. Bring back some Statesmen and Women to the process.
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 8:01 am:
I always love the taxpayer part. Is there someone else who is responsible for paying for jobs that serve taxpayers? Is the implication that if you are serving the public you should do it for free?
- DuPage Bard - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 8:07 am:
Second career, in today’s day and age and with the money available, he could get a nice supplement to his taxpayer funded multimillion dollar pension. Oh yeah he’s not paying State Income taxes while the disabled get hurt. LOL
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 8:22 am:
What a great letter! The author really knows about campaign mailings.
The only element omitted were the constant mentions of candidates touting their support for issues by citing bills that they co-sponsored that were never called or passed into law.
I am glad that I was not drinking my morning coffee when I read the letter or I would be cleaning my computer screen.
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 8:23 am:
By and large the media do their job, which is to say, make money as well as report news (whatever you conceive that to be). Bias is inherent and can’t be eradicated - good journalists will either admit to their bias or try their best to subdue it in their reportage. The bottom line is $$$, and in pursuit of that, the “bottom” takes on a different, dreadful meaning. No reasonable person can say that journalism hasn’t been degraded significantly over the past few decades due to the appeal to the worst instincts of the fringes and the money accrued due to that fact. For every The Week, which tries to give both sides a shot, the Huffington Post/Daily Beast/Michael Savage/Ann Coulter do their best to incite hate and plunge to new depths. It’s frightening to think the Obama Years will be looked upon as “the good old days”.
- Tough Guy - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 8:24 am:
I thought it was strange Representative Bourne was not touting her legislative accomplishments until someone pointed out to me she either did not vote or voted present 115 times. Hard to promote your record when you don’t have one. Much easier too take pot shots at a guy who’s a Viet Nam vet, former coal miner and a dedicated public servant at the local level for 30 years.
- Whatever - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 8:43 am:
==He might have a future in politics.==
Not after serving over 30 years in prison.
Dupage Bard @ 8:07 ==Oh yeah he’s not paying State Income taxes while the disabled get hurt. LOL==
Neither is any other retiree or recipient of Social Security payments in this state. So why single out a state retiree as if tax exemption was a special benefit?
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 8:53 am:
Dupage Bard @ 8:07
Do you know how much he paid into his own pension fund? How much interest compounded on it for 30 years? How little the taxpayer would have funded if the state had paid its share and the interest grew on that portion too?
- Anon221 - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 8:53 am:
Anonymous @ 8:01- “Is the implication that if you are serving the public you should do it for free? ”
Agreed, but on a snarky ponderin’…
So that’s what Rauner’s doin’ by not takin’ a paycheck! Kinda conflicts with his, “I’m CEO of Illinois,” persona, though
- Ahoy! - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 9:23 am:
Pretty dead on regarding the twisted lies that both political parties spread but he’s way too honest for politics right now which is a very dark place.
- BigDoggie - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 9:31 am:
Brilliant observations, and reason why I completely tune out any political mailings or TV commercials (and never answer my phone within 6 weeks of an election).
- Team Sleep - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 9:39 am:
My parents got 3 mailers from Avery Bourne on Saturday alone. 3 in one day! Yikes.
I get what this guy is saying, but people entering state-level politics should not be “surprised” at what is happening. I know enough people in the 95th who are incensed at the tactics used. I point out two things. First - do they pay attention to anything outside of their area? If so they would know this is par for the course on both sides. Second - the races of 2010 that were in the area (McCann vs. Demuzio and Rosenthal vs. Landers) were not AS nasty but were certainly not pleasant. Is the outrage because of Mathis being the candidate? So a man who ran the IL Dem County Chairman Association and was a partisan-elected county official should somehow be exempt from this? Seriously?
- Langhorne - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 9:39 am:
The “pocketed $1 million in taxpayer money” is egregious. But doesnt hold a candle to the sexual predator ads.
Post election, you need cooperation from the other side?
How many R’s in FAT CHANCE?
- Name Withheld - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 9:41 am:
Harvard Business Review ran an article on this behavior - it’s called Paltering, or using truthful facts to deceive.
The article is informative (at least to a layman like me) and the concept helps explain, in part, why so many people seem angry at politicians.
https://hbr.org/2016/10/theres-a-word-for-using-truthful-facts-to-deceive-paltering
- Skeptic - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 9:43 am:
“Not after serving over 30 years in prison.” If that wasn’t snark or an attempt at wry humor, then you better re-read what the guy wrote.
- DuPage Bard - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 9:45 am:
Ok all the State folks don’t get crazy, it was an ad on to what would or could be said in a political ad. Lighten up Francis.
- anonymouse - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 10:07 am:
C’mon, I know your Skeptic, but that was snark at its finest. and darn funny
- Honeybear - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 10:07 am:
Name withheld. It’s also called Perfidy
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 10:21 am:
So true and yes, funny!
- A guy - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 10:44 am:
Wow. He followed orders from Kerner. This very bright person has some miles on him/her.
- Stones - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 10:50 am:
I’ve had the opportunity to run for a few offices over the years but always declined for the reasons outlined above. Who the heck wants to put it all out there in this age of the internet and cell phone cameras. Not to mention that it’s worse for family members that have to listen to that garbage about a loved one. This is a reason in my opinion that we miss out on more qualified public servants these days.
- Team Sleep - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 10:59 am:
Stones - great post. Even recruiting candidates for county or municipal races can be tough when a potential candidate considers what may happen during a primary and/or general election.
I try to explain that to non-political friends and they often have the light bulb ding when I mention what happens during campaigns. The schedule alone is enough of a disqualifier.
- Name Withheld - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 11:43 am:
Honeybear - I agree.
- thechampaignlife - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 12:51 pm:
#OppoDumpSelfie
- Thoughts Matter - Monday, Oct 24, 16 @ 2:14 pm:
I hate this kind of stuff. If you can’t a) tell me what you plan on doing to better things when you win, and instead b) go out of your way to unfairly figuratively throw garbage on someone - then I don’t vote for you. Especially when you throw shade at a public sector employee just bcause he got a salary and pension in return for working in the prison system.