Heckuva job, Raunie
Thursday, Jul 20, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WGN TV on Gov. Rauner’s latest Lake County visit to view the flooding…
[Rep. Sam Yingling] went on to say the governor’s response to flood was inadequate. Close to 7,000 structures were impacted by flood waters along the Des Plaines River. Hundreds more were impacted in McHenry County.
The governor and Representative Yingling appeared at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
“We needed a state of emergency declared which came three days too late,” he said. […]
“I think it’s very important that we set aside political spin from serving Illinois. I was in contact with mayors in the area, they did not want me to personally to come during the time their first responders had to focus and get the job done,” the governor said.
At least one mayor said they never told the governor not to come. Another elected official said if you’re a leader you don’t have to ask.
Ouch.
* Tribune…
Yingling had said in interviews and his guest column that the declaration of a disaster area by the state was needed for low-interest Federal Emergency Management Agency loans.
Rauner’s director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, James Joseph, seemed to correct Yingling by saying that there are no “low-interest FEMA loans” at one point during the press conference, but mentioned the Small Business Administration loan program.
Afterward, Yingling said he was floored when he heard Joseph say that, because he had just come from a county meeting concerning exactly that issue. Accusing Joseph of doing some spinning of his own, Yingling said FEMA qualifies people for loans, but the SBA is the organization that actually makes the loan.
“He was splitting hairs,” Yingling said, adding that Rauner came because of his guest column. “He wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that. It was nice of him to take time out to come up here.”
From FEMA’s website…
Following a disaster declared by the president, FEMA partners with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help disaster survivors. The SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes.
Rep. Yingling’s op-ed is here.
* The point is that the flooding began Wednesday and the governor waited until after 5 o’clock in the afternoon on Friday to finally activate the State Emergency Operations Center and issue a disaster proclamation that had been requested on Thursday. From that press release…
As reports indicate potential record flooding in the coming days, Governor Bruce Rauner today issued a state disaster proclamation for Lake, McHenry and Kane counties to ensure continued state support to communities as they recover from the recent heavy rains. [Emphasis added.]
Um, by Thursday, IEMA was already saying “Flooding of this magnitude has not been seen before.”
This isn’t about whether or not the governor should’ve visited sooner, although he wants to turn it into that “debate.” It’s about whether or not he did his job in a timely manner.
- Soccermom - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:20 am:
To be fair, Rich, “doing his job” doesn’t seem to be Rauner’s strong suit.
- The Captain - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:23 am:
Bruce “Bilandic” Rauner
- Blue Bayou - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:24 am:
Running for Gov is easy when you’re rich and egotistical.
Governing is hard work.
- Keyrock - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:27 am:
But he wasn’t sure which costume to wear. And he had already fired his former makeup artist, and had to wait until the new one started.
- The Dude Abides - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:29 am:
This is what we see regularly from the Governor. He gets in front of a microphone and lies. Off the top of my head I can’t think of a politician or another person that I’ve ever met that lies as often as this guy does.
- Louis Capricious - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:29 am:
=== they did not want me to personally to come during the time their first responders had to focus and get the job done,” the governor said. ===
The ease with which this governor lies is frightening and nauseating.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:30 am:
Rauner is running on; “You’ll get nothing and like it!”
- Norseman - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:33 am:
Rauner’s focus was on his ideological purge. A governor’s focus would be on people who were suffering. Do your job Rauner.
- Red Rider - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:35 am:
It’s like getting a little pregnant.
- Lamont - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:36 am:
This is, in a sense, the chickens coming home to roost. Yingling has been attacked mercilessly by Raunerites for the last 2 years as a Madigan stooge. Did Rauner really think Yingling wasn’t going to check Rauners every move in response to this emergency? And then Rauner has the gall to accuse Yingling of talking “politics”…? Puh-lease.
- ChicagoVinny - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:37 am:
Rauner reminds me of a poker player on tilt right now.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:40 am:
Diana and Bruce Rauner wanted the house cleaning done first, and then worry about the houses flooding in Lake County.
Both situations are still disasters.
It will make great small talk at the cocktail parties.
Riddle me this, no snark. Honestly.
———–
Since when has becoming a passive state governor to the things surrounding the state been seen as someone who is an engaged leader?
————
That’s really what Rauner is selling, isn’t it?
“I’m passive, so that makes me engaged” - Fake Gov. Rauner
What?
“I said ‘I’m passive, so that makes me engaged’… ” - Fake Gov. Rauner
That Fake Gov. Rauner really knows how to sell passive leadership.
- dbk - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:46 am:
In answer to the implied question at the conclusion, the answer is “No, he didn’t (do his job in a timely manner)”.
Plenty to highlight, nothing to discuss.
- Well then - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:48 am:
Where have you gone Gov’nor Thompsom
The broken state turns its saddened eyes to you
- MSIX - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:49 am:
=Off the top of my head I can’t think of a politician or another person that I’ve ever met that lies as often as this guy does.=
Seriously??? Do you not follow national news?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:51 am:
From the day he started campaigning til today, Rauner has been blessed by conversations with apparitions that tell him exactly what he wants to here. Only he can see or hear them.
Some would call that phenomenon paranormal powers.
Some would call it lying.
- Markus - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:53 am:
“Bruce Rauner Failed”, Again.
But Dude-
==Off the top of my head I can’t think of a politician or another person that I’ve ever met that lies as often as this guy does.==
While that may have been true a couple of years ago, you need to re-think that since another billionaire business man turned politician got elected; he’s is good for 2 or 3 lies a day. Cut from the same cloth, one of them likes “dress-up” and droppin’ g’s, while the other likes big trucks to pull up in front of his house so he can climb up into the cab and blow the horn.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:55 am:
It took 3 days for Rauner to respond to the massive flooding in Lake County. Then, hours after his visit, he finally declared the area a disaster.
It took less than 24 hours for Rauner to show up in still flooded Lake County, in response to Yingling’s Oped, to defend his actions (non-action, really).
- Northsider - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:58 am:
“Off the top of my head I can’t think of a politician or another person that I’ve ever met that lies as often as this guy does.”
Dude @ 11:29: I can.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:06 pm:
Reactive (vs proactive) Rauner. It’s the new strategy, apparently. Workin’ great so far…
- Nick Name - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:11 pm:
He had misplaced his duct tape, you see.
- Flynn's mom - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:13 pm:
Isn’t Rauner’s job to make us all paupers?
- Keyrock - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:21 pm:
Bruce, for days: “I never said nothing.”
- Steve Rogers - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:24 pm:
It may have been a joke or snark, but I don’t agree with the comparison with Mike Bilandic, who actually had a heart.
- Biscuit Head - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:33 pm:
retweet that picture of him sittin’ at his desk.
Change caption from “waitin’ on a balanced budget to arrive” to “waitin’ for the flood waters to recede”
- DuPage - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:48 pm:
Rauner should have had the State Emergency Operations Center on alert for possible activation early on. I saw on TV weather the day before the storms hit that possibly serious flooding could occur. The high-tech forecasts don’t help much if Governor Rauner’s reaction is “it’s not my problem”.
- Annonin' - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:55 pm:
Bruce Bilandic…..nice….lets make it stick
- Now What? - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:59 pm:
The only person making this political is the governor. Not the mayors, not the representatives, not the Lake or McHenry county Boards. The governor is making this political by showing up late, offering emergency assistance and aid in the 13th hour, and then using the opportunity for ads, soundbites, and commenting on SB1.
Bruce Rauner . . .He Just Doesn’t Care.
- Boone's is Back - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:59 pm:
LOL the tagline for this post made my day
- Anon221 - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:05 pm:
Rauner’s Refrain of, “I wasn’t invited,” wears thin considering how many other “parties” he’s “crashed”.
Just in case he wants to actually learn something about Incident Command Management, here’s his link… https://tinyurl.com/y7o54yxm.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:08 pm:
Nick Name- I think it’s going to take something more like Flex-Seal than Duct Tape to close the holes Rauner is creating;)
- PublicServant - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:13 pm:
Yeah that “doing your job” thing is really cutting into his plottin’ and campaignin’ time, poor gov.
- Trapped in the 'burbs - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:33 pm:
Who’s fault is this? Unforced errors on Rauner’s part. Is he losin’ his passion for governin’? We need to cut spending, and make the hard decisions to address the multiple problems we face. No more props or excuses, either man up and lead or go home.
- Dr X - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:07 pm:
Dear Flood “victims”
If you don’t like it move. Indiana doesn’t have floods like this.
Love
Kristina Rasmussen
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:17 pm:
Bruce was too busy to govern that day.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:18 pm:
Bruce was too busy that week to govern.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:19 pm:
Bruce was too busy that month to govern.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:20 pm:
Bruce was too busy this year to govern.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:21 pm:
Bruce has been to busy this term to govern.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:22 pm:
Bruce would have governed, but Madiga, you know?
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:25 pm:
If you compared Republican governed states to Democratically governed states, the unions caused the pension system to flood rhis region, and it’ll take Rauner’s reelection to keep our taxes from going up on our properties.
-Lucky Pierre and Phil King