* Earlier today, I mentioned how much I liked Daniel Biss’ “middle-class governor” schtick. It comes off as genuine. The Pritzker folks may be thinking the same thing with this new ad featuring a Naperville teacher named Lisa Yost…
Lisa Yost: In his TV ads Dan Biss says he’d be a middle-class governor, but why should I believe that? For 35 years I was a public school teacher, and during that time I earned a pension that would be there for me when I retired.
[ON SCREEN: DAN BISS “cut retirement benefits for teachers, nurses and other retired and current state workers”]
Lisa Voiceover: But in Springfield, Dan Biss wrote the law to cut pension benefits owed to over 450,000 workers, including teachers like me.
Lisa Yost: Dan Biss wasn’t looking out for me then, and I don’t trust him to look out for me as governor.
The end of that ad kinda reached out and grabbed me, but we’ll have to wait and see if this “trust” angle works.
* Pritzker is also out with a pretty good new ad featuring his running mate, Rep. Juliana Stratton…
Juliana Stratton, Candidate for Lt. Governor: I’m a mom, a runner, and a fighter from the South Side. And when I ran for State Representative I beat Bruce Rauner’s candidate - and JB and I will beat Bruce Rauner again.
[ON SCREEN: JB PRITZKER AND JULIANA STRATTON]
Juliana Voiceover: I spend every day with JB, I know JB’s heart and I know JB’s values -
Juliana Stratton: - and if you look at the work JB’s done throughout his life - work for children, work to expand healthcare and work around criminal justice reform; that’s who JB is, and I know what we’ll get done for Illinois.
* Related…
* AP: Can Middle-Class Candidate Defeat Millionaires in Illinois?: Rabia Amin, a 19-year-old political science major at Elmhurst College, said she plans to vote for Biss. It was his ads set in a home that looked much like her own that sealed her decision. “I thought, ‘Oh my god. He’s a normal human being,’” she said. “That’s the thing I’ve been getting from him. He understands our problems, because I feel like he’s gone through them, and I really like that.”
37 Comments
- bissisahypocrite - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 10:55 am:
Lisa Yost’s closing words are a stretch. Plus her kitchen looks a lot fancier than Daniel’s.
The “unions can’t trust Biss” message strains credulity - especially when you remember JB funded the “We Mean Business” PAC designed to reduce pensions.
I definitely think this is more effective than previous pension-related attack ads — the “look it up for yourself” ads were too quick and confusing to drive the point across.
the whole dan/daniel tack is so fascinating to me. Did they focus group that “dan biss” comes off as unpleasant sounding and “daniel biss” is softer and more appealing so JB sticks exclusively to calling him “dan” while biss refers to himself as “daniel”?
The Stratton ad was a good idea and reminds voters that J.B. picked an African American woman as his Lt Governor. That takes some of the wind out of the recent attack ads regarding race as well as damage control for the sexual harassment incident.
I don’t need an ad to tell me to not trust Biss. My own personal experience as a State employee nearing retirement when he tried pension theft was enough. Good commercial, though.
- Pritzker Plumbers Inc. - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:11 am:
Health insurance for life, retirement at age 55 for 35 years of service, an annuity of up to 75% of the 4 highest years of pay in the last 10 years of service, and a 3% compounded COLA bought Lisa Yost a pretty nice, Tier I kitchen.
Ah yes, Naperville, an incredibly lower-to-middle income area. /s
- Put the fun in unfunded - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:16 am:
BGA database says that Ms. Yost retired in 2016 with 28 years of service and a base pension of 71,604. In 2015 BGA reports she made 110,682. No data for 2014, but 2013 was 99,727 and 2012 was 95,202. Maybe that is middle class in Naperville.
- Almost the Weekend - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:17 am:
This is a great ad, but I wonder what the audience thinks a retired teacher’s pension in Naperville is. Much like Trovers op Ed people on this blog get a little too lost into the day to day details and not the big picture.
Let me separate my personal opinion from my professional opinion.
Professional opinion first, the first ad it’s a good ad that hits Biss where it hurts the most. In a Democrat Primary reminding the voters who have pensions what Biss did is a good way to sink him. Second ad is excellent as well, Juliana continues to impress.
Now to my personal opinion, I sympathize with Biss about his pension bill. A lot of commentators here seem to think Biss did it for bad reasons like he hates unions. And I can understand that opinion since it’s not the fault of the people who get the pensions that we are in the situation we are in now.
But as a friendly reminder, it’s also not the fault of the rest of the people of Illinois who are helping you pay your pensions. Not to project myself on what Biss’s reasons may have it been, but I feel like he did because he was trying to find a better way then “Just keep paying and hope we don’t need to keep squeezing taxpayers to fill this gigantic and growing hole.” Dumb as it might have been, because it was dumb since I’m sure plenty of people told him his pension bill would be unconstitutional even before the court ruled it would. At least he tried.
Health insurance for life, retirement at age 55 for 35 years of service, an annuity of up to 75% of the 4 highest years of pay in the last 10 years of service, and a 3% compounded COLA bought Lisa Yost a pretty nice, Tier I kitchen.
Yeah we really need to crack down on her. It should be retirement at 67 after 45 years of service. No health insurance for life and no pension. We should reduce her to poverty wages. That’s the way to go.
Guess we won’t know until the shouting’s (voting’s) over if there are enough Dem voters statewide who are *not* directly tied into the state workers’ pension anger situation and may see the Biss ad through a broader middle class lens than Lisa does.
I do not begrudge teachers their pensions. They have a difficult job for which they receive little respect. Many teachers do not pay into social security.
I think both ads are very good. First one should resonate with all union workers. (For those of you who do not get a pension, I am sorry, but maybe you should be fighting for better benefits/a pension instead of begrudging those of us who do/will get one)
Second ad hits Rauner right in the face. Let’s the voters know he funded Dunkin and Juliana trounced Rauner’s hand picked candidate.
We saw the Juliana ad last night during Olympics coverage. It hinted at the backstory and is certainly a different ad than would be needed from the running mate without that looming backstory. But as a viewer it felt as though the ad gets right at the job of reconstituting some of JB’s cred in the AA community. Pritzker comms team got this one right. Grade A.
AnonymousOne, Real was quoting a prior comment, and neither mentioned the word “free” in their comments.
- James the Intolerant - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 12:07 pm:
I th9ink real is talking about state workers, not teachers.
I as a pensioner was in favor of the pension changes because I thought it would guarantee me (in my 60s) the pension for life. Even though I earned it, I would prefer to get a little less with a higher degree of certainty.
==You might want try reading for comprehension and then counting backwards from 2016 based on on her biography.==
Per her biography:
1. teacher with District 203 since 2000 (16 years)
2. general education teacher for 12 years in California, Tennessee, and Ohio
3. educational mathematics consultant for five years with Scott Foresman/Addison-Wesley
I see 28 years as a public school teacher, not 35.
The ad itself is good…with the amount of candidate ads being aired, is there any airtime left for other candidates?!
Ken Dunkin may be the state rep again here real soon. Just so everyone keeps that in mind…his chances are about the same at Julianna being Lt. Gov.
Absolutely correct that there was no mention of “free” in that healthcare statement.
However, if you qualify for Medicare at 65, you have healthcare for life, just as other workers do. They pay monthly premiums for it. So what’s the big deal in that?
I don’t understand the “Biss knows my struggle” angle. He grew up a very privileged life with wealthy parents. Pritzker/Kennedy wealthy? No. But wealthier than the “he’s been through what I have” people seem to realize. How many of their parents could afford to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars for a political campaign?
Still not sure where some of you get this stuff. She paid required contributions to the pension. She is not getting free healthcare. You are not “paying for her pension”. Her contributions went into pension funds that invested the money w a return (aka investments) To the extent the there is a shortage then yes… but this is due to lawmakers not appropriating what they were required to. Try reading something other than your IPI stuff. Glad you think teachers are so godawful teaching our kids and dealing w discipline and other issues you dont deal with.
*Gotta say I loved (not) Biss school ad. Glad you lived in a nice district and could send your kids to the public schools on the north shore, Dan! Show me a guy that paid the property tax AND sacrificed to send their kid to a Catholic or private school because the schools where he or she lived were horrible.
What I’m seeing here is Yost is receiving a pension for 28 years service, but only worked for 16 in Illinois? How does that work? Can teachers buy in for time teaching in another state?
Regardless of the facts, I can’t see Biss attacking the messenger.
I too saw the Stratton ad and I could only think of the JB “least offensive” tape. I admit it’s a horrible thought, but I don’t know if Stratton has enough name recognition statewide to overcome the thought she was picked for solely political purposes as opposed to merit and political purposes. The flip side to this is all the other Dem candidates are in the same boat with their LG candidates.
Ken Dunkin may be the state rep again here real soon. Just so everyone keeps that in mind…his chances are about the same at Julianna being Lt. Gov.
I doubt Ken Dunkin will win. Voters in the 5th district know he is a sell out. Also, the candidate that is running against him is airing tv ads that I keep seeing on tv. I have not seen any Dunkin ads. I also spoke to Dunkin on the phone and he was nervous about the other guy running.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 2:47 pm:
==You are not “paying for her pension”==
Taxpayers are paying about half the cost of her pension, just like they paid her entire salary. I think that is more or less fair, some taxpayers might think they are paying too much, but it is a fact.
Everyone is paying everyone else’s salary. Do store, businesses, hospitals, etc. have some special source of money that doesn’t involve my money? If you’re a doctor or lawyer or CPA or grocery clerk—- that house/vacation/car you have I’VE personally paid for, haven’t I? See, it works both ways.
- bissisahypocrite - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 10:55 am:
Both of those commercials are excellent.
- Sugar Corn - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:02 am:
Lisa Yost’s closing words are a stretch. Plus her kitchen looks a lot fancier than Daniel’s.
The “unions can’t trust Biss” message strains credulity - especially when you remember JB funded the “We Mean Business” PAC designed to reduce pensions.
The Juliana Stratton ad is very sharp though.
- Actual Red - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:03 am:
I definitely think this is more effective than previous pension-related attack ads — the “look it up for yourself” ads were too quick and confusing to drive the point across.
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:05 am:
Yes lets begin to look into how Pritzker opened/expanded manufacturing plants in China and Mexico.
- tgk - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:05 am:
the whole dan/daniel tack is so fascinating to me. Did they focus group that “dan biss” comes off as unpleasant sounding and “daniel biss” is softer and more appealing so JB sticks exclusively to calling him “dan” while biss refers to himself as “daniel”?
- Real - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:06 am:
Lisa Yost’s closing words are a stretch. Plus her kitchen looks a lot fancier than Daniel’s.
I doubt anyone cares about how a kitchen looks when hearing the message in the ad.
- Sugar Corn - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:07 am:
I think Democrats attacking each other on the pension reform issue is a mistake. Not one of them is pristine on the subject. The hysteria was real.
- A Jack - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:07 am:
The Stratton ad was a good idea and reminds voters that J.B. picked an African American woman as his Lt Governor. That takes some of the wind out of the recent attack ads regarding race as well as damage control for the sexual harassment incident.
- RIJ - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:08 am:
I don’t need an ad to tell me to not trust Biss. My own personal experience as a State employee nearing retirement when he tried pension theft was enough. Good commercial, though.
- Pritzker Plumbers Inc. - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:11 am:
Health insurance for life, retirement at age 55 for 35 years of service, an annuity of up to 75% of the 4 highest years of pay in the last 10 years of service, and a 3% compounded COLA bought Lisa Yost a pretty nice, Tier I kitchen.
- Stark - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:16 am:
Ah yes, Naperville, an incredibly lower-to-middle income area. /s
- Put the fun in unfunded - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:16 am:
BGA database says that Ms. Yost retired in 2016 with 28 years of service and a base pension of 71,604. In 2015 BGA reports she made 110,682. No data for 2014, but 2013 was 99,727 and 2012 was 95,202. Maybe that is middle class in Naperville.
- Almost the Weekend - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:17 am:
This is a great ad, but I wonder what the audience thinks a retired teacher’s pension in Naperville is. Much like Trovers op Ed people on this blog get a little too lost into the day to day details and not the big picture.
- ItsMillerTime - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:19 am:
Let me separate my personal opinion from my professional opinion.
Professional opinion first, the first ad it’s a good ad that hits Biss where it hurts the most. In a Democrat Primary reminding the voters who have pensions what Biss did is a good way to sink him. Second ad is excellent as well, Juliana continues to impress.
Now to my personal opinion, I sympathize with Biss about his pension bill. A lot of commentators here seem to think Biss did it for bad reasons like he hates unions. And I can understand that opinion since it’s not the fault of the people who get the pensions that we are in the situation we are in now.
But as a friendly reminder, it’s also not the fault of the rest of the people of Illinois who are helping you pay your pensions. Not to project myself on what Biss’s reasons may have it been, but I feel like he did because he was trying to find a better way then “Just keep paying and hope we don’t need to keep squeezing taxpayers to fill this gigantic and growing hole.” Dumb as it might have been, because it was dumb since I’m sure plenty of people told him his pension bill would be unconstitutional even before the court ruled it would. At least he tried.
Just my two cents.
- Real - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:21 am:
Health insurance for life, retirement at age 55 for 35 years of service, an annuity of up to 75% of the 4 highest years of pay in the last 10 years of service, and a 3% compounded COLA bought Lisa Yost a pretty nice, Tier I kitchen.
Yeah we really need to crack down on her. It should be retirement at 67 after 45 years of service. No health insurance for life and no pension. We should reduce her to poverty wages. That’s the way to go.
- Responsa - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:24 am:
Guess we won’t know until the shouting’s (voting’s) over if there are enough Dem voters statewide who are *not* directly tied into the state workers’ pension anger situation and may see the Biss ad through a broader middle class lens than Lisa does.
- City Zen - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:27 am:
“For 35 years I was a public school teacher…”
That doesn’t jive with her bio: https://nuea203.org/downloads/NUEA_2015_WPsmall_old.pdf
- Huh? - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:29 am:
I do not begrudge teachers their pensions. They have a difficult job for which they receive little respect. Many teachers do not pay into social security.
- HoneyBadger - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:29 am:
I think both ads are very good. First one should resonate with all union workers. (For those of you who do not get a pension, I am sorry, but maybe you should be fighting for better benefits/a pension instead of begrudging those of us who do/will get one)
Second ad hits Rauner right in the face. Let’s the voters know he funded Dunkin and Juliana trounced Rauner’s hand picked candidate.
- AnonymousOne - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:30 am:
Real
I don’t know where you get your facts. THere is no free health insurance for life for teachers. Never has been. Document your source for that fact.
- Precinct Captain - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:35 am:
==- City Zen - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:27 am:==
You might want try reading for comprehension and then counting backwards from 2016 based on on her biography.
- Responsa - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:40 am:
We saw the Juliana ad last night during Olympics coverage. It hinted at the backstory and is certainly a different ad than would be needed from the running mate without that looming backstory. But as a viewer it felt as though the ad gets right at the job of reconstituting some of JB’s cred in the AA community. Pritzker comms team got this one right. Grade A.
- Fixer - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 11:46 am:
AnonymousOne, Real was quoting a prior comment, and neither mentioned the word “free” in their comments.
- James the Intolerant - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 12:07 pm:
I th9ink real is talking about state workers, not teachers.
I as a pensioner was in favor of the pension changes because I thought it would guarantee me (in my 60s) the pension for life. Even though I earned it, I would prefer to get a little less with a higher degree of certainty.
- City Zen - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 12:22 pm:
==You might want try reading for comprehension and then counting backwards from 2016 based on on her biography.==
Per her biography:
1. teacher with District 203 since 2000 (16 years)
2. general education teacher for 12 years in California, Tennessee, and Ohio
3. educational mathematics consultant for five years with Scott Foresman/Addison-Wesley
I see 28 years as a public school teacher, not 35.
- ILDemVoter - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 12:25 pm:
The ad itself is good…with the amount of candidate ads being aired, is there any airtime left for other candidates?!
Ken Dunkin may be the state rep again here real soon. Just so everyone keeps that in mind…his chances are about the same at Julianna being Lt. Gov.
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 12:40 pm:
Absolutely correct that there was no mention of “free” in that healthcare statement.
However, if you qualify for Medicare at 65, you have healthcare for life, just as other workers do. They pay monthly premiums for it. So what’s the big deal in that?
- Anon324 - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 1:04 pm:
I don’t understand the “Biss knows my struggle” angle. He grew up a very privileged life with wealthy parents. Pritzker/Kennedy wealthy? No. But wealthier than the “he’s been through what I have” people seem to realize. How many of their parents could afford to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars for a political campaign?
- low level - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 1:37 pm:
Still not sure where some of you get this stuff. She paid required contributions to the pension. She is not getting free healthcare. You are not “paying for her pension”. Her contributions went into pension funds that invested the money w a return (aka investments) To the extent the there is a shortage then yes… but this is due to lawmakers not appropriating what they were required to. Try reading something other than your IPI stuff. Glad you think teachers are so godawful teaching our kids and dealing w discipline and other issues you dont deal with.
*Gotta say I loved (not) Biss school ad. Glad you lived in a nice district and could send your kids to the public schools on the north shore, Dan! Show me a guy that paid the property tax AND sacrificed to send their kid to a Catholic or private school because the schools where he or she lived were horrible.
- Swift - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 2:17 pm:
What I’m seeing here is Yost is receiving a pension for 28 years service, but only worked for 16 in Illinois? How does that work? Can teachers buy in for time teaching in another state?
Regardless of the facts, I can’t see Biss attacking the messenger.
I too saw the Stratton ad and I could only think of the JB “least offensive” tape. I admit it’s a horrible thought, but I don’t know if Stratton has enough name recognition statewide to overcome the thought she was picked for solely political purposes as opposed to merit and political purposes. The flip side to this is all the other Dem candidates are in the same boat with their LG candidates.
- Real - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 2:41 pm:
Ken Dunkin may be the state rep again here real soon. Just so everyone keeps that in mind…his chances are about the same at Julianna being Lt. Gov.
I doubt Ken Dunkin will win. Voters in the 5th district know he is a sell out. Also, the candidate that is running against him is airing tv ads that I keep seeing on tv. I have not seen any Dunkin ads. I also spoke to Dunkin on the phone and he was nervous about the other guy running.
- Name/Nickname/Anon - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 2:47 pm:
==You are not “paying for her pension”==
Taxpayers are paying about half the cost of her pension, just like they paid her entire salary. I think that is more or less fair, some taxpayers might think they are paying too much, but it is a fact.
- low level - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 3:15 pm:
==Taxpayers are paying==
As if “taxpayers” are a separate entity. Teachers pay taces also
- low level - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 3:19 pm:
Taces=Taxes.
As do police officers, firefighters, accountants and others who do a public service.
The ongoing GOP struggle to somehow define public workers as leaches who dont pay any taxes themselves is erroneous.
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 3:34 pm:
Everyone is paying everyone else’s salary. Do store, businesses, hospitals, etc. have some special source of money that doesn’t involve my money? If you’re a doctor or lawyer or CPA or grocery clerk—- that house/vacation/car you have I’VE personally paid for, haven’t I? See, it works both ways.
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 16, 18 @ 4:34 pm:
Anonymous, you are not paying my salary unless you are a client of mine.
- The Skeptic - Tuesday, Feb 20, 18 @ 6:33 pm:
Wouldn’t you like your 401-k to pay you 80 to 100% of your total contribution EVERY year? I.e. total contribution $120,000 annual pension benefit $100,000? Check it out:
http://www.taxpayersunitedofamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/DuPage-County-Teacher-Pensions.pdf