Question of the day
Wednesday, Apr 18, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Recently appointed state Rep. Bristow’s (D-Godfrey) ran her very first bill on the House floor today. So, in keeping with tradition, Rep. Breen was giving the sponsor a bit of a hard time in a mostly good-natured way and then she spoke without thinking. Oops…
“Does Monica Bristow honestly believe that she, Madigan, and her fellow Democrat colleagues deserve a pay raise? If anything, they deserve a pay cut after all the damage they’ve done to Illinois. Monica Bristow is the worst kind of politician - one who is in it for the money, not the middle class.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
Moments ago on the floor of the Illinois House, 111th District Democratic State Rep. Monica Bristow made a stunning admission and said she hopes lawmakers get pay raises next year:
“Hopefully if this body [the Illinois House] and the Senate gets its act together, we will be able to have our revenue exceeding expenditures and we’ll all get raises.”
Bristow made the comments during floor debate on her bill, HB5760, which sets mileage reimbursement rates and prohibits cost-of-living adjustments for lawmakers.
House Republican Floor Leader Peter Breen countered, “I don’t know that you were supposed to go on record and say every member of the General Assembly should get a raise.”
Bristow then said “I do believe…,” before she was cut off and voting commenced on the bill.
Monica Bristow is the worst kind of politician - one who is in it for the money, not the middle class.
If you watch the video, Bristow was gamely parrying questions about her bill to kill off the automatic cost of living increase for legislators this year. It’s the sort of bill given to targeted members (her Democratic predecessor won by just 5 points in 2016) every year to help their reelection campaigns. And while she appeared to be just making a funny quip, that one’s probably gonna sting.
* The Question: Monica Bristow campaign slogans?
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 2:50 pm:
Come on man Breen is the most clever guy in the room
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 2:53 pm:
Ducklings should practice quacking, not deciding to speak for the jokesters.
Yikes.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 2:54 pm:
“Rep. Bristow… Who doesn’t need a raise?”
- Commonsense in Illinois - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 2:54 pm:
I might not be the brightest, but at least I’m honest!
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 2:59 pm:
Raises for everybody (three exclamation points)
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:01 pm:
“Monica Bristow campaign slogans?”
Legislating is Easy. Comedy is Hard.
– MrJM
- Cubs in '16 - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:03 pm:
As soon as Illinois is Back In Black I’ll no longer have the Down Payment Blues.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:16 pm:
Next time I’ll use a script.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:19 pm:
Bristow - Because everyone deserves a mulligan.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:24 pm:
Bristow - Improvising her way out of the Illinois House
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:28 pm:
Bristow - I can term limit myself, just watch.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:29 pm:
Bristow - raising the red flag by asking for a raise
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:33 pm:
Bristow - Her first bill included her own raise
- Say no to big government - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:35 pm:
“I meant praises, not raises”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:38 pm:
Bristow - Raising her profile, not in a good way.
- Commonsense in Illinois - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:40 pm:
Bristow - Legislative Lives Matter, Too.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:42 pm:
I ran out of gas! I got a flat tire! I didn’t have change for cab fare! I lost my tux at the cleaners! I locked my keys in the car! An old friend came in from out of town! Someone stole my car! There was an earthquake! A terrible flood! Locusts! IT WASN’T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD!
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:44 pm:
Bristow - I’ll get my raise, after I finish this term.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 3:52 pm:
Bristow - My second bill, I’ll ask for better health insurance
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 4:01 pm:
Just wait ’til you hear my ideas about legislative pensions (exclamation point)
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 4:24 pm:
Bristow- from back bencher to back home for good.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 4:28 pm:
=”revenue exceeding expenditures”= is one-term legislator in IL.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 4:52 pm:
I know I’m supposed to have a slogan, but…
…man, this is probably going to kill all future freshman legislators playing along, which will eventually kill the “ribbing” tradition, and things will somehow get even meaner.
- Jocko - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 4:57 pm:
Freudian quip
- downstate commissioner - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 6:46 pm:
Rich-Exclamation marks in parentheses? So now you’re giving workarounds for your own rules? Hmmmm….
- Generic Drone - Wednesday, Apr 18, 18 @ 8:06 pm:
It’s good to be the king.