* Press release…
Today, the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police endorsed JB Pritzker for governor. The Illinois FOP is the second largest in the nation, representing over 34,000 active and retired police officers.
“I’m proud to have the support of the Illinois FOP and the working families they represent,” said JB Pritzker. “With workers’ rights under assault, Illinois needs a governor who will stand up for working families. Instead, Bruce Rauner has fought against them at every turn, attacking the right to collectively bargain, working to lower wages, and attempting to slash pensions. As governor, I will fight tirelessly to defend the rights of our working families and work with law enforcement to increase accountability between law enforcement and the communities they serve so we can strengthen relationships and ensure safer communities across our state.”
“Law enforcement officers, like all other working men and women in Illinois, want a leader who won’t bankrupt the state by trying to dictate his own personal agenda at all costs. Moreover, it is often law enforcement officers who must pick up the pieces in the aftermath of Bruce Rauner’s manufactured budget crisis that caused deep cuts to key state programs,” said Illinois FOP State Lodge President Chris Southwood. “The 34,000 members of the Illinois FOP have confidence that J.B. Pritzker is the best candidate to shake up Springfield and return civility, decency and a true sense of public service to Illinois. JB is truly different. Illinois needs a fresh start and JB is the man to do it.”
The ILFOP endorsed Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn in 2014, but backed his Republican opponent Bill Brady in 2010. They endorsed Rod Blagojevich in 2002 and 2006.
Rauner’s anti-union stances and the Janus decision no doubt played a role in this, but it is interesting they went with the guy who openly and firmly supports legalizing marijuana.
- Chicon - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 8:59 am:
Pritzker is a fresh start? Lol.
Just be honest and say “it’ll be better for our wallets”. Nothing wrong with that, eh?
- wordslinger - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 9:03 am:
–Moreover, it is often law enforcement officers who must pick up the pieces in the aftermath of Bruce Rauner’s manufactured budget crisis that caused deep cuts to key state programs,” said Illinois FOP State Lodge President Chris Southwood. –
This point should be developed in full. Perhaps the new team at the IL Dem party can put their shoulders to it. The old crew shamefully neglected documenting and disseminating the damage to real people that was caused.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 9:12 am:
Some are going to say this is just a “Union supporting Pritzker over the Union-crippling Rauner”
That’s true. Why would any labor organization back Rauner now. It’s confusing why all of labor hasn’t done so now with a fly-around, uniting state labor like never done before.
Here’s the interesting part of what Rich showed…
===Moreover, it is often law enforcement officers who must pick up the pieces in the aftermath of Bruce Rauner’s manufactured budget crisis that caused deep cuts to key state programs,” said Illinois FOP State Lodge President Chris Southwood.===
Bruce Rauner failed.
Right there. That’s the ball game.
It’s the theme, it’s the effect, it’s real to those dealing with… no funding, no results, people worse off, and the stress of a Rauner Administration failing.
The crux of “Rauner failed” isn’t in the simplicity of messsge, but allowing this state see, thru the eyes of social services, in the eyes of law enforcement, the front line folks… those telling their neighbors, friends, the state… “Rauner failed Illinois. I see it every single day.”
It’s this type of endorsement that can be a photo op, a commercial or three… or a beginning of building on that theme. Skyhook, in reverse… and those facing the Rauner failed reality while making Illinois better, without Rauner.
- Anon - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 9:22 am:
some may find it interesting that they are supporting the guy in favor of legalizing weed, but I find it more interesting that the FOP endorsed the guy that they believe will win. They want to be on the right side the day after the election. I think i smell the meat a cookin.
- Robert the 1st - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 9:28 am:
=work with law enforcement to increase accountability between law enforcement and the communities=
JB just worsened the impact of Janus on FOP with that comment.
- City Zen - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 9:34 am:
Blue Wave indeed.
With police and fire pensions severely underfunded across the state and Rauner’s support of municipal bankruptcy, this endorsement was obvious.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 9:43 am:
–With police and fire pensions severely underfunded across the state ..–
IMRF is 93% funded, per its last annual report.
- BlueDogDem - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 9:45 am:
Classic union management. Like the USW. Membership very right wing. I refer to it as a hollow endorsement.
- Not Kevin Graham - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 9:47 am:
I’m not too sure this endorsement will benefit J.B. Many in Lodge 7 see his running mate as being permanently unsupportive of police.
- Iggy - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 9:49 am:
thank you for the historical context, endorsing the criminal Blago gave me quite the chuckle.
- City Zen - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 9:53 am:
==IMRF is 93% funded, per its last annual report.==
That’s wonderful news for your city clerk, librarians, and township assessor, but I’m talking about police and fire pensions.
- asbestos in stratton - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 10:15 am:
==IMRF is 93% funded, per its last annual report.==
Fantastic. Police and Fire in Chicago, however, are around 17-18% funded and on their way to insolvency by around 2025 by many estimates. There are some downstate police and fire pensions that are around 3% funded.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 10:26 am:
–but I’m talking about police and fire pensions.–
Pardon, I misread.
Aggregate of 57.6% funded, according to BGA.
https://www.bettergov.org/news/statewide-police-and-fire-pension-fund-database-how-much-does-your-town-owe
- Cheryl44 - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 10:31 am:
A Republican list the support of cops. Is this a first?
- Arsenal - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 10:39 am:
==I refer to it as a hollow endorsement.==
FOP has a better record of working its members than most. Remember, FOP is an officer’s first call any time he’s in trouble.
- BlueDogDem - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 10:47 am:
Arsenal. I personally know close to 50 current FOP. It wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t a 90-10 split top leaning.
- BlueDogDem - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 10:48 am:
…gop leaning
- JS Mill - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 10:59 am:
=Just be honest and say “it’ll be better for our wallets”. Nothing wrong with that, eh?=
That is more honest than Rauner.
I love how many people attack union members for thinking about their wallets. The hypocrisy is sublime.
As a non-union person, and not particularly supportive of unions I think it is down right hilarious when the right , and especially the economic elites like Rauner who would do just about anything to make another buck, attack middle income people for caring about their wallets.
And the farcical talking points about how public employees are keeping everyone else poor is joke as well. Rauner forced a tax hike by refusing to pay bills in as much as the democrats did. He doesn’t care one bit.
- Arsenal - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 11:00 am:
I know 51.
- BlueDogDem - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 11:14 am:
Arsenal. Witty comeback. Sounds like something I might say.
- JS Mill - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 11:26 am:
=…gop leaning=
I think you are correct, cops seem to be gop leaning/conservative/libertarian. And I base that only on anecdotal evidence from speaking with them, definitely not research.
But by the sam evidence, they rely on the union for job protections which are necessary due to the nature of their jobs.
I would expect them to vote their pocket books.
- ZC - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 11:33 am:
Rauner hates unions. Full stop. Cops aren’t dumb.
- Deadbeat Conservative - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 11:53 am:
=Membership very right wing.=
More anti-worker workers. That’s what the GOP counts on for it’s the non-billionaire portionas of its base.
- VanillaMan - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 11:56 am:
Illinois has needed a fresh start since 1999.
It tried twice to do that with Blagojevich and Rauner, and both governors were exposed as incompetent, lazy disasters.
20 years of incompetents. 20 years of watching the GA and SC make governing decisions.
Illinois government has never been worse than it is today.
- Arsenal - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 12:21 pm:
==Witty comeback. Sounds like something I might say.==
Well, which one is it?
- Arsenal - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 12:24 pm:
==I would expect them to vote their pocket books.==
A ton of elections are decided based on whether or not union members vote like union members. Plenty of times, they don’t. And I don’t expect the cops to do so here, not writ large.
But there’s a big difference between Rauner winning cops 80-20 and 70-30.
- Thomas Paine - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 12:32 pm:
=== Well, which one is it? ===
Arsenal with TKO in the 3rd round.
- Pundent - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 12:33 pm:
=Membership very right wing.=
Because membership wants nothing more than to get behind the candidate that this week made it abundantly clear that he wants to destroy them.
You need to get out more.
- Arsenal - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 12:44 pm:
==Because membership wants nothing more than to get behind the candidate that this week made it abundantly clear that he wants to destroy them.==
OK, but ask cops who they think is trying to destroy them.
- BlueDogDem - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 1:02 pm:
…..sounds like something I might say. To my 8 year old grandson.
- John Deere Green - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 1:18 pm:
==…gop leaning==
Yeah, maybe. Purely anecdotal, but the cops in my family are Trump all day long, but they’re no fans of Rauner, so I hope he’s not banking on a “GOP” vote from them. And from what I’ve seen, the FOP seems to have become more pension-focused since SB 1. Hard to believe that’s not member-driven to a large degree.
- NIU Grad - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 1:40 pm:
If I was the Rauner team, I would do some discreet targeted ads featuring this endorsement aimed at progressive voters who are not fans of the FOP/CPD…
- JS Mill - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 2:20 pm:
=I would do some discreet targeted ads featuring this endorsement aimed at progressive voters who are not fans of the FOP/CPD…=
I hope he does as it will be a waste of time and money for him. Those voters already know he is a pathological liar.
- I Miss Bentohs - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 2:22 pm:
So every election the FOP endorses the loser or the ethically bankrupt candidate? Well, unless a third party person wins, they did it again.
- I Miss Bentohs - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 2:27 pm:
== Well, which one is it? ==
Post of the week in my book.
- Rabid - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 2:51 pm:
History speaks for itself they have his profile
- Pundent - Friday, Jun 29, 18 @ 3:07 pm:
=OK, but ask cops who they think is trying to destroy them.=
You’re conflating two different issues. I think John Deere Green captured it correctly. If this were a discussion of “blue lives matter” your point would be well taken. But this is very different. Rauner has made his feelings clear on unionization in this state.