Asked and answered
Monday, Aug 27, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Over the weekend, numerous users on social media platforms notified our campaign that the incumbent state Treasurer, Mike Frerichs, is using taxpayer dollars to advertise. This morning, Republican nominee Jim Dodge issued the following statement:
“Mike Frerichs is using taxpayer dollars, just months from an election, to advertise on social media. He should be immediately and totally transparent with taxpayers about how much this costs and why it is the most efficient use of their money.
“We need a Treasurer who is committed to transparency and who will work to insure that each and every hard earned dollar that Illinois taxpayers send to Springfield is used in the most efficient and effective way.
“It is absolutely abhorrent to ask the taxpayers of this state to send one extra penny to Springfield until our elected officials can guarantee that they are getting the absolute most out of current funds.
“I urge the Treasurer to be transparent and accountable and to do so today.”
* I asked Treasurer Frerichs’ spokesman if they were running ads on Twitter. His response…
Yes, we do advertise on Twitter as part of a larger campaign to increase the number of people claiming their unclaimed property.
We have had a lot of success with the campaign. In fact, we have doubled the number of successful claims to over 116,000 and returned $180 million in FY 18.
He also linked to a July press release.
Thoughts?
- PublicServant - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 1:26 pm:
Sounds like Republican agitprop to me, Rich.
- Thoughts Matter - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 1:29 pm:
My first thought? - so what.
My 2nd thought? Am I missing the point? Is it the advertising that’s the issue? The medium(twitter)? The proximity to the election date? Or did something about it break any laws( photos, etc)?
Because I still don’t see the issue.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 1:30 pm:
This I-cash website is way cool. I found some money on it, and found $500 for my brother in law he never knew about.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 1:30 pm:
No worse or different than all the franked “look at what a great job I am doing!” mail that shows up from time to time.
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 1:31 pm:
This is a far cry from “ROD BLAGOJEVICH, GOVERNOR” splattered all over the tollway.
- wordslinger - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 1:35 pm:
According to ISBE, Dodge had $32K on hand at the end of June. Strangely enough, that’s just how much Senger had, too. I don’t remember who the GOP SOS candidate is.
Their A-1s since then are anemic, to say the least.
No need to pile on. But Rauner really isn’t about party-building.
- Zeep Bow - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 1:40 pm:
Dodge’s winning campaign angle here: Curse the Treasurer for trying to spread his message about getting rightfully owed money back into the hands of Illinoisans
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 1:46 pm:
If the ads have the name or likeness of the treasurer, then it’s an issue. If not, then not.
So what’s in the ads?
- RibbonCutter - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 1:58 pm:
If the Governor gets to tour the state signing bills, I think the other constitutional officers should be allowed to carry on in their official duties as well, no matter how close we get to the election. If it happens to get them good press or increase name recognition, so be it.
- Perrid - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 1:58 pm:
It sound like appropriate purpose. It could be a problem if it has Frerichs name or anything, but even then I doubt it would rise to any kind of corruption.
- Lt Guv - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:01 pm:
I believe many Republicans have used the word “nothingburger.”
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:03 pm:
I’ve seen these iCash ads for a couple years. They perform a valuable service - encouraging people to get their money back. Have seen no changes in the ads. Not sure the problem.
- Just Observing - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:04 pm:
I always figured the unclaimed property database was just a feel-good, fun way to get the Treasurer’s name out there and make the Treasurer appear more relevant. But seeing that they returned $180 million last year alone makes me think advertising the program is more important that I originally thought.
But, to help ensure the Treasurer’s office doesn’t blur the line between government and politics, they should:
1. Make sure advertising spending does not increase over the Summer/Fall leading up to the election.
2. Even better, cease all advertising after Labor Day until after the election (the unclaimed property will still be there).
3. Remover the Treasurer’s name, year round, from all advertising and not splashed all over the website.
- NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:05 pm:
Baloney is what this complaint is. However, the Treasurers description of his primary responsibilities is half baloney. But that’s for another time.
- Montrose - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:19 pm:
I saw the ad the other day and found out I had unclaimed money. I’ll admit, it makes me like Frerichs more.
- City Zen - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:21 pm:
The Twitter ad states: “Illinois: get your unclaimed cash today.” It is sent from the Twitter handle @ILTreasurer with the name Michael W. Frerichs and a picture of the Treasurer.
I applaud the subliminal messaging.
- OurMagician - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:22 pm:
Power of being the incumbent officeholder, use the office to provide a service for the people you’re elected for. Should Jesse White take his name off all the Secretary of State offices?
Thought on Frerichs response, fine and all but what is the advertising dollars that the office is spending as far as amount? Fair question and deserves a response.
- NorthsideNoMore - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:26 pm:
This has been going on since the first government letter head appeared a millennium ago… Nothing to see here move along Dodge getting free pub smart if your funder account only has ,000 behind it.
- Wellll - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:36 pm:
Frerichs has handled iCash in a better way than Rutherford. Rutherford used it as a spring board to his gov race.
- Person 8 - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:37 pm:
Ha, my 8 year old has something from comcast(we’ve never had them), from an address that lived at for 9 months(7 years ago). Weird. Money is money I guess.
- Steve Rogers - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:44 pm:
I guess when you have nothing to run on and have no chance, then attack your opponent for stupid things.
Also, doesn’t it make sense to advertise one of the functions of your office on twitter? Why spend tens of thousands of dollars on post cards for mailers and tens of thousands more on postage when it’s done for nearly nothing on social media? Isn’t that a good thing?
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:46 pm:
I just used the link & found out I had a deposit from from Illinois Tollway and claimed it. Yeah, I’m good with it.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 2:51 pm:
Frerichs has been promoting this for 3 1/2 years, just like Jesse White promotes organ donation and sends me reminders about renewing my license plates.
On the other hand, I have had zero contact from my Republican State Rep and my Republican Congressman until this past week, when each sent me a lovely full-color, tax payer-funded “newsletter” telling me what a great job each is doing. I’d be happy to share them with Mr. Dodge if he would like to complain about them.
- Joining the Modern World - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 3:01 pm:
I celebrate Illinois government entering 2010s by using commonly accepted marketing methods to serve the public interest.
If he gains political benefit for it, to me, that actually sounds like representative democracy working. Politicians should be rewarded for doing their jobs well.
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 3:27 pm:
I just notified 5 relatives who’s names were listed. This is something to make political hay over? Reachin’, pal, reachin’
- Before Wicker Park Was Trendy - That's How Long - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 3:45 pm:
Thanks to Jim Dodge, Capitol Fax posted information about the ICash program.
Thanks to the ICash website, I discovered I have $30 coming to me from an address I lived at from 1979-1986, when I was a member of the Chicago Motor Club.
The problem will be getting the necessary documentation to prove I lived there at the time. But I’ll dig it up eventually.
So thanks to Jim Dodge for getting the ball rolling,
And a big thanks, especially, to Treasurer Frerich! Every dollar helps.
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 3:45 pm:
It would be nice to know how much cash we’re talking about being paid for ads, but at this point I don’t have a problem with the ads and think the Treasurer has done a good job promoting this program. (Disclosure: AA Jr. and I both had some dough fall in our laps thanks to ICash. )
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 4:16 pm:
Why doesn’t he follow the lead of Paul Power and force his employees to wear his name on the back of their shirts?
- Anon7 - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 4:16 pm:
Yep, based on this post, I went and checked and I also had unclaimed property.
Oh, and when the form asked where I had heard of the program, I clicked “social media.”
- Lefty Lefty - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 4:49 pm:
Interesting that the ads don’t show up in his twitter feed. Never knew that about twitter.
Hah! Right after I searched for him, the ad showed up in my feed.
Nothing for me….wait my wife has an “unclaimed check” from a pharmacy!
This is better than Willie Wilson handing out cash.
- walker - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 4:50 pm:
I saw the ad, and purely to see how it worked, I looked and found a little bit of my own.
- JS Mill - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 5:04 pm:
After seeing this thread I went and found some unclaimed property.
Keep on keeping on there Mr. Frerichs. It isn’t exactly Willie Wilson…
- Anon x10 - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 7:57 pm:
Show me the $$!! Just found me some money. Thanks Rich! Plus,my aunt also found some money after clicking on an ad on Facebook back in May. Seems like a great way for him to reconnect money with its rightful owners. Fractions of a penny to connect over social media platforms.
I’d rather have him leverage social media to find me than the State keeping my money.
- Juvenal - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 10:06 pm:
Lemme guess, the news release headline was:
Dodge Accuses Frerichs of Doing His Job
- Juvenal - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 10:08 pm:
No, wait:
Dodge Accuses Frerichs of Using 21st Century Technology
- anono - Monday, Aug 27, 18 @ 11:15 pm:
Isn’t this the program Judy Baar Topinka started?
Was this no-name Republican upset when she did it?
- Seymourkid - Tuesday, Aug 28, 18 @ 9:13 am:
Judy Topinka did the same thing