* For decades now, every time there’s a Chicago crime spike, some politician demands that the National Guard be called up. Republican gubernatorial candidate Gary Rabine is no exception to this hard and fast rule…
“As the leader of our state, Governor Pritzker needs to take a more active role in what is happening in our City,” Rabine said. “Real leaders get involved to solve the tough problems. They get their hands dirty. They work endlessly until they find resolution. We have blood in the streets. This is real life, Illinois citizens are being shot and killed at record numbers, this is a war zone. We need the Governor of our state to be an engaged leader who is involved and who will give problems of this magnitude the sense of urgency they deserve.”
Last weekend in Chicago there was a record-breaking weekend for violence as more than 104 people were shot with 19 fatalities. At least 13 of the people shot were children. Rabine said bad policies that are ruining policing have created these unforgivable outcomes.
“We have a Governor who not only is doing little to make our state safe, but he is also actively working to bring chaos and crime to our neighborhoods,” Rabine said. His Prisoner Review Board has used the pandemic as an excuse to release hundreds and hundreds of inmates – many of whom are violent offenders in Illinois communities. He signed into law a so-called ‘police reform’ bill that will only serve to make our communities and our police less safe. Gov. Pritzker must see the national news coverage of our City, depicting our City as a war zone. The lack of safety and security to our communities is unexceptable”
Rabine said it is time for Pritzker and the state to step up and lead to protect the citizens of Illinois. When it comes to real leadership, Pritzker doesn’t know what that looks like, he apparently has never had to lead in a crisis.
“If I were Governor, I would lead an urgent initiative to solve this dier problem,” Rabine said. “I would be putting major pressure on Mayor Lightfoot to get this situation resolved and when that doesn’t work, I would look at activating the National Guard to help clean up the streets and make the City safer. I would personally be doing everything I could to give the families of Chicago, Illinois the safety and security they deserve. Our communities deserve better than this massive lack of leadership currently displayed.”
I generally let this go, but I couldn’t help but notice the large number of typos in that release.
…Adding… Rabine’s spokesperson just called to say he inadvertently sent out the wrong version of the release. Click here.
Anyway, local crime is usually considered a local issue, but there are items in the new state budget that address local crime.
* Meanwhile, Rabine’s campaign bused in protesters to today’s Biden event. Pics from a subscriber…
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 11:39 am:
When was the last time we had a governor with no higher education attainment?
- allknowingmasterofraccoodom - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 11:45 am:
Wow, just wow. How do you not catch typos in a press release? And look at that “crowd”.
IS that Rauner’s old bus?
- Bruce( no not him) - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 11:46 am:
I still go back to his remark about not being smart enough to know if the presidential election was stolen.
It looks like his supporters already decided.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 11:50 am:
=== When was the last time we had a governor with no higher education attainment?===
Trump graduated from Penn
Rauner graduated from Dartmouth
Higher education means little to a measure of character, and frankly, character might be helpful in these times, not sheep skin.
- ChuckIL - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 11:51 am:
The parking lot guy isn’t a serious candidate.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 11:51 am:
Rabine’s Trump credentials will be a factor… if he gets out a primary.
That’ll be fun.
- Really - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 11:54 am:
The gentleman has a point about crime in Chicago. Defunding the police is not working please do something already many people are dying
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 11:54 am:
=== Rabine’s campaign bused in protesters ===
I was wondering how long this groups projection of democrats bussing in antifa was going to take to materialize in an obvious way. And here it is.
As far as the content, for lack of a better word, of what rabine is saying - I’m now curious where his line for local control is. When on another day he would be calling the governor a tyrant for imposing state health codes onto local areas.
I enjoy a debate on the issues, and would welcome such debate from rabine. But only if the underlying concept is internally consistent. I can’t take seriously those who constantly move the goalposts on their supposed beliefs. If I want a conversation like that, I can talk to my 10 year old nephew.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 11:54 am:
===Defunding the police is not working===
Where has this happened? And if you can’t answer that question, you should prolly go back to Facebook.
- Anon E Moose - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 11:55 am:
“I would look at activating the National Guard”
It’s been looked at. Repeatedly.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 11:55 am:
Our city? From what I can see his business interests and other holdings appear largely suburban.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 11:58 am:
To the substance, calling in the National Guard sounds nice, but those folks largely aren’t trained for policing. There’s a good chance their presence actually increases tensions rather than lessens them, and increases the chances of unfortunate events like unjustified shootings of civilians.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 12:09 pm:
Bring in the guard to do what exactly? Fully armed? Worked so well in my he past. To arrest people? To arrest people legally? I am sure the guard is well trained in police procedure and criminal law and procedure /s. So they will stand around and try and to intimidate People hat will work. Will they coordinate with State Attorney Foxx? That would be worth seeing.
- Lincoln Lad - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 12:14 pm:
Haven’t we had enough of people running for office who aren’t qualified or capable to effectively lead? I’ve had enough, for sure.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 12:19 pm:
===Higher education means little to a measure of character, and frankly, character might be helpful in these times, not sheep skin. ===
I’m not suggesting that higher education causes people to develop character and a commitment to principles, but we can’t pretend that education is not a factor in the ability to understand complex issues behind governing and listening to statement made by Mr. Rabine has given me the impression that his ability to string together national talking points as unentertaining non-sequiturs is no indication of his ability or capability of managing a state government with tens of thousands of employees overseeing incredibly complicated processes.
Since his campaign is promising a “hands on” and “dirty” approaching to government that includes sending an armed military force into the country’s third largest city, I think it’s incredibly relevant to note that the person proposing sending troops to Chicago has no creative solutions besides deploying troops, and producing that statement just 6 months after the insurrection at our nation’s capitol lead by leadership he professes to adore.
He’s literally declaring a Democratic controlled city to be a war zone to justify deploying troops.
Running the State of Illinois is not like paving a parking lot. He is promising to be personally and directly involved in the affairs of government when he literally lacks the qualifications to be hired as an entry level employee at just about every agency he seeks to direct.
- Cook County Commoner - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 12:21 pm:
Assuming the NG was trained for urban policing, stopping violence would require literally flooding much of the city with police and NG on a 24/7 basis. Only about 10,000 NG, and I think only about 12000 CPD. Anyone whose been in the military and looks at a map of Chicago and understands a well armed and mobile enemy will tell you to find another way.
- phocion - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 12:24 pm:
Odd this post didn’t mention that Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale also called for the National Guard to be deployed in Chicago.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 12:26 pm:
== The gentleman has a point about crime in Chicago. Defunding the police is not working please do something already many people are dying.==
The opposite is happening. Not only are the police not defunded, the city of Chicago funding of police is on steroids, with all that overtime.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 12:37 pm:
===Anyone whose been in the military and looks at a map of Chicago and understands a well armed and mobile enemy will tell you to find another way. ===
It’s almost as if better, cheaper, and more effective policy solutions exist besides utilizing a military force to address civilian crime.
But the 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment would be able to help draft better press releases.
- Henry Francis - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 12:53 pm:
“It is time for Pritzker and the state to step up and lead to protect the citizens of Illinois. When it comes to real leadership, [Pritzker] apparently has never had to lead in crisis.”
Huh? The last 16 months of the COVID epidemic that killed over 23,000 Illinoisans wasn’t a crisis?
Pritzker did try to lead in that crisis. And he tried to protect the citizens of Illinois. Yet every time he did just that, he was met with hyperbolic howls of opposition from Rabine and his ilk.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 12:56 pm:
=== but we can’t pretend that education is not a factor in the ability to understand complex issues behind governing===
No. Sorry.
Politics and governing *is* a trade. This “simple” idea that only “educated folk” can is quite preposterous, and pompous as well.
The trade, be it lobbyist, staffer, elected official, those in the trade are the ones who “understand”, not the silly smart “Harvard-types” who can’t understand legislation, agencies, regulations, even budgets.
The smart folk hire and bring on the expertise, even if they themselves have been around “decades”
Rauner was a destructive force, not a want to govern. Rod was a destructive force with no desire to govern. Edgar, Ryan, even Pritzker, they see the mechanisms of governing, the nuances, the rules… the actual trade of governing, not unlike, respectfully, a carpenter, plumber, and used those who can make happen visions well.
Rabine, educated or not to any snobbish standard, the disrespect to the trade of politics and governing is the fault, not any measure of education, as Trump or Rauner showed.
=== … he literally lacks the qualifications to be hired as an entry level employee at just about every agency he seeks to direct.===
A measure of character is knowing that being the most knowledgeable in the room in governing is also being in the wrong room to govern. A college education does not make that lesson any easier or harder to learn.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 1:15 pm:
Gary Rabine from far-suburban Bull Valley (population 1,087) refers to Chicago as “our City”??
- Pundent - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 1:17 pm:
=Maybe it’s time for some common sense approaches and not the silver spoon good ol’ boys club guys.=
If the question is “what’s the worst that can happen?” I say see January 6th.
- A Jack - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 1:22 pm:
A candidate for Governor should know the Guard’s mission and capabilities before applying for the job of commanding them.
- Downstate - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 1:24 pm:
Putting troops on the street is the easy thing. Removing them is wherein the problem lies. Their removal will create a vacuum. And unless you have something to fill the vacuum, you are right back where you started.
This has been proven out so many times, most currently in Afghanistan.
And a more apt analogy would be the attempt to install a strong police force in the favelas of Rio. It worked up until the minute they started to withdraw.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 1:43 pm:
=== Their removal will create a vacuum. And unless you have something to fill the vacuum, you are right back where you started.
This has been proven out so many times, most currently in Afghanistan.===
When you wanna compare She-Caw-Go to a 3rd world country and use “occupying forces” to seem smart and winning
Using the military to police in the United States is admitting that finding solutions to social injustices and unrest is impossible and treating fellow Americans as less is necessary.
The military is not trained, equipped, or tasked with policing as an entity with a mission to do so. Occupying enemy territory isn’t the same when it’s your countrymen.
- Downstate - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 1:48 pm:
“When you wanna compare She-Caw-Go to a 3rd world country”
Not sure you read my post. I’m saying that troops are NOT a good thing. Rio (Brazil) is certainly not third world. The experiment with an enhanced police force worked, until they left.
- dave ristau - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 2:00 pm:
I believe the gun violence epidemic presently does not have a solution. I have few ideas. I think the lower price and higher volume of Meth, Kdone, Molly, Heroin and other hard drugs are driving the violence. I have no idea how to put the brakes on the killing.
- EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 2:00 pm:
==Gary Rabine from far-suburban Bull Valley (population 1,087) refers to Chicago as “our City”??==
Sounds similar to if someone from Buffalo Hart announces they want to run for mayor of Springfield but not move there.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 2:04 pm:
- Downstate -
=== Putting troops on the street is the easy thing. Removing them is wherein the problem lies. Their removal will create a vacuum. And unless you have something to fill the vacuum, you are right back where you started.
This has been proven out so many times, most currently in Afghanistan.===
Your thought *isn’t* that She-Caw-Go isn’t a 3rd world country, your thought is to it working or not.
:)
Also?
“Brazil is considered a Third World country, based on the historical definition, and a developing country. Brazil is part of BRICS and has the largest economy of any country in South America and Central America; however, Brazil has a low BDP per capita, low living standards, and high birth and death rates.” - World Population Review.
At best blush, it’s considered a “developing” country.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 2:12 pm:
===but not move there===
Hey, it worked in NYC.
- Proud Papa Bear - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 2:21 pm:
I stopped by - you couldn’t get into the college’s lot because of security but there were a lot of people along the road, flags-a-flying and some shouting matches going on.
- Paddyrollingstone - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 2:36 pm:
He should read some philosophy.
“No man undertakes a trade he has not learned, even the meanest;
Yet everyone thinks himself sufficiently qualified for the hardest of all trades – that of government.”
Socrates
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 3:06 pm:
=== Rio (Brazil) is certainly not third world. ===
By the very definition of the term, it is third world.
- DuPage - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 3:23 pm:
Have a federal officer ride with a Chicago cop. When any Chicago cop finds a felon with a gun, have him/her radio to get a car w/fed to go to the scene. Then have the fed make the arrest, put felon with gun in federal prison for years.
Additionally, more buybacks, and give a more generous amount for the guns turned in.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 3:53 pm:
===Politics and governing *is* a trade. This “simple” idea that only “educated folk” can is quite preposterous, and pompous as well.===
Alright — do you have any recent examples of any governor in any of the states that was a successful governor with no or very limited post-secondary education?
I don’t disagree with your premises in theory, I am just unaware of your theory existing in practice in recent history.
Any executive needs to hire experts in their field in order to have a successful operation. I am certain that he employs numerous people with impressive credentials, but I don’t know if the state can afford another governor that discovers that for profit business sector experience is not necessarily relevant to state government.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 3:57 pm:
=== do you have any recent examples of any governor in any of the states that was a successful governor with no or very limited post-secondary education?===
The question is to the snobbery, not the existence to prove a point of exception.
Jesse Ventura lists attending community college, was elected governor.
===I don’t know if the state can afford another governor that discovers that for profit business sector experience is not necessarily relevant to state government.===
True or not, that’s up to the voters to decide, not a collegiate pedigree.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 4:03 pm:
A quick google search has a sitting governor;
Missouri’s Mike Parson, who attended college, no degrees conferred.
- Responsa - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 4:57 pm:
== but we can’t pretend that education is not a factor in the ability to understand complex issues behind governing ==
Abe Lincoln smiles and waves across the timeless grasses of the Prairie State.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 5:10 pm:
A lot has changed since the 1830s when Lincoln was granted his license to practice the law. It’s sort of like calling Illinois the Prairie State when ~2500 acres of Prairie land remains.
- Levois J - Wednesday, Jul 7, 21 @ 6:11 pm:
Oswego Willy another answer is the former Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker he attended college but didn’t get a degree either.
- Narc - Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 8:05 am:
What I don’t understand is what do people who propose this expect the NG to *do*? They’re not a police force, they have no authority to arrest citizens, or probably the training to carry out police activities.
The NG is basically the army, about all they could do is shoot bla… oh, I see, never mind.