* Dave McKinney at WBEZ…

Democrat JB Pritzker’s successful 2018 run for governor involved hitting his Republican rival, then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, over and over for the “fatal mismanagement” of multiple Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks that were tied to 13 deaths at the state-run Quincy Veterans’ Home.

Another gubernatorial election is here, and Republicans are using that same political strategy against Pritzker, accusing him of “criminal negligence” for three dozen COVID-19 deaths at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home two years ago.

The political attack worked once, contributing to a nearly 16-percentage-point drubbing Pritzker inflicted on Rauner. Illinois GOP leaders are hoping it will work again, this time in their candidates’ favor.

In both instances, the horrible death tolls at LaSalle and Quincy were shocking, and families suffered. Both tragedies unfolded in state-run facilities for veterans, with poor decision-making by state officials in charge of the homes. Audits bore that out, and litigation arose in both cases.

Republicans are seizing on those similarities to poke at the governor’s leadership and highlight what the GOP regards as hypocrisy by Pritzker. But Democrats point out that some of the facts surrounding the two deadly catastrophes are vastly different.

Pritzker has tried to make that case. Likewise, the son of one victim in Quincy sees important distinctions. And a nationally-known public health expert with no partisan interest in Illinois’ gubernatorial election this fall said comparing Quincy to LaSalle is an act of medical ignorance.

“Not even going to the politics, but I think it’s just sloppy thinking overall because you can’t compare an environmental pathogen that is not spread person-to-person to a pandemic pathogen that is spread efficiently from person to person,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security who was extensively quoted by WBEZ after the Quincy Legionnaires’ outbreaks.

“There’s no analogy there,” he said.

* Bruce Rauner put DCFS at the heart of his 2014 campaign against Pat Quinn and JB Pritzker used DCFS against Rauner in 2018. Richard Irvin campaign…

Over the last month, reports of major problems at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) show that the current administration is not capable of providing the appropriate care for Illinois’ most endangered youth. The agency’s downward spiral continues under Pritzker’s lead, with a new report finding that DCFS is placing innocent vulnerable kids in the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center — and keeping them there despite a judge ordering them to be released.

Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert, who is in charge of legal representation for the county’s abused and neglected kids, told WBEZ that “it’s a huge civil rights violation. It’s unimaginably cruel…and it’s exploding.”

These children being held in jail are in addition to the 343 foster children who were trapped in psychiatric hospitals after doctors cleared them for release, according to last month’s damning report by the BGA that outlined a variety of horrific departmental failure and abuse.

Just a few days ago, state child welfare workers were removed from their duties following the death of an 8-year-old girl who was murdered by her mother just hours after a long-overdue visit from DCFS staff.

Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert believes DCFS’ violations may have caused Amaria’s death, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune.

Despite the ongoing crisis for kids in the state’s care, J.B. Pritzker continues to defend his leadership of the agency, including his chosen agency director Marc Smith, who has already been held in contempt of court 11 times since January of this year.

“Under Pritzker, we’ve seen the worst mismanagement of this critical state agency that has continuously mistreated our state’s most vulnerable children,” said Irvin for Illinois campaign spokesperson Eleni Demertzis. “Illinois needs a leader who will right the wrongs at these agencies providing care to those who rely on them, and that leader is Richard Irvin.”

I pointed out to the Irvin campaign that the candidate has called for the firing of the director, but has proposed no actual reforms. I was told this…

We’ve called for Smith to be fired because he’s obviously not able to do the job. Beyond that we’d have to get into office to assess the needs of the agency and what needs to be done. It’s very obviously a troubled agency and has been for some time.

* I asked DCFS for its full response to the WBEZ report…

Below are the questions and what I provided to WBEZ. This is from Bill McCaffrey…

As a statement, you can attribute to me:

“DCFS does everything possible to ensure that its youth in care receive the proper care and support. In cases when a child become the responsibility of DCFS after they are ready to be released, we take immediate action to place youth in appropriate settings and continue our efforts until youth are placed. There are a variety of factors that can influence when a youth is released from the justice system. In some cases, the judge has ordered the youth to be placed into a secure facility, which means placement out of state. In other cases, the youth’s family is not willing to accept the youth after release, which means DCFS is tasked with finding foster parents or a residential facility that is willing to accept the youth and has the ability to provide the proper supports.”

Q. What are the barriers preventing the state from placing youth who are supposed to be released from the JTDC?

A. There are a variety of factors that can influence when a youth is released from the JTDC. In some cases, the judge has ordered the youth to be placed into a secure facility, which means placement out of state. In other cases, the youth’s family is not willing to accept the youth after release, which means DCFS is tasked with finding foster parents or a residential facility that is willing to accept the youth and has the ability to provide the proper supports.

Q. What changes need to be made to ensure no wards are left in jail unnecessarily?

A. DCFS is adding beds, developing new programs for youth in care and providing funding to our private partners to both expand their facilities and increase their salaries to attract and retain workers. From 2019 to 2021, we added 90 beds. This year, we have already added 37. And we have 74 beds in development right now that will be available for our youth.

Q. Is the state reimbursing the county for the cost of care when youth are left in the JTDC?
A. No

Q. What is the impact on young people to be left in jail awaiting placement?
A. Youth receive educational, medical and therapeutic services while at the JTDC. In addition, the Department offers Mentorship services for youth that will transition to a placement within Cook County.

Q. Is DCFS planning to make any changes to end the practice of leaving kids in the JTDC awaiting placement?
A. DCFS is working with partners at Northwestern University to review data and analyze trends on RUR youth, as well as trends on our incarcerated and detained youth and their needs. DCFS has weekly meetings to discuss case planning, resources and barriers, as well options for additional services that can be provided to prepare youth for their future placement. (Mentorship is currently available for youth being placed within Cook County.)