Campaign notebook
Wednesday, Aug 24, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Vote Yes for Workers’ Rights is now up on broadcast TV in Chicago with an ad bolstering its proposed constitutional amendment that had been running on cable TV for the past couple of weeks. The group has already purcahsed about $4 million in TV ads in advance.
* Today at the Illinois Farm Bureau’s candidate forum, Sen. Darren Bailey was asked about whether he’d keep the Livestock Management Facilities Act in place. His answer…
I spread about 16,000 ton of chicken manure each year. So I know the advantage and the importance of you know, the regulatory process. I believe it’s working. A lot of people come, especially in the, being in the minority chair on Ag, people come and say, Well, what new laws, what are you thinking about?
My answer is always the same. You know, our current problem in Illinois that when we think about our elected officials, we think about new laws. Our state representatives and senators, they shouldn’t be writing new laws. They should be really representing you in helping us work through these laws and these problems.
We don’t need any more laws, especially where we’re at with agriculture. As far as I know, everything’s fine. Leave it alone, government stay out. I’ll even look to places that we can reduce regulation.
“We don’t need any more laws.” OK.
* Background is here. From a Tribune story on Gov. Pritzker’s recent campaign contributions…
The funding from Pritzker comes after Welch earlier this month made two contributions totaling $5 million to the state party from his individual campaign fund. Pritzker in June gave the state party three contributions totaling $1.5 million. Representatives from the Democrats for the Illinois House committee did not return requests for comment.
I checked and was told that money was a pre-payment for mailers. That Pritzker money was also for mailers in order to receive the postage discount.
* Raja…
Today, a bipartisan group of eleven Mayors launched the “Mayors for Raja” coalition and endorsed Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s re-election campaign to continue to represent Illinois’ 8th Congressional District in the U.S. Congress. The growing list of elected leaders in the 8th Congressional District included:
• Addison Mayor Richard Veenstra
• Carol Stream Village Mayor Frank Saverino
• Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain
• Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson
• Hanover Park Village President Rod Craig
• Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod
• Itsasca Village President Jeff Pruyn
• Oak Brook Village President Gopal Lalmalani
• Schaumburg Village President Tom Dailly
• Roselle Mayor David Pileski
• Villa Park President Nick Cuzzone
* CD11…
* Press release…
Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs was unanimously elected president of a bipartisan organization that brings together state finance officials to address government financial management issues.
Frerichs’ Democratic and Republican colleagues from across the country picked him to be president of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT), the group announced today.
“It’s such an honor that my peers chose me to lead this bipartisan organization that works to solve the challenges of government,” said Frerichs, who had been the organization’s treasurer. “Making sure state governments work for the people is not a Republican or Democratic issue, and I’m especially proud that colleagues across the aisle supported my election as NASACT president.”
The election caps Frerichs’ ascension within the organization. After less than a year as Illinois State Treasurer, Frerichs’ peers selected him in 2015 to join the NASACT Executive Committee. In 2016, Frerichs received the NASACT president’s award. The late Judy Baar Topinka, a popular former Republican Illinois state treasurer and comptroller, received that same award in 2015.
In addition to his NASACT role, Treasurer Frerichs was elected by his bipartisan peers to serve as secretary-treasurer of the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST) in 2021. He serves on the NAST Executive, Long-Range Planning, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committees.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 2:28 pm:
===I checked and was told that money was a pre-payment for mailers. That Pritzker money was also for mailers in order to receive the postage discount.===
Pritzker giving his stamp of approval.
It’s a nice help here. It helps with the blocking and tackling that is a nail program. Good stuff.
- Been There - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 2:31 pm:
====We don’t need any more laws====
====I’ll even look to places that we can reduce regulation.=====
Most regulations follow what is spelled out in the law. Not sure he realizes that getting rid of a law actually takes legislation.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 2:32 pm:
The thing with Lauf, it’s a whole grift thing, no?
It’s nice and all she’s wearing a Super Bowl ring, but she also tweets(ed) things from insurrection apologists and conspiracy theorists. If Mary Miller was still herself but packaged as a suburbanite… you’d get Lauf.
Where is Foster? Napping?
- Cool Papa Bell - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 2:36 pm:
Ask Senator Bailey then what would think about people wanting to put up solar farms or windmills on the property directly across from him?
The LMFA rips away all aspects of local control. So Bailey again - for local control over things he likes - totally against it for things he doesn’t like. Curious how that always works out for him.
- John Lopez - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 2:48 pm:
=== Where is Foster? Napping? ===
Why not? At event last night, Lauf revealed her campaign had raised $1.5M total, which would mean since she won primary, the campaign’s only raised $100K.
With that level of fundraising, Foster can snooze, given he reported just under $5M in bank at end of June.
Best pic tweeted from event, Lauf posing with ex-Irvin campaign advisor Derek Murphy, along with Congressman Owens and Sallie Nyhan Davis.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 2:51 pm:
===Why not?===
Run like your down 10 points. It’s not like Foster has this reputation of being an aggressive campaigner to begin with.
Every seat is going to matter. There’s always those 2-3 that are surprises, both ways.
Napping as Foster is…
- JoanP - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 2:52 pm:
= I spread about 16,000 ton of chicken manure each year. =
That’s not the only kind of manure he’s spreading.
- yinn - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 2:53 pm:
Are there no women mayors/presidents or do elected women just not like Raja?
- Just Me 2 - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 2:59 pm:
Don’t need any new laws, eh?
https://www.ilga.gov/senate/SenatorBills.asp?MemberID=2989&Primary=True
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 3:01 pm:
===Don’t need any new laws, eh?===
He’s co-sponsored several more https://www.ilga.gov/senate/SenatorBills.asp?MemberID=2989&GA=102
- Over It - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 3:02 pm:
If this were like 2010, Foster could be the Bean of 2022. But it ain’t like 2010, at least in Illinois. It looked like it could be in January-February, but not anymore.
- Bruce( no not him) - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 3:03 pm:
=== As far as I know, everything’s fine. ===
Nothing to see here. All is well.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 3:03 pm:
“We don’t need any more laws.”
Explains a lot about his record as a legislator.
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 3:04 pm:
That last anonymous comment about his record was me.
- vern - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 3:05 pm:
=== We don’t need any more laws, especially where we’re at with agriculture. As far as I know, everything’s fine. ===
I’ve been clamoring for Bailey to try appealing to Democrats, so I guess I should be happy about his full-throated support for Pritzker’s ag policy. It’s also nice to see a Republican declare that something in Illinois is fine. I guess good news really can be good news if it’s for farmers.
Of course, I have doubts that pivoting from “Republican farmers” to “all farmers” is gonna close the gap for Bailey. But it’s good to see baby steps.
- StateEmployeeThatIsNotInAFSCME - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 3:15 pm:
How will taxing retirement help “solve the challenges of government?”
- H-W - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 3:16 pm:
=As far as I know, everything’s fine. Leave it alone, government stay out.=
Aside from the fact that Bailey did not really address the Livestock Facilities Management Act in his answer (which should be a simple question for a guy who spreads a lot of chicken manure around), is Bailey suggesting that if elected, he will do nothing? Is he also suggesting that the state legislature should not legislate?
Just crazy.
- Just Me 2 - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 3:16 pm:
Next time Bailey says we need to pass a state law to stop the woke agenda we can remind him of his declaration we have enough laws.
- illini - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 3:39 pm:
I spent a few hours today watching/listening to the Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable Candidate Forum. The contrasts between the candidates could not have been more pronounced in so many ways.
Unfortunately there are those voters who have already made their decisions and untold thousands who will vote never having considered what these candidates stand for and what they offer this state. Watching this forum should be required of anyone who takes their responsibility to vote seriously.
I hope there will be ample opportunities to witness the two candidates for Governor side by side while making their case for leadership of this state. If that is possible this race should not even be close.
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 3:42 pm:
“remind him of his declaration we have enough laws.”
And a reminder to you, that when Bailey uses the word ‘we’, you’re not in it.
- Frank talks - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 4:07 pm:
@yinn- google is your friend -why don’t you find out if there are any women mayors/presidents in his district before assuming women don’t like him?
- StateEmployeeThatIsNotInAFSCME - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 4:09 pm:
==National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT)==
I wonder if NASACT has ever taken a position on taxing retirement.
- MoralMinority - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 4:13 pm:
==Ask Senator Bailey then what would think about people wanting to put up solar farms or windmills on the property directly across from him?==Not right across from him, but a couple of miles maybe from Bailey’s house is a huge solar farm being constructed just south of the Kinmundy-Louisville Blacktop.
- West Side the Best Side - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 4:14 pm:
I can’t believe Bailey actually admitted that he’s just been speaking “manure” every time he talks. That is what he said, or did I misread it?
- Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 4:35 pm:
=== We don’t need any more laws, especially where we’re at with agriculture. As far as I know, everything’s fine. ===
The LMFA is in serious need of an update. CAFOs are now much larger than they were when the act was last updated, and the controls in place for siting and regulation are no longer adequate. These facilities produce industrial quantities of waste and emissions but are still regulated as if they were small operations. The health impacts of exposure to the air emissions (which are not filtered in any way) and the potential for contamination of groundwater and surface water are significant. It’s much more difficult to clean things up after the fact than to build things properly. The current set of regulations is allowing the siting, construction, and operation of facilities that pose significant risks.
- granville - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 6:31 pm:
==The thing with Lauf, it’s a whole grift thing, no?==
Yeah, I posted late in a thread yesterday. Her website is still pointing to the primary, and as of the last FEC filing (June 30) she had $25k cash on hand. Foster had, uh, $5 million lol
She finished 3rd in the primary in 2020 and got a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention. If she gets annihilated in the general I wonder if she they’ll nominate her as “duchess” or something.
- StealYourFace - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 7:47 pm:
It baffles me that conservative politicians won’t touch the LMFA, even though it explicitly denies counties and municipalities the ability to deny permits (There have been multiple instances of counties boards voting against a proposed CAFO and IDOA issuing the permit anyways). It also seriously lacks any real environmental regulation on the spreading of manure, let alone requirements on air pollution or adequate setbacks from neighboring properties. The LMFA hasn’t had substantive change in decades, and it needs to happen soon.
- Correcting - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 8:24 pm:
Joe Biden ran for president in 1988 and dropped out very early. Nixon lost the presidency in 1960 and then became president later just like Biden did. What races have you won? Lauf defeated candidates who had the backing of the Republican establishment. Lauf was competitive against well known names like Oberweis and Rezin in 2020 when she was a nobody. Will she lose the general? Yeah, probably, after all it is a Biden plus ten district and she will be outspent 3-1 so wouldn’t you kind of expect that? Is it necessary to diminish her accomplishments? Let’s see you run for congress and win a primary. You won’t.
- Correcting - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 8:29 pm:
Also, Foster has been in parades, to the UpRising bakery, and to other events. He has had several Democrat organizations asking for money to give to his campaign, and from what I understand they have been successful. He’s not napping. He’s going out in public, probably more than Lauf to be honest. I do not agree with Oswego Willy and John Lopez that he is being lazy.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 8:34 pm:
=== Let’s see you…===
Yeah, I’m gonna stop you there.
Lauf is no hero of anything special putting her name on any ballot.
If anything, Lauf likes the idea, at the very least, to retweet conspiracy theorists and insurrection apologists.
Lauf is dangerous to American democracy, the “suburbanite” version of Mary Miller.
Putting your name in a ring, even like a David Duke type, Lauf is not any *special* thing by “at least she’s”….
No. Stop.
- John Lopez - Thursday, Aug 25, 22 @ 7:25 am:
=== I do not agree with Oswego Willy and John Lopez that he is being lazy. ===
I didn’t say Foster was being lazy, I pointed out, given Lauf’s nonexistent fundraising, $100K in nearly 2 months since winning primary, Foster could afford to nap part of the tune.
Especially when he lets his money do the talking.
Given IL-11 is 55% new and the fact Foster has lost a general before 12 years ago, he’s not napping. At 66, Foster has a spring in his step to win reelection, and I predict that is what he will do.
The only question is, by how much. Given his opponent, I predict Foster will win w/ 55% of vote over Lauf, so he’ll win by 10 percentage points.