* Background is here if you need it. Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) was asked yesterday about Gov. JB Pritzker winning $1.4 million playing Black Jack in Vegas last year…
I have a problem with billionaires. I’m going to admit that I don’t know if I need my hand on Bible or what. I don’t trust billionaires. I don’t trust them because they’ve never had to make payroll with $0 in the bank. I don’t trust [billionaires] because of how they take care of their money like this. It was a $1.4 million win, wasn’t that approximately the number?
Billionaires are out of touch with reality, and we see that with how the governor has treated our most needy and vulnerable. We look at Meals on Wheels. We look at adults with disabilities in the long term care facilities. And we look at how we have continued to fund excess programs, violence interruption grants, health care for illegal immigrants. He has no basis in reality for what a dollar means the working people the state of Illinois.
My mom waited tables to keep a roof over my head after her and my father got divorced. I remember the mortgage company calling because at the time $323 was just too much for us to be able to meet. There were more days than dollars. We had the power shut off when I was a kid.
Until you’ve got a sense of reality of what a dollar means, you can’t judge accurately what needs to happen with the tax regiment. And I think the perfect example of that leader Davidsmeyer talked about, the increasing revenues that we’ve had over time since the governor took office, 40% additional they have continued year in and year out along the way to continue to raise taxes and fees each and every year, there’s an enhancement each and every year. How can that be? How? Yes, I understand things go up over time.
But the disconnect with reality, the disconnect for not knowing what a zero balance means in a checking account. I don’t trust billionaires. I don’t trust this governor. I didn’t trust the last governor. I’ve met a few billionaires in passing just because they happen to come down and lobby from time to time. I don’t trust them at all, because they’ve never had to be responsible. What they say goes in all of their experience up to this point in time.
So $1.4 million dollars in winnings, that is so absolutely disconnected. And I think if I do the math right in my head, that probably represents what a 35 year old, making $45,000 a year, would make from 35 to 65 years old, and he won it sitting there. Tell me how that relates to the common man.
Rep. Keicher did not mention the names of any other billionaire politicians.
- froganon - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:13 am:
Rep. Keicher doesn’t trust Democratic billionaires, fixed it for him. He’s all in on billionaires with felony convictions and, of course, the billionaires who own SCOTUS judges and the Republican Party.
- West Side the Best Side - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:13 am:
“I don’t trust billionaires.” Isn’t there a billionaire felon running the Republican party and the country right now? The comments just write themselves.
- Think again - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:15 am:
=billionaire’s =
Rep Keicher has got a way with words - a grassroots type of guy. I do love the fact that he equally called out JB and Rauner. It makes sense politically too as average Jill or Joe has almost nothing in common with these billionaires. He’s my rep and I can tell you he really works his district and is a decent nice guy - when you contact his office. He or his staff emailyou quickly.
- Excitable Boy - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:20 am:
I don’t trust insurance agents.
- Leatherneck - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:24 am:
I don’t trust anyone that makes $1 more than me.
- CA-HOON! - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:32 am:
He only trusts billionaires who were BFFs with Jeffrey Epstein.
- TheInvisibleMan - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:37 am:
What the rep seems most upset by, is that the existence of a person like JB completely destroys the paradigm he bought into that the only path to being a ‘real person’ is through suffering.
It’s certainly a path, and certain groups encourage that belief as the only option. Whole stories are written about the glory of such a life. But it is not the only path.
Maybe the fact of being confronted with the existence of an alternative way of living fundamentally scares Rep Keicher.
All this angst because a guy on vacation won and seems to have had fun doing so, instead of losing.
- Interesting - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:38 am:
I don’t trust anyone who knows the exact drawer where their scissors are kept. We all have our issues.
- Mike Murphy - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:45 am:
I see where he said he didn’t trust the last governor who was Republican. So for all you who are saying he only doesn’t trust Democratic billionaires …learn to read!
- Casper the Ghost Bus - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:46 am:
Looks like the progressives found their chief sponsor for the Billionaires Tax.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:56 am:
Billionaires are simply the inevitable result of our economy and justice system.
Money doesn’t talk, it screams.
As we are set to see the first trillionaire, the income inequality gap will only widen.
I look forward to Representative Keicher’s support of all union-backed legislation.
- Moe Berg - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:57 am:
=== a person like JB completely destroys the paradigm he bought into that the only path to being a ‘real person’ is through suffering ===
Appreciate the point you are making, but feel compelled to add that even if he has not suffered materially, JB has still suffered plenty, most especially in losing both of his parents at young ages, especially his mother.
I’d expect that his genuine concern and compassion for others comes from, in addition to the morals with which he was raised, those experiences.
And, to the thread, would just like to offer my sincere admiration for Rep. Keicher’s florid display of cognitive dissonance. High quality, laboratory-grade stuff, man.
- OneMan - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 10:58 am:
Not every billionaire was born into money.
” We look at Meals on Wheels. We look at adults with disabilities in the long term care facilities. And we look at how we have continued to fund excess programs, violence interruption grants, health care for illegal immigrants. He has no basis in reality for what a dollar means the working people the state of Illinois.”
Let me fix that for you.
“Programs for people who look like me, along with others, vs programs that are more likely to benefit people who don’t look like me.”
So we are to assume that if Dick Uline were going to help fund you running for something, you would say “Oh no Richard, I don’t trust people like you”
- Nagidam - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:00 am:
===I don’t trust anyone who knows the exact drawer where their scissors are kept. We all have our issues.===
Admittedly I am that person. Yes, I have issues.
- Stix Hix - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:03 am:
–I don’t trust them because they’ve never had to make payroll with $0 in the bank.–
So it’s billionaires fault Rep. Jeff Keicher is not such a good businessman?
- Anyone Remember - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:08 am:
“But the disconnect with reality … .”
The Governor’s family history has a lotta reality …
- Annonin' - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:13 am:
Yikes he sounds even dumber than he did on audio clips we heard this a.m. on WJPF. Speakin’ of being all in add “billionaires who drag writers into dept. store dressin’ rooms for a little ….
Have a great weekend
- Big Tom - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:23 am:
The obscenely wealthy don’t just have more money they live in a different reality. Our Governor won more in a card game than 99.8 % of the population he governs owns. That’s not just a fact. It’s a problem of perspective. How can someone who’s never had to worry about rent, medical bills, or grocery prices truly understand the weight those worries carry? When leaders live without friction, they stop seeing what most people face every day. It’s about distance, and turns governing into theory. It is difficult to make fair policy for people whose reality you no longer recognize. No more kings indeed.
- Sox Fan - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:28 am:
Not trusting Billionaires should be the easiest bipartisan issue oat.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:32 am:
I don’t trust anyone under 30.
- FormerParatrooper - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:35 am:
Billionaire, millionaire, thousands ire or dollaraire, the amount of money someone has doesn’t determine my trust. I have not met a billionaire, but the few millionaires I have known where trustworthy me. They kept thier word and that is where I trust.
- Homebody - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:36 am:
I don’t trust Republicans, Mr. Keicher.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:37 am:
I don’t trust politicians.
- Steve - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:44 am:
I trust that JB won in gambling. I wonder what the casino he was at? I’d love to see the video tape. Because everyone knows casinos have video everywhere.
- Walker - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:51 am:
I get what Keicher’s feeling and saying. He’s not playing.
I expected not to like JB before meeting and dealing with him. JB is a remarkably insightful and kind human being, in my experience.
- Leslie K - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:55 am:
==I don’t trust anyone who knows the exact drawer where their scissors are kept. We all have our issues.==
I keep mine in a carafe/jar on the counter just so I don’t have this exact problem. It’s with the letter opener and a few stray pens.
- Think again - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:58 am:
= Yikes he sounds even dumber than he did on audio clips we heard this a.m. on WJPF
Like him or hate him, Rep Keicher should be respected. He may be a lot of things, but I don’t really think he’s dumb. He and his family were the victim of a politically motivated death threat a few years ago. Despite all that worry concern and pressure on him and his family, he decided to run again. I for one think he’s a standup guy.
- Radically Moderate - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 11:58 am:
Selective Billionaire Syndrome?
- JS Mill - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 12:03 pm:
=So $1.4 million dollars in winnings, that is so absolutely disconnected.=
What? Does he even know what that means? The wealthy guy won some money. Ok. It is just a dumb comment.
=learn to read!=
Rauner wasn’t a billionaire last I saw. But Trump is allegedly a billionaire. We might have a better idea if he released his income tax returns. I would be happy with 2016.
Spoiler alert- Pritzker is a billionaire. He does billionaire things. He also is one of the most openly compassionate governors we have had. He clearly can relate to regular people and, although I don’t always agree with his progressive leanings, the state has done quite a bit to help the poor in Illinois on his watch. Keicher’s record on that is a giant goose egg for such a caring working man.
- Anyone Remember - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 12:10 pm:
===When leaders live without friction, they stop seeing what most people face every day.===
SMH!
- Dotnonymous x - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 12:19 pm:
Billionaire derangement syndrome.
- Scoot - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 12:46 pm:
Let me elaborate, he should’ve named Bruce Rauner in his article. Not mention him as the “last governor” who is a republican and left the states finances in shambles.
- JS Mill - Friday, Oct 17, 25 @ 12:48 pm:
= I for one think he’s a standup guy.=
He isn’t my rep, so I do t know him at all. But his words make him sound like a goofball. He attacks the governor as a person for doing something tens of millions of Americans do legally everyday.
If you like him, maybe help him with some advice.
BTW- Pritzker received countless threats to his safety and that of his family since he has been in office. Not just one. That includes specific threats to his children.