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Rauner says he’ll soon announce “several really exciting” results of his trade mission

Thursday, Apr 26, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Greg Hinz on April 13th…

Rauner is promising some big announcements on the [11-day trade mission]. Though his team isn’t giving many details yet, I’m told the list includes a substantial new factory here and an announcement that should substantially help a major McCormick Place trade show.

As we’ve already discussed to death, that trade show was announced last September.

* But what about that “substantial new factory”? Here’s the DGA’s take…

Today, Governor Bruce Rauner held a press conference to admit that he was coming home from his almost two-week European economic development trip empty-handed. Instead, Rauner had to answer question after question about the entrance of another Republican in the governor’s race, state Senator Sam McCann.

There were high hopes prior to the trip – Crain’s Chicago Business reported a new factory was expected to be announced, but Rauner had to concede today that many conversations were still in “various stages of commitment.” In the end, Rauner’s only accomplishment was the re-announcement of a trade show first made public 237 days ago.

“Bruce Rauner went to Germany and all he got was a new opponent,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Illinois already has the highest unemployment in the region and is still suffering from the consequences of a two-year budget crisis, and Rauner once again failed to deliver for the state. It’s clear why Republicans like Sam McCann and Jeanne Ives have signed up to run against him.”

* The blanket claim that he came home empty-handed doesn’t appear to be true. If you watch the DGA’s own video, Gov. Rauner said this…

I do want to make a lot of announcements, but they’ll be coming over the next few weeks. We have several really exciting announcements, new factories, new economic growth in this state from the trip.

The governor said said the new jobs would be “at different locations throughout the state,” and added…

They are all in various stages of commitment and signing, agreements and whatnot. And we’re gonna be making announcements at the appropriate time.

So, they thought they had something lined up in advance and it didn’t work out that way. Such is life in business. However, I’m hearing the project remains on track. Announcements are coming. Maybe all of them won’t happen in “the next few weeks,” and the results won’t be economically transformative for the state as a whole, but this was a productive trip overall, despite some possible embellishments today.

In other words, let’s see what happens before we pounce on the guy.

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*** UPDATED x2 - Pritzker, Mendoza respond *** Rauner gets it half right while denying all blame

Thursday, Apr 26, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Monday…

Comptroller Susana Mendoza said in a report obtained by The Associated Press Monday that Illinois has run up late-pay fees of $1.14 billion since mid-2015. That’s $100 million more than in the previous 18 years combined.

* Gov. Rauner today…

Right now there’s a bunch of baloney – that’s a nice word for it – from our comptroller, saying somehow our administration is responsible for interest, for unpaid bills for decades [laughs]. That is the most ridiculous, most preposterous statement.

And our comptroller was in the General Assembly for years under Mike Madigan. She voted for the deficits that have created the unpaid bills. She voted to support Blagojevich’s pension holiday that created huge liabilities that we’re funding now.

She created the problem, and now she’s, she puts out a memo and says, ‘Oh it’s the Governor’s fault.’ Are you kidding me?

We gotta get real here, ladies and gentlemen. There’s rascals and scoundrels who are misrepresenting the truth, and who are really responsible, and they’re trying to brush off that responsibility.

Mendoza did, indeed, vote for that Blagojevich pension holiday, which cost the state dearly (click here for the oppo).

But Rauner did, indeed, run up the bill backlog more in three years than in the previous 18 years combined. That’s what Mendoza was saying. She didn’t claim Rauner was “responsible for interest, for unpaid bills for decades,” so it was preposterous to claim such a thing today.

In other words, he muffed the hit.

* Meanwhile, the governor said this twice today when asked about Sen. Sam McCann’s candidacy…

McCann is a pawn. He’s being used by Pritzker and Madigan. And we’re gonna win in November.

I’m betting he’ll say that a lot in the coming months.

*** UPDATE 1 *** Comptroller Susana Mendoza…

“Rauner lies. The numbers don’t. The truth hurts. The truth is, it took Governor Rauner only 2 ½ years to do more damage to Illinois’ finances than all the Democratic and Republican administrations and legislatures over the previous 18 years combined.”

*** UPDATE 2 *** Pritzker campaign…

After returning from an 11-day “jobs mission” with no job announcements, Bruce Rauner spiraled out of control when asked about his confrontational rhetoric at a press conference this morning.

Rauner failed to explain why he says Illinois is in a “death spiral” while trying to attract jobs and doubled down on calling legislators “rascals” as budget negotiations continue in Springfield. Rauner even desperately attacked Comptroller Susana Mendoza for publishing “baloney” numbers on the over $1 billion in late fees and interest penalties he’s racked up, calling her and legislators “rascals and scoundrels who are misrepresenting the truth.”

“Today, a failed governor returned from a failed trip to give a failed press conference, lashing out at the press, the Comptroller, and the General Assembly,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Instead of lying, Bruce Rauner should try looking in the mirror before slandering his coequal branch of government as ‘rascals and scoundrels.’”

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Rate the new Sam McCann campaign video

Thursday, Apr 26, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Today, Conservative Party gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann released a video introducing voters to running mate Aaron Merreighn. The video focuses on Merreighn’s family, upbringing, military service and political platform.

“I’m excited to introduce the people of Illinois to Aaron Merreighn, a man who has dedicated his life to helping others and serving his country,” said McCann. “I am proud to call him my running mate and I will be even prouder to call him Lieutenant Governor.”

McCann contrasted Merreighn’s military service with Governor Rauner’s failure to respond to the 13 fatal cases of Legionnaire’s Disease at the Quincy Veterans Home, and Rauner’s inability to release a plan to prevent it from happening again. Merreighn served five tours of duty as a Marine.

“As a veteran, Aaron has committed to giving our heroes the respect and care they’ve earned,” said McCann. “One of the reasons I chose Aaron as a running mate was to give Illinois veterans relief from the deplorable treatment they’ve received from Governor Rauner, whose catastrophic response to the fatal outbreak at the Quincy Veterans Home is an insult to every American who has ever worn a military uniform.”

“Aaron’s commitment to veterans and strong work ethic are what Illinois needs,” McCann continued. “Aaron is a proven leader who has served his country as a Marine, his community as a volunteer firefighter, and his state as a proud state worker.”

* Here it is…

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Way out of context

Thursday, Apr 26, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Rauner campaign…

#TBT Pritzker: “I Am Not in Favor of Term Limits”

It goes without saying that Mike Madigan isn’t a fan of term limits. Their absence is the reason he’s been in office since 1971 and has been the Speaker for all but two of the last 35 years.

JB Pritzker claims to be a supporter of term limits, but not if it upsets Mike Madigan. Just check out what he said during the NBC debate back in January: “I am not in favor of term for limits for everybody in the legislature.”

Pritzker knows all too well that he needs the support of Madigan and his Chicago political machine to get elected. That’s why he doesn’t support term limits.

* I watched their attached video and they left out something that’s pretty important. See if you can spot it…

* See it? From Pritzker’s answer…

Pritzker: I’m in favor of independent maps so you’ll have more competitive elections. I’m in favor of legislative leader term limits so that we don’t have people serving in office for tens and tens of years.

Carol Marin: On this you agree with Gov. Rauner?

Pritzker: I am not in favor of term limits for everybody in the Legislature. I think leaders should, leadership should turn over because I want competitive elections. I think if you like your legislator you should be able to reelect them, but it should be in a competitive election.

It goes without saying that Speaker Madigan ain’t no fan of legislative leader term limits.

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Rauner calls legislators “rascals” ahead of budget talks

Thursday, Apr 26, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Fresh from his European trip, Gov. Rauner appeared this morning on WGN’s Steve Cochran Show…

Reporter: Governor, you’re still meeting today with the four legislative leaders?

Gov. Rauner: I’m headin’ to Springfield around 10:30 this mornin’. And I’ll be meetin’ with legislators today and tomorrow. We gotta get these rascals to do a balanced budget — they just don’t want [laughs] to do it. They never have, they’ve never had a balanced budget the last three years, but they’ve never really had one for 30 years. They just don’t do that. It’s not how they think. And the reality is we have to change. We’ve got to get balanced budgets. We’re not the federal government, we can’t print money. And it’s hurtin’ us, so we’re gonna push it.

Listen to the full interview by clicking here.

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