Far and away, my favorite time— I have to say, as governor I’ve watched virtually no television. Back before being governor, I would love the classics, like for example I would always like to see “The Dick Van Dyke Show” or some other classic, family shows the 60s. I love that stuff, it’s kinda teary-eyed to me, and it’s a great way to relax.
* The Question: What TV show do you never miss? Explain.
Why is that encouraging news? Because the state budget is $38.5 billion. So, according to the Institute, waste accounts for just 0.14 percent of state spending. Every penny counts, but that’s a pretty darned good ratio, if you ask me.
* Predictably, that’s not how the Institute sees things…
A new report highlights waste and pork in Illinois’ budget and its author says it just highlights the slap in the face to Illinois taxpayers.
* The report claims that “$3.6 million on the development of the World Shooting Recreational Complex in Sparta, in addition to $2.6 million on operating costs” is “wasteful.” Not everyone agrees…
State Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, said the report is misleading.
“Any report that does not consider all of the economic benefits the shooting complex brings to the southern Illinois region is an incomplete analysis,” Schimpf said. “This report omits any such assessment. At best, it’s shortsighted; at worst, it’s misleading.”
One person’s wasteful spending is another person’s vital economic development tool.
The Institute also claims that all Illinois Arts Council spending is wasteful.
…Adding… This came in Wednesday night and I didn’t see it until Thursday morning…
Rich,
I saw your post about the Waste Watch report today. For context, this research identified nearly $100 million in wasteful spending in Illinois state and local government, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. The fiscal year 2019 state budget accounts for over $81 million of that total, including $54 million in pure waste and $27 million in pork spending, or politically-motivated favors and special projects. The report intentionally excluded the state’s overspending on government worker health insurance, duplicative administration, and inflated pension benefits, choosing to classify them as “structural overspending” though they could easily fit a broader definition of waste.
While you’re obviously right that eliminating these projects wouldn’t balance the budget, that’s no excuse for this kind of spending when the state has $8 billion in unpaid bills, the lowest credit rating in the nation, and just hiked taxes on the average Illinois family by about $730. The other big problem here is transparency. Because there was no time for public comment and debate over this year’s budget, the merits of these projects was left up to a handful of powerful legislative leaders.
Regarding the Sparta World Shooting Complex, many people are defensive of waste and pork that personally benefits them or their region. The intent here is not to say these projects have no merit, but rather that they are not essential government functions and that Illinois cannot afford them given our fiscal crisis. Indeed, if items like the Sparta World Shooting Complex are valuable, people would be willing to pay for them voluntarily and they could be run as private for profit businesses.
Any amount of waste in state government is a slap in the face to taxpayers. Every dollar the government spends comes out of a taxpayer’s pocket first. Academic research has long shown that people are more willing to pay taxes when they see valuable services in return. Meanwhile, polls show: 1) Illinoisans have the lowest level of trust in their elected officials among all 50 states; and, 2) Over half of our residents want to leave the state and taxes are the number one reason. The $100 million in wasteful spending identified in this report helps explain both these polling results.
Adam Schuster
Budget and Tax Research Director
Illinois Policy Institute
President Obama has deported more immigrants that any other president, causing extremely painful family hardships and hurting our economy. When Democrats controlled Congress and held the White House in 2009-10, they had the chance to pass immigration reform, as President Obama promised he would, and yet they did nothing. The humanitarian crisis at the border today cries out for leadership that is lacking.
Unfortunately, my own Republican Party is even more to blame. Too many Republicans in Washington choose to ignore the problem. Even worse, some Republicans are downright hostile to immigrants, failing to recognize that America’s past, present, and future would not be nearly as bright and prosperous without our culture and heritage of immigration.
Not all Republicans are that way. In March, I attended a pro-immigration reform rally in Chicago along with former Illinois Governors Jim Edgar and Jim Thompson and former U.S. House Speaker from Illinois Dennis Hastert, all Republicans. Republican Illinois Senator Mark Kirk voted in favor of last year’s bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill in the U.S. Senate. […]
I will advocate changing our broken national immigration system, to secure our borders and prevent more from entering our country illegally, but also to increase the number of those who can legally come here, and to treat those who are already here in a humane way that preserves families and integrates them into the mainstream of our economy and society. After all, that is the American way.
In 2016, Rauner signed a bill that provides cash welfare, state-funded health care and food assistance to undocumented immigrants who were victims of human trafficking, torture or “other serious crimes,” while awaiting federal visas.
Chicagoans want to work. You ask someone in Lawndale, Austin, Englewood whether they want to work. They do. They’re looking for jobs. Those jobs in too many cases are being filled by illegal immigrants. That’s wrong. I support legal immigration. Legal immigration is good and America is built by legal immigrats. But illegal immigration, we have immigration laws for a reason, and Mr. Pritzker has been very clear he says there’s no one here illegally. There’s no such thing as an ‘illegal person.’ That’s just not true. And he said specifically that he supports sanctuary cities and making Illinois a sanctuary state. I do not. We have immigration laws. They should be enforced. And the lack of economic opportunity on the South Side and West Side is a major driver of the violence there and we’ve got to fix that.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Bruce Rauner went to Little Village to stand on stage with our community leaders and celebrate Mexican Independence Day September 16. Yesterday, he blamed Chicago crime and statewide unemployment and low wages on “the massive number of illegal immigrants.” In addition, individual leaders offered the following additional comments:
Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia: “Bruce Rauner is unfit to be Governor and a complete disgrace to our great state. He is so desperate to win re-election that he feels compelled to attack a vulnerable group of hard-working people because his administration has been a total failure. I’m going to do everything in my power to vote this Trumpian out of office.”
Illinois State Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza: “All Illinoisans should reject Governor Rauner’s attempt to jump-start his failing re-election campaign by adopting President Trump’s racist and divisive scape-goating of immigrants. Governor Rauner’s gutting of after-school programs and mental health services has far more to do with Chicago’s crime spike than immigrants do. Local and national records show immigrants - both legal and undocumented - commit far fewer crimes than other groups in our country. My immigrant parents brought nothing but a strong work ethic to this country. Governor Rauner’s “Swedish immigrant” grandparents from Wisconsin would be ashamed of him.”
U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois: I never thought that Governor Rauner would shame himself by adopting Donald Trump’s dangerous and divisive lies. This is a new low for Governor Rauner who will now go down in history as a demagogue with no scruples.
The time for evacuating along the coast has come and gone. First responders will not be able to come out in the middle of the storm. If you chose to stay in an evacuation zone, you must SEEK REFUGE IMMEDIATELY.
We are currently in SWFL. People in the path of the storm were told it was too late to evacuate quite some time ago. Please don’t spread advice that is ill-advised at best (and deadly at worst) to those in a state you know nothing about. You’ve done plenty to screw Illinois, don’t start on Florida.
Ouch.
…Adding… The tweet recommending evacuation has been taken down.
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There’s a strong argument to be made on behalf of Erika Harold, an attorney from Urbana who would make fighting corruption one of her priorities. A state like Illinois could use more corruption fighters, of course, and the likelihood of a Democratic governor being elected with a legislature controlled by Democrats increases the value of having a Republican check on its power in the attorney general’s office.
But there’s a better argument to be made on behalf of Kwame Raoul, a state senator from Chicago with a great depth of understanding of the law and the passion and experience to use it actively on behalf of the citizenry in keeping with the traditions of the attorney general’s office.
Whereas Raoul could be expected to confront federal infringement on vital Illinois interests such as clean water, the reality is that Harold would be unlikely to resist those challenges.
She argues that the job of the office is to uphold the law and thus personal views don’t enter into it. But so much of the office’s priorities are determined by the attorney general’s priorities that it’s simply inescapable that personal views would matter.
Raoul’s attacks, while perhaps politically effective, are bizarre.
The right to get an abortion and participate in a same-sex marriage are federally guaranteed constitutional rights that are not subject to either a popular vote or veto by any public official.
Raoul appears to recognize that reality. But he insists he should be elected attorney general to protect those rights in the event they might come under legal assault sometime in the future. That’s a pretty weak argument to make.
Indeed, it smacks of obsessing about the past.
Legal abortion has been a fact of life for more than 40 years.
Same-sex marriage is relatively new, but there’ll be no turning back there either.
Society has rendered its judgment on that dramatic social change, and it’s in place to stay.
Illinoisans would be best served by a candidate who’ll address current problems and issues. That candidate is, unquestionably, Harold.
Notice how the ad is so super positive, but Gov. Rauner isn’t shown until the 12-second mark (and then only briefly) and his name doesn’t appear on screen until five seconds before the ad ends. The thinking may be that when a candidate is as unpopular as Rauner is, they had to set a positive mood before bringing him fully on screen or people would tune out. That’s one reason why I think Rauner’s own recent positive ad doesn’t work well.
The Economic Freedom Alliance is funded by the Illinois Manufacturers Association. No word on where the IMA is getting all this cash. You’ll recall they spent big bucks against Sam McCann this month and ran a “toilet” ad against JB Pritzker.
Theories among Republicans at the luncheon included the leak about the [Cook County Inspector General’s report on JB Pritzker’s alleged property tax scheme] being made because Speaker Mike Madigan is setting Pritzker up to be elected as governor. But the person that will really end up running the state will be Juliana Stratton - a Madigan puppet - betraying Pritzker and sealing his rule of the state’s Executive Branch, Legislative Branch and Judicial Branch.
I’ve heard more than one Republican suggest this, so the conspiracy theory is not as off the wall as you might think. It’s almost undoubtedly wrong, but there’s absolutely no question that Madigan will benefit from a scandal-weakened Pritzker.
A billionaire governor who is popular with his party’s progressive legislative wing would really put Madigan on the spot. He’s been running interference for business groups for years on stuff like the minimum wage, rent control, etc. His entire legislative agenda has always been built around the political needs of his most politically vulnerable incumbents, and those folks by definition represent at least potentially GOP-leaning areas. Going full-bore lefty on everything isn’t something he’s ever done or has wanted to do. He picks his spots carefully.
So, when partisan Republicans constantly blast Gov. Pritzker (if he wins, of course) for being a “criminal,” that’ll play right into Madigan’s hands. Pritzker really needs to get this behind him.
Also, just as an FYI, Juliana Stratton is a House Democrat who was elected with strong Madigan support, but she’s nobody’s puppet.
* Meanwhile, as we all know, Madigan has his own issues that he’ll have to deal with in the upcoming session. And his most vulnerable incumbent, Rep. Natalie Phelps Finnie (D-Elizabethtown), just publicly ran away from him…
“I’ve been dumbfounded. It is nonsense and ridiculous,” Phelps Finnie said. “Madigan has been there too long. We all agree on that.”
So, yeah, Pritzker could be weakened by this property tax thingy, but Madigan’s name is so toxic that he’s becoming less able to protect his members. And as we’ve already discussed today, politics is basically a protection racket.
WALLETHUB, a personal finance website, released a study earlier this past week comparing local economic growth of communities across the country.
Out of 515 U.S. cities, Springfield ranked 507th in local economic growth. Or, looking at it another way, the website determined that the capital city is the ninth-slowest growing city in the country.
The metrics that that determined the findings: population growth, median household income growth, job growth, poverty rate decrease, regional GDP growth, unemployment rate decrease, growth in number of businesses, working-age population growth, foreclosure rate decrease, median household income growth.
[Eric Berglund, the CEO of the Land of Lincoln Economic Development Corp. (LLEDC), the city and county’s new joint economic development arm] said Springfield has been bogged down the past few years by the lack of a state budget, general uncertainty over the state’s larger fiscal situation and population loss among other things. But, he said the region’s affordable cost of living and other fundamental strengths can set it up for future success.
According to the report, Champaign is Illinois’ fastest-growing city, but it ranks an abysmal 343 on the list. Naperville is a few spots back and Chicago ranks 374, just behind Cicero. Yes, you read that right.
Decatur is dead last on the list at 515. Springfield ain’t much higher than that.
* I’ve been telling subscribers about this TV and radio ad campaign for weeks. Crain’s published a story a few days ago…
A media campaign raising alarms about skyrocketing property taxes is a signal that a rift in the state’s Republican Party shows no sign of healing. The campaign comes from Liberty Principles, the Illinois super PAC that once counted Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner as one of its biggest donors.
“Save Your Home Now” ads running on television and radio advocate for a 1 percent “hard cap on property taxes as a percentage of home value,” which it points out has been implemented in California and Indiana. The website claims the plan would halve the property taxes of most Illinois homeowners.
It’s also the same plan proposed by former Rauner opponent Jeanne Ives, the Republican state legislator who challenged the governor in the primary earlier this year. Ives and other independent-minded Republicans have slammed Rauner for not doing enough to bring down taxes in a state whose real estate taxes are the second-highest in the nation.
Liberty Principles Chairman Dan Proft said the purpose of the campaign is to support “independent conservative reform candidates” across Illinois who are committed to the property tax issue. Proft is a Republican political operative and radio host who in recent years has created an empire of stealth conservative media outlets, including local “newspapers” with a clear ideology. […]
Kent Redfield, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield, said that efforts like Save Your Home are designed to “really purify and take over the House Republican caucus” from both Democrats and Rauner allies.
* Proft has spent a fortune on these ads to try and drive people to his website. Here’s one…
That tagline is certainly original, at least for a TV ad. But is it working? Proft says the ads are driving traffic to his site. But will that actually help candidates win?
Politics is basically a protection racket. You help me fend off opponents and make me otherwise relatively content and then I support your leadership. If you don’t do either, I run away and find someone else.
This ad campaign is entirely a different thing. I’m really not sure yet what it is.
* I suppose we’ll find out what he intends to do at this upcoming City Club event…
Illinois GOP: Now What?
Moderated by Tom Cross
Dan Proft, Pat Brady & Kristen McQueary
Today, Ipsos released new election data in partnership with Reuters and the University of Virginia Center for Politics, showing that Democrat J. B. Pritzker (50%) holds a double-digit lead over Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner (30%) in the Illinois race for Governor. Among likely voters, 62% view both Pritzker and Rauner as “traditional” politicians.
The top issues in determining the vote in Illinois are the economy (16%) and healthcare (15%). On the issue of the economy, likely voters are tied on whether they think Democrats (40%) or Republicans (38%) have the better policy. On the issue of healthcare, however, 53% of likely voters feel that Democrats have the better policy as opposed to 27% who feel that Republicans have the better policy.
57 percent of likely voters say they prefer a generic Democratic congressional candidate while 35 percent prefer a Republican. 62 percent disapprove of President Trump’s job performance while just 37 percent approve.
68 percent say they are “very motivated” to vote for a candidate who would “defend laws that protect healthcare for people with pre -existing conditions,” while 25 percent say are “somewhat motivated.” Whew.
While Gov. Bruce Rauner is turning up the heat on illegal immigration this week, just 27 percent say they are “very motivated” to vote for a candidate who would “make it a priority to deport more illegal immigrants from the US.”
Just 23 percent say they are “very motivated” to vote for a candidate who will support President Trump, while 49 percent say they are “very motivated” to vote for a candidate who will oppose President Trump.
Do you approve or disapprove of the job Donald Trump is doing as president? 46% Approve; 49% Disapprove; 5% Don’t know
Would you prefer Republicans to retain control of the House of Representatives or would you prefer Democrats to take control? 50% Reps. keep House; 43% Dems. take House; 7% Don’t know
Do you support or oppose Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court? 51% Support; 45% Oppose; 5% Don’t know
As you may know, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been accused of committing sexual assault when he was a teenager. Would you say you believe the allegations, you do not believe the allegations, or you simply are unable to come to a conclusion? 32% Believe; 36% Do not believe; 32% Don’t know
Do you support electing more people who describe themselves as feminists? 50% Support; 35% Oppose; 15% Don’t know
Is it important to elect more women to public office? 77% Agree; 14% Disagree; 9% Don’t know
As you think about your member of Congress, would you prefer your representative to support President Trump and his agenda, or to serve as a check on the president and his agenda? 43% Support; 51% Check; 6% Don’t know
The partisan split on the poll was 25 percent Democrat, 34 percent Republican, 39 percent independent and 1 percent other.
President Donald Trump won this district by almost 4 points two years ago. Sen. Mark Kirk won it by 8. Comptroller Leslie Munger won it by 21. Hultgren won it by almost 19. Times change.
* Keep in mind that this is a Morning Consult poll and their methodology is on the opaque side. Anyway, here you go…
For the seventh quarter in a row, the 10 most popular governors in the country are all Republicans.
Six of the governors who top the latest edition of Morning Consult’s Governor Approval Rankings — based on 361,607 surveys with registered voters across the country conducted July 1 through Sept. 25 — are on the ballot next month and appear to be cruising toward re-election.
* Republican Gov. Charlie Baker in Massachusetts is at the top of the national list. Gov. Rauner is the third least popular in the country…
GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner of Illinois is the least popular governor on the list up for re-election this year, with 62 percent of voters in the state disapproving of his work. In Wisconsin, where Gov. Scott Walker is seeking a third term, 50 percent of Badger State voters disapprove of him, making him the second least popular Republican on the ballot next month.
Just 25 percent approve of Gov. Rauner’s job performance. 13 percent either don’t know or have no opinion.
Today Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza released her first television ad of her re-election campaign: “Tough As Nails.” This ad highlights Mendoza’s fierce ability to take on challenges, whether on the soccer field or against Governor Rauner, and fight for what she believes in. In December 2017, Politico described Mendoza as a “tough-as-nails one-time All Midwest soccer star.”
As Illinois’ fiscal watchdog, Mendoza has transformed the Office of the Comptroller and shifted its priorities back to protecting the people. In only two years in office, Mendoza has achieved a long list of accomplishments including: passing the Debt Transparency Act to provide greater disclosure of state debt and save taxpayers billions; introducing the lowest Comptroller budget in 20 years; and recovering more than $36.5 million in outstanding debt for more than 400 local governments around Illinois.
Mendoza has led the resistance against Governor Rauner’s disastrous administration. Just as she did on the soccer field, Mendoza never backs down from a challenge. She has the strength and determination to keep fighting for the people of Illinois as Comptroller.
Susana Mendoza: All I wanted to do was play soccer. And my mother said oh no, honey, you can’t play soccer. Only boys play soccer. My dad said if she wants to try it, let’s try it. After the first time she gets kicked in the shins, it’s gonna hurt, she’s not gonna want to play. I got kicked in the shins, I just kicked back harder.
Soccer Coach John Randall: They said, ‘Coach, she’s a girl!’ and I said I know, she’s the best player I have.
Susana Mendoza: I do play in a male-dominated world, but when people tell me I can’t do something, it just motivates me even more.
The televised skirmish last Wednesday between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and his Democratic opponent, J.B. Pritzker, was so childish, so nasty, so uninformative and, overall, such a waste of an hour that it solidified my conversion to what’s likely an unpopular view:
Debates are a lousy way to evaluate candidates.
They may occasionally make for good theater, but politicians’ ability — or inability — to deliver zingers, dodge questions, pivot artfully, avoid gaffes and remember talking points in a rapid-fire rhetorical jousting match has little to do with their ability to be wise and effective elected officials.
If you wanted to hire, say, a real estate agent to sell your home, you would not invite all the prospects at once to your living room to see which one could most effectively trash the performance and honesty of the others. So why do we do essentially that when we want to hire (or rehire) a governor or any other major officeholder?
* Gov. Rauner at Crain’s Chicago Business the other day…
In his interview with Crain’s, Rauner in painfully personal terms talked about how he’s lost 22 pounds and “a lot of hair,” often wakes at 3 a.m. and has lived a “very stressful” life for years.
He’s talked often about his striking weight loss.
* So, Tina Sfondeles asked the governor and JB Pritzker today about their health and how they handle stress…
Rauner listed three ways he works to reduce stress: riding his motorcycle, swimming, as well as skating and rollerblading.
Pritzker listed his ways to decompress as having “great friends” and “great activities.” The billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist said he’s a “decent” tennis player, “although I have trouble I admit getting everywhere on the court — sometimes I miss shots,” Pritzker said. He said he also enjoys lakefront walks.
Pritzker also said he is constantly monitoring his weight.
“I think you know I’ve had a weight problem nearly my entire life. Like a lot of other people, I’m always struggling with it. There’s no doubt about it. I always monitor it because, you know, my father passed away when he was young of a heart problem, and I’m always concerned about it,” Pritzker said. “I have two young children that are teenagers. I want to be well for them. So I’m always constantly keeping an eye on it.”
* Gov. Rauner defined “middle class income” today at the Sun-Times editorial board as between $50K and $200K for a family of three in Chicagoland. JB Pritzker wouldn’t take the bait and dodged the question. So, at the post-event gaggle he was asked again…
Reporter: Why can’t you answer the question about middle class income? What do you believe middle class income is?
Pritzker: Well, again, I’ve told you that it’s important that we negotiate this with the people’s representatives…
Reporter: No, no, no. Not asking about the graduated…
Pritzker: It doesn’t matter.
Reporter: What does someone make who is middle…
Pritzker: But, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that we’re going to have to negotiate this with the legislature and it’s going to have to go to a referendum of the people of Illinois.
Reporter: Governor said $50,000-$200,000…
Pritzker aide: Thank you!
Reporter: What does someone make who is middle class?
Pritzker: Thank you very much.
Reporter: What does someone make who is middle class?
Pritzker: Well we talked a little bit about that today.
Gov. Bruce Rauner and challenger J.B. Pritzker clashed over immigration and Chicago violence Tuesday, with the Republican chief executive alleging that immigrants living illegally in the state are a factor in the city’s crime problem while the Democrat said they contribute to Illinois’ economy. […]
“Illegal immigration takes jobs away from Americans. It holds down wages, hurts union workers, farmworkers, factory workers, hurts wages and raises unemployment,” Rauner said.
“One of the reasons we have such high unemployment in the city of Chicago and so much crime is the massive number of illegal immigrants here take jobs away from American citizens and Chicago citizens,” he contended, adding that Pritzker wants to make Illinois a “sanctuary state.”
But Pritzker said the state needed someone to stand up against President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on immigrants entering and living in the country illegally. “They are good for the economy of the state of Illinois,” he said.
* Rauner was asked by reporters after the Sun-Times editorial board event to clarify his connection of illegal immigration to Chicago’s crime issue…
Reporter: Governor can we clarify what you said about illegal immigrants? It sounded like you were saying that illegal immigrants are the cause of crime in Chicago. What proof do you have of that and why would you say that?
Rauner: Unemployment, unemployment and low wages are part of contributing to crime in Chicago. There’s a lack of economic opportunity. How does illegal immigration relate to that? Illegal immigration, large scale illegal immigration, holds down wages and takes jobs that would otherwise be available for American citizens, Chicago citizens, takes them for illegal immigrants. That’s the connection. It’s about lack of economic opportunity.
Reporter: How many Chicagoans want the types of jobs that illegal immigrants are doing, though? Whether it’s a landscaping job or something else that’s being paid cash on the side. How many Chicagoans really want those jobs?
Rauner: Chicagoans want to work. You ask someone in Lawndale, Austin, Englewood whether they want to work. They do. They’re looking for jobs. Those jobs in too many cases are being filled by illegal immigrants. That’s wrong. I support legal immigration. Legal immigration is good and America is built by legal immigrats. But illegal immigration, we have immigration laws for a reason, and Mr. Pritzker has been very clear he says there’s no one here illegally. There’s no such thing as an ‘illegal person.’ That’s just not true. And he said specifically that he supports sanctuary cities and making Illinois a sanctuary state. I do not. We have immigration laws. They should be enforced. And the lack of economic opportunity on the South Side and West Side is a major driver of the violence there and we’ve got to fix that.
* Pritzker campaign…
“At today’s editorial board, Bruce Rauner blamed immigrants for crime in Chicago, demonizing entire communities with a vicious attack that may as well have come directly from Donald Trump’s mouth,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “This is divisive and shameful rhetoric from a failed governor who time and again has stood in the way of investing in communities and passing commonsense gun safety legislation to keep families safe.”
…Adding… I forgot about this Sun-Times story from the weekend about illegal immigrants who work in Chinese restaurants in Chicago…
But since he started working at eateries three years ago, he said he has shuffled between Asian restaurants all over the Midwest, putting in 12- or 13-hour days, six days a week, for pay that works out to a few dollars an hour. The men say they get virtually no breaks and are often treated poorly, put up in substandard housing. […]
The lawsuit claimed the agencies and their restaurant clients “collectively set the wages for each Latino worker referred as low as $3.50 an hour, well below the $8.25 minimum wage in Illinois.” The employees work 12-15 hours a day, six days a week with “no bona fide meal breaks.”
* From the National Republican Congressional Committee…
The NRCC today released a new TV ad, “Madigan’s Candidate,” which introduces voters to IL-14 Democrat Lauren Underwood, whose campaign is bankrolled by liberal politicians Mike Madigan and Nancy Pelosi.
“Illinoisans know first-hand just how corrupt the Mike Madigan machine is,” said NRCC Communications Director Matt Gorman. “They now know that Madigan and his liberal allies moved Lauren Underwood to the district just to run for Congress, because she supports his and Nancy Pelosi’s radical agenda of a government takeover of your health care.”
That’s definitely a sign that things are starting to break bad for the Republican incumbent.
I think the only contested congressional race where Madigan hasn’t yet been an issue is Rodney Davis’ 13th CD battle against Betsy Dirksen Londrigan.
In my opinion at this point in time, the Republicans’ bump from the Kavanaugh thing was a dead cat bounce. In other words, not sustainable. Should be a fascinating four weeks.
Randall: After Isabel was born, she was diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis, a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow throughout the vital organs. She can’t do any of the things a normal kid, her age does.
Narrator: Peter Roskam repeatedly attacked the law that protects Isabel and other Americans who have a pre-existing condition, voting against it 60 times.
Randall: Peter Roskam had 60 chances to do the right thing.
Illinois: The deadline to register in person is Oct. 9. The deadline to register online is Oct. 21. After that, residents can register and vote at a local election office during a “grace period.”
The deadline for registering to vote or re-registering at a local board of elections office in Illinois is Tuesday, Oct. 9.
If you miss the deadline you can still register online through the State Board of Elections for the next two weeks, until Oct. 22.
You can also register to vote on Election Day at the board of elections office. If you choose to register to vote on Election day, you cannot register at your polling place, unless your polling place is the board of elections office.
Regular registration is available year-round with exception to the 27-day period prior to an election, or 16 days prior through online paperless voter applications available on the State Board of Elections website. […]
Grace period registration is an extension of the regular registration deadline from the 27th day prior to an election through Election Day. Grace period registration is only available “in-person” at sites authorized by each election authority.
* The Board also has a handy online calendar. Today is indeed the final day of “regular registration,” either for in-person or when your registration form is mailed in. “Grace period” registration begins tomorrow and lasts all the way through election day. Online voter registration has been continuous and closes at 11:59:59 pm on October 21st.
* As for same-day registration/voting (it has to be done at the same time), here’s where you can register/vote…
Office of the election authority, at a permanent polling place, at any other early voting site, … at a polling place on election day, or at a voter registration location specifically designated for this purpose by the election authority.
There are different rules for counties under 100,000 which do not use electronic poll books.
The only time you can’t register to vote in Illinois is the day or two after the election.
* JB Pritzker complained during and after last week’s debate of inaccuracies in the Cook County Inspector General’s report about his reassessment, but wouldn’t say what those were. He was asked again after the Sun-Times editorial board meeting today by reporters…
Pritzker: I’d guess I’d point to the fact that numerous people have said that the designation was proper. Um, and that was somewhat ignored in the report.
Reporter: Who would that be?
Pritzker: Well, in the report you can see. And actually they sort of cite it but they don’t emphasize it. Uh, and then in another part of the report they talk about some of the other items of disrepair, but again don’t emphasize it, seem to overlook it. So those are some of the inaccuracies.
* I asked the Pritzker campaign for a citation in the IG report where people said the uninhabitable designation was proper. I was directed to page 12…
[The Appraisal Firm President] said he recalled that the property was in very poor condition, with the staircase pitched in such a way that it was dangerous. The Appraisal Firm President opined that property was a ‘gut rehab.’ He related that had he been informed that the toilets were in place on January 1, 2015 [the date of the retrospective appraisal] he would have documented the information in the appraisal report although it would not have changed his opinion of the property’s value.
The Associate Appraiser related that aside from the missing toilets, from what he saw, he believes the residence was still uninhabitable because there were other things wrong with it. For example, the Associate Appraiser said the main staircase looked structurally unsound.
The Valuation/Appeals Deputy was asked, ‘How would the Assessor view the fact that a homeowner removed all the toilets from the residence for purposes of arguing that it was uninhabitable?’ He replied, ‘If that were solely in isolation, which reminds me of a political commercial which implies that that’s what it is, that’s a different situation than if I’m talking about a stairwell that is under bracing, mold in the basement, 2,300 square feet that’s not livable, and a bunch of other things. … A person that was trying to do something solely to do one thing as a technicality in the hope they would get relief is a different situation than in the totality of circumstances, toilets are removed with a whole bunch of other stuff. So I can’t tell you what would happen if we confronted just that one oddball thing, but it doesn’t appear that’s what this is here, that we had here. We have a whole bunch of things in this building, okay.’
You won’t believe what Republican Erika Harold believes. Just like Trump, Harold pledged to eliminate Obamacare, leaving a million Illinoisans without coverage, denying lifesaving care to children with pre-existing conditions.
As a cancer survivor, Kwame Raoul believes that everyone deserves access to affordable, quality healthcare. That’s why he took on the special interests and expanded Obamacare.
[Raoul]: Healthcare should not be a privilege; it should be a human right. I’m Kwame Raoul. This is the work of my life, and I’m just getting started.
Rauner’s campaign gave Erika Harold’s bid for attorney general another $500,000 last week, state campaign finance reports showed. Rauner’s campaign gave her $1 million in August and previously paid for $305,000 worth of ads in the March GOP primary. She is facing Democratic state Sen. Kwame Raoul to replace retiring Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Both candidates vying to replace Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Friday they don’t know enough about her investigation into Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration’s response to deaths from Legionnaires’ disease at the Quincy veterans home to say whether it’s appropriate.
Republican attorney Erika Harold, who has been backed by Rauner, said investigating circumstances surrounding the government-run home and the outbreak itself is appropriate. Fourteen residents have died of Legionnaires’ at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy since 2015.
“Without knowing what laws that she’s looking into and what evidence she has, I’m not able to comment whether it’s appropriate for her to open that particular probe,” Harold said at a good-government forum downtown. “But I am able to definitively say it is very appropriate for us to have an investigation about what happened and what we can learn.”
* Excerpt from post-debate Raoul campaign press release…
While Raoul spoke openly about his legal and advocacy goals for the office, Harold tried to have it both ways.
She stated that her personal views don’t matter since she will simply defend Illinois law, yet throughout the debate, she advocated for changes to state law in select areas and even touted her ability to exercise discretion in litigation.
I asked which law changes she spoke of.
* Response…
She mentioned grand jury power, sexual harassment (including non-legislators on the ethics commission), legalization of marijuana, sentencing reform, other types of criminal justice reform
She’s referenced other topics in previous interviews, but then says choice and marriage equality are “settled law” so therefore her opinion is not important to share with voters.
* Could the U of I do better? Sure. But they wouldn’t have to raise so much money if the state was a reliable partner…
“The University of Illinois has an extraordinary alumni network,” Rauner recently told Crain’s editorial board. “Only one of them, oh, actually two, have given any material amount of money to the university, and (it has) dozens of half-a-billion to billion to multi- to decca-billionaires. Most of them have never given a nickel. Why not? The U of I is atrocious at fundraising. They treated their alumni shabbily.”
Nonetheless, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed its largest gift ever this year, receiving $150 million from Chicago private-equity pro and alum Larry Gies, who donated to the school’s College of Business. And the system’s foundation, which raises funds across the university’s three campuses, Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield, reported a record $499 million for this year.
While Gies as well as big-name alumni such as Chicago venture capitalist Steve Miller and Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur Tom Siebel have given hundreds of millions of dollars to UIUC, there are others who have been lower-profile in their philanthropy, if not absent. Only 6.9 percent of the university’s alumni contributed to the school last year, compared with about 7.8 percent nationally for all institutions and 7.2 percent for public research institutions, like UIUC, according to the Council for Aid to Education. Also, U of I system’s $2.73 billion endowment across the three campuses is paltry compared to those of prestigious private schools, and even some public ones. […]
Public universities are increasingly focused on private donations as state funding declines. Illinois schools are particularly keen on it after a depletion of reserves during a recent two-year budget impasse that underscored the cash-strapped state’s unreliable support. Illinois allocated $600.5 million to the university system’s $6.8 billion budget this year for a record 85,600 students, including the biggest population, 49,340, at the system’s most prestigious campus, Urbana-Champaign. […]
“We are going flat-out on our overall fundraising efforts here,” University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen says. The system has raised more than half of its $3.1 billion goal.
…Adding… Let’s add a bona fide screwup to this post…
Former SIU System President Randy Dunn’s lack of action on a key funding request may have hindered Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s recruitment efforts in his final months on the job, according to documents obtained by The Southern Illinoisan via a Freedom of Information Act request.
E-mails between top administrators show that Dunn declined to give final approval on $499,000 in recruitment spending at SIUC for more than two months this summer, setting back crucial and time-sensitive recruitment initiatives. Per SIU protocol, any expenditure over $100,000 must be approved by the system president.
The money was requested to purchase the names and contact information of students who took the SAT, ACT and other standardized tests. The name buys are standard practice at four-year universities, and are “critical” to new-student recruitment, said Jennifer DeHaemers, SIUC’s associate chancellor for enrollment management. […]
“When we can’t spend the money to purchase names, it slows our recruiting down,” DeHaemers said. “Other schools beat you in getting their information in front of students, which makes us play catch-up.”
Sangamon County Republicans, at a central committee meeting last week, were strongly encouraged to vote for Gov. BRUCE RAUNER even if they have disagreements with some of his actions.
“I know there are mixed feelings for our governor, and I respect your feelings,” party Chair ROSEMARIE LONG told more than 100 committeemen, officials and campaign representatives. “But do you want to wake up the next day and find out we lost by a few votes?” She said they shouldn’t let “one issue” get in the way. It was a reference to Rauner having signed a bill to expand taxpayer funded abortion.
She said the “big picture” is the coming remapping of legislative and congressional district boundaries after the 2020 Census — and the importance of being able to stop a Democratic legislature from having its way with the lines.
“Look up the words partisan and tyranny in the dictionary,” said the generally mild-mannered Long. “Friends, we’re screwed for another 10 years at least if we do not elect Bruce Rauner.”
“The bill I signed did not make Illinois a sanctuary … period, end of story,” Governor Bruce Rauner told a group of Republicans gathered in Palos Park Saturday.
Whether the Trust Act made Illinois a sanctuary state is a topic that the governor has been facing since he signed it into law last year. His frustration with what he considers confusion over the issue was evident in his reply.
“Then why are they saying that?” one of the members of the United Southland Republican Women asked.
“Because they are political attacks to undermine me,” Rauner replied. “Fake news. Listen guys, this is really important, it’s really important. I have fought sanctuary every year, I have vetoed bills and stopped it. That bill I did sign - that was a 40 page bill when it started. It … made us a sanctuary.
“I said no, and we shrunk it down to a 2-page bill and all it does is do what judges said we need to do when we’re interacting with illegal immigrants. It still says we should coordinate with ICE agents. In no way does it make us a sanctuary.”
With four weeks until the November election, incumbent Governor Bruce Rauner pulled no punches against his Democrat challenger J.B. Pritzker during a visit with United Southland Republican Women Saturday. Saying his opponent is likely to be indicted for a property tax “scheme to defraud,” Rauner said “J B” will stand for “Jail Bird.”
“People go to prison for a lot less…” the governor said. After a yearlong investigation of emails and talking to the contractors working on the mansion next door, Democrat Pritzker “cheated on his property taxes, took toilets out right before the inspection, and said ‘Nobody can live in this house, it doesn’t have toilets. It must be worthless,’” Rauner said.
“Cheated you - if you live in Cook County - out of $330,000. This is fraud, and I can darn near guarantee that he’ll be indicted sometime in the coming months. He might set a record - he could be indicted before he would become governor - that would be a record. That would be a record for the state of Illinois, and you know what - What’s ‘JB’ going to stand for? Jail Bird … ”
With 28 days until Election Day, Lauren Underwood, Democratic candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 14th District, announced today that her campaign raised more than two million dollars during the final FEC filing quarter before the Nov. 6 General Election.
Underwood’s announcement comes on the heels of two key editorial board endorsements of her campaign, from the Chicago Sun-Times and the Daily Herald.
“We have the momentum in this race. The excitement about our campaign is palpable — our voters began heading to their polling places as soon as early voting began,” Underwood said. “I’m so thankful to the thousands of people across our community who have invested in this race. It’s clear that voters in the 14th are ready for real representation in Congress and we have have the resources we need to win in November”
Underwood outraised her incumbent Republican opponent, Randy Hultgren, during the previous two consecutive FEC filing quarters. Underwood will post her full FEC filing Oct. 15.
Our latest poll shows Sean Casten expanding his lead over Peter Roskam to five points (49% Casten, 44% Roskam), up from a three-point lead in early September. Roskam’s job approval and personal ratings remain in negative territory, and his electoral support has been mired in the mid-40s since our first poll in April. Meanwhile, Sean Casten is becoming better known and better liked with each passing day. Voters clearly have soured on Peter Roskam , and their attitudes are calcifying quickly. Millions of d ollars spent trying to rebrand Roskam has done nothing to change voters’ negative impressions of him. And efforts to tarnish Sean Casten with lies and distortions about his business record have failed , despite Roskam and outside groups sinking millions more on these attempts . Congressman Roskam’s continued support for President Trump’s divisive and unpopular agenda is proving disqualifying among the thoughtful, moderate voters in this district .
A new internal poll shows Democrat Betsy Dirksen-Londrigan within one percentage point of three-term incumbent Republican Congressman Rodney Davis.
Londrigan trails Davis 49 to 48 percent, according to the new poll which was conducted between October 1st and 4th. The one-point margin is well within the margin of error of 4.4 percent.
Democratic firm GBA strategies says their survey, which polled 500 likely voters, shows the race for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District is one of the closest in the country. The same polling firm found Londrigan trailed Davis by a five point margin, 51 to 46, last month.
Following the weekend confirmation vote of Brett Kavanaugh, NARAL Pro-Choice America today announced a new $1 million ad campaign to hold the Republican Party accountable and urge voters to “vote them out.”
The ads start with pictures of Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump and the protests that took over Washington during the last month, and state that the Republican Party is advancing an agenda that “harms and silences” women and that it is time to “vote them out.”
The ad campaign, which will include TV, digital ads and mail, will target Representatives Young (IA-3), Roskam (IL-6), Yoder (KS-3), Tenney (NY-22), Culberson (TX-7), Lewis (MN-2) and Brat (VA-7).
Respectful disagreement and civility have been noticeably absent during this election cycle, and the rampant theft of political yard signs in the Sixth District is just one more example. Day after day, Roskam supporters are calling into the local campaign office reporting signs stolen from their yards and personal property—and one such attempt was caught on camera as a Sean Casten supporter hovered over a sign around 2 a.m. in a yard that has already reported several yard sign thefts. Peter Roskam is calling on Casten to end the dirty campaign tactics and denounce this illicit behavior by his supporters.
This past week, at a Roskam supporter’s home in Wheaton, a young man in a hoody was spotted in her front yard with both hands on the Roskam for Congress yard sign. When called out to, the young man jumped and claimed he was “just looking at the sign” and proceeded to try to ask her questions about her support for Roskam. The home has been a target of sign theft three times to date.
Over 250 Roskam for Congress yard signs have been stolen since their distribution starting on Labor Day, September 3—with over 100 of that number occurring in the past week.
* Civil Rights leader to hold rally with Brendan Kelly: Democratic U.S. Rep. John Lewis is set to appear at a Get Out the Vote rally in East St. Louis with Kelly, who is seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro.
* I scheduled this morning’s subscriber e-mail earlier this morning and it never went out. I scheduled it again and it still hasn’t gone out. You can e-mail me for the password if you’d like. Sorry about this. I’m checking into it.
*** UPDATE 1 *** I’m told that Constant Contact is having some issues. All e-mails will supposedly clear in the next 30-45 minutes. Fingers crossed.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The subscriber edition is now being sent out.
Political insiders are pointing to a senior aide to Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas as the person who leaked a “confidential” report by county Inspector General Patrick Blanchard, a report that has thrown a big last-minute obstacle in the path of Democratic gubernatorial hopeful J.B. Pritzker.
The aide: Peter Karahalios, Pappas’ general counsel and a friend and appointee of incumbent GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner.
The report charged that Pritzker associates engaged in “a scheme to defraud” the county by yanking out toilets in Gold Coast mansion he owned and then claiming that he was owed hundreds of thousands of dollars of property-tax cuts because the building was become uninhabitable. Rauner, badly trailing in the polls, has seized on the issue with vigor, and yesterday launched a new TV ad blitz declaring, “Illinois can’t afford another governor going to jail.” […]
I’m told by multiple sources who say they are sure of their facts that the document was leaked to the Sun-Times by campaign aides to Gov. Bruce Rauner. Rauner’s campaign spokesman and Sun-Times editor Chris Fusco both declined to comment.
That makes the question of who gave it to the Sun-Times. And I’m told by someone with direct knowledge that it was Peter Karahalios, with a second source close to the matter indicating they, too, believe that is the case.
JB Pritzker was recently endorsed by Crain’s Chicago Business. Yes, you read that right. The state’s premiere business magazine endorsed a candidate whose biggest promise is to raise taxes on the publication’s well-off subscriber base.
Gov. Bruce Rauner has called Pritzker’s graduated income tax proposal “a green light to raise taxes on everyone.”
Pritzker has infamously dodged hundreds if not thousands of questions about what the graduated rates will be and where the cutoff will be between a middle-class tax cut and tax hike on the wealthy.
“The reason Mr. Pritzker doesn’t want to answer the question.” Rauner said during the last debate, “is because he knows it’s going to crush the middle class, and he doesn’t want to admit it before the election.”
Maybe. But the main reason that people like Rauner hate Pritzker’s idea is not that it’ll necessarily make middle class families pay more taxes.
Increasing taxes on everyone is a very difficult thing to do here. A two-percentage point tax hike only passed in 2011 because the state was in extremely dire fiscal straits. Before that, the tax rate wasn’t increased by more than a half a point since the income tax was created in 1969. The rate was increased last year because a bipartisan supermajority in both chambers reacted to another extremely dire fiscal condition after part of the 2011 increase expired.
But it would be a whole different ball game with graduated rates. And people like Rauner know this all too well. The temptation for politicians to raise taxes only on “the rich” will be really difficult to resist during tough fiscal times.
Right now, with a flat tax, that can’t be done. A tax hike for one is a tax hike for all.
But if our state’s constitution is amended to allow for graduated rates, a Democratic legislature could decide down the road to slap an extra surcharge on all annual income over, say, a million dollars. And then do it again. Who would be opposed to that? Well, millionaires, of course, but there’s not enough of them to stop the Democrats.
I’m not saying that Rauner is trying to block a graduated tax for his own personal sake. He may be, but I’m not saying it. I’m saying that Rauner truly believes that wealthy people create jobs (even though his former firm created lots of wealth and very few actual jobs), and harming wealthy people harms job creation and that harms the poor and the middle class and Democrats don’t care about wealthy people, so the graduated tax must be stopped at all costs to protect the wealthy and the poor and the middle class.
At least, that’s the theory. The reality is more jobs were created in the four years after Illinois’ January 2011 tax hike than the four years after it was automatically lowered and then raised again.
Gov. Rauner warned that the 2017 tax increase passed over his veto would be a “disaster” for the state and imperil our economic and fiscal future, but he’s now crowing about recent job growth and a balanced budget.
Rauner’s loud warnings about the damage the tax hike would do were wrong, so, that undermines his similar warnings about a graduated tax.
And, if the polling is correct, the idea isn’t hurting Pritzker at all. Three polls in a row have shown Pritzker with double-digit leads. The most recent poll by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute had Pritzker ahead of Rauner by 22 points.
One of Rauner’s many weaknesses exposed by the poll was that only 67 percent of Republicans supported him. I crunched the numbers and found that even if he captured 90 percent of the Republican vote, he’d move from his current 27 percent all the way up to… 31.5 percent. And if he then captured every single one of the undecided independents (an impossibility), he’d go from 31.5 percent to 37 percent.
The governor is spectacularly unpopular, but the current political environment is just horrible for his party. The partisan split in the Simon poll was a whopping 49 percent Democrat to 27 percent Republican.
The last off-year Democratic wave was 2006, and exit polls showed the partisan makeup of the Illinois electorate was 46 percent Democrat to 31 percent Republican. That’s close to the Simon Poll results.
The current environment simply makes it easier for a Democrat to talk about a tax hike and still win, particularly if his opponent is as unpopular as Rauner.
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police blasted the jury verdict finding Jason Van Dyke guilty of second-degree murder and aggravated battery in the shooting of Laquan McDonald — a sentiment that was shared by many members of a Far South Side neighborhood where many police officers live.
In a statement issued Friday, the state FOP — based in Springfield — decried the ruling.
“This is a day I never thought I’d see in America, where 12 ordinary citizens were duped into saving the asses of self-serving politicians at the expense of a dedicated public servant,” the statement from State Lodge President Chris Southwood said.
“This sham trial and shameful verdict is a message to every law enforcement officer in America that it’s not the perpetrator in front of you that you need to worry about, it’s the political operatives stabbing you in the back. What cop would still want to be proactive fighting crime after this disgusting charade, and are law abiding citizens ready to pay the price?”
“Today, Jason Van Dyke was held accountable for his role in the tragic death of Laquan McDonald and justice was finally served for him and for his family, who have already endured so much during this difficult time,” said JB Pritzker and Juliana Stratton. “While there is still so much work to do, we believe this verdict represents an important step — one of many — towards fostering an environment of respect and accountability between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge (FOP) endorsed Democratic candidate J.B. Pritzker for governor Friday. […]
“I’m proud to have the support of the Illinois FOP and the working families they represent,” Pritzker said. “With workers’ rights under assault, Illinois needs a governor who will stand up for working families.” […]
Illinois FOP State Lodge President Chris Southwood said “Illinois needs a fresh start and J.B. is the man to do it.”
“Law enforcement officers, like all other working men and women in Illinois, want a leader who won’t bankrupt the state by trying to dictate his own personal agenda at all costs. The 34,000 members of the Illinois FOP have confidence that J.B. Pritzker is the best candidate to shake up Springfield and return civility decency and a true sense of public service to Illinois.”
* I asked the Pritzker campaign over the weekend if the candidate would renounce his ILFOP endorsement…
JB and Juliana wholeheartedly disagree with their statement and their position. They believe justice was served for Laquan McDonald and his family.
* The Question: Should JB Pritzker renounce his ILFOP endorsement? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
Today, the Pritzker campaign released a new TV ad on Sterigenics, a company that Rauner’s company owned that’s poisoning DuPage County: “Not an Emergency.”
The Environmental Protection Agency found that Sterigenics has been releasing cancer-causing toxins into the community, but the Rauner administration refused to take immediate action to shut down the facility and protect Illinois families. Rauner even downplayed the U.S. EPA report when it came to light, saying “this is not an emergency, this is not a public health immediate crisis,” as his administration delayed and refused to release key records. Meanwhile there have been weeks of public outcry, impeding lawsuits, and a pledge by the U.S. EPA to conduct further air pollution tests.
“A company that was owned by Bruce Rauner is poisoning DuPage County, but this failed governor refused to take immediate action to protect families from cancer-causing toxins,” said Pritzker campaign communications director Galia Slayen. “From Willowbrook to Quincy, Rauner proves unwilling to take charge and protect public health over his own image.”
Voiceover: Sterigenics. It’s an industrial sterilization company in DuPage County. Nearby, 19,000 people and four schools. Bruce Rauner’s company owned Sterigenics. But when the Environmental Protection Agency recently found chemicals were causing an elevated cancer risk and residents became sick, Rauner disagreed.
Rauner: This is not an emergency. This is not a public health immediate crisis.
Voiceover: Then he refused to give records to the Attorney General. Four years of failure is enough.
Today, the Rauner campaign is launching a new statewide TV ad titled “Scheme To Defraud.”
Last week, an independent Inspector General report detailed JB Pritzker’s scheme to defraud Illinois taxpayers. After filing fraudulent affidavits to the Cook County Assessor’s office, Pritzker received a $330,000 tax break on his home, forcing Illinois taxpayers to pay the price of his fraudulent behavior. Pritzker’s potential criminal activities have now been referred to the special prosecutions unit of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.
…Adding… The website’s video feed has crashed. Click here for the Facebook video feed.
…Adding… From the Rauner campaign…
Today, Governor Rauner and JB Pritzker will meet with the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board. Just a week after the Chicago Sun-Times reported on an independent Inspector General report in which Pritzker’s “scheme to defraud” Illinois taxpayers was uncovered, Pritzker has yet to provide a substantive answer for the Inspector General’s conclusion.
Pritzker has been hounded with questions about the “scheme to defraud” ever since, including a press conference in which he couldn’t point to anything wrong with the report, as reported by Capitol Fax.
Here are the key questions Pritzker has yet to answer:
What exact mistakes does Pritzker think are in the IG report?
How was the report ‘taken out of context’ as Pritzker claims?
Why did Pritzker lie on his affidavits?
If Pritzker actually did follow the rules, then why is he giving the money back?
Would Pritzker have repaid the money if he hadn’t been caught?
…Adding… Pritzker campaign…
In 2014, Rauner told one editorial board, “Give me four years, and I’ll say to the voters, ‘throw me out of office in four years if I don’t deliver results,’” and in the four years since, it’s clear his prediction may come true.
At the same editorial board, Rauner said he’s “very big on veterans support services. I’m a big advocate for veterans.” But in every year Rauner has been governor, Legionnaires’ disease has plagued the Quincy Veterans’ Home, leaving 14 dead and nearly 70 sickened. Rauner’s administration contributed to a six-day delay in notifying the public that a disease expert called “mind boggling” and “inexcusable,” and now they’re subject to a dozen negligence lawsuits from families and a criminal probe.
“When Bruce Rauner sits down before editorial boards, he makes big promises and comes up empty,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “This failed governor made our nation’s heroes pay the ultimate price for his criminal, fatal mismanagement, and it’s time to give Rauner his wish and throw him out of office.”
* A jury has found police officer Jason Van Dyke guilty of 2nd Degree Murder (which, the judge explained, is 1st Degree plus mitigating circumstances). He was also convicted on 16 counts of aggravated battery (one for each time he shot Laquan McDonald). He was found not guilty of official misconduct. His bail was revoked.
“Today, Jason Van Dyke was held accountable for his role in the tragic death of Laquan McDonald and justice was finally served for him and for his family, who have already endured so much during this difficult time,” said JB Pritzker and Juliana Stratton. “While there is still so much work to do, we believe this verdict represents an important step — one of many — towards fostering an environment of respect and accountability between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
This post will likely be updated.
…Adding… Bill Daley…
This brings to an end a tragic, painful episode in our history but must also mark a new beginning for our city. This is a moment when all of Chicago needs to come together, work to rebuild trust between the community and police and re-commit to making every neighborhood safer and stronger.
* Lori Lightfoot…
This is a significant milestone in Chicago’s history. Going against a national trend in which juries almost always acquit on-duty police officers on criminal charges, this jury found the evidence powerful and compelling—as have so many Chicagoans in the years since Laquan McDonald’s tragic death. I commend members of the jury for doing their civic duty in such a difficult environment.
I hope that this decision marks not just a milestone, but a turning point as well. We must pray for Laquan McDonald and his family, and for all those in our city who have been affected by trauma and violence, and we must all work tirelessly to build a Chicago where all can find justice and peace.
* SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Greg Kelley…
“The guilty verdict delivered in the case of police officer Jason Van Dyke doesn’t assuage the deep distrust the Black community has in the criminal justice system and lack of police accountability, but it is a big step in the right direction.
“The city breathed a collective sigh of relief with delivery of the verdict. The murder of Laquan McDonald and the Van Dyke trial poured salt on festering wounds of the Black community caused by decades of city neglect, police brutality and economic divestment.
“For too many, it seemed like Laquan was on trial rather than the officer who shot him 16 times. For too many, it was the same old script with different characters. Now, perhaps, city leaders will gather the courage to address the real issues that keep the city divided.
“This is an opportunity for a mayoral candidate to distinguish himself or herself as a serious agent of change who will not be afraid to raise the issues of divestment from communities of color, lack of opportunities, gentrification and racism.
“We all want to live in a city that is equitable and just. We all want communities that thrive. We must challenge our anger into efforts to unite across our communities to achieve the change we seek.
“The tragic murder of Laquan McDonald — a young man who faced the same personal and external challenges that many young Black men growing up in depressed neighborhoods face — and the conviction of the officer who killed him may be the spark of change so badly needed in this city.
“Let’s hope so.”
* Willie Wilson…
* Toni Preckwinkle…
While nothing can make up for the senseless loss of young life, I am grateful that there is some justice for LaQuan McDonald. Like many, I saw the video and it was devastating. My heart goes out to his family and friends.
This is an important indictment not only of the actions of an individual but of the code of silence within the police department. We cannot have safe communities if we do not have police force accountable to all communities.
* Chicago City Council Black Caucus Chair Ald. Roderick T. Sawyer…
“The death of Laquan McDonald was a wrenching tragedy that has rocked our city to its core. We pray for peace for the McDonald family, and long remained hopeful that they would find true justice through this process. But the truth is, no matter how this verdict came down, the McDonald family lost a son that they can never get back.
“Still, the black community today can find some relief. It appears Jason Van Dyke will be held accountable for his violence.
“Now, we must all recommit ourselves to seeking transformational change to the way policing is done in our city. We must focus now more than ever on demanding the police accountability mechanisms that experts from the Police Accountability Task Force and the Obama Justice Department beseeched the Emanuel administration to implement. And we must continue to reckon with the fact laid bare to us all over and over again since the day the news of Laquan McDonald’s death first broke–that Chicago continues to be plagued by deep inequities and systemic racism. Until we address that underlying reality, the conditions that led to Laquan McDonald’s death will not change.”
It is my hope that LaQuan’s family finds some small measure of peace after their horrific loss. And to the City of Chicago and the state of Illinois, we must work together to move toward justice for all who fall victim to harmful practices for traumatize or silence individuals. I urge law enforcement to take serious the policing reforms implemented in our state 3 years ago and to do what’s necessary to create agencies that have a culture that does not uphold any form of misconduct and abuse of power .
* Chicago Police Board…
Today, the jury returned its verdict in the criminal case brought against Police Officer Jason Van Dyke for his fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. The disciplinary cases brought against Officer Van Dyke and four other officers related to this shooting remain before the Chicago Police Board, but have not been under active review because they are stayed.
In August 2016 the Superintendent filed with the Police Board charges against Officer Van Dyke, Sergeant Stephen Franko, and Police Officers Janet Mondragon, Daphne Sebastian, and Ricardo Viramontes, recommending that each of the five officers be discharged from the Chicago Police Department. In June 2017 the Board ordered these cases stayed because going ahead with the disciplinary cases against these officers at that time could prejudice and potentially jeopardize the pending criminal proceedings and the officers’ constitutional rights.
The Board stands ready to hear these cases once doing so will no longer prejudice or potentially jeopardize any criminal case or constitutional right. The Board will promptly and thoroughly consider any motion to lift the stay, and any hearing on such a motion will be announced at a public meeting of the Board and on the Board’s website at ChicagoPoliceBoard.org.
The role of the Police Board is to serve as an impartial body that makes decisions based on the evidence presented at a disciplinary hearing. The Board takes final action on all cases in public at its monthly meetings, where each Board member’s vote is announced and recorded, and the Board posts on its website its written decisions, which include detailed explanations of the reasons for the Board’s findings.
All charges filed by the Superintendent and detailed information about the Board’s process for handling disciplinary cases are available at ChicagoPoliceBoard.org.
* US Representative Bobby L. Rush…
“Today’s verdict shows that law enforcement will be held accountable for their egregious and unjustified use of force. While this conviction will not bring back Laquan McDonald, it serves as a strong reminder that no one — including law enforcement — is above the law. This tragedy has torn Chicago apart and now is a time for healing and quickly reforming our law enforcement agencies. I call on my fellow Chicagoans to rise to the moment and show the country and the world how we will channel our pain and anger into a constructive force.”
* Whoa…
Illinois Fraternal Order of Police president says the jury was “duped into saving the asses of self-serving politicians at the expense of a dedicated public servant.” Full statement: pic.twitter.com/YBiUS69zbv
* Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson…
For the past several weeks, a jury heard testimony, weighed evidence and considered the facts of the Van Dyke case. Today, the jury reached its verdict. As we absorb their decision, let us continue to hear each other and partner with each other – as public servants, police and members of the public – and let us ensure our collective mission is what endures for generations to come. We come from many neighborhoods, many walks of life and many places throughout the world. But for all of us, this is our home. This is the city we love. We have heard that message countless times in recent days and weeks in church basements, in community meetings and from residents in our neighborhoods. And while the jury has heard the case and reached their conclusion, our collective work is not done. The effort to drive lasting reform and rebuild bonds of trust between residents and police must carry on with vigor.
* Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Chair Kimberly A. Lightford…
“My heart goes out to Laquan’s family as they continue to grieve his loss. This is only a drop of justice in a history full of injustices against Black people and people of color. We still have a lot of work ahead of us in reforming policing, criminal justice, human services and creating opportunities for underprivileged communities.
“Let us continue to organize, continue to let our voices be heard and participate in our democracy wherever and whenever we can.”
* Comptroller Susana Mendoza…
Today our legal system did its job. A jury rendered a verdict that held Officer Jason Van Dyke accountable for the murder of Laquan McDonald.
The tragic events of that fateful night tore our City apart. Yet even in its darkest moments, Chicago, a city of grit and resolve, of faith and family, has shown its ability to come together, heal its broken heart, and move itself forward. We need each other today, more than ever before; to stand together as one family, all of us, and work to heal our great City.
Now is the time for us to focus on rebuilding the trust between police and communities, which has been broken for decades.
Lastly I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of Laquan McDonald and hope that today’s verdict can help bring them some peace and justice.
* Garry McCarthy…
“TODAY’S VERDICT BRINGS TO A CLOSE ONE OF THE DARKEST CHAPTERS IN CHICAGO’S HISTORY.
BUT THIS VERDICT ALSO REMINDS US ALL OF THE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND RISE ABOVE THIS TRAGIC EVENT.
I’M APPEALING TO EVERY PERSON IN CHICAGO TO WISELY AND COMPASSIONATELY REFLECT ON THE DEATH OF LAQUAN McDONALD AND THIS GUILTY VERDICT OF JASON VAN DYKE.
TOGETHER, THEY OFFER EACH OF US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEDICATE OURSELVES TO MAKING CHICAGO A BETTER CITY……NOT A BITTER CITY.
IT IS TIME FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN IN CONFLICT.
IT IS TIME FOR ALL OF US TO COME TOGETHER AROUND WHAT UNITES US….AND TO STOP PAYING SO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE THINGS THAT DIVIDE US”.
I did not alter that in any way.
* Congresswoman Robin Kelly…
Today, justice was served. While no verdict can bring Laquan McDonald back to his family and friends, we have seen that justice can be delivered to victims and their families.
The process by which this case was brought forward and executed should be an example to other communities around this country. Far too often, the murders of young black men and women by law enforcement make headlines but never make it to a jury trial. This must change.
Many of my family members are in law enforcement and I know the great responsibility and sacrifice that comes with wearing the badge. But that doesn’t mean we should grant automatic deference to law enforcement in deadly force cases. This case must be a catalyst for real reforms at CPD and other police forces around the country.
As a member of bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group, I remain committed to working toward changing policies and rebuilding the fractured trust that exists between communities and law enforcement because of cases like this.
* Illinois Collaboration on Youth…
We have held our breath awaiting the jury’s verdict in the Laquan McDonald murder trial and can now breathe easier that a conviction has been secured. Justice has been done. But the shooting death of an unarmed 17-year-old African-American at the hands of a Chicago Police officer is a painful reminder of the continued systemic police violence against our youth of color not only in the city of Chicago but across our state and nation. McDonald has been painted by the defense team as a menace, and defendant Jason Van Dyke did not even use McDonald’s name throughout his testimony but rather described him as a black male wearing a hoodie. He was much more than a physical description. The death of McDonald should give us pause and force us to reflect on who he was and what we can do to prevent anything like this from ever happening again.
McDonald was born to a 15-year-old teen who struggled with substance use disorder and a father who was largely absent and incarcerated. He was first placed in foster care at age three and shuffled back and forth between different relative’s homes and been in contact with the justice system 26 times from the age of 14. However, school officials and relatives testified to witnessing McDonald turning his life around by working with a mentor and attending an alternative school in the months leading to his death. McDonald endured significant trauma at a very early age and deserved to have the support and resources that would put him on a positive path and help him to succeed.
Our coalition of youth service providers work with at-risk children and youth every day, but many young people slip through the cracks because we lack the infrastructure to support families in need, especially children and youth of color who are at suspended, arrested and funneled into the child welfare and juvenile justice systems at an alarmingly higher rate than their white peers. Let us turn this tragedy into an opportunity to address systemic racism and generational trauma by investing in education, training and services that are culturally responsive so that we can start the healing process and move forward in the right direction.
* State Senator Mattie Hunter…
I know I join many of you in breathing a sigh of relief that the officer who murdered Laquan McDonald four years ago was brought to justice today.
Nothing can take away the pain his family feels, and my deepest sympathies are with them.
Justice may have prevailed today, but we still have much work to do in improving the damaged relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.
In the coming days and weeks, please be thoughtful about the small acts of peace and progress you can make. And I encourage you to sit down with your family, friends and community members and have conversations about how to improve the relationship between law enforcement officers and citizens of Chicago.
* Gov. Rauner…
In the Van Dyke trial, 12 jurors reviewed the evidence and rendered their verdict. We should all respect their decision. Now is the time to move forward as a community.
“We commend the jurors for fulfilling their civic duty in rendering what I feel was a reasonable verdict albeit not exactly what the community was hoping for. I want to congratulate all the activists, journalists and faith leaders for keeping this issue in the public arena,” Collins said.
“The conviction of Jason Van Dyke lays bare the injustices executed by the Chicago Police Department, and frequently abetted by the criminal justice system. In this case, there was a cover-up, and everyone involved should be held accountable. If we do not tear down the blue curtain of silence once and for all, the Laquan McDonalds of Chicago will continue to die in our city. We must never forget that the video – and the truth – were not simply handed to us. Instead, they were ripped from reluctant hands by journalists, citizens and the courts.
“Four years ago, I protested and pleaded for top-to-bottom change. I was immensely proud of all who protested peacefully in Chicago. I was honored to march alongside young people and veterans of the Civil Rights Movement alike on Michigan Avenue.
“Four years later, I urge all Chicagoans to remember that this is one terrible tragedy that is a symptom of a system in dire need of change. We must not stand by while police officers act as judge, jury and executioner on our streets. We will remain united for justice.
“Today shows that Officer Van Dyke’s gun and badge cannot speak louder than Laquan McDonald’s blood. No one is above the law. Our voices must not die away!”
* ACLU of Illinois…
Jason Van Dyke has been held accountable by a jury for shooting Laquan McDonald 16 times and unnecessarily killing him. Laquan McDonald should still be alive today. We continue to grieve for the McDonald family and broader community, which lost this young man too soon. We also remember the many families who have lost loved ones to excessive force by police officers who have not yet received justice. This burden falls disproportionately across the City—96% of people shot by the Chicago police are Black or Latinx.
No one believes that the conviction of this individual officer repairs the problems in policing – not in Chicago nor in our country. While Mr. Van Dyke will face accountability for his actions, it is critical that the rest of us do not yet look away from the Chicago Police Department. In the aftermath of this verdict, no community should suffer abuse or neglect.
The ACLU of Illinois remains committed to working with our community partners to mend the broken system that has allowed excessive force to happen and made the kind of accountability we see today so rare. We must continue to follow through with the reforms of the CPD that the video of his actions helped catalyze, and which must bring systemic change to how police officers serve Chicagoans.
* Gery Chico…
Like many, I was sickened when I saw the video that showed the tragic killing of Laquan McDonald. Today, a jury rendered a decision that hopefully provides some comfort for the McDonald family and our city.
However, our city is in pain and we need to heal — a healing that can only begin when the trust between our communities and the Chicago Police Department starts to rebuild. We must remember that Jason VanDyke’s actions do not represent the character of the vast majority of our police officers.
My hope is that protests are peaceful to honor the memory of Laquan. Let us work together as a city to ensure this senseless tragedy never happens again.
* Sen. Kwame Raoul…
Justice was done today, as a jury of his peers held Jason Van Dyke accountable for the murder of Laquan McDonald. Our criminal justice system has done its job, but the work of healing and reform is just beginning. While this verdict was about one incident within one city’s police department, it has shed light throughout the state and throughout the country on the need to focus on law enforcement reform. The work towards that end does not stop with this verdict, nor with the consent decree that this case brought about. I appeal to communities throughout the city and state to come together towards improved safety, accountability and mutual respect.
* Senate President John Cullerton…
“Justice is the reason we have the rule of law. This conviction brings justice for the killing of Laquan McDonald. It is my hope that it begins to restore some semblance of faith in our systems and belief that we all have the right to equal treatment and protection under the law.”
Friday, Oct 5, 2018 - Posted by Advertising Department
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* Bloomberg has a piece up about John Burton, a former opposition researcher turned JP Morgan banker who quit his job and put together a massive network of volunteers…
Over the past year, backed by mysterious donors, he’s organized what may be the most audacious grass-roots project in the age of Trump. Burton has amassed an army of 16,000 amateur sleuths who, with professional guidance, have spent months ferreting out damaging material on scores of vulnerable Republicans in Congress and state legislatures. Now he’s ready to unleash it just in time for the midterms. […]
Oppo works best when its target is unaware, so Burton’s project, dubbed Citizen Strong, has operated by stealth, waiting until just now to publicly declare its existence as a 501(c)4 “dark money” group with three affiliated political action committees. […]
Burton has a trove of anti-Republican material. The art of oppo lies in culling and distributing that kind of information to tell a particular story—a negative story—that will tarnish the incumbent and weaken his or her support. Sometimes researchers will quietly slip it to reporters, hoping it will yield a story and gain the imprimatur of a nonpartisan news outlet. Other times, oppo can be the basis of an ad campaign or used to build a website voters and the media can scrutinize—a bit like WikiLeaks. (Burton says none of his material is obtained through hacking or other illegal means.) With the midterms looming, he’s begun disseminating his “citizen oppo” in three Senate races, 22 House races, and 133 state legislative races across 13 states. He’s hoping these last-minute attacks will help push many of these races into the Democratic column, flipping control of the House—and possibly even the Senate—as well as state legislatures that will play a critical role in redrawing congressional lines in 2020, a process that will shape national politics for the next decade. […]
Burton laughs as he shares more highlights of what his researchers turned up, tidbits he’s not yet willing to put on the record. Sometimes, it’s best to spring the trap at the last moment. “This is what gets found when you have an army who can read every line of every document,” he says.
Why didn’t somebody on Mike Bost’s campaign buy MikeBost.com? What’s wrong with you people? Does your boss look sane to you? He shot a dog. He laughed about it. He fights for fun. If you’re on this list: RUN! Everybody else: get some popcorn.
Hmm.
* By the way, a Bost TV ad claims: “Folks, they’re at it again. I’ve spent 20 years fighting Pelosi and Madigan; my opponent has spent his career supporting them.” That ad was given a “Pants on Fire” rating today.
* Press release with emphasis added and in the original…
According to recent polling by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Illinoisans believe that there is a better understanding of sexual harassment (51 percent) and that those accused of sexual harassment are more likely to be held accountable (59 percent). Yet, there are significant partisan differences in these views and 34 percent of the 1,001 respondents sampled for the poll say that they would still consider voting for a candidate accused of sexual harassment. […]
The issue has resurfaced at the national level with the hearings for the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The Kavanaugh hearings began Thursday, September 27th, addressing allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh. The poll was in the field during the week of the hearing, making it especially timely to look at this national issue.
Fifty-one percent of voters surveyed agreed that people have a better understanding of sexual harassment given recent allegations of harassment in the news; 41 percent said no, there is not a better understanding. One in 14 voters, 7 percent, did not know or declined to answer.
Democrats Believe People Have Better Understanding of Sexual Harassment. Higher proportions of Democrats (59 percent) and Independents (48 percent) said that people have a better understanding of sexual harassment. Republicans were least likely to agree that people have a better understanding of sexual harassment at 41 percent.
Among political parties, Republicans were most likely to believe that people do not have a better understanding of sexual harassment given the recent allegations in the news these days – 52 percent. Nearly half, 45 percent, of the Independents said that people do not have a better understanding of sexual harassment. Democrats followed the Independents with 35 percent believing people do not have a better understanding.
Despite significant differences emerging by political party, there were no difference across region or gender. […]
When asked if people were more likely to be held accountable now for sexual harassment than they were before, 86 percent of voters said that people were more likely or just as likely. One in 12, 8 percent, did not know or declined to answer. Six percent volunteered that individuals are less likely to be held accountable for sexual harassment than they were before.
There were no major differences across party, region, or gender.
Overall, 34 percent of respondents said that they would consider voting for a candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people, while 38 percent said that they definitely would not. Significant differences emerged across region, gender, and political party.
Downstate Voters More Likely to Consider Voting for Accused Candidates. Voters in the downstate regions of Illinois, 41 percent, were most inclined to say that they would consider voting for a candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people. This was followed by 33 percent of voters in the city of Chicago and 31 percent of voters in the Chicago suburbs. A similar pattern emerged where 18 percent of respondents in the downstate regions of Illinois said that they would strongly consider voting for a political candidate with multiple allegations of sexual harassment. This compared to only 10 percent of voters in the city of Chicago and 9 percent of voters in the Chicago suburbs.
Voters in the city of Chicago, 43 percent, were the most likely to believe that they would definitely not vote for a candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people. Voters in the Chicago suburbs responded similarly at 41 percent. Downstate voters, at 30 percent, were the least likely to say that they would definitely not vote for a candidate facing multiple sexual harassment allegations.
Republicans More Likely to Consider Voting for Accused Candidates. Among Republicans, Democrats and Independents, Republicans were most likely, at 60 percent, to say that they would consider voting for a political candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people if they agreed with the candidate on the issues.
Thirty percent of Independents said that they would consider voting for a political candidate who had been accused of sexual harassment by multiple people, followed by 21 percent of Democrats.
Republicans were most likely to say that they would strongly consider voting for a political candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people at 24 percent. This was followed by only 5 percent of Democrats and 8 percent of Independents.
Lastly, over half of the Democrats (51 percent) said that they definitely would not vote for a candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people regardless of if they agreed with the candidate on the issues at. This was followed by 38 percent of Independents, and only 16 percent of Republicans.
Men More Likely to Consider Voting for Accused Candidates. Forty percent of men said that they would consider voting for a candidate that multiple people accused of sexual harassment. This is compared to 28 percent of women. Men were also more likely to say that they would strongly consider voting for an accused candidate.
According to the crosstabs, 15 percent of men, 9 percent of women, 24 percent of conservatives, 12 percent of whites, 7 percent of African-Americans, 13 percent of those making under $50K and 14 percent of union members said they would “strongly consider” voting for a political candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple people if they agreed with the candidate on the issues.
A day after a second debate with Gov. Bruce Rauner, and hours after a news conference where reporters repeatedly dogged him with questions about a property tax break on a mansion he received, Democratic gubernatorial nominee J.B. Pritzker said in Belleville he is working to move on past the issue. […]
“Well, we’re in the last 33 days of the election, I don’t want anybody to be distracted by the real issues that are facing working families, so we thought we would pay that money and keep moving because we’ve got a lot to do over next 33 days to make sure our message and issues are getting out there,” Pritzker said Thursday after speaking to campaign volunteers at his Belleville field office.
Earlier in the day, at a news conference where Pritzker criticized Rauner’s handling of the legionnaire’s disease issues at the Quincy Veterans Home, reporters repeatedly asked questions about Pritzker’s controversial property tax break.
“I wasn’t struggling to keep on message, we were focused on what’s happened, which is Bruce Rauner’s administration is now under a criminal probe for the death, the cover up of what happened at the Quincy veterans home,” Pritzker said.
“This is Bruce Rauner, on the attack, desperate in the last month of the campaign,” Pritzker said Thursday night before attending the annual St. Clair County Democratic Central Committee Dinner. “He’s saying anything, he’ll do anything, he’ll pretend to be anything in order to win. I don’t take it personally. We’re moving forward. We’re talking to the working families of Illinois.”
While two-thirds of Illinoisans live in Chicago and its suburbs, Pritzker has made it a priority to campaign downstate, which is largely Republican.
The strategy behind it is twofold, says Anne Caprara, Pritzker’s campaign manager. There are Democrats and swing voters — as well as Republicans frustrated with Rauner — downstate, clustered in the St. Louis suburbs and the small and mid-sized cities spread across the prairie: Rockford, Peoria, Decatur.
But campaigning downstate is also a good way to reassure voters worried about electing another vertiginously wealthy Chicago businessman four years after sending Rauner to Springfield. “We took a philosophy very early in the campaign that we were going to send him everywhere,” Caprara said. “And I said to him when we first sat down, I think if there’s one thing that’s going to defeat the idea that you’re not gonna work hard or that you’re just coming into this as a billionaire and don’t bring something else to the table, it’s going to be having people actually meet you.”
* Meanwhile…
Rauner campaign says he didn't "cancel." Campaign never confirmed. Spokesman says they ultimately couldn't make the appearance work. https://t.co/KBHUZ1oRVr
Rauner ally Ken Griffin put a half million dollars into Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady’s campaign. The move came after Brady put a $100,001 loan into his campaign fund, busting campaign limits, to allow him to accept unlimited donations to dole out to GOP senators and Senate candidates.
The state’s wealthiest man just contributed a million dollars to House Republican Leader Jim Durkin’s campaign fund. He’s given the maximum amount ($5,600) to a half dozen GOP legislative candidates during this cycle and contributed $200,000 to Erika Harold’s attorney general campaign fund.
By contrast, Griffin gave Leader Durkin $5 million in October of 2016. His last contribution to Gov. Rauner was $2.5 million in December of 2017, after giving him $20 million in May of that year.
A creative new lawsuit has been filed in federal court to get at the problem of guns used in crimes.
Studies suggest crime guns cause PTSD in children, especially in minority communities. So, this lawsuit uses the Americas With Disabilities Act and the Illinois Civil Rights Act to demand the state do something about it.
Public interest lawyer Tom Johnson argues the state police could do something, “The law already says the state police have the authority to regulate gun sales. We don’t have to pass a new statute. We don’t have to get the courts to do this. They already have the authority!”
According to the complaint, 40 percent of guns used in firearm-related crimes in Chicago are purchased at gun shops in suburban areas surrounding the city. It names seven specific gun dealers in Riverdale, Lyons, Lincolnwood, East Dundee, Melrose Park, Lansing and Posen.
“Under current law, and without cost, the Illinois Department of State Police can adopt reasonable regulations that would curtail the gun trafficking by these shops, and thereby reduce the gun violence in Chicago, and in turn reduce the terrible effect such gun violence has on the African-American children bringing this case,” the lawsuit states. […]
The complaint outlines several steps that could be taken now without any changes to Illinois law. They include conducting background checks on all gun store and gun show employees; not allowing the sale of guns to people who the seller knows will quickly transfer ownership of the weapon; and preventing those linked to “crime guns” from buying another gun.
The plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that Illinois has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not making a “reasonable accommodation to the special needs of the plaintiff children in the conduct of the federally assisted law enforcement programs,” and violated the Illinois Civil Rights Act by not controlling the gun trafficking that primarily impacts black children.
The plaintiffs are wading into uncharted legal territory. They seek to prove that children exposed to violence suffer impairments so severe that the state must impose tougher rules on the businesses that supply guns.
“As far as I know, no one has ever sued the state for the health effects or mental health effects of gun violence based on a violation of the ADA,” Timothy Lytton, a professor at Georgia State University’s College of Law who has studied gun litigation. “This seems an entirely novel approach.” […]
The ATF has the power to inspect gun dealers, but it is legally allowed to conduct only one audit on each business per year. Normally, however, the resource-starved ATF only inspects a minute fraction of them — slightly more than 7 percent in 2016.
Decades of inept governance have eroded Illinoisans’ expectations for their governors. Two of the three governors who preceded Rauner in office have gone to prison on corruption charges. One of them, Rod Blagojevich, is still there after being convicted on charges of, among other things, trying to sell a Senate seat after Obama was elected president. He won’t be eligible for release until 2024. (Pritzker was caught on an FBI wiretap, days after the 2008 election, talking to Blagojevich about the possibility of appointing him as state treasurer, a conversation Rauner has used to batter Pritzker again and again.)
When I asked Pritzker to name the last Illinois governor he admired, he had to reach back two centuries. “It’s Governor Edward Coles, who really prevented Illinois, way back in the 1820s, from ever becoming a slave state,” he said. That was a pretty important turn and something that was courageous to do at the time.”
* The Question: Who is the last Illinois governor you admire? Explain.
When looking at the Republican side of the ledger, there are three races that already appear to be Democratic pick ups. In Illinois, GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner is trailing Democratic billionaire J.B. Pritzker by anywhere from 16 to 22 points. This race has been in the Lean Democratic column, and while we are loathe to kick an incumbent when he’s down, it’s hard to justify such a rating at this point. The race moves to the Likely Democratic column. […]
The race between GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner and entrepreneur J.B. Pritzker that was billed as the Battle of the Billionaires has fizzled. It’s not that the candidates aren’t spending record sums of money, it’s simply that there doesn’t seem to be a lot to see here. As a Republican in a very blue state who spent most of the first three years of his term locked in an ugly battle with House Speaker Mike Madigan and the Democratic-controlled state legislature over the budget, Rauner has been an underdog since the start of this race. He then faced an unexpectedly competitive primary that he eked out with a 51-percent victory.
Pritzker has been on a roll since the March primary and isn’t content to sit on his lead. The campaign has launched a barrage of negative ads at Rauner. Rauner has hit back, but his attacks haven’t landed the same punch. Despite this, Pritzker is having the worst week of the campaign and it won’t matter. An investigation by Cook County revealed that Pritzker defrauded the county by having all the toilets removed from his home in an effort to lower his property taxes. Illinois voters have a pretty high tolerance for scandal and this one doesn’t appear to clear the bar. Rauner was also hit with another problem this week as questions have arisen as to whether his office sat on information about a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires Disease at a veterans home. Attention quickly shifted from missing toilets to fatalities. In other words, Rauner can’t catch a break.
At this point in the race, there is no path to victory for Rauner. The contest is in the Likely Democrat column.
This state must change, and much of Rauner’s prescription for curing what ails Illinois would make things better. Pritzker’s policy proposals will make a bad situation considerably worse — higher taxes, dramatic spending increases and an even-more-poisonous climate for job creation.
It would be a return to the one-party Democratic misrule of 2003-15 under former Govs. Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn and a Democratic Legislature ruled by House Speaker Michael Madigan.
If polls are correct, Pritzker is a shoo-in for election. But as those polls have trended in his favor, Pritzker has become more and more vague.
They’re right about Pritzker’s increasing vagueness, as Wednesday’s debate and Thursday’s press conference clearly showed.
* We all know that Gov. Rauner has no respect at all for JB Pritzker. As he said in Wednesday’s debate, Pritzker is a “trust fund baby” without any successes in life. His loathing shined through in an interview with Politico…
Although Rauner and Pritzker are both part of the elite sliver of Illinoisans who are used to lunching in the wood-paneled dining room of the Chicago Club, their passing familiarity with each other hasn’t led to a gentlemanly campaign. Rauner clearly doesn’t like or even respect Pritzker. “He was one of the guys who sort of loafed it and didn’t really chip into the family, didn’t really help run the family business, where all the wealth was created,” Rauner told me. He doesn’t have anything against the rest of the family, he added. “A couple of them are supertalented and I respect them,” he said. “I mean, they’re very accomplished. He is not.”
* Back in August, Rauner sat down for an interview with WCIA TV’s Mark Maxwell. He told Maxwell that Pritzker “has no success in creating value,” adding, “He’s had virtually no business success.”
Maxwell asked Rauner about 1871, the hugely successful incubator that kick-started Chicago’s now-burgeoning tech startup scene. Rauner’s response…
He along with many people pushed Blagojevich to put money into a venture incubator in Chicago. We’ve got about a dozen or more incubators around the state. 1871 is one of many. Pritzker got taxpayer money into that by his pushing with Blagojevich. And then Pritzker puts his own venture capital partner in charge of 1871 to guide those venture deals to his own firm. Conflict of interest. Unfair to use taxpayer money to create an environment to fund his own capital venture efforts, which are mostly, frankly failed. But he tried to set it up to benefit himself. That’s exactly the corruption and the conflict of interest that we’ve got to stop in this state.
Whew.
1871 was founded in 2012, by the way. Three years after Blagojevich was removed from office.
…Adding… I’m told the governor was referring to the I2A (Illinois Innovation Accelerator) venture fund, which was founded in 2007 with aid from DCEO. It’s now called Chicago Ventures.
…Adding… Gov. Rauner visited 1871 in June of 2016…
Just now, came here I’ve been following the progress here at 1871, this is one of the many incubators that we have throughout the state of Illinois to nurture young technology based entrepreneurial businesses. Howard Tullman who is the head of—here of 1871 he’s a 35 year friend of mine and an entrepreneur who my venture capital firm backed when he started one of his big successful businesses back in the early 1980s. Howard’s done a phenomenal job of building 1871 and creating it as an environment where entrepreneurs can come together, where venture capitalists can come together and young technology oriented people here in the city of Chicago can start new businesses can kind of realize their dream, and they’ve begun many and they’re already fledgling and often growing and many are coming back and giving back. There’s a big mentoring and tutoring program where business leaders from around metropolitan Chicago, around the state of Illinois come here to nurture and mentor other young entrepreneurs and help them succeed and do it—they don’t get paid for being mentors but they do it as how I was explaining because they can see the future, they see the new technology and the innovative ideas and then they come up with innovative ways for their businesses to partner and share and grow together. It’s very exciting, this is a model I’d like to see expanded more around the state of Illinois, we have a number of very good incubators down in Champaign, over in Peoria and in Rockford, but I’d like to see these expanded around the state and I’m particularly focused on helping the University of Illinois expand and have its relationships and its networks expand here to 1871, there already is a connection but I want to see it grown.
The Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) represents more than 20,000 stores across the state that include chains and family-owned and operated stores as well as all types of retail including pharmacy, grocery, hardware and restaurants. Four years ago, IRMA remained neutral in the race for Governor and four years later we will do the same.
In the last month, IRMA representatives met individually with each of the major candidates for Governor. Many issues of importance to the retail community and their customers were discussed. As a result of those meetings, the IRMA Board of Directors unanimously agreed not to endorse a candidate for Governor in this year’s election.
Governor Rauner was recognized for his heartfelt desire to reform Illinois government, revitalize the state’s economy and minimize the need for tax increases and excessive regulations. However, concerns exist over the ability to move the state forward in a bi-partisan fashion and, given the fiscal condition of the State, the feasibility of any tax roll-back. Additionally, there were concerns over positions expressed versus actions taken by his Administration on retail specific issues. Finally, there are continuing concerns that there is not a full appreciation for the economic significance of the retail sector within Illinois, which is the second highest producer of GDP and generates enormous tax revenue for state and local governments.
JB Pritzker was recognized for his stated desire to work with all parties. Mr. Pritzker clearly recognizes the economic importance of the retail sector and the opportunities it provides, and revenue it generates, for state and local governments. There are concerns, however, over his advocacy for issues that would add significantly to the cost of doing business and the impact these issues, combined with increased taxes, would have on retailers and the consumers they serve.
“IRMA’s focus is supporting a ‘retail majority’ and supporting those candidates who understand the value of retail to the state and local governments. Unfortunately, neither candidate’s approach struck the right balance in sustainably moving the state forward and supporting the state’s second largest GDP producer for the state of Illinois. IRMA will, as it always has, work in a positive, consensus building manner with the next Administration and their team no matter who is elected,” said Rob Karr, president and CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association.
Translation: Rauner couldn’t and won’t deliver and Pritzker wants to increase taxes on upper incomes and boost the minimum wage.
Today, the campaign of Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, Democratic nominee in Illinois’s 13th Congressional District, released a new ad highlighting Congressman Rodney Davis’ attempts to mislead voters about his record on health care — and how his allies were caught lying about Londrigan’s health care positions in TV ads.
“Career politician Rodney Davis took millions of dollars from special interests and insurance companies, then voted with them eleven times to eliminate critical protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Now that he’s running for re-election, Davis and his allies are trying to compensate for his disastrous record by lying about it, and about Betsy,” said Emma Brown, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan’s campaign manager. “It’s time to replace Davis with someone who is focused on making healthcare more affordable, not lying and playing politics with this critical issue.”
The ad, “Caught,” is began airing today across the district. It highlights Davis’ eleven votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement, which would have eliminated protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Davis also voted for the Republican health care repeal bill last summer, which non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, independent fact checkers, and the AARP have all said would have weakened protections for those with pre-existing conditions, allowing insurers to discriminate against them and make their coverage unaffordable.
Career politician Rodney Davis. Caught lying. Those attacks on Betsy Londrigan? ‘That ad is categorically false.’ What’s worse? Davis is lying about his own health care record. Here are the facts: Davis voted eleven times to gut protections for pre-existing conditions. Eleven times to let insurance companies deny coverage. And eleven times to help his insurance company donors instead of you. Those are the facts. And Rodney Davis’ lies can’t change them.
* Background…
Davis Voted 11 Times To Repeal The Affordable Care Act Without Any Replacement:
Davis Voted For Republican Budget That Repealed Affordable Care Act. [H Con Res 25, Vote #88, 3/21/13]
Davis Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. [HR
45, Vote #154, 5/16/13; CQ Floor Votes, 5/16/13]
Davis Voted For Republican Budget That Repealed Affordable Care Act. [H Con Res 96, Vote #177, 4/10/14]
Davis Voted To Repeal Affordable Care Act. [HR
596, Vote #58, 2/3/15; CQ Floor Votes, 2/3/15]
Davis Voted For Budget Alternative That Repealed The Affordable Care Act. [H. Con Res. 27, Vote #141, 3/25/15; US News and World Report,3/25/15]
Davis Voted For Republican Budget That Repealed The Affordable Care Act. [H. Con Res. 27, Vote #142, 3/25/15; New York Times, 3/25/15]
Davis Voted For Republican Conference Report On Budget That Began Process To Repeal Affordable Care Act.
[S Con Res 11, Vote #183, 4/30/15; Bloomberg, 4/29/15]
Davis Voted To Repeal Major Pillars Of Affordable Care Act, Including Individual Mandate. [HR 3762, Vote #568, 10/23/15; Los Angeles Times, 10/23/15]
Davis Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. [HR
3762, Vote #6, 1/6/16; CNN, 1/6/16]
Davis Voted To Overturn Obama’s Veto Of Bill That Would Repeal The Affordable Care Act. [HR3762, Vote #53, 2/2/16; Washington Post,2/2/16] Note: Reported as 63rd vote
Davis Voted To Begin Process Of Repealing Affordable Care Act. [S Con Res 3, Vote #58, 1/13/17; CNN, 1/3/17]
Asked whether there was criminal negligence in the Quincy response, Rauner said “absolutely not.” Asked about delay in notifying the public that WBEZ outlined, Rauner said “there’s not a delay.”
WBEZ on Tuesday aired a report outlining that state officials waited six days — even though they knew the epidemic was occurring — before notifying residents, families and the public. WBEZ also outlined how Rauner’s former deputy press secretary, who now works for President Donald Trump’s administration, sent an email directing no public notification of the outbreak on Aug. 25, 2015 — four days after people began getting sick.
“As soon as the Legionella infection occurred there, members of our team immediately took action to keep the veterans safe, to keep the staff safe and we brought in national experts and we have done everything that the national experts have recommended we do,” Rauner said.
Rauner said the outbreak was not contagious: “They do not pass from person to person. There’s no risk. It’s not that we have to notify the public, notify the community, notify the neighborhood, notify outsiders,” Rauner said. “This was an internal issue for plumbing inside the building, in particular residential halls. This is not something we had to rush to send out wide press releases and the team made the decisions when they knew all the facts and they could outlined exactly what was happening and what they were doing, what communication should be done.” [Emphasis added.]
“It’s not that we have to notify the residents and their families or anything.” There. Fixed it for ‘ya because that’s exactly what you avoided saying, governor.
People got sick and several died without ever knowing they were in any danger after higher-ups made a conscious decision to stay quiet. Residents’ families didn’t know, either, for the same reason. But the administration knew. They chose not to tell anyone. Not the residents, not their families, nobody. And, yes, the administration should have notified the community. It could’ve been a problem for Quincy, too. Nobody knew what was what at the time.
* Also, you took “immediate action” to keep the staff safe? Really? Remember this?…
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s own administration formally rebuked the state agency overseeing the Quincy veterans’ home for how it told staffers about the fatal Legionnaires’ disease outbreak after workers there got sick in 2015.
The workplace safety reprimand issued by the state Department of Labor, first obtained by WBEZ, focused on a pair of emails Illinois Veterans Home administrators blasted out to state workers that seemed to downplay the threat of the disease. The agency reproached the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, which oversees the home, saying it “failed to effectively notify all employees” about the outbreak just as it was taking hold. […]
The email, sent by an infectious disease nursing supervisor to nearly 140 staff members, emphasized with all capital letters that there had been “an UNCONFIRMED diagnosis” of Legionnaires’. The correspondence admonished workers not to talk about the case with residents because “the last thing we need is for the residents to get worried and upset.”
Yeah. No need for anyone to worry that they might get sick and die or anything.
* Let’s return to our timeline, which I’ve truncated…
July 24: Earliest known case of Legionnaires’ disease at the Illinois Veterans’ Home in Quincy, according to a report issued later by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
August 21: Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director Erica Jeffries later claims that on this date, her department “shut down the water, we removed aerators from all the showers, we shut down our fountains, we started issuing bottled water” because of the outbreak.
August 21: Illinois Veterans’ Home resident Melvin Tucker develops a fever. He is given Tylenol.
August 22: (E)mail, sent by an infectious disease nursing supervisor to nearly 140 staff members, emphasized with all capital letters that there had been “an UNCONFIRMED diagnosis” of Legionnaires’. The correspondence admonished workers not to talk about the case with residents because “the last thing we need is for the residents to get worried and upset.”
August 23: Illinois Department of Public Health notifies CDC of “five laboratory-confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease among residents and staff.”
August 24: Adams County Health Department Director of Clinical and Environmental Services Shay Drummond claims this is the date when “environmental control and mediation” actually starts
August 24: In an email, a state Veterans’ Affairs spokesman alerted the governor’s press staff about the Legionnaires’ test results, saying, “We have a situation at the Quincy home.” The spokesman went on to say he did not intend to publicize details of the test results that day unless “directed or in the case of wide media interest.”
August 25: Rauner does Springfield media event with Veterans’ Affairs Director Erica Jeffries at Springfield airport.
Aug. 25: Rauner’s press secretary at the time, Lindsay Walters, directed press aides in the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Illinois Department of Public Health not to issue a public statement about the growing Legionnaires’ threat at the home, documents show. “I do not think we need to issue a statement to the media. Let’s hold and see if we receive any reporter inquiries,” she said.
Aug. 26: There are now 28 Legionnaires’ disease onsets, the CDC reports later.
August 26: Three days after CDC was first notified of the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, and 2-4 days after remediation efforts began, Gerald Kuhn, 90, is given Tylenol for a fever that reaches 104 degrees. Kuhn asks to go to the hospital and tests positive there for Legionella.
August 26: Last day Dolores French is seen alive. Her military veteran husband lives in another section of the complex.
August 27: “The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced eight confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease in residents at the Illinois Veterans’ Home - Quincy. There have been no known deaths related to this outbreak.”
August 27: After six days with a fever, Melvin Tucker is still not on any kind of antibiotic and hasn’t yet been tested for Legionnaires’, despite the CDC being notified four days earlier of an outbreak and the state announcing eight confirmed cases that same day.
August 28: “Two residents of an Illinois veterans home have died of Legionnaires’ disease, the Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday…. [both] had underlying medical conditions. Both were among 23 residents of the facility who had earlier been diagnosed with the disease.”
August 29: Dolores French is found dead and her body was decomposed. Her only underlying medical condition was deafness.
28 cases before anyone was told. But, yeah, they acted “immediately.” Right.
Mr. Rauner’s experience as a private-equity investor would benefit Springfield. Government isn’t the same as business, of course. As head of the state’s executive branch, the governor wields real power, but it’s less than that of a chief executive. Still, Mr. Rauner would bring the much-needed perspective of a private-sector leader. And he has a sharp eye for efficiency, something that bloated state government desperately needs.
He is no politician, and that is a good thing.
Mr. Rauner promises reforms that would lessen the burdens on business and promote entrepreneurship, including cutting red tape, making common-sense changes to workers’ compensation and revitalizing the state agency that should be hustling to bring business to Illinois, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. He has said he would become the state’s top recruiter. We believe him.
* By June of 2017, however, Crain’s was having a change of heart…
By nearly every measure, the state is worse off since Rauner took office.
That said, he maintains “the wealthy should pay more”—and that includes himself—and argues that a progressive income tax is unlikely to chase well-heeled Illinoisans out of state if the Legislature enacts much-needed property tax reforms. A graduated income tax, he argues, would stabilize the state’s finances and better fund his top priority—education from K-12 to graduate school—while easing the burden on local and municipal governments to fund schools and maintain infrastructure. If he can ease the property tax burden, which is killing some municipalities, the switch to a sliding-scale income tax makes sense for Illinois.
Regarding the state’s most vexing fiscal problem, its underfunded public employee pensions, Pritzker favors cutting the long-term tab by putting in more money now. Again, he’s not long on specifics, but his rhetoric suggests his plan’s contours may follow those long advocated by the Center for Tax & Budget Accountability, which has called for reamortizing the existing debt. “There is really only one good way to do it, and that is to step up payments,” Pritzker told Crain’s earlier this year. “Think about the principal payments on your home. Step up principal payments earlier than they are due and try to flatten out the amortization schedule on an annual basis. Flatten it. The result of that will be that we can manage the budget of the state. Because that is really what is at stake here.”
As a longtime Democrat, Pritzker’s platform reflects much of his party’s orthodoxy. And yet, Pritzker is a known quantity in Chicago’s moderate business community—in many ways, he’s its unofficial mayor—and he’s widely recognized as a no-nonsense problem-solver more likely to reach across the aisle with an open handshake than a clenched fist. As such, we expect him to govern in the vein of similarly middle-ground businesspeople-cum-politicians: Think Michael Bloomberg, not Scott Walker; Charlie Baker, not Paul LePage. He pledges that creating conditions for business growth will be a factor in every decision he makes, and as someone who has grown businesses for his entire adult life, that pledge carries weight. He promises to veto any legislative remap that is not fair, and he favors term limits on leadership positions in the state House and Senate—not exactly the words of a Democratic apparatchik.
Promoting Illinois as a great place to do business—and delivering on the policies that will make that more than just a sales pitch—is Pritzker’s stated goal. Despite “toiletgate,” a property tax dustup that is troubling and embarrassing but not disqualifying, we believe Pritzker will put the needs of Chicago’s business community and the workers who depend on it first and foremost, and will work hard to do what he’s always done: Make deals and deliver value to stakeholders large and small. Pritzker deserves your vote.
Ask yourself whether another dose of unchecked rule by Democratic leaders will restore Illinois to the prosperity and opportunity for which it once was famed.
Then ask whether a second-term Rauner would do exactly what he has tried to do in his first term: deprive those Democratic leaders of their wretched excesses in spending and taxing.
That answer to that is yes, as the Democrats know.
They loathe Rauner. He often stalemates them. Armed only with a veto pen and a bully pulpit, he blocks their exclusive dominion over lawmaking.
Which is precisely why we endorse Bruce Rauner, and urge you to re-elect him governor of Illinois.
Today, the Rauner campaign is launching a new TV ad titled “Change Doesn’t Come Easy.”
In the ad, Governor Rauner directly addresses the voters of Illinois about how important this election is in the fight for the future of the state. Governor Rauner makes the choice voters face in November clear: “We could give up, and give total control to Madigan, Pritzker and the Machine that made this mess, or do the tough, honest things to save Illinois.”
You sent me to Springfield to fix our state. We’ve done some good. We’ve stopped a lot of bad. But like you, I’m frustrated because we haven’t done enough. After decades of corruption, change doesn’t come easy. We could give up, and give total control to Madigan, Pritzker and the Machine that made this mess, or do the tough, honest things to save Illinois. This might be our last chance.
The prosecutor Republicans want to investigate tax fraud allegations involving Democratic candidate for governor J.B. Pritzker received a campaign contribution from the Chicagoan and his wife in 2016.
The Pritzkers gave Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx donations of $5,400 each Oct. 21, 2016, when she was running for her first term, state records show.
“The matter is in the hands of our special prosecutions unit; we have no further comment at this time,” a spokeswoman for the state’s attorney’s office said Thursday.
Pritzker is fighting off an offensive from Republican Bruce Rauner, who called his rival’s property tax break of $331,000 on a Gold Coast mansion “white collar crime” at a campaign stop in Des Plaines
I asked the state’s attorney’s office yesterday whether this move was routine and was told that the public integrity unit is within the special prosecutions bureau. That unit, I was told, handles issues related to alleged misconduct of public officials.
