Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Tuesday, Sep 25, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* More from Gov. Rauner’s Crain’s Chicago Business interview…

There are two sources… of revenue that are not a direct tax hike: gaming and recreational marijuana. Okay, lets talk about those two.

Gaming is the more straightforward one. I don’t gamble. I don’t like gambling. I wish it didn’t exist. It does. It’s here. We got gaming. A lot of people like it. We’re losing massive amounts of Illinois revenue to Indiana and Wisconsin and other states. That’s a mistake. If a community wants to have more gaming I support it and we should give them local control. And generate some significant new revenue. And I am supportive of that. That’s that category.

Legalizing marijuana I realize it is very popular, especially for voters under 40. Here’s the issue: it’s a massive human experiment. It’s a massive human experiment. And it has major negative consequences. And I have done my homework. My team is doing their homework. I’ve talked to the governors of the states that have legalized it, in particular Governor Hickenlooper in Colorado. And the recommendations have come back “go slow, watch and learn from what we are experiencing because it ain’t all a pretty picture.” A lot of negative consequences. […]

DUIs, absenteeism, THC in middle school kids, lack of productivity, expanded black markets. And the tax revenue not being nearly as high as they thought from it. And costs to their society and their health care system higher than they thought. So on balance. Net, net, net, you know? Not so clear. And now Colorado is a massive exporter to the black market of illegal drugs to other states. It has ramifications. To rush headlong into it and say “hey, we want tax revenue so let’s just let the…” I think it’s a mistake. And I do not support it today.

“Weed is the more straightforward one. I don’t smoke weed. I don’t like weed. I wish it didn’t exist. It does. It’s here. We got weed. A lot of people like it. We’re losing massive amounts of Illinois revenue to other states. That’s a mistake. If a community wants to have more weed I support it and we should give them local control. And generate some significant new revenue. And I am supportive of that.”

There. Fixed it for ‘ya.

…Adding… For a good debunking of what Rauner said about Colorado, click here. I’ve posted it before, but a commenter mentioned it below.

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AFSCME’s latest contribution to Madigan appears to be its largest ever

Tuesday, Sep 25, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Hmm…

Speaker Madigan receives nearly $768K from the AFSCME Illinois Council 31 PAC, which had previously only contributed a total of $163K to the Chicago Democrat. #twill https://t.co/Kh2L43T7AL

— ILCampaign (@ILCampaign) September 24, 2018

That is the largest single contribution AFSCME has ever made, according to a search of the State Board of Elections’ website.

I’m so old I remember when AFSCME, the IFT and the IEA were boycotting Madigan’s campaign fund, which forced him to turn to Bruce Rauner and Stand for Children Illinois for fundraising help.

And yet, here we are.

* Speaking of Rauner, here’s Pearson…

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s fundraising has shown a precipitous drop in big-dollar donations this month and in the current quarter compared to four years ago.

In his 2014 initial bid for governor, Rauner reported raising $10.5 million in contributions of $1,000 or more, not counting the $4.5 million he also gave himself, from July 1 to Sept. 21. For the comparable time period this quarter, state campaign finance reports show the GOP governor raising about $1.9 million.

Also this year, Rauner raised six-figure donations each week last month, including in two weeks in which he raised more than $400,000. But by September, the big-dollar checks had fallen to five-figures a week — $39,000 for the first week of September, $44,848 in the second week and $55,789 in the third. In contrast to Rauner’s $139,637 September total, Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker has raised $542,991 — aimed at the Democrats’ “Blue Wave” operation to assist down-ballot contests.

* Rauner’s weekly fundraising totals since the quarter began July 1st…

7/6: $25k
7/13: $72K
7/20: $59K
7/27: $113K
8/3: $412K
8/10: $414K
8/17: $236K
8/24: $287K
8/31: $166K
9/7: $39K
9/14: $45K
9/21: $56K

* By the way, the latest JB Pritzker A-1 was heavy with California contributors, including Phil Hellmuth, a champion poker player and author. Pritzker has a brother out there and the dude’s house has its own Wikipedia page. These Pritzkers don’t mess around when it comes to their homes.

…Adding… Bloomberg politics/data/campaign finance reporter…

As of now (and this will change), @JBPritzker has media buys in place for $2 million between now and election. For @BruceRauner , it's $1.6 million. No outside groups with future buys currently in place.

— John McCormick (@McCormickJohn) September 25, 2018

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*** UPDATED x1 *** Paid Rauner consultant appears in new Rauner TV ad

Tuesday, Sep 25, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune…

Suburban women have been a critical factor in deciding special elections this year and, amid their dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is reaching out in a new ad.

The ad features Anne Wedner, a former backer of President Barack Obama, who is founder of Kent Road Strategies, who has worked on Democratic and Republican campaigns with a focus on the North Shore.

Billing herself as a lifelong Democrat, Wedner touts her childhood support for the Equal Rights Amendment and her dissatisfaction with national politics — a distancing effort from Trump aimed at helping Rauner in the suburbs while he seeks Trump supporter backing Downstate. […]

“We have to fix our financial problems and Bruce Rauner is the only candidate with the courage to do it,” she adds.

OK, a simple search of the State Board of Elections found that the Rauner campaign has paid Wedner’s company $50,000 since October of last year for “Strategy consulting.”

* Here’s the ad…

* Script…

I’m Anne Wedner, and I’m a lifelong Democrat. In 1972, I went door-to-door with my mom to support the Equal Rights Amendment. Today, I’m not happy about Washington, but I’m also heartbroken about Illinois. We have to fix our financial problems, and Bruce Rauner is the only candidate with the courage to do it. Yes, Rauner is a Republican and I’m a Democrat, but this isn’t about party politics. This is about saving our state.

…Adding… Sen. Sam McCann’s campaign…

Are we surprised that a North Shore liberal on his payroll is who he has “supporting” him in ads? As a failed limosene liberal governor, Rauner has shown money is the only thing that can buy him love. - link to Willie Wilson article.

*** UPDATE *** Bernie…

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign has a new commercial featuring a woman who says she is a “lifelong Democrat,” but Cook County records show she voted in GOP primaries in 2000, 2012, 2014 and 2018.