Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Uh-oh - Another Rauner minimum wage comment surfaces

Thursday, Jan 9, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

A day after Bruce Rauner offered qualified support for a minimum-wage hike, a new video surfaced Thursday showing the GOP gubernatorial candidate telling an audience of Downstate Republicans in September that he “adamantly, adamantly” opposes raising the income bar for Illinois’ working poor.

The video in which Rauner appears to contradict the minimum-wage platform he outlined Wednesday came from the Democratic-funded Super PAC, American Bridge 21st Century, which Thursday posted on YouTube the recording of Rauner addressing the issue four months ago before Ford County Republicans.

“I am adamantly, adamantly against raising the minimum wage. My view is we already have the second highest unemployment in America. We already have an outrageously high unemployment rate among low-income, poor minority kids in Chicago, in Rockford, in Peoria and East St. Louis. And raising the minimum wage is just going to blow them out and take away their jobs. We cannot do this,” Rauner said in the video.

“Let’s be clear: The right answer to raised wages is a booming economy with employers competing to hire people and having our young people well educated and well trained,” Rauner said, drawing applause from the crowd gathered Sept. 7 at a Gibson City golf course.

This ain’t going away.

* Video…

Turns out that this is a BlueRoomStream.com video used without permission, so it may not be up long because the folks over there are quite upset. If it gets pulled down, I’ll repost.

89 Comments

Quinn compares Republican opponents to Mr. Burns

Thursday, Jan 9, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From an e-mail to supporters…

Dear Friend,

As I prepare to lay out plans to continue moving Illinois forward in 2014 and beyond, four right wing Republicans are busy talking about their schemes to drag us backwards.

All four Republicans oppose my plan to raise the minimum wage to at least $10 an hour in Illinois. One of them - a billionaire at that - even announced his proposal to slash the minimum wage by $1 an hour, taking $2,000 a year out of the pockets of those earning the least, which is cruel, heartless and wrong.

These guys have all the compassion of C. Montgomery Burns.

In America, if you work hard and play by the rules, you shouldn’t have to live in poverty. People should be rewarded for their work, not punished.

Putting more money into the pockets of those who are living paycheck to paycheck is not only the right and decent thing to do, it’s good for the economy. Everyday people don’t admire the extra money they earn in the bank - they spend it in the local community, creating more jobs.

As long as I’m Governor, I will never stop fighting until we raise the minimum wage in Illinois. Click here to get involved in my campaign.

Full speed ahead in 2014.

Your friend,
Governor Quinn

* Related?…

30 Comments

New Rauner ad attempts to preempt union barrage

Thursday, Jan 9, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the Rauner campaign…

Bruce Rauner’s campaign for governor released a new television ad today explaining why government union bosses are preparing to attack Bruce in an effort to try to hijack the Republican primary.

“Springfield is broken and too many career politicians are controlled by the government union bosses and special interests who make their money from the government,” Bruce said. “They know I’m the only candidate willing to shake things up and that scares them. Voters will be able to see right through their attacks.”

* Rate it…

It’s a good idea to warn voters of an attack on the horizon. No doubt. But he’s gonna have to eventually deal with the substance of those attacks, whatever they’ll be. My bet is on his close connections to lots of Democrats like Rahm Emanuel.

60 Comments

« NEWER POSTS