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* As we’ve discussed before, Gov. Quinn is relying on almost non-stop “non-campaign” events to bolster his campaign. He did it again yesterday when Ford unveiled its new Explorer in downtown Chicago. The video is from our old buddy Simon. Watch it…
* Quinn will have another, albeit smaller, “victory” to announce today when word gets out that the Illinois Racing Board has approved parimutuel wagering at the State Fair. It was looking like there would be no racing at the fair this year because the state hadn’t paid winners premiums from last year. Those premiums were finally paid and a deal was worked out and racing will return next month.
* And while tying furlough days to paid holidays may not go over well in Springfield, it’ll probably find at least some favor with voters…
[Rep. Rich Brauer] said he had “heard from a pretty good source” that the Quinn administration is considering eliminating holiday pay for the nonunion workers, effectively making those holidays – 13 this year and 12 next – unpaid furlough days. […]
The Capitol Fax newsletter last week reported the possible use of holidays as furlough days, though Brauer said he had also received similar reports from within state agencies.
“It’s ridiculous to take a small segment of society and say we’re going to make you suffer, and that’s exactly what this has done – not only once, but twice,” Brauer said, referring to the nonunion workers. While about 2,700 people are in that category in the state workforce, some are exempt from furloughs because they are paid with federal dollars, or for other reasons.
Whatever the case, the governor should’ve just rescinded his pay raises for top staff and not messed with this can of worms. He really screwed this one up.
* More press pops for the non-campaigner…
* New legislation may assist children without dental insurance
* Praise for new law protecting disabled Illinoisans
* Something for everyone in back-to-school tax break
* Ford introduces new Explorer as ‘most dramatic re-invention’
* Ford debuts new South Side-made Explorer
* Quinn veto would allow disclosure of public employee evaluations
* Prank 911 calls to carry stiffer penalty
* Illinois lawmakers have 2nd thought about foreclosure bill
* Illinois bans ‘legal pot’
* Gov. Pat Quinn Signs Synthetic Marijuana Ban
* Gov. Quinn vetoes physical therapist bill
* Quinn defends closing visitor centers
* SJ-R: Quinn’s furlough plan filled with confusion
* Most Howe workers moved to other facilities
* Illinois Aging accepting hall of fame nominations
* Cullerton’s Defense Of HB 174
* Cullerton Blames GOP For Lack of a Tax Hike
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 10:58 am
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Quinn - Because this time, he going to govern!
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:02 am
Uh - the Navistar event has been cancelled.
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:05 am
Quinn - Come fly with me!
Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:05 am
The power and perks of being an incumbent governor must be a heady experience on the campaign/”governing” trail for Quinn. Kind of like being in the limo after a lifetime of driving around in your own Pinto.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:07 am
Simon should be allowed to do a TV ad. He is good.
Comment by Niles Township Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:09 am
OK– Quinn is taking advantage of the fact that he is an incumbent- specifically, his ability to get free press, invites to the big events, etc. WHO CARES? THIS IS THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING AN INCUMBENT.
Comment by the dark horse Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:13 am
The fact is that Governor Quinn had nothing to do with the timing of the announcement. Ford hosted that event in grand fashion- not the state.
The other fact is that these are public events. Anyone can show up, film, and produce a video. As a matter of fact our friends at the RGA show up to more Quinn events then I do.
So, he’s governing by turning bills into law just like the school house rock taught us. He’s making the public aware of what the state is doing. If he signed these bills just sitting in the Thompson center with no one watching- NO ONE WOULD KNOW.
Comment by Simon Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:16 am
Let’s be fair — signing bills is a big part of the Governor’s job description. Rich, you’re the one who always says, “You signed it, you own it.” If he has to wear the jacket for the bad stuff, he should be allowed to take a victory lap for the good stuff.
Comment by soccermom Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:21 am
Quinn,
This is the man who for years criticized politicians (republican and democrat) for the very same campaigning while governing. From reformer to this? He certainly was a better “gadfly”than Governor.
Comment by downstate hack Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:23 am
- for the very same campaigning while governing. -
This is BS. Quinn and every other governor would be at these events whether it was an election year or not. Just because this is an election year doesn’t mean these are somehow illegitimate uses of the Governor’s time. I’m sure all of you Brady supporters would prefer that nothing good happened in the state while Quinn was in office, but it just isn’t the case.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:30 am
I have to agree with soccermom. He would be doing these types of events if it were not an election year. A lot of that footage from the Ford video came from many months ago. It is what elected officials do. They have events/go to events that tout their achievements.
We can have a legitimate conversation about covering the cost of using the state’s airplane, but I don’t think taking him to task for things like Simon’s video makes sense.
Comment by Montrose Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:33 am
To be clear, the governor is saying he’s not campaigning. I’m simply pointing out that he is.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:36 am
Rich,
I don’t think this is what the Governor was talking about. This isn’t campaigning. This is classic Quinn. He heard of a problem, took initiative, worked with the general assembly and created policy that can and does work to enhance growth in the state.
That’s good Governing
Comment by The Shadow Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:41 am
He’s not only not campaigning when he is but he’s doing it on the taxpayer’s dime when the taxpayer owes billion’s and is laying off state worker’s.
Comment by OnHisOwnDime Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:44 am
“This is classic Quinn”
To add some balance, the classic Quinn also includes the highly incompetent Quinn. You get both sides with Quinn. It is a roller coaster ride.
Comment by Vole Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:48 am
STL is right when he says that Quinn would be doing this regardless of campaign year. On the other hand, STL goes off the deep end when he tries to claim that non-Quinn supporters wouldn’t want good things to happen to Illinois. That is hopelessly bizarre.
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 11:55 am
- goes off the deep end when he tries to claim that non-Quinn supporters wouldn’t want good things to happen to Illinois. -
I didn’t say non-Quinn supporters, I said Brady supporters. And if you think they wouldn’t prefer that Quinn couldn’t attend events like this and be associated with jobs in Illinois, you’re fooling yourself.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 12:02 pm
I don’t understand what Quinn is supposed to do. Everyone is depressed because of the economy, so seems like a big jobs announcement would make people feel better- same with signing good bills. But then he’s ‘campaigning’.
It seems antithetical that his campaign wouldn’t point out good things that their candidate did, even when it isn’t a campaign event - what are they supposed to do? Just picture after picture of him at parades or shaking hands? Pretty boring and not exactly what you’re interested in a governor doing.
Comment by haverford Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 12:06 pm
The idea of switching from furlough days to not paying for holidays is not a solution. You will still have a lot of employees who currently work holidays (because prisons, developmental centers and similar settings don’t shut down for Christmas) who will have to make up those days at other times. Plus, under furlough rules people can’t even pick up their phones. If (as there often is) an emergency over the Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s holidays, are managers (who are most of the people getting whacked under this policy) just supposed to ignore it? If they address the problem, though, they are violating the rules and will have to make up the time off at some other point.
Finally, at least with furloughs you could even the pain out by taking 1 or 2 a month. 7 of the 12 holidays happen over 3 months of the fiscal year (Election day, Veteran’s Day, 2 days for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, MLK day) - if people also have to take furlough days during that time, that could mean losing a full paycheck worth of money in that stretch.
This whole thing stinks.
Comment by Berkeley Bear Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 12:27 pm
The law to protect people with disabilities is great. It’s good to know there will be more protections. It’s sad that people with disabilities who don’t live in state institutions are having their services slashed.
Comment by Aldyth Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 12:30 pm
Furlough question: I assume that most managers are salaried. Do they get paid by the day, the week or month? And I also assume that most managers work a fair amount of overtime, i.e. they average working more than 40 hrs./week. Do any of these people get paid overtime? Or are extra hours expected or required to get the job done, but not rewarded? I know some people who work for the state in managerial roles and they put in a tremendous amount of hours, far and above that of a 40 hour per week job. I am guessing that many of these people are going to be far less self sacrificing in the future as a result of Quinn’s screw up.
Comment by Vole Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 12:36 pm
I amm one that has to take the furlough days. let tell you after not recieving a raise in 8 years taking a 9.8% pay cut hurts very much.
Comment by Just Because Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 12:49 pm
Quinn’s campaign is just like his governance…you can fill in your own blank, but I’d say it’s like his yellow pad w/ a bunch of notes trying to become a major speech.
Comment by D.P. Gumby Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 12:50 pm
== The Shadow ==
Are you going to come over and clean up the soda I just spit-taked all over my desk?
Yes, Pat Quinn is the master of good government, just ask the Rock development center.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 1:03 pm
1200 jobs, good, now we’re only down how many since blago and quinn got started 8 years ago?
I also continue to find it offensive the way quinn and alexi treat those of us who work in the state who do not work either for the government or are a part of union. Both men, neither of which has ever secured non family related private sector employment seem to think the private sector is the source of all evil while the run around the state trying to raise our taxes.
In case they failed political geography, the key battleground is the suburbs and most of the people who live in glencoe, winnetka, ect work in the private sector they seem so fond of trashing and attacking us really us doesn’t win many votes.
Comment by shore Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 1:06 pm
He can sign the bills in his office. Save the taxpayers a few desperately needed dollars to redirect towards those poor disabled folks he is stiffing.
But sacrifice is for other State employees, not Quinn and his immediate staff!
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 1:09 pm
- seem to think the private sector is the source of all evil -
You do realize Ford is considered part of the private sector, right shore? Something tells me Quinn thinks of them as something other than the source of all evil.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 1:09 pm
“I’m simply pointing out that he is.”
This is clearly a government event. As are bill signings. The Ford event is the furthest thing from political event. They were unveiling the new Ford Explorer. Do you think he got them to do that for the benefit of his campaign?
If Quinn runs into someone he doesn’t know on his way up to his office at the Thompson Center and shakes their hand, is that campaigning on state time?
Comment by Wizard of Ozzie Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 1:19 pm
Let’s see. Ford had already made the decision to add a shift in Chicago. The state gave little if anything and Quinn pre-empted their announcement (and took credit) in the last days of the primary.
Now, Ford schedules another event and Quinn tries to take credit and does make it political.
Comment by 4 percent Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 1:28 pm
Uhhhh, 4 percent. At least get your facts straight. Ford has repeatedly said that the EDGE agreement they entered into with the State was the reason for them staying.
And Ford invited the Governor and the Mayor to the event. Is any event the Governor attends political? When he shows up at a military funeral is that now a political event?
It really is silly season.
Comment by Wizard of Ozzie Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 1:37 pm
Saw the reform governor pull into the Sox game last nite with 2 cars and 3 handlers, can’t he just drive his Prius over there himself, ok I know that is unrealistic is one car not enough. And then he gets out and sits in the upper decl with the rolled-up sleeves like he is a man of the people.
Comment by Jim Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 1:39 pm
If Rep. Brauer doesn’t want unpaid holidays for state workers, let him vote for an income tax hike. Republicans like Brauer can’t credibly oppose both cuts in spending and revenue enhancements.
Comment by Reformer Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 1:40 pm
Jim, totally unfair hit. Quinn has had those awful Sox seats for years and years.
And three cars is a standard security detail. Deal with it. He’s the guv and these are weird times.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 1:44 pm
At DHS the non-union staff who are paid with federal dollars are not exempt from taking furlough days. So they lose out by not getting paid and the state saves nothing because they can’t claim dollars they didn’t spend. Good government at its best.
Comment by cynically anonymous Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 2:17 pm
==Ford has repeatedly said that the EDGE agreement they entered into with the State was the reason for them staying.==
Yep. A credit created by George Ryan. Gotta give Quinn all the props in the world for that one.
Comment by Justme Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 2:33 pm
How many state employees does Brauer have in his district?
Comment by downhereforyears Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 2:37 pm
Quinn is just doing his job. Do people really think that elected officials running for reelection should be barred from attending events, traveling a district/state or, in Quinn’s case, signing a bill into law at a public venue? I will admit that an open seat removes such doubt, but Quinn, Jesse White and Lisa Madigan still need to be out and about and meeting/talking with constituents.
Comment by Team Sleep Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 2:46 pm
- A credit created by George Ryan. -
And expanded by Gov. Quinn at the end of last year, which made it possible for Ford to take advantage of it.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 3:06 pm
Crains just released a story related to the construction unions dumping a ton of campaign cash on Quinn and within a short time period, Quinn sits on the roadbuilders forcing a settlement favorable to the union members ending their strike- so how is it that this quid pro quo doesn’t precipitate an investigation at 219 S Dearborn?
Comment by Sue Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 3:38 pm
I heard that they can’t require holidays be taken as furloughs because they are created by statute - some federal and some state. Rich, can you confirm this?
Comment by Both Sides Now Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 5:10 pm
Last week and earlier this week PQ’s campaign, and himself, denied that the trips downstate involved any political campaiging. Now today his peeps are on CapFax trying to justify it.
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck IT IS A DUCK! He is campaining and he is wrong to do it on taxpayers’ dime as mentioned in a previous comment.
I agree with Sue. That is a very interesting piece in Crain’s from Hinz today about the coincidence in timing between Quinn’s brokering a deal to end the strike and the big campaign contribution he got from the union certainly is noteworthy. It would seem to me that with the Blagojevich trial going on PQ would have wanted to steer clear of any whiff of Blagojevich-like questionable behavior. I would have never thought PQ for a slickster-trickster all his years in governent and politics prior to becoming governor, but the last nearly two years have revealed a whole different side of him, and it ain’t at all pretty. The man flipped-flopped and changed his story the entirety of last year, and still can’t seem to shoot straight as a governor. His campaign spokeswoman goes to great lengths in an attempt to derail Hinz, doesn’t she? Hinz is probably on to something that is potentially very damaging for PQ, and heaven only knows what the AP is working on that will blow up in PQ’s face down the road ala early prison release and hefty staff pay raises.
Watching PQ as governor has illustrated how he is in too many ways insincere and phony. All the years of what we now know to be faux-populism and good government talk, only to find out in the last two years that in many ways he’s no better than those, and that which, he railed against for years, and leaves a lot to be desired. He says he for women today, but has a more than 30 year political history in which he actually did litttle, if anything, for women.
At the tail end of the Primary race, Rep. Franks got in what I thought was a pretty good lick against PQ on the “slush fund” matter. If PQ is planning to go there about Brady’s taxes, I wonder if PQ paid taxes on that slush fund? Was the slush fund the reason why he only gave reporters a 3-hour peek at his 2008 taxes? Hmmm? PQ was mighty quick in shutting that slush fund down when the media found about it and started asking questions.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 7:12 pm
Cullerton blames the GOP for the lack of a tax increase?
Well anytime he wants he can get all Senate Dems to vote on the tax increase. He did it last year without the Republicans, so why not this year? If it means so much to him.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 7:15 pm
Nice opportunity for PQ, but he can’t change his stripes. Between now and November, he’ll say or do something so dumb it will make his line-item veto/teamsters pay to play mistake look clean and green. Just his nature.
Also, I expect his ’screw the non-union managers’ furlough goof to come back in spades. Leaks to the press anyone?
Comment by Park Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 10:01 pm
==I heard that they can’t require holidays be taken as furloughs because they are created by statute==
I can’t believe Quinn is considering this after the huge raises then taking out getting caught on the state employees. Now he is going to take away paid Holidays this sends a chilling message to all state employees that their holiday pay is in under attack and can be taken away. Quinn is going to a new low for an employer to not pay workers for Christmas while making excuses for flying state planes around making campaign events is he that far out of it?
Comment by Can'tbelieveit Tuesday, Jul 27, 10 @ 10:31 pm
==== ==Ford has repeatedly said that the EDGE agreement they entered into with the State was the reason for them staying.==
Yep. A credit created by George Ryan. Gotta give Quinn all the props in the world for that one. ====
Justme - Actually, the EDGE tax credit was created by State Rep. Tom Holbrook.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Jul 28, 10 @ 12:26 am