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* Sen. Kirk Dillard talked about the economy during an Elmhurst College event this week…

Dillard reminded the audience of his previous work as Chief of Staff to former Illinois governor Jim Edgar in the early 1990s.

“I know what a state that runs on all cylinders looks like,” Dillard said.

Not quite.

* As I told you earlier today, the U of I Flash Index currently has Illinois at 106.5. A rating above 100 signifies growth, below 100 means contraction.

If you check the Flash Index archives, you’ll see that the index was above 100 for just two months during Dillard’s 1991-1992 tenure as chief of staff. The highest it ever got was 102.5. The lowest was 92.2.

At the end of December, 1992, the state’s unemployment rate was 7.2 percent, down from a high of 8.5 percent earlier that year. That’s lower than it is now, and the economy was obviously growing by the time Dillard left the governor’s office for a Senate seat, but the economy was hardly firing on all cylinders.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 3, 13 @ 12:00 pm

Comments

It depends on what your definition of “firing on all cylinders” is?

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Oct 3, 13 @ 12:04 pm
… is.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Oct 3, 13 @ 12:05 pm
I knew Dillard worked for governor, I just wasn’t aware it was Jim Edgar … and as Chief of Staff?

Who knew?

To the Post,

Making the “economic case” and going back 20 years to say, “those were the good ole days” to make that point, does not make you sound like someone who has “fresh ideas for today”, it just makes it sound tired, and that looking forward is not the agenda, but “going back to …” is the agenda.

I get the Dillard tilt, but the delivery and thought to get “There” is not showing someone with a vision for 2014 and beyond.

With respect, Dillard Crew.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Oct 3, 13 @ 12:09 pm
Odd recollection. Like a governor’s chief of staff has anything to do with the economy, anyway.

If the economy had been humming in 1992, George HW Bush would have been re-elected.

He went from a Gulf War high approval rating of 90% in 1991 to just 34% before the election.

He went from a

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Oct 3, 13 @ 12:14 pm
Sounds like Dillard is running about 20 years too late. I think everyone is really tired of the Edgar schtick. *yawn*

Comment by Whatever Thursday, Oct 3, 13 @ 12:42 pm
Kirk was exaggerating to try and make himself look good, for SURE…!

Comment by Just The Way It Is One Thursday, Oct 3, 13 @ 9:36 pm
I read that it was during the Edgar administration that the impossible “pension ramp” was created. I wonder how Dillard would deal with it.

Comment by Taxpayer Thursday, Oct 3, 13 @ 11:13 pm