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* Here’s the rest of my syndicated newspaper column…
Barely mentioned in the media’s coverage of the issue last week is that Sen. Kirk Dillard told the very same audience as Rauner that he favored allowing the “marketplace” to set the minimum wage and not the government.
That position is as unpopular as Rauner’s original push for lowering the wage by a buck. A very high 76 percent said they’d be less likely to vote for a gubernatorial candidate “who supported having no minimum wage whatsoever.” 75 percent of women and 79 percent of men would be less likely to vote for the candidate, as would 82 percent of Democrats, 78 percent of independents and even 63 percent of Republicans.
“Anyone suggesting eliminating it altogether may end up in the Guinness Book of World Records for the dumbest political idea ever,” said pollster Gregg Durham about the issue.
Maybe not, but close enough.
And again, subscribers have full crosstabs and results for more questions on this issue.
* Dillard has since been furiously backtracking. Eric Zorn…
“You are being unfair,” Dillard spokesman Glenn Hodas replied when I shared with him my conclusion that his candidate’s position on the issue is the most extreme of all. “Dillard believes there has to be a minimum wage, and he voted to increase it when times were good.”
I will interrupt here to point out that it’s when times are bad — when working-class people are falling further and further behind — that demand for minimum wage increases is greatest.
Back to Hodas: “Referring to the marketplace, (Dillard) was talking about future increases based on the cost of living and that the cost of living is higher in places like Chicago than, say rural Tennessee.”
Oh, please. That’s not what he said. The full quote…
“I am a, what I guess is known as a Jeffersonian free market principle guy. And I believe that the marketplace ought to set everything, including the minimum wage.”
Dillard now claims what he meant was the minimum wage may need to be set according to different standards. “I am for leaving the minimum wage in Illinois where it is,” Dillard said during a phone interview today. “I am clearly open to whether we have an inflation factor for inflation over time in the minimum wage. But in the perfect world, the free market would set the minimum wage, but I’m not for rolling back the minimum wage like Mr. Rauner is.”
* But Bishop Trotter apparently didn’t see Dillard’s initial comments, or he now believes Dillard’s contradictory explanations. From a press release…
OVER 1500 TO HEAR BISHOP TROTTER EXPRESS HIS DISAPPOINTMENT CONCERNING BRUCE RAUNER’S FLIP FLOP STATEMENTS ON MINIMUM WAGE
“REGARDLESS OF RACE, ANY THREAT AGAINST THE MINIMUM WAGE HAS AN IMPACT ON ALL WALKS OF LIFE IN ILLINOIS”
SENATOR KIRK DILLARD TO ADDRESS THE OVER 1500 RESIDENTS IN ATTENDENCE
Sunday, January, 12th, 2013@ 11:30 AM
Sweet Holy Spirit Church of Chicago, 8621 S. South Chicago Avenue, Chicago, ILBishop Larry D. Trotter – Senior Pastor of the 8,000 member Sweet Holy Spirit Church of Chicago- will publicly express his disappointment and concern over recent statements by Republican Candidate for Governor Bruce Rauner. According to various Chicagoland Media outlets, Mr. Rauner has been recorded on at least two occasions indicating that if elected he would be in favor of reducing the minimum wage by one dollar. While Mr. Rauner has attempted to retract his statement, an additional recording has surfaced once again with Mr. Rauner saying that he is in favor of reducing the minimum wage by one dollar.
Bishop Trotter is making clear that he has yet to decide on a candidate to support. But he wants to begin hearing the platforms of all candidates, both republicans and democrats. Recent polls suggest that the November General Election for Governor will be a close contest.
Republican Candidate and Illinois State Senator Kirk Dillard will address the congregation and give his position on the minimum wage issue.
Hmm. Maybe Dillard’s appearance at that extremist rally against gay marriage last year is now paying off. Bishop Trotter was a backer of that event. And Dillard didn’t disappoint yesterday…
“You never can get rid of the minimum wage, I voted to increase it in the past, which shows I don’t believe you ought to get rid of it, you’ve got to have it,” Dillard said.
Dillard was invited to Sweet Holy Spirit Church for Sunday service by Bishop Larry Trotter who blasted the wealthy Rauner.
* And then there was this remark to Bernie…
“The senator has said that all budget items must be on the table when it comes to cutting state spending and wrestling with the state’s enormous debt burden,” said Dillard campaign spokesman Wes Bleed. “Funding for Planned Parenthood would not be exempted from consideration. However, he does not support cutting funding altogether for a program that does provide needed medical services for many poor and disadvantaged residents of Illinois.”
Discuss.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jan 13, 14 @ 8:51 am
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Oh, pick a lane, Dillard.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jan 13, 14 @ 9:36 am
My head is spinning trying to follow Dillard’s ever-changing positions. Does he stand for anything?
Comment by Whatever Monday, Jan 13, 14 @ 9:47 am
The first order error that Dillard and other republicans make is that our modern economy can operate as a “free market” with buyers and sellers equally engaged in commerce. Instead, for at least the last 100 years, we have lived in a mixed economy with various degrees of producer dominance, and with most non-union laborers in a take-it-or-leave –it bargaining position. Hence the need for government establishing a minimum wage.
Comment by Bill Edley Monday, Jan 13, 14 @ 9:58 am
Is Dillard still running for governor? Charming that anyone still treats him as a serious candidate.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Monday, Jan 13, 14 @ 10:12 am
This has to be a first time in Republican history that a vote record may help a candidate.
Comment by Toure's Latte Monday, Jan 13, 14 @ 10:33 am
Dillard couldn’t find his way back to the center if he had a GPS in one hand and Mother Jones pulling his other hand.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jan 13, 14 @ 10:35 am
Dillard is still the best choice for Governor of all the candidates. Quinn’s a joke and the other republicans don’t have a clue on what it takes to Govern. Sad state of affairs, but Dillard gets my vote.
Comment by downstate hack Monday, Jan 13, 14 @ 11:34 am
===Does he stand for anything? ===
Kirk Dillard becoming Governor.
That’s it.
Comment by CollegeStudent Monday, Jan 13, 14 @ 11:50 am
11:34, is that you, Cinci?
All I can say is at least he’s not saying “Jim Edgar” all the time, for which “Jim Edgar” must be quite pleased.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Jan 13, 14 @ 11:53 am
I cannot imagine that any Republican can pick up any votes from Bishop Trotter’s congregation — the church is located in a ward that generates way over 90% vote for the Democratic Party — the kind of jurisdiction where if a vote asked for a Republican ballot in the primary, the election judges would be surprised, flummoxed, and unable to produce the ballot.
Comment by Conservative Republican Monday, Jan 13, 14 @ 11:56 am
Moving to the middle is Kirk’s only and best chance at pulling this thing off now–after all, UNlike the Flip-Flopper/Carhartt Expert BR, at least the Senator CAN point to the FACT that he DID actually vote to INcrease it in the past, and stated a rational basis for doing so at the time–the economic picture was better.
I ALso found Bishop Trotter’s remarks particularly insightful and telling–as leader of an 8,000 + Member Christian Flock in the African-American Community, the Bishop’s endorsement carries great influence and weight in the Community and given now how he is NONE too tickled with BR’s hypocrisy on slashing the Minimum Wage, if the candidate was even at ALL remotely hoping to cut into the African-American base, he can forGET about THAT wing and a prayer NOW, whereas, almost unbelievably Kirk Dillard has a shot at it, and at least the respect of the African-American Voting bloc–after all, he DID PUBlicly stick his neck out to say kind things about Barack Obama in the past as we know…!
Comment by Just The Way It Is One Monday, Jan 13, 14 @ 7:54 pm