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Mr. “.01 percent”

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Illinois

* From the Sun-Times’ profile of Bruce Rauner…

Within minutes of sitting for an interview, gubernatorial front-runner Bruce Rauner makes a bold correction about his personal fortune when asked if he is among the so-called 1 percent of the wealthiest Americans.

“Oh, I’m probably .01 percent,” said Rauner, who owns nine homes, and made $53 million last year. […]

Rauner quickly grew perturbed when asked if the comparisons are true that he’s the “Mitt Romney of Illinois.”

“I am a very different person from Mitt Romney,” Rauner said. “I drink beer. I smoke a cigar. I use a gun. I ride a Harley. My grandparents lived in a double-wide trailer. I’m a salesman. He’s an analyst.” […]

“I get a crowd going to a standing ovation. I never saw [Romney] do that,” Rauner said.

* Sen. Kirk Dillard responded…

In a campaign statement today, Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican, called Rauner “out of touch,” and said he was concerned with “how” Rauner made his money.

“There’s no way someone who admits being in the top .01 of America’s richest people can relate to working families,” Dillard said. “How can someone with nine luxury homes relate to someone struggling to make ends meet? The answer is obvious: he can’t”

* As did somebody from Romney’s former campaign…

A former top Romney 2012 campaign official scoffed at Rauner’s comments.

“I don’t know what cave Bruce was stuck in during 2012, but of the 60+ million people who voted for Mitt Romney, tens of thousands would regularly show up to stand and cheer at our rallies,” the official told TPM.

* Rauner’s campaign responded to Dillard…

“Attacking success, on top of taking hundreds of thousands in campaign contributions from some of Pat Quinn’s biggest allies, is why Kirk Dillard should be running in the Democrat primary,” said Rauner campaign spokesman Mike Schrimpf.

So far, though, there’s been no response to the Romney folks.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:17 am

Comments

===I’m a salesman. He’s an analyst.”===

That’s what Rauner is, all right.

So much for bringing management and financial skills to government.

Comment by Walker Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:23 am
In a campaign statement today, Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican, called Rauner “out of touch,” and said he was concerned with “how” Rauner made his money.

Wow, lets be specific here Senator Dillard so I know if you are calling the financial industry out or not…

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:23 am
==I’m a salesman. He’s an analyst.==

I think the state needs an analyst more than it needs a salesman; our last two governors have been salesmen…

Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:25 am
Schrimpf is right. When you entire campaign is bankrolled by an adjunct of the Democratic Party you cede the right to question other’s “Republican-ness.”

And Rauner’s point about growing up middle class and working his way up is an entirely valid distinction from Romney. I guess Dillard proves Rauner’s point by tacitly saying that only career political hacks qualify to run for office.

Comment by Adam Smith Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:25 am
I stand corrected.

I once wrote that I was looking forward to a Daley v. Rauner election so that we could finally have a debate between the 1 percent and the .1% over who best serves the interests of the .5 percent in the middle.

I misunderestimated Rauner.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:26 am
Ha. The very definition of out of touch is the established Republican Party, not to mention the other Party, who didn’t see BR coming. The unions trying to come together to defeat a Republican primary candidate simply cracks me up. Out of touch. Ha. Look in the mirror D Lard, et al.

Comment by Westward Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:30 am
Success is a good thing. No one would begrudge Rauner’s success if he didn’t use his superior financial position to try to punish everyone who isn’t in his category. His wealth could go a long way in helping out our troubled state (higher taxes—of course, does he actually pay any or does he write off everything?) His wealth would certainly help out far more than just about anyone else’s that I can think of. But his idea of a solution is to punish those who haven’t been as “successful” as he has been and he appears to want to punish the slouches we all are. Very odd way of trying to get a can-do attitude from citizens in working toward a solution to our financial problems. And it worries me about people who align with that attitude.

Comment by AnonymousOne Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:30 am
Well, that settles it. Rauner is the regular guy who wears the Carhartt and $18 watch, rides the Harley, drinks beer, shoots guns and smokes cigars.

“‘Attacking success’”

Why is it only “attacking success” when people criticize the policies of super-wealthy conservatives? What about when super-wealthy conservatives attack the wages and benefits of unionized workers? Is that not also “attacking success?”

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:30 am
Double-wide — the new log cabin.

Comment by Walker Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:31 am
==My grandparents lived in a double-wide trailer.==

.01%er Republican pride. They eat cat food too, Bruce?

Comment by Toure's Latte Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:33 am
Rauner’s grandparents lived in a double-wide?

That says anything about him?

Comment by Walker Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:35 am
This is great. A Hinsdale Republican is calling someone “out of touch”. Love it. I bet Rauner doesn’t even drive a Land Rover Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz GL Class or Lexus LX like so many “in touch” Hinsdale Republicans.

Comment by From the 'Dale to HP Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:35 am
AnonymousOne

For what it worth, he has given millions of dollars to education. You may disagree that he has used a decent amount of that to help fund a charter school and promote the idea.

Also always find it interesting that Republican wealth bad, Democrat wealth good.

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:36 am
This is another clear example of “Bruce Rauner”, trying from Jump Street for the General, to dictate how “Bruce Rauner” and Bruce Rauner are different, by using the. “.01 Percent” way Bruce Rauner lacks honesty and integrity, ethics and morals, and “Bruce Rauner” gets to use the “.01 Percent” money of Bruce Rauner to deny being an insider’s insider, and ridiculously close to influencing career politicians via cash money at every turn.

Yep, Bruce Rauner can’t stand being called out on the hypocrisy of living his life one complete way, and running opposite of his Clouting, insider deals, donating to career politicians, and, indeed, being Romney-Like, with prep schools and a high level executive Dad, living quite well in elite areas of America. And, … 9 houses don’t hurt either.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:36 am
==What about when super-wealthy conservatives attack the wages and benefits of unionized workers? Is that not also “attacking success?”==

Nah, that’s punishing it. Y’all don’t deserve to achieve higher benefits and pay.

Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:40 am
===For what it worth, he has given millions of dollars to education. You may disagree that he has used a decent amount of that to help fund a charter school and promote the idea.===

And let us not forget that money he gave to Payton Prep, and the Clouting over worthy children, so a denied suburban-living Daughter could magically apply from Winnetka, get denied, then a call to Arne Duncan, and …

Yeah, that tens of thousands of dollars to Payton Prep speaks volumes to the. “.01 Percenter” too…

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:40 am
One idea that I hope we can agree to get rid of is that people like Rauner made their money totally on their own. Rauner made lots of money from the government, and wealthy corporations get government subsidies.

They didn’t totally build that.

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:41 am
Somebody ought to to Dillard that the income of large law firm partners isn’t that bad either.

Dillard is not exactly middle class.

Comment by Smoggie Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:41 am
it is clear that rauner is comfortable in his skin, thoroughly believes in his dogma, and knows from his business that conviction and salesmanship trump everything else to accomplish a goal. he is right. thats sales.

being governor is different. you have to work with, and find common ground with, very different personalities, belief systems, and motivations. bluster and threats (big or small) wont get the job done. (imagine the baron trying to lecture monique davis.) neither will the “voice of god”. the problems are real, the choices are extremely difficult. you cant do just one thing. it is NOT like running a business.

i hope dillard ekes out a victory, tho the odds are against it. at this point, i think it would take a new major revelation for rauner to make him falter. a quinn-rauner race would be the bumbling populist versus the name caller.

quinn cant give a coherent answer to anything. and rauner wont.

Comment by langhorne Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:42 am
First Rich I hope you feel better soon, I have a cold today and I am not a happy camper either.

Since I am not a Republican I will be honest, its been very rare that I have paid much attention to the primary for the Republican party. So for my own information is a debate among Republicans about personal wealth and its implications a very common thing?

Comment by Rod Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:43 am
Better difference from Romney:

Rauner appears to keep his money in the US, and pay a reasonable amount of taxes. Many of his peers do not.

Give him that.

Comment by Walker Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:44 am
Pat Quinn is going to spend 7-1/2 months reminding us of this quote.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:49 am
He is going to have to confront the wealth issue head on because the Democrats aren’t going to let up on it between now and November. How he does it will be important. I’m not so impressed with some of his answers–the .01 remark could easily be construed as boasting. Does he realize that if he wins next Tuesday, a totally different and more sophisticated level of campaigning will be required? I’m not so sure.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:49 am
Bragging about being “Mr. .01 Percent”???

That flub will cost him at least another $5 million of his own money in the general. LOL

Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:49 am
Teachers and public employees should not even get Social Security, are you kidding me? If the Republican party and our state goes down this road we will become just another backwoods state with a new kind of Neanderthal in charge.

Comment by Obamas Puppy Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:52 am
Did he just refer to his granpappy as “trailer trash”?

Comment by PoolGuy Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 10:58 am
A few years ago, you were voting in the Democratic Primary, Mister Rauner.

Comment by Upon Further Review Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:01 am
Grandson asks - “What about when super-wealthy conservatives attack the wages and benefits of unionized workers? Is that not also “attacking success?”"

Yes, it is. Could also be referred to as attacking the middle class… or attacking hard-working Illinoisans… or attacking regular joes and janes…

Or, what apparently amounts to the root of the entire modern Republican agenda.

Rauner and the Republicans have been fighting to protect the accumulated wealth of the 1% - no matter how they accumulated it. Then they turn around and complain about “class warfare” when anyone in the 99% “lower classes” call them out.

Republican voters have been lulled into supporting this bizarro notion out of the illogical premise that somehow they too could one day climb their way out of the 99% and into the 1% if only taxes on the 1% are low enough (nevermind how much of the middle class infrastructure has to get slashed and burned to support this premise… and nevermind that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy contributed to massive job loss and the Bush Recession).

When Republicans are not just blocking but actually rallying their base on the ideas of killing jobs programs, ending emergency unemployment insurance, and even cutting veterans benefits you know the GOP’s gone off the rails.

And yet they keep celebrating austerity. Celebrations supported by a massive, self-perpetuating and highly-integrated content-development spin campaign funded by billionaires and millionaires and given voice by an alphabet soup of “think tanks” and “media channels” - Heartland Institute, Americans for Prosperity, Illinois Policy Inst., Reboot Illinois, Watchdog.org, Franklin Center…. on and on.

Austerity doesn’t work. No nation has ever cut their way out of a recession.

Ever.

And all this is happening while Rauner and the rest of the .01% are taking exponentially MORE money, major corporations are hoarding trillions in profits, and the middle class’ wages have been effectively stagnant for decades … while roads, bridges, schools, pipes and other infrastructure literally fall apart.

Rauner shouldn’t get more than .01% of the vote. That he may get a plurality of the GOP primary and perhaps even a majority in the general (November’s an eternity away) is a sad testament to how willing people are to vote against their own self-interest and, indeed, self-preservation.

/soapbox

Comment by A. Nonymous Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:01 am
Even though the Republican party today is much more the culturally conservative working class party of Mike Huckabee than my north shore moderation Romney voters it’s still very very very very hard to make the argument to that wing of the party that the financial worth of a candidate is somehow a disqualifier. Where the wealth usually gets in the way of the candidate is not in attacks on it by republican opponents but how he behaves as a candidate.

I’ve said for awhile the story of this primary is Dillard’s inability to capitalize on his experience + what feels like decades if not a lifetime preparing for these gubernatorial runs and when he loses next week and asks how I think what he’ll come to learn is that he spent too much time thinking people would elect him just of what was on his resume. For 6 years he’s been unable to manifest his savvy and experience in government and politics in crafting a narrative and message and when faced with adversity showing a nimbleness to punch back. It’s been pretty clear for months if not a year what Rauner’s message was going to be and how he was going to do his campaign and Dillard never got a response except late to get union $$. Not good.

Comment by shore Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:03 am
“I drink beer. I smoke a cigar”

So maybe we’ll see a picture of him gulping a PBR & puffing on a Dutch Masters.

Comment by AFSCME Steward Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:03 am
Question asked. Question answered honestly. Dillard then calls him a rich guy who’s out of touch. Kirk feels the pain of the underemployed, the scraping by widows, and the young parents barely making it. Sure OK. This is Gdansk, the people aren’t being repressed, and being wealthy doesn’t disqualify you from public service. The guy’s in a position to help, he wants to help and he doesn’t need more money. To the lame brain who wonders if he pays taxes or just writes everything off, you’re terribly misinformed. He made his tax returns available. He paid lots of income tax, more than many would earn in a lifetime he paid in annual taxes. You want Joe Six pack running the state, move to Toronto. I’d like the smartest and must industrious guy or gal we can get.

Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:09 am
And he’s proud his grandparents live in double wide!! Nice grandson. Let’m stay in one of your other houses!

Comment by Union Man Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:12 am
Here is what I am trying to wrap my arms around—–would anyone who posts here want to be governor if they made 53 million bucks last year and owned 9 luxury homes? Anyone?

We have a salesman in the WH who isn’t an analyst at all. How is that working out?

Comment by Wally Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:15 am
@Adam Smith:

Romney’s father (George Romney) worked his way to the top from next to nothing. Mitt Romney was provided with an excellent education and then had to go out and make his own fortune. He enjoyed advantages, but I do not think that his life and career were based upon inherited wealth like the Kennedy family members.

Comment by Upon Further Review Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:17 am
And this is how elections are decided? By who is “more out of touch”?
Seems to me that the career politicians and the super wealthy are both out of touch with struggling private sector workers.
For them it doesn’t matter if they are being chewed on by a lion or a hyena, which appears to be the choice offered in the governor’s GOP primary.

Comment by Cook County Commoner Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:19 am
Like it or not (and I don’t) BR will be our next governor. What will it take for him to get his way?

He will have to work with Madigan and the GOP leaders. If he thinks he can just dictate, he will learn how mistaken he is.

He will have to raise taxes. Unfortunately, those will be more regressive taxes in a state that already has one of the most regressive state and local tax systems in the nation.

He will try to end pensions as we know them. We can’t count on Madigan and the Democrats to try to stop him. If the ISP rolls over, it’s game over.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:20 am
Brucey,

Behind all great wealth is a great crime.

Ask your local senior citizens!!

Comment by truth hurts sometimes Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:22 am
=== Also always find it interesting that Republican wealth bad, Democrat wealth good. ===

Never heard this expressed before. Of course I don’t find wealth to be bad. I’m disenchanted with Republicans because they tend to want to protect and enhance that wealth by attacking those whose income is less than theirs.

Just as Mr. .05 is proud of his success, I’m proud of my success as a public servant. The difference is that he and his ilk want to punish me for my success so they can increase theirs.

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:26 am
Truth hurts sometimes, the truth must hurt all the time in your case. What you’ve espoused isn’t true re: senior citizens and I think you’ll learn soon enough that even the people who put that puffery together aren’t as committed to it anymore.

Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:31 am
Oops. Spoke to soon. Proof is in the next thread.

Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:31 am
Oh, wow, stupid, stupid comment, Brucie! It ranks right up there with Romney’s 47%.

“Let me brag about how incredibly, vastly wealthy I made myself sucking off the teats of taxpayers and government workers while I’m running a campaign based on destroying pensions, reducing wages, and getting rid of employee protections such as unions.”

Comment by PolPal56 Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:34 am
A Guy

“You want Joe Six pack running the state, move to Toronto. I’d like the smartest and must industrious guy or gal we can get.”

I want someone who didn’t make all his money off the system he now condemns & stripping companies of their assets, then going bankrupt. The ways he’s run his personal business is exactly how he’s accused the “career politicans” of running the state. Rauner is a fraud. People are catching onto him. He’ll probably win the GOP primary. Come fall, with big money shooting down his self portrails, it won’t be so easy. He’s ahead now because nobody took him seriously. His numbers are falling, and they will continue to fall.

Comment by AFSCME Steward Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:47 am
@A guy:

You may not see the distaste in the 0.01% comment but a lot of us do. Defend his wealth all you want but he’s the one that has brought the problems on himself. You cannot claim to be “one of the guys” when you make more money than 99.99% of the people (according to his statement). I never took you for a Raunerbot. Now I’m not so sure.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:55 am
I`am sold. I just hope he don`t drink to much beer and try to shoot the cigar out of his mouth.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 11:56 am
“You cannot claim to be “one of the guys” when you make more money than 99.99% of the people”

What Rauner, perhaps, doesn’t get is that the difference between being wealthy and being middle class or poor is not simply in how much or what kind of stuff you have. It is in the type of limitations and opportunities you have.

A wealthy person cannot experience what it’s really like to be middle class or poor simply by shopping at Wal-Mart or staying at chain motels, or even by taking the “SNAP challenge” or sleeping in a cardboard box on the street for a night.

What a wealthy person cannot duplicate is the limitations that middle class and poor people live under. The vast majority of Illinois residents are far more limited than Rauner in where they can live, how much and where they can travel, where they can send their kids to school, who they can socialize with, how they can make a living, how they can deal with emergencies — the list goes on and on.

In my opinion, it is knowing and understanding (from either present or past experience) the limitations that go with being middle or working class or poor that constitutes being “in touch” with the people — not simply buying the same kind of stuff they do.

Comment by Secret Square Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 12:19 pm
Both Quinn and Rauner live in the .01%
Rauner earned his money to do it.
Quinn lives off our money to do it.

The Governor of Illinois is not living like Mother Theresa. Stop pretending he is more in touch than anyone else in that .01%.

Rauner has a staff of people telling him what he needs to do to justify spending billions of his own dollars to make more.

Quinn has a staff of people telling him what he needs to hear to justify spending billions of our dollars that is not his.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 12:55 pm
Personal wealth is neither a disqualifier or a qualifier for office.

The guy is rich. Get the hell over it. He won’t be the first, or the last, rich guy in public office.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 12:57 pm
Like Kirk Dillard relates to us common folk? What a stuffed shirt. Give me a break. Having money does not make you a bad person. It makes you SUCCESSFUL.

Comment by Neglected stepchild Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 1:07 pm
what brand drink,smoke,gun?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 1:10 pm
People say campaigns should emphasize substantive discussions that help the voters decide.

This campaign certainly informs me that they are all jerks whom I wouldn’t trust to hold my mail when I’m on vacation.

Comment by Harry Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 1:13 pm
Mr. .01 is doesn’t think public employees should have pensions or access to Social Security.

His wealth and success has given him the freedom to work without fear for any good cause of his choice.

Out of the infinite number of choices available, he chose to devote the last act of his life to hosing working stiffs.

What else do you need to know about the guy?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 1:18 pm
== Both Quinn and Rauner live in the .01%. ==

Quinn reports little income beyond his salary, which is far less than many CEOs get, even when their companies lose money. I doubt he is a millionaire, and assuredly does not rank among the state´s billionaires. If Gov. Rauner takes away the pension AAI the way he wants to, then in retirement Quinn will see a pension that declines in value every year.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 1:21 pm
If Rauner made his money, even some money, by running nursing homes into the ground and killing elderly grandmas and grandpas then his money is tainted. I hope my party shames all of the politicicians and county chairmen that have taken money from Bruce Rauner into giving that money back or to a charity just like Pat Quinn had to do.

Comment by whoELSE Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 1:23 pm
I wrote that both Quinn and Rauner live in the .01% - I didn’t say that Quinn earned it. Just the opposite - Quinn lives the life of the .01% with our money while Rauner does it on his money.

Neither candidate nor incumbent live a life similar to anything they claim in order to relate to voters.

The difference is that Quinn lives that life off of our money and the perks of his various elected offices over the years, while Rauner lives that life off the money he made.

Just because Quinn doesn’t earn as much as Rauner makes doesn’t make him any less out of touch with the average person. No governor is average. No Lt. Governor under Blagojevich is average. No former secretary of the Illinois treasury is average. Nothing Quinn has done over the past forty years is average.

I’m just tired of all this bashing over a rich candidate - Quinn’s life is just as rich - and on our dough.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 1:47 pm
Rauner didn’t get rich by running anything into the ground. Running businesses into the ground doesn’t make you rich. No one wants to buy a slum destroyed by a idiot.

The whole idea that he abused the elderly is propaganda to shock voters into the arms of a liar. If he did what is claimed - he would be in jail like most of our other Illinois governor.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 1:52 pm
–No former secretary of the Illinois treasury is average. –

No, that would be unique, if there was such a thing.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 1:55 pm
“Rauner earned his money to do it.
Quinn lives off our money to do it.”

If only Quinn had invested government union pensions and taken millions in government funds for a massive failure like the nursing home corporation, then would could say Quinn earned his money.

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 2:01 pm
==Quinn’s life is just as rich - and on our dough==

Trying to turn Quinn into the equivalent of Bruce Rauner? Hilarious!

Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 2:06 pm
===I’m just tired of all this bashing over a rich candidate - Quinn’s life is just as rich - and on our dough===

Which of these two do you think most recently purchased something at a grocery store? Which do you think still writes his own checks to pay bills? Which one does his own taxes?

You make some pretty odd statements VM. It makes me wonder whether your brain works properly.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 2:25 pm
=== My grandparents lived in a double-wide trailer.

What? Is he trying to rent it out to state workers after his pension bill?

Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 2:38 pm
What other money should Quinn be paid with? Shouldn’t public servants, who serve the public be paid with public funds? We all pay each others’ incomes unless private companies manufacture their own cash, with which they pay their employees. And since it’s so fashionable to bash public employees, debate their monetary value and speak about how lavishly they are paid, it would seem only appropriate that everyone should be able to trash, bash and debate everyone’s monetary value. Fair game—public or private.

Comment by AnonymousOne Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 2:43 pm
Madigan and Quinn have tried to save our pension system as honestly as they know how to. It’s a math problem that doesn’t add up. It’s got to be fixed and some adjustments to our culture of thinking need to be reviewed. Dillard’s your hero because he cynically voted against it to sway the unions to give him money. They reluctantly fell for it, hook,line and alas- not sinker- as they quit their goofy charade today of spending so much on TV spots. The answer is NOT to simply raise taxes. I’ve said for weeks if not months that the electorate is making itself heard on this and they don’t think Illinois Government is a bargain, we have too few employees or we’re not paying enough taxes. It’s going to require a group effort to save this; dare I say a business solution. Modestly ramp up contributions, modestly ramp up retirement ages, not compounding COLAs. Until the people in voterland see most or all of this, they’re too busy trying to make it through the afterglow of a tough recession to pity anyone else. This is and has been the perspective of the electorate since last year. Nobody cares if you accept it. Everybody cares that you acknowledge it. First big test, watch the lifespan of any legislator who says there’s no crisis and votes against pension reform in any district that could have a contested primary or general. The folks are fed up. Right or wrong, they think by and large, public employee unions are greedy, inflexible and unrealistic. It’s playing itself out in every race from Governor on down. Watch every school referendum in the state if you don’t believe me. When folks don’t have a sense of job security, they resent anyone who does have security and appears to be looking for more money at precisely the wrong time. Despite there being a relative few incredible pension spiking episodes, every last one of them made the news and sicken people. That’s something the unions should have done something about a long time ago. To many, perception is reality. The perception is what I’ve outlined. I’ve learned this on hundreds, if not thousands of doorsteps. I’d save the stupid TV buy money and get a first rate PR firm in to start working on the image…now.

Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 3:00 pm
–Nobody cares if you accept it. Everybody cares that you acknowledge it.–

The man who speaks for Nobody and Everybody at the same time.

There is polling on the subject, you know.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130422/BLOGS02/130419722/opposition-growing-to-state-pension-reform-says-crains-poll#http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130422/BLOGS02/130419722/opposition-growing-to-state-pension-reform-says-crains-poll#

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 3:08 pm
===First big test, watch the lifespan of any legislator who says there’s no crisis and votes against pension reform in any district that could have a contested primary or general. The folks are fed up. Right or wrong, they think by and large, public employee unions are greedy, inflexible and unrealistic. It’s playing itself out in every race from Governor on down. ===

Which races in the Primary. Which in the General Election? Which races will be defined by the pensions, period?

You type one long paragraph with no factual examples. Talking points are just that, talking points. Now, give the facts to defend them…

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 3:34 pm
==dare I say a business solution==

Now I know why you like Rauner. Government ain’t business. Just because you say it doesn’t make it so.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 4:13 pm
I guess this means we won’t be hearing Rauner quoting any Gandi, such as “The earth can support every man’s need but not every man’s greed.” Or how does the earth support nine homes for all the common men without undermining the commonwealth? Trumping up the earth has a short half life and we are well past it due to Trumps like Rauner.

Comment by vole Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 4:16 pm
“Mitt Romney was provided with an excellent education and then had to go out and make his own fortune. He enjoyed advantages, but I do not think that his life and career were based upon inherited wealth like the Kennedy family members.”

…you don’t know much about Romney’s past, do you?

He was given an elite education and then given more start-up money (and more connections) than the “47%” will ever see in their lifetimes.

Yes. His silver spoon was handed to him.

Comment by A. Nonymous Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 4:20 pm
Welcome to America–the new plutocracy.

I think we’re moving toward an era where the major elected chief executive officers are, (or are hand-picked by) the wealthiest individuals in the country and PACs funded anonymously by the same people. Rahm, Rauner and Romney are current examples.

There is too much money to be made for the plutocrats to leave government in the hands of working people. A current example is “corporate school reform”–the siphoning of billions of tax dollars paid to fund schools and now being diverted to private entities–which is already being promoted and managed, nationwide, by the likes of Gates, Walton, and Milken with the help of self-interested governors and state legislators anxious for their support.

With their passage of the pension reform law, the tax breaks for big corporations, the timidity about making the income tax hike permanent, taxing services, or shifting to a graduated income tax, it’s not only the GOP that needs to re-invent itself.

The unions are organized and self-interested. They are in the best position today to advocate a comprehensive alternative policy, and to promote and support candidates who stand for the same.

Comment by James Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 4:40 pm
=== There is too much money to be made for the plutocrats to leave government in the hands of working people. A current example is “corporate school reform”–the siphoning of billions of tax dollars paid to fund schools and now being diverted to private entities–which is already being promoted and managed, nationwide, by the likes of Gates, Walton, and Milken with the help of self-interested governors and state legislators anxious for their support. ===

Preach, brother!

Guys like Rauner are the tip of a very large iceberg. Just today, a couple of posts in Diane Ravitch’s education blog outlined the smear campaign they’ve been waging against public neighborhood schools …

http://dianeravitch.net/2014/03/11/understanding-the-propaganda-campaign-against-public-education/

and this …

http://dianeravitch.net/2014/03/11/robert-shepherd-here-is-fud-in-education/

It’s all kind of wonky, but it explains why guys like Rauner vilify public school teachers.

Comment by olddog Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 5:56 pm
Blago was a salesman…IL needs an analyst

Comment by Reformed Public Servant Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 6:07 pm
== Quinn lives on our money==

Apparently public employees don’t earn their pay,
since their pay is still “our money.” Tell that to.soldiers and public safety workers who risk life and limb to earn their pay.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 6:39 pm
Quinn is living a whole lot larger than any soldier. No comparison at all.

He has been in public office for years - living like it too. He is no foot soldier.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 7:21 pm
Any guy who has spent as much money as Quinn running for public office, is living as large as any other .01%.

Stop making any Illinois governor some kind of typical guy we all meet at the super market. That is ridiculous.

You guys portraying Quinn like he is some regular guy - you guys are ridiculous. Stop it and recognize that Pat Quinn is as out of touch as the next rich millionaire.

Pat Quinn does his own taxes? Are you crazy?

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 7:29 pm
Um, - VanillaMan -…

https://capitolfax.com/2012/05/10/not-a-big-deal-at-all-but-its-probably-time-to-delegate-a-bit-more/

PQ, might indeed, do his own taxes. lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 7:35 pm
@VanillaMan-

I usually find some nugget of truth in your posts, but your comparison of Quinn and Rauner is void.

If you argued that Rahm or Madigan were part of the .01 percent, I might give you some credit.

And while Quinn certainly is no Mr. Smith, he ranks 70th on the list of 100 most powerful Chicagoans. Right between Michael Ferro and Jim Franczek.

Greg Goldner ranked 62.

Mike Kasper ranked 59.

Bruce Rauner 39.

Cardinal George 37.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 7:54 pm
–Pat Quinn does his own taxes? Are you crazy?–

No. They’ve been published here. He does them in crayon, if I recollect.

VMan, sometimes you are stone cold crazy. Quinn is nowhere near a millionaire. Rauner is a billionaire. That’s a lot of zeroes. for crying out loud, the dude talks about being in the .01%.

And, by the way, I see Quinn at the CVS on Roosevelt in Oak Park and the Jewels on Lake in River Forest all the time, schlepping like the rest of us.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 11, 14 @ 8:24 pm