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* As expected, Aaron Jaffe’s ouster by Bruce Rauner made some news over the weekend…
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday replaced the longtime Illinois Gaming Board chairman with a political supporter who ran an independent expenditure committee that backed him in the November election. […]
[Springfield resident Don Tracy] said he would not lobby for or against the expansion of gambling but indicated he would be vocal in providing input on legislation.
It might be hard to be any more vocal than Aaron Jaffe, a former judge and Democratic legislator who was appointed chairman by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich following a tumultuous period of the Gaming Board. Jaffe oversaw the final issuance of the highly disputed 10th riverboat license that had become dormant, as well as the rollout of video gambling throughout Illinois.
Jaffe was critical of repeated proposals to expand gambling into Chicago and other areas of the state, raising concerns that standards were too loose. Former Gov. Pat Quinn, who had reappointed Jaffe previously and sought to extend his term, vetoed proposed expansions.
Not mentioned is that Jaffe’s Gaming Board completely botched the video gaming rollout, which delayed implementation for more than a year. Also, Jaffe always seemed to fuss that gaming expansion would hurt the existing casinos. That really shouldn’t have been his concern. And his attempt to regulate which employees taverns and restaurants could hire and which truck drivers could deliver beer and food to those establishments was just ridiculous.
He did some good things at the beginning, and his regulation of the casinos should be applauded, but toward the end he became kinda weird.
* The Illinois Review has this note about Chairman Tracy…
During the 2010 election, Tracy said on the campaign trail that he was opposed to the expansion of gambling. That year, the socially-conservative Family-Pac endorsed Don Tracy in the LG race.
Rauner has also said he doesn’t like gaming, but says Chicago should have a casino because Indiana is luring so many folks away. I assume they are on the same page here (both also favor “right to work”), but one never knows.
* I’m a little surprised that Tracy’s $100,000 campaign expenditure on behalf of Rauner didn’t prompt anyone to look back at Rauner’s repeated pledge to keep cronies out of government…
Bruce Rauner on what’s wrong with the Illinois Department of Agriculture: It’s “full of cronyism.”
Bruce Rauner on the difference between the Blagojevich and Quinn administrations (from the Trib): “‘The only difference between Pat and Rod is the hair,’ Rauner declared, saying both administrations contained ‘corruption’ and ‘cronyism.’”
Bruce Rauner on favoritism at the Illinois Department of Transportation: “You can be fairly certain that there would have been many veterans that could have taken those jobs instead of the cronies who were hired.”
The Democratic Gaming Board appointee, Tom Dunn, was instrumental in bringing riverboats to his Joliet-area district back when he was a Senator. Whether he’ll now try to protect those boats by opposing a Chicago casino is unknown.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:27 pm
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Don’t forget that Don Tracy also ran as a Democrat in his 2002 campaign for State Senate against Larry Bomke.
Comment by History Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:34 pm
Rich said it best; in the end Mr Jaffe was way over his skis, and not doing his best
Comment by Secretariat Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:39 pm
Maybe the first order of business should be out lawing double dipping. Start by looking at the number of State Police that were assigned to Gaming who then retired but kept on working under contract in the same position at Gaming. With pension they are making well over $200,000, and have been doing it for years.
Comment by ISP retired Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:48 pm
I am both hopeful and confident that Tracy will at least read the bills and talk with the IGB staff before talking to the media. Jaffe had the habit of just pontificating sometimes without knowing that the various bills really said.
Comment by Madame Defarge Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:48 pm
Rich, you will have a very long list of broken promises from this Governor. This was so predictable during the campaign. That’s why he reminded me and so many others of Blago’s.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:52 pm
We all knew (or should have known) that Rauner’s rhetoric on “Shaking Up Springfield” was nothing but a show. The only “shaking up” going on is that he is changing the players. The methods are the same.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 1:55 pm
People tend to trust people they know well in lieu of absolute strangers. A concept that many fail to understand regardless of the what administration is being referred to.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:07 pm
@ISP retired 1:48 =…out lawing double dipping=
What would that accomplish? If they were not allowed to be hired, the state would have to pay someone else to do the job.
Comment by DuPage Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:26 pm
===Jaffe had the habit of just pontificating sometimes without knowing that the various bills really said===
One of Jaffe’s all time best goofs was when he was testifying in Senate Exec. He kept going on about the gaming bill being 500 pages and coming out at last minute. When someone asked him if he had read the bill he said no and he bet that no one else in the room had read the whole thing. The surprised looks being shot around the room by lobbyist and staff with the expression of “What do you think we do for a living? Of course we have read the bill”. The guy lost a whole lot of respect with a whole lot of people that day.
Comment by Been There Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:29 pm
The Administration also just hired 3 top level employees directly from the Illinois Policy Institute.
Comment by out of touch Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:29 pm
oot, who were they?
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:31 pm
Donovan Griffith, Jane McEnaney, Brian Costin
Comment by out of touch Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:33 pm
I’ll keep beating this dead horse - last September Rauner said that appointments would go through a federal hiring monitor and Michael Shakman. Why isn’t every story about appointments starting with that fact? http://wdbr.com/news/101101-rauner-tells-gop-not-to-expect-favors-if-he-is-elected/#sthash.7PPiDCma.dpuf
Comment by Dr X Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:39 pm
What the Gaming Board needs to be is completely independent and not still rely on the ISP to fill the top administrative positions.
Comment by In_The_Middle Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:56 pm
Considering how much Jaffe seemed to dislike the industry and perhaps even the concept of what he regulated a change was needed sooner rather than later.
Comment by OneMan Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 2:56 pm
For the two or three of us who comment on this blog who have known Tracy for 30 years, I can say this is a very good appointment. Tracy is a precision-type lawyer who never, ever speaks without knowing the facts and law on a matter. He’s confounded the Springfield establishment for decades by being a pretty up-front yet non-offending guy. He will be inpenetratable by the typical dealers and hustlers who fancy themselves as pushing for the best casino sites. It will be all about where the most revenue is generated from and nothing else.
Comment by chad Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:13 pm
DuPage-exactly ,you now have employed more people and if State Police are able to continue to work after age 50 , maybe they should change retirement rules that you can’t collect till age 60 ,then these people wouldn’t retire the minute they max out, collect and then work another 15 years on the tax payers dime. If they want to work, no problem , your pension gets put on hold till you truly retire, its no different than social security, they are both tax payer funded and both ponzi schemes.
Comment by ISP retired Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:16 pm
When you do something = Corrupt
When I do the same thing = Shaking up the status quo
The questions is, does anyone outside of this blog really care? I do not get the impression that these actions are raising many eyebrows.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:25 pm
==- JS Mill - Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:25 pm:==
Someone is cataloging these for ads in 2018. People will care then.
Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:36 pm
@Precinct Captain- I hope so!
He is following the same game plan as the governors of Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The big difference is Rauner has more more money to make it happen faster.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 3:54 pm
I hope he’s following the same game plans as the governors of Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. They are at least addressing their problems.
Comment by Downstate Illinois Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 4:23 pm
==- Downstate Illinois - Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 4:23 pm:==
Why does he want to be so much like Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin? Indiana has a lower median income than the US, as does Wisconsin and Michigan. All those states are also worse educated than the nation at large. Why does Bruce Rauner want us to be dumber and poorer?
Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 5:38 pm
U r 100% correct these guys have no business being on contract and still collecting a pension. If they r that talented take there talents to the private sector.
While we are at it why are ISP personnel even at the gaming board, shouldn’t they be on the roads during the job they were hired for anyway
Comment by Agree with retired ISP Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 6:17 pm
In addition to the railing against “cronyism,” Rauner also said this week that “union bosses” were corrupt for contributing to state officeholders and then gaining their favor. He cried it was a “conflict of interest.” Well, those unions didn’t give any money Rauner, so no conflict there. However, Tracy gives him $100,000 and gets a great job. And how many companies donated to Rauner who do business with the state? No conflict there?
Comment by Anonymiss Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 6:25 pm
Anonymiss — “Well, those unions didn’t give any money Rauner, so no conflict there. However, Tracy gives him $100,000 and gets a great job.” Appropriate moniker, Anonymiss. You missed this one. Don Tracy got an unpaid position to serve the public. He also ran for public office twice, has been active in many boards and commissions at the local level for years, and is an excellent, honest attorney for a Fortune 500 company. Sounds like another “Shake up Springfield” appointment (read: fresh air).
Comment by Anonymis Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 6:38 pm
The rule in politics is it’s only cronyism when the other party does it.
Comment by anon Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 7:02 pm
This is completely false:
“And his attempt to regulate which employees taverns and restaurants could hire and which truck drivers could deliver beer and food to those establishments was just ridiculous.”
The IGB never sought to license tavern employees or beer truck drivers. The IGB did want to create an Exclusion List (Black Book) to keep bad people out of video gambling. The GA in its wisdom killed this via lobbyist from the liquor and video gaming industries.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 2, 15 @ 8:45 pm