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Today’s number: $61,000

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Illinois

Standing behind the auction pen as championship rabbits, chickens and goats came and went, Rauner made his move when Scotty, a Land of Lincoln grand champion steer, went up on the block. The governor, however, had a celebrity proxy do his bidding — Scotty McCreery, the Season 10 winner of “American Idol” and the steer’s namesake. The country singer was opening for Rascal Flatts, the evening’s grandstand concert headliner.

As the rapid-fire bidding slowed down, the auctioneer turned to Taylor Donelson, a McLean County girl who raised Scotty, and suggested she should ask the deep-pocketed governor if he could please bid $61,000. The teen turned to Rauner and made the request. The crowd roared, and Rauner threw up his arms in mock protest before giving a thumbs up. The bid set a new record.

The steer will be slaughtered, as is state fair custom, and the governor plans to give the meat to the University of Illinois. Auction proceeds are split among the young exhibitors and the Future Farmers of America and the 4-H youth organization.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:23 am

Comments

He could a purchased a nice bottle of Cabernet for that!

Comment by Stones Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:29 am
“The steer will be slaughtered, as is state fair custom…”

Well, ya ain’t gonna keep a steer around to sire calves.

#4H4Life

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:31 am
“The governor plans to give the meat to the University of Illinois.”

This must be his way of saying, “Sorry Chancellor Wise, I had to. But here’s some meat!”

Comment by Tomlinson Times Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:33 am
“Well, we are goin’ to cut your funding to the bone, but here is some steak!”

Comment by G'Kar Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:34 am
Good for the young lady well done. Why theU of I? I would have thought a food bank a better choice for $68a lb beef.

Comment by Mason born Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:35 am
Rauner has really pushed up the auction prices for these animals. That is actually a good thing as most of the kids use the money for college. Great event, good job governor!

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:38 am
Tribune Ed-Board: Bruce brings home the beef! Illinois cattle farmers rejoice as average beef prices jump!

Comment by The Muse Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:42 am
How about donating it to Chancellor Wise and calling it even?

Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:43 am
Not really on topic here, but it’s nuts that the state fair is taking place in the first place…

Comment by From the 'Dale to HP Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:43 am
Thank you for the shiny new dime, Mr. Raunerfeller!

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:47 am
Good for the Governor.

Comment by PolPal56 Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:51 am
Let the MAP students eat steak!

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:52 am
With this guy there are always strings attached…the steer must be butchered by a non-Union butcher

Comment by Pyrman Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:55 am
I think he should have given the prized steer to the top four legislative leaders as in the last supper.

Comment by Mama Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:55 am
Well, now they’ll know what’s in the “Mystery Meat” served up daily in the dining halls.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 10:56 am
Does that mean a GOP GA member gets shorted, or is there plenty more where that came from?

Comment by Kasich Walker, Jr. Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 11:02 am
Morning Rich,

Governor Rauner was disappointed today at the fair, and felt that he had been ‘manipulated’ by Madigan and his group of 4H Youth. Had Illinois been a RTW State, the Gov feels he could have more easily lowballed the price.

Best,
ck!

Comment by How Ironic Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 11:04 am
You know, even I could find some things to applaud Governor Quinn for during his term, however few and far between they might have been.

Seeing some of the reactions on this board to Rauner’s purchase makes me think of the phrase “haters are going to just going to hate”.

Comment by Downstate Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 11:09 am
I was just wondering who eats the prized beef? Chancellor Wise? The teachers, the students, the administration? The steer isn’t big enough to feed all of them.

Comment by Mama Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 11:10 am
===The steer isn’t big enough to feed all of them===

You must be new to Illinois Mama. It’ll be divided like this:

Tenderloin to the Board of Trustees;
Sirloin for the new President and all of the Chancellors and Vice Chancellors;
Flank for Athetics;
Round for Faculty;
Rump for the adjuncts and grad assistants;
Chuck for staff;
Shank for the taxpayers;

And the students get the tongue, heart and liver.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 11:24 am
===And the students get the tongue, heart and liver. ===

But they have to pay top dollar for it.

lol

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 11:25 am
Can someone explain to this city person the economics of a steer selling for that amount of money just for the meat?

This isn’t in any way an attack on the Gov, just wondering if the Fair’s champion steer always gets an abnormally high price as kind of a symbol?

Comment by Chi Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 12:00 pm
Chi

It is more of a fund raiser thing. The proceeds get split among the owner, the 4h program, and the ffa the later two use those funds to help with programs for children and youth with agriculture. The buyer gets the meat but usually donates it to a cause. Make sense?

Comment by Mason born Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 12:17 pm
Thanks Mason Born

Comment by Chi Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 12:36 pm
Bruce Rauner makes an important statement about the importance of Illinois agriculture and Illinois farmers and the folks here ridicule and offer hateful comments. His purchase demonstrates that Bruce Rauner is about taking action on his beliefs rather than offering meaningless words.

Comment by Muscular Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 3:09 pm
” Yes sir kid. I’m going to rename the steer Collective Bargaining. What’s that you say. You will have two more steers next year. Great! I’m going to name them 5 day Work Week and 2 Day Weekend”

Comment by West Side Willie Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 3:23 pm
1. Not some food pantries? Of course not.

2. Drop $61K, more than many State workers make. What a guy. Just pocket change. Jxxx.

Comment by sal-says Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 3:34 pm
==The steer will be slaughtered, as is state fair custom, and the governor plans to give the meat to the University of Illinois.==

and the head will be slipped into Speaker Madigan’s bed.

Comment by Anon. Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 3:49 pm
=His purchase demonstrates that Bruce Rauner is about taking action on his beliefs rather than offering meaningless words.=

Slow your role their big guy. Every governor does this. This is not some fundamental belief he has championed for years. To Rauner’s credit, he has helped up the price the last two years and it has helped put some additional dollars to good use. I appreciate that.

Before that, he was never involved. And that is not an attack on the governor, just a fact.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 3:50 pm
Sal,

The donation to the institution with the state’s premier agriculture training program seems highly appropriate. I do though have no expectation of what Bruce Rauner does with his own money. He earned it privately, bought private property with it (a championship steer), and he can do what he wishes with his own property. As an American, this is known as personal freedom. It is not my role or that of anyone else to tell Bruce Rauner what to do with his own property.

Js, it does sound like Bruce Rauner does have some of the elements of a regular politician where he engages people, issues and causes when seeking or maintaining elected office. This purchase generated significant positive publicity all around the state that had a value many multiples greater than the $61 k if he were to buy it in advertising.

Comment by Muscular Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 8:26 pm
47th,
Who gets the tail?

Comment by Property of IDOC Wednesday, Aug 19, 15 @ 11:53 pm
This seems appropriate, from Wussy, the world’s most underrated band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azxqztGJqiQ

Comment by Toffee Thursday, Aug 20, 15 @ 9:36 am