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* UPDATED x1 - DGA responds * Rauner finally announces staff resignations

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* Press release…

Statement from Gov. Bruce Rauner

CHICAGO (Aug. 24, 2017) – Diana Rickert, Laurel Patrick, Meghan Keenan and Brittany Carl have submitted their resignations to the Office of the Governor.

We are grateful for their hard work on behalf of the people of Illinois and wish them all the best going forward.

Elizabeth Tomev is acting communications director.

* We will have live video soon from BlueRoomstream.com of the first event, even though it says in his daily public schedule that he won’t take any questions…

Daily Public Schedule: Thursday, August 24, 2017

What: Gov. Rauner signs HB 418, protecting taxpayers from police pension fund abuse

Where: Naperville City Hall, 400 S. Eagle Street, Naperville

Date: Thursday, August 24, 2017

Time: 10 a.m.

Note: No additional media availability

What: Gov. Rauner signs series of criminal justice reform bills

Where: Safer Foundation North Lawndale Adult Transition Center, 2839 W. Fillmore St., Chicago

Date: Thursday, August 24, 2017

Time: 1:15 p.m.

Note: No additional media availability

*** UPDATE *** From the DGA…

Rauner’s Office in Disarray (Again) As He Struggles to Respond to a Cartoon

Prairie State Purge 2.0 – Rauner Fires Staff He Hired Just a Month Ago in Last Purge

Rauner Fires Top Staff in the Middle of Major Education Funding Fight

Last night, Governor Bruce Rauner commenced a staff purge targeting staffers he brought in just weeks ago, during his last purge. In early July, Bruce Rauner suffered an embarrassing defeat when a group of bipartisan lawmakers overrode his veto of the state’s first budget in two years. Rauner decided to clear house and 21 people were fired or resigned. He replaced much of his top aides with members of the right-wing think tank Illinois Policy Institute believing it could solve his communications problems.

It has not been a good month for Rauner’s new inexperienced staff:

The bodyman was hired and fired on the same day for homophobic and racist tweets;
A comms staffer had to explain her past writings comparing abortion to Nazi eugenics;
A policy staffer got into a twitter fight over the rules of a blog’s comment section;
Rauner was repeatedly unprepared for basic questions about his policy;
Rauner was criticized for his office’s slow response to major flooding;
And more.

It all came to a head last week. The still existent Illinois Policy Institute published a cartoon many deemed racist and which drew immediate and bipartisan condemnation on the Illinois House Floor. For a week, Rauner’s team fumbled its response to the cartoon; Rauner refused to condemn the it, refused to look it, and proceeded to argue that some people did not find it offensive. On Tuesday, Rauner’s office produced dueling statements. The first said Rauner, “as a white male”, had nothing more to add to the debate. The second read “Earlier today an email went out from my office that did not accurately reflect my views.” The second statement did not condemn the cartoon or add much to the debate, however.

So, Rauner begins again. The details are still fuzzy but Rauner’s Prairie State Purge 2.0 includes most of his communications staff, with others potentially later.

The timing could not be worse – Rauner’s in the middle of a major political fight he started by issuing an amendatory veto of the state’s education funding formula. Rauner’s veto was seen as extreme and influenced by his then-new Illinois Policy Institute staffers. Illinois schools are opening their doors unsure if they would survive past October as lawmakers try and deal with the veto. Rauner’s plan has not received much support – it was already overridden in the Senate, and received zero votes in the House.

“At no time has Bruce Rauner ever taken responsibility for the consequences of his failed leadership, and this recent staff purge suggests he is not about to start,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “As Governor, Bruce Rauner forced the state through a two-year budget crisis that was only ended over his objection. Debt piled up, social services were cut or closed, and jobs and people fled the state. Now Rauner is pushing the school system to closure for political gain. No staff purge can solve the problem at the center of this administration – Bruce Rauner.”

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 9:44 am

Comments

re: Tomev.

Not popular, I see:

http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=2071451

Comment by Mr. K. Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 9:48 am
This administration is a joke. And so is the IPI.

Comment by New Slang Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 9:48 am
By allowing them to resign it makes it look like their principal wouldn’t listen to them. They had no choice but to resign.

Comment by Casual observer Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 9:49 am
A few minutes ago, it was three…

The hits just keep on comin’

Comment by Ray del Camino Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 9:52 am
You may be able to purchase the office and some legislatures, but you can not purchase competency unless you are willing to surround yourself with the best and listen to them.

Comment by facts are stubborn things Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 9:53 am
Get those canvassin’ shoes ready, Sen. McCann.

Comment by Mittuns Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 9:54 am
I hope someone is filing a FOIA for the emails of the past couple of days. It would make fascinating reading. But don’t you dare ask for Diana Rauner’s emails. That is outrageous (exclamation point).

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 9:55 am
From the link provided by Mr. K. above, regarding Professor Tomev:

I did not know what I was getting into when I took Tomev’s class. Her lectures are nonsensical, she takes up class time with irrelevant stories, grades unreasonably tough without providing clear expectations for assignments, and has purposely ambiguous exam questions that can tank your grade. All for an intro course. Would not recommend to anyone.

Sounds like a perfect fit for Rauner…

Comment by Roadiepig Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 9:57 am
What our Governor means by “sea”-change usually involves icebergs & musical scores. But his latest moves really does remove the “c” from clout.

Comment by Ipso Facto Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 10:07 am
Sounds like the problem here is Rauner. All this would of been avoided if Rauner knew how to respond to the cartoon in the first place.

Rauner acted as if him being a white male prompted him not to speak on the issue so his staff called it like how then seen it b

Comment by Real Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 10:16 am
“The directors of the firm hired to continue the credits after the other people had been sacked, wish it to be known that they have just been sacked. The credits have been completed in an entirely different style at great expense and at the last minute.”

Comment by GraduatedCollegeStudent Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 10:25 am
BTIA…your gift cards are in the mail.

Comment by Johnnie F. Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 10:40 am
Which school districts have said they will close down Nov 1 if State aid is not received by then? CPS has not publicly given that date, which district has? Also I not read that State aid anticipation warrants will not be approved by lenders, so those loans could extend the time frame for any one district shutting down by Nov 1.

Comment by Rod Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 11:07 am
Dear DGA,

Take a breath too. Get an editor.

The stint of some of Rauner’s employees were shorter than your statement.

Not good.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 11:21 am
Like a bad car wreck - you know what you’re seeing is terribly disturning but you can’t look away.

Comment by Galena Guy Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 11:22 am
No wonder he doesn’t talk about Trump, they could be brothers

Comment by Tom Gooch Thursday, Aug 24, 17 @ 4:32 pm