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Former Gov. Pat Quinn’s political career may not be over — at least if he gets his way in his bid to become Illinois attorney general — but he’s already donating some of his private papers to his alma mater.

As part of this year’s Veteran’s Day commemoration, Quinn is donating papers connected to the memory of 300-some Illinois servicemen and servicewomen who have lost their lives fighting for their country since 9/11 to Northwestern University, where he attended law school.

“I want people to be able to see how special these men and women were who in their late teens and early 20s answered the call to serve after the horrible events of 9/11,” said Quinn, who collected programs, notes and other mementos from the hundreds of military funerals he attended as governor and lieutenant governor.

* Speaking of Quinn and veterans, Mark Brown has been writing lately about a stalled construction project…

A neglected five-story skeleton of a building on the city’s Northwest Side looks almost exactly like it did when I last visited two years ago, except for the weeds being taller and the temporary braces rustier.

By now, this was supposed to be a new Illinois Veterans Home, the first to be located in the Chicago area where the largest concentration of the state’s veterans reside.

Instead, it remains a sad brick-and-concrete symbol of the dysfunction in Illinois government. […]

The new 200-bed facility, which will include a wing for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, is being built on state property alongside the Chicago Read Mental Health Center in the 4200 block of North Oak Park Avenue.

Former Gov. Pat Quinn announced the project in late 2009 but didn’t break ground until September 2014 in the midst of his losing re-election campaign.

Emphasis added.

* From Quinn’s press release almost exactly 8 years ago…

November 10, 2009. Governor Pat Quinn today announced the site of the Illinois Veterans’ Home at Chicago, a 200-bed facility that will begin construction in 2010. The $65 million project is part of the Illinois Jobs Now! capital plan, signed into law by Governor Quinn earlier this year. […]

Construction is expected to last 12 to 14 months

* From his September, 2014 announcement…

Construction will begin by early October on 7.8 acres of land at the southwest corner of Forest Preserve Drive and Oak Park Avenue… Construction is scheduled for completion in mid 2016.

* Now, on to a Dispatch-Argus editorial…

Is former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn stealing a page from California Gov. Jerry Brown’s playbook?

That’s the question we asked upon hearing that Quinn, a Chicago Democrat, recently announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Illinois attorney general in the March 2018 primary. […]

But a former governor, who served from 2009 to 2015, running for a lower-level statewide job? Seems to us we’ve seen a similar scenario play out before - in California.

That’s where former Gov. Jerry Brown, who first served from 1975 to 1983, ran for attorney general in 2006 and won. He served a 4-year term, in the midst of which he decided to run for governor again.

Successfully using his attorney general post as a stepping stone, Brown amazingly triumphed in the 2010 gubernatorial election and took the oath of office in early 2011 - a post that, at age 79, he continues to hold.

Quinn might be looking to Brown’s example as, at age 68, he ponders his own political future.

The difference being that Jerry Brown has actually been a good and successful governor.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 12:47 pm

Comments

Please just go away. You continue to diminish any residual good will that you may have.

Comment by Trapped in the 'burbs Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 12:50 pm
Quinn’s tenure as governor looks pretty good between that of Blago and Rauner.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 12:57 pm
– The difference being that Jerry Brown has actually been a good and successful governor. –

Rich is feeling feisty today.

Comment by Smalls Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 12:59 pm
Pat Quinn is no Jerry Brown except in his own imagination.

Comment by Cassiopeia Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 1:01 pm
Another difference: before he ran for California AG, Brown’s first stop on his comeback trail was running and winning an insurgent campaign for mayor of Oakland. He ran against the Democratic Party establishment.

If Quinn really wanted to borrow from Brown’s script, he should have ran an insurgent campaign against Joe Berrios for county assessor.

Comment by Roman Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 1:03 pm
Politics and professional wrestling are alike in that they are both examples of why people can’t miss somebody who doesn’t go away first.

Comment by Stark Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 1:07 pm
How come ground was not broken on the Veterans Home at some point during all those years while you were governor, Pat, like you promised.

Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 1:14 pm
Wordslinger 12:57 : If there exists a fainter praise than that in this galaxy, I would be astounded. lol

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 1:14 pm
Think what you may about the Quinn terms as Lt. Gov. and as Governor - but never doubt his honest commitments to our native servicemen and women.

I can recall going to my church in my small town of 500 for a visitation for a fallen Marine. Pat Quinn arrived shortly after I had without any fanfare and not expecting any recognition or special attention. He waited an hour as I had to show his respects and express his condolences.

I waited to speak with him as he left and thanked him for showing his respects. One of his comments was that “it was the very least he could do”. And he left for the 2 hour drive back North to Springfield.

Nothing political or phony about that.

Comment by illini Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 1:19 pm
I think it’s pretty sad that Pat Quinn creates an archive where people can learn about fallen soldiers and the comments section here decides to make it political and cynical. What a shame.

Comment by Moist von Lipwig Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 1:39 pm
Pat is a good man whose time has come and gone…much respect, but please step aside for the next generation…

Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 1:42 pm
Illini: his dedication to honoring fallen hero’s is rightfully pointed out as a sterling quality within his character. More so, because of his humble and respectful manner in which he pays tribute. But leading a state such as this requires a full repertoire of talents and achievements. Illinois has been scarcely blessed with such throughout its history.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 1:48 pm
Rich, what did Pat Quinn do to earn this special level of animus from you?

The Chicago vets home began slower than hoped for under Quinn, but it has been actively neglected to use as a “cost saving” bullet point by Rauner.

Quinn has flaws but attacking him on his record of serving vets is way off base.

Comment by Sugar Corn Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 1:48 pm
The difference being that the writers of the articles you mentioned are actually good journalists.

Comment by Stagman Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 1:49 pm
–I think it’s pretty sad that Pat Quinn creates an archive where people can learn about fallen soldiers and the comments section here decides to make it political and cynical. What a shame.–

I don’t see people criticizing the gesture. I see people criticizing him running again.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:24 pm
Jerry Brown? A more apt comparison is OH Attorney General Mike DeWine. Both achieved their highest office (US Senator/IL Governor) due to an external event (Newt-wave / impeachment), won re-election, and lost the next election during a 6th year election of their party controlling the White House.

Comment by Smitty Irving Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 2:29 pm
Quinn has a history of hiring exceptionally bright young people. This might be a plus as Attorney General.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 3:24 pm
“Quinn has a history of hiring exceptionally bright young people.”

Like the two who left his “administration” for the UI and had to be shown the door after their roles in Pat’s patronage play were revealed? No thanks. That’s the last thing that we need in the AG’s office.

To the Post, this thing could have been built and filled twice had Quinn kept his word before Rauner got here to put his own brick on it. To the extent one of the things Mark Brown has revealed is shoddy design and/or construction, Rauner may have acted prudently in keeping the brick on. That’s also some darn valuable land to build any State facility upon, IMHO. I would tear down that ugly Soviet-looking skeleton, sell the land, and take the proceeds to rehab one or more of the large handful of State facilities in serviceable condition Quinn closed. Or we could just have Bill put something up and lease it. /s

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 4:21 pm
So anyone remember the voter registration scam? where did the money go again and who knew ? Meh not so much for him as AG…He is trying to keep up with roland burris.

Comment by the Cardinal Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 5:27 pm
I’d welcome the opportunity for the AG wannabe to walk us all through the thought process his administration utilized when it essentially auctioned off developmentally disabled adults so it could clear out institutions.
Should be a fantastic conversation about fighting for the rights and protections of those least able to defend themselves.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/grouphomes/ct-group-home-investigations-cila-met-20161229-htmlstory.html

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 6:57 pm
Hope Manor II got built.

https://www.voaillinois.org/a-home-for-the-brave

And here’s this from the Tribune in 2014:

“The new facility was originally announced in 2009 and construction was supposed to begin the following year but securing funding for the project and ensuring compliance with federal regulations took more time than planned, said Abdon Pallasch, Gov. Pat Quinn’s assistant budget director.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-veterans-home-set-to-open-on-northwest-side-20140921-story.html

Clearly Quinn’s fault. He’s hapless and bad for Illinois.

Comment by Lefty Lefty Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 11:35 pm
Pat Quinn was a good governor, but he made too many political deals with shady undertones which caught up with him before his re-election defeat & after it. His campaign for AG seems to help Gov. Rauner’s re-election campaign by playing along with their message.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Nov 14, 17 @ 3:58 am