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Ives suggests Rauner to blame for veterans’ home deaths

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* The Fox News story mentioned below is here. From a press release…

Fox News Channel’s Special Report with Bret Baier recently covered multiple fatalities resulting from Legionnaires’ disease of a veterans’ home in Quincy, Illinois. State Representative Jeanne Ives, an Army veteran and Republican Candidate for Governor, issued the following statement:

“As a veteran, and the daughter and granddaughter of soldiers, I find the conditions in the Illinois Veterans Home, as well as the delayed response from the Rauner Administration, to be a disgrace,” said State Representative Jeanne Ives, a Republican Candidate for Governor.

“Governor Rauner’s failure to take charge in the wake of a three year outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at a state-run veterans’ home became a national story last week. State services have declined to a such degree under his leadership that the maintenance of clean facilities to prevent outbreaks of bacterial maladies, like Legionnaires, has become grossly inadequate. As noted in the Fox News report, Governor Rauner promised in July 2016, ‘We’re really on top of the situation.’ But 5 more people in the home got sick that year.

“Managing state agencies is one of the critical jobs of the Executive Office. Bruce Rauner promised to turn Illinois around. But on his watch, state services have deteriorated. If he can’t manage a 200-acre veterans home with 250 residents, how can he manage the state? And 13 veterans, or spouses of veterans, are now dead because of it.”

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 1:19 pm

Comments

The Governor should agree. He blamed Quinn for bad things. Can’t have it both ways.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 1:23 pm
“Governor Rauner’s failure to take charge…”

There it is again. Nary a day passes without Rauner’s “not-in-charge” claim being used against him.

Comment by Roman Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 1:26 pm
Ives is correct.
Governors are to be held accountable for citizens in the care of the state.

Rauner agreed with this four years ago.

Ives +13
Rauner -13

One point for each life lost.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 1:28 pm
===“Managing state agencies is one of the critical jobs of the Executive Office. Bruce Rauner promised to turn Illinois around. But on his watch, state services have deteriorated. If he can’t manage a 200-acre veterans home with 250 residents, how can he manage the state? And 13 veterans, or spouses of veterans, are now dead because of it.”===

This is the Rauner Administration in a nutshell.

Never cared about agencies. Only about busting unions…

The lack of caring is staggering.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 1:30 pm
At some point, a Governor has to govern.

There is simply no way that Mr. Rauner can blame Democrats for this one. Mr. Rauner is in charge. He needs to act like it.

That being said, there are times when it almost appears that Mr. Rauner does not realize that he’s Governor. He acts like he’s still on the sidelines. It is almost like he does not get that if he wants to, he can pick up the phone and solve problems.

Comment by Gooner Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 1:36 pm
Ives is running a great campaign. She keeps this up, she’s got an outside chance to upset Rauner on March 20th. Who would have thought the GOP Gov primary would be more exciting to watch than the Dem one?

Comment by DarkHorse Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 1:38 pm
Local lore has it that when GovJunk wandered to the QVH and declared water system best in the nation the contractors were actually off the job because they had not been paid.
Guessin’ we have no clue what CommandoIves would have done

Comment by Annonin' Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 1:39 pm
Has Ives ever done anything for veterans?

Comment by ste_with_a_v_en Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 1:48 pm
===Has Ives ever done anything for veterans?===

You mean other than being a veteran?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 1:50 pm
Where are these IL Legislators in fighting for veteran’s and other issue before they get in campaign mode. This happened three years ago. So what have the said done?

Comment by LoisLearned2much Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 1:57 pm
The Governor was too focused on hiring and firing his own staff. He can’t be bothered with what is going on at the agencies. This is so so sad.
Someone has to be in charge.

Comment by northshore cynic Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 2:02 pm
Ives is running a great campaign. She keeps this up, she’s got an outside chance to upset Rauner on March 20th. Who would have thought the GOP Gov primary would be more exciting to watch than the Dem one?

Be careful not to confuse ‘exciting’ with ‘competitive’.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 2:16 pm
==Has Ives ever done anything for veterans?==
Yes.

Please tell us how you’ve topped the West Point veteran, married to a West Point veteran, daughter of a veteran and mother too? Please tell us how you’ve used your public elected position to do more for veterans than Ives has.

Your question exposes you as a very dishonest and untrustworthy bystander regarding this candidate. Your comments about her are worthless because of these unwarranted attacks.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 2:19 pm
Lotslearned2much…..

Had this been handled propwrly 3 years ago instead of being an ongoing problem them it wouldnt be a campaign issue.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 2:22 pm
Here come the Gov folks to defend. It’s all campaign, this happened three years ago.
You did see that new cases occurred this year right? You’d did hear the governor declare it was fixed right? You did see that new information has come out about the initial handling right?
You do know Jeanne is right, right?

Comment by DuPage Bard Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 2:24 pm
Gotta hand it to Jeanne. She’s right on this.

It’s not just political piling on. It’s accountability.

Hope the WBEZ team that broke this checks out the possibility that the contractors stopped work on the needed repairs due to non-payment by the Rauner regime.

Comment by Sugar Corn Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 2:35 pm
Ives has my vote, Rauner and his Appointees are just tearing everything up

Comment by Gumby Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 2:39 pm
- at some point, a Governor has to govern=

One would think, but this guy has shown clearly this isn’t true. PhotoOps, motorcyclin’, blaming EVERYone else, taking orders from the wife, seem to be his highest level of competence and his true passion. His lack of ability and interest in the job makes me think there are many more potential landmines ready to go off- how can he possibly be re-elected? Well, this is Illinois, so……

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 2:45 pm
I’m not in charge.

Pat Quinn failed.

hmm . . . which is it Bruce?

Comment by yeah so what Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 2:49 pm
“Please tell us how you’ve used your public elected position to do more for veterans than Ives has.”

That wasn’t the question. I’m not an elected official. I see you can’t name one. Any bills she sponsored? How about funding to help fix the pipes?

Comment by Ste_with_a_ven Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 2:51 pm
===I see you can’t name one. Any bills she sponsored? How about funding to help fix the pipes?===

Rauner vetoed agency funding.

Rauner also blamed Quinn for a lack of oversight of Quinn agencies. If you’d like, I’ll pull the quotes for you.

Ives?

Ives is actually a veteran, and speaking as a veteran her anger and criticism, her on-point anger and criticism doesn’t negate that Rauner failed veterans here, according to Candidate Rauner, 2014.

Is Rauner a veteran?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 2:55 pm
==Any bills she sponsored? How about funding to help fix the pipes?==

It’s the Governor’s job to oversee state agencies.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 3:05 pm
Neither Rauner nor Trump — both wealthy guys from expensive schools — are veterans.

That, actually, says a lot.

And 13 people. That’s a lot of death.

Comment by Macbeth Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 3:11 pm
=== If he can’t manage a 200-acre veterans home with 250 residents, how can he manage the state? And 13 veterans, or spouses of veterans, are now dead because of it.”===

Ouch. This is harder hitting than anything I’ve seen from the Dems.

Comment by Boone's is Back Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 3:33 pm
“…..How can he manage the state?” He can’t, but then - he’s not in charge.

Comment by anon Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 3:49 pm
I hate it when I agree wholeheartedly with Jeanne Ives.

Comment by Soccermom Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 4:29 pm
–“Managing state agencies is one of the critical jobs of the Executive Office. Bruce Rauner promised to turn Illinois around. But on his watch, state services have deteriorated. –

Geez, many of us have been accused of being hopeless partisans for saying that over the years.

Welcome to the party, Rep. Ives. Fashionably late, I guess.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 4:32 pm
Ives has a shot if this continues to make the news. Like to see some numbers after the D-2 filing later this month. I’m betting the Guvs downstate numbers going the wrong way fast.

Comment by NorthsideNoMore Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 4:56 pm
===If he can’t manage a 200-acre veterans home with 250 residents, how can he manage the state? And 13 veterans, or spouses of veterans, are now dead because of it.===

Not to quibble, but dhe does a bit more than “suggest” Rauner is responsible. She flat-out says he is.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 5:17 pm
☝️☝️☝️☝️ In less than six weeks, Ives has already assembled a better communications team than Kennedy or Biss.

Comment by Thomas Paine Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 5:54 pm
Ives line “If he can’t manage a 200-acre veterans home with 250 residents….” is devastating for Rauner. He literally has no defense. Rauner is all talk except when he’s asked to be accountable for something.

That’s the supposed appeal of the “businessman politician” like Rauner- they take charge, hold people accountable, demand results and get things done. But Rauner can’t or won’t do any of those things.

The sooner he’s gone from Springfield the better off we all will be.

Comment by DuPage Dave Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 6:00 pm
Cmon, be fair. Rauner assures us BTIA has “done everything” to take care of the problem. Besides, the “bacteria is common”, which is reassuring to me on a municipal system 150 miles away. For QH residents, not so much.

He should have a good response, he has been through this before. Thats the real point. Not only did gov IANIC not succeed in fixing the problem, their response was slow, inadequate, and clumsy. Thats the definition of lack of leadership and accountability.

And “the bacteria is common”???? Yep, esp at the home. Thats a nursing home vulture capitalist suggesting what, its just bad luck?

Comment by Langhorne Tuesday, Jan 2, 18 @ 6:23 pm