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Pritzker campaign pokes fun at new Rauner survey

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Illinois

* Pritzker campaign…

While the Rauner campaign launched an “Illinois Priorities Survey” yesterday, it was wildly different than a first draft sources tipped us off to. Take a look for yourself:

TAKE THE SURVEY!

“Bruce Rauner forced this state into a 736-day budget crisis, fatally mismanaged the Quincy Veteran’s Home, and decimated the tools Illinoisans need to build better lives,” said Pritzker campaign spokesman Jason Rubin. “After three years of crisis, damage, and pain the results are in: Bruce Rauner has failed.”

* They missed an opportunity, however. A reader recently pointed out this question in the governor’s survey…

Do you believe patronage hires in state government should be illegal?

The snark possibilities are almost endless, but the topic is also in the news this week. From a Daily Herald editorial…

Late last year, we urged a change in state law that allows professional contracts to be awarded at the discretion of the Illinois Toll Highway Authority board.

Rather than seeking sealed bids and awarding the contract to the qualified bidder offering the lowest cost, current law allows the board to choose from among three finalists vetted by a blue-ribbon committee.

At the time, we were concerned about the awarding of a $157 million contract to a Lisle-based engineering company that employs the daughter of the tollway chair and the son of the chief tollway engineer. […]

Daily Herald transportation writer Marni Pyke reported this week that the tollway authority has paid more than $636,000 over seven months as part of an estimated $6.6 million contract with a politically connected communications firm.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 11, 18 @ 10:07 am

Comments

Well, credit to Rauner for putting forth a bipartisan issue I can get behind…

…the patronage hire of Leslie Munger should have been illegal — I am with the Gov on this one.

Comment by Franklin Delano Bluth Wednesday, Apr 11, 18 @ 10:10 am
==Late last year, we urged a change in state law that allows professional contracts to be awarded at the discretion of the Illinois Toll Highway Authority board.==

Then they’ll write stories on overpriced contracts that were required to be entered into because only 1 company submitted a bid. They’ll either call you corrupt because there is connections to the winning contractor, or inept because of overpaying. There is no winning in government contracting.

Comment by BucknIrish Wednesday, Apr 11, 18 @ 10:16 am
JB needs to do more stuff like this. Mocking your opponents is often more powerful, and everyone loves a happy warrior.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Apr 11, 18 @ 10:47 am
Survey occupies that unenviable area between not clever and lacking humor. I just hope the poor intern who wrote this was paid a living wage.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Apr 11, 18 @ 10:56 am
–Do you believe patronage hires in state government should be illegal?–

In a survey, 100% of the 58 personal staffers Rauner has hidden away on agency payrolls voted “no.”

https://capitolfax.com/2018/03/08/mendoza-bill-if-an-employee-works-in-the-governor%E2%80%99s-office-they-will-be-paid-from-the-governor%E2%80%99s-payroll/

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 11, 18 @ 10:57 am
At this point , it does not matter how much Rauner promises , spends or pontificates , he will not win re-election. The whole ‘Rauner’ thing has jumped the shark. Lame Duck city until J.B. Is sworn in.

Comment by Factoid Wednesday, Apr 11, 18 @ 11:03 am
The Pritzger mock poll questions were less biased than Rauner’s poll.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Apr 11, 18 @ 11:30 am
== There is no winning in government contracting. ==

Actually,you can throw out a ridiculous bdid and start over. It’s a pain, but you can do it “in the best interest of the State”. You can do the same thing with a winning low bid if you have enough guts to document and sign why the low bid isn’t kosher.

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Apr 11, 18 @ 11:35 am
That DPH chief of staff who took a leave to work on campaigns is by its very definition a patronage hire.

Comment by Juice Wednesday, Apr 11, 18 @ 11:41 am
This tollway business is just another example of what Kass calls the “Combine” here in Illinois. Both parties play this game of rewarding their friends and family. Rarely are they ever held accountable for it. The public almost always finds out about it after the fact and then keeps electing the same kinds of players. Really is sickening.

Comment by NeverPoliticallyCorrect Wednesday, Apr 11, 18 @ 12:25 pm