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* Buried at the very end of an article about big money being poured into the gubernatorial race is this quote from Michael Keiser, who, according to the Tribune made his money selling recycled greeting cards and said he met Rauner through the charter school movement…
“I think of public employees as the ‘haves’ of current Illinois society and the ‘have-nots’ as the private-sector taxpayers. And Bruce represents the have-nots.”
*** UPDATE *** Corrected to include the correct identity of the person making the quote. I was apparently moving way too fast earlier this morning and somehow misread the story. All apologies.
Keiser wrote Rauner a $100,000 check in December. He appears to have contributed $781K to various candidates since 1994.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 9:42 am
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spoken like a true 1%er who has never worked in public service.
Comment by Abe the Babe Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 9:50 am
Poor Coiusin Brucey. He has nothing. Maybe we can take up a collection to help him out of the poor house.
“I think of public employees as the ‘haves’ of current Illinois society and the ‘have-nots’ as the private-sector taxpayers. And Bruce represents the have-nots.”
Comment by AFSCME Steward Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 9:56 am
Meet the new oligarchy.
Comment by Toure's Latte Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 9:57 am
And who is engaging in class warfare?
Comment by Norseman Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 9:59 am
I am so glad I’m a public employee, one of the haves in our society. It was tough for me to decide which of my 9 homes to sleep in last night. Then, with it being so cold, I had my chauffeur Chauncy make sure the car, including the seats, were heated to the approriate temperature. But then I thought about it. Why should a person as important as me, one of the over indulged members of society be expected to risk the tips of his fingers to frostbite for even a second. So I decided to stay home, sip my imported cognac and puff on $50 dollar cigars all day. Sure is great being a public employee.
“I think of public employees as the ‘haves’ of current Illinois society and the ‘have-nots’ as the private-sector taxpayers. And Bruce represents the have-nots.”
Comment by AFSCME Steward Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:01 am
So are all the minimum wage workers who’s pay Bruce wants to reduce part of the “haves” or the “have-nots”?
Comment by Bluefish Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:06 am
“Bruce represents the have-nots.”
This is standard tripe from wealthy conservatives, to foment resentment and scapegoat government workers and unions. Boo hoo hoo, the poor wealthy conservatives have been tortured by government workers. We can see their pain in the way they’re cleaning everybody’s clocks economically.
I’m glad Mr. Ibendahl recognized that Rauner made lots of money, probably millions, off of the government, and it’s hypocritical to attack defined pensions after he managed them. Some of us have been saying this all along.
http://republicannewswatch.com/wp/?p=13294
Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:09 am
Attack working class citizens, spread fear and misinformation, spend millions of dollars on marketing and then win the election. Illinois voters please figure this out before it is too late
Comment by Makandadawg Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:14 am
“I think of public employees as the ‘haves’ of current Illinois society and the ‘have-nots’ as the private-sector taxpayers. And Bruce represents the have-nots.”
wow. it must be nice to never have to rely on any of those pampered public employees. you know, like a cop, firefighter, snow plow driver, corrections officer, etc. the haves who show up when you are having a really bad day. wait, they perform a public service, they should just do it for a reduced minimum wage. or work as independent contractors.
poor bruce, representing the have nots. i have a really hard time wrapping my head around that one.
Comment by langhorne Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:18 am
“That is tough to swallow.”
Perhaps this will make it go down easier:
State employees took cuts in the latest AFSCME contract, which the Quinn Administration says is supposed to save the state $900 million over three years.
The two pension reforms that were passed are supposed to save hundreds of millions of tax dollars over the next 30 years.
Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:19 am
What a deluded perspective.
Comment by Aldyth Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:21 am
I think of people who can tell the head of CPS to put their kid into a specific school, and those who inherited companies founded long before they were born as the “haves” of current Illinois society, and others as the “have nots”. And Bruce represents the “haves”.
Comment by Chi Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:24 am
Where was this article? In The Onion?
Comment by Joan P. Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:25 am
Breathtaking. Reminds me of the way the segregationists made themselves out to be the victims when Brown v. School Board was being implemented. Different issue, but the same tactic.
To the post: I haven’t noticed this kind of class warfare in Illinois politics before. It sounds like someone else, somewhere else — Palm Springs, Calif.? — is writing the playbook here, and the local guys are just reciting their lines.
Comment by olddog Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:39 am
“Bruce represents the have-nots.” Illinois politics haven’t produced such a tempting target for ridicule since Blago and his hair went to prison.
Comment by Yossarian Lives Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:48 am
@ Downstate — Look, my handle on this blog (Try-4-Truth) has a point. You can’t just say something. You have to back it up. I used to work for the State of Illinois. I don’t any longer (left the state for a while and just came back). I loved the work I did for the people of Illinois. I didn’t get paid well, as a matter of fact I was down-right underpaid, but I loved the impact that I had on people’s lives.
Are there some who are over-paid? Sure, of course. There are also some who have made millions off of state contracts (isn’t that right Mr. Rauner?). As a whole, state employees don’t make what their talents could provide to them. I suggest anyone who doesn’t understand this should do a little research about motivation theory and the public sector.
So, Mr. Downstate, you can’t just say something. Back it up with something.
I don’t think these conservatives will stop until every public employee is flogged everyday they show up to work. If that happens, these people will probably complain about the high cost of the whips.
Comment by Try-4-Truth Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:49 am
Downstate should ask the typical clerk at a SoS facility if he or she is part of the “haves.” The frontline clerks don´t make big bucks, that´s for sure.
Comment by Anon Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 10:58 am
No one that works in public service could ever have as much as Bruce.
Comment by RetiredStateEmployee Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:01 am
I “have” something I’d like to say to Mr. Keiser.
I “have not” said it because it would get me banned from CapitolFax.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:13 am
“chauffeur Chauncey”
Please be very careful with hired help! I was stupid enough to have my employees sign a contract in which they were to avoid making eye contact with me. I got sued for discrimination, but we settled out of court. It cost me a lot of money. You may have to listen to your chauffeur tell you about his or her marriage and other banalities, but it will save you money.
Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:20 am
Well said 47.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:23 am
Are Rauner’s numbers dropping with the north shore, civic club folks? Why else try to score more points with the folks who are (we assume) already with you? In the +-0 world, isn’t time to focus on the 0s and -s rather than the +s?
Comment by belmont cragin Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:26 am
If Pat Quinn were in the private sector, he’d be making $20 million a year just for staying out of jail, like Jamie Dimon is doing at Chase.
Orwell would love Keiser
Comment by truthteller Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:35 am
Now that’s rich. Literally.
Comment by Anonymiss Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:44 am
====State employees took cuts in the latest AFSCME contract, which the Quinn Administration says is supposed to save the state $900 million over three years.
The two pension reforms that were passed are supposed to save hundreds of millions of tax dollars over the next 30 years. ====
I wonder how much money a progressive income tax and crackdown on corporate tax incentives would save the state.
Comment by CollegeStudent Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:54 am
I’ll be darned if I buy any more of that dude’s cheesy greeting cards.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 11:56 am
Just think of a progressive income tax and crackdown on corporate welfare as a gift by the Rauner and Fahner types of SAVINGS for the state. They should have a chance to help the state too, as public employees are helping with all the “savings”. Why wouldn’t they want to help save the state some money? Could it be their ugly greed?
Comment by AnonymousOne Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 12:02 pm
Another $100,000 from Rauner’s have-not constituency today. Half of that was from former Goldman Sachs CEO and former United States Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
Comment by Snucka Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 12:14 pm
Pathetic!
Comment by Kerfuffle Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 12:34 pm
“Could it be their ugly greed?”
Yes. Yes it could.
Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 12:36 pm
Ugly, greedy whiners……….role models for everyone to aspire to.
Comment by AnonymousOne Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 12:45 pm
Rauner helped create the “have nots” and his plan is to make state emplyees part of that group.
Comment by pyrman Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 12:46 pm
This is the kind of delusional thinking you come to when you have all your conversations inside your own small circle of (hugely wealthy, in this case) friends and get all your news from a propaganda faux news channel. This more recent development ( all these oppressed millionaires in America constantly being discriminated against) is hard for me to wrap my head around, but it must be true because so many .1%ers seem to bring it up all of the time
Comment by Roadiepig Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 12:58 pm
A large part of the state work force are comfortably in the “working class” level.
Many of the “professional degree” holders and those who work their way up to management are solidily middle class (tipping perhaps into upper mddle class in some cases) - although the bulk of them could (and/or did) probably make more money inthe private sector.
But it is just plain delusional to say the public workers are the “haves” in today’s society.
Comment by titan Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 1:23 pm
If Bruce Rauner is a “have not” then by all means I’d like to be in that category. I can be a “have not” with his kind of money.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 2:52 pm
A new way to define chutzpah?
Comment by Harry Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 3:06 pm
My how people love to play the victim!
Crazy on the face of it.
Comment by walker Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 3:12 pm
Another Have-Not Heard From:
Today Rauner reports $50,000 from former Secretary of Wall Street Bailouts/former Goldman Sachs CEO Hank Paulson
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 3:43 pm
Today the “haves” are out in the brutal cold, making sure we all have vital government services.
Stay safe and warm, takers.
Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 3:57 pm
The problem is the general public believes Rauner bull! Keep printing the truth Rich!
Comment by Mama Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 4:16 pm
Keiser lives at 2450 N. Lakeview, a co-op building with one unit on a floor of about 8,000 s.f. One is for sale for $7.6 million.
Comment by Ann Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 4:22 pm
Yeah man, those IDOT construction workers, IL school teachers, and other state employees are really raking it in at the top of the heap.
I think their average $30k pensions really make billionaire bruce stay up at night. What a crock.
Comment by Boone's is Back Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 4:46 pm
I just switched my bandon dunes trip to Scotland, after I threw up on my golf shoes
Comment by Fore Monday, Jan 27, 14 @ 8:17 pm