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* Years ago, a wise man told me that candidates who constantly speak at or attend civic events were wasting much of their time. The folks who attend these various local events tend to be the same people. So, doing too many of them meant you were talking to or meeting with the same people time after time. It’s much better, he said, to skip many (not all, because some are must-attends) of those events and walk precincts and make fundraising calls.
There is also the real danger that events won’t be well-attended. Like yesterday, for instance, when Rep. Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) spoke at a forum that his Republican opponent wisely skipped…
Sheesh.
* But things got worse…
Frustration with the Illinois financial picture roiled on Wednesday when Don Benson, East Moline, slapped his hand on a table and said to state Rep. Mike Smiddy: “How will you pay for that? Your math doesn’t compute!”
Benson’s eruption came during a discussion on state support for hourly wages of home health care workers.
Smiddy, Hillsdale, is a Democrat representing the state’s 71st District. He and Mike Halpin, Rock Island, the Democratic candidate in the 72nd District race, were the only two candidates to show up at a political forum on Wednesday sponsored by the Quad-City chapter of the Alliance for Retired Americans. […]
Benson said he was disappointed Smiddy wasn’t able to work with Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has been in office less than two years.
“You can’t lay this all on Rauner,” he said. “It’s time for a change.”
* And then it got even worse…
Dick Benson, of East Moline, expressed disappointment in Rep. Smiddy’s service, calling him a “lapdog” for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Mr. Benson said Democrats needed to stop blaming all of the state’s woes on Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican.
All that time and effort spent on an event that only wound up providing embarrassing coverage for the incumbent. Smiddy should’ve spent that time walking precincts.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 9:51 am
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So is Don Benson a Dick Benson too?
Comment by LizPhairTax Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 9:54 am
“How will you pay for that. Your math doesn’t compute.”
Gotta hand it to Don Benson, he would be a good addition to the pen and mike club.
Figures both reps agree not taxing pensions. They are all about the spending and think taxing the rich will magically solve all of our problems.
Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 9:58 am
well at least they didn’t call him a mushroom!
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 9:58 am
The folks on this blog may find it shocking, but Mr. Benson is hardly alone in his views.
Comment by phocion Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 10:02 am
Rule number one of events like this — “Shorts and suspenders guy is always angry, at everything.”
Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 10:03 am
–Don Benson, East Moline, slapped his hand on a table..==
–Dick Benson, of East Moline, expressed disappointment…–
What did Tito and Jermaine Benson have to say?
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 10:07 am
People, I truly fail to see how a typo on a name is relevant to this discussion.
Grow up.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 10:10 am
“Rule number one of events like this — ‘Shorts and suspenders guy is always angry, at everything.’”
I’d hate to be the reporter who got his name wrong.
Comment by Nick Name Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 10:13 am
If you’re not walking, you’re losing the day.
Events like these never make up for the doors you can knock on during the same time.
What a mess.
Good on Smiddy’s opponent for skipping.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 10:17 am
The Dons of this world find it easy to complain, but offer little in the way of suggestions.
We’ve been going through “change” for the last 20 months and all we have to show is shuttered social services agencies and mounting debt.
Comment by Jocko Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 10:18 am
Wise by Brandi McGuire and McCombie to skip this ambush. The moderator was a Democrat Precinct Committeman and Halpin and Smiddy said the exact same things. One of the Democrats should have stayed home, save gas.
Comment by Rock Island Red Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 11:00 am
I think it was Capfax’s Ron, personally.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 11:08 am
Just like the Smiddy’s of the world over promise services without explaining how they will be funded.
Comment by Chicagonk Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 11:08 am
This is getting really tiresome. They are going to be paid for by raising taxes. WE’RE GONNA RAISE TAXES. If you like the way things are right now and you think its smart to pay three times as much later for what we don’t pay for today…then be against raising taxes.
But sorry campers…watching people twist themselves into knots to explain why we need certain services without admitting that we have to pay for that is getting just plain ridiculous.
We are at 3.75% now. We were underfunding services before at 5%. Now we’ve racked up damn near 14 billion dollars soon in debt plus pensions. It’s just math.
WE ARE GOING TO RAISE TAXES. It won’t solve all of our problems, but it definitely will solve a lot of them. Things like honoring contracts, economic stability and stuff like that. If you don’t like it…move.
Comment by sideline watcher Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 11:24 am
My last Smiddy mailer faulted his opponent for voting to raise taxes. Of course, no mention that locals are forced to raise due to inaction at the State and little room to maneuver as non-home rule municipalities in withering areas of the downstate.
Comment by Shemp Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 11:42 am
Willy is right. You may get an angry guy at the door, but at least if you lose the debate - it’s not televised.
Comment by siriusly Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 11:48 am
A good answer for Smiddy: “We’re not going to pay for them by eliminating the prevailing rate, enacting right-to-work, and gutting collective bargaining rights.As soon as Governor Rauner gets off his hobby horse, the GA and the Governor can sit down and work it out>”
Comment by Truthteller Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 11:50 am
==skip many (not all, because some are must-attends) of those events and walk precincts and make fundraising calls==
I am of two minds here. I agree that most of these events are a rubber chicken shows with the same people, but at the same time very few people care or are aware of there state reps. The way down ballot races in the general on presidential years seem like crap shoots to me, and don’t think theres much Smiddy can personally do to change the results. Plus the community people are a motivated few and in tight knit communities where word of mouth is important they reign even if there attendance is low.
At the end of the day in Smiddy’s race most people will just vote straight ticket or not vote at all. Because Trump I don’t think this year will be any different.
Comment by atsuishin Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 12:14 pm
Smiddy indeed could be out walking … but he’s much more likely to play video games instead. /s
Comment by Deft Wing Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 12:16 pm
I’d love to defend Smiddy, but he walks through the Capitol on session days with his earbuds in. He is among the least approachable members of the GA, but he is a smashing success at getting those fundraising requests into our mailboxs and email inboxes. If not for labor, he’d be toast. I hope that his time in the GA is done
Comment by Anon Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 12:26 pm
Bottom line, it’s up to staff to check out the group. Be selective. Don’t send your boss to a “group” meeting that’s really a group of 10 angry people. Get assurances on attendance, media, program, tone, etc. before committing. If the group doesn’t hold up its end of the deal, say no next time.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 1:03 pm
I agree with Sideline Watcher, I know I’m about as deep in Chicago as one can get, but when on the occasion I hear someone bloviating about state taxes, I tell them to grow up and stop pretending there are magic-market beans than will grow us out of the deficit. I would prefer a functional state government for a change.
Comment by James Knell Thursday, Sep 1, 16 @ 1:09 pm