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* Several Democrats held a press conference today about the now-infamous Darlene Senger e-mail, in which she wrote “We can maybe tie this back to Duckworth” in reference to the 13 deaths at the Quincy veterans’ home. Here’s Tina Sfondeles…
Democrat J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza on Thursday demanded that Gov. Bruce Rauner and his policy chief issue an apology to Sen. Tammy Duckworth for an email which sought to blame the decorated war hero and former veterans’ affairs manager for a deadly Legionnaires’ outbreak in downstate Quincy. […]
Mendoza implored Senger to apologize to the families of those affected by the Legionnaires’ outbreak and to Duckworth. She also blamed the administration for trying to hide the outbreak.
And she denied politicizing the issue; that, she said, is Senger’s doing.
“Darlene Senger is the person who chose to try to pin the deaths of 13 war heroes on an actual wounded war hero. It’s not me,” Mendoza said. “…Darlene Senger disqualified herself as a person that could be trusted by this state the minute she decided to put the governor and his reputation ahead the personal safety of those veterans and the grieving families that were impacted by the deaths.”
Also, it should perhaps be noted that they held their event at the plumbers’ union hall. Get it? Plumbing?
* The Senger campaign is not budging an inch…
The simple, bipartisan fact is that for years, including the past Blagojevich and Quinn administrations, our veterans homes suffered from chronic underfunding that impacted the care our veterans received along with the critical maintenance and modernization of the state’s veterans facilities.
There is no doubt that the lack of proper funding for veterans over the last decade has exacerbated the problems we currently face. If we choose to ignore the past, systemic failures to fund our veteran’s programs, then we are destined to continue to face these challenges in the future and that was the point of my comment–we need to understand how and when these problems started in order to find long-term solutions.
* They also point to state Veterans Affairs Director Duckworth’s 2007 statement…
Our Quincy home is the oldest home we have. It was actually built to support our veterans of the Civil War. It needs work. We’re constantly spending money to update it.
And this from a 2007 Phil Kadner column…
Veterans are waiting a year or more, sometimes dying, for rooms in Illinois nursing homes created specifically for those who have served with honor in the country’s armed forces.
Yet for years, rooms in some of the state’s four veterans homes have remained vacant because Illinois simply failed to hire enough nurses to make them available.
“I’m funded (by the Legislature) at 89 percent of census,” said L. Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. […]
My interpretation: Either the governor or the Legislature didn’t want to come up with the money.
* Rauner campaign…
Governor Rauner took immediate action to address the problems at Quincy. He has worked every day to implement all recommendations and has presented a plan to build a new home. It’s shameful that JB Pritzker is playing politics instead of focusing on how to provide the very best care for our veterans.
* Pritzker campaign…
“While Bruce Rauner staged press stunts and paid lip-service to Veterans and their families, his administration was hiding emails that contained a secret plan to shift blame away from their failed governor,” said JB Pritzker. “After years of Rauner’s fatal mismanagement, his administration tried to pin the blame on U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a combat Veteran and advocate for Veterans’ rights who embodies the spirit and courage of this country. Governor Rauner, Senator Duckworth is owed an apology. She deserves to be honored for her service and sacrifice.”
“What kind of a person does that?” Comptroller Mendoza asked of Senger, who is now the Republican nominee for State Comptroller. “As we recover from the manufactured budget crisis that Governor Rauner created, my office continues to have to make tough choices when prioritizing state payments. That means Illinois needs a comptroller with a strong moral compass — not one just seeking to deflect blame away from the governor. Sen. Tammy Duckworth sacrificed her body on the battlefield fighting for our country. She deserves respect from Darlene Senger, not false blame. Senger owes her an apology. A BIG ONE.”
“I am personally upset by the situation at the Quincy Veterans’ Home. All veterans — especially those at the Quincy facility — deserve our gratitude and a commitment to helping them when they need it the most,” said Secretary of State Jesse White, a veteran of the U.S. Army, Army Reserves and Illinois National Guard. “It’s insulting that as the Governor’s deputy chief of staff, Darlene Senger would attempt to point blame and try to politicize a life-and-death issue facing our veterans. There is no room in state government for individuals who callously point fingers and attempt to skirt their own responsibilities.”
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:31 pm
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“Governor Rauner took immediate action”
When is the governor going to start including his telltale laugh in front of these kinds of statements so we get the full effect?
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:35 pm
Kinda shocked the Senger camp launched a pretty solid response.
Comment by Canon Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:40 pm
This is the issue that will sink Rauner. They need to hit this daily until November. It is an issue that won’t go away, or get better in the near future. Rauner failed the veterans at Quincy. No amount of spin, or excuses will explain this away.
Comment by Retired Educator Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:45 pm
===…systemic failures to fund our veteran’s programs, then we are destined to continue to face these challenges in the future and that was the point of my comment–we need to understand how and when these problems started in order to find long-term solutions.===
… and yet, Bruce Rauner and when Senger worked for Rauner… Rauner refused to fund any state agency with his signature.
How utterly pathetic Senger and that Crew is… if you think Rauner held a whole state hostage and funded Veterans Affairs at a level of zero… but… Blago and Quinn.
Darlene Senger wrote an email for pure political purposes to not solve a problem that resulted in the deaths of veterans, but wrote an email to suggest disparaging a wounded veteran not with the agency when Rauner’s Administration was first refusing to fund Veterans Affairs, and ignoring the instances to warn veterans at the Quincy Home the dangers they were facing… as others died.
That’s who Darlene Senger is now.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:45 pm
Isn’t it US Congress that funds the VA?
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:46 pm
==Governor Rauner took immediate action==
This is true. He took immediate action to try to cover up the problem and let more veterans died.
Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:47 pm
–“Governor Rauner took immediate action”–
The first deaths occurred in Aug. 2015. Since then, dozens more have become ill.
Rauner’s proposed plan of action came out two days ago.
That’s not “immediate” in any twisted definition of the word.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:53 pm
The problem with Senger’s attempt to pass the blame is that it was made in December 2017, 2+ years after the first outbreak. I’d agree with the looking at the actions of past administrations in 2015, but not 2+ years later and immediately after the 1st WBEZ story.
Comment by Swift Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:54 pm
Copying my comment on this topic from early this morning -
— The mismanagement, ongoing problems and “lies” about the Quincy Veterans Home will not, can not and should not go away.
And no amount of attempted public relations deflection can change those facts.
As Willy correctly reminds us “Governors Own” everything that happens on his watch. —
Comment by illini Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:56 pm
Chicago Tribune, October 2014…
===Republican governor candidate Bruce Rauner today said he blames Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn for the deaths of child-abuse victims whose families previously had contact with the state’s child-welfare agency.
“Yes,” Rauner said when asked by reporters if the deaths of 95 children with past contact with the Department of Children and Family Services from 2011-2013 were attributable to Quinn.
“Pat Quinn is, in the end, responsible for the failings at the Department of Children and Family Services. If it was a one-year problem or a temporary problem you could say, ‘OK, maybe, there was, it’s not really his responsibility.’ But he’s been governor for… “==
Rauner has been Governor since the first death at the Home… August 2015.
Yes, - illini -, “Governors own”… Candidate Rauner agrees too.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 3:00 pm
Senger campaign: “that was the point of my comment–we need to understand how and when these problems started in order to find long-term solutions.”
Senger’s email in response to the email alerting her of the issue: “We can maybe tie this back to Duckworth.”
Where in that email does she express any interest in finding a long term solution? Where does she express any interest in understanding how and when these problems started?
People died (exclamation point). Veterans (exclamation point)
Shameful defense of a shameful email that they shamefully tried to hide.
Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 3:04 pm
You hope any Governor, of any party or political tilt, will take responsibility for their administration(s) and not face the scrutiny of facing the added issue of deflecting blame instead of tackling issues and tragedies head-on and immediately.
Pritzker and the Dems, albeit calling Rauner out as Rauner called Quinn out… plus Senger…
… this Pandora’s Box of scrutiny, that usually and normally comes with the office… it will be highlighted with white hot lights at Mendoza and Pritzker, if the both win in November… and that bar is now the height they will need to clear, under the prism of a possible hypocrisy/blame framing too.
These are markers too, while trying to make the political and the actual point, which everyone would rather see a solution, for the veterans sake.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 3:09 pm
Wolf, the State Veterans homes are funded in part by the federal VA. For every day a veteran is in residence, Fed VA pays one third the per diem. The State pays one third, and the veteran is responsible for the other third. There are bunches of exceptions to this, but this is it in short.
Comment by Groundhog Day Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 3:38 pm
Senger’s response was solid but to a different question. If the question is, why did you say, ““We can maybe tie this back to Duckworth” then her answer is pretty worthless and completely shameless.
Comment by Anon0091 Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 3:48 pm
On no planet in our universe would anyone possibly believe “We can maybe tie this back to Duckworth“ is anything other than “we need to understand how and when these problems started in order to find someone other than uncle moneybags to blame this on.”
Still can’t believe she was dumb enough to put that question in an email /facepalm
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 3:53 pm
I have also heard that Dick Durbin is being blamed.
Who (federal, state or both) provides funds the Veterans’ Homes ?
Comment by Mama Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:07 pm
=“Governor Rauner took immediate action”
When is the governor going to start including his telltale laugh in front of these kinds of statements so we get the full effect?=
Well, he actually did. He put his spin/blame.finger pointers n the case.
That IS action, it is juts reprehensible action.
Rauner Failed.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:11 pm
= Groundhog Day - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 3:38 pm: =
Thanks Groundhog Day.
Groundhog Day, Does Congress have to approve the federal money for the VA Homes?
Comment by Mama Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:11 pm
=“Governor Rauner took immediate action”=
Here is the definition for the word “immediate”:
Occurring or done at once; instant.
‘the authorities took no immediate action’
Comment by Mama Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:19 pm
Seems like GovJunk will need to drop Senger ASAP
Comment by Annonin' Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 5:05 pm
Too many of you guys are acting like you’ve never thought the same thing. She got caught while you guys didn’t, so quit acting like vestal virgins on Sundays.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 5:28 pm
Exhibit C for the prosecution simple fact senger engaged in a coverup
Comment by Rabid Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 7:10 pm
“Senger Campaign…” one of the funnier things I’ve heard today. This is probably a couple comms staffers and 600k from papa Bruce come October.
Comment by MadigansPal Friday, May 4, 18 @ 2:08 am
The wait time for veterans to come into a State VA Home varies from Home to Home but most certainly does not have to do with funding. The staffing levels are down but we still attempt to hire and fill every bed we have.
Comment by Adjutant Friday, May 4, 18 @ 2:12 am
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Comment by Grey duvet cover sets Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 11:14 am