Those
who had no computer access had to wait for the delayed broadcast (at 10:30
p.m., following the late-night news). It reminds me of 1981 – when I listened
to the Chicago Sting win the North American Soccer League championship that
year on radio because no one would carry the NASL “Soccer Bowl” live on
television.
SO
WHAT DID we, the people (at least those of us with an interest in voting for
governor), gain from this final face-to-face confrontation between Gov. Pat
Quinn and his Republican challenger, Bruce Rauner?
There’s
the ongoing problem of shortfalls in the amount of money needed to fund
state-monitored pension programs. Quinn signed a reform measure into law, but
the courts have not been favorable to it – and some people expect the courts
will eventually strike down that measure.
Leaving
Illinois with nothing in place.
Rauner
wants to think that Quinn himself is to blame for this mess. “Pension issues
are one of the biggest issues we face,” he said. “Quinn failed, then dumped
into the Legislature’s hands this issue. It’s the governor’s obligation.”
HE
ALSO SAID that Quinn has been eager to point out social issues, “because he can’t
run on financial issues.”
Although
I know first-hand from dealing with the General Assembly that any governor who
thinks he can strong-arm the Legislature is going to find himself thoroughly
beaten. Just look at what became of Rod Blagojevich – a Legislature that was
more than eager to impeach when the feds began probing his administration.
So
Quinn may have a point when he says, “I know how to work with legislators. My
opponent demonizes legislators.” He also said, "I have a lot of power, and I have used it wisely," while downplaying the many moments when Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, has treated Quinn as though he ranks lower than a legislative page.
There’s
also the notion that the General Assembly may consider a permanent boost in the
state income tax – the increase that was supposed to be temporary and wither
away after this year. But which Quinn says is now necessary just to maintain government.
QUINN
HAS CONSTANTLY said he’s going to push this issue in the veto session come
November (after the Nov. 4 elections), and twice reiterated that notion on
Monday. “He (Rauner) doesn’t want the income tax, he wants the Bruce Rauner
tax,” which Quinn defines as, “fees charged on services that apply to regular
people.”
Although
Rauner tried again (just as in the debate last week) to pressure Quinn to say
he would NOT back the increase and would let the state funding wither away.
Which came across more as Rauner getting overly preachy with his rhetoric. Move
on, already!
One
tidbit of interest – it has been reported that city Treasurer Stephanie Neely
does not plan to seek another term in office come the 2015 municipal elections.
Rauner on Monday said he plans to hire her to be a part of his gubernatorial
administration and said Quinn “threw her off the ticket” when he chose former
Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas instead of Neely to be his lieutenant governor
running mate.
If
Rauner manages to win come Nov. 4, that is. Otherwise, Neely could wind up governmentally
unemployed.
I
ALSO GOT my kick from hearing Rauner refer to himself as a “nobody.”
As
in, “I’m Nobody that Nobody sent.” As a reference to political science
professor Milton Rakove’s famed book about Chicago politics during the Richard
J. Daley era – which referred to what he was told when he, as a University of
Chicago student, tried to volunteer his services to work for the local ward
organization.
Somehow,
I don’t think that a venture capitalist was the type of person who qualified as
a “nobody” in Rakove’s mind!
Although
I wonder if Rauner was trying to compare himself to the Roosevelt and Kennedy
families when he pointed out their personal wealth. “You don’t judge a person
by the size of their wallet,” he said.
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