As I sat watching various witnesses during yesterday’s hearings on Gov. Pat Quinn’s problematic anti-violence program, NRI, I kept hearing Robert DeNiro’s Al Capone character in “The Untouchables.”  “You Got Nothing!  NOTHING!!!”  In the case of Capone, the Feds had him on tax evasion.  In the case of the governor’s Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, I’m pretty confident Capone would be right.  The GOP has nothing.

This isn’t only true about the NRI hearings, but about the whole fall campaign.  Given the governor’s weakness, various problems with the Quinn administration and the public’s mood about our state, one might think Republican Bruce Rauner would have this thing decisively won by now and be looking at a substantial and growing lead.  But one would be wrong.  So what’s going on?

First, the brilliant multi-level, fully integrated Rauner campaign of the spring has failed to materialize in the fall.  As I posted here months ago, the voters of Illinois deserve to see the Rauner plans for what he would do should he win.  Instead, the Rauner campaign has gambled on the bet that just being “not Pat Quinn” is enough.  It’s not.  The plans the Rauner campaign has put out have been either retreads or laughable exercises in fuzzy math and other than “shaking up Springfield,” I have no idea what he would do if elected.

At this point, Quinn has all the momentum and going into yesterday, the only thing that could stop four more years was a blockbuster revelation in the hearings .  And now we’re back to where we started.  I can hear Governor Quinn’s voice now.  “You got nothing Bruce. Nothing.  So re-elect me and let’s make the will of the people the law of the land here in the land of Lincoln.”

Lundy

 

“Emails reveal politics part of troubled Quinn grant program”

The Tribune’s Thursday, Oct. 9 headline, above, shows why David must get us looking somewhere other than the investigation into Governor Quinn’s corrupt and bungled $54 million so-called “Neighborhood Recovery Initiative” anti-violence / Quinn Get Out the Vote activity.

If one takes the federal government at its word that these taxpayer dollars were to “Do Something!” about endemic violence in some of Illinois’ poorest neighborhoods, then, one must arrive at the conclusion that Governor Quinn, who was trailing GOP challenger Bill Brady at the time, glommed onto a noble  purpose and  warped it to personal gain.

Don’t listen to me.  From the Tribune, here is former Quinn chief of staff Jack Lavin, one month before unveiling the anti-violence program, to fellow Quinn staffers:

“ ‘The Gov’s Neighborhood Recovery Initiative will also help on the jobs and anti-violence messages,’ said one email from Lavin dated Sept. 5 [2010], a month before the program was publicly unveiled at a Oct. 6, 2010 news conference.

” ‘Lavin’s email also said: ‘If we are trying to get the base out and that’s the key to our victory, we better prioritize correctly.’ The African-American voter base tends to break late so we have some time…’ “

The email — along with almost all other available evidence — shows NRI’s 2010 administration and execution was politically motivated and directed.  Governor Quinn is personally responsible for this mess.   To any outside observer, it appears that public funds went to campaign purposes, thwarting the federal government’s goal and leaving intended beneficiaries in the lurch – unless they got a share of precinct-heeling, walking-around cash.

This may be added to the Governor’s record of hiking taxes, losing jobs, increasing debt — and paying more for it through lower-and-lower credit ratings.  Governor Quinn, a decent person with honorable aims, has simply proven unequal to the task of reforming Illinois’ corrupt government or enlivening our anemic economy.

Bruce Rauner, on the other hand, is an American success story of epic proportions, whose investment career has been spent largely in the service of retirees and their benefits, including considerable numbers of pubic retirees.

But the public retiree benefits that Rauner’s investments funded have not helped his campaign.  Instead, fearing reform, Illinois public employee unions steered their members and toadies into the Republican primary to defeat Rauner, so their interests in the status quo would face no threat in the fall.

GOP voters saw through that and put Rauner on top — to face Quinn, challenge Springfield corruption and muck out the Augean stable that is our capitol.

From his extraordinary business success, Rauner has another attribute rarely seen in Springfield.  He does not care about the political games that pass for statecraft.  Can one person up-end a dysfunctional system, institute reforms and put Illinois on a growth path?  In a system operated largely by and for House Speaker Michael Madigan, I believe Rauner will move Illinois in the right direction simply because he is resourceful and willing to say, “No,” where others crumple.

And, we know for sure that Pat Quinn has had his chance at this – and failed.

Illinois is fortunate a person of Bruce’s caliber is willing to serve.  We know from his career he gets results.  We know in our hearts Illinois needs them.  Pat Quinn has failed, sacrificing even his personal integrity on NRI.

Illinois, it is time for a change.  It is time for Bruce Rauner.

robling