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Gidney N Cloyd
Gidney N Cloyd's Journal
Gidney N Cloyd's Journal
October 12, 2014
This is the lamest endorsement I've seen from the Trib since their classic Bush endorsement for reelection in 2004 (which essentially read like "Yeah, Bush is an idiot, he screwed up everything he touched, he hasn't accomplished anything positive and he's a general embarrassment to the country but... um... Democrats are boogerheads so we endorse Bush."
Now with Rauner they again can't come up with a solid reason to vote *FOR* him, just a long, twisting essay that sheds no light on what Rauner will do to solve the state's problems (the reason of course being that Rauner hasn't himself put forth any firm plans, just vague 1%-er nonsense about how he'll magically grow us out of our problems).
And they can't say anything much against Gov Quinn except that he's had 6 years to fix every problem in the state and hasn't yet (in fact Quinn's done a respectable job of improving the state's fiscal affairs in an economy the repubs crashed). Toss in the usual repub blather about too-high taxes in Illinois (they're not that high and they're in dire need of a progressive makeover).
If you're interested in a study of how to write an endorsement of the un-endorse-able, how to support a man who's bankrupted 11 businesses while stuffing his own pockets, whose company is being sued for fraudulent practices running nursing homes, who has no experience in government leadership other than lending his name to a few boards, follow the link and enjoy.
(SURPRISE!) Chicago Tribune endorses repub Rauner for governor
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-illinois-governor-quinn-rauner-endorse-edit-20141010-story.html#page=1This is the lamest endorsement I've seen from the Trib since their classic Bush endorsement for reelection in 2004 (which essentially read like "Yeah, Bush is an idiot, he screwed up everything he touched, he hasn't accomplished anything positive and he's a general embarrassment to the country but... um... Democrats are boogerheads so we endorse Bush."
Now with Rauner they again can't come up with a solid reason to vote *FOR* him, just a long, twisting essay that sheds no light on what Rauner will do to solve the state's problems (the reason of course being that Rauner hasn't himself put forth any firm plans, just vague 1%-er nonsense about how he'll magically grow us out of our problems).
And they can't say anything much against Gov Quinn except that he's had 6 years to fix every problem in the state and hasn't yet (in fact Quinn's done a respectable job of improving the state's fiscal affairs in an economy the repubs crashed). Toss in the usual repub blather about too-high taxes in Illinois (they're not that high and they're in dire need of a progressive makeover).
If you're interested in a study of how to write an endorsement of the un-endorse-able, how to support a man who's bankrupted 11 businesses while stuffing his own pockets, whose company is being sued for fraudulent practices running nursing homes, who has no experience in government leadership other than lending his name to a few boards, follow the link and enjoy.
October 6, 2014
Rich Miller, columnist, Crain's Chicago Business
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20141004/ISSUE01/310049971/rauner-is-wrong-school-funds-rising-under-quinn#
I saw another Rauner commercial over the weekend that repeated this lie and I had to go find the facts-- and heeeere they are. Just for good measure, though, let me add that Rauner is a lying, thieving, sunovabitch surrounded by more of the same.
(GOP IL Gov Candidate) Rauner is wrong: School funds rising under Quinn
Rauner is wrong: School funds rising under QuinnRich Miller, columnist, Crain's Chicago Business
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20141004/ISSUE01/310049971/rauner-is-wrong-school-funds-rising-under-quinn#
The most easily disprovable falsehood of this year's gubernatorial campaign also is one that the mainstream media has not bothered to correct, possibly because the purveyors of the tall tale push back so hard when somebody tries to write the facts.
The Associated Press in April uncritically reported a statement by Republican nominee Bruce Rauner, who “criticized Quinn for cutting funding to schools by some $600 million—cuts that led to teacher layoffs and larger class sizes.”
SNIP
A spokesman for Mr. Rauner sent me charts published by the Illinois Commission on Government and Fiscal Accountability, which, the spokesman claimed, showed that nonfederal state education funding “decreased by $551,936,800” from fiscal 2010 (Mr. Quinn's first budget) to the current fiscal year, which began July 1.
SNIP
But the numbers still were wrong, and I sent the spokesman a link to a budget document that showed $791 million in federal money was included in the commission's state money charts (see the PDF). The federal money was “stimulus” aid, a temporary boost intended to help the state through the Great Recession. Mr. Quinn didn't—and couldn't—”cut” federal aid. It expired on its own. You can't blame him for that.
His campaign is missing some important facts.
It turns out that the commission wasn't provided with complete information. It unknowingly mixed the federal stimulus money with state money in the chart that Mr. Rauner was using, according to Dan Long, director of the bipartisan governmental agency.
So a mistake was made. Instead of a cut, spending actually has risen slightly. I was ready to move along if the Raunerites were willing to admit they were wrong. Instead they tried to change the subject.
SNIP
Instead of a big cut, state education funding actually has risen roughly $440 million, to about $6.81 billion in 2015, from nearly $6.37 billion in 2010. Nothing to cheer about but not horrible when you consider that teacher pension spending has increased by about $2 billion during the same period.
“You're just wrong on this,” I emailed Mr. Rauner's spokesman.
“It is true and we will keep correcting you,” he wrote back.
At that point, I rose from my computer and banged my head against the wall.
The Associated Press in April uncritically reported a statement by Republican nominee Bruce Rauner, who “criticized Quinn for cutting funding to schools by some $600 million—cuts that led to teacher layoffs and larger class sizes.”
SNIP
A spokesman for Mr. Rauner sent me charts published by the Illinois Commission on Government and Fiscal Accountability, which, the spokesman claimed, showed that nonfederal state education funding “decreased by $551,936,800” from fiscal 2010 (Mr. Quinn's first budget) to the current fiscal year, which began July 1.
SNIP
But the numbers still were wrong, and I sent the spokesman a link to a budget document that showed $791 million in federal money was included in the commission's state money charts (see the PDF). The federal money was “stimulus” aid, a temporary boost intended to help the state through the Great Recession. Mr. Quinn didn't—and couldn't—”cut” federal aid. It expired on its own. You can't blame him for that.
His campaign is missing some important facts.
It turns out that the commission wasn't provided with complete information. It unknowingly mixed the federal stimulus money with state money in the chart that Mr. Rauner was using, according to Dan Long, director of the bipartisan governmental agency.
So a mistake was made. Instead of a cut, spending actually has risen slightly. I was ready to move along if the Raunerites were willing to admit they were wrong. Instead they tried to change the subject.
SNIP
Instead of a big cut, state education funding actually has risen roughly $440 million, to about $6.81 billion in 2015, from nearly $6.37 billion in 2010. Nothing to cheer about but not horrible when you consider that teacher pension spending has increased by about $2 billion during the same period.
“You're just wrong on this,” I emailed Mr. Rauner's spokesman.
“It is true and we will keep correcting you,” he wrote back.
At that point, I rose from my computer and banged my head against the wall.
I saw another Rauner commercial over the weekend that repeated this lie and I had to go find the facts-- and heeeere they are. Just for good measure, though, let me add that Rauner is a lying, thieving, sunovabitch surrounded by more of the same.
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Gender: MaleHometown: Elk Grove Vil, IL
Home country: USA
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Member since: Thu Oct 28, 2004, 03:07 PM
Number of posts: 19,835