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| Governor Pat Quinn's Payback |
Is it "payback" for Governor Pat Quinn to win endorsements and get campaign cash from unions, and then act as governor in ways that benefit the union members?
Illinois Senate Republicans, campaigning for their member State Senator Bill Brady to be elected governor, say yes.
"It does become suspect when there"s huge contributions made, and then favorable action," says Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno. "That's why I did support contribution limits because I think the potential for if not the reality of payback but certainly the perception to be there, that's very real, and we need to get away from that."
Radogno and other Senate Republicans have criticized Quinn for negotiating a deal with AFSCME, the state employees' union, while seeking their endorsement; intervening in a road construction workers' strike in July, after having taken contributions from those unions, and issuing an amendatory veto to a bill reforming practices at McCormick Place, the state owned Chicago convention facility, to satisfy Teamsters, who had given a campaign contribution.
The Quinn campaign says the governor gets these endorsements and contributions because he supports labor in general, not as a payoff for specific actions.
Radogno recognizes that if this is the new definition of "pay to play," Brady, if elected, will be guilty of it as soon as he takes his first action as governor that satisfies an interest group that backed him. She says that's why contribution limits are important. A $10,000 limit will be in effect for next election.
(Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 09 24 10 by Newsroom |
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