From Bruce Rauner: Yesterday I announced a bold ethics plan that would transform how Springfield does business. Some folks told me I shouldn’t do it. It went too far. It would make the machine even angrier. Machines don’t like ethics plans, apparently. But Ive always said I can’t be intimidated, bought, or bribed. They can spend more on their false attacks against me, but I will never stop fighting to change a corrupt system that rewards the special interests with the highest paid lobbyists. Its time to end the days of entrenched career politicians in permanent positions of power, unaccountable to us, the people. Pat Quinn and his special interest allies continue to spend millions, and this ethics plan will probably cause them to double down on their efforts. But in a week when we learned that a second federal grand jury has issued subpoenas in connection with Pat Quinn’s $55 million anti-violence slush fund, it didn’t seem like Illinois could wait any longer for an ethics plan that would reshape how we do business. Today not one, but two U.S. Attorneys – one in Chicago and one in Springfield – are now investigating Pat Quinn. Not even Rod Blagojevich had two U.S. Attorneys after him at the same time. To insiders like Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn, reform is just wrapping paper to cover up corruption. To outsiders looking in, it’s a concrete plan to shake up Springfield and bring back Illinois. Yesterday I began a conversation with the people of Illinois about the concrete steps we need to take to actually do reform, not just talk reform. My ethics reform plan will: -End illegal patronage hiring in Illinois – I’ll fire all of Pat Quinn’s illegal hires -Halt Pat Quinn’s revolving door for lobbyists – no lobbyists in my administration and no one leaving my administration can lobby -Restrict outside income for legislative leaders – no more millions on the side -Stop conflict of interests in the General Assembly -Revoke state pensions for convicted felons -Prohibit political slush funds – no more NRIs -Shine light on pork-barrel earmark spending – earmark disclosure before any votes taken -Stop the gerrymandering of legislative districts – voters should pick legislators, legislators shouldn’t pick voters -Impose term limits on career politicians You can see that the insiders and lobbyists who run Springfield will redouble their efforts to defeat us. The people of Illinois pay a price for Pat Quinn’s corruption. It’s a tax on every worker, every business, every family. It costs us jobs, it costs us opportunity, it costs us the future of our state. We need concrete action. We need a change from 12 years of Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 23:00:01 +0000
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