Union Supporters Call Out Quinn At State Fair
By aaroncynic in News on Aug 16, 2012 9:00PM
Pro-union workers booed Gov. Pat Quinn at the Illinois State Fair yesterday, accusing him of selling out state employees by rescinding contractually obligated pay raises, closing mental health facilities and prisons. ABC7 reports workers passed out pamphlets at his hotel, and later nearly drowned out his speech. State employee Chuck Stout told ABC “Real Democrats believe in defined benefit pensions. They believe in fair wages for working people, they believe in union rights, and they don’t break contracts like Pat Quinn has.”
The Daily Herald reports Quinn said that taxpayers support his cost cutting measures, which include the closure of several state prisons, voluntary furlough days and reducing retirement benefits for state employees along with teachers and other staff at universities.
Quinn seemed to take the whole affair in stride, saying “If you want to be governor of Illinois and you want to step in the arena, you’ve got to have a tough hide.” Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon said the governor thinks about these issues and he “got a good, loud clear message.”
Whether or not he chooses to pay attention to that message however, is another story. Dave Scheina, a retired DCFS worker seemed to think the message might fall on deaf ears. Scheina told the Herald “The Democrats are the party of the politicians, same as the Republicans. They’ll all tell you whatever it takes to get elected.”