Ad: Topinka Tagged for $5 Billion Deficit
The latest ad criticizing Treasurer Topinka's financial stewardship is likely to be around a long, long time. The 15 second spot leads by reminding viewers that George Ryan left the state with a $5 billion budget deficit. It then asks voters to decide whether Topinka was complicit in the runaway spending or just asleep at the wheel.
The tagline: "And now she wants a promotion?"
Earlier charges that Topinka merely stood by while Ryan stole everything that wasn't nailed down went to her character. I thought the charges were a little off-base because few elected officials ever criticize someone from their own party--unless they are primary opponents--so it hardly disqualifies someone. Since Illinois voters don't really trust anybody in politics these days unless their name ends with "Obama," I'm betting the ethics charges will just muddy the waters.
But this latest ad goes right to the heart of Topinka's competence by pointing out that our state's top fiscal officer was co-piloting the state while it ran into the red. Picture Topinka as "Gilligan" and George Ryan as "Skipper" in charge of the Exxon Valdez.
The ad's message is simple, credible and relevant. I just wish they'd change the ads up a little bit so they don't all have the same look to them, so voters don't just lump all the ads in together. Still, this ad is a bullseye, and I hope the campaign will post it at TopinkaWatch.com soon.
Still, I really, really can't wait to hear Topinka's response to this one.
27 comments:
bring it on...the tsumani is headed Judy's way...this ad is right on the money...GO ROD!
well let's see the last ad he done cost him 6 points in the polls so 6 more with this new ad thats 12 points and if he keeps it running maybe 30 to 36 in the polls.I just love it when a guy like Blago screws himself.
How should she have stopped it from going into the Red?
I recall few people Dems or Republicans complianing about Ryan's spending at the time.
I just remember one columnist writing about the spending binge... I'll google around for it.
This as is too funny to take seriously. Nice try, though.
Face it, YDD, Judy is about as complicit in state spending and deficits as Comptroller Dan Hynes. According to your logic, Comptroller Dan Hynes was also co-piloting the Exxon Valdez.
Yes, I know that truth never stopped a political opponent from running a false ad, but Judy is not a fiscal officer. She is the state's investor. She has nothing to do with revenues, payees, or disbursements. She just selects which bank to keep the money in.
If this is as successful as Rod's last brilliant ad, look for Judy up by 10 in the next poll.
Rod (excuse me--Public Official "A") is whistling past the graveyard.
YDD, from Dan Hynes website:
"Daniel W. Hynes (Democrat) is serving his second term as State Comptroller, having won re-election in 2002 by a margin of more than one million votes. As the state’s chief fiscal officer, Hynes, 37, has become the state’s leading voice for fiscal responsibility. In the process, he has focused his administration on consumer and taxpayer advocacy, government accountability and long-term budget reform."
So it's Rod vs. Dan, huh?
Hey YDD if your real nice after the election we will talk to Governor Judy Topinka and see if you can join a winning team and write propaganda for her your doing a pretty good job here.
Although YDD is off on some things I think this ad will effect voters because of the link to George Ryan. We political junkies sometimes forget that most people are not obsessed with politics.
This ad may very well hurt Topinka with voters who vote soley on what they see on TV.
However, I still see Meeks and Stufflebeam as the biggest threats to Rod and Judy. Meeks will damage Rod and Stufflebeam is making a real move down here in central and southern Illinois. And to my surprise I am seeing alot of Greens waking back up on the college campus. Believe it or not, this may be a 5 way race!
Stufflebeam will be here at UIS today at 7pm in brookens auditorium (lower level of brookens library) if you want to come here him speak. (We tried to get Meeks as well, but he couldn't make it)
This may be the most interesting Governor race in a very long time!
Let's not forget she's a republican, and so is Bush, therefore she's responsible for the war in Iraq, high gas prices and skyrocketing federal deficits. Just going off YDD's logic.
Feeding too, off YDD's logic..
..I wonder to what extent Nov will see the country completely polarized over Bush, and people voting straight tickets, one way or the other.
There is no straight ticket voting Bill.
well, you get the gist...I get that electronic gizmo and vote for all the Rs or Ds (or Gs or Ls) because I want to send the world a msg.
You get a perception going Bush and Judy are one in the same; and the whole election becomes a vote on Bush... it might effect the msg people want to send.
Rick --
Actually, Hynes wasn't co-piloting, he was from the other party. And unlike Topinka, Hynes did object to the spending spree in Springfield. He lobbied for the creation of the Rainy Day Fund to solidify the state's finances, while Topinka was playing the accordion and backing Illinois FIRST.
I'll grant everybody here that the General Assembly went along with the Ryan Administration's Party-Like-It's-1999 attitude. But so did Topinka.
I'm not trying to be a partisan on this one, I'm trying to be a political realist. If you think you can explain to voters in an ad of 30 seconds or less why the State Treasurer has zero responsibility for protecting the taxpayers' money, good luck.
Here's my five second response: "Treasurer Topinka's own website admits she's 'responsible for the safekeeping of taxpayers' money.' But Judy Baar Topinka stood by while George Ryan buried the taxpayers money in a five billion dollar hole. As State Treasurer, Judy Baar Topinka failed to do her job, and now she wants a promotion."
The kicker is, Topinka has absolutely no problem using her state office to criticize spending under the current administration. See this 2004 publication from her office, and I quote:
"Balancing a budget during an economic crisis is not easy. Finding fiscal solutions is difficult. Weighing what is financially needed against what is politically expedient further complicates implementing a fiscal solution that meets the needs of a very diverse state. Not everyone will be happy with the decisions that are made. Yet, difficult choices must and will be made." - Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka
We know where Treasurer Topinka stands in 2006, where was she hiding during the other two decades of public office? Where was Treasurer Topinka hiding in 2002, when the Ryan administration was inflating revenue estimates and embarking on deficit spending? Where was Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka hiding in 1999, when the Ryan administration was taking on $12 billion in new debt? Where was Treasurer Topinka hiding during the Edgar administration, when the state was skipping pension payments? In fact, duing the entire 20+ years Judy Baar Topinka has been a state officholder, the state has not met its full pension obligations in any single year. Where was Judy then?
Wow, someone's got a lot of free time on their hands. Maybe when session kicks back into gear you'll be busy again, hang in there buddy.
Bill & President Palmer -
You are correct, fair or not, Blagojevich's campaign will tie George Bush around Topinka's neck. My guess is that by November, after three months of negative ads from both sides, Independent voters will be so turned off and partisan voters will be so fired up that only the partisans will vote. In Illinois, 40% of voters identify themselves as Democrats and only 28% as Republicans, so if independents stay home, Republicans cannot win.
anon 11:15 -- I've always got time for the truth. I'll take your lack of a response as an acknoledgement of that. Thanks, buddy.
Ah, the truth, is that what you call your posts? Man, someone sure thinks highly of themself, is life that sad outside the blogosphere?
YDD, if the plan is tie Bush around Topinka's neck, he best ought read Dick Meyers over at CBS.
November will be the last time that voters can punish George Bush and I expect they will. I think that, however, is close to the limit of Democratic hopes for the medium-term future. Their progress will be determined by Republican regress.
My hunch is that Democrats will capture House and Senate seats but not the House or Senate. And if they do, the victory will be fleeting and they will do poorly in 2008.
I watched Mit Romney on CSPAN last night present the Mass Health Care plan at the US Chamber of Commerce.
What a breath of fresh air to see a Pol who can talk and field questions without sounding phoney.
Bill -- I agree with you that the national Democrats have stuggled for an identity. I'd say we're doing alright here in Illinois. Bill Brady is the closest thing to leadership material among the GOP pols, and he's really put himself in a box with the whole "prayer in schools--teach creationism--no assault weapons ban is a good assault weapons ban" platform.
I recommend the latest edition of The Economist for a good round-up of the unleaders of the National Democrats.
anon 11:58 -- sticks and stones, buddy, sticks and stones. Everything I said about Topinka's record is 100% true. Come back when you have something to add to the debate.
Palmer -- As a Democrat who anxious for an alternative to Blagojevich, I'm extremely disappointed. I thought Vallas would've made a better Governor in 2002, and I was right. I hoped Lang would get in, but he got out. Then Edwin pretended to run.
But Topinka is no alternative. Too much of an insider, too much of a career politician for me. If you asked Topinka what her biggest mistake was, she'd say "Trading Sammy Sosa" or something equally inane.
I think that deep inside, she really does want to make the hard choices necessary to get the state's fiscal train back on the right track. But how can we trust her to do that if she can't admit that she, too, was part of the problem? Why can't she just admit she was wrong to fiddle while Rome burned?
I think it's probably a combination of factors, but the Fear Factor is what kept her in the Treasurer's Offce waiting for everybody else to fold until she had a clear shot. She sure can't win unless she's willing to risk losing. Give Blagojevich credit: when he first announced he was running, nobody gave him much of a shot. The guy just put his head down and pushed ahead. Moxie won't win you a Nobel Prize, but it will take you far in life.
How are Victor Reyes and HDO not an issue for anyone?
HDO and specifically State Senator Munoz are recipients of campaign donations of the ring leader of a 8 person (at least) Heroin ring run out of the Department of Water Management connected to the Columbian cartel. The indicted drug trafficer is George Prado who is a member of HDO, gave money to HDO and Senator Munoz (at the coincidental timing of promotion) and worked with the father and brother of Senator Munoz as a hoisting engineer (A base pay of $30 an hour with no education and with overtime $75,000 to $100,000 a year) A drug dealer, politics, money, heroin. Serious corruption.
Victor Reyes is "Co-schemer A" in guilty pleas, proffers of immunity and indictments with HDO all over them including former Streets and Sanitation honcho Al "the Troll" Sanchez. Please read (you can do it online) the Federal government documents of the Sorich/Slatter indictment, Santiago proffer, Angelo Torres guilty plea, Donald Tomczak plea agreement. Fixing jobs, violations of Shakman, money for jobs, fixed tests, sex for jobs, nepotism.
Last but not least HIRED TRUCKS, Angelo Torres a former (maybe current) gang member with no education nor management experience (nor contracting or procurement or trucking experience) gets a $80,000 year job in charges of the HIRED TRUCKS program. He takes bribes and gets trucking companies contracts who do no work and are connected to organized crime creating a loss for taxpayers and safety hazards. Merely read the dozens of articles in the award winning Sun Times expose. Hired Truck money went to HDO, Senator Munoz, State Rep Acevedo. Angelo Torres's wife was the campaign treasurer to Senator Munoz campaign committee. Angelo Torres is cousins with Munoz's wife. Torres and Munoz have a religious tie through baptism in Spanish called compadres. Hundreds of millions of hired truck dollars, tens of thousands of bribes, tens of thousands of political contributions.
Rod Blagojevich did nothing about any of this. In fact he said HDO was like H20 (assmudily water)
Rod Blagojevich has given HDO members jobs. Rod Blagojevich has given Victor Reyes access for his clients in lobbying (recall Al Ronan, Swanson, Stu Levine---Victor is worse) Victor Reyes represents the pay to play system.
HDO is a huge issue for Blagojevich and will blow up before November. But Rod is smart enough to
or Hynes awfully ineffective?
Hynes should of run for governor
"well let's see the last ad he done cost him 6 points in the polls so 6 more with this new ad thats 12 points and if he keeps it running maybe 30 to 36 in the polls.I just love it when a guy like Blago screws himself."
Are you that dumb, or do you just assume everyone else is?
Cellmate (I can just imagine you at your keyboard in your orange jumpsuit):
Thanks for verifying Hynes website. I'm not surprised that Dan got involved, since he claims to be the state's chief fiscal officer.
I hadn't visited Judy's website, but I'll take your word for it. Seems consistent with an official whose job is investing and not fiscal policy, just as I suspect you'd find nothing on Jesse White's website on fiscal policy.
Like I said, I'm sure Rod won't let the truth stop him from running any type of hit piece. After all, he's got $15 million to burn between now and November.
Make sure you keep an empty bunk for "Public Official A".
This ad about JBT standing by while George Ryan spent like crazy is stupidly funny. JBT is responsible for investing state funds. The Governor and the Legislature are responsible for the budget. Blago always has someone to blame for everything. He never gets the blame right though. You would think he would because he looks in the mirror every day at his Elvis hair - the face below the hair is the problem in this state.
Dan Hynes for Governor.
Integrity.
Leading voice for fiscal responsibility.
Democrat.
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