Governor Pat Quinn Rakes in Campaign Cash, Gives Away Some of the State’s with Ill-Starred “Star Bonds” Bill Signing

(Chicago, IL) – June 23, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today will rake in a bushel of money for his campaign and shortly after he will give away some of state’s.

Quinn starts his day with a 8:30 a.m. fund-raising breakfast—one of a “full calendar” of events in June according to campaign finance director David Rosen–at the tony RL restaurant (a.ka. Ralph Lauren for the hoi polloi) in Chicago hosted by society figures Dori Wilson, Tim Rand, Estelle Walgreen Taryn Edwards and Martin Gapshis.

For eggs with Quinn, the entry fee was $200. If you wanted bacon with those eggs, $1,500 needed to be kicked into the sugar caddy. However, without valet parking on this thunderstorm-plagued Wednesday morning, I stayed away, instead, cozying up to a bowl of cornflakes.

With the campaign cash safely pocketed, Quinn had planned to hustle deep, downstate Marion at 11:00 a.m. to hand over state cash when signs the notorious “Star Bonds” legislation which will cost the state $280 million in lost state tax revenue to developers over the next 25 years, according to estimates by AFSCME Council 31.

However, due to the weather, Quinn’s Marion trip was scratched and will be rescheduled for tomorrow.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist and Capitol Fax publisher Rich Miller has described the “Star Bonds” legislation as the “worst bill ever” because the bonds will leech state sales tax revenue to pay for Southern Illinois commercial construction projects, like strip malls, that will only “cannibalize” other local businesses, and that bond-creed will occur with more communities and regions demanding Star Bonds.

“Considering the horrific shape that the state budget is in, this is a complete fiscal disaster in the making,” Miller wrote on May 4, 2010.

At the Operating Engineers Hall in Marion, when he signs the bill, Quinn will be surrounded by State Senator Gary Forby (D-Benton), State Senator David Luechtefeld (R-Okawville), State Rep. John Bradley (D-Marion), State Rep. Brandon Phelps (D-Harrisburg), Marion Mayor Robert Butler, other area mayors, and local business and labor leaders.

From Marion, Quinn zips back north to Abbott Laboratories to sign another bill in North Chicago at 2:30 p.m. On hand for the signing of the research and development law will be Miles White, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Abbott Laboratories, State Senator Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge), House Majority Leader, Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago), and Tom Johnson, President, Illinois Taxpayer Federation.

What’s on deck for Quinn Thursday? Rinse. Repeat.