Republican candidate for Governor Bruce Rauner is on a campaign bus tour through southern Illinois this week.
Tuesday he stopped in Carbondale and greeted a small group of supporters and others eating at the Italian Village restaurant. Rauner stuck to his campaign message of creating jobs, reducing spending and investing in education. He says the state needs to fulfill its obligation to public universities as well as encourage them to be more business-like. Rauner also called for additional significant cuts to the state's pension system that serves state employees, public school teachers, and state university employees. The Chicago venture capitalist also says the state needs to reduce the minimum wage in conjunction with a package of comprehensive tax and regulatory reforms that he says will help attract and expand businesses in Illinois. Rauner also says energy development should be the state's top priority.
Rauner's bus tour was in Carbondale and Marion Tuesday. He has stops scheduled for Mt. Vernon and Effingham on Wednesday.
Calling his bus tour a "gimmick," GOP Lieutenant Governor Candidate Jil Tracy says Bruce Rauner doesn't understand what voters in Illinois need. Tracy, who is running with State Senator Kirk Dillard, says her record as a State Representative combines with Dillard's on tough issues voters care about: "You're sitting back and watching a state you love be hobbled with such high unemployment, and the potential for Illinois is so great, we just need strong leadership. So you just sit back and get frustrated that someone thinks a bus with paid staff is going to change Illinois." Tracy says Rauner hasn't made his stance on several key issues and she questions whether or not he is a true Republican. She says he is out of touch with the rest of Illinois, and doesn't have the leadership skills necessary to be governor.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate for governor Bill Brady is scheduled to make several campaign appearances in the region Wednesday. Brady has stops scheduled in Carbondale, Metropolis, Tamms, Anna, Murphysboro, Carterville, Marion and Harrisburg.
