Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Chicago, IL – Yesterday, JB Pritzker met with workers and a bipartisan committee to discuss Bruce Rauner’s fatal mismanagement of the Quincy Veterans’ Home. Here’s what Illinoisans are reading and seeing in the news about the Quincy visit:

From KHQA:

From WGEM:

From Quincy Herald-Whig: Pritzker blames Rauner for vets home crisis:

“With 13 deaths at the Quincy veterans home, there is a real crisis that has to be dealt with, and unfortunately the governor and his administration have been slow on the draw and it has caused fatalities,” Pritzker said during a campaign stop in Quincy. […]

During his first visit to Quincy as a candidate, Pritzker called for new buildings, new water lines and a 20-year plan for the Veterans Home. Pritzker also walked a fine line between criticizing Rauner and complimenting workers at the home.

“There are a lot of jobs at stake, but there are lives at stake. We’ve got to make sure that we put (the home) back into a condition where people feel safe living there and where we continue to serve the veterans in the way that they deserve,” Pritzker said.

Beyond the veterans home, Pritzker said he has a plan to support veterans across the state. He said more needs to be done to offer job opportunities to returning veterans.

From KHQA: IL Gov. candidate visits Quincy:

Where is the plan? That’s the question from Illinois Governor candidate JB Pritzker.

The democrat is referring to Governor Bruce Rauner’s promised plan to address issues at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy. […]

Pritzker accuses the Rauner administration of waiting too long to address the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak.

The democrat also says that whatever has been done to fix the problem is not enough.

“It’s on them to figure out, right away what they’re going to do with the problem. They better deal with it before a new administration comes in. If we have to in the new administration, one of the earliest things I’m going to do, if they haven’t done it under the Rauner administration is make sure we’re securing those veterans and their families,” said Pritzker.

From WGEM: Illinois governor candidate talks vets’ home during Quincy visit:

JB Pritzker met with officials in Quincy to discuss what the general plan is for the veterans’ home. He criticized governor Bruce Rauner for his administration’s handling of the ongoing Legionnaires’ disease issue at the home.

Pritzker said he’s not turning this into a political issue, because Rauner has already done that.

“When people are dying and the governor is running for re-election, I think he turns it into a political issue, especially when he comes and spends a couple of days here, but actually doesn’t come up with a plan,” Pritzker said.

From WTAD: Pritzker praises Vets Home staff, blames Rauner:

The presumed front-runner in the race for the Democratic nomination for Governor in Illinois praised the staff at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy Tuesday, and blamed Governor Bruce Rauner for the outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease.

JB Pritzker made the comments after meeting with Vets Home staff, and with a bipartisan committee of Quincy leaders over their efforts to keep the Home open. Later that morning, Pritzker blamed Rauner for the outbreaks, saying he was “appalled by the callous disregard Bruce Rauner has shown our heroes and their families” in their response to the outbreaks. 13 residents have died of the disease since 2015, including one death last fall. Pritzker’s visit to Quincy is the latest by state-wide figures over the home, after it was learned from a story by a Chicago radio station that families of 11 residents who died of Legionnaires’ in 2015 are suing the state. That story has led to one hearing in the General Assembly, with another one planned early next month.

From My Radio Link: J.B. Pritzker Blames Rauner For Legionnaires At Quincy Vets Home:

The Democratic frontrunner in the race for Illinois governor says Bruce Rauner is to blame the most recent Legionnaires outbreak at the Quincy veterans home. J.B. Pritzker stopped in Quincy yesterday to tell a crowd that the governor has to take responsibility for the latest outbreak that killed a man at the home. Pritzker said the workers at the home are doing a ‘fantastic’ job, but said the governor and his team have been ‘slow on the draw’ to deal with the crisis.

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