Danielle Rowe Says Opponents’ Pension Reform Plans Closer to Pat Quinn’s than Scott Walker’s

The McHenry County portion of the 52nd State Rep. District.

A press release from State Rep. candidate Danielle Rowe follows. She is running against appointed incumbent Kent Gaffney and David McSweeney.

DANIELLE ROWE IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE WITH THE POLITICAL COURAGE TO REFORM PUBLIC SECTOR PENSIONS

ISLAND LAKE – Danielle Rowe, the tea party endorsed, conservative Republican Candidate for State Representative in the 52nd district, is the only candidate demonstrating the political leadership and courage necessary to take on the political establishment and reform our unsustainable public sector pension system.

Rowe hosted a successful teletownhall Thursday night with over 1300 constituents in her district to discuss the need for a public pension reform revolution.

Rowe was the first candidate to announce that if elected she would refuse to accept her pension.

Her opponents in the race eventually followed Danielle’s lead and announced they would not accept public pensions either.

Then Rowe announced her plans to introduce a bill to eliminate legislators’ pensions completely.

One of her opponents followed Danielle’s lead on that proposal.

But Danielle Rowe is the only candidate committed to following the successful public sector pension reform models in Wisconsin and Indiana.

David McSweeney told the Chicago Tribune Editorial board he opposes the reforms Governor Scott Walker and Governor Mitch Daniels have made to public sector employee collective bargaining in Wisconsin and Indiana, respectively.

Danielle Rowe

“I support the bold policy reforms of Governors Scott Walker and Mitch Daniels,” Rowe said. “Scott Walker and Mitch Daniels have balanced their budgets, stopped runaway spending and borrowing and created tens of thousands of private sector jobs as a result of their improved business climate.

“My opponents represent the status quo in Illinois and a continuation of the same old, failed policies that got us into this mess in the first place.”

Rowe said, “We have a responsibility to keep the promises we made to state employees, but we also have a responsibility to the taxpayers of this state to spend their money wisely.

“I fully support giving state workers a choice in deciding whether they should belong to a public sector union or not, as they do in Indiana.  I also support taking control over their retirement away from politicians and putting control over their own retirement in their hands”

Rowe continues, “Supporting a more limited version of pension reform, but falling short of committing to the types of significant changes needed to change the system, puts my opponents closer to the Pat Quinn model of leadership than to the Scott Walker and Mitch Daniels model of leadership.

“We can’t just talk about change and propose committees, task forces and blue ribbon commissions to make recommendations, we need to make change happen and we need to do it now.

“It’s time to send courageous leaders to Springfield who are not afraid to take on the political establishment and fight for real policy changes that make a difference in people’s lives.”

Danielle Rowe traveled to Wisconsin and stood with Republican Governor Scott Walker and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch when they were fighting for pension reform in early 2011.  Rowe returned to Wisconsin that summer to help coordinate the State Senate recall campaigns against Democrat legislators who fled to Illinois rather than doing their jobs and taking a vote on real reforms.  Putting her principles into policy action is what led to Danielle Rowe’s endorsement by the Illinois Tea Party.  Rowe is the first woman and first State Representative candidate ever endorsed by the statewide tea party organization.


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