Head to Head: Why J.B. is Best

Editor’s Note: This piece is one-half of a duo debating the merits of the two major-party nominees for the Illinois Governorship. The sister-article which argues in opposition can be found here.

 

There is a definitive reason why current Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner was ranked the worst Republican U.S. state governor by the National Review. Rauner and his staff have thrown Illinois down the drain.

Out of the 44 goals Rauner set at the beginning of his time as governor, he has achieved zero of them. Not even one.

The only major thing Rauner actually succeeded in doing was deadlocking Springfield into a budget crisis for two years, resulting in debt accumulation, cutbacks on education programs, and delays on hospital expansion programs.

One of Rauner’s main attempted goals was a property tax freeze. However, during his time, he accepted an income tax increase, which irritated his fellow Republicans. In other words, neither those on the left nor those on the right are likely to be fond of him by the end of his tenure.

And that’s where Illinois entrepreneur J.B. Pritzker comes into the picture. Winning the nomination for the Democratic Party on March 20 with 46% of the Illinois democratic vote, Pritzker and his Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton are ready to fight for the governor’s seat and change Springfield.

Born and raised in Chicago, Pritzker earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Duke University. He then ran and operated the Pritzker Group, a venture capital company (which he continues to do today). On top of that, he has chaired the Illinois Human Rights Commission, planned the White House Summit on Early Childhood Education in 2014, and chaired the Technology and Entrepreneurship Committee for Chicago–according to “The Chicago Sun-Times.”

Pritzker has several executable, realistic goals in mind to achieve if elected governor (unlike Rauner). One of his top priorities is gun violence, an issue more prevalent than ever.

“Far too many families and communities across this state, from Chicago to Rockford and Peoria, are all too familiar with the tragedies of gun violence,” Pritzker said in an interview with “The Chicago Sun-Times.” “It is killing innocent people, destroying families, and ripping apart our communities.”

Pritzker’s strategy for gun crime reduction includes increasing human services funds and creating more jobs, which he hopes will keep citizens off the streets.

Policies like these are more vital than ever, and Chicago’s perpetual gun problem and the recent national attention on gun violence have shown that something needs to be done.

Believing every Illinois citizen has the inalienable right to healthcare, Pritzker plans to initiate IllinoisCares, a statewide healthcare program that would permit all Illinoisans to be protected by health insurance–and would especially benefit middle/working class households and give small businesses a break on the increasing price of health insurance.

Pritzker plans to discuss with state legislators the implementation of this healthcare program, and is determined to put it into action.

I know what you’re thinking. “Another inexperienced, two-faced billionaire running for office? No way! Not on my ballot!” And, in some respects, you’re right. Pritzker’s net worth is estimated to be about $3.5 billion dollars, according to Forbes. And yes, he has never held a political position.

But one crucial aspect makes him different: his loyalty.

For almost his entire adult life, he has been fighting for and investing his money in issues in Illinois about which he deeply cares and which he hopes to address in office. Two of those issues include rebuilding Illinois’ social services and investing in community and economic development, according to his website. Simply put, he’s not your average billionaire.

It’s time we kick Rauner out of office. He has most obviously failed to take a leadership role for our state, and he has plunged some of our already existing problems further into chaos.

We need people like J.B. Pritzker and Juliana Stratton to take over Springfield. We need people like them to say, “Things need to be done. Changes must be made.” And that’s exactly what they’re planning to do.