In recently re-surfaced audio, Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner admitted that he previously supported eliminating the state’s minimum wage.
It’s the first time Rauner is known to have gone on the record saying that the Illinois’s $8.25 minimum wage should be done away with completely.
On January 10, in an interview with WJBC-AM in Bloomington, Rauner said that he has said the minimum wage should either be reduced to something below the national minimum wage or completely eliminated.
“I have said, on a number of occasions, that we could have a lower minimum wage or no minimum wage as part of increasing Illinois’ competitiveness. I’ve said that many times,” Rauner said to WJBC host Scott Laughlin.
But Rauner admitted that focusing on this previous position was “a mistake” and that “there are better ways to increase Illinois’ competitiveness.”
The audio’s resurfacing comes as Gov. Pat Quinn (D), who Rauner is hoping to defeat in the general election, plans to go a week living on the minimum wage to help highlight his push to raise the state’s minimum wage. Rauner is the frontrunner in the general election.
A few days before the WJBC interview in January Rauner said that he wanted to lower the minimum wage instead of increasing it. He quickly backtracked on that.
Listen to the audio of Rauner, via the Sun-Times, below:
The TPM Polltracker average gives Rauner a 8.5 point lead over Quinn.
The right-wingers are true fiscal conservatives - they’re always eager to tighten someone else’s belt.
the first wages that should be lowered are politicians wages. Take all the benefits away too since they can afford to pay for their own perks if they want them.Tired of subsidizing their lives and lifestyles.
Erick, Son of Erick told him the minimum wage was a sign of moral weakness.
All republicans what to gut the minimum wage. Why would they want their corporate buddies to pay their employees when they can get us (the taxpayers) to pay them instead, with our tax dollars via welfare?
You libs just don’t get it! By making the rich even richer and giving them all the leverage they need (no minimum wage; no unions, zero corporate tax rate, low or zero capital gains, no estate tax), they will be in a better position to create more jobs. Why, we’d be living in utopia already if it weren’t for the incredibly oppressive tax system which is currently in place.
(yes, that is snark)