Illinois Chronicle

from the Proft for Governor campaign and Illinois Review


(Chicago, Illinois) - Today conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Proft joined families with disabled children to protest Gov. Pat Quinn’s Executive Order 09-15 which provides public sector unions SEIU and AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)) the ability to unionize providers of services to the disabled under the Home-based Support Services Program administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services. In many instances, the persons who have qualified for assistance as home-based service providers are the parents of the disabled children.

“This is appeasement of the public sector unions by Gov. Quinn at the expense of quality service and service providers to disabled people in Illinois,” said Proft.  “Quinn is at the mercy of the public sector unions and, as a result, he has green-lighted the despicable, coercive efforts of SEIU and AFSCME.  They seek to impose themselves on families and increase the costs of service provision on those who already struggle to provide quality care to their disabled children.”

“This is par for the course in state government,” Proft continued.  “Systems are fixed in favor of the public sector unions and the politicians they support and against people who play by the rules, including the most vulnerable among us.”

“If Gov. Quinn truly cares about families with disabled children, he will rescind Executive Order 09-15 and call off the SEIU and AFSCME attack dogs,” said Proft.

Proft also called on fellow Republicans to stop accepting campaign cash from SEIU and AFSCME.
“For too long, Republicans in Illinois have gone along to get along,” said Proft.  “They have been complicit with public sector unions who have had the run of this state at taxpayer expense while people who play by the rules have been fleeced to finance the status quo.”

“We, as Republicans, need to take the fight to the public sector unions and speak with moral clarity,” Proft continued.  “We cannot do this if we’re on their dole.  Republicans and Republican campaign committees from the State Party on down should cease accepting campaign contributions from SEIU and AFSCME if we desire to present a comprehensive reform agenda for Illinois with clean hands.”
Proft noted that last week the Illinois State Republican Party Chairman called on a Democrat U.S. Senate candidate to renounce his ties to SEIU and SEIU backed candidates.

“If we’re going to call on others to cut ties from SEIU, then we should begin by doing so ourselves,” Proft added.

State Senator Kirk Dillard, one of Proft’s opponents, has taken more than $3600 in contributions from SEIU and AFSCME.  The House Republican Organization has accepted more than $83,000 from SEIU and AFSCME.

Proft expressed his thanks to the Bronfeld, Stiefel, Schwartz, and Withers families who demonstrated the courage to stand up and step out against this power grab by SEIU and on behalf of protecting the quality of care they are currently able to offer their children.