Rauner’s primary victory speech left a few things out

Gov. Bruce Rauner has perfected the art pretending that his first 38 months in office were anything but the abrogation of the basic principles of good governance. In his cold victory speech Tuesday— given before his opponent conceded— he omitted that he didn’t secure a single one of his proposed 44 reform measures. He didn’t fess up to worsening every indicator of Illinois’ economic health, including budget solvency, timely paid bills and expanding the taxpayer base.

Rauner neglected to mention the myriad of social safety net resources reduced or abolished under his governance. He offered not a single serious proposal to improve life for us 13,000,000 Illinoisans, unless you’re a member of the “less taxes for the well off, less services for everybody else” club. He quadrupled down on his mantra that he’s the guy who can smite the imagined crooks running the other party.

His bashing of Mike Madigan is as tiresome and worthless as President George W. Bush’s endless bashing of Saddam Hussein. Rauner should have examined his floundering failure these past three years and channeled Tom Buchanan in ‘ The Great Gatsby” who “smashes everything up and retreats back into his money.” Walt Zlotow, Glen Ellyn

The real public figure of unity

I neither trust nor like either major party candidate for governor. That’s why I will write in the name of the only woman who can unite us and bring everyone together, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt of Loyola. Michael Sullivan, Avondale