ILL-inois: Quinn's political hack agriculture director has no farming experience

Bureau County farm

The other day Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner pointed out one of the maladies facing Illinois. Bob Flider, the headof the Illinois Department of Agriculture, has no farming experience.

From the Herald & Review:

Flider became a lightning rod for GOP criticism in 2012 when Quinn appointed him as the state's corn and bean czar despite never having been a farmer.

But Flider had voted in favor of Quinn's controversial 67 percent income tax increase after having campaigned against it during his unsuccessful run for re-election in 2010 against then-newcomer Adam Brown, R-Champaign.

Flider was among a handful of lame-duck Democrats who landed jobs in the Quinn administration after voting "yes" on the tax hike.

During his Senate confirmation hearings in November 2012, Flider argued he is qualified for the job because of his experience as a lawmaker representing an agriculturally rich district that included the headquarters of Archer Daniels Midland Co. in Decatur.

I suppose by breathing the fetid air of the University of Illinois' manure-covered South Farms counts too. If it did, then I guess I could be in charge of Illinois agriculture.

As for Pat Quinn, that's why the Chicago Democrat is called Governor Quinn-pro-quo.

Illinoisans who are not public-sector union members have a far better choice for governor--political newcomer Rauner.

To follow Rauner on Facebook, click here. To follow him on Twitter, click here.

To contribute to the Rauner campaign, click here.

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