For Immediate Release
ICYMI: Ives Sets the Record Straight
Sean Casten doesn’t care about the outcome of policy, and I actually do. I served in Springfield. I know who the politicians are who are making decisions on your life. They are very cavalier about it. I really do care to get the right policy across that will improve people’s lives and livelihoods.
October 8, 2020 – On Wednesday morning, Jeanne Ives joined Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson on 560-AM to discuss her race in-depth and set the record straight on Sean Casten’s attacks.
Listen to the interview here.
Soundbites included:
Casten’s hypocrisy on Green Energy:
If carbon as a pollutant is Casten’s big concern, then why is he invested in biomass? And he is personally invested in a biomass company called Greenleaf Power, which burns off forestry products. When you do that you give off 1.5 times the amount of Co2 that coal does. How can you be personally invested in a company that is burning off energy that gives off more Co2 than coal, and then say that you want to get rid of coal? That you’re concerned about Co2 in the environment? It just doesn’t make sense…”
In March, when the US House was debating the COVID relief package that everybody felt was necessary, Sean Casten is sitting there in the majority and what does he ask for? He could have asked for anything. He could have asked for a fair deal to make sure Illinoisans got their fair-share of COVID relief. He could have asked for money for businesses or the unemployed. But no, Sean Casten wrote a letter to Nancy Pelosi asking for renewable energy subsidies to be included in the COVID relief package… Those subsidies would have benefited the company that he is personally invested in.
Casten’s hypocrisy on Tax Policy:
[Tax hikes are] another area where Sean Casten is an absolute hypocrite. He talks about our massive spending, all the debt we have accumulated. I have to point out to people: he voted for all of that. His first vote on a budget blew through the caps that were put in place by over $320 Billion. In fact, he specifically brought up [in debate] ‘Oh, we spent over $1.4 Trillion on a budget bill…’ Yeah, and you voted for that, Sean Casten… His solution is higher taxes.
He wants to give the wealthy people in the Sixth District a tax break because he doesn’t like that their SALT deduction got capped with the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act. On the flip side, he’s all in for the Progressive Tax which would actually harm those wealthy individuals. He can’t figure out where he wants to be on tax policy, but always “more taxes” is better; repeal the 2017 tax cut which saved people in this district alone $166 million. And, by the way, the Sixth Congressional District has the highest income output out of any other Congressional District in the State of Illinois. And, in fact, we produce nearly $45 billion in income, which is greater than the GDP of Wyoming and Vermont. I mean, [IL-06] should have a big booming voice on national policy, and we don’t.
Ives also responded the Casten’s Ads tying her to Trump:
I’m not Donald Trump. And in fact, Sean Casten is more like Donald Trump than anybody when you look at his Twitter feed.
On Casten’s accusation that she doesn’t care about COVID:
We all care about COVID. We know it’s real. But his solution is like Pritzker’s solution: keep the kids at home, keep everybody locked down, keep businesses closed. I was just with a group of business owners. They have no idea how they are going to survive the winter… We can’t afford the shutdown any more. And we can safely re-open because our medical system has figured this out. They know a lot more than we knew 6 months ago…
COVID showed what Big Government really looks like: They get to make all the decisions. You get to make no decisions. That’s no way to run the country.
On the choice in the IL-06 Race:
You’re going to vote for someone who really wants to represent you. I really do care about that. The best legislation I got passed in Springfield came from constituents – didn’t matter which party they were. People have good ideas, and I will support them. I support a free economy, the rule of law, restoring law and order. And Sean Casten just doesn’t. If you want more government and higher taxes, then I’m not your candidate. But, I’ll tell you what, this job is too important to leave to feckless politicians like Sean Casten – who don’t care about local control; who never served locally. As far as we can tell, has never even volunteered for anything.
He doesn’t care about the outcome of policy, and I actually do. I served in Springfield and I know who the politicians are who are making decisions on your life. And they are very cavalier about it. I really do care to get the right policy across that will improve people’s lives and livelihoods.
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