Bruce Rauner Wants to Cut the Minimum Wage – Or Does He?

At a candidates’ forum in the Quad Cities on December 11th, Bruce Rauner said “I will advocate moving the Illinois minimum wage back to the national minimum wage.” You can click on this video and watch the first five minutes.

Rauner’s proposal would reduce the minimum wage in Illinois from $8.25 per hour to $7.25. Karen Lewis, President of the Chicago Teachers Union, pointed out that Rauner last year made $7.36 per second.

Rauner then flip-flopped, saying that he favors raising the federal minimum wage (which the Governor has nothing to do with). He said he would raise the Illinois minimum wage but only if the General Assembly enacts tort reform, a change in the corporate tax structure, and workers compensation reform. In other words, he’s holding low-wage workers hostage unless the General Assembly gives more money to wealthy people (like Rauner) and big corporations.

But Rauner showed his true colors when he said about his previous statement, “I never said that.” If you watch the video, you’ll see that’s exactly what he said.

Bruce Rauner is trying to buy the Republican nomination for Governor. If he wins the primary, he’ll make Mitt Romney look like a man of the people and a model of consistency.