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* August 13th Tribune op-ed by Larry Ivory, who runs the Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce…
Apparently, when you don’t play ball with the governor’s office, other people suffer. In this ballgame of politics, the victims are the minority-owned small businesses in Illinois.
The Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce is a 23-year-old institution and one of the largest and most active voices for African American businesses in Illinois. Ninety percent of our members are small businesses, and as the head of this organization it’s my job to promote and advance their interests.
With an extensive business background and as an expert on small businesses, I was asked by Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office to be a key panelist with Groupon during an Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity webinar to celebrate August as National Black Business Month.
The event was Thursday. Unexpectedly, Wednesday morning I was notified by the governor’s office that I was no longer on the panel.
Why? The ILBCC dared to express a concern in opposition to the administration. On Monday, I was mentioned in the media speaking out against the governor’s proposed graduated-rate income tax amendment, which is to appear on the November ballot.
The Illinois Policy Institute followed up with a story a couple of days later.
* Yesterday’s Tribune editorial…
“They told me it was because I disagreed on the ‘fair tax,’ ” Ivory said, using Pritzker’s preferred terminology. “The panel had nothing to do with the fair tax. It had to do with National Black Business Month. I’ve never seen something as petty, in my opinion, as that. I think we can agree to disagree. At any point in time, the governor could have said, ‘I want you to understand what we’re trying to accomplish here.’ ”
* I checked in with Jordan Abudayyeh…
This situation was the result of a mistake. The Governor has never shied away from talking with people who oppose initiatives he is pursuing and hearing their views.
She did not say what that “mistake” was, however.
* Marine Corps veteran Ivory’s Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1997. It’s a legit group. And it has decidedly Republican leanings. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, but Ivory was all-in for Bruce Rauner…
Speaking at the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce’s (ILBCC) annual gathering on Aug. 8, Gov. Bruce Rauner said he was honored to be the recipient of the 2018 Alfred A. Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award, which he received earlier this summer.
“There is no better governor as far as we are concerned,” ILBCC President and CEO Larry Ivory said in introducing Rauner.
* In 2016, Ivory kicked Decatur Black Chamber president Corey Walker off his ILBCC board. Walker then founded the Black Chamber of Commerce of Illinois (BCCI).
Last fiscal year, Walker’s Decatur branch received a $220,000 incubator grant from DCEO. But the statewide BCCI’s Facebook page and website are both currently inactive.
* Anyway, that’s a deep dive into the weeds to say I doubt the governor’s office would’ve intentionally invited Ivory. But I doubt a soul would’ve noticed had Ivory spoken out about the “Fair Tax” during an obscure webinar. Now, he’s getting a bunch of press.
The original invite might’ve been a mistake, but the real mistake was disinviting Ivory. Next time, just bite the darned bullet.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 1:20 pm
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Comment by Toothless man Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 1:41 pm
The most oversensitive administration ever. They can brook no criticism about any matter, big or small. The disinvitation was intentional. That’s how they roll, and everyone knows it. What the administration doesn’t know is that these antics don’t frighten people, but makes critics who may be won over into hardened enemies.
Comment by phocion Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 1:45 pm
Thanks for providing the background. Looks like an uncharacteristic unforced error by Pritzker and team.
Comment by 1st Ward Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 1:47 pm
I thought IPI and Tribbies hated snowflakes?
Comment by Hole in One Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 2:01 pm
– The Governor has never shied away from talking with people who oppose initiatives he is pursuing and hearing their views. –
Mmmmmmmmk.
Comment by JB13 Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 2:20 pm
Kass covered this the heat from the press coverage may have been the “mistake”
Comment by Donnie Elgin Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 2:37 pm
The “mistake”, as Rich points out, was inviting him to begin with.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 3:37 pm
It is really pretty easy for people that pick up a degree of power in government or business to be dismissive of people who do not have positions of power. You see it happen in the a Trump administration all the time.
Team Pritzker needs to figure out that the Billionaire Bully approach to people is not a good look.
Time to put the King Pritzker the Petty costume away and hire a few adults.
Comment by Back to the Future Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 4:03 pm
$220000 for Corey Walker in Decatur is concerning. I hope someone from DCEO did or is auditing compliance with terms of the grant. Someone ought to look at his history in Decatur and Macon County. There is more to this story than the invitation. What happened with the 220,000 grant monies?
Comment by Almost retired Friday, Aug 21, 20 @ 4:05 pm