When you can buy a sports team and live on a yacht, why run for governor?

SHARE When you can buy a sports team and live on a yacht, why run for governor?
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On March 20, 2018, J.B. Pritzker, left, celebrates winning the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Chicago while Gov. Bruce Rauner, right, celebrates his GOP primary victory, also in Chicago. | AP Photos/Charles Rex Arbogast and Nam Y. Huh

Why would anyone want to be governor of Illinois, a state that teeters on the brink of financial collapse?

Why would someone who has enough money to buy a professional sports team, travel the world in luxury and dine at a different great restaurant every day want to serve as Mike Madigan’s water boy?

Because that person is convinced that he alone can save this state — that he alone can heal the sick, restore integrity to government, spur business growth and give poor children the opportunity to graduate high school instead of doing time in prison.

OPINION

Such narcissism ought to disqualify a person from holding office, yet it is the sort of nonsense people spout to win elections.

On Tuesday, Sun-Times reporter Tina Sfondeles told readers that the two men running for governor of Illinois already have spent more than $132 million on their campaigns.

And that was just to win the nominations of their political parties this spring.

Bruce Rauner, the Republican nominee, is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

J.B. Pritzker, the Democratic nominee, is worth $4 billion.

That’s the sort of cash people fantasize about at work when lottery prizes reach record levels. They brag about the mansions they will buy for relatives, the charities they will create and their new luxury lifestyles.

I have never heard anyone say, “If I had $500 million, I would run for governor of Illinois.” What would be the point?

As Rauner himself said after serving his first three years as governor: “I am not in charge. I am trying to get to be in charge.”

This is a fellow who spent $50 million to get elected the first time. He is doing it again. And he claims you should vote for him because he is a shrewd businessman.

Rauner could be doing anything. Yet, he wants to be governor of a state that even he claims is in terrible shape. He runs TV commercials featuring governors from neighboring states who mock the Land of Lincoln for its incompetence. Yet he was in charge (well, he was governor) during that time.

During the Republican primary, a member of Rauner’s own party ran TV commercials ridiculing his ineptitude.

J.B. Pritzker is one of the wealthiest men in the world. His TV commercials, on which he has spent a fortune, show him helping needy children, investing in start-up companies, creating jobs.

While accomplishing all of this, he never had to worry about anyone broadcasting those private conversations he had with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich — the ones in which he begged for a political appointment while making snide comments about black political leaders. He was respected.

Over the years, I have had people tell me repeatedly that reporters make life so difficult for politicians that no one is willing to run for office.

Nonsense. You can’t stop people with giant egos. People who have no experience, people with no leadership skills, individuals with no sense of ethics or honor. They all will run.

People who could spend all their time doing good, or all their time gratifying their basest desires, still want to the title – even if they’re not in charge.

Maybe we should just auction the title “governor” to the highest bidder. We could put all the money in a pot to hire a DCFS investigator who might someday save a child’s life, or use the dough to fix the plumbing in a veteran’s home.

The wealthy discovered long ago that our government is for sale. They used to be satisfied with buying our politicians.

Back then, they actually got value for their money.

Email: philkadner@gmail.com

Send letters to: letters@suntimes.com.

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