Quinn is tied to special neckwear for important occasions

The Quinn bin . . .

Gov. Pat Quinn can sometimes be a quirky guy.

Consider: He is a bit superstitious — so much so he has a treasure trove of talismans, including a special tie, a maroon day planner and a 31-year-old briefcase.

◆ The tie: Quinn only wears one tie for special events: his favorite striped, purple necktie.

“He does not own several mansions [a la GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner], but owns and rotates five identical ties for special events. Three ties are in good shape, but two are showing their threads,” chirped a source.

Sneed is told he wore that special tie for good luck on Primary Day, Election Day and Inauguration Day in 2010.

And on Nov. 2, 2010, the day Quinn beat GOP governor hopeful and State Sen. Bill Brady, many Quinn staffers ordered the same tie and wore it to work, too. The colorful cravat is from the Tie Bar, which began in a local couple’s Chicago area home in 2004.

◆ The “Maroonberry”: Quinn carries a maroon, pocket-size day planner bound together with rubber bands in his pocket. His staff nicknamed it the gov’s “Maroonberry.”

It consists of a stack of “white slips,” which are cheaper than index cards and keep track of to-do lists.

“The governor visits Office Depot twice a year and buys two day planners, including a back-up one for ‘just in case,’ ” a staffer said. “As the governor likes to remind us, a long pencil is better than a short memory.”

Sneed is told on the first page of his Maroonberry, the governor wrote his name, phone number and “Please Return. REWARD!!”

“The governor writes so small in his Maroonberry that it’s surprising he doesn’t need a magnifying glass to read it!” the staffer added.

◆ Betsy the briefcase: Quinn’s 31-year-old trusty caramel-colored leather briefcase, reconditioned last Christmas, is stuffed to the brim with his special files for every issue.

Its been to Iraq twice, plus Germany, Afghanistan and all over Illinois.

Wowser.

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