Posted on 01/21/2015 2:35:04 PM PST by BillyBoy
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Rauner picks Planned Parenthood Vice-Chair to head Healthcare and Family Services
SPRINGFIELD, IL - Last week Governor Rauner announced a number of additional appointments, including those he wants to head the Department of Revenue, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Public Health and Illinois Commerce Commission.
One appointment raising social conservatives' eyebrows is Felicia Norwood, who was named by the governor to be the new Director of Illinois' Department Healthcare and Family Services. Norwood, who will lead the state's agency focused on caring for Illinoisans' health, is also listed on Illinois Planned Parenthood's website as the current vice-chair of their board of directors.
Last week, a report on the conditions of Illinois abortions clinics found during Illinois Public Health Department inspections was made public, showing that none of Illinois Planned Parenthood clinics are licensed by the State Health Department, and none of them were visited during the 2011-2012 round of inspections. Of the other 14 clinics visited - some after not being inspected for nine years - 193 safety and health violations were found.
"I'm very disappointed to hear of Governor Rauner's pick for the Department of Health and Family Services," said Illinois Family Institute's David Smith. "Let's hope Ms. Norwood uses her position to encourage healthy families in Illinois. Let's also hope she supports changing the state's policy to include annually inspecting Planned Parenthood clinics."
Norwood could face a conflict of interests if lawmakers point out that the Planned Parenthood clinics, of which she vice-chairs the directors' board, are not licensed nor inspected by the state of Illinois. A call for routine clinic inspections is expected in the upcoming legislative session.
While Mrs. Rauner, the governor's wife, has been a longtime supporter of Planned Parenthood, Rauner avoided the abortion issue while campaigning for governor, and both he and Mrs. Rauner insisted the Republican had "no social agenda."
Despite Norwood's affiliation with Planned Parenthood, she has substantial experience in the health care insurance industry. She has spent the majority of her career working for Aetna. She began her career with the insurance giant as Government Relations Counsel, where she analyzed and drafted legislation related to health care insurance. She was also a Senior Policy Advisory on Health and Human Services to Governor Edgar, and served as a policy advisor to Governor Jim Thompson, where she developed and implemented policies on children and family services.
She earned her law degree from Yale Law School, a master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin, and her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Valdosta State University in Georgia.
Since 1994, Ms. Norwood has given over $6000 in political contributions to Planned Parenthood PAC, the Democrats' Act Blue Illinois, Democrats Art Turner and Joyce Washington, as well as Republican Jim Edgar, for whom she worked when he was governor:
Now, Rauner's fan club has been gushing over him in the past week and saying how awesome it is to have a "Republican" Governor in Illinois, saying he's "hit the ground running" and "its like a kid in a candy store" waiting to see what he'll do next.
Looks like we found out what his next move is. First, he hired Jesse Jackson's second-in-command at Rainbow-PUSH to run the IL Dept. of Education, where he has pledged to implement Common Core, now he's hired a leading "abortion rights" activist to run to Healthcare & Family Services, apparently because promoting abortion on demand is the most important health issue for Illinois citizens.
Ain't it great having a RINO with an "R" next to his name as Governor of Illinois?
PING
I think this is what is referred to as a conflict of interest.
When the state falls even more in the crapper, he and the non-existent state GOP will get the blame, and IL voters will vote for even more leftist lunacy.
What do you expect from the Combine?
Some of us knew Rauner was a fooler.
What most didn’t know was, Rauner, up until recently, donated to the RATS....many\often and heavily.
check it out
http://republicannewswatch.com/wp/?p=12856
Ain’t it great having a RINO with an “R” next to his name as Governor of Illinois?
A more accurate description is a DINO with s “D” next to his name.
He said Obama’s executive amnesty was a good first step.
Someone who worked for Planned Parenthood by definition knows nothing about health or family services.
Good point. Rauner didn't mince words on this issue -- he never tried to hide the fact that he was pro-abortion and proud of it. His wife was a leading Planned Parenthood donor and even took out our a full page newspaper ad to tout the fact that Rauner will "protect a woman's right to choose"
The talking points that Rauner would work with pro-lifers just came from shameless IL GOP officials and "Tea Party" leaders trying to market him to gullible conservative voters. They'd tell voters "Yes he PERSONALLY thinks abortion should be legal, cuz he NEEDS to take that position to WIN in Illinois, but Rauner agrees with us that there should be LESS abortions and he's willing to give pro-lifers a seat at the table to accomplish that goal. Anyway, the Governor can't change the laws or do anything to stop abortions, but he can take baby steps to help change the pro-death culture in Illinois, like doing more to ensure abortion clinics are vigorously inspected each yeah... blah blah blah..."
In any case, I was never fooled. They pulled this same stunt in 2010 about how "we'll have Kirk's ear" if Planned Parenthood worshipping Mark Kirk was elected. Amazing how many conservatives will fall for this BS over and over and over...
I support 100th trimester abortions for libs!
I’m not surprised by that appointment. When I heard Rauner give a speech, last Jan., he said, “If I win, I won’t do anything to decrease the number of abortions.”
” He said Obama’s executive amnesty was a good first step.”
My kinda traitor..
Well, this is bizarre
WTF is a state COO? Since when is Illinois a corporation?
This sounds like another position that should be abolished immediately to save taxpayers money. But instead, our state legislators will propose abolishing elected offices, and provide endless platitudes about combining the Comptroller and Treasurer's office, and silly ideas about eliminating the Lt. Governor.
Ideal pick for Rauner though. One worthless RINO deserves another. Maybe he can find spots in his adminstration for Christie Todd Whitman, William Weld, Lowell P. Weicker, and Ahnuld next.
News articles call the position “newly created”. By the leg I guess unless the Governor can create posts for underlings himself, I don’t know.
I read that on Hawaii News Now and I thought, those two flub-ups can have each other.
Because nothing says "cutting government waste" like creating a brand new cushy statewide appointed office paid for by taxpayers.
The "Tea Party" leaders that fawned over Rauner can stick that in their pipe and smoke it.
Win-win for Lingle though. Her political career is DOA in Hawaii, but now she can 1) continue to stay relevant and in the news as a government official, 2) keep sucking at the government teat, and 3) work with a like-minded RINO to do the Democrats bidding.
One thing you know is clear, Lingle got the OK from the Combine. Must’ve been for her yeoman work in protecting Zero’s records during her last two years in office as Governor.
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