By: Mark Glennon*
Here are a few questions reporters should be asking Pritzker and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of Illinois’ Department of Public Health, at their daily briefing. More importantly, reporters should be demanding answers when they don’t get them:
•. Governor Pritzker, Illinois now has the strictest stay-at-home order in the nation. You say your rule is based on science and data, but aren’t other states basing theirs on science and data? We know different states have different circumstances, but please explain specifically because Illinois is now the outlier.
• Dr. Ezike, antibody test results are critical for calculating the true, effective death rates from infection and for making projections more accurate. What excuse does Illinois have for still not collecting and publishing antibody test results for those purposes? Corrections for error rates in those tests can be made and the CDC has confirmed that at least two of those tests are 99% accurate.
• Governor Pritzker, if a vaccine or effective treatment is never found and the virus never disappears it is your position that you can rule by emergency power forever, correct? Please explain how can you justify that.
• Governor Pritzker, Chicago police disbursed a peaceful protest against your asserted emergency powers on Memorial Day. Don’t you find something profoundly wrong with that?
• Dr. Ezike, the CDC says their best estimate of the death rate for symptomatic cases is just four-tenths of one percent, which would be much lower if asymptomic cases were included. Why didn’t you tell us the risk is that low? Haven’t you been far too alarmist?
• Governor Pritzker, half of our coronavirus deaths have been in retirement homes. Were patients hospitalized for the virus allowed back into those homes? When exactly did the state bar visitation and how strict was the order? How much guidance was initially provided to facilities?
• Dr. Ezike, 86% of our deaths have been age 60 or older. Wouldn’t it have been better to target our effort on the elderly instead of the entire population, and shouldn’t we be doing that now?
• Dr. Ezike, how many have died with COVID -19 and how many have died from it? You were asked this before but did not answer. Please give the numbers.
• Governor Pritzker, you’ve repeatedly insulted those who disagree with your order, characterizing them as extremists, political grand-standers and much worse. What portion of Illinoisans would you estimate you have insulted and, whatever the number, don’t you think that’s inappropriate?
• Dr. Ezike, you and Governor Pritzker have explained why daily new case numbers mean nothing because they vary with the amount of testing. Why do you start each daily press release and conference with those alarming numbers?
• Governor Pritzker, what is your current estimate of how many people who have been entitled to an unemployment check haven’t gotten it, and can you tell us specifically how you know?
• Governor Pritzker, on April 21, you announced new projections moving the likely peak out by about a month. But we now see that hospitalizations, which you’ve said are the most important indicator, peaked just five days later on April 28. So, your your science, data and projections were wrong, correct?
• Governor Pritzker, Dr. Anthony Fauci said last week that , in general, he thinks most of the country is opening up in a prudent way. Other states are opening up faster than Illinois. Is Dr. Fauci wrong?
*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
KEEP VOTING FOR DEMS AND THIS IS HOW YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CHILDREN’S LIFE WILL LOOK 20 TEARS FROM NOW……..THEY WANT TOTAL CONTROL AND YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT
Well Democrats you deserve this one. That’s what you get when you vote for someone just because they are Democrat. This one can’t manage a check book let alone our state.
Can we have smarter and more targeted tracking/response to Covid than what we’ve done the last three months? Recent science journal articles have mentioned sewage tracking as a predictive measure of an outbreak about to occur. Instead, we’re left with inefficient testing and throwing $60M at 1950s style contact tracing that fail to help us get ahead of future outbreaks. And can someone ask him why Illinois has the same death rate as Sweden?
Any truth to JB celebrating in Lake Geneva, WISCONSIN this weekend? Doesn’t it smack of hypocrisy that you would leave to go to a state with more freedom than the one you govern? And, as it pertains to hanging at the Lake, two sources witnessed it – separately… Embarrassing that a recall effort has even found traction. But, warranted.
Governor Pritzker, can you please define ‘science’ for us?
Why did Governor Pritzker lie today about not being away from home since he placed the stay at home order. He has been in Lake Geneva at least three times that have been documented. Once on Easter Weekend and again last weekend. Last weekend he was seen at the Mars Resort with friends
when are you going to STOP abusing authority ~ open the State & fix the State without Federal Tax dollar$ & raising Property Taxes ? When will you (if ever) run the state the correct responsible way instead of desperate Democrat tactics with Tax & Spend ~ If you were a “business man” as you say you were ( Pritzker) then why aren’t you running the State like a Business? ( I think it is because he KNOWS he will NEVER compare to what TRUMP has done for 50 States) Pritzker ~ are you willing to donate part of your… Read more »
The state can’t be fixed without federal dollars and/or increased taxes. We are just too deep in debt at this point. Implement all the reforms you want but in the end the state will need more money.
And Jumbo Belly has already started an exploratory committee for a 2024 presidential run. He’s as qualified as Trump is. Isn’t it wonderful to live in a country where any billionaire can become President?
FROM YOUR MOUTH TO GOD’S EARS………….HE JUST DOESN’T CARE…….IT’S ONLY ABOUT POWER……..AND HIS GREED!!!!!!
Trump said to open up the Churches and you are not doing it why are you not Following his Orders he said to open our state of Illinois we will have our mask on and wash our hands and stay 6 feet away please open our state
While I desperately want the state to fully reopen, Trump has no authority to open business or churches in any state. At this point we will need the courts to step in similar to Wisconsin or a massive shift in polling. When 68% of the people are making more money with their enhance unemployment I’m not sure polling will change any time soon. Pritzker feels emboldened and wont change. We need the courts to put a stop to this.
ALL ABOUT HIS POWER OVER YOU….PERIOD
Guys, these are really mean questions. Why would you try to force Governor Pritzker to have to field such toughies. I mean, Governor Pritzker is just doing what Himself is telling him to do and such questions are outside of his rehearsed script. He doesn’t have answers anyway because they haven’t been prepared ahead of time. Gosh, the last time that JB took a science class was that high school biology class that he nearly failed until his parents found a test taker for him. So stop being so mean. Plus, your questions wouldn’t be covered by any of the… Read more »
Ha!!! I was downvoted. Surely proof that Rich Miller does troll Wirepoints!!
The journos in ILL (irony), specifically Chicago, will never grow the intestinal fortitude to ask the tough questions. Like our elected officials, they are too afraid to lose access (to what, a big story? Give me an effing break!) to the goofs who run the state… Look at Marin, Ahern, Wall, etc. They are more interested in sucking up than eliciting the truth. Pathetic…
It would seem that Illinois, like other blue states, operates on denial: From the politicians selling their progressive snake oil to the journos who refuse to acknowledge that their media is dying, all the way down to that hrill short-haired woman down the street who always votes blue no matter who.
REALLY SICK…..BUT TRUE
Governor Pritzker, Nancy Pelosi recently called President Trump “morbidly obese.” She further said, “I was only quoting what doctors had said about him, so l was being factual in a very sympathetic way.” http://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-pelosi-defends-remarks-on-trumps-weight-as-dose-of-his-own-medicine So following the House Speaker’s leadership and concern about political leaders, let me ask you in a factual and very sympathetic way. Have doctors said that you are morbidly obese? If so, doesn’t that preexisting condition put you at greater risk of COVID-19 complications in the unfortunate event you were to become infected? Not to have a problem without a solution, perhaps you could lead by… Read more »
Medical records don’t always call someone morbidly obese because it’s an offensive term….doctors use the term “well nourished” instead to describe overweight people.
I describe them as undertall or having excess gravity. We all weigh the same on the space station.
Yes, but, while you and The Bad Fat Man may have the same weight on the space station, you do not have the same mass or dimensions.
True. He has much more mass. Remember the episode on Family Guy where objects are orbiting around Peter and Brian says your so fat that you have your own gravitational pull.
HOW ‘BOUT JUST PLAIN FAT???!!!
WHAT HORSE COULD HOLD HIM???
The bootlicking stenographers – errrrr – reporters from the major Illinois newspapers don’t want to be looking for a new job.
The question I would like to see posed is. . .”Florida real estate prices are increasing. If United States taxpayers are required to bail out Illinois, would you consider raising the COLA from 3% to 6%?”
Now you’re throwing logic into it Mark. Trying to confuse them?? Here’s another question….if we could visit “essential service” retailers from Jan – April without masks and only a 6 foot “social distancing” radius and that would keep our exposure to a minimum, why are masks mandatory now along with the 6 foot distance? What’s changed???
Nothing. In fact, scientific evidence of the benefits of masks is as elusive as JB’s ability to see his feet. What changed, you ask? Our “elected” geniuses needed a way to communicate the seriousness of this illness – MASKS – and each person can “do their part” in the “fight” by wearing a mask and ostracizing those who do not. That people are unable to 1) google the effectiveness (or not) of masks, and 2) think for themselves is how we ended up with Pritzy… While there have been examples of the strength and character of humanity, it has also… Read more »
THEY WANT MORE CONTROL AND WANT YOU TO OBEY AND BEG……..GET IT?????
Governor Pritzker, if masks are working, if masks are so important in this fight, Why didn’t you provide masks for the Prisoners you’ve released and kept them incarcerated? How is letting Prisoners free for fear of contracting the virus important, while Guards and Prison Workers must continue to interact with the prison population. Governor, you aren’t making sense.
these are great questions that of course won’t get asked! the “hand puppets” allowed into the press “reports” are Pritzker/Madigan slaves! Disgusting
We have not seen any transparency in your data, why, and where is it.
Question: Gov. Pritzker How is it legal that when laws are enacted those laws mostly pertain to approx 8% of the population? Laws should be made for the entire population not just a select few.
Don’t say that in front of the LGBTQW… community.
Question: Gov Pritzker, how big a state budget is enough?
Great quetions!!, My question for Ezike & Pritzker –if IDPH (afscme) employees are allowed to work from home indefinitely how does the public have any confidence the 1,200 state long-term care facilties with +100,000 residence where 1/2 covid deaths are atributed are being inspected or monitored by IDPH to date or in the future? Is anyone even on the job or just sitting at home collecing a fat check?
great question!
And why, at outset of pandemic, did jb & the machine suspend their newly passed (seiu backed) ‘minimum staffing requirement’ law & pass legisation protecting nursing homes and health providers from lawsuits if they were so concerned about nursing home residence?
Why have illinios national guard been deployed to illinois nursing homes to monitor for covid while idph (afscme) employers are allowed to sit at home indefinitely collecting fat checks?
And another point– Pritzker has said repeatedly that he is relying on “science and data”. At one of his briefings he introduced the three scientists who have prepared separate studies. But he refused to release the studies, and said they belong to the three scientists. Since he is shutting down the entire state, shouldn’t folks other than just the three scientists have access to the studies? Smells like they don’t want too much scrutiny of their work.
Yep. JB’s mantra has been “operate on the basis of science and data” yet he willfully ignores key pieces of data.
If they were paid using public funds, the studies belong to us.
Madigan & co has pretty much shutdown you having access to data any time soon via filing foias….in the dictatorship known as illinois.
NOW YA GOT IT!!!!!!!!!
Silly peasant, you want answers from a king?
Good questions Mark. You realize of course Wirepoints will never get the opportunity to ask them. Also, any reporter that slips thru the cracks and does ask these questions will probably be out of work the next day.
Yes, sure do realize that.
The ‘in’ crowd clique will turn their attention towards you. One or two columns from Hinz will be nothing compared to the onslaught from every ‘journalist’ in the state area labeling you a racist, homophobic science denier.