Chief Apostle McCoy shrugs off Rauner’s $1 mil offer to a SS credit union

By Chinta Strausberg

Reacting to GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner’s promised to give $1 million to a South Side credit union, promoted by a chapter of the Black Wall Street group, Chief Apostle William McCoy Saturday said it’s quite clear that Gov. Pat Quinn “doesn’t have the war chest” Rauner has but he’s been a “Quinn man since 2010.”

“Gov. Quinn has put sweat equity in the community, and he’s got a track record of being not a traditional person. He has a track record of working with the people and that is what we all have,” said McCoy who along with his wife, co-pastor Dr. Rose McCoy, heads the Brothers Keeper Outreach Church in Chicago Heights.

Interviewed at his second annual Cook County and Community Celebration in Chicago Heights, McCoy said Quinn’s record reflects the track record of “faith based movement…of helping people. It’s not about the money.”

Refusing to be condescending to those people billionaire Rauner “is blessing” with his money, McCoy said, “Some of them are my peers.” McCoy said he would not speak negatively about Rauner either. “I’m a Quinn man. I like what Quinn is doing.”

Asked if Rauner is trying to buy the black vote, McCoy said, “I don’t know what he’s trying to do. All I know is that a lot more people are looking at the past how” Rauner’s track record “has kept us one dime short. My support is with Quinn.”

When asked his feelings about Rauner’s allegedly not having one black on his business staff but did have one Latina, McCoy said, “I guess he didn’t have that revelation. It irritates me.”

Referring to Rauner’s publicly surrounding himself with African Americans when the cameras are around, McCoy laughed saying, “I think that is a wise move for him to do that. If he didn’t have the revelation in the past (of hiring blacks), then what inspired him to get this revelation now”?

Rauner told reporters he is not trying to buy black votes and that he gives to community groups all the time. The Black Wall Street Journal wants the gubernatorial candidates to share their ad dollars with African American businesses and organizations.

And, Mark Allen, chairman of the Black Wall Street group that hosted the meeting with Rauner, said, “He did not offer to give $1 million to our group. We have been consistent in asking both sides (Quinn and Rauner) to spend their money in the black community during this campaign.”

As the November general election gets closer, sources say the battle for the black vote will get even more intense.

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host. You can e-mail Strausberg at: Chintabernie@aol.com.