By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

Former Illinois State Treasurer and Livingston County native Dan Rutherford was Tuesday’s guest speaker for the Pontiac Rotary Club.

Rutherford addressed the crowd about the United States opening relations with the Republic of Cuba.

“I’ve been Cuba a lot and to see billboards with children of Cuba with the phrases such as ‘We don’t have nutrition and milk because the Americans won’t sell it to us.’ I think that has a greater harm to our larger public policy goals than selling medicine and food to an island,” Rutherford said.

Rutherford said at the beginning of his speech that he was going to sway from talking about politics and called his career “recessed” and not a retirement.

“I’m going to enjoy life for awhile. I’m going to do some travel. I’m going to have our travel club introduce our friends to some places that I’m somewhat understanded of. As far as the politics or government, we shall see,” Rutherford said.

Rutherford has several additional trips to Cuba planned for the future.