Weekend Diversion: Night Of The Ponies
Pedway, First Store Open At Block 37
Around Town
Red-Light Cameras Not So Special?
Despite a rally for "yes" votes a few weeks ago, the people of Illinois gave a resounding "no" to a Constitutional Convention. For those that didn't pay attention to what they were voting for yesterday, a Constitutional Convention is proposed every 20 years, and allows changes to be suggested to the state's charter which then need to be ratified by voters. Supporters like Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn said it would be great opportunity to reform education funding, and give us the right to recall public officials.
Sounds great, so why didn't it pass? Because the fear mongers of the Combine came out in force, warning that the convention was expensive, would be hijacked by "special interest groups" and be "influenced by the same politicians who have caused the current gridlock in Springfield." They even brought out the big guns and had former Governor Jim Edgar cut a TV spots against it. The chances of it passing were also hampered by questionable language on the ballot, informing voters that the measure failed by a large margin last time it came up in 1988. A ruling was made that a separate sheet of instructions was to be handed out telling voters to ignore the ballot wording, but at our polling place we didn't even see one person pick up the sheet, much less read it. Oh, well, better luck in 2028.
Photo by Jeremy Farmer
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I saw someone saying that you should be against the convention, especially if you're a teacher. Anyone have any insight as to why teachers in particular should be against the convention?
Was the separate sheet that green sheet about the Con-Con (that I clearly didn't read)? I will say, my precinct made sure that everyone got one of them.
Tower, the Illinois Education Association was afraid that teacher pensions would be monkeyed with at the convention.
Yea the Machine really put the breaks on this fresh chance at democracy and they got Lisa Madigan to showe some of her true colors too! Shame, shame, shame.
Quinn always says "the highest office in the land is the office of citizen" Too bad no one else belives it
Does it take $80,000,000 and a room full of lobbyists to change a couple things in the IL constitution? Even if people weren't paying attention to the question, the right decision was made in voting it down.
In my precinct the green sheet was not only handed to me with my ballot, it was taped onto the inside of the voting booth.
Sorry, but we weren't talking about sending the best minds in the country (or even the state) off to write this thing if the vote came in yes. The general assembly is in charge of how con repelections work, so Madigan's thumb print would have likely been all over it. Passing amendments to the current constitution could accomlish many of the pro con-con points in a relatively reasonable amount of time, assuming we started holding state reps and senators accountable on their votes and citizens in this state really do want change.
The morons who voted against this are going to regret it for decades!
Especially when their taxes go through the roof & there's no way to recall politicians, get term limits or the most important of all, citizen initiatives, like California has!