Opinion
3A
The Southern Illinoisan • Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Editorial Board Bob Williams, publisher Gary Metro, editor Mark Fitton, managing editor Jeff Wilson, online editor
3A
The Southern Illinoisan • Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Politics as usual, or good governance? R
ecently, I watched Governor Pat Quinn deliver his budget address to a joint session of the Illinois House and Senate. Frankly, I was mildly impressed. It seemed to me that the governor was laying out a comprehensive outline for a budget that was well prepared and understandable. I imagined that what he was presenting had been fully vetted through all the state bureaus and offices and carefully put together by the governor’s staff. This was state government Guest at work. view At the time, I recognized that David Conrad the governor was gilding the lily about as much as he reasonably could. He claimed that in the five years he has been in office —has it been that long? I guess it means we have gone that long without a major scandal. Anyhow, in the past five years, according to the governor, the state debt has been reduced, its credit rating has improved, most of the past due bills have been paid, the pension issue has been fixed, many state facilities have been closed, expenditures, and number of employees have been reduced, and the state’s economy is on the road to recovery. The governor cautioned over and over again, that if there are drastic cuts in future revenues (subtext: if his temporary income tax increase is not made permanent), Illinois will fall into some kind of fiscal hell where thousands of teachers, police and other public employees will be laid off and schools, prisons, and other facilities will be over-crowded and under-staffed or closed. The governor delivered the speech in a clear and businesslike manner, without drama or histrionics. But when the camera went to his audience, I got a very different feeling. The Republicans sat there without applauding. Some looked bored. It was clear they would rather be someplace else. The Democrats applauded a few times, but they didn’t look much more enthusiastic than the Republicans. When it was over, two commentators discussed what the governor had said. Both concluded that the speech was one-hundred percent political. At the time, that surprised me. I thought the speech had been about doing the normal business of state government. The governor lays out a budget, and then the two houses of the legislature consider it. They hold hearings, their committees work on it, they make changes and adjustments, and then they adopt a budget which the governor signs and executes. That’s the way state government should work, but was that what was happening here? Gullible me. This is just the beginning of a political battle. So what makes it political? There was no bombastic rhetoric, not blasting away at opponents, no campaign promises. It was political because the Republicans, probably to a man—or woman—oppose renewing the higher income tax. Why? That’s what Republicans do. They oppose higher taxes. Are they concerned about how the state will operate with more than a billion dollars less in revenues? I am sure they are, but they are more concerned about cutting taxes, especially in an election year, when—as they always are—they are deeply concerned about electing Republicans. So, straight politics will keep Republicans from having anything to do with Quinn’s budget. And the Democrats—are they willing to stick their necks out and support the governor? Few of them are rushing forward to do that. Most of them are worried about re-election, too. As a trade off for keeping the income tax where it is, the governor offered the taxpayers who own homes a $500 rebate on their property taxes. He claims property taxes are too high in Illinois and unfair. Another political factor—Quinn’s total budget adds up to an overall increase in spending, something else the Republicans will pounce on. So now the battle begins. What the final budget will look like is anyone’s guess. Let’s all hope and pray, if you are so inclined, that our legislators will get past partisan politics and enact a budget that will be balanced and fair to everyone. I know—good luck with that. DAVID CONRAD of Murphysboro is retired as a professor of history from SIU Carbondale and the author of several books.
Help us pick Golden Pen winner W riters competing for the Golden Pen award for March argued against a proposed law that would permit bobcat hunting in Illinois, criticized the state’s closed primaries as the cause for voter apathy and questioned the cost of a lavish state dinner when federal money is denied levee repairs in Grand Tower. Votes collected at our website, www.thesouthern.com, and received by mail at The Southern Illinoisan will determine the winner of the award — presented monthly to the author of the best letter to the editor. Votes will be collected until 9 a.m. Friday, April 11. Here are the finalists: zz L aurel Toussaint of Carbondale, who argued against a proposal to allow bobcat hunting in Illinois. zz Richard Borgsmiller of Murphysboro, who argued the closed primary system is counterproductive and only contributes to voter apathy. zz David Griggs of Grand Tower, who questioned the spending for a state dinner when federal funds are denied his community for levee repairs. The winning author will receive an inscribed, gold-colored pen and public recognition of the achievement in a column written by the editor. The easiest way to vote is at www. thesouthern.com/goldenpen. To vote by mail, note your favorite from the letters printed April 2 and send it to: Gary Metro, editor, The Southern Illinoisan, 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901.
Stop bobcat hunting To the Editor: The Illinois House of Representatives will soon vote on HB 4226, a bill permitting bobcat hunting in Illinois. Representative Brandon Phelps, bill co-sponsor, believes the bobcat population should be controlled because “I feel this has hurt our quail population.” Perhaps Representative Phelps should read what Quail Forever has to say about quail decline: The reason for the quail population plunge is simple—massive losses of habitat suitable for quail.
Richard Borgsmiller Murphysboro
Bologna sandwich trade
To the Editor: As I sat and watched the evening news recently, there was a story about the White House hosting a “state dinner” for the French president. The cost of this “state dinner” was a mere $500,000. Yes, I wrote $500,000 to feed 300 people some of the best food and wine, the reporter said. There are homeless in our country that can’t get a meal. We have people who have to decide whether to pay Laurel Toussaint a light bill or buy groceries for their Carbondale families. We spend billions to help countries all over this world. I have never had a “state dinner” but I sure enjoy my supper and eating leftovers for lunch the next day. I live in Grand Tower and our levee To the Editor: needs to be repaired. We need our Here we go again. Primary seagovernment to help us. Mr. President, son. As an independent voter, I could you have not had a salad, bowl am always in favor of good, sound of chili, bologna sandwich and wine government. There are candidates from your home state? on the Democratic ticket that I feel We are having fundraisers to raise would be able to make those good money for levee repairs. We feel governing decisions. There are also candidates on the Republican ticket pretty good when we raise a few thousand dollars. I am grateful for (different races) that I would like everyone who is helping and donatto lend my support to because they ing money and time for us. But how also would make good decisions. can our government justify $500,000 Here is my dilemma. The ticket for one meal and we can’t get one races are printed on two different dime to help us with our levee repair? ballots. The archaic wisdom of the Please, if you care for your neighbors State of Illinois does not allow me to pull two ballots. Hence, I will not in Grand Tower contact any elected official and ask them if they think we vote in the primary and hopefully should spend $500,000 for a meal or be able to vote for these leaders in $500,000 for levee repairs! November. (If they survive the primary vote and advance.) David Griggs Everyone is constantly lambasting Grand Tower
Closed primaries
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voter apathy. This process leads to voter apathy. So, don’t tell me that ‘Voters must unite and participate in the election process to fix our government.” The deck is stacked against us (independents) in the very beginning. So, of course there is apathy. There will always be voter apathy with this set of rules. And for that, we have the worst government in the U.S. Just look at our financial situation.
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There are five major factors leading to the losses of quail habitat; intensified farming and forestry practices, succession of grassland ecosystems to forests, overwhelming presence of exotic grasses, like fescue, that choke out wildlife and urban sprawl. Perhaps Representative Phelps’ zeal for bobcat hunting is in response to hunters anxious to kill the only wild cat species remaining in Illinois. After 40 years of protection, SIUC biologists estimate only 2,200 bobcats exist south of Interstate 64. There is no scientific basis for reducing Illinois’ bobcat population. Rather, it would seem that it is the bobcat that needs continued protection from the predation of humans who would kill this beautiful, elusive animal for sport. Certainly, the bobcat population would be dramatically impacted by a hunting season that lasts 107 days and includes bobcat breeding season. I am not opposed to hunting and have a freezer full of venison. Unlike bobcat hunting proponents, our family rule is to eat what you kill. To stop bobcat hunting, contact your legislators now.
published. Send letters to: Voice of the Reader The Southern Illinoisan P.O. Box 2108 Carbondale, IL 62902 Email letters to: letters@thesouthern.com
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Editor: Gary Metro email gary.metro@thesouthern.com (618) 351-5033 Managing Editor: Mark Fitton email mark.fitton@thesouthern.com (618) 351-5807
Gov. Pat Quinn Springfield Office of the Governor 207 State House Springfield, IL 62706 (217) 782-0244 TTY: (888) 261-3336 Chicago Office of the Governor James R. Thompson Center 100 W. Randolph, 16-100 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 814-2121
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (312) 886-3506 (202) 224-2854 (217) 492-5089 http://kirk.senate.gov U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (618) 252-8271 (202) 225-5271 www.house.gov/shimkus U.S. Rep. William Enyart (202) 225-5661 http://enyart.house.gov
State Sen. Gary Forby U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (618) 439-2504 (618) 351-1122 / (202) 224-2152 (217) 782-5509 http://durbin.senate.gov senatorforby@yahoo.com
State Sen. David Luechtefeld (618) 243-9014 / (217) 782-8137 sendavel@midwest.net State Rep. Brandon Phelps (618) 25-4189 / (217) 782-5131 bphelps118@gmail.com State Rep. Mike Bost (618) 457-5787 / (217) 782-0387 mike.bost@hotmail.com State Rep. John Bradley (618) 997-9697 / (217) 782-1051 repjohnbradley@mychoice.net State Rep. Jerry F. Costello II (618) 282-7284 / (217) 782-1018 staterepcostello@gmail.com