Vote Yes on Con-Con Coalition Isn’t Much of One

McHenry County Blog reported on this wealthiest of the pro-Con-Con PACs and commented on the inability to find out on the internet who was running it.

Now, we can report that it is being run by its biggest contributor, Andrea Raila, owner of Raila & Associates of Chicago.

And the State Board of Elections web site even says the proposition involved, hold your breath, is

Shall there be a Constitutional Convention?

Let me know if you see or hear any advertising on this committee’s behalf, please.


Comments

Vote Yes on Con-Con Coalition Isn’t Much of One — 1 Comment

  1. Springfield’s State Journal-Register and the Chicago Tribune endorses a Yes Vote for the Con Con saying :

    RECALL A FEW EXAMPLES of Illinois’ dysfunction:

    * Gov. Rod Blagojevich, despite his weakened political state, has vastly expanded his powers. He used the amendatory veto to wholly rewrite legislation. Delegates to the convention could clarify this power once and for all.

    * Opponents argue that the problems will go away when Blagojevich does. But because legislative leaders have near-absolute power over their caucuses, the problems with the legislative branch are just as serious.

    If the Senate Democratic caucus had controlled Senate President Emil Jones instead of vice versa, Blagojevich might have been stopped. But Jones, a Blagojevich loyalist, held the campaign purse that members of his caucus depend upon for re-election.

    The state’s lax campaign finance laws and the leaders’ ability to rule indefinitely enable this. To fix this, delegates could impose leadership term limits.

    * The problems with having absolute power don’t end there. Even when a majority of the House or Senate wants to vote on a bill, the chambers’ leaders decide what is voted upon.

    Some say the rules of both chambers simply could be amended to allow a majority to bring a bill for a vote despite what the leader or a legislative committee wants. If it’s that simple, why hasn’t it happened?

    If this was the only problem the delegates fixed, the General Assembly could be vastly more responsive and democratic.

    Opponents argue opening up the constitution could allow all kinds of bad ideas to be inserted. But voters make the final call on proposed changes. They cannot do any worse than those who have brought us to the brink.

    We strongly urge a “yes” vote on the constitutional convention

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