McHenry County Blog

A press release from Congressman Joe Walsh on one of his passions–school choice:

Rep. Walsh Sends Letter to Mayor Emanuel Urging Him

to Champion School Choice for Chicago

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Joe Walsh sent a letter (attached) to Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, urging him to champion school choice for the city and inviting him to co-host a Town Hall on school choice with him in Chicago. Walsh sent the letter in response to the Mayor announcing that he is sending his kids to the private Chicago University Lab School.

Congressman Joe Walsh being asked on a along ABC News story about him whether he will "be a one-term wonder."

“I sent this letter to Mayor Emanuel because it is time we got serious about the abysmal state of Chicago‘s public schools,” said Congressman Walsh.

“As of last year, only 55 percent of students in Chicago’s public school system completed high school. Low income families have no choice but to stick their kids in these failing schools. School choice should not belong only to the rich and powerful. Every parent should be able to exercise the same right as Mayor Emanuel: to give their kids the best education possible.”

“I’ve spent most of my life working to advance school choice — to give all parents the power to decide where their children go to school.

“Through my efforts with the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund, the Heartland Institute, and Jobs for Youth, I have witnessed firsthand the great potential of giving parents their right to decide where to send their kids to school.”

“This isn’t about politics.

“This is about our kids.

“About giving future generations the education they will need to lead our great state into the future.”

Congressman Walsh ran the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund, a Chicago-based privately funded school voucher program which gives high school scholarships to low-income Chicago eighth grader, from 1997-2001.

Yesterday in an article entitled

Kirk Dillard Woos McHenry County Women

McHenry County Blog started a three-part series on what happened when the GOP candidate came to Crystal Lake.

Stephanie Dillard talks with Irene Napier and Joyce Story after the breakfast at 1776.

Besides covering pensions and a new tax credit for contributions to charitable organizations, Dillard also spoke favorably about subsidizing private schools, noting that their being open saved taxpayers lots of money.

He said he wanted to increase it (the tax credit) to “make it meaningful.”

There were lots of claps in the roomful of women.

A business woman asked the candidate about reforming Workers Compensation.

“I’ve already begun talking to unions about this,” he said. Dillard advanced a voluntary arbitration plan which would “cut the trial lawyers out of the system,” encouraging “faster payment and more money.”

He stressed that it would not be mandatory, but would be accomplished through collective bargaining.

Advocating an “agreed bill” process he said,

“I’m going to lock these folks (business and union officials) in a room in the mansion (until they bring) Workers Comp costs in line with the nation.”

In a nod to the historically-minded, Dillard told of having spent ten years trying to get his father-in-law to donate the bedroom set in his house to the Executive Mansion.

I can’t remember the number of great-greats, but one of those great-grandmothers of Dillard’s wife Stephanie bore a child in the bed while her husband, Gov. Richard Oglesby, was in office during the mid-1900′s. Oglesby nominated Abraham Lincoln for president.

If her husband is elected governor, Mrs. Dillard promised,

“I won’t be giving birth in the mansion.”

Near the end of the formal part of the gathering, the state senator urged the women to go back to work to improve the economy and, incidentally, the health of the state’s finances.

“That’s the best way to grow the economy.”

He wants them to shop, too, I guess, because he added,

“We need the sales tax revenue.”