* I never believed for a second that the Chicago Tribune would endorse a “Yes” vote on the constitutional convention referendum. I figured their huffing and puffing over the ballot language shenanigans would give them political cover to oppose the referendum itself.
Boy, was I wrong, and how…
Decide right now that you’ll vote yes Nov. 4 on what could be the most important ballot measure you’ve ever encountered. Then relax as the establishment foes of a constitutional convention do their best Halloween act to scare the bejabbers out of you and every other citizen of Illinois.
And when their goblins fly at you, heads spinning, with their best “Bwaa-Haa-Haa!” about the dangers of a con-con, don’t flinch. They’ll screech that convention delegates—your fellow citizens—could try to raise tax formulas, or repeal individual rights, or steer planet Earth into the sun. Answer the bloodcurdling spirits with the mantra they cannot refute: Before our constitution actually would change—We . . . have . . . the . . . final . . . say. All of us. In another referendum. We have to vote proposed revisions up or down.
Wait, it gets better…
Vote yes because if this referendum proposal fails, you do have a guarantee: The sweet-smiling panderers who run this mismanaged state will give you 20 more years of what you have now.
You cannot challenge the interests that own too much of Illinois if you don’t climb into the ring with them.
Big finish…
Let the scaremongers tell you that democracy is dangerous for Illinois. Keep murmuring, We . . . have . . . the . . . final . . . say. Then vote yes on the con-con referendum proposal.
The Tribune muckety-mucks pal around with some of the big business types who staunchly oppose the referendum, and who also happen to advertise in their newspaper/radio/TV stations. That editorial took guts. Good for them.
* Meanwhile, Kurt Erickson, who has been a Statehouse reporter for years, comes as close as one can get to endorsing a “Yes” vote…
The last time the question was on the ballot was in 1988, when the call to revisit our government’s rule book was defeated by nearly 2 million votes.
Since then, we’ve watched the disparity between wealthy and poor areas of the state continue to grow when it comes to educating our children.
We’ve seen a governor go to jail. We’ve seen another governor become the focus of federal prosecutors as he’s presided over a government that is deeply insolvent.
We’ve watched the state’s legislative leaders amass grand powers to control what gets voted on - or doesn’t - in the House and Senate.
We’ve seen them disappear behind closed doors to negotiate out-of-balance budgets that are then sprung upon the rank-and-file lawmakers at the last minute, take it or leave it.
We’ve watched competitive races for the Legislature become few and far between because of the way legislative leaders have gerrymandered district maps to assure they keep their power intact.
Those types of issues could be addressed by a constitutional convention.
Go read the whole thing.
* Erickson is now the third Statehouse columnist to write favorably about a “Yes” vote. Scott Reeder endorsed it late last month. And then there’s me. That should tell you something. None of us have any skin in this game. We are honestly advising readers from first-hand experience and practically begging them to listen to our pleas.
* Related…
* Judge orders rewrite of Nov. 4 referendum question
* Illinois Constitutional Convention (2008)
* Does Illinois need a new constitution?