The Long Road of Democracy

Quinn Spikes Campaign Finance Bill

Today, Governor Quinn announced his intention to veto reform legislation he once promoted on the grounds that new information signaled more could be done.  Good government groups and other prominent community organizations have recently stepped forward with frustration and criticism over the present bill.

Interestingly, as the Chicago Tribune notes,

“Quinn’s move had the potential to re-open other proposed ethics issues that did not survive the spring legislation session. Quinn said he wanted lawmakers to consider a provision to recall the governor. And Republicans suggested legislative redistricting and other issues should also be considered in any move to strengthen state ethics laws.”

Main Street Campaigns hopes that the next round of campaign finance reform legislation will be more cooperative.  More organizations, advocates, and leaders need to be brought into the process.  Reason and logic need to crowd out ambition and partisanship.

We will work with groups such as the Illinois Reform Commission, Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, Change Illinois.  We will work with anyone that wants to build an honest system that serves Illinois citizens instead of Illinois politicians.  Going forward, we believe that there were a number of important issues not raised in the previous legislation, primarily:

• The issue of recall should be considered and offered to the public to increase government accountability.
• Fairer redistricting standards must be applied to ensure that it is a people’s government, and only a people’s government.
• We must have real campaign finance laws.  Currently, there is a loophole a mile wide allowing party leaders unlimited donations and influence.  This makes our legislative leaders servants of party elites and not voters.
• Legislative reform must be directly addressed- the process itself is flawed and needs examination.  The bulk of this is  tackled in the PUTBACK CAMPAIGN launched by Main Street Campaigns but the essential point is that reform of the legislative system must come from the people.  Or else, it never will.

We believe that once one door closes another one opens; the vetoing of this bill should give way to an honest effort at reform.  More people, more ideas, and more cooperation are needed.  Now, let us begin again down the long road of democracy, for the good of the people.