There has been much written on this blog about the Chicago tilt of the recent state budget. Much has been centered on the role, or lack of, for Naomi Jakobsson. While IP and others think that this continual Chicago slant might make her vulnerable, I tend to disagree. There are just too many lock step Democrats in the 103rd district.
The real vulnerability for Dems will come in the State Senate race. Emil Jones Is President of the Senate. He has been unapologetic in his advocacy for Chicago State University. While no one in Champaign Urbana wishes ill to the other state universities, we rightly believe that the flagship for the state university system is UIUC. Senator Jones, who helped bail Mike Frerichs out of his last race with a last minute $10,000 contribution, will obviously be a major factor in whoever the Dems put up in the Senate race against Winkel.
Emil Jones is the biggest enemy that the University of Illinois has ever had in Springfield. Do we really want him calling the shots down the road for our local state senator?
Emil Jones is the biggest enemy that the University of Illinois has ever had in Springfield.
You know, I was a little taken aback by this. But, thinking about it, it's absoloutely true. I can't think of any other legislator or leader in the last 20 years who has openly declared that his goal is to cut funding for the University.
How could a statement like that do anything except hurt him?...It's like attacking Big Bird to go after the U of I funding as a political issue, I believe.
I truly hope Mike Frerichs does not run against against Sen. Winkel. Mike, undoubtedly, has a bright future in politics. That said, he's still very young, and although I think he will do very against Winkel, he simply cannot run the risk of another loss. He soon will face the unfortunate stigma of becoming a perennial candidate.
Mike faces significant challenges, no matter what Chicago support he receives. Democrats are not likely to do well in Champaign County in 2006. Also, consider the local outrage to the Chicago machine's pouring of resources into Mike's campaign fund. Especially given Jakobsson's vote on the state budget, I doubt the county is going to readily accept another Democrat in the area.
Anon 1:52:
Agreed. And I'd add that Winkel's stance on education funding reform, has secured him alliances that Mike won't be able to touch.
I have to strongly disagree. Mike Frerichs is a much better fit for this district than Rick Winkel. Both of the anonymous posters seem to have forgotten that Rick won by only 500 votes last time. Frerichs will run very strong in Champaign-Urbana and Danville and do much better than McCollum did in Rantoul/northeast Champaign County, where Frerichs always runs ahead of other Dems. It will be close, but Frerichs will win and the working class voters of the 52nd District will finally get the advocate they need in Springfield.
He is an avowed opponent of the chief, but in what other ways?
He's threatened to cut funding for UI because of the Chief, and has actually succeeded in shifting funding away from UIUC towards Chicago State University every year that he's been leader. That I've seen, he's never said a kind word about the University or the work that occurs there.
52nd District,
I think you've summed up Frerich's strategy pretty well, but I think reality might be another story. McCollum did very well in Champaign and Urbana, as we was well-known and liked from his three terms as Mayor of Champaign. There will also be a less divided GOP in 2006, as 2002 featured a very close Primary in which Danville lost their State Senator due to redistricting.
Either way, that race is going to be hot, and I'm sure Jones will pour hundreds of thousands of anti-Chief Chicago-based dollars into Frerichs' campaign.
Like Madigan has with Jakobsson, I'm sure Jones is hoping Frerichs wins so that it's another lock-step vote for pension scams and cuts to the UI.
Further proof Winkel has done a poor job representing the University in the Senate.
He sure hasn't been able to protect University funding. His vote against stem cell research put his conservative base ahead of University research. Even Jones' comments reflect poorly on Winkel's ability to represent this campus in the senate.
If Frerichs does run for the senate seat, he should make it a priority to do better for this campus in Springfield than Winkel's done. If he has Jones' ear, all the better for accomplishing that.
If Frerichs does run for the senate seat, he should make it a priority to do better for this campus in Springfield than Winkel's done. If he has Jones' ear, all the better for accomplishing that.
Riiight. Just like Jakobsson's done with her Democratic colleagues in the House.
I think you've got these relationships backwards - it's not Jakobsson/Frerichs telling the leaders what the priorities are, it's the other way around. And Jones' priorities clearly don't include the UI.
Why is there concern for Senator Rick Winkel??? Is it because he has nothing to show for the current legislative session except the highest income tax increase in the history of Illinois. Senator Winkel could not get another Republican Senator to support his Education Funding proposal because it was deeply flawed!!! One thing for sure is certain, Senator Winkel is NO Senator Weaver at all!!! Why are we attacking Mike Frerichs already as he has not even announced his intention to seek higher office??? Does Senator Winkel feel Vulnerable??? He should. Maybe another Republican should challenge him in the Republican Primary.
BigRed,
Take it easy on the punctuation, eh?
I don't think there is any real concern about Winkel, at least not from me. I think he'll beat Frerichs quite easily, especially after the pension/budget fiasco and the failure (yes, the tax swap failed) of the tax swap.
To IlliniPudit. I do not believe you are truly living in the Political Reality that currently exists. Senator Winkel is extremely vulnerable. As a life long Republican, I will never vote for the man again.
The lack of independence and actual power held by state Senators and Reps is a serious problem in both parties. Still, I don't see how the U of I is going to do any better with a Republican Senator in a Democratic controlled legislature.
It does help to have a member of the ruling party represent a University if that legislator takes an active role to lobby for funding. Universities that have ambivilent representatives in the Assembley do get less money.
It does help to have a member of the ruling party represent a University if that legislator takes an active role to lobby for funding. Universities that have ambivilent representatives in the Assembley do get less money.
Again, how has Jakobsson presence in the House Democratic majority helped the UI? It hasn't. Either she's a terribly ineffective legislator, or her leaders have different priorities than funding UIUC. Either way, having a Democratic legislator represent UI hasn't helped. And it would be specious for Frerichs to make that claim, given his leader would be Jones, who has openly proclaimed his dislike of the UI.
Again, leaders set the priorities and give the order to members, not the other way around. To pretend it would be any different for Frerichs is laughable.
BigRed,
Sorry to hear that. Here's hoping that the Jones/Frerichs team gives you the conservative representation you're obviously seeking.
IP,
You said that having a democrat in office hasn't secured the U of I anything, then I guess you can pretty much say the same thing about having Sen. Rick Winkel in office. Oh, wait, I forgot, we talked about this before. Winkel is the reason why funding for the U of I hasn't been slashed in the past two years, and Naomi is the reason why funding hasn't increased. Just trying to keep the republican talking points in order, sometimes they get so confusing...
Touche, Debbie!
Big Debbie,
Spin it all you want, but the difference is that for Winkel and the Senate and House GOP, funding for the UI is a higher priority than it is for the House and Senate Dems, whose focus is Chicago.
Last year, for example, Winkel sided with the Governor on a bonding bill in order to ensure certain funding for the UI. This year, his tax swap plan would have provided several hundred million dollars more to higher education, including the UI, but it failed to pass, so he wasn't as effective. But Winkel has at least demonstrated an ability to work with both parties to ensure funding for the UI, even if he's not always successful.
Conversely, Jakobsson's plan was to do whatever Madigan and Jones decided was best, which was resolutely support increased funding for Chicago State University while ignoring UIUC. I must have missed all the news articles about her plans to secure more funding for our University - it must not have been as important as her next coffee at Cafe Kopi.
I don't think Winkel or Jakobsen have been particularly effective at getting funding to the UI. Jakoben's claim to fame on education funding was for grade school kids to develop a board game that would be sold to raise funds, boy that is a great idea.
I least give Winkel credit for trying to keep the school funding debate alive. Namoi won't even take a stand on it. For that matter she won't even take a stand on the chief. At least the crazy county board members took a stand on the chief.
And do you really think Frerichs is going to go to Springfield and save the day? Of course not, Mike won't take a stand on anything either. When the county board was running million dollar deficits, Mike said nothing....
Wow, this post started out so slow I stopped checking it.
The critical difference between Winkel and Jakobsson is that Jakobsson's party controls both houses and the governor's mansion. They are demonstrably opposed to the University, with Emil Jones being seemingly proud to sport his anti-U of I bias.
The only hope for the University to return to its previous status in Springfield is to have greater balance in the House and Senate and to get the Governor's mansion back GOP.
Electing a Democrat from this district will embolden the Dem leaders in Springfield and reinforce their anti-UI policies.
Anyone who thinks that Frerichs can run even close to McCollum's numbers in CU is out of their minds. Four years of inert participation in County government doesn't stack up against McCollum's 16 or 20 years of service in Champaign where he could demonstrate huge advancements for the city.