Yesterday's editorial in the News-Gazette supports a constitutional convention saying:
The final authority for approving anything proposed by a constitutional convention, whether it is one or two revisions, several, or a wholesale rewrite, rests with the voters of Illinois. They deserve a chance to repair the flaws in the Constitution, and to make needed changes in Illinois government, that the politicians will not.
The problem with this logic is that they make simply no attempt to find out who is behind pushing for a constitutional convention. The groups against it are many and respected. People may disagree with the unions or the business groups, but these people are no slouches. They argue opening up the constitution could lead to making a worse document. It only takes one brief glance at the "yes" group to see that this is true.
The so-called Illinois Citizens Coalition was the brainchild of our own local arck-kook John Bambanek. It appears there are no other "yes" groups, so it is quite correct to say that the push for the constitutional convention is the "Bambi Show". Apparently after being thoroughly embarrassed in his school board race when the voters trounced him rejecting his bid to force creationism on Unit 4, he's decided to take it a step further.
A constitutional convention pushed by John Bambanek would be akin to returning to the days of Jim Crow laws and women treated as chattle. The fact that he is running it should tell everyone all the need to know about why a convention is the absolute worst idea to deal with Illinois' problems.
I'd have to agree that anything that John Bambanek is behind needs to be carefully scrutinized.
The state government in Illinois is in serious need of an adjustment. The power is controlled by three or four people, and the current stalemate shows this system is not working. It is obvious those in power don't wish to see state government change, and fear what may happen if a constitutional convention allows voters to make needed changes. I am not a member of any our your so called 'yes groups', just a voter who is tired of the BS that pretends to be our state government in Springfield. Why fear a convention? I don't see how revisions to our constitution can make it worse than it is now.
I normally can't read more than five words of John's without disagreeing with him, sometimes violently. However, after reading his well-argued case in today's DI and considering that the mess in Springfield shows absolutely no sign of abatement any time in the next few decades, it's time to stick a cyanide pill between the clenched teeth of the powers that be.
I doubt -- and hope -- that the ConCon would come out the way that John would want, but I also think it would not be something that the small group who've seized power in defiance of good sense and democracy would like the results of much either. I'm willing to take my chances, considering that Illinois is rapidly becoming the 50th state in so many negative metrics in this nation. It's surprising how well Chicago wears the mantle of Gotham City. It's a fitting, tragic and telling tribute to the mess that we've made of this nest, as well as something those of us downstate shouldn't be too smug about, either.
This is one of the few times I agree with John. The Illinois constitution needs some fixes. If you have not been paying attention to what is happening in Illinois politics for the past decade plus or you have a fear of change or you are a beneficiary of the elected political farce that is maintaining this debtors state as the "petri dish" of political corruption, then vote against having the Convention. However, if you believe there is yet hope of maintaining a government with minimal power corruption of the "chosen" few, assume fiscal responsibilities, then you need to vote for a Convention that can fix the basis for these types of changes.