Rep. Wait on Recall, Asks Public to Sign Petition
Written By Ron Wait:
When it comes to government leadership, the people of Illinois don’t have too much to be thankful for these days. The governor has single handedly dismantled state government, and Democrats who control the General Assembly have buried us under a mountain of debt and unpaid bills while ignoring pleas for relief from high gas prices, property taxes and more funding for schools and roads. People are demoralized, tired and want a change.
However, thanks to the disingenuous maneuvering by Illinois’ Democratic legislative leaders Illinois voters won’t have an opportunity to rid themselves from this situation for years to come. Thanks to the unchecked control of Senate President Emil Jones accompanied by the typical “duck and run” political posturing by House Democrats, the voters will have to wait until the November 2010 election to vote on recall.
Several days ago, the Illinois House passed a recall amendment giving the authority to the people of Illinois to recall their state legislators and statewide officials by an election. Unfortunately, the Democratic leadership of the state Senate didn’t feel that voters deserve a say in the matter. Instead opting to play political games, they felt that they would advance their own counter proposal, a political dance seen time and time again between the two Democrats in charge of the General Assembly. The measure was killed by the Democrat controlled General Assembly.
At the same time this important citizen initiative was defeated, the Democrats are now clamoring for a legislative pay raise. I don’t think I have ever witnessed a bigger insult to the voters of Illinois than the shenanigans being conducted in Springfield. That is why I am posting on my website a petition urging the Boone, Dekalb, and Winnebago County Boards to adopt resolutions putting an advisory recall referendum on the ballot this fall. If you agree that voters should have an option for removal of elected officials not doing their job, I urge you to sign my Recall Petition which I will personally share with local county officials.