Will Democrats pay the piper next year?
DEMOCRATS fared pretty well in the General Assembly's spring session. But they may pay for their gains in next year's election.

The year 1977 did not begin looking like the "Year of the Donkey." As the legislature convened, the party was still trying to recover from the sudden death of Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley; to restructure the legislative leadership after the loss of some powerbrokers of the past; and to deal with an extremely popular, and confident, Republican governor with big ambitions. Democrats also faced a depleted state treasury and, early in the session, substantial public criticism for the way the Senate leadership fight dragged on ... and on ... and on.

There were some advantages. One — a big one — was that the party and the city of Chicago really didn't require much success from the session. There was no pressure for major programs such as the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). All that really was needed was a reasonable level of funding for schools, the RTA and other municipal miscellany.

Another advantage, of course, was the fact that Democrats held the majority position in both the House and Senate, although that edge was dulled significantly by factionalism. Still another advantage was that Gov. James R. Thompson needed the Democrats to help him keep the budget in line without forcing a tax increase and to rebuild at least some of the public respect for Illinois government that was lost during years of constant fighting relished by former Gov. Dan Walker.

As it turned out, the party managed to use Thompson's needs as a lever to secure just about everything it needed, Plus a nice bonus that even Daley had failed to get - the Crosstown Expressway.

The Democratic leaders permitted Thompson enough leeway to pull back his trial ballons for a gas tax hike. They added onto his budget only token amounts, at least by comparison with the pork barrel heaven of the Walker years. In fact, with the sole exception of his beloved "Class X" criminal justice package, the Democrats let Thompson go through his first legislative session virtually unchallenged.

For his part, Thompson agreed to permit construction of the "Burnham Corridor" segment of the Crosstown. And, as the pieces fell into place, the Democratic forces got the okay on most of the other housekeeping items on their agenda.

The only real exception was school aid. Republicans managed, with little difficulty, to hold Thompson's budget line against Democratic attempts to provide more money for schools, including, of course, the Chicago public schools.

And, even there, skeptics both within and without the General Assembly suspect Thompson and the Democratic leadership have at least an understanding. Some suspect that the understanding is over some spare money that will turn up in state revenue — and it will go to school aid. But it will be Thompson who finds the cash and Thompson who earmarks it for the state's school children.

There lies the danger for the Democratic party. Because next spring is not only when the legislature meets again but also when the primary is held. And the Democratic accommodation with the governor will leave him in a strong campaign position as the 1978 election season gets under way.

Consider: Even if Thompson can't find enough in the till to increase school aid in the spring, the Democrats' acquiescence in holding the line this year could permit him to fund fully the state aid formula in fiscal 1979. That announcement could come in his budget message on March 1. The primary is March 21.

Thompson also is left with the public image of peacemaker after the warring Walker years; the image of leadership and cooperation after years of divisiveness and feuding.

The image, of course, is not entirely justified because Thompson, in many ways, did poorly in his legislative maneuvering. But the image is there, and Democrats permitted it to develop as the price of the things they wanted, including the state stamp of approval on the Crosstown plans.

"Part of the problem," Speaker William Redmond (D., Bensenville) said as he looked back at the session, "was that Chicago [Democrats] wanted the Crosstown so badly and they've wanted it for such a long time, Thompson let them have it. And when you've sat down at a guy's banquet table, you don't ask for a doggy bag to take home with you."

So the price of the items the Democrats wanted and got is that the first good chance to meet Thompson in head-to-head combat has been lost. The opportunity to rake him over the coals for his increased office budget was passed by. The opportunity to seize his gas tax trial balloons and explode them over his head was lost. The opportunity taken time and again when Walker was governor, to add appropriations was lost.

Of course, the Democrats will get another time at bat this fall, when the legislature returns for its veto session. The feud which erupted between Thompson and Redmond after the spring session gives some evidence of fall fireworks.

But the best chance was the first one.And that won't come again. 

September 1977 / Illinois Issues / 33