Executive Report Thompson petition Citizens will vote in November to tell the governor and legislature whether or not they want limits on taxes and spending. Gov. James R. Thompson started a statewide petition campaign in July to get an advisory tax and spending ceiling question on the November ballot. Having already said that he would veto a Democrat-backed tax rebate proposal for homeowners, the governor answered charges that he had not advanced a tax cut program of his own with "The Thompson Proposition." Thompson had until August 21 to gather 625,000 signatures of registered voters in order to put the following question on the ballot: "Shall legislation be enacted and the Illinois Constitution be amended to impose ceilings on taxes and spending by the State of Illinois, units of local government and school districts?" The voters' reply would not be binding on anyone, but would merely advise the legislature of the people's will. Thompson worked against a more specific ceiling idea in the form of a constitutional amendment (H.J.R.C.A. 22) proposed by Rep. Donald L. Totten (R., Hoffman Estates) during the last session of the General Assembly. Election board rulings The State Board of Elections ordered former Gov. Daniel Walker on July 14 to file sworn lists of donors and expenditures for his fundraising committees covering the period since the campaign disclosure act went into effect in October 1974. The Better Government Association charged that two Walker committees (the All-Illinois Democratic and the Governor's Midterm Dinner committees) failed to file required September 1978/Illinois Issues/29 contribution reports. Walker appealed to the state Supreme Court which will consider the board's order. At a special meeting August 11, the election board turned down a complaint against Atty. Gen. William J. Scott by his Democratic opponent Richard Troy. Turning the tables on Troy, the board ordered its lawyer to investigate if he had "willfully filed a false complaint" against Scott. Denying any wrongdoing. Troy said he will appeal the board's dismissal of his complaint to the Illinois Appellate Court. Troy had charged that Scott set up improper legal defense funds and used campaign funds to pay for his own legal defense against a federal grand jury investigation. Scott's campaign committee contended the money was for the committee's defense because the committee is also under investigation by the grand jury. Illinois Items Car buyers who have purchased the products of the Ford Motor Company in recent years may have lemons according to a lawsuit filed July 18 by Illinois Atty. Gen. William J. Scott. Specifically, the suit alleges that there was a high incidence of cracked engine blocks in certain Ford cars and trucks made in 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977. Scott charged Ford with concealment, suppression and omission of material facts regarding the defective engine blocks, by advising dealers of the problems, but not customers. The suit asks that Illinois consumers involved should be reimbursed by Ford for the full cost of inspection and repairs of the cracked blocks, and that a $50,000 civil penalty be imposed on Ford for each established violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, Ch. 121 1/2, sec. 261). The complaint was filed in Sangamon County Circuit Court. Gov. Thompson chastised members of the new Illinois Prisoner Review Board July 17 in a stern letter to Board Chairman James Irving. The governor was upset about reports that board members had been signing absent members' signatures on parole orders. 30/September 1978/Illinois Issues
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