Look to Illinois Issues to keep abreast of the top races

by Ed Wojcicki

Two topics dominate the conversations of state observers this month:
What will happen in the legislative veto session? And how will candidates line up in next year's elections?

Illinois Issues was ahead of the pack earlier this year when we began publishing in-depth profiles of potential candidates for governor. We profiled Democratic candidates John Schmidt in June, Jim Burns in July and Glenn Poshard this month. Features on Democrat Roland Burris and likely Republican nominee George Ryan are in the works. Later, we'll take a look at the other statewide races and campaigns for the General Assembly.

I mentioned last month that we are grouping all of these features under a "1998 Elections" button on our home page on the Internet, but I goofed: I typed our website incorrectly by one character. I apologize for that, and want to provide the correct web address for Illinois Issues:www.uis.edu/~blee/ii.html

An alert reader pointed out my mistake. But in making my apologies, I have an opportunity to suggest that you check out our website regularly. That's because we will provide links to lots of Illinois campaign information not printed in the magazine, including some candidates' home pages. We believe that will enable you to become more informed.

This is the kind of valuable information that magazines like ours can provide. And it's free to you just by logging onto our website.

In September, we asked whether you were following the trial of Management Services of Illinois Inc. — a top campaign contributor to Gov. Jim Edgar — and the bribery of officials in the Department of Public Aid.

A high percentage said you were indeed following the news accounts almost daily. That unscientific response contradicted what several Chicago-area pundits told me: that the trial was greeted largely with yawns up north and that most people thought the case involved a sad-but-true scenario of "business as usual" in Illinois politics.

Already, news of the convictions in that case seems old, doesn't it? "There will be no lasting impact [from this case]," a Highland reader wrote. "You'll see many talk a good game about campaign finance reform, but no real action will take place. Leaders seem to believe that 'sunshine' laws are reform." Another reader commented:

"It just goes to show why Illinois ranks last in campaign finance reform. As an elected official, it doesn't help me or others in trying to win over the public trust. It proves the point that big money buys influence."

Illinois Issues November 1997 / 3