A Conversation with Our Readers                                                         

A new era: Will 'we' do better?

Readers:

I attended the inauguration ceremony last month in Springfield and have to admit I like these rituals. Cynics might say they've seen it all before, but that's precisely why a ritual is important: to let everybody know we are capable of having a peaceful transition of government power; indeed, that we are able to celebrate the swearing in of elected and re-elected officials. It's one day every four years when we truly celebrate the kind of democratic system we believe in so deeply. It's one day for a bipartisan display of congratulations to all the winners.

Now it's back to work, with all eyes and plenty of pressure on the Republicans to see how they will handle their new power. They control all six statewide constitutional offices as well as the House and Senate for the first time since 1957. Our cover illustration by award-winning cartoonist Mike Thompson of Springfield reflects both the opportunity and the challenge facing the state's GOP leaders. Our Statehouse bureau chief, Jennifer Halperin, explains in her Legislative Action column (page 32) which Republican leaders will be carrying the ball for the party's five major initiatives in the legislature this spring.

Even as the General Assembly moves into action amidst initial Republican euphoria, political attention is also turned toward Chicago because of the mayoral election this spring. Chicago Tribune reporter Robert Davis explains why Mayor Richard M. Daley is breaking a decades-old tradition and running alone rather than endorsing any candidates for city clerk and city treasurer. See page 18. In companion pieces, Davis describes the vastly different styles of Mayor Richard J. Daley and his successors (page 22), and Charles Wheeler recalls the different kinds of relationships that Chicago mayors have had with the Illinois General Assembly (page 25).

In recent years some communities and developers have pursued gambling river-boats as if they were going after the Holy Grail. But activists in several Illinois communities are raising the issue of "local control" and are seeking a voice to prevent the arrival of riverboats. This has set up a clash between state and local officials in some areas. Jennifer Halperin's article about this issue begins on page 14. And our Question of the Month on the tearout card invites you to offer your opinion as well.

Finally, U.S. Sen Paul Simon's recent book, We Can Do Better, describes how some of America's social problems can be addressed. But as Donald Sevener points out in his reflections on Simon's book (see page 27), the approach that Simon suggests, while not inappropriate or wrong per se, is irrelevant because it is out of sync with the direction that Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh are now leading the nation. How appropriate for us to deal with Simon's thoughtful reflections at a time Illinois Issues is beginning to observe its 20th anniversary. Simon was one of the three founders of this magazine (the other two were Sam Witwer and Sam Gove), when Simon was on the staff of Sangamon State University. Simon was interested in ideas at the time, and obviously, he still is.