During each election, candidates campaign nonstop for
various kinds of votes: the elderly, women, and the
working class. But
what about the youth vote?
In
addition to the regular interviews, last month, several
young people came up with their own questions to ask
Illinois’ gubernatorial candidates.
Is there a chance that conservatives will once
again take the governor’s mansion this November,
through Jim Ryan, or will that spot belong to a
Democrat, this time being Rod Blagojevich?
Not
much is sure, except that it is the issues that will
determine this year’s election.
Here, the candidates - also including Libertarian
Cal Skinner - show their platform, personality, and
goals if elected.
THE PEOPLE:
Jim Ryan,
Republican Party
“If
you would like to know more about me, the place to begin
is with my family,” said Attorney General Jim Ryan.
“My
wife, Marie, and I met in high school and have been
married for 34 years. We raised six children and have
five grandchildren.
Marie is a teacher who most recently taught pre-schoolers
before joining me on the campaign trail.
I am an attorney who has been prosecuting
criminals for more than two decades.
Marie and I live in Elmhurst, a western suburb of
Chicago.”
Of
course, the biggest concern facing Ryan in the election
happens to be his connection to the Ryan administration
- that is, George H. Ryan.
The governor was allegedly involved in a scandal
receiving kickbacks for false driver’s licenses.
“The
corruption that has infected both the Republican and
Democratic parties is a disgrace to the individuals
involved and is an embarrassment to all of the many
state and local government officials who ethically and
honorably serve the citizens of this state,” the
attorney general stated.
“As governor, I will not tolerate this
corruption at any level of our state government.
“I
have always required the highest ethical standards from
those working under me and I have been aggressively
fighting public corruption my entire career. I have
prosecuted Democrats and Republicans alike, in all,
convicting more than 60 public officials for various
offenses.”
Ryan
also suggested how the problem might be prevented in the
future.
“Even
more must be done to keep officials from abusing their
elected office. That is why I have proposed one of the
most aggressive anti-corruption and ethics plans in the
nation to restore trust in our government. The plan
would put new restrictions on government employees and
create a State Police Public Corruption Strike Force to
focus on public corruption.”
The
scandal is only part of the hard times Ryan has had to
live with. As
for what he has learned throughout it all?
“My
family has had to deal with sickness and death just as
every family must face. It is part of being human. I
have had to endure treatment for cancer, the death of my
youngest daughter and the near-death of my wife. But my
faith and my family helped to carry me through these
difficult times and strengthened my resolve to make a
difference.”
Rod Blagojevich,
Democratic Party
For
the Blagojevich campaign, the question of Republicans’
integrity has become a major issue.
“If...I
heard specific and credible evidence that a
license-for-bribe scandal had been underway, which meant
that there were potentially many unsafe and unqualified
drivers on our roads, I would have acted immediately to
launch a thorough investigation.
“I
certainly would not have sat on my hands.
I would not have refused to lift a finger to look
into the largest act of public corruption in Illinois
history. There
was so much at stake-most of all, the health and
well-being of the people on our state’s streets and
highways.
“Unfortunately,
that is exactly what Jim Ryan did.
Our state suffered as a result of Jim Ryan’s
inaction.”
Blagojevich
was born in Chicago, yet his father wasn’t allowed to
grow up with freedom, spending time in a concentration
camp.
“Hearing
from my father about his experiences in Europe taught me
the importance of perseverance and courage. It gave me, most of all, a perspective on what is truly
important in life.
It also gave me a stronger sense of
responsibility, a feeling that I had an obligation to
help improve people’s lives.
“It
showed me that there are, from to time, evil forces that
come to power in some parts of the world.
But, it also taught how precious our freedoms are
here in the United States, what a unique nation we have,
and reminded me that we should never take those
liberties for granted.”
Cal Skinner,
Libertarian Party
Skinner
“began” his political career by running for class
president and student council while still in school. He later moved on to real life politics, and was eventually
elected as one of Chicago’s state representatives in
1972.
Having
left 12 years earlier for an unsuccessful Congressional
campaign, Skinner returned to the House in 1992.
To him, things felt a bit strange the second time
around.
“All
of the Republican House Leadership had been elected
after I had initially won election.
That made for some awkward times, especially when
I remembered something had not worked 20 years before
that they were proposing.
My role turned into one of questioning
leadership. I
was treated accordingly, but I did manage to play a
major role in killing Gov. Edgar’s 33 percent income
tax hike proposal.”
After
his two comeback terms as a state representative,
Republicans decided Skinner was too independent to
remain with the party.
“After
I lost the primary, not one Republican came up to me to
ask what role I wanted to play in the Republican Party.
The Establishment leaders obviously were not my
friends, so I guess it was no real loss.
Those who supported me because I did what I
thought was right, regardless of the consequences, are
still my supporters.”
Now,
Skinner is the most prominent third party candidate with
an estimated 5 percent of the vote, according to The
Daily Southtown.
THE CAMPAIGN:
Getting the
Vote
“I
think that my campaign speaks to some of the fundamental
concerns expressed by people who lack party
affiliation,” said Blagojevich.
“Three
decades of Republican control of this office has added
up to countless examples of misplaced priorities, missed
opportunities and some of the most damaging examples of
political corruption in Illinois history.
“It
is time for a change - not only a change in terms of
which party holds power, but in the way we do business
in this state. I
think that my candidacy offers independent voters a
chance to enact the kind of change that they are
thirsting for.”
“I
think Illinois needs leadership we can trust and an
experienced leader to get us through our current
economic crisis,” Jim Ryan mentioned.
“The Illinois Attorney General’s Office is a
large statewide constitutional office, and I have proven
my administrative abilities by making the office more
professional and effective.”
Cal
Skinner also added his thoughts.
“What
we all know is that the Illinois political system is
corrupt, and we can’t expect products of that corrupt
political system to clean it up...Just look at the two
power party candidates.
They are so alike on so many issues, that I’ve
started calling them JimRod...Electing me will shake
things up big time in Springfield.”
How It Affects
Young People
When
asked what they would like to tell kids about
themselves, as well as why young people should vote for
them, the candidates each had a different point to make.
“The
attorney general leads the statewide fight against crime
and violence,” said Jim Ryan. “In that role, I have
made the safety and health of children my top
priority.”
Ryan
also pointed out the programs he has had created with
kids in mind.
“Through
my Safe to Learn program, millions of dollars have gone
to make schools safer and to set up a tipline for
students to anonymously report threats of violence or
weapons in school. Further, I have led efforts to curb
tobacco use among children through anti-smoking programs
in schools and blanketing the state with 735
anti-smoking billboards...I have also obtained passage
of many laws that better protect children from those
intending them harm.”
Meanwhile,
Rod Blagojevich said, “The most important thing that I
would tell young people is that they and their issues
are a big part of the reason that I am running for
governor.”
“If
I become governor, I also want to make sure that every
kid in Illinois has access to medical care. It saddens me that so many children in Illinois lack health
insurance. That
is a problem we should solve.
If I become governor, I am going to work hard on
those initiatives and others that will help give kids
greater opportunities for success, happiness and good
health.”
THE ISSUES:
The Capital
Both
Courtney Enlow, 17, and William Grant, 16, wanted to
know how the candidates would improve the city of
Springfield if elected.
“Springfield
showcases the history of our state and the dedication of
the many state employees who call Springfield their
home. As governor, I will continue to support the
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and encourage all
Illinoisans to visit Springfield to experience their
state’s history,” thought Jim Ryan.
“Additionally,
I will work with local officials on ways of improving
the city, whether it is improving the school system,
fighting crime or improving the city’s
infrastructure...I will do as much as possible to
support projects beneficial to Springfield and
surrounding communities. The state’s current budget
problems limit the funding that can be provided for
local projects. As governor, I will work with local
officials to provide funding for the city’s most
urgent needs.”
Cal
Skinner said, “Black infant mortality in Springfield
is still several times as high as it is for whites. For that to be the case in Abraham Lincoln’s hometown is a
scandal of national proportions.
The problem, I believe, is that the public health
department does not have sufficient incentive to change
things...
“I
propose that other entities be allowed to compete for
the money now going to the public health department top
fight infant mortality.
Competition will mean more minority babies will
reach their first birthday.”
Teen
“Privileges”
Rachel
Wilson and Kristen Nickles, 15, asked about driving and
working at a young age.
Skinner
stated, “The first job of 15-year-olds is to succeed
in school...I think the privilege should be linked to
school performance, as should the number of hours.
“That’s
(16) when I started driving, so I guess I don’t think
it’s too young, based on my experience.
Obviously, younger drivers are more prone to
accidents. I
think it’s part of thinking one is immortal when one
is young. That’s
why Illinois now has a law which phases in driving
privileges and takes them away, if teens don’t follow
the rules.”
Ryan
agreed, saying, “I believe that someone of age 15
should not be working during the school year.
At this age, a young person’s primary concern
should be his or her education...When school is not in
session, I agree that someone of age 15 should have the
opportunity to work as long as the job is in line with
state child labor laws.
“Driving is a privilege that should be made
available to those 16 years old and older to allow them
to get to school and work and to assist their
families...As long as the laws are properly enforced and
teens are properly educated about the danger of drinking
and driving, I will support continuing to allow 16 year
olds to drive.”
Education
Raychel
Yoken, 17, asked, “How will you help our public
schools?”
Skinner
said, “During the last four years I served in the
House of Representatives, state aid to education was
increased 45% and no one I have talked to thinks that
educational results improved significantly.
I do not believe public schools will improve
significantly until they have competition.
“I
endorse the Heartland Institute’s scholarship program,
under which each student...would be able to spend
whatever is spent on public education...wherever he or
she...wanted to. Once
the public school district figured out that if it does
not do a good enough job that it would lose students, I
believe you would see improvements that cannot today be
imagined.”
Jim
Ryan believed improvement could be possible by using
better budgeting.
“We
have many great public schools in Illinois, but there
are still too many schools that are failing their
students. I
will improve education in Illinois by supporting
effective student testing, improving the quality of our
teachers, targeting funds to reading programs that
produce results, continuing to authorize state funds for
school construction and supporting efforts to bring
greater accountability to our public schools.
“I
also want to improve the shameful statistic that says
more than 50 percent of minority students in the third
grade can’t read at grade level. A priority in my
education plan is to double funding for reading programs
and to support education programs for children before
they enter kindergarten.”
Blagojevich’s
plan was similar to the others’, stating
“everyone’s chances for success begin in the
classroom.”
“I
want to be governor so that I can give every kid a
chance to reach their dreams...For really young kids, I
want to make sure that more of them have the chance to
go to pre-school, so that they are ready to learn from
the day they enter school.
“I
want to hire more reading specialists, so that every
child can read at grade level by the time they are in
the third grade. As
of now, 38 percent of them cannot.
That means that they are ill-prepared to succeed
in school.
“As
they progress to elementary and high school, I want to
make sure that they are not stuck in crowded classrooms
where they don’t get the attention that they need from
their teachers. For kids who want to go on to college, I am going to fight to
make sure that the tuitions that they and their families
pay do not continue to increase out-of-control.”
Voting
Alina
Bolshakova, 17, asked, “How do you feel about teens
voting?”
Cal
Skinner said, “I once voted to allow 14-year-olds to
serve on library boards as elected officials, but I
think citizens should be 18 before being allowed to
vote.”
Jim
Ryan also responded.
“Voting
is an important and serious responsibility for every
citizen. It is our way of demonstrating the strength of
our democracy. By
age 18, a teen is close to or has graduated from high
school, thus he or she has been taught about the
workings of our government and will be more capable of
making educated choices among candidates,” Ryan
continued.
“There are many young people capable of making
informed choices before they are 18, but there must be a
generally accepted minimum age that voting can be
allowed.”
Krystle Russin writes for The State
Journal-Register(IL) and contributes political articles/interviews to several
publications including
PurePolitics.com.
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