Politics Today: Gov. Jim Ryan (R) & Gov. Candidate Rod Blagojevich

By: Krystle Russin

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 my interview, last month, I had young people come 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 show their platform, personality, and goals if elected.

 

MY QUESTIONS

Both: What would you like to tell kids and young people about yourself, as well as why they should vote for you or convince others to vote for you?

Ryan: If you would like to know more about me, the place to begin is with my family. 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.

            I have served as your state Attorney General for the past eight years. The Attorney General leads the statewide fight against crime and violence. In that role, I have made the safety and health of children my top priority. 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. You may have seen some of these billboards in your community. I have also obtained passage of many laws that better protect children from those intending them harm.

Blagojevich: 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.

            I want to be governor so that I can give every kid a chance to reach their dreams.  I want to give them every opportunity to get the best education that they can possibly receive.  After all, that is where everyone’s chances for success begin-in the classroom.

            That is why I am planning to bring real important changes to our state’s schools.  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, thirty-eight 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.

            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.

Jim Ryan: In campaigns, there is so much talk about the other candidate. What is true about you, and what isn’t?

Ryan: My strengths rest on my experience and my commitment to good government.

            Throughout my public career, I have conducted myself in an honorable and professional manner. I have hired people based on their skills and capabilities, not on their politics. My staff at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office consists of qualified people I recruited to state service and others who worked for my predecessors, despite the fact that they represent a different political party. I believe public service is an honorable profession and I have never put politics or personal enrichment before good public service. I want to bring to the governor’s office my administrative experience, as well as my values about serving the public honestly and honorably.

Rod Blagojevich: How would you have handled the problems with the Ryan administration if you had been in Jim Ryan’s position?

Blagojevich: If I were in the position - as Jim Ryan was - of being the state’s chief law enforcement officer, and 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.

Jim Ryan: Even though you are against Gov. Ryan’s actions, what did you learn from the scandal - both as a person and from your work as attorney general?

Ryan: 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. 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.

            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.

Rod Blagojevich: Your wife, Patti, told the "Women for Blagojevich" luncheon, "I know Rod will be exactly that kind of no-nonsense, problem-solving governor." What are you going to do in order to bring that message into women’s lives if elected governor?

Blagojevich: One problem that I hope to solve is the fact that, in Illinois and around the country, women very often make far less than men-even when they perform the exact same jobs.

Illinois ranks 42^nd among all states in the disparity in earnings between men and women. For example, according the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IPWR), women are paid 68.7 cents for every dollar paid to men. 

            In the year 2002, it is long past the time when women should be denied the right to take home an equal paycheck for an equal day’s work.

            As governor, I plan to work overtime to make certain that women in Illinois do not have to work overtime to make the same amount to raise their children and provide for their families as their male colleagues.

            Unless we improve our performance in this area, we will never reach our full potential for economic development, productivity or innovation in the state as a whole.

            I have unveiled a series of initiatives proposals aimed at achieving “pay equity.”

            First, I have called for passage of the “Illinois Equal Pay Act” (currently HB 847) which prohibits employers from paying unequal wages to men and women who work for the same employer and perform equal work.  The bill would close gaps in the current federal Equal Pay Act of 1963 which leave an estimated 330,000 employees in Illinois without such protection under the law.

            Also, I have endorsed, HB 3772, which would provide state employees the same anti-discrimination protections enjoyed by workers in the private sector and by employees of the federal government.  Enactment of the bill would enable employees of the state to bring action against the state for alleged violations of key federal laws that protect people from discrimination based on gender-- most notably, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

            I have proposed several additional changes in state policy, including administrative changes in the Illinois Department of Human Rights aimed at allowing the department to investigate patterns of discrimination by employers.

            I also will work for a higher minimum wage, to at least $6.50 per hour.  Since women are more likely than men to be low-income single heads of households, an increase in the minimum wage would help lift the economic standing of many women and families. 

            I have also proposed expanded child-care assistance to help parents enrolled in four-year colleges, community colleges or vocational training programs.

            Ensuring that women have every dollar in wages that they have earned s good economic and fiscal insurance for our state.

Both: If you were a voter with no party affiliation, why would you vote for yourself as a candidate?

Ryan: I think Illinois needs leadership we can trust and an experienced leader to get us through our current economic crisis. I am finishing my 18th year in public service, 10 years as DuPage County States Attorney and eight years as Illinois Attorney General. Both positions required administrative ability and a high degree of professionalism. 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.

            I have always believed as a public official that we must focus our efforts on enriching the lives of our children. They represent the future of our state, and their interests should far outweigh those of any special interests. As Governor, I will reorder our state’s priorities and put children at the head of the line – starting with improving our public education system.

Blagojevich: I think that my campaign speaks to some of the fundamental concerns expressed by people who lack party affiliation. 

            People often choose to become independent voters because they believe that it’s important for there to be a balance in the way state government operates.  Certainly, the current situation-where we have had nearly thirty years of one party holding onto the governor’s office-is a good example what drives people to become independent voters in the first place.

            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.

            Being an independent voter also often means that you are fed up with the status-quo, and that you are frustrated with the inertia that sets in when people have become too accustomed to simply holding power-rather than doing something constructive to assist the people of the state.  

Jim Ryan: Your family has gone through hard times during these past few years. How do you think your experiences will help you if elected governor?

Ryan: 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: What have your father’s experiences in Europe taught you about your own life?

Blagojevich: 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 it 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.

Jim Ryan: If elected, what is the one thing you would most like to see happen?

Ryan: I am determined to build the strongest children’s agenda in Illinois history and to lead a crusade for excellence in education. This includes committing more dollars to education and supporting better accountability for schools and teachers, ensuring that all needy children receive health care coverage and continuing my efforts at protecting the safety of children.

 

KIDS’ QUESTIONS

(ROD BLAGOJEVICH WAS UNABLE TO ANSWER THIS SECTION)

Q: How do you feel about teens voting?
Alina Bolsakova, 17

A: Voting is an important and serious responsibility for every citizen. It is our way of demonstrating the strength of our democracy. Teenagers are allowed to vote when they turn 18, which I believe is a proper age to begin voting. 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. 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.

Q: How will you help our public schools?
Raychel Yoken, 17

A: 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.

Q: How will you improve the capitol city (Springfield)?
William Grant, 16

A: 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. 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.

Q: How will you improve our roads and the downtown?
Courtney Enlow, 17

A: As I indicated in the previous question, 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.

Q: Do you think 16 is too young to be driving?
Rachel Wilson, 15

A: Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for people from 15 to 20 years old. Many of these accidents are the result of inexperienced drivers and drivers who drink. 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. In recent years, Illinois law has been strengthened to require teens to gain more experience behind the wheel before getting their licenses and increasing penalties for those under 21 who drink and drive. 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.

Q: Do you think 15 is too young to be able to work? If so, why?
Kristen Nickles, 15

A: 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. I understand that in some families this income may be sorely needed, but I would hope a child’s parent(s) could find some way to keep their son or daughter from working during the school year. 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.

 

Krystle Russin writes for The State Journal-Register(IL) and contributes political articles/interviews to several publications including PurePolitics.com.