For Illinois governor, Rich Whitney, Green

In the gubernatorial race between the lesser of two evils, this editorial board chooses neither.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has already proven himself of incapable of running the state, though he is incredibly good at creating programs with his name plastered all over them. His posturing has especially hurt college students. This year, the governor pledged a $500 grant to Illinois families who have children in college. While the program sounds good on paper, in reality it destroys the financial independence of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. During his tenure, higher education spending has taken massive cuts. And when it did finally get an increase, that increase was not even on par with inflation.

State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka is also a terrible choice for the state. Her fiscal plan rests largely on expanding state-sanctioned gambling, including issuing a license for a casino in Chicago. Even if gambling is expanded, the state is not guaranteed the revenues that it desperately needs.

And when it comes to running the state fairly, both mainstream candidates have the potential to continue Illinois’ culture of corruption. Blagojevich already faces allegations of unfair hiring practices, and few are quick to overlook Topinka’s close connections to George Ryan, now serving prison time for his misdeeds in the license for bribes scandal.

Third party candidates have a particularly difficult time in Illinois. The number of signatures required to get on the ballot, for instance, is often daunting. The fact that Green Party candidate Rich Whitney has been polling as 14 percent in some polls is a message that the state is looking for new leadership.

Whitney has a lot of plans, some admittedly more reasonable than others. He supports conceal-and-carry laws, for instance, a scary thought for anyone from Chicago. But he also supports increasing income, corporate and sales taxes to leave the state’s education system less reliant on property taxes, the first realistic plan that we’ve heard of from any of the candidates. He is also working towards universal health care and has a progressive stance on same-sex issues.

Whitey is, admittedly, a long-shot for the seat. But if he collects just 5 percent of the vote, the Green Party will be recognized as an official political party in the state, making it much easier for the party break apart the two-party system that has produced candidates who are incapable of real leadership.

But most importantly, Illinois needs a governor with a real plan to get it out of the rut. And out of the three candidates, Whitney is the best person for the job.

Dr. David Gill for US House of Representatives

In the race for Illinois’ 15th District seat for the U.S. House of Representatives, personal history of the two opponents is markedly different. The incumbent Republican Tim Johnson has held his office for more than 20 years and cites his seniority as an important contribution to Congress. On the other hand, Democrat David Gill has no previous political experience, something he considers an advantage for constituents. Gill believes that Washington is ripe with corruption and has deep rooted problems, billing himself as one of the new leaders who will follow his heart, act with integrity and bring America’s family values to Congress. His Web site includes numerous videos portraying him as a down-to-earth, honest man. And Gill’s proactive stance appeals to younger votes.

Johnson’s lack of effort and outreach, however, is reflective of Johnson’s attitude during his previous elections. Johnson does hardly any campaigning at all, and never seems to be around his office. It would appear that Johnson believes he is in the lifetime fraternity of the House of Representatives and that he doesn’t have to do anything to get re-elected. On the issues, Johnson is all about keeping the farmer vote, despite poor attendance at his agriculture committee meetings, and keeping illegal immigrants out. On the other hand, Gill talks about things that matter to students. He is a huge proponent of universal health care and, most importantly, he has concrete plans to back up his viewpoints.

Mike Frerichs for State Senate

When it comes to the race for the 52nd district, there’s not a lot separating the two contenders, least of all their platforms. Both candidates have a laundry list of issues that include education funding, higher education, jobs, health care and agriculture. Neither outlines specific plans for how they plan to fund higher education, create jobs, or provide better health care. Both have experience: Mike Frerichs as auditor and Judy Myers as a senator for another Illinois district. In fact, if it were not for party affiliation, it would be difficult to tell the two apart based on their politics.

Where they do differ, however, is in their positions on the hot-button issues: abortion, stem cell research and same-sex marriage. Frerichs has vowed his support to stem cell research funding, an issue directly affecting research on this campus. And while he seems to have side-stepped the issue of gay marriage, Myers has come out staunchly against it.

When it all boils down, voters are going to have to vote their hearts in this race and choose their candidate based on their beliefs for these contentious issues. All other things considered, neither candidate is likely to make waves in the Senate.

But Frerichs does have two other things going for him. First, he has shown his support for students, including tax exemptions and other steps to make textbooks cheaper for college students. And second, at his height, we’re pretty sure he can dunk a basketball.

Naomi Jakobsson for State Representative

The thing that struck us the most about Naomi Jakobsson is her concern for this University. She continually fights for more funding for the state’s flagship school and has made education a priority. During her last term, she introduced legislation to fix the textbook price crisis, a sign that she’s actually listening to her student constituents.

That said, she made a mistake in raiding teacher’s pensions to fund education, which we hope she will fix in the next term. Her Republican challenger, Rex Bradfield, has vowed to fund pension programs in response. While Bradfield does support education and the creation of more loans and grants for college students, there still seems to be a disconnect between him and the students, and he has been hardly visible to constituents.

As for Tom Abram, we have to admire the guts of the 23-year-old University graduate. And perhaps at another time it will make sense to vote for a candidate who is so clearly concerned about the environment and energy, but right now the state just has too much on its plate with its crumbling financial situation.

We also appreciate Jakobsson’s availability. Once a week, she’s at a Champaign-Urbana’s coffee shop talking to constituents, which is exactly the kind of thing we like to see in our elected representatives.

Vote ‘Yes’ for Township Assistance referendum

In the city of Champaign, there are about 13,000 people living below the poverty line, struggling to pay their bills and assure meals for their families.

Historically, the city of Champaign has not been responsive to the poor. Under the previous Champaign Township supervisor, only seven to eight individuals were served with township assistance per month.

But under the latest administration, that number has risen to 100 per month, the result of a budget increase for Township Assistance from $55,000 to $210,000. Yet the people receiving Township assistance are only a small fragment of the approximately 2,600 who are eligible for aid in Champaign. These individuals are the poorest of the poor, on average living $7,000 below the poverty line.

On Nov. 7, there will be a wordy referendum on the ballot about increasing Champaign taxes. What it is asking for, in essence, is permission to raise taxes slightly in order to serve more of the neediest in our community.

Essentially, Township Assistance cannot provide help to more people unless the taxes are raised. The Township program provides direct help to those who are most in need. It serves as a channel for its recipients, who are required to complete 36 hours of social work each month, to pull themselves out of poverty by providing them with various work options. The increase in taxation that the Township is asking for is miniscule and would amount to a less than $1 per month increase of rent on the average Campustown apartment – roughly the amount that a student might hand to a homeless man on the street once a month. But when directed through the medium of the Township Assistance, that dollar will go a lot further toward improving the community.