Constitutional Convention for Illinois

There is an article on page 3 of the Metro section of today’s Chicago Tribune titled “Cook voters to get say on recall amendment.” It is important to note that this is only an advisory referendum. However, there is also a binding referendum on the same ballot calling for a new constitutional convention, where recall (and other important changes to how state government is run) can be proposed, debated, and then put before the voters.

You will be told that the changes you want to see in Springfield can be better (and more easily) made in other ways. Not true. A constitutional convention is the best and quickest way to make these three changes:

SUNDAY OCTOBER 12
3PM
RICE PARK, ST. IGNATIUS COLLEGE PREP
1051 W. ROOSEVELT RD

DETAILS FORTHCOMING

JOIN US THURSDAY AUGUST 28TH 6pm-9pm
637 S. DEARBORN, GRACE PLACE 1ST FLOOR
Friends and Family Training and First Phone Bank. (Grace Place, 637 S. Dearborn (between Polk and Harrison in Printer's row, paid parking in lot adjacent or at meters on the street).

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14TH
3-8:30PM
ASCENSION CHURCH- PINE ROOM
800 EAST. AVE

WE'LL BEGIN WITH TRAINING AND THEN GO OUT

SEE YOU THERE

It’s kind of like being Alice in Wonderland to read the statements of the officiously self-proclaimed Alliance to Protect the Illinois Constitution. You have to buy five whoppers before you can even engage them in conversation.

Whopper #1: A new constitutional convention will prevent change in Springfield.

An article by Greg Hinz in the July 3 edition of Crains Chicago Business details how the opponents to the constitutional convention have hired David Axelrod's firm to develop their $2-3 million advertising campaign to defeat the referendum on the November 4 ballot. You can read the entire article at:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=30073

The following op-ed piece ran in the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday, July 1.
You can access it at this site, and I have also copied it below.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped0701conconjul01,0,488...

If not now, when?
By Gregory F. Augustine Pierce
July 1, 2008

Wanna send a message to Springfield? Better yet, wanna change the way they do business there?

I received a letter from an Illinois judge friend of mine whom I had asked to support the constitutional convention. She had come to the conclusion that a constitutional convention was "unnecessary, costly, and ill-advised." Here is my response to her:

How are you going to feel the morning after?

You vote "yes" on the constitutional convention: proud, hopeful, excited, enthusiastic, empowered.

You vote "no" on the constitutional convention: ashamed, doubtful, regretful, cynical, powerless.