18 / March 1998 Illinois Issues
DON'T GET NO RESPECT
The Rodney Dangerfields of the statewide
campaigns face their biggest challenge:
generating public interest
by Jessica Winski
Illustrations by William Crook Jr.
When he was campaigning
for lieutenant governor in
1972, Jim Nowlan was a guest on
"Conversation," a radio talk show
serving Sterling and Rock Falls.
The program opened with two
listener calls, and Nowlan gave
what he thought were pretty good
answers. But the phones stopped
ringing and he found himself
searching for ways to fill the time,
elaborating on issues in state government. When the phone finally
rang, he and the host both grabbed
for it and anxiously awaited the
caller's question. The voice on the
other end of the line said: "I'd like
to offer the female listeners my
favorite recipe for carrot cake."
The message: It's difficult for
candidates for the lesser executive
offices to capture voters' interest.
"Difficult? It was impossible,"
says Nowlan, who served in the
legislature and is now a political
analyst with the University of
Illinois' Institute of Government
and Public Affairs. "After a year
running around the state trying to
be known, I was less well-known
than I was at the beginning."
Indeed, even incumbents in the
lower-down-the-ballot positions
have trouble getting the public to
take notice. "No one pays attention
to these offices," state Treasurer
Judy Baar Topinka says, referring
to two other statewide posts, comptroller and treasurer. "They just
aren't as sexy as being governor."
Sexy or not, in mere days
Illinois voters will be asked to
decide among 11 Republicans and
Democrats plus six Reform Party
candidates running for four of the
most obscure state offices:
lieutenant governor, comptroller,
treasurer and attorney general.
It's a scenario that has
sparked debate over the years. In
1967, Terry Sanford, former governor of North Carolina, wrote that,
except for governor, "the people
barely know the offices exist, and
cannot possibly keep up with their
activities and performances."
Some 30 years later nothing has
changed, says Paul Simon, who
served a term as lieutenant governor and two as U.S. senator and
runs his own public policy institute
at Southern Illinois University.
"Honestly, I'd have to say that
most voters don't know what the
constitutional officers do. They
may know that the secretary of
state signs their drivers' licenses."
But if voters don't pay attention
to the candidates or the offices, the
question arises: Should they have
any say? In fact, several states have
removed such decisions from
voters. In Maine and New Jersey,
for example, voters elect only the
governor. At the other extreme,
though, some states have expanded
the list of elected officials to
include the heads of agriculture or
natural resources. Californians, for
Illinois Issues March 1998 / 19
instance, elect their insurance commissioner. Illinois is about average in
electing six constitutional officers.
Still, efforts to shorten the ballot
have been undertaken in this state,
including the current push to consolidate the duties of comptroller and
treasurer. That proposal, however, has
less to do with easing the load for voters and more to do with saving money.
"Anyone who is thinking in this
state is aware of the duplicative nature
of the offices," says Topinka, who
argues consolidation could save taxpayers between $10 million and $12
million dollars per year. That proposal
to amend the state Constitution
passed the Senate last fall and now
awaits action in the House. If the
House passes the proposal by May 4,
it will go on the November ballot.
Topinka believes the time to act is
now, when she and state Comptroller
Loleta Didrickson both support consolidation. "When you have a treasurer
or comptroller who are not in favor of
this, then you automatically get the
legislature kind of backing off. They
don't want to step on anyone's toes. It
becomes a political hot potato." With
84 co-sponsors in the House thus far,
Topinka is hopeful.
Meanwhile, state Sen. Howard Car-
roll wants to eliminate the lieutenant
governor's office. The Chicago Democrat's proposed constitutional amendment to accomplish that is under review
by the Senate Executive Committee.
"The lieutenant governor serves no
function but to call the doctor and see
if the [governor's] breathing," Carroll
has told the Chicago Tribune. (In the
last 180 years, a lieutenant governor
has stepped in to assume the duties of
the governor only five times.)
Certainly, Republican Dave O'Neal
didn't do the office any favors when he
resigned in 1981 out of boredom.
O'Neal had been elected with Jim
Thompson in 1976 and 1978, but,
maintaining he had been given little
to do, O'Neal hoped that stepping
aside would force changes in the
powers and responsibilities of the
post. Ironically, the office sat vacant
for 17 months and, by all appearances,
the business — and the politics — of
the state was little affected.
At any rate, the authors of the
current state Constitution had already
changed the lieutenant governor's
powers and responsibilities. In 1970,
the lieutenant governor lost the job of
presiding over the Senate. Any other
"duties" were left to the discretion of
the governor.
Political scientists David Kenney
and Barbara Brown of SIU note in
Basic Illinois Government that Republican Lt. Gov. George Ryan, restored
"some semblance of respectability [to
the post] after the oblivion to which
Dave O'Neal's resignation assigned
it." And Republican Gov. Jim Edgar
has charged the current lieutenant
governor, Bob Kustra, with promoting
economic development and substance
abuse prevention. Kustra also has been
a player in higher education policy,
including the successful move to
restructure university boards.
Yet even Kustra has seemed bored
with the post. In 1994, he planned to
leave the office to become a radio talk
show host, then reconsidered after
Edgar suffered a heart attack and
asked him to stay on.
Indeed, Edgar's heart condition —
and Kustra's change of heart — highlights the primary reason for keeping
the office: to guarantee, should the governor be unable to serve, that he or she
would be succeeded by someone from
the same political party. The attorney
general, who is elected independently,
is next in line to succeed the governor.
During the Constitutional Convention, delegates also debated whether to
make all executive officers but governor appointive. Proponents contended
the governor should be able to choose
his lawyer and money managers. They
argued that forcing the governor to
work with executive officers selected
by the people is akin to allowing voters
to select the president's Cabinet.
Moreover, they noted, when executive
officers belong to opposing parties,
conflict can arise. That was the case in
1974 when a controversy arose
between Democratic Gov. Dan Walker
and Republican Attorney General
William Scott over who should control
lawyers employed by the executive
agencies. And in the early '90s, Edgar
and Democratic Attorney General
Roland Burris clashed over the extent
of the attorney general's role as the
state's lawyer.
Despite the debate, Con-Con
delegates chose to make only the state
school chief's job appointive.
One reason political parties don't
favor more appointive posts is that the
lower executive offices provide a good
training ground — and a good launching pad — for their candidates. The
secretary of state's office, for example,
is considered a stepping-stone to the
governor's mansion — one George
Ryan hopes will propel him to the top
job, as it did his predecessor. Paul
Simon, arguably a household name
today, got his start in statewide office
as lieutenant governor. He moved
For More Information
Illinois Issues has profiled five candidates for governor. On the
Democratic ticket, see articles on John Schmidt (June, page 22); Jim Burns
(July/August, page 22); Glenn Poshard (November, page 27); and Roland
Burris (January, page 24). We also profiled Republican George Ryan
(February, page 20). For a profile of the secretary of state candidates from
both parties, see January, page 30. Since publication of that article,
Democrat Penny Severns was removed from the ballot. Included in that
article are two candidates on that party's ticket (Tim McCarthy and Jesse
White) and two candidates on the Republican ticket (Robert Churchill
and Al Salvi). All of these articles also are available through the
magazine's home page. Our new web site address is:
www.uis.edu/~ilissues/ilissues.htm.
Just look up the site and follow our links. Read up and vote March 17.
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20 / March 1998 Illinois Issues
on to Washington, D.C. Similarly,
state Comptroller Loleta Didrickson
hopes to move on to the U.S. Senate.
Aside from helping politicians to
build name recognition, the lesser
executive posts give politicians an
opportunity to gain experience in
governance, or at least some seasoning
in a statewide campaign.
Meanwhile, this year,
Illinois voters will choose
among candidates for all six
constitutional offices. Here's a
rundown on the lesser known
statewide posts.
The lieutenant
governors independent of the chief executive
in the primary, but presumptive Republican gubernatorial
nominee George Ryan
recruited his choice for
the second spot anyway:
first-term Republican state
Rep. Corinne Wood of Lake
Forest. If, as expected, those
two win their primary races
this month, they'll be an
official team in the fall
general election. No surprise,
Ryan's choice could help
shore up support where he is
weakest. Wood could help
improve his chances with
female voters; and her
support for abortion rights
could provide a counterbalance to Ryan's opposition
to abortion in most cases.
Wood has previously
worked as a private attorney,
as well as a lawyer for a state
agency. She says she plans to
carry on Kustra's program to
promote economic development in smaller communities.
Ryan and Wood say they
will unveil a series of policy
initiatives following the
March primary covering such issues
as affordable health care and day care.
Former state Treasurer Pat
Quinn of Chicago and Kane County
Coroner Mary Lou Kearns
of St. Charles are vying for the
lieutenant governor spot on the
Democratic ticket.
Quinn, a Chicagoan, has the
advantage in name recognition. He has
served in statewide office already. And
he's well-known for his successful
effort in 1980 to cut the size of the
Illinois House. Quinn also waged two
unsuccessful statewide campaigns:
secretary of state in 1994 and U.S.
Senate in 1996.
A founder of the consumer-oriented
Citizens Utility Board, Quinn says
he will continue to be an activist if
elected. He favors "reform" in both the
health and car insurance industries.
He would, for instance, prohibit
discrimination in insurance rates based
on geography.
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Calling Illinois' tax code the "most
unfair in the country," Quinn also
would use the office to push for tax
relief. He would double the credit
property taxpayers get on their state
income tax, from 5 percent to 10
percent. And he would double the
personal exemption on income taxes
from $1,000.
Kearns, who has won
election six times as county
coroner in Republican
stronghold Kane County,
touts her appeal to the
voters in Chicago's collar
counties. Like Quinn, she is
no stranger to statewide
races. She lost a close
primary race for Illinois
comptroller in 1994.
Kearns would draw on her
background as a registered
nurse with a master's
degree in public health to
develop policy initiatives in
public health and health
care, with a focus on
Medicaid cost containment
and the quality of managed
care. She would seek to
replicate an anti-gang
initiative she launched at
the local level. The educational program was
designed for young people
sentenced in court for gang
violence.
The four Democratic
gubernatorial candidates
— Chicagoans Roland
Burris and John Schmidt,
Glenn Poshard of Marion
and Jim Burns of Evanston
— have expressed a
willingness to work with
either of these candidates.
The attorney general is the nation's
most frequently elected
state executive. Illinois' top lawyer
represents the state and its officers
before courts.
Incumbent Republican Jim Ryan
of Bensenville passed up a U.S. Senate
run to seek re-election. He says he
wants to continue his work on
children's issues. He has, for example,
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Illinois Issues March 1998 / 21
created a child exploitation unit that
monitors the Internet for pedophiles
and child pornographers. Citing the
need for an overhaul in the state's child
support program, Ryan has recently
pushed lawmakers to shift the responsibility for collection to his office from
the Department of Public Aid.
Miriam Santos, city treasurer of
Chicago, is the lone candidate on the
Democratic side. She is only the
second woman and the first Hispanic
elected to a city post in Chicago. In
addition to strong name recognition in
the city, she enjoys the support of the
Latino community and endorsements
from the Democratic State Central
Committee and Chicago Mayor
Richard Daley. Daley's backing
surprised some because he rarely
endorses in primary races and because
Santos has publicly battled with him
during her tenure. Some speculate
Daley would be happy to see her move
up — and out of city politics.
Santos would update the technology
to track child support collections. She
would speed up state compensation
payments to crime victims. And,
drawing on her expertise in city
pension funds, she envisions a role
overseeing the state pension systems.
The comptroller is the
state's chief fiscal officer, responsible
for authorizing payments from the
state treasury. She reports regularly on
the state's fiscal health.
The Republican primary for this
office features two millionaires: state
Sen. Chris Lauzen of Aurora and
Elgin businessman Harry Seigle.
Lauzen, an accountant who specializes in serving small businesses, is in
his second term as a lawmaker. He
backs a proposal to double the
percentage of property taxes Illinois
homeowners can deduct from their
state income taxes. If elected, he would
create a school funding report card
designed to give Illinoisans a close
look at how state education dollars are
spent. The report would include
information on the cost of salaries,
administration, technology and textbooks.
Seigle is offering his business
expertise and his tenure as former
chairman of the Illinois Development
Finance Authority. Saying he would
treat Illinois citizens like customers,
Seigle emphasizes that a comptroller's
office under his control would get
checks to state vendors on time. He
would place first priority on getting
payments to nonprofit organizations.
Both Lauzen and Seigle support the
move to consolidate the offices of
comptroller and treasurer.
The Democratic candidate for this
post is Daniel Hynes, son of former
Cook County Assessor and state
"Senate President Thomas Hynes. A
Chicago lawyer, Hynes is hoping, at
29, that his candidacy will spark interest among the state's younger voters.
This is his first run for public office.
He has received the endorsement of
his party's state central committee.
As comptroller, he would push for
establishment of an official "rainy
day" fund for economic downturns.
Illinois is among a handful of states
that do not have such a savings
account. Alaska and Michigan have
funds in excess of $1 billion.
The treasurer receives and
invests all state funds. Republican
incumbent Judy Baar Topinka is seeking her second term, the first treasurer
in 20 years to do so. She says under her
guidance, the state has experienced a
significant increase in investment earnings, totalling $277 million last year.
In 1994, before she took over, only
$162 million was earned.
Topinka has conducted a series of
statewide sessions on the safety and
soundness of public funds. She has
prompted the introduction of legislation requiring all taxing bodies in
Illinois that invest public money to
follow written investment policies. She
believes such policies would help safeguard Illinois local governments from
the risky investments that caused
Orange County, California, to go
bankrupt.
Battling to take Topinka on in the
general election are Democratic candidates Jerry Geneva, the mayor of
southeast suburban Calumet City, and
Daniel McLaughlin, mayor of south-
west suburban Orland Park.
McLaughlin admits the jump from
mayor of a town of 47,600 to state
treasurer would be a big one, but he
cites his five-year record as evidence
the state's coffers would be in good
hands: He says he passed five balanced
budgets, attracted more than 100 new
businesses and increased his community's general revenue fund by $4 million.
As state treasurer, McLaughlin says
he would work to restore the level of
the state's investments in linked
deposit programs, which have been cut
from $700 million to $377 million
during Topinka's tenure. Through
linked deposit programs, low-interest
loans are made available for use in four
areas: agriculture, social programs, job
creation and disaster recovery.
McLaughlin wants to see the funds
put to work to help women and minority business owners get cash for business creation and expansion. He also
would form an investment advisory
board with experts from throughout
the state.
Like McLaughlin, Genova is trying
to make the jump from local office.
His focus is also the state's linked
deposit programs. He would use the
low-interest loans to help first-time
home buyers, women and minority-
owned businesses, as well as older
communities in need of rebuilding.
Additionally, he would utilize the
loans to help families prepay their
children's college tuition and would
better promote an existing program
to help people buy farms.
These Rodney Danger fields of
statewide office face a more immediate
challenge in the next few days: capturing voters' attention. Jim Nowlan
knows what they're up against. "I'll
bet some candidate will confess to a
similar story," he says, remembering
his experience in competing with
carrot cake recipes on talk radio.
In fact, Lauzen may already have
one. On his round-the-state announcement tour, he was met by only two
reporters on the last touchdown,
Chicago's Meigs Field, a traditional
stop in the media-heavy and vote-rich
metropolitan region. Faced with such
a poor turnout, Lauzen, perhaps
wisely, decided to forego the standard
speech from the podium.
22 / March 1998 Illinois Issues