Meeks stunt shows state incompetence

I read with amusement about the threat by Rev. Sen. James Meeks to attempt to enroll busloads of Chicago students at New Trier High School on the first day of school for city students. (Daily Herald, July 29)

Lest New Trier officials panic about this political publicity stunt, I'll remind them this is the same Meeks who threatened to run for governor until he cut a deal with Mr. Blagojevich and spared the governor the expense of a primary challenge and the loss of substantial numbers of a reliably Democratic voting bloc.

While the senator claims that this protest will highlight educational funding inequities between property rich and property poor school districts, all it does is highlight the Democratic three-ring circus we call Illinois government - namely the House, Senate, and Governor's office.

Meeks fails to recognize that any substantive change in the Illinois educational funding apparatus must originate in Springfield and therein lies the problem.

Speaker Madigan won't talk to Gov. Blagojevich. Senate President Emil "I need a raise" Jones bottles up any good government legislation that appears in his chamber, and the governor remains one step ahead of federal corruption investigations.

Meeks also fails to realize that his antics are counterproductive to efforts by Chicago Public Schools officials to get students into school, raise attendance figures and thereby increase school funding for Chicago students.

While Illinois residents buckle under the weight of a state income tax, soaring property taxes and the highest sales tax in the nation, our legislators continue to squander opportunities to fix the mess they have created and instead resort to headline-grabbing shenanigans to divert attention from their incompetence.

Meeks would do better to urge his leaders to act responsibly and Illinois voters should travel by busloads to the polls in November to rid us of the plague we call Illinois government.

James C. Pawelski

Arlington Heights