Area teachers protest cuts, demand budget action

SPRINGFIELD - They arrived by the busload from Elgin, Schaumburg, Naperville and numerous other suburban communities, angered over school budget cuts that threaten their programs if not their jobs.

By midday their numbers, according to official estimates, swelled to nearly 15,000 as the conglomeration of teachers, state employees, home health care workers, social service agencies and seniors literally marched around the Capitol calling on lawmakers to fix the state budget, even if that means a tax increase.

"We don't really want a tax increase, but what other solution do we have right now?" asked Jessica Williams, an Algonquin resident who teaches English at Elgin Area School District U-46's Bartlett High School.

She said she felt compelled to attend the rally to protest cuts to tutoring for low-income Hispanic students as well as layoffs of numerous colleagues.

Yanet Lopez and Shahnaz Chaudhry traveled to the Capitol for similar reasons. The two bilingual, early childhood educators will be out of jobs in Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54 next year if school finances don't change.

"We are hoping it will get better. That's why we are here," said Chaudhry.

The show of force was supposed to indicate the unions and various other special interest groups are prepared to play hardball over the budget. They carried signs bearing slogans such as "Raise revenue, save jobs" and packed the Capitol in hopes of getting through to lawmakers. No elected officials were allowed to speak at the rally. Organizers said they'd heard enough from politicians and want to see action.

Did it work?

There was no vote or debate on the budget or a tax increase Wednesday. By midafternoon the charter buses had left and the Capitol garbage cans were filled with leftover rally signs. Soon after, lawmakers adjourned for their annual House vs. Senate softball game.

Rallies, though usually not this large, are a daily part of legislative sessions. Lutherans and rural electric cooperatives also had Capitol rallies Wednesday.

Republicans continue to say they see no reason to vote for tax increases to bail out the ruling Democrats. And Democrats aren't united on the tax issue and maintain it'll take some kind of bipartisan consensus to pass an income tax increase. With elections and campaign season around the corner, many believe that is increasingly unlikely.

Downstate Democratic state Rep. Frank Mautino is tasked with sponsoring major revenue proposals in the Illinois House. He voted for past tax increases and said he would again, but most of his colleagues won't. "There aren't 60 votes," Mautino said of the margin needed for approval. He said internal head counts put the tally under 50.

State Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican, said he appreciated the passion of the thousands of people involved with the rally, but raising taxes in one of worst economies in the nation doesn't make sense.

"I understand they feel it might save some jobs, but this economy and the people of the state cannot afford a tax increase," Murphy said.

State Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat, said the thousands marching outside the Capitol were justifiably frustrated. Link said the Senate tried to give them results last year when they pushed through an income tax increase that stalled in the House. Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed an income tax increase just for education but it too has lacked support.

"I can totally understand what these people are going through. I sympathize with every one of them," Link said.

State Sen. John Millner, a Carol Stream Republican, said it's possible something could result from the rally goers' cries. An income tax hike, he said, likely wasn't the only issue on their minds. "They provide a perspective that could be very helpful to us as legislators," Millner said.

The rally forced districts across the state to hire substitutes to teach classes, but a spot check of several suburban schools found the unions were footing the bill for such costs.

Mark McGue, head of the Lake County Federation of Teachers, said nearly 160 local members were heading to the rally. He said the group is not seeking to disrupt the school calendar or purposely cause extra expenses for the districts.

"The problem is that the legislature meets in the spring and not in the summer," McGue said. "If the legislature met in the summer, our members would be more than happy to go to Springfield and rally in support of the schoolchildren of Illinois on their own time."

• Daily Herald staff writers Chase Castle, Timothy Magaw and Tony Gordon contributed to this report.