A state CON CON? A definite NO NO

By now you may be hearing about a proposal to hold a CON CON in the State of Illinois. This question will appear on the November ballot.

Is this a good idea or a very bad idea? Why should we be thinking about changing our state constitution? What are the costs associated with doing so?

In my opinion it is a terrible idea. Here are some of the reasons for that opinion. The constitution was changed some 40 years ago. Before that it had stood for 100 years. The political problems we are having in the state will not be corrected by a new constitution. Many problems can be solved by amendment. There is no need to toss out the baby with the bath water as the saying goes.

The process of a constitutional convention is cumbersome and very costly. It is estimated the cost would be between $78 million and $100 million. That's right, one hundred million dollars. The state is broke now. It can't pay the bills they have already incurred. Who will ultimately pay for a constitutional convention? Take a guess.

The call for a change in our constitution fails to meet the threshold for change. This is not needed. There has not been enough time to educate the voters on issues and what they are being asked to even vote for or against. The issues of hostility toward government structure would dominate the agenda. A convention is not a solution to the reaction of public attitude toward government officials.

Our current constitution can be changed through the amendment process and has been changed in this manner 10 times since the last convention in 1970.

We do have a lot of problems in our state government such as hostility, ethics, bad political climate, infighting and so on. None of these areas will be fixed with the expense of a CON CON.

CON CON is a NO NO.

Nanci Vanderweel, supervisor

Elk Grove Township