Sharing my anger over a pathetically political amendment
It's always great to get reader reaction to my Sunday columns. Even better when I come in on a Monday to find my e-mail box bulging with replies to something I wrote.
That was the case with last Sunday's column about SB 662, an amendment in a state bill sponsored by DuPage County Republican Party Chairman and state Sen. Dan Cronin that changes the minimum nomination petition signature requirement for county offices in DuPage County to 1.5 percent of voters from 0.5 percent of voters. This would, of course, make it that much harder for Democrats, independent parties and Republican independents challenging the DuPage GOP incumbent status quo, to get on the ballot.
So today, I turn my column over to a few of the many readers who share my disgust with this political ploy:
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This is blatantly unfair treatment of all DuPage County citizens. The quiet maneuvering of Cronin et al. is what makes citizens pessimistic and downright angry about their government. Thank you for bringing this absolutely horrendous and socially irresponsible issue to light. -- Michael Kahn, Glen Ellyn
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Although Cronin's amendment is an eye-opener, there are other troubling amendments in this bill. For example, if a candidate brings a complaint against the opposition and it's not resolved by the ballot deadline, "objection pending" is placed by the opposition's name. We see this as highly problematic. A partisan election board could deliberately stall a decision or the opposition could make a frivolous complaint at the eleventh hour. Having "objection pending" next to a name on the ballot could be quite damaging to an otherwise valid candidate. Another amendment allows absentee ballots to be counted after the election, even if they do not have a postmark -- opening the floodgates for fraud. -- Jean Kaczmarek, co-chair, Illinois Ballot Integrity Project, DuPage Chapter
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The fact that this garbage went through the Democratic-controlled General Assembly all the way to the governor's desk shows just how badly we need some Democratic representation from DuPage in Springfield. -- Mark Garrity, Downers Grove
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As a League of Women Voters member, a former sitting member of the LWVIL elections reforms committee, and a voting rights proponent, I am appalled at any proposed legislation that would restrict the democratic process in DuPage County --or anywhere else. This legislation has been unreported by the media until your column. Hopefully, (Gov. Rod) Blagojevich will see this for what it is -- a further stumbling block set up for any candidate (Democrat, Republican or independent) who does not have a big political machine behind them pulling the strings and doing the heavy lifting. I hope voting rights organizations everywhere, including the League of Women Voters, combat this discriminatory bill with zeal. -- Kathy Slovick, Glen Ellyn
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Thanks once for your column about circus elephants, and again for your column about SB 662. I believe you have planted seeds of doubt in the minds of readers who might think fairness just happens. -- Kat Doyle, Glendale Heights
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It's frightening to see this type of sneaky legislation that is so harmful for our democracy. Everyone should be angry and it should meet a swift death; but without awareness, things like this go by unnoticed. Thank you for doing what our media was intended to do … help maintain our democracy! -- D. Hubbard, Glen Ellyn