Quinn pushing Chicago mayor term limits
Tuesday, Jun 14, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn kicked off a signature drive Sunday to impose a two-term limit on Chicago’s mayor and create a citywide elected consumer advocate position.
The binding referendums could be on ballots as early as November or in the 2018 cycle, meaning there’s potential to make Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel ineligible to seek a third term in 2019.
Quinn insisted his effort wasn’t aimed at any individual, and getting nearly 53,000 valid signatures before an Aug. 8 deadline for November’s ballot would be challenging. He explained how he got his start in petition drives — including laying the groundwork for the Citizens Utility Board — and wanted to give residents a way to bypass the mayor and City Council.
“Part of my mission in life is not to sit on the sidelines, but to try and organize movements and give people a greater say in their government,” he said. “It’s a way to let fresh air in and let the people into City Hall.”
* AP…
Quinn wouldn’t say what groups he’s coordinating with. If the measure doesn’t come before voters in November, it could be on the ballots during the 2018 gubernatorial election.
He refused to answer if he’d seek public office again. Quinn has recently been making the rounds at political events, fueling talk that he’s wants to throw his hat in the ring again.
“I’ve run for office before,” Quinn said. “We’ll see about the future.”
* From Quinn’s e-mail to supporters…
1. Chicago is the only city among the nation’s 10 biggest cities without a term limit on its mayor.
2. Incumbent Chicago mayors routinely outspend their challengers by millions of dollars reaped from lobbyists, corporations and billionaires.
3. The best way to achieve true campaign finance reform and end secrecy in City Hall is through mayoral term limits. And the only way to achieve term limits is through a petition drive and binding referendum, a power authorized by the 1970 Illinois Constitution.
* Mayor Emanuel’s react…
“Look, I got, I’m focused right now, Pat Quinn can do what he wants,” Emanuel said before speaking at the Clemente High School graduation ceremony. “I know what I’m focused on. I’m here to make sure that Springfield takes note, as they did on the weekend Sullivan (High School) graduation I spoke at, I’m here speaking at Clemente, of the gains our kids are making on education, that it is not the time to pull the rug from underneath our kids.”
* And columnist Jim Dey had nothing but praise for Quinn…
Quinn’s proposal cuts at the heart of the ambitions of would-be mayors in that notoriously corrupt city. When they get elected, almost all of them want to stay forever. They either leave feet first (Mayors Richard Daley I and Harold Washington) or are thrown out by voters (Mayors Michael Bilandic and Jane Byrne).
In recent history, Mayor Daley II stepped down on his own and only then after city government and the school systems were on the brink of financial collapse.
Now Mayor Rahm Emanuel, politically weakened because of his mishandling of a fatal police shooting, holds the office. Unpopular, abrasive and the ultimate political insider, Emanuel offers the perfect step ladder for Quinn to climb back into prominence.
It’s easy pickings.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:11 am:
Dear Pat Quinn,
Tom Dart thanks you.
Signed,
Voters with Quinn fatigue
- Mama - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:14 am:
Does Quinn want to be the mayor of Chicago now?
- Not Rich - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:15 am:
Just GO AWAY …PLEASE
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:15 am:
–Quinn insisted his effort wasn’t aimed at any individual,–
Can I get some fries with that whopper?
- Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:15 am:
I don’t think we need term limits to welcome Mayor Dart, but it’s not a bad idea.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:20 am:
Of course if Quinn had won last time, he would have been in for ten years consecutively. And if he runs and wins next time (however unlikely the latter is) he will have at least ten years cumulatively. Hypocrisy is so ugly.
- very fed up - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:21 am:
Hope this could be expanded to aldermen. Some have been in the hands of family dynasties for decades.
- Maguffin - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:21 am:
Rather a cheap shot (and displaying historical illiteracy) by Mr. Dey, in using Mayor Washington as an example of political ambition: he served one term, was reelected, and died of a heart attack shortly after. He spent his first term battling a racist city council, who knows what he could have achieved if he lived.
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:24 am:
What we really need are candidacy limits.
- Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:25 am:
This is a winner for Mr Quinn.
Easy pickings is right, especially in a city with a Mayor as unpopular as Rahm is.
Wonder what he thinks of term limits for Governors?
- the old man - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:26 am:
Believe you are wrong when thinking it would keep Rahm off the ballot for a third term, previous principles ie: 1970 Constitution did not pertain to whomever was governor then and set the date to change to non-presidential governor’s election some 6 years down the road, also the amendment which limit presidents to two terms did not preclude Harry Truman, the sitting president at it passing from running for a third term–he did not seek even a second term of his own. remember people expect any changes to be fair.
- Ron Burgundy - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:28 am:
Yep, this should remove any doubt he’s running again. Keeps him in the press. Takes on an unpopular mayor on a populist issue. Avoids similar action at state legislative level.
- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:29 am:
If Pat Quinn thinks this will make us forget how he threw his reform commission under the bus rather than take on Mike Madigan and risk being a 3/4-term governor, he’s wrong.
- downstate commissioner - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:32 am:
As a born and raised downstater: “Who cares about Quinn and Emmanuel? Just two Chicago Democrats…”
As a reader of this blog: “I don’t care, but I’ll pay attention because it may affect us downstate…”
- Bogey Golfer - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:33 am:
Even had his press conference on a Sunday; just like the old days.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:34 am:
–If Pat Quinn thinks this will make us forget how he threw his reform commission under the bus..–
Wow. What’s your over/under on the percentage of people who remember anything about that commission? Or ever paid any attention to it, at the time?
- NoGifts - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:39 am:
“or are thrown out by voters (Mayors Michael Bilandic and Jane Byrne).” It seems like we already have term limits.
- Chicago Taxpayer - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:43 am:
=What we really need are candidacy limits.=
Touche’
- Phil K - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:50 am:
Man, Quinn really knows how to hold a Sunday press conference and he can circulate petitions with the best of them. Running an actual government? Not so much.
- atsuishin - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 10:58 am:
“Who cares about Quinn and Emmanuel? Just two Chicago Democrats…”
chicago matters. It is the world’s 9th largest municipal economy. Without chicago, illinois would be another iowa.
- The Captain - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:00 am:
The Chicago mayoral term limit proposal is also tied to an elected consumer advocate proposal, which is a little weird to have the two tied together rather than two independent proposals. Quinn has proposed consumer advocates in the past, like CUB, so I wonder if this wasn’t his original idea and then he tied the term limit idea to it to win it more support.
Also, now we have both Rauner and Quinn with their own term limit proposals. When can we expect their joint press conference?
- Handle Bar Mustache - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:06 am:
Will be fun to see Rauner and Quinn agree on something.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:08 am:
–chicago matters. It is the world’s 9th largest municipal economy.–
Fourth, by metro GDP, behind Tokyo, New York and Los Angeles.
Proof that screwed up government finances do not determine economic activity.
And you can’t blame Rauner for Chicago’s rank, either.
- Handle Bar Mustache - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:09 am:
==Running an actual government? Not so much.==
He ran it a heck of a lot better than the incumbent. Indisputably better.
- Cathartt Representative - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:13 am:
It seems to me that legislature preventing Mayor Emanuel from a third term is as necessary as special rules to prevent Michael Bay’s Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles from sweeping the Oscars (Misses easy cheap shot Cub references)
- LibertyvilleNick - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:19 am:
Why wait until you are out of office to do something so bold? Put it on the line Quinn!
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:21 am:
@10:32 a.m.- “As a born and raised downstater: “Who cares about Quinn and Emmanuel? Just two Chicago Democrats…”
Thanks for illustrating the typical “downstate” chip on the shoulder attitude re. Chicago. Now I know why Dukes of Hazzard is still on reruns.
- Shemp - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:26 am:
And thanks for the elitist remark reminding downstaters why we have a chip!
- Boone's is Back - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:34 am:
Where’s Quinn’s Gubernatorial term limit bill? It’d be nice to see something that applied to him for once.
This is all about driving up support for him in Chicago and Cook County- particularly amongst core constituencies that PQ would need to come out on top.
Seen this song and dance before. It’s older than the macarena.
- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:40 am:
Wordslinger - I think your “us” is different than my “us.” Those of us who care about reform, and those who work to minimize the importance of reform for their own interests, definitely remember.
- Steve - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:44 am:
Quinn is right. But, we need term limits on ever elected office in the state of Illinois.
- LibertyvilleNick - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:48 am:
The Illinois State Rifle Association had a good piece on why term limits are bad. Let me see if I can find it.
- LibertyvilleNick - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:50 am:
- Michelle Flaherty
I’m using that one! I laughed out loud. Love it. Here in Lake County, people run for office after office.
- Phil K - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 11:56 am:
- Handle Bar Mustache
True, but that’s a pretty low bar.
- anon - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 12:51 pm:
It’s a fair question to both Rauner and Quinn whether they favor each other’s term limit proposal. If not, why not?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 1:09 pm:
Who dug him up?
- Cable Line Beer Gardener - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 1:18 pm:
If you are proposing term limits, why not age limits? Put a cap of 72 years. I cannot believe the ILGOP never thought of that. That would be one way to prevent Madigan from running.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 1:19 pm:
sent on Sunday. Timestamped at 2:06 pm on my phone. not cool Pat Quinn, not cool.
- Cantankerous Cal - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 1:25 pm:
Just saw some petition passers at at a restaurant in the west loop where da Mayor was having a meeting. They were just having lunch, minding their own business, but boy did Rahm run. Ha!
- Levois - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 1:42 pm:
Pat Quinn doesn’t always get what he wants, however, he does have some victories. If he reduced the number of legislators in the early 1980s, he can get term limits for Chicago mayors.
- Soccermom - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 2:01 pm:
Yeah, Amalia. I thought of that too.
- That'll Work - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 2:03 pm:
When my husband heard about this, he said, “The first name on that petition will be Rahm Emanuel.”
- Anon - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 2:51 pm:
PQ should stick to petition drives and leave governing up to someone who knows what they are doing.
- dixiechick - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 3:08 pm:
Pat Quinn could now have the signatures of 53,000 registered Chicago voters who he knows are opposed to another Rahm term. HMMM? Why would he want that?
- dixiechick - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 3:09 pm:
Also, did anyone notice that the ‘table’ used at the news conference was his ironing board? That is Pat Quinn!
- Whatever - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 3:47 pm:
Hey! We have our impasse-ending compromise. The governor gives up his turnaround agenda, the Dems throw Rahm under the bus, and by July 1 we’ll have mayoral term limits and a balanced budget. Thanks, Squeezy!
- Amalia - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 4:25 pm:
Quinn is a preview of Bernie Sanders. Lose, never move on, and bring things up at inappropriate times while everyone else is looking at a real crisis.
- Shytown - Tuesday, Jun 14, 16 @ 6:47 pm:
I give him credit for finding a creative way to make himself relevant for all of two days…now, it’s time to go away.