Dozens of faculty members from Northeastern Illinois University held a New Orleans-style funeral march for the state’s higher education through the streets of Winnetka and up to Governor Bruce Rauner’s door.
They marched to the governor’s home because they said they were out of other options. NEIU typically operates on a $90 million budget, one-third of which is funding from the state. Now the school is trying to figure out how they will open their doors in the fall.
The NEIU employees took their slow funeral march through downtown Winnetka. At the front of the pack of horns and robed employees was a tombstone symbolizing the death of public education.
“What we think this is, is Rauner trying to ruin the university system,” said Sophia Mihic, professor of political science and philosophy at NEIU and president of the faculty union.
* I’ve already told subscribers about this new TV ad buy, so I’ll just post it here without much comment. First, the press release…
A new effort, entitled Do Your Job, Inc., is on the air with a new ad calling on Governor Rauner to do his job and end the budget crisis.
The ad, entitled “The Brink”, features the words of former Republican Governor Jim Edgar. In the ad, which begins airing today, Edgar declares that Illinois is in the worst condition he can ever remember including the state’s tenure during disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich. The ad then encourages voters to call Governor Bruce Rauner and tell him to do his job as the state reaches the brink.
Do Your Job Inc is led by IL Sen. Mike Hastings of South Suburban Cook County, IL Rep. Lou Lang of Skokie and Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael T. Carrigan. “The Brink” will run in conjunction with the legislature’s special session schedule in hopes of helping to secure a budget.
“For two and a half years, Bruce Rauner has been able to hide behind ads blaming everyone but himself for the state’s fiscal condition. Meanwhile, the Illinoisans most affected by the Governor’s inaction - domestic violence victims, seniors who’ve lost healthcare, and women who can’t get breast cancer screenings - haven’t had a voice on the airwaves. That changed today. Our first ad gives voters the opportunity to hear directly from a former republican governor as Illinois reaches the brink of collapse,” said the group’s leaders in a joint statement. […]
Do Your Job, Inc. is a 501(c)(4) organization and does not coordinate with other candidates, campaigns or political parties.
Edgar: The fact that we’ve gone now without a budget for over two years has put this state in the worst condition I can ever remember. Even during the Blagojevich years it wasn’t this bad.
Narrator: Governor Rauner has brought Illinois to the brink of collapse. Rauner is standing in the way of a budget deal – refusing to compromise, putting funding for our schools and roads in jeopardy. Call Governor Rauner. Tell him to sit down, pass a budget and do his job.
* The group also has a Facebook page and will do some social media ads, which may be based on this info from the organization…
Governor Edgar’s words are from a longer interview he gave on WXAN 103.9 FM on May 2nd. That interview contained other notable quotes including:
6:35 mark: “This state needs a budget and a good budget and that’s going to take compromise. And that’s going to take everybody sitting down concentrating on the budget and not other things.”
11:22 mark: “To me the budget is the most important thing that state government has to deal with – particularly now. And as Governor I always felt that was the number one priority. There are other things I’d like to get done but those have to wait until I get a budget.”
12:13 mark: “These other issues, some of them are good – some of them I don’t think are worthwhile – but the budget is to me the most important issue and has to be the one that everybody focuses their attention on.”
12:30 mark: “It’s painful to see what’s happened to the state…because state government hasn’t done the job of coming up with a balanced, adequate state budget.”
13:57 mark: “If people are worried about the economy that alone ought to underscore why we need to get a budget.”
