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Claypool berates Quinn for filing lawsuit to force elected Chicago school board

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Illinois

Chicago’s practice of appointing a school board violates the rights of all city taxpayers to elect who taxes them, disproportionately affecting minority voters, and has left the district in worse financial shape since 1995, when it was placed under mayoral control.

That’s according to former Gov. Pat Quinn and a handful of active Chicago Public Schools families and Local School Council members who plan to sue the city’s school board and the state Board of Education on Wednesday in state and federal court.

The group wants a judge to order elections to replace the mayor’s appointees on Chicago’s Board of Education, Quinn said by telephone Tuesday.

* Forrest Claypool’s response…

“Looks like gadfly Pat Quinn has latched on to his next failed endeavor. Coming from a governor who could have fixed the most racially discriminatory education funding formula in the nation but didn’t, and who failed miserably to address chronic education underfunding despite pushing through record tax increases, this is another absurd waste of energy and taxpayer dollars,” Claypool said.

He does make some decent points. But, man. Wow.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:27 pm

Comments

Not a Claypool fan.. but boy is he spot on about PQ

Comment by Wow Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:30 pm
I guess we’ll put Claypool down as “undecided.”

Comment by Team America Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:31 pm
Quinn is running for mayor.
This is just the start of his avalanche of nonsense yet to come

Comment by MOON Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:34 pm
@Team America

#Winning!

Comment by Chicago_Downstater Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:35 pm
===and who failed miserably to address chronic education underfunding despite pushing through record tax increases===

This is totally misleading from Claypool. Though he brings up a good point about changing the funding formula.

But Quinn is right, Daley and Rahm have run that District poorly (don’t forget Claypool was Daley’s chief of staff in the mid 90s). Not that it was all that great shape before, but CPS is a gigantic mess and Claypool isn’t innocent here.

Comment by From the 'Dale to HP Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:41 pm
Surprising comments from Claypool considering he got some nice jobs with Quinn’s help. He is cut from the same cloth as Quinn.

Comment by Old Timer Dem Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:43 pm
Moon - you are probably right.

Pat Quinn is a decent man and tried hard as governor, but his post gubernatorial actions remind me of a preschool kid who answers a question, receives commendation and kids works from his teacher and then still keeps talking well after the teacher has moved onto someone else. What do you do with the kid?! You try hard to ignore him but man is he a pest.

Comment by Team Sleep Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:47 pm
Sorry - that was supposed to be kind words from his teacher. Fingers too fast for my brain!

Comment by Team Sleep Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:49 pm
So Claypool is going to recommend that the CBOE concede to both suits and support an elected board to avoid the waste of dollars and energy?

Comment by Christopher Ball Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:50 pm
You could say the exact same thing about the park district, the CTA, and a number of other units of local government, but those don’t attract as much attention so Quinn isn’t interested.

Comment by Not It Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:50 pm
They all deserve each other, but the award should go to Claypool’s wordsmith. Nicely done.

Comment by Indochine Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:50 pm
===(don’t forget Claypool was Daley’s chief of staff in the mid 90s)===

Claypool was Treasurer Pat Quinn’s CoS too.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:51 pm
CPS has been managed as well as can be expected under Rahm and Claypool. CTU is simply hellbent on bankrupting the system with insistence on a 16% employer match vs. its members contributing 2% to pensions. The good news is, CPS has lost 20,000 students in the last two years. Teachers are being laid off and more schools will be closed to save money.

Comment by Ron Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:51 pm
-Quinn is running for mayor.
This is just the start of his avalanche of nonsense yet to come-

Yep. Should be as clear as day now. Get out your waders because it’s gonna get deep.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:52 pm
Quinn has no idea what his true legacy is or how people view him. He continues to try to find a new spot but doesn’t understand how many people just want him to go away.

Comment by Trapped in the 'burbs Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:53 pm
-Quinn is running for mayor.-

But he’s running for Governor again in 2018, right?

Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:53 pm
This is what you say when you’ve had a pebble in your shoe for one mile too many.

Comment by A guy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:55 pm
[Setting aside the substance of the disagreement] people who feel like sell-outs like to tell themselves that they didn’t have any other choice but to sell-out. And people who didn’t sell-out are an irritating reminder that the story they tell themselves isn’t exactly true.

And so, merits of the argument aside, Mr. Claypool finds Mr. Quinn irritating.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 12:58 pm
Wow, in the wayback machine you’ll remember that Claypool was the Deputy State Treasurer when Quinn was State Treasurer.

Comment by The Captain Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:06 pm
Sure sounds like a man who has gotten $250K from Rauner. Eh, Forrest?

Comment by Moist von Lipwig Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:09 pm
Quinn excelling at the one thing he’s good at, failure. What a sad existence.

Comment by Jackie Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:13 pm
I will be interested to see what legal theories they attempt to proceed under. Equal protection? Whatever it is, CPS doesn’t need to be paying more defense costs right now on two fronts.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:13 pm
The idea of Quinn running for Mayor isn’t crazy and he could beat Rahm, no one likes the guy.

He certainly didn’t have the skills to control the GA, would be fascinating to see a City Council where being a mushroom wasn’t a requirement.

Comment by The Way I See It Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:14 pm
Claypool should know a gadfly when he sees one. After all, Claypool dresses in front of a mirror daily.

Comment by Deft Wing Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:15 pm
Claypool sounds like he’s been taking a class on ‘How to Make Friends and Influence People’ from Goldberg. Yeesh!

Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:16 pm
So are these two both running to succeed Rahm as mayor? Or does Claypool just hate Quinn’s guts?

Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:17 pm
The strength of the response leads me to believe that PQ has some strong legal arguments.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:17 pm
That’s rather rich coming from Claypool.

Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:19 pm
=CPS has been managed as well as can be expected under Rahm and Claypool=

Barbara Byrd Bennett, pay to play with janitorial services, 51 schools closed mostly on the west side exploding violence, Excessive borrowing, increasing number of schools as enrollment drops, conflict of interest in legal department, conflicts of interest under Vitale leading to toxic swaps–heckuva job Ronnie

Comment by Cathartt Representative Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:22 pm
===despite pushing through record tax increases===

According to the 2015 property tax rates, as calculated by the Cook County Clerk’s office, Chicago still has the lowest property tax rates in the entire county. The total property tax rate for the city is 6.8%. The average tax rate is 10.2% in the northern suburbs and 13.0% in the southern suburbs.

The property tax rate for School District 299 (the Chicago Public Schools) is 3.455%. For some other districts in the county the property tax rates are: District #130 6.2%, District #144 6.1%, District #152 1/2 7.7%, District #46 7.9%, and District #161 6.6%. With some property tax rates for some school districts in Cook County about equal to or higher that the total tax rate in the City of Chicago, it appears to me that Chicago still has the option of yet another property tax increase to support education. My only question is there the political will to do so?

For all of the property tax rates in Cook County for 2015 see the following

http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/newsroom/newsfromclerk/Pages/2015CookCountyTaxRatesReleased.aspx

Comment by Hit or Miss Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:43 pm
Forrest forgot to mention …

Pat Quinn’s 5-year budget blueprint proposal called for the biggest investment in education in state history, including

a $6 billion increase in K-12 classroom spending over five years,

doubling MAP scholarships for needy students and

$1.5 billion into Birth to Five programs.

Rahm and Forrest were MIA on these ideas and the responsible plan for funding them in the Spring of 2014.

Comment by Oh please! Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:48 pm
==could have fixed the most racially discriminatory education funding formula in the nation==

CPS is home to some of the most wealthy homeowners in the state, a city containing multiple Winnetkas. If the ed formula is so discriminatory, why didn’t they hike all those rich neighborhood property taxes long ago to make up the difference like everyone else? Or maybe distributed more funds to schools in the poor CPS neighborhoods?

Lots of federal funds pouring into CPS. I hope that’s directed at the sources that need it.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 1:49 pm
=If the ed formula is so discriminatory, why didn’t they hike all those rich neighborhood property taxes long ago to make up the difference like everyone else?=

Uh, its called a state tax cap.

Comment by Upstate Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 2:16 pm
Takes one to know one, Forrest?

Comment by Belle Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 2:19 pm
I find myself inclined to agree with Claypool this time about Quinn’s grandstanding.

Memo to Quinn: Why does the lawsuit stop with the Chicago Board of Education? The City Colleges of Chicago and the Chicago Park District are also not elected boards. Both are filled by mayoral appointments. The City Colleges of Chicago has the only community college board in Illinois that is not elected. The Chicago Park District is one of the few park boards that is not elected.

As always, Quinn’s primary goal is self-promotion for his own gain.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 2:24 pm
==Why does the lawsuit stop with the Chicago Board of Education? The City Colleges of Chicago and the Chicago Park District are also not elected==

Good question. Maybe they all should be included. But CPS has lurched from one mess to after another for too long.

Comment by Handle Bar Mustache Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 2:38 pm
I hope this lawsuit helps. It’s far more important than the distribution of parks. It also seems that voters want this change.

I thought Quinn tried to address early childhood education and education funding. I don’t feel that he has been inconsistent in pursuing this issue.

Comment by Wayne Bibliotech Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 2:39 pm
Could we just give PQ a nice big “Participation Trophy” and send him packing somewhere?

Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 3:05 pm
Memo to Forrest and Rahm: You failed to support Quinn’s 5-year plan for school spending, which had

1. A $6 billion increase in K-12 over 5 years
2. Doubled MAP support
3. $1.5 billion into Birth to Five

Good grief, guys. Why get so angry about electing a school board? It’s the right thing to do.

Comment by Handle Bar Mustache Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 3:07 pm
–“Looks like gadfly Pat Quinn has latched on to his next failed endeavor.”–

Says the dude who lost an election to a comatose old man dying in a hospital bed, despite his big-time money from Rauner and the support of the Tribbies, Sun-Times, Crain’s, Emanuel — and Pat Quinn.

Forrest, if Quinn — who was elected treasurer, lt. governor and governor by the citizens of Illinois — is a “gadfly” failure — what does that make you?

That cry of “Run, Forrest, run” — those are the voices in your head.

Stupid is as stupid does, Forrest. And calling Quinn a gadfly and a failure, given your record of just hanging around for the next appointed job, is just that.

Maybe you went dizzy after Obama got elected, staring at the phone that didn’t ring for that federales gig.

Perhaps Forrest can explain why Chicago is the only district in the state with an appointed school board, historically comprised of people who never attended or sent their children to Chicago Public Schools.

Would you put up with that in your town?

Of course you wouldn’t.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 3:17 pm
Claypool and Quinn are allies from way back. Today, they are acting their respective parts.

Regardless of what anyone thinks of Quinn, close to 90% of Chicago voters want an elected school board–see referenda results. Quinn is not alone in bringing this suit.

The House passed the bill.

Senate President Cullerton will not call the bill, for fear that it would pass handily.

Senator Cullerton is protecting Mayor Emanuel’s crumbling CPS empire, which now consists of privatizing services, steering procurement, converting neighborhood schools to charters and demonizing the teachers.

CPS CEO Claypool is just doing his job, reading the script provided by the Mayor.

Comment by James Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 3:54 pm
Wow.

Blow, blow, thou winter wind.
Thou art not so unkind
As man’s ingratitude.
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
Heigh-ho, sing heigh-ho, unto the green holly.
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly.
Then heigh-ho, the holly.
This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
That dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot.
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As friend remembered not.
Heigh-ho, sing heigh-ho, unto the green holly.
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly.
Then heigh-ho, the holly.
This life is most jolly.

Comment by Soccermom Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:07 pm
Forrest Claypool has become the insider’s insider, hustling from appointed gig to appointed gig. Apparently he is now loath to support an elected school board, which everybody in Chicago wants (more or less) and for which there is no other precedent in the state of Illinois.

Forrest, stop your self-important political infighting and help the kids.

Comment by Moist von Lipwig Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:16 pm
===Says the dude who lost an election to a comatose old man dying in a hospital bed, despite his big-time money from Rauner and the support of the Tribbies, Sun-Times, Crain’s, Emanuel — and Pat Quinn.===

Ditto. But now you’re gonna get a nasty call from Pete G. He takes this stuff personally.

Comment by A guy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:20 pm
just a reminder as to why all the CPS angst from Chicago mayors: Chicago is the only city, town, village,etc. in the state where the mayor is held responsible for the performance of the schools

Comment by steve schnorf Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:22 pm
Wow. Forrest and Pat used to be close. When Rod was arrested, Forrest was one of the first people to call and offer to help. So I guess I’m not so surprised at the position he’s taking as much as I am by the nastiness of his words. He’s right of course but still. YOUCH.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:30 pm
Forrest, Forrest. that’s harsh considering Quinn kinda took you in after you left City Hall in what was not a move up or even a move over. You could have made the point without the pique. But, no good deed goes unpunished, right?

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:01 pm
Say what you want about Pat Quinn… but he does have a strong case. An appointed school board hasn’t improved or stemmed the bodies leaving CPS.

Comment by Steve Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:21 pm
Chicago should have an elected school board. The school board ignores the wishes of the community. The current board does allow enough excess TIF funds to go back to the schools.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:30 pm
Curious to know what gives taxpayers the right to elect everyone involved in taxing them, so that providing for instances where an elected official appoints someone violates that right. We the people don’t elect the president in this country, and for about half of our history we didn’t elect senators.

Comment by Whatever Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:33 pm
This squirrelly episode shows once again that we need some new faces and personalities and talent in “public service”. Look at all the political and administrative jobs that Claypool and Quinn have had over the years— and nobody can point to any real accomplishments for either of them.

Comment by Responsa Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 6:28 pm
Claypool did a great job at CTA and CPD. Good point above. CPS needed to close more than 50 schools. Probably should have been a minimum of 75. Now with enrollment down 20,000 in the last two years, another 75 to 100 need to be closed.

Comment by Ron Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 6:40 pm
Responsa, your statement is so lazy and sloppy it is funny:

==nobody can point to any real accomplishments for [quinn].==

SOME THINGS QUINN DID AS GOV, FOR THOSE WITH POLITICAL AMNESIA (forget his CUB, treasurer, lite gov work):

More people were working in Illinois at the end of Quinn’s term than at any point since 2008, and unemployment reached its lowest point in more than six years

$31 billion capital construction plan

Cut down Illinois’ backlog of bills from nearly $10 billion to less than $4 billion

Enacted civil unions and made marriage equality

Expanded health coverage to nearly 1 million previously uninsured Illinoisans

Twice enacted major pension reforms – though only one survived court challenge

Enacted campaign contribution limits and gave people the ability to recall a corrupt governor

Doubled the Earned Income Tax Credit

Oversaw an 8% decline in the state prison recidivism rate, from 55% to 47%

Closed a “super-max” prison labeled “inhumane and ridiculously expensive” by advocates

Signed a ban on pregnancy discrimination by employers against expectant mothers

…Need more?

Comment by Handle Bar Mustache Thursday, Oct 6, 16 @ 8:16 am