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Edgar’s governorship coincided with the early years of Mayor Richard M. Daley’s twenty-year reign on the fifth floor of Chicago’s City Hall. Republican governor. Democrat mayor. It was a bumpy ride.
“I didn’t have a big problem with Rich Daley. I think he had more of a problem with me,” said Edgar. “Richie had been mayor about two years when I came in. That’s when they increased the income tax, giving an additional amount to the cities. So he got a big boost there. They did Navy Pier, too. All this happened as Jim Thompson was going out the door. When I came in, we were in the midst of a recession, and we had a huge deficit. I had to cut a lot of things, which means I had to say no. He always referred to me as ‘Governor No.’”
Daley and Edgar had other flash points as well. Daley wanted the state to pay for a Soldier Field rehab for the Bears but Edgar refused, preferring a multi-purpose facility at McCormick Place. Daley wanted to close Meigs Field (which he eventually did after Edgar left office) but Edgar fought to keep it open. After the infamous Loop flood, Daley wanted Edgar to promise to pay half the repair costs. Not knowing what the costs were and unwilling to sign a blank check with the state practically broke, Edgar refused. And Daley wanted Edgar to sign off on a bill rushed through the statehouse limiting the power of rebellious City Treasurer Miriam Santos. Edgar again declined.
“Daley told me, I really need you to sign this bill,” Edgar said. “I said, Mayor, I got all the Hispanic leaders leaning on me. They feel like this bill is an attack against them. I got half the Hispanic votes in a close election. I felt pretty close to the Hispanic community. I vetoed the bill. He thought it was a personal slap. From then on, things were pretty tense.”
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 10:53 am
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Now as then the Bears needing a new stadium is an issue. This was probably the era of McDome…
Comment by Levois J Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 10:58 am
Jim “lucky enough to be governor during one of this nation’s most prosperous decades” Edgar.
No politician aver got more support while doing so little.
Comment by Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 11:03 am
Quinn firing on Rahm. Good stuff. Wish there was a Rahm rebuttal — that would have made for even better reading.
Comment by Telly Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 11:10 am
=== Jim “lucky enough to be governor during one of this nation’s most prosperous decades” Edgar.===
… and yet Dem legislators in competitive districts put Edgar in their mail pieces, due, in part, to Edgar’s popularity and Edgar’s impression on the landscape.
The problem for some, like Dillard, Edgar had no real coattails to statewide victories after he left the scene.
The legacy of the 1994 “super ticket”, and the majorities the GOP enjoyed is the Right continued to contract and shrink the party… and the suburbs, specifically the southwestern suburbs, were wholesale losses for seats and votes going forward.
To the post,
Governors > Mayors.
The Edgar - Daley dynamic and the Hispanic (Edgar’s own chouce of words) leadership knew… Edgar, and any governor, was the fulcrum to a much bigger picture than any city mayor.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 11:11 am
Will never forget getting on the elevator with Pate mins after Edgar gave his “education funding reform speech”.
It was around 1 and something in the Rat was overcooked and smelling bad. I asked my buddy “what is that smell”? Pate blurted out, “that’s the Edgar funding plan going up in smoke”.
Comment by Give Me A Break Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 11:18 am
===Governors > Mayors===
Yep. T’was ever thus. And yet, someday we’ll be reading how Lightfoot can’t get along with Pritzker. It’s like she’s never heard these stories before.
History doesn’t repeat: it echoes.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 11:35 am
===The legacy of the 1994 “super ticket”===
Always thought the Newtwave gave the Illinois GOP a boost that year. After all, it was the only 1 out of 5 elections where Lee Daniels beat Mike Madigan to be Speaker of the House. Using Pate’s map.
Comment by Anyone Remember Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 11:42 am
=== Using Pate’s map.===
There seemed to be a maximizing of the Pate/Senate map for the House, but the following 4 cycles, the HGOP and the southwest suburbs, and candidate recruiting were big barriers for Daniels as Madigan used the population trends and recruiting to “overcome” what was a weaker team (comparatively) to MJM’s crew, and the candidates they got that mirrored those evolving districts.
To the post,
The “Governor No” way Daley described Edgar puts in a harsh light… Daley needed Edgar, how often did Edgar need Daley?
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 11:48 am
OW defending St. James of Edgar author of that eternal gift, the Edgar Ramp.
The only more sure thing-death and taxes.
*sigh*
Comment by Flying Elvis'-Utah Chapter Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 11:50 am
Jim Edgar on the Edgar Ramp;
=== “You can argue (the early annual payments weren’t) enough and I won’t disagree with that,” he said on my colleague Rick Pearson’s Sunday morning radio show on WGN-AM. “We were coming out of a recession and we were barely able to pay our bills. … We said at the time this is not perfect, and it’s going to take many years and we’re going to need to continue to look at this,” meaning adjust the slope of the ramp depending on economic conditions.===
- Eric Zorn, June 14, 2016
It’s not that Edgar was a saint or not, since 1917 it’s been chronicled, there was even a Thompson Ramp… the pension liability is something that needs to be paid. The kicking the can has a map to it.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 11:58 am
I won’t argue And I won’t disagree. Governors own.
Comment by Blue Dog Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 12:03 pm
Daley wasn’t the only one with problem with Jim “No” Edgar. I remember a big push to open the Veterans Home in Anna in 1991. He compromised by making it privately run. Problem was the private company would only pay minimum wage and no other benefits. Then they went on strike and Edgar had to step in to fix his compromise.
Comment by Publius Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 12:06 pm
I would have loved to have been a fly in the room at the first and infamous Quinn-Rahm meeting.
Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 12:16 pm
==Now as then the Bears needing a new stadium is an issue. This was probably the era of McDome…==
Instead we got a spaceship brought to you by George Ryan.
Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 12:28 pm
Pat Quinn on Mayor Daley: “I can’t think of one thing he did to undercut me.”
Now that’s the sign of a professional undercutter.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 12:39 pm
=== Pat Quinn on Mayor Daley: “I can’t think of one thing he did to undercut me.”
Now that’s the sign of a professional undercutter.===
(Chef kiss)… hilarious
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 12:41 pm
I was in the line-of-fire during the Edgar/Daley times. I always thought that the key was they were such different people in terms of background, interests and temperament. I always imagined that if just the two of them were in a car and rode from Springfield to Chicago without a working radio, it would result in a 3 1/2 hour conversation about the weather.
Comment by levivotedforjudy Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 1:30 pm
Just crazy to consider the GOP controlled all offices and both chambers of the GA 1995-1997. You tell that to kids these days, anyone 30 or under, and they will look at you funny.
Comment by low level Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 1:40 pm
—Pate blurted out, “that’s the Edgar funding plan going up in smoke
LOL. Only could have been better if he said Netsch-Edgar funding plan.
Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Sep 28, 21 @ 3:42 pm