Echoes of the RTA Referendum

The Northwest Herald came out against the Protect Marriage referendum before its petitions were even filed.

The day after they were filed, the Daily Herald editorialized in favor of a “No” vote. Today, here is part of the first sentence of an article about what effect the ballot question might have:

(It) appears headed for the November ballot is bound to spark many a heated debate throughout the state.

But the story does not even mention the Rev. and State Senator James Meeks, a prospectvie third party candidate for governor, whose church members added 5,400 signatures to the petition.

This reminds me so much of the 1974 referendum to establish the Regional Transportation Authority with its rip-off from the top of the General Fund and Motor Fuel Taxes, plus the authority to levy a gas tax and parking lot tax.

Then, every newspaper I can remember strongly supported the referendum, but it was overwhelmingly defeated outside of Chicago. It did pass, but by only 12,800 votes.

Even though one Chicago precinct voted 100% “Yes” (about 80 “Yes” votes, absolutely zero “No” votes with about 60 spoiled ballots), no recount of the paper ballot referendum was allowed by the newly-established State Board of Elections.

The next session the only RTA “reform” bill to pass was the one to allow recounts for close referendums.

If the Protect Marriage referendum sustains the challenge I expect, watch for at least the suburban newspapers to have about as little influence on their readers’ votes as they did 32 years ago. The vote probably won't be as lopsided, but the referendum will pass by a wide margin here where people move to get away from unhealthy city influences.

And, check out the hostile cartoon from the State Journal-Register in Springfield.

I wonder how editorial page writers, reporters and cartoonists will react if Meeks makes passage of the referendum a key part of his campaign for governor. Will they be able to label a respected pastor as the idiot the State Journal-Register's cartoonist makes petition gathterers here? (And, why does the cartoonist use the pejorative phrase--"That's so gay!"--commonly used by pre-teens and teens?)

I remember the kid gloves that they used when covering incumbent State Comptroller Roland Burris when I ran against him in 1982.

This is also posted at McHenry County Blog.