Democrats Spar at 7th District State Senate Forum
January 23, 2008
By Lorraine Swanson - Staff Writer at News-Star
Democratic candidates for the uber local 7th District State Senate race squared off in a forum sponsored by Rogers Park VOTER (Voters Organized for Truthful Election Results) last Saturday afternoon at the United Church of Rogers Park.
Differentiating herself from her opponent as an "independent" Democrat, Suzanne Elder, an Uptown resident and health policy analyst for the Institute of Policy Research at the University of Chicago, pointed to her background as a grass roots activist in drafting an act passed by the Illinois House ensuring the educational access rights of children with diabetes and other chronic illnesses.
Heather Steans, of Edgewater, brings a professional background in government, finance, economic development and educational reform, including stints managing state agency budgets in Illinois and Wisconsin, and as a strategic planner for Chicago Public Schools.
Both are running for the 7th District seat vacated by State Sen. Carol Ronen, who announced her resignation mid-term last fall. Ronen's resignation took effect Jan. 7. Ward committeemen from the 46th, 47th, 48th and 49th wards have 30 days to appoint someone to fill the rest of Ronen's term for the district that includes East Rogers Park, Edgewater, Ravenswood and Uptown.
Conceivably, the appointee could be the winner of the 7th Senate District Democratic primary.
Fielding questions from the audience, each candidate was asked what she would do as a freshman senator "in the face of House Speaker Mike Madigan's lockdown. "
Steans said she would build stronger coalitions of the "rank and file" to apply pressure in Springfield for rule reform.
"We need to be going for real rule reform. (Even) if a bill has practically unanimity and support (among state senators) it doesn't get called," Steans said. "When you have that kind of majority you should be able to get a bill called even if the leadership doesn't support it"
Elder referred to the last state Senate session as a "debacle" and said that she would have supported House Bill 146 to amend the way bills are called to both floors of the Illinois General Assembly.
"I think the personality entrenchments have been super-fueled by the pay-to-play politics," Elder said. "The only way to undo what's going on in Springfield is from the outside in. We start by electing one responsive and responsible legislator and then another and another, who will not do business as usual."
Both candidates said they would support House Bill 1 that would make companies and individuals who do contracted work with the state ineligible to make campaign contributions to elected officials.
"(HB 1) is such a no-brainer, yet it sits (in the rules committee) because special interest groups will lose out on the gravy train ride that they've had for years and years," Elder said.
Steans said she voluntarily limited the size of her campaign contributions to comply with federal campaign guidelines.
"We do need to end pay-to-play politics. Once you put limits (on campaign donations) we can move toward public financing of campaigns," Steans said. "I also believe that we need lobbyist reforms. Lobbyists would have to record not just what they're giving, but also their activities, the same that's required from the federal government and the city of Chicago. "
Later asked about the campaign contributions totaling over $750,000 to national, state and local elected officials given individually by Steans' husband, Leo Smith, or in both their names, Steans called the figure "overblown." (The actual figure donated between 1998 and 2006 is $758,613 according to the Illinois Board of Elections' campaign disclosure statements.)
"I've reconciled that by putting caps on donations to my own campaign," Steans said.
Both candidates advocated for Tax Increment Financing (TIF) reform, including itemizing the amount to TIF districts on property tax bills, and amending the Illinois statute regulating TIFs to tighten the definition of blight.
Elder concluded by saying it was time to break the "50-year pattern" in the 7th Senate District of "handing down the elected office to pre-decided heirs."
"I think you want someone to fight with you," Elder said. If you think, like I do, that top-down politics are wrong, or as Al Gore says, 'that dominance of the wealth of contributors are undermining democracy,' then we're in this fight together. This is our state and we need to take it back. "
Steans called the opportunity to be considered as a representative to the 7th Senate District "humbling."
"My commitment is to bring to this the willingness to always listen and learn and to be fully accessible to constituents and residents in the 7th District," Steans said. "I believe this district deserves a progressive and effective leader."
Source: http://www.pioneerlocal.com/newsstar/news/752780,SN-SenateForum-012308-s1.article