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Illinois Citizens Coalition Frontpage News
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Bruno Behrend v. Dan Proft |
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Written by Bruno Behrend
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Tuesday, 22 April 2008 19:29 |
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The video below is my recent (Saturday, April 19th, 2008) debate with Dan Proft. I am arguing for a convention vote, and Dan is arguing against. Dan is about as good as an opponent as we will get, given the strength of our case.
I apologize for the poor quality of the video and the fact that about 20 minutes of Q & A are clipped out. My camera ran out of tape. I have asked Dan if he would supply us with his tape, as he had a much better camara and some one to operate it. It would show him in a better light during the Q & A because my camera was pointed in way that put him off camera for that time.
Enjoy the opening credits.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 23 April 2008 07:39 )
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Announcing New Constitutional Convention Sites |
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Written by Bruno Behrend
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Tuesday, 15 April 2008 07:45 |
Hey everyone,
We've been very busy getting things set up for the campaign for a Constitutional Convention, and it has kept us from getting a lot of updates on to this site.
You may notice that you were redirected here from one of our new domains (http://www.yesforillinois.com). That site will soon be up, and we think it will become the "go to" site for convention information. We plan to set it up as a blog, but it may change over the course of 2008.
We've added another site, http://www.myillinoisconstitution.org, where you can READ and COMMENT on our "model constitution." That site is currently set up as a blog, with each Article being a "Category" and each Section being a blog post. We strongly encourage your input, and hope that you involve yourself in the process of fixing the worst Constitution in America (Illinois')
This is the time to be checking back often, because things are going to start to hop. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 15 April 2008 20:22 )
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The Case for an Illinois Constitutional Convention in 2008 |
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Written by John Bambenek
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Friday, 25 January 2008 16:29 |
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Governor Rod Blagojevich has done something remarkable in Illinois. He has managed to unite people across the political spectrum to create consensus that he absolutely stinks as a governor. Illinois deserves better than Rod Blagojevich.
Because of his low approval in both parties and the budget fiasco of last year, legislators (even those in his own party) are talking about amending the constitution to allow recall votes of sitting politicians. The timing for such talk is opportune because on the November ballot this year there will be a question on whether to have a constitutional convention for Illinois to rewrite or amend the state constitution.
The ability to throw a politician out of office after he or she has be shown unwilling or unable to govern according to the public interest is popular among the voters and is growing popular among politicians who want to take revenge against Blagojevich. Yet a convention should include more than just recalls. While throwing public officials out of office that has shown themselves to be a complete failure is a good start, revising the constitution should produce an overall solid framework for good governance.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 26 January 2008 17:38 )
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Read more...
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Written by Bruno Behrend
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Thursday, 17 April 2008 17:44 |
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Rich Miller has some great audio on his site regarding yesterday's recall hearing in the Senate.
This is your state folks. Aren't you all at least a little embarrassed? Maybe a lot. As we've said again and again and again...
A convention is the only way this ever gets fixed. |
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Does the "Amendatory Veto" conform with Constitutional Principles? |
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Written by Bruno Behrend
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Thursday, 24 January 2008 00:23 |
Few people think of arcane Constitutional issues when watching political theater like Blagojevich recent "Free Rides for Seniors" episode.
That doesn't mean some one shouldn't be talking about such issues. Article IV, Sec. 9(e) of the Illinois Constitution reads as follows;
(e) The Governor may return a bill together with specific recommendations for change to the house in which it originated. The bill shall be considered in the same manner as a vetoed bill but the specific recommendations may be accepted by a record vote of a majority of the members elected to each house. Such bill shall be presented again to the Governor and if he certifies that such acceptance conforms to his specific recommendations, the bill shall become law. If he does not so certify, he shall return it as a vetoed bill to the house in which it originated.
So what is the problem here? I can think of one right off the bat. This bill allows the governnor to "initiate" legislation independent of the legislative branch. This may seem a small thing, but if the seniors should ride free, let the legislature propose it.
What you basically have here is a one way ratchet. A governor could take virtually any bill, veto it, and insert virtually any language on any related (or unrelated) matter (thus initiating legislation), essentially holding the bill hostage. Amazingly, such a veto doesn't even require a 3/5th vote, but merely a simple majority.
While this may seem to be a small issue, the 100s of similar baubles of poor policy abound in this horrible Constitution. In this instance, the Governor has immense power, and the legislature has a easy excuse to pass legislation that most people in the state may have no interest in. This is another perfect example of allowing members of the political class to evade responsibility for governance...
"The governor made me do it."
As I was looking into this issue, I found this hilarious little tidbit on some NIU site. It's from a 1977 "Illinois Issues." Some absent-minded (in the true meaning of the term) professor wrote this piece of nonsense when defending the "Amendatory Veto."
The trouble with the amendatory veto power is not the power itself, but the abuse of the power. If abused, the instruments of checks and balances are there for correcting its abuse. The abuse can be corrected by the General Assembly or by the courts. As the Supreme Court has demonstrated, it has not hesitated to act where in its opinion the power is abused. What is needed are clear guidelines. Either the legislature has to establish them by its own action in the review of amendatory vetoes or take the question to the courts to decide.
This is total claptrap written by some pointy-headed intellectual who has no sense of the obvious. He actually theorizes that power may not be abused by some one who has it. This, IN ILLINOIS!!! The last decade has shown us that the legislature and the Judicial Branch are either completely incapable or unwilling to curtail ANY abuse of Government power. These institutions destroy and undermine citizens' individual rights at every turn, but never curtail government power.
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Extreme Wisdom
The official blog of the Extreme Wisdom Radio Show. Covering international, national, state and local news while bringing a new sound to talk radio.
John Fritchey
Rep. John Fritchey's Open House...my view from the inside. John Fritchey is a proponent of a "Yes" vote for the Constitutional Convention vote. At least some one in Springfield is paying more than lip service to the idea of empowering Illinois Citizens.
Part Time Pundit
Part-Time Pundit is the personal blog of opinions journalist John Bambenek. It functions as a repository of commentary, both “published” and “unpublished” on a variety of subjects ranging from politics, philosophy, religion, culture, books, and information technology.
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