To understand the power of money in politics, consider the contrast between recent proposals to amend the Illinois constitution and the way political spending affected the quality of the debate, writes dgreising of BetterGov.
Campaign signs, including one for workers' rights, greet early voters who waited as much as two hours in line along West Belmont Avenue outside the Merlo Library in the 44th Ward on Nov. 7, 2022, the day before Election Day.
It’s common to bemoan the power of money in politics. And if there were a real world where politics could be free of money, I would pick that option too.But this world is one where moneyed interests power debates on virtually every important issue. The gaps created by the decline of news coverage have made matters worse. And in this flawed world,
Pritzker’s tax-the-rich messaging contended against Griffin’s warnings about trusting a state government with a track record of corruption and bloated spending. In the end, distrust overpowered the temptation to tax the rich, and the signature policy proposal of Pritzker’s first term was defeated. It’s that last bit of expansive language that takes the Illinois constitution into untested territory. The “welfare and safety” language is so vague, and the case law so thin, it seems sure to create a thicket of unintended consequences.
against the amendment in the run-up to the election, and other editorial boards weighed in. But news coverage statewide focused scant attention on the stakes and consequences. Pritzker and his gubernatorial opponent, Republican Darren Bailey, barely touched on the issue.This left the unions that backed the measure with a chance to shape public opinion.
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