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WMAQ-TV, Chicago
July 22,
2001
NBC political commentator Dick Kay called for a
return to cumulative voting on the 10:00 pm news on WMAQ-TV,
Chicago, on July 22, 2001. Below is a transcript of
his commentary.
There is a move underway to return to the old way of
electing
State Representatives in Illinois. It would add 59
members to the House and its a great idea. 20 years ago
political gadfly Pat Quinn and his Political Honesty Coalition. They
waged a successful campaign for a cutback amendment. It cut
the number of House seats by 59...going from 177 members to 118. The
idea was economy of scale; the fewer politicians the less the cost
to taxpayers.
It was a grand experiment now gone awry. Under the old
system voters elected three State Representatives from each Senate
District and one had to be of the opposite political party. There
were Republican Representatives from Chicago and Democrats in
DuPage. Independents used bullet voting; casting all three votes for
a single candidate thereby guaranteeing independent voices in
Springfield. That forced Republicans and Democrats to work together
and coalitions could block bad bills.
We lost some of the brightest minds in the Legislature
and the cutback concentrated power in the hands of three or four
legislative leaders who now rule with iron fists. If Speaker Michael
Madigan and Senate President James Pate Philip say nothing moves;
nothing moves...and they can spread the pork and campaign funds to
keep members in line. It is government by a few. What the
cutback amendment saved us in salaries and expenses it cost us far
more Democracy. The old way was the best way.
I'm Dick
Kay.
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