This November, we have an opportunity to force a new Constitutional Convention. This question only comes up on the ballot every 20 years, so now is an important time to get this ball rolling.
We were denied an opportunity to recall a non-performing governor earlier this year when our leaders refuesd to add the referendum to the ballot. We have a non-performing governor today, one that will likely face Federal corruption charges soon. The people of Illinois deserve better. We deserve a chance at firing those that do not do their job well.
We need to change the Income Tax laws, improve the property tax laws, look at our free Speech and Right to firearms laws (as Illinois has the most prohibitive firearms laws), and school funding laws. I'm not advocating any particular change, just the right to actually have a delagation to discuss these changes.

Vote yes on the Illinois Constitutional convention. It won't come back up until 2028. We don't get many shots at this.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

You deserve nothing, and you'll like it!

Seriously, though. He's right. Anyway, by 2028, we'll probably all be dead or Chinese anyway, so this'll be our last shot.

Good points, but do we really want to hear about Madigan and Blago trying to ratify a constitution?

Either way, I'm in.

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legalize

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Who would be the CSFMB delegate at an assemblage of such nobility and import?

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My Maserati does 186.

Old Man Potter.

You could go as OMP or Evil Jack, whichever you feel like

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

I'll go if need be. What a dillrod Blago turned out to be...

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Middle Aged Crazy, like Uncle Terry

Im looking forward to voting against Rod for a third time in two years. If he makes it that far. Definately Yes on the Constitution vote. Is there a certain percentage needed or just a simple majority?

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Don't forget to vote yes on that constitutional convention guys.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Done. The description on the ballot is really poorly written. So the poll workers hand out this blue sheet at the polls telling you a "yes" vote really means "yes". And there was a guy at my early voting place shouting "vote no on the constitutional convention..it will cost a lot of money and raise our taxes." Funny shit.

Here's a viewpoint on the 'no' side. Just to provide a fair and balanced discussion.

http://www.lwvil.org/ConCon_Con.html

VOTE "NO" ON CON-CON.

The first thing that they will do if this passes is look to get their hands on more money - and the pensions of all state workers will be at risk! Yes, they are required to ask the voters every 20 years, but there are a LOT of hidden agendas in doing so.

VOTE "NO" ON CON-CON.

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Lt. Governor Pat Quinn, a true independent and the
most honest man in politics that I have ever met says
to vote "Yes," and that is good enough for me.

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Host of the weekly "We Fish ASA" podcast
Weekly columnist for the Northwest Herald
Bi-monthly columnist for Illinois Outdoor News magazine
Former host of The Outdoors Experience on WIND and The Great Outdoors on CLTV
http://www.wefishasa.com

You must not have met too many people "in" politics.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Think about it in the future? It's gonna be 20 years before we get another chance! By then your kids will be of legal drinking age and we'd have done nothing to improve our shattered Illinois legislative process.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Not until we get a Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con

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Paws Up

Here are a few things to consider:
1. A Constitutional Convention is not needed to make changes to the constitution. Amendments can be made at any time. 10 amendments have been added to the Illinois constitution since 1970 (which is 2 con-con "windows").
2. A Con-Con is not a free process. Estimates put the cost of a con-con at just under $100 million dollars. If you think that a con-con would allow lawmakers to designate funds more appropriately, I would suggest that you reconsider. The $ required would be very beneficial spent elsewhere (education, infrastructure, etc.).
3. The suggestion that having a con-con would hold the politicians more accountable is misguided. Remember that with the con-con, it would be the politicians making the changes. I sincerely doubt that politicians are going to make changes that would put themselves at risk, potentially. It would be similar to letting doctors write malpractice laws, and expecting them to install looser guidelines for filing malpractice suits - wouldn't happen. Not exactly the same, but I think you know what I mean.
4. Once again, the first order of business with a con-con would be to re-write the laws in order to move money from certain funds to another. The state, along with the rest of the country, is in bad financial shape. The pensions of all state workers would be at risk with a con-con. That is a large chuck of money that Gov. Rod, specifically, has made no secrets about wanting to get his hands on.
5. (For Darko specifically) - I am truly confused about the right to bear arms argument. Is it just that it is not specifically written, even though it is allowed by US constitution? The US constitution supercedes any state one anyway. I support the right, but don't like giving the lawmakers the ability to do alot of damage for the purpose of a written formality. (If that makes sense )

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1. It took until the fiscal year was over before we had a budget for the year. Our legislature is capable of proposing channges to the constitution, however, they're so bloody ineffectual that it never happens. Check out the ethics bill. What the hell is taking so long?
2. I am aware that nothing is free. You must break an egg to make an omlette.
3. I believe that the politicians do NOT make the new proposals. I believe that delegates are appointed. I'll look further into this, but I don't believe that our elected officials are making these changes.
4. I understand where you are coming from. But the poensions of state workers is another issue that we can really expand on in another thread. I understand that you're in effect a state worker and you are concerned about your retitrement. Don't count on the state money to be there. Get your own retiurement in order. If there pension is there when you retire that's just gravy.
5. If I'm not mistaken, the Illinois Constitution says "Subject only to the police power, the right of the individual citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Subject to police power scares me. That does not belong in the Illinois constitution. After the recent Heller v DC case clarified the indivividual right to bear arms, our constitution is in need of update.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

And again, no specific changes are on the docket, this is just a chance, that comes once every 20 years, to have our voices heard in a time of MISERABLE Illinois leadership.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

I'll be voting "present".

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Things like term limits theoretically will help things like mismanagement of funds. You don't keep them in there long enough to hire all the "my guys" they have around them.
If they were willing to address these things without the voters demanding they address them fine, I'm all for business as usual. But as your favorite candidate loves to point out, we need "CHANGE", and this is one way to affect change.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Voting "present" is a very common thing in Illinois politics.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I agree. That's why I won't be voting for Rodbama Barackovich this election!

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

"You guys?"
OK, blew it then, know he's gotta go now, why not have a mechanism for it?
This has more riding on it than term limits and recall. That was just one issue.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

I believe The Rod has, in effect, created his own "term limit" this time around.

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Probably Pat Quinn. No. Yes. No.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

He got a second term though.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

I get what you mean, and I have set up additional retirement accounts. However, that doesn't mean I want my state pension - which I have been contributing to, without choice, for eleven years - to go to "waste". It would be nice if I actually received it upon retirment.

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I gave a gratuitous - the universal sign for sarcasm. Please do not ignore my anymore.

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