Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn promotes bill allowing Illinois voters to recall the governor

Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn says Illinois voters should join the other 18 states that allow their citizens to recall politicians AND should have the ability to recall the governor....

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http://www.illinoisgovernorrecall.com/

Illinois Citizens to Recall Governor

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/20...

The budget crisis is causing more tension between the governor and fellow Democrats. Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn says perhaps Illinois voters should have the ability to recall the governor and other leaders.

Illinois should join the other 18 states that allow their citizens to recall politicians.The controversy and frustration swirling around Gov. Rod Blagojevich are not the reason Illinois needs a recall provision added to its Constitution. But his actions - or inaction - certainly are fueling the call for recall.

A recall provision is needed because sometimes the next regular election is too long to wait to replace a political leader who has become dysfunctional or is not fulfilling obligations to constituents.

We are not necessarily referring to Blagojevich. He could be out of office before the Constitution could be amended and a recall election could take place. Enacting a recall provision should proceed regardless of what one thinks about Blagojevich.

Identical proposals for constitutional amendments have been submitted in the House and Senate.

The Senate resolution for a constitutional amendment was introduced by state Sen. Dan Cronin, R-Elmhurst, on Monday and was shrugged off by the Blagojevich administration as partisan politics and a stunt.

While it is true that the sponsors of the Senate resolution are all Republicans from Northern Illinois, the House resolution was introduced by a Democrat from McHenry County, state Rep. Jack D. Franks.

And Franks introduced his measure nearly a week before the Republicans.

The proposed amendment would permit a recall of not only the governor but any elected members of the executive branch, legislators and judges.

For statewide office holders, a recall petition would need the signatures of at least 12 percent of the last vote for the office.

The signatures must come from at least five counties equal to at least 1 percent of the last vote for the office in the county. In other words, a single heavily populated county could not trigger a recall on its own.

Having a special recall election would be an expensive proposition. But having an official in office in whom the public has lost confidence can be costly in incalculable ways.

As noted in a guest commentary by state Sen. Dan Rutherford last Sunday, in those states with recall provision, the tool has been used rarely. There is no reason to believe Illinois would be different.

The hurdles to triggering a recall are significant. Then a majority of voters must agree to unseat the individual. Only two governors have been removed by recall in U.S. history.

The most recent instance was the recall of Calif. Gov. Gray Davis, who was replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

It would be good for Illinois to have this process. Even if voters don't resort to a recall, knowing the option is there could make these public officials more responsive to the public.

That is the step!!  We need it in Texas too to recall the lying Rick Perry, whom the GOP is now grooming you can tell for a run at the White House.

He stood right on the border, and ran commercial after commercial saying he would stop illegal immigration, when we all knew he was a lier because he did not stop it in his first term why would he now?  And as soon as he was elected, he told us all basically to go to Hell, that it was crazy to think that it could be stopped, and people deported. 

We need the rights to recall everyone from Governors to mayors, to judges, to any seat people run for and then snub their noses at who put them there.

http://www.illinoisgovernorrecall.com/

Illinois has no recall provision for publicly elected officials. The State Constitution is up for review soon. Let your Reps and Senators know that we need this amendment!

CLICK HERE TO Search for your ILLINOIS Districts or Officials

http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictL...

Recall and Term Limits

Both recall and term limits would be empowering to Illinois’ voters at the expense of our career politicians. Given the self-serving nature of the General Assembly, they stand little chance of success. Nevertheless, we might learn something from the Progressives who managed to conquer similar public relations impediments. After all, they convinced the public to establish an income tax and to outlaw beer.

Recall is not a radical proposal. Those states that do allow citizens to recall their elected officials rarely see the tool used but it does function as a safety valve on out-of-control politicians. Just ask Gray Davis

MORE LINKS

Removing a Governor!

Illinois Governors' Office Rocked by Scandal

It Worked for Arnold!

Former Illinois Governor must go to Jail!

State senator seeking to enable state, citizens to oust Illinois governor

Recall and Term Limits

Illinois State Police Probe Blagojevich Campaign