Daley joins likely rival on funding forAn unlikely coalition urges income tax hike to support education
By Tracy Dell'Angela
Tribune staff reporter
Published October 7, 2006
It was a familiar plea delivered by a most unlikely coalition.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) joined education leaders Friday in another call for school-funding reform, an issue that, they said, has gotten little more than lip service from legislators and two gubernatorial candidates.
The political rivals shared the podium on an issue they said transcends politics--creating equal educational opportunities for Illinois students.
They were joined by Rev. Jesse Jackson, Chicago schools chief Arne Duncan and teachers union leaders, who have formed a coalition to fight for passage of legislation that would raise state income taxes to make schools less reliant on property taxes.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka have vowed not to raise income taxes.
"I don't think this is a political issue. This is a children's issue," Rep. Jackson said, when asked why he appeared with Daley, whom he is expected to run against in the mayoral primary next spring. Minutes later during the news conference, he took a swipe at Daley and the lack of progress on school-funding reform.
"If I am mayor of Chicago, should I choose to run, I plan to [sell reform] in less than 17 years," Jackson said in an interview later.
The gathering also was an opportunity to announce an Oct. 14 march, organized by Rev. Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. The group hopes to draw students and community leaders to a rally for funding reform at the Thompson Center.
"We're either going to pay to educate [children] or pay to incarcerate them," Rev. Jackson said. "These second-class schools become a breeding ground for those first-class jails."
Illinois ranks 49th nationwide in the share of education funding provided by the state. Property-tax payers bear most of the burden for funding schools, which has created extreme disparities between wealthy suburban districts and struggling rural and inner-city schools.
"The system of funding public education in our state is an outrage and embarrassment," said Ken Swanson, president of the Illinois Education Association.
tdell'angela@tribune.com
Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune
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