Could it be that the two major candidates for governor agree on something, sort of?
After Gov. Jim Edgar came out Sunday in support of the Cook County property-tax cap proposition on the November ballot, Democratic candidate Dawn Clark Netsch said she also would support one, at least in part.
Although the referendum is advisory, Edgar said he hopes voter support will send a message to Democrats in the General Assembly who have opposed a cap.
“If the voters in Cook County overwhelmingly approve that referendum, then I think it would be very difficult for the Democratic legislators to continue to oppose tax caps,” he said. The cap supported by Edgar would limit property-tax increases by local governmental bodies or school districts to the rate of inflation or 5 percent, whichever is less.
Netsch responded that she also would support a tax cap, but said her plan to cut property taxes an average 10 percent offers more relief.
“That helps taxpayers considerably more than imposing caps,” she said. “Caps just control the rate of growth, and there are so many exceptions in the cap proposal that is already in place in the collar counties.”
Call of the wild : Cue the wildlife. Cue the local Republican supporters.
Edgar was on the campaign trail, literally, Sunday afternoon in rural Will County during a tour of the Joliet Arsenal.
As officials heralded a multiuse plan for the arsenal’s 24,000 acres, the caravan crossed paths with three deer, a bull and a red-tailed hawk. It was an advance man’s dream.
Debating the debates : As Edgar concentrated on the collar counties, Netsch met with supporters at the Black Family Reunion at the South Shore Cultural Center.
She criticized Edgar for not agreeing to more than two structured debates. Netsch has proposed four panel discussions without an official moderator or journalists posing questions.
“There ought to be as many opportunities as possible for gubernatorial candidates to not just have 30-second reponses to things but really talk about the issues and discuss them back and forth,” Netsch said.
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Edgar has agreed to one debate in Chicago and one Downstate.
“I’m willing to debate as I did four years ago and I’ve always done,” Edgar said, “but I’m not going to just give her forum after forum when it’s obvious she’s having trouble raising money and getting much support in this campaign.”
Netsch responded: “If he’s so comfortable about being so far ahead, then he shouldn’t have any worry about appearing with me to debate some genuine ideas back and forth.”