There’s a big yellow school bus roving around Evanston and Wilmette, but you won’t find it carrying any students to class.
The bus is being used as a campaign ploy by Republican Joe Walsh, who has decided to give incumbent state Rep. Jeffrey Schoenberg (D-Evanston) a run in the largely Democratic 58th House District.
Walsh is using the school bus as a vehicle, literally, to get attention for his message on education funding. Walsh is miffed at the way Schoenberg voted last December in favor of Gov. Jim Edgar’s school-funding reform bill, a measure that ultimately failed to pass.
If it had, it would have raised state income taxes by 25 percent in exchange for property tax relief. The purpose of the measure was to try to equalize funding for education in Illinois.
Under the current system, which relies on property taxes, wealthy districts have literally tens of thousands of dollars to spend per student. Other districts in poor, less desirable areas struggle just to keep the lights on.
“It’s an issue of local control” of schools, Walsh said. “I don’t want to sound hard-hearted about schools . . . and we want to make sure that every school has some sort of basic minimum, but you can’t take from a district like ours.”
Walsh, obviously, is hoping to tap into one of the main attractions that draw new residents to the North Shore–excellent schools. And he suggests anything that might dilute the funding available to those schools will turn off voters who move to the lakefront just so their kids can get a first-class education.
“I think this is important enough to run on,” said Walsh, 36, who campaigned on a bicycle during an unsuccessful campaign in the 9th Congressional District in 1996.
Schoenberg not only voted in favor of Edgar’s failed reform package, but also voted in favor of a compromise bill that raises money by increasing cigarette, telephone and riverboat casino taxes in order to make sure schools spend at least $4,225 per student annually. He said he thinks voters in the district like the way that he voted.
Schoenberg also thinks voters want some sort of property tax relief.
“As people’s children grow up and move out of the home and as people retire, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to stay on the North Shore because of increasing property taxes, which are largely driven by increased property values,” said Schoenberg, 39, who has held the office for eight years.
Schoenberg said his campaign strategy for the November general election will include stressing his record and working to help local school districts “make the most of all of their resources.”
As for that school bus Walsh is riding around in, Schoenberg said his campaign strategy will be done the old-fashioned way–by wearing out the shoe leather and knocking on doors.
Tag, you’re it: Evanston police have asked a group of graffiti taggers and artists in the north suburb to paint a mural on a wall inside the police station in hopes the project will help stop the youths from using other walls in the city as their canvas.
Project coordinator Lisa Rodriguez said four artists, ages 15 to 18, are expected to start painting Thursday on an 18-foot-long stretch of wall at the police station, 1454 Elmwood Ave.
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“It’s going really well so far,” Rodriguez said. “Their talent has surprised me.”