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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Blagojevich gets IEA Nod |
Current rating: 0 |
by Dan Chambers
Email: dschambers77 (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified!)
Address: 218 W. Main St. Urbana, IL |
10 Jul 2002
Modified: 02:45:45 PM |
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Democratic candidate Rod Blagojevich earned the Illinois Education Association's endorsement as announced on Tuesday, July 9th at Willard Airport. |
 Democratic candidate Rod Blagojevich earned the Illinois Education Association's endorsement as announced on Tuesday, July 9th at Willard Airport. |
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At around 1:45 p.m., Democratic candidate for governor, Rod Blagojevich arrived late at Willard Airport to an anxious crowd of teachers, educational support personnel (ESP's) and other supporters of his candidacy. The reason? One of the state of Illinois' largest union's, the Illinois Education Asssociation (IEA) had endorsed his candidacy for governor in this year's election. Flanked by the President of the IEA, Anne Davis, and the Vice-President, Ken Swanson, Blagojevich thanked the IEA, noting that in five of the past six elections, the candidate with the IEA endorsement won, and in the past two elections, the IEA had endorsed Republican candidates. Blagojevich talked at length about issues surrounding education, noting the crisis at for "good teachers where we need them." He called on the state to start a program like North Carolina's Teaching Fellows college tuition assistance program, which provides free tuition for those students interested in teaching in NC schools (the author was an applicant to said program). Toward the end of the conference, Blagojevich fielded questions from IEA members and other supporters. Jenny Barrett, president of the Association of Academic Professionals queried Blagojevich about what he would do with the current University budget crisis. He responded that he thought the money was available to prevent layoffs and pay freezes, and that finidng it was a matter of priorities. One member of the crowd pressed Blagojevich on his position on the university's use of Chief Illiniwek's image as a mascot. The candidate shrugged off responsibility for that issue on the university itself, saying it was not the responsibility of the state to be involved in such a decision. Lydia Khuri, also a member of the AAP, asked for Blagojevich's position on domestic partner benefits for gay and lesbian state employees. Blagojevich stated that he supported domestic partner benefits, but not state-sanctioned marraiges of gay and lesbian couples. |
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Blagojevich gets IEA Nod
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The dodge is inexcusable... |
by Michael Feltes
mfeltes (nospam) ucimc.org (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
10 Jul 2002
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Rod Blagoyevich cannot shrug off the issue of the Chief as an issue for the University to decide. The Governor appoints the Board of Trustees. |
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Sure it is |
by mm hmm
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
10 Jul 2002
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....You're saying that because of the most watered-down, insipid, contentless indian mascot in the country, a Governor should endanger a state University by packing its board? This scorched-earth mentality never ceases to amaze me.
Personally, I have a splinter - so of course it stands to reason that I endorse total deforestation of Illinois, eh?
Gimme a break here. Or are you another one of those folks accidentally endorsing another two years of bombed weddings so some third party can score another pyrrhic victory? |
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Re: Blagojevich gets IEA Nod |
by Bob Schoenwetter
r.schoenwetter (nospam) comcast.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
23 Aug 2006
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How could the IEA possibly endore a governor who just destroyed the TRS pension fund? As a retired teacher with two young sons in teaching, we all fear for our future under this spend-happy governor. What is wrong here? I just don't get the logic of endorsing a person who is spending our money for his personal gain. What am I missing here? |
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Re: Blagojevich gets IEA Nod |
by historian
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
23 Aug 2006
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Bob,
Check the date on the original article. It's from Balgo's first campaign in 2002, when he made wide-ranging promises to stand by labor. The IEA was taken in by Blago's schmarmy lies, along with many other Illinois unions.
Now, this time around, I'd have to agree with you. Anyone know where the IEA stands on Blago's 2006 re-election bid?
I do know that in his recent abbreviated "downstate" campaign tour, the governor studiously avoided Champaign-Urbana. In large part, that is no doubt due to the fact that the only crowd the governor could draw in this town would be hostile, even if there wasn't a single Republican in it. |
