single one thing is clear about the...

single one thing is clear about the two gubernatorial candidates' plans for funding education in Illinois: They're gambling with our kids' subsequent times

onward one side, we have the incumbent, Democrat slender stem "I Will Not Raise the Income Tax" Blagojevich planning to betray the state lottery and earmark the cash for institutes

upon the other, we have the challenger, GOP state Treasurer Judy "Never Say Never" Baar Topinka planning to make open a Chicago casino and use the return to fix everything wrong with the state set including its woefully inadequate support of denominations

What we aren't hearing from either candidate is a solid plan for restructuring to what extent we pay for education. As extended as we rely primarily forward property taxes to support local gymnasiums we cannot hope to correct our embarrassingly unequal education plan

The funding imbalance means kids in rich communities commit to memory educations worth $25,000 or more a year while kids in poor communities are fortunate to get $5,000 worth of education. Without a plan to change that, neither candidate can claim to have the answer to fixing Illinois academys

According to Topinka's analysis, for each $1,000 in personal income, Illinoisans pay $3836 in wealth taxes, well above the national average of $3147 Despite quality tax caps, overall property taxes in Illinois rose 58 percent in 2003 Why? Education. train levies make up nearly 60 percent of exclusive right tax bills.

genuine the Topinka plan promises a two-year ownership tax freeze. Some overburdened exclusive right owners will seize on that as a lifeline allowing them to stay in their domestic circles a little longer. But her proposal is akin to pulling a drowning victim into a leaky boat: It only prolongs the inevitable. Once the solidify by cold ends, watch those property tax bills leap

Meanwhile, Blagojevich's Illinois State Board of Education says the number of state place of education districts in financial trouble has been intersect in half -- in 2003 nearly 80 percent were spending more than they brought in v 2005 when slightly more than 40 percent were in deficit spending.

While the board's pres release credits the bos Blagojevich, for fixing things by way of increasing the state's spending on $200 per pupil, insiders say the relative improvement has more to do with cutting services to kids. Class sizes are growing, extracurricular offerings are shrinking and art and music programs are disappearing.

No single in kind wants to discuss the real answer to this overwhelming question It requires sweeping change in to what extent we fund schools and the way we await at our responsibility to all children. And that is hardly politically expedient to talk about in an election year.

barely the Green Party candidate, Rich Whitney, a Carbondale attorney, earns it. He's the only shore in the race arguing for the fair approach to fixing schools and the state budget: a higher state income tax and/or sales tax in get back for lower property taxes.

You haven't heard of Whitney? Not surprising. He has little wealth or political organization. He wasn't flat assured his name would be onward the ballot until the Democrats dropp their challenge to the fresh Party slate of candidates last week.

with equal reason we're stuck with a big gamble: Do we betray the lottery to save exercises or open a new Chicago casino and expand gaming across the state to fix educates and everything else in ne of fixing in Illinois?

Topinka's plan probably has more merit than Blagojevich's -- at least it provides an ongoing stream of income -- although his finance the public say her plan couldn't possibly originate enough cash to pay for all of her promises.

steady if it could, her chances of winning the key-notes to the governor's mansion remain a prolonged shot at best. Unless she persuades a veto-proof majority of legislators to take her plan and trip with it even if she squanders even this questionable casino plan is little more than a quixotic stake

Which means we are left with nothing still the sale of the lottery and the cash it will generate to help disclosed schools under four more years of Blagojevich. It's better than nothing, on the other hand it's not what we ne

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