Mark Brown: Whether personal or philosophical, Quinn and Rahm lock horns on term limits

This is the truest portion of this column from last Friday:

I’m not a fan of term limits. If Quinn’s proposal makes the ballot, I’d probably vote against it. It seems to me that Chicago voters are going to have every opportunity to term-limit Emanuel in 2019 by electing someone else, if that’s what they want.

But I also know that voters like term limits, and they at least deserve an opportunity to vote on the issue when someone has gone to the extreme effort of collecting the necessary tens of thousands of signatures to put the matter before them.

In addition, the City Council shouldn’t be allowed to push such a referendum off the ballot by offering up the usual batch of three useless advisory referenda.

Meanwhile our former governor - who was defeated in 2014 by Bruce Rauner who this year in considered endangered - fights to get his term limits referendum on the ballot in November. I also know as Emanuel doesn't get along with Rauner now, he also hadn't got along well with Quinn when he was our governor. Just remember Quinn and Emanuel are both Democrats so what is the deal?

All the same, is it time for mayoral term limits? How many of you are ready to send Emanuel packing next year?

Ben Joravsky: Rahm makes a joke out of Quinn's term-limit push, but voters could have last laugh

I missed this from earlier this month from Ben Joravsky of the Chicago Reader. He talks about the former Gov. Quinn's attempt at a binding referendum on mayoral term limits in Chicago.

This year Rahm had to figure out a way to keep former governor Pat Quinn from placing a binding mayoral term-limit question on November's ballot.

If it passed, Rahm couldn't run for reelection next year.

Quinn has enough obstacles trying to round up the 50,000 valid signatures by the August 6 deadline.

But just to throw another roadblock in his way, Mayor Rahm had the aldermen place three nonbinding questions on November's ballot.

So voters will get to decide, among other things, whether they want to ban plastic straws or whether they want the state to give them a property tax break.

Hmmm, do voters want to pay less in taxes? That ought to be a real cliff-hanger of a vote.

On his WTTW show, Schutz pointed out that most people see this for what it is—a thinly disguised attempt to thwart Quinn by cramming the ballot with frivolous questions.

Goodness no, the mayor responded, as though he were horrified Schutz would even suggest such a thing. Instead, Rahm said he was just "seeking guidance from the voters."

Here is the Mayor's appearance from June 28, 2018 on Chicago Tonight. Watch it for yourself!

Capitol Fax: Quinn says “mighty” effort needed to get mayoral term limits question on ballot

I know Rahm Emanuel is unpopular as mayor, however, is mayoral term limits an idea whose time has come? Why stop at mayor why not direct term limits to other city elected officials especially aldermen? Why is our former governor just targeting term limits for mayors?

Of course this isn't new as well in addition to advocated for mayoral term limits in Chicago, he's also calling for an elected consumer advocate position. I hope he'll reveal more about that and what the duties for this proposed office entails.

Read on over at CapitolFax.com

Quinn say “mighty” effort needed to get mayoral term limits question on ballot https://t.co/Rkm4kkYStQ

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) June 7, 2018

Capitol Fax: Today's number 20,000

It has been in the news during the summer that Quinn - our former Governor who lost his re-election bid in 2014 - wants to put a ballot measure either this year's or 2018 election. This ballot measure would term limit the mayor of Chicago and give Chicago an elected consumer advocate.


Not sure about term limits even if many politicians in this state let alone Chicago have served too long in elected office. However a consumer advocate could get my vote. Perhaps something similar to NYC's Public Advocate.


Either way Quinn hasn't been too successful in getting the necessary 53,000 signatures let alone Quinn's own projected 100,00 signatures. Since 2016 is off the table he has another two years to get the job done.


Also bear in mind there's a possibility that the former Governor would run for his old job in 2018. He hasn't entirely ruled it out.