Political Quotes

“I wish some of my Republican colleagues who have proposed these cuts in programs might have accompanied me on my trip through Illinois. My first stop was at a convention in Chicago sponsored by the Illinois Education Association, one of the largest groups of teachers in our State. Almost a thousand teachers met for a 3- or 4-day conference in Chicago to talk about issues on their mind. I sat down for breakfast in Chicago with Gary Jones, a high school teacher in Troy, and Cindy Klickna from Springfield, IL, and I said, ``What is different about this convention?'' And they said, ``The budget moved through quickly and we are glad to see that. But there is another thing that started coming up in the course of these conversations which is becoming more and more popular.'' And I said, ``What is that?'' And they said, ``Security in schools.'' Teachers who for years have been meeting and talking, scarcely talked about the question of security of teachers and students in schools. But now it has become an issue of paramount importance, not only in the city of Chicago but across the State.”