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News > In the Headlines
Education advocates said they will bring thousands of people to Springfield today to press the case that Illinois must fix its education funding mess. If their predictions come true, downtown Springfield streets could be temporarily blocked as the proponents march from the Prairie Capital Convention Center to the Capitol this morning. The Springfield Mass Transit District already is planning to reroute buses that normally run along Second Street near the Capitol in anticipation of crowds blocking the street. "We think it will be in excess of 6,000 people," said Charles McBarron, spokesman for the Illinois Education Association, a major organizer of the rally. "We have close to 2,000 just from the IEA." If the turnout comes close to the estimate, it easily will be one of the biggest rallies held here. The group is scheduled to gather at Eighth and Adams streets outside the convention center and begin marching to the Capitol about 10:15 a.m. Their route will take them to Seventh Street, south to Capitol Avenue and along Capitol to the Statehouse.Second between Monroe and Jackson streets will be blocked during the rally. It is unclear if any other Springfield streets will be blocked while the march takes place. However, McBarron said the group has a parade permit and will have a marching band accompanying the parade. Lt. Kenny Winslow, second shift commander for the Springfield Police Department, said one supervisor, five traffic wardens and four patrol officers will monitor the march. "It depends on how many show up," Winslow said of traffic control decisions. "We'll make that decision (today)." The SMTD will reroute several buses between roughly 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., road supervisor Ron Bouvet said. Routes that normally travel on Second in front of the Capitol - including the historic route, South State Street, Colony West, West Governor, Noble Avenue and West Washington Street - will bypass the area. "It shouldn't make too much of a difference on time," Bouvet said. "We don't see any problems getting passengers to their destinations." People with questions about the routes can call the SMTD at 522-5531. The rally is being held to draw attention to Illinois' education funding problems, including the wide diversity in funding between rich and poor school districts. "The gap between rich and poor districts is huge and unfair," McBarron said. "We've got all of these diverse groups - administrators, school employees, the PTA and others - and the message we are saying is the legislature has to fix this this year. The time is now is the essential theme." The IEA backs Gov. Rod Blagojevich's controversial gross receipts tax on business because the organization believes that plan has the best chance of passing. However, the IEA also believes a tax swap proposal advocated by some lawmakers will meet the funding needs of education. The swap, though, includes increases in the state income and sales taxes, which Blagojevich has vowed to veto. |
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