Education plan worth a look, but support depends on details         

[MAY 27, 2006]  SPRINGFIELD -- State Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, says he will need many more details and strong guarantees concerning the education funding plan unveiled Tuesday by Gov. Rod Blagojevich. [Related article]

"This appears to be little more than an election-year ploy," Brady said. "There is no guarantee that this plan will bring in any more money for the state's schools. I want a lot more information, as well as assurances that this is not just another opportunity for the governor's political cronies to make some money."

Blagojevich has proposed to sell or lease the state's lottery system, claiming it would generate $10 billion for public schools. Of that, the state would use $4 billion for school construction, preschool education, special education and a general increase in the per-pupil funding level. The $6 billion balance would be invested, with a hoped-for return of $650 million a year for schools until fiscal 2025. The state-run lottery currently generates about $670 million a year for education.

The 44th District senator says if Blagojevich was truly concerned about education funding reform, he would have been working on such a plan in the three years since he was elected, instead of unveiling it six months before an election as a way to appease a potential gubernatorial candidate.

Brady also noted that the governor has had many other grandiose plans to raise money, none of them successful, such as selling the James R. Thompson Center, selling the Toll Highway Authority headquarters and selling the 10th riverboat license.

[News release from Sen. Bill Brady]