CTU President Karen Lewis responds to Governor Quinn's budget decisions
In a press release issued on the afternoon of July 1, 2010, newly elected Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis responded to the budget signed by Governor Patrick Quinn of Illinois. The CTU statement issued reads as follows:
Flanked by smiling supporters, newly elected Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis spoke to the press at Chicago's King High School (where she taught chemistry) following the CORE victory in the June 11, 2010, CTU runoff election. Above, left to right, Diana Scheffer, Annette Rizzo, Karen Lewis, John Kugler (partly obscured behind Rehak), Jay Rehak, and Kristine Mayle. Substance photo by Sharon Schmidt."Illinois Governor Quinn today revealed a state budget which drastically cuts state support for education and social services in Chicago and across the state. The President of the Chicago Teachers Union, Karen Lewis, stated that, “Today, subsidies for developers and kickbacks to corporations won out over educating children and providing all citizens with basic health and social services that make life livable,” said Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis.
“'The remedies are clear. In Chicago, Mayor Daley must return TIF funds now, immediately, that he has robbed from our classrooms and social services, and get real about flat property taxes. In the state, once and for all state legislators must do their job — overhaul taxing policies that do not keep pace with rising costs, and collect and distribute money for education equitably. As it stands now, only children whose families live in costly homes have a chance at a quality education,' said Lewis.
"Lewis noted that 'too many politicians only support education during the campaign cycle. Millions of eligible voters — in this case, 30,000 classroom professionals and their families plus the families of 400,000 children in Chicago Public Schools — need a good reason to vote for Governor Quinn and Mayor Daley this coming winter.'”
The statement from Karen Lewis was issued as a press release by the new Chicago Teachers Union interim external communications chief Liz Brown. No press conference was held and no additional details were provided.
