By Jim Edgar and John Shaw Less than five years ago, Illinois was moving aggressively in the wrong direction, careening toward the fiscal precipice, lurching toward junk bond status. A brutal and counterproductive two-year budget stalemate had tarnished Illinois’ reputation, damaged our schools, battered our credit rating, and led to...
Former Illinois governor Jim Edgar has created a program that might be the last great hope for struggling Illinois, yet his Edgar Fellows Program has yet to prove its potential. I propose that the nearly 400 Fellows take on the task, never before tried, of building a strong future for...
By Jim Edgar and John Shaw We announced last Fall that we established the Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Award to celebrate statesmanship in Illinois. Although we have no formula to offer that magically ends partisanship in Illinois, quiets rancor, and forges a sense of shared destiny, we believe this award will...
