Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 1-12

"Now is the time to decide to get into a new spirit of helping one another Duty toward your community should move you to take a stand. Join hands with your neighbor, and pull together for better business and better FROM THE FIRST SOUTHTOWN EDITORIAL, PUBLISHED IN 1917 INSIGHT Obama library site is obvious The search for the site for the Obama Presidential Library is over. It is the grounds of the former U.S. Steel South Works mill on Chicago's Southeast Side. The land is fallow, so there would be no need to disrupt or rearrange an existing neighborhood for the project.

Take 87th Street east as far as you can go, get out of your car and walk to the shore. The view of the lake and the downtown skyline is magnificent. The Obama library on this site would spur redevelopment of this vast area of vacant land. Put the Lucas Museum there, too, and you would have tandem engines for redevelopment. Then have Jeanne Gang design both structures.

The case is closed, signed, sealed and delivered. Gary Odom Chicago 'YOUR ARM VIU. BE OK.YOU JUST NEED TO STOP PATTiNG YOURSELF ON THE BACK FOR A COUPLE OF rating, cash may keep Madigan quiet Rauner's RICH www.thecapitolfaxblog.com A solid majority of Illinoisans wants newly inaugurated Gov. Bruce Rauner to find common ground with the Democratic legislative majority rather than be confrontational, according to a Jan. 15 poll.

However, most residents aren't confident that the state's leaders can avoid gridlock, and most believe the Democrats will be to blame. "Do you think Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner should try to solve the state's problems by working to find common ground with the Democratic-controlled legislature or should he take a more confrontational approach with the Democrats in trying to solve this state's many problems?" 1,026 registered of Illinoisans were confident that gridlock cold be avoided, while 54 percent were not confident. The most "confident" group was Republicans, but even they were outnumbered 46-39 by Republicans who were not confident. I think you might get a higher confidence level for compromise at the Statehouse, particularly among folks who have experienced progress under divided government in the past.

Divided government rarely accomplishes sweeping change, mainly because the parties are at odds on some issues, particularly social issues. But so far at least, Springfield has a much better track record than Washington, D.C., which has a structural bias toward do-nothingness. "Finally, if Illinois government gets mired in gridlock, who do you think will likely be the cause of the gridlock?" the pollster asked. A 52 percent majority of respondents pointed their collective finger at the Democrats, while just 20 percent figured that Rauner would be to blame and another 20 percent said "all of them." him an advantage of better than 7-1. Rauner has said he will use the money to communicate his message with voters and support his legislative allies.

But lots of Springfield folks are wondering who's going to get whacked by that cash mountain. And for the first time in memory, the Illinois Republican Party ended a year with more than twice as much cash on hand than the Democratic Party $566,000 for the GOP and $215,000 for the Democrats. That advantage is mostly due to contributions from Rauner himself. If you were wondering why people like me believe that Madigan will hold his fire for quite a while, all you have to do is look at the results from the two polls and that cash disadvantage. Madigan knows that he and his party will be the fall guys in any political war.

Rauner will have to take the first shot and maybe the second and third. And Madigan had better go out there and raise some more money. Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com. More specifically, 30 percent said they thought House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, would be to blame, 3 percent said Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chica-go, would likely be the problem and 19 percent said it would be Madigan and Cullerton together. Even 42 percent of Democrats said their party leaders would be to blame if the state crashes into the gridlock wall.

Meanwhile, a poll conducted by We Ask America on Jan. 14 had Rauner's approval rating at 52 percent, with just 23 percent disapproving. Madigan's numbers were almost the exact reverse, with 26 percent approving and 55 percent disapproving. And that's not the only Democratic deficit. The Democratic legislative leaders spent down their reserves during last year's campaign, and ended 2014 with a combined total of $2.8 million in their respective campaign bank accounts.

Normally, that wouldn't be too bad. But not after Rauner dumped $20 million into his campaign fund before the year ended. That gives voters were asked in the poll by We Ask America. The poll had a margin of error of -3 percent. A strong 67 percent of those responding said they want Rauner to find common ground, 22 percent said he should take a more confrontational approach, 6 percent said he should do both and 5 percent were unsure.

An overwhelming 84 percent of Democrats and a strong 63 percent of independents wanted him to find common ground, while 76 percent of blacks and 67 percent of whites said the same. Every demographic favored the common-ground approach, although only a 49 percent plurality of Republicans did so as opposed to 36 percent who wanted a more confrontational approach from the new governor. Next question: "We would like to know how confident you are that Gov. Rauner can avoid gridlock with the Democratic-controlled House and Senate." Considering Illinois' sorry recent history and the gridlock caused by a divided government in our nation's capital, just 31 percent.