“Today, we begin to govern“
The day before had been inaugural day, the kind of day that most politicians savor: the supreme opportunity to indulge yourself in the sweetness of victory. But this was clearly a better moment for Jim Edgar, the freshly installed 39th Governor of Illinois. Soon after arriving in his new Capitol office, he broke into a broad smile and said, “Today, we begin to govern.”
Time and time again, Edgar abandoned the one-size- fits-all approach. His steady hand on the helm allowed him to govern effectively by matching his promises with performance.
Impact by the Numbers
jobs created during the last six years of the Edgar administration
families moved from welfare to jobs
increase in recycled tonnage
%
Increase in in-home care for the elderly
%
Increase in per capita income in the 1990s
%
Decrease in infant mortality
“[The next governor] must have the vision and discipline to look beyond the next election to the next decade and even to the next century. He must have the conscience and courage to place principle above political expediency. That is what leadership is all about.”
Jim Edgar
The Children
Edgar championed a wide range of creative, result-oriented, reform-minded initiatives to improve the learning process for all Illinois schoolchildren.
Edgar’s hard-fought education successes eventually proved to be many, but the capstone to his education reforms was landmark legislation in 1997 that guarantees every elementary and secondary student is afforded the necessary dollars to achieve a quality education, no matter where they lived. The Governor proposed, fought for and attained passage of the historic legislation that helped ensure children in the state’s poorest districts have an equal chance at a quality education.
The Economy
Governor Edgar saw to it that Illinois’ economic development strategy focused on retaining existing jobs and helping small and large businesses thrive and expand. No longer would the state follow the questionable smoke- stack-chasing strategy of the 1980s, trying to outbid other states for new jobs with multi-million dollar incentive packages. At the urging of the Illinois business community, which chafed under the old state policy, the Governor pledged that existing Illinois businesses would be given the highest priority.
Brenda Edgar
During her eight years as Illinois’ First Lady, Brenda Edgar was a full partner to the Governor in his public and political life. She served as the Governor’s ambassador and advocate on issues to improve the lives of Illinois women and children. In 1997, she was named one of “100 Women Making a Difference” by Today’s Chicago Woman.
Brenda Edgar served as a role model for Illinois women. She and the Edgar administration helped women and children improve their lives and meet the challenges of the 1990s.
His Legacy
From Jim Edgar’s time in office came the lessons, sometimes spoken, often conveyed by example. Family. Decency. Compassion. Civility. Hard work. Straight-forwardness. Discipline. Core values.
You live within your means. Education is key to your development as a human being and to your success in life. Self-sufficiency is crucial to self-respect; yet, we all need a helping hand at some points. In times of crisis, neighbor helps neighbor and government assists when it must. But the ultimate goal is to help the individual and society to realize their full potential.
Because of his understated, though effective, leadership style and his personal reserve, Edgar has not been viewed as an activist governor by some of the media and government insiders. But the record shows his fidelity to his values, principles and sense of public service spurred dramatic changes in the governmental landscape of Illinois and enriched the lives of millions of Illinoisans.