Nothing says Happy Birthday, Barack Obama like a threatened government shutdown.
That’s what a pair of South Side Democrats are up to with their proposal to make the 44th president’s birthday a paid state holiday.
Reps. Andre Thapedi and Sonya Harper have introduced identical bills in the Illinois House that would celebrate Obama’s birthday — Aug. 4 — by closing state offices for the day. Banks also could opt to close.
The intent is to honor the nation’s first African-American president, who catapulted from the Illinois General Assembly to the U.S. Senate to the White House, scoring a Nobel Peace Prize along the way. Yes, Obama has made Illinois proud. Yes, he is worthy of public tribute. We’re sure there will be many.
But why is the default gesture in Springfield yet another paid day off for state employees? Why should we salute Obama’s service by closing the courts, the driver’s license bureaus and other agencies? Why should taxpayers be tapped for millions of dollars in lost productivity?
Obama’s birthday would be the state’s 13th paid holiday. Quick, can you name the other 12? Do your plans for Lincoln’s birthday — that’s observed Monday — have anything to do with Lincoln? Do you plan to celebrate Presidents Day (Feb. 20) by shopping for a new car or mattress? What would you consider an appropriate way to spend a holiday dedicated to Barack Obama? Going to a White Sox game does not count.
Follow the rise of President Barack Obama through the eyes of Tribune staff photographers, starting with his years as an Illinois senator and finishing with his final presidential speech in Chicago.
(Chicago Tribune)
To put things in perspective: The Illinois Chamber of Commerce surveys businesses every year about the holidays they provide their employees. This year, employers are granting an average of 8.1 paid holidays plus 2.9 paid personal days, for a total of 11. That’s down from a combined 11.7 days the previous two years.
Many states sync their holiday calendars with the federal government, which has 10 paid holidays. Others are more generous: Hawaii observes Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day, King Kamehameha I Day, and Statehood Day among a total of 14. Texas workers get 17 paid holidays, including Confederate Heroes Day, LBJ’s birthday, San Jacinto Day and Texas Independence Day.
Some states keep the calendar uncluttered by doubling up on holidays. Alabama celebrates Martin Luther King and Robert E. Lee on the same day (Jan. 16 this year). George Washington and Thomas Jefferson share Feb. 20, but Jefferson Davis gets his own holiday (June 5) and Confederate Memorial Day is April 24. Lincoln isn’t mentioned. Virginia honors Lee and Stonewall Jackson in January, but Washington is the only one of eight Virginia-born presidents to merit a state holiday.
Some states are so flexible with holidays that the original intent is all but lost. This year, Indiana will observe Lincoln’s birthday on Nov. 24, better known as Black Friday. Georgia will honor Washington on the day after Christmas.
Over in the Illinois Senate, there’s a compromise bill that would add Aug. 4 to the list of commemorative dates officially celebrated by the state. "Barack Obama Day" would honor the legislator-turned-senator-turned-president who "dedicated his life to protecting the rights of Americans and building bridges across communities."
No, it wouldn’t be a holiday. But there are other, better ways to honor Obama: Register to vote. Fly the flag. Write your congressman. Make a contribution to a charity of your choice. Bake a cake, sing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" and talk to your kids about what they can do to lift up their community. An excellent way to do that would be to (gulp) volunteer your services. The opposite of a day off with pay.
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