With Illinois legislators gathering Tuesday in special session, we hope they'll make it truly . . . special. They can do so by revisiting the ethical reforms they want to avoid, and by embracing the many sensible ideas that have been proposed as ways to slash future spending by the billions.

Gov. Pat Quinn wants something else: approval of his 50 percent boost in the state income tax rate. He lost this fight during the regular legislative session, and our hunch is that he won't win it this week.

Why so? Too many lawmakers realize that voters want spending and ethics reforms before they're asked to pay more for state government. The fact that many legislators brazenly clouted friends and family into the University of Illinois hasn't helped the voters' mood.

Some of those lawmakers think they've found a way to finesse their dilemma: They might vote for a big tax increase -- but only after they learn whether they'll have serious primary election opponents next year. Think of this as calculated cowardice.

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If you're a straightforward person, you probably take stands and stick by them. Maybe you favor a tax increase, maybe you don't. Our oft-stated position is that there should be no talk of dumping more revenue into Illinois state government tomorrow until lawmakers reform how money gets spent today.

But kibbitz with some legislators and they'll confide that not every one of their colleagues is a straightforward person. Hence this scheme for stalling the major decisions and getting re-elected next year:

On Aug. 4, candidates for the General Assembly (and other offices) can begin circulating petitions to get on the 2010 primary ballot. They need to file those petitions no later than Nov. 2.

Voila! On Nov. 3, every legislator running for re-election will know whether he or she has a serious primary challenger.

And thanks to the way the state legislators gerrymander their districts to protect themselves, most of them will face no real opposition in the general election.

Those who face no opposition logically will feel more confident about voting for a big tax increase.

We don't know of one legislator who has been stupid enough to say publicly, "I'm waiting until November to see whether I have a primary opponent -- and, if I don't, I can vote for Quinn's tax hike." But more than a few legislators are thinking just that.

So let's be clear: Lawmakers need to resolve the budget and the tax hike question before the Nov. 2 filing deadline.

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The rest of the people of Illinois also have some decision to make before Nov. 2.

There are 44 days until candidates can start circulating petitions to run in 2010, and 134 days until the last day to file for office.

We've been writing a lot about how to eradicate the culture of corruption in this state. We've been writing a lot about how to establish a more responsible and responsive state government.

Those aims won't be fully realized unless the people who run state and local governments feel they face real competition -- unless they feel the risk that voters can choose a future that doesn't include them.

That will happen only if good people take up the challenge to run for office. That means recruiting candidates right now for the General Assembly, for the Cook County Board, for every office on the ballot in 2010.

If the current crop won't craft an ethical government and make it live within its means, Illinoisans will need to elect scores of new people who will.