Letters policy
We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime
telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity.
Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois
62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com
CONNECTING THE DOTS
After reading a letter to the editor in the State Journal-Register from Rudy Davenport, president of the local NAACP, I wondered why the NAACP was sticking its nose into the resignation of Letitia Dewith-Anderson. It seemed simply the voluntary resignation of a political appointee. I was then introduced to a well-written article in Illinois Times that made obvious sense (sort of connected the dots) about the evolution of events that led up to the resignation [Dusty Rhodes, “Leaving Oz,” Jan. 15].
It is quite obvious that Dewith-Anderson is an intelligent, well-educated person who wanted to do a good job for the mayor and the city. However, there is one obvious fact that one has to notice when reading about the course of events that took place during the election and tenure of Mayor Davlin. It is typical of the Democrats to use the black vote to get elected. Look at the history of the Kennedys and the Clintons. After being elected did they recognize and appoint blacks to responsible positions? No they didn’t, and Mayor Davlin is of the same persuasion. Use them and discard them.
I see only one option for Letitia Dewith-Anderson. Switch to the Republican Party where her talents will be recognized and used. There is no doubt that we could all benefit and learn from someone with Letitia’s talents.
Weldon Stetter
Cantrall
RHETORIC WON’T FIX SCHOOLS
Public education is finally taking center stage in Springfield and making the front pages of the papers. But is there enough political will to do the right thing?
Students in every county — rural, urban, and suburban — are not getting the public education they deserve because Springfield has been asleep at the wheel. Quincy students skip lunch periods to make up for eliminated class time. Hamilton County’s low-income students lost their Blue Ribbon schools. Special education is cut in Madison County. Spanish is eliminated in Richmond and librarians are abolished in Yorkwood.
As a business and civic leader, as an advocate for children my entire life and as a member of the State Board, I believe there is nothing more important in our society than educating our youth. Public education is an economic engine that drives jobs, innovation, problem solving, and quality of life. Today’s schools help children beyond classroom instruction — for many students, school is a surrogate parent, providing nutritional meals, guidance and the motivation to succeed.
The problem isn’t about whose bureaucracy is in control, but the extent to which our elected officials fulfill their constitutional responsibility as the primary funder of local schools. Ranking 48th in state funding, Illinois is over-reliant on local property taxes. Instead of funding education as it should, the state places an unfair burden on local taxpayers. It creates vast disparities between the “haves” and “have nots.” This isn’t fair to our children or the voters.
My constituents — Illinois’ 2.2 million schoolchildren — aren’t old enough to vote, they don’t contribute to political campaigns and don’t carry party or union cards. That’s why I personally launched Students First Illinois last year to encourage every citizen to put our students first.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s vision for the children is noble, but his glass is half full. From what I see across the state, children need solid plans and sustained commitment for ending the funding emergency — not political rhetoric. I support the governor’s pledge to cut red tape, waste and inefficiencies in Springfield. In fact, I’ve been criticized when challenging education to be run “like a business.” But with an annual $2 billion shortfall (according to the Education Funding Advisory Board) in state funding for schools, there’s much more to be done.
The crisis is real and the public is ready to act. In a new statewide poll, 61 percent of Illinois voters believe our K-12 schools are under-funded. We must start a public dialogue about the complete overhaul of the education system. Students First Illinois will work with the governor, the legislature, the public, the education community and the policy groups to get there.
We are charged with the education of our children, need to keep the politics out of our classrooms and ensure every child access to the free education the Illinois Constitution affords them. I challenge all of our statewide elected officials, the legislature, local school boards, parents, teachers and communities to work together to put our students first, above the special interests, the politics and the rhetoric. The children need results now.
Ronald J. Gidwitz
President and founder,
Students First Illinois
Chicago
COME HOME, REAGAN DEMOCRATS
The Iowa caucuses did one thing for the Democrats: it showed the big split in that party. As I watched C-SPAN on the night of the caucuses, I could see how upset the Reagan Democrats were and at the end of the night you could see by their vote. At one point, a Howard Dean supporter was trying to sway voters over to their side and older man was standing there and told him, ‘Son, this is war and in war we support and fall behind our commander in chief — even if you don’t like all he is doing. He is our president and Dean ran attack ads on the war on terrorists.” I thought the Dean kid was going to cry.
So the Iowa caucuses mean by the end of the primaries, [the Democratic Party] will be split and, in the end, the Reagan Democrats will come home and re-elect President Bush for a second term.
Richard Stone
Springfield
UNREASONABLE AND UNWARRANTED
William Holdorf’s letter, “Unbuckle this law,” illustrates how seat belt laws are an unwarranted intrusion and makes an excellent point about how unreasonable such laws are from a traffic safety perspective [Illinois Times, Jan. 8]. Drivers are increasingly ignoring lane usage and right-of-way laws. Seat belt laws are unreasonable as long as drivers illegally endanger and threaten pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists with impunity.
A brief daytime visit to most intersections in Springfield will reveal how “safe” drivers’ numerous violations of rights-of-way, illegal surprise turns, and unlawful surprise lane changes threaten and endanger people. Policymakers need to focus traffic enforcement on confronting those who endanger others rather than detaining innocent people.
Pete Wagner
Springfield
DON’T CHANGE GUN RECORD LAW
You don’t have to be a criminal investigator to understand why the FBI says that weakening the Brady Bill will hurt law enforcement efforts. Currently, the Brady Bill requires gun dealers to retain records of gun sales for 90 days. The gun lobby wants to change it to one day.
If the Brady Bill is weakened, a gun would have to be used in a crime within 24 hours of being purchased and the police would have to find the gun used in the crime and trace it to the gun dealer during the same time period. How often will that happen?
Seems like 90 days is a more reasonable amount of time to retain records of gun purchases. Now the question is: Will Congress side with the gun lobby or put law enforcement first?
Valerie Sydor
Chicago
This article appears in Jan 22-28, 2004.
