Fletcher Farrar

There is room for hope that the state Senate will do the right thing and pass the package of “grand bargain” bills over to the House, where there will be more bargaining and eventually, finally, a budget. But any deal that allows Gov. Bruce Rauner to force a strike by AFSCME workers won’t feel like […]

 When headlines warn “Millions face possible deportation,” Springfield should heed the warning. Although this is not a haven for the undocumented, as major cities and border towns may be, new rules under consideration by the Trump administration could find victims in families here, besides causing fear among immigrant families. Local police may be asked to […]

In Chicago and around the country, local governments are learning, slowly but surely, that information belongs to the people, not just to police and prosecutors, and that transparency builds trust. That’s why videos of police shootings and other incidents in recent years have been released to the public sooner rather than later. But not in […]

The Senate’s so-called “grand bargain” isn’t soup yet, but if legislators need any further incentive to keep trying, they should read the latest downgrade report from S&P Global Ratings. “If lawmakers were to begin asserting governing control over state finances, that could help alleviate some of the pressure currently bearing down on Illinois’ credit quality,” […]

The Affordable Care Act has been responsible for improving the health of thousands of low-income central Illinois residents who, with the benefit of insurance, now are under the care of doctors and hospitals. Springfield’s medical facilities and physicians also benefit from being paid for their services through insurance, rather than having to provide charity care […]

Just as we were wrapping our heads around the oxy-moronic concept of “fake news,” the Trump administration introduced us to “alternative facts” as its new name for lies. The Washington press corps was left sputtering, resorting to making too big a deal about the administration making too big a deal about the size of Inauguration […]

The inauguration of a new flamboyant, iconoclastic but unpredictable president this week has prompted from progressives a most American reaction – to protest and organize. Many from Springfield will join thousands from around the nation in Washington, D.C., for demonstrations on the day after the inauguration. Meanwhile, Springfield Call to Action is planning a rally […]

Barack Obama, a victim of term limits in his present job, appropriately returned to his home state to give his farewell address. Sounding like one whose work is done, he encouraged the rest of us to roll up our sleeves to keep hope alive. The guy is 55 years old. Democrats are looking for a […]

In anticipation of the new administration taking office Jan. 20, many Americans are asking themselves what they can do to make these perilous times better. The Dominican Sisters of Springfield suggest joining them in an effort to promote civil discourse. The sisters earlier explained that their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are “a prophetic […]

We received this message in a holiday greeting card from a friend and decided to pass it along to readers. Following this instruction could lead to peace in Springfield, goodwill to the poor and universities – Fletcher Farrar, editor and publisher Happy HolidaysGet Serious about the Budget RejectAnti-UnionNonsense.Exorcize theRight-wing demons.

 While Gov. Bruce Rauner was busy this week working on his 2018 campaign for reelection, the education advocacy group Advance Illinois was doing work that needs to be done. Releasing its biennial report on the sorry state of education in Illinois, the group showed that low-income students are falling further behind their wealthier peers. Just […]