Fletcher Farrar

Of course aldermen and the mayor think they – all of them and nobody but them – are the best ones to decide on city government’s ethics, but the squabbling does not inspire confidence that anything will be resolved. Neither does their inability to do anything about the 15 complaints that were brought forward to […]

 It was 40 years and a few months ago that a group of visionary entrepreneurs gathered in Springfield to start a weekly newspaper they called Illinois Times. They found a ready audience and, more remarkably, they found advertisers willing to take a risk on a nontraditional publication, enough of them to make their idea into […]

 The best thing about the holiday season is the spirit of generosity that covers the land. Church groups provide meals for the unfortunate. Charities gather coats and toys for children. Motorcycle groups and service clubs make sure nobody goes without. All is sweet, tender and mild until it comes to public policy in Illinois, where […]

 Through the pouring rain Sunday evening people came and kept coming by the hundreds to the mosque of the Islamic Society of Greater Springfield. The event was billed as an interfaith peace vigil and speakers from many religious faiths and several elected officials expressed solidarity with the Muslim community in the wake of verbal attacks […]

In this day and age, who in their right mind would want to start up and run a police department? The Springfield Park District, by all appearances. The district already has a department, but in name only, given that it has just three officers who can’t keep track of evidence or policies and procedures, let […]

 At its public “town hall” meeting Monday evening, HSHS St. John’s Hospital impressed the crowd with its openness about plans for a new medical office building and its interest in the public’s ideas for ways to commemorate the 1908 race riot which happened nearby. The building, to house outpatient services for women and children, will […]

Having failed to win legislative approval for term limits, Gov. Bruce Rauner is running his own housecleaning operation. He’s appointed all three of Sangamon County’s veteran House members to staff jobs in his administration, clearing the way for him to appoint new legislators more likely to do his bidding. So far it seems the governor […]

 Illinoisans are still getting to know Gov. Bruce Rauner, who seems like a friendly and compassionate man when he’s not cutting children out of day care or closing museums to the public. So it was not surprising, but still disappointing, when he said this week Illinois will no longer accept new Syrian refugees.  He surely […]

This was the week that the ice began melting at the Statehouse. Child care cuts were largely restored. Cuts to home care for seniors were reversed. Unemployment compensation reform may be on the way. There’s hope for opening up the road fund to fund roads again. It looks like Gov. Bruce Rauner may allow the […]

 When Donald Trump makes a stop in Springfield next week, he and the national media will get a glimpse of a government run by a wealthy businessman with no political experience. The state is at a standstill, with no political deal in the works, no day care for low-income women and no holiday lights at […]

In a day when politicians and officeholders are often scorned, it was good to see the outpouring of honor and respect for Ossie Langfelder, the former mayor, at his funeral. Now political experience is considered a negative by many voters; Langfelder rose through the ranks before becoming mayor. Today’s politicians dust off dubious religion credentials […]