Before the House passed the megaprojects bill last month, we were told that the drafters didn’t want to just do some symbolic or “token” property tax relief. After the chamber passed the bill, we were told the property tax component will provide meaningful statewide relief for homeowners. Well, the governor’s office ran the numbers on […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Springfield’s story isn’t decline
The recent article “Tourism is up, but downtown is hurting” (April 23) captures a reality many Springfield residents and business owners feel every day: change is underway, and not all of it has been easy. Empty storefronts, the closure of a major downtown hotel and the lingering effects of a devastating fire have created real […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Letters to the editor
NEED TO LOOK FORWARD The folks walking through the doors of Studio on 6th every week would beg to differ (“Tourism is up, but downtown is hurting,” April 23). Downtown isn’t running on just “locals popping in on a whim.” The heartbeat right now is tourism – and it’s strong. People travel here on purpose […]
Posted inRich Miller
Progressives push tax ideas
More than a year ago, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget was projecting a $3.2 billion deficit for what is now the current fiscal year. Part of the problem was that existing revenues were flat while spending was growing, according to the budget office. This is a recurring problem in Illinois. The previous fiscal […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Letters to the editor 4/30/26
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. ADS AREN’T TRUE There has been a rash of ads vilifying a “new” law that “may” make it so tipped workers can’t get tipped in a credit card (“‘Credit card chaos’? Financial institutions bet big […]
Posted inJames Krohe Jr.
Dr. Turner prescribes
Downtown Springfield has been slowly bleeding retailers, office tenants and cobblers-to-kitchen installers since 1951 when Sears, Roebuck & Co. moved its store from Adams Street downtown to South Grand Avenue. Weakened but tenacious, downtown has been “revitalized” more times than the Batman movie franchise thanks to tourists, state workers, apartment dwellers and visiting urbanism experts […]
Posted inRich Miller
Bears stadium bill advances
“We’re almost there” on a Bears stadium bill, Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) told some sports radio hosts on a Friday morning before the House returned to Springfield for three days of session last week. “We’re very close.” Asked if the rumor spread by sports business pundit Marc Ganis earlier that week was true about House […]
Posted inOpinion
Invest in residents first
Downtown Springfield is the heart of our city, but more importantly, it is a neighborhood. It belongs first to the people who live here, work here, study here, worship here and return here again and again because it feels like theirs. Tourism is a vital piece of downtown’s economy, and we’re glad to welcome visitors. […]
Posted inOpinion
A case for data center growth
This month’s CyrusOne zoning petition vote was not partisan, and the Democrats on the Sangamon County Board split evenly on this vote. The Board had to decide if a proposal meeting zoning standards should advance while demanding strong building-code enforcement, transparency and accountability. Data centers are part of the infrastructure of modern life. Our phones, […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Letters to the editor
GOOD PLAY, BAD JOKE I saw the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee musical put on at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. I thought it was mostly terrific and that the cast did an excellent job. I had a good time watching it. I did, however, not love one joke made in reference to […]
Posted inRich Miller
Poll finds support for data center regulation
In a mid-March poll, 68 percent of likely Illinois voters said they would support legislation to “regulate data centers to minimize their impact on our utility bills, climate, and water while still allowing them to be built.” But while 21 percent opposed the legislation, more than half of those opponents (56 percent) said they did […]
Posted inOpinion
Collaboration needed
Illinois Times published an article April 2 entitled “A collaborative effort for downtown,” referring to the push to create a new taxing body to expand the BOS Center and construct a new hotel. I only wish a “collaborative effort” was indeed the case. While I am not an elected official, I am a longtime advocate […]
