Letters to the Editor

TEACH RESPECT I was shocked to read about students at our local schools attacking and threatening teachers (“Not ready to learn,” May 16). While students in my day, 70 years ago, sometimes got into fights between themselves, never was any teacher physically attacked. Respect for authority in today’s world seems to have taken one large […]

NO FAVORS So a guy buys a house for $1 and somehow racks up more than $40,000 in fines – do you expect that debt to ever be paid? That’s why $42,000 was waived by the city’s administrative court (“Twelve years later, vacant house comes full circle,” May 2). Can Illinois Times explain to readers […]

We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- CRAZY DRIVERS People already drive like idiots downtown, I can’t wait to see how long it takes for them to figure out these changes (“A new direction: Portions of one-way streets to become two-way,” […]

IT’S THE CITY’S JOB Dean Olsen’s feature on our waste disposal system was very thorough, with many useful thoughts from various leaders in the community (“Talking trash,” April 4). I also appreciated the capsule descriptions of how other similarly sized Illinois cities collect waste, including cost and effectiveness. Springfield is a checkerboard of incorporation, and […]

We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- FROM COUNTY BOARD CHAIR Dean Olsen’s recent article on the nationally recognized consultant’s analysis of an expansion to the BOS Center incisively covered a complex subject (“Making downtown Springfield more marketable,” April 11).  The subsequent […]

POINTLESS CHANGE This seems really pointless if the bars in Springfield will still be open until 3 a.m. (“Sangamon County Board to vote on ending 3 a.m. liquor licenses, April 4). You’re just forcing more people into fewer bars. Chaney Lovellette Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes OVERREACTION I live downtown, and while there are isolated incidents, for the […]

We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- DISINGENUIOUS POSTAL PLAN The goal of the U.S. Postal Service’s 10-year Delivering for America Plan, launched in March 2021 by Postmaster Louis DeJoy, is to “redesign” the USPS processing, transportation and delivery networks; however, […]

GREAT STORY Great story by Dean Olsen about a special guy, Lee Milner (“Photographing history: Lee Milner reflects on his life and career,” March 28). Kay Shipman-Swiech Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes GREAT PERSON A great photographer and an even greater person. Grant Hammer Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes CLASS ACT I enjoyed crossing paths with Lee whenever we covered the […]

We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- PRESERVE THE HISTORY I would like to give a big thank you to David Blanchette and Illinois Times for the wonderful and comprehensive coverage of the history and upcoming closure of Armbruster Manufacturing (“The […]

DON’T BLAME STUDENTS Marc Magliari wrote a scathing letter lamenting the public media landscape in our state and decided to blame the tuition-paying students at University of Illinois Springfield for not shouldering the bill (“Letters to the editor,” March 7). Of course, he leaves out that many other public media outlets have consolidated in recent […]

We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- DISTRICT 186 WAS SOLD A STORY I highly recommend everybody listen to “Sold a Story,” the podcast mentioned in the cover story (“When kids can’t read,” Feb. 29). I couldn’t believe schools were still […]

CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION There is no evidence linking pretrial reform to crime (“Crime on the rise in Sangamon County,” Feb. 29). But that didn’t stop the Springfield Police Department from claiming that ending money bond has caused an increase in arrests for some charges in Springfield. Let’s be clear: over the same period, […]