I’m assuming you’ve already seen coverage of the Democratic Texas state legislators who fled to Illinois to prevent a Republican-backed redrawing of congressional district lines in their home state. Their absence means their legislature doesn’t have enough members to legally conduct business. Like every Democratic governor, Gov. JB Pritzker needs his party to win back […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Letters to the editor 08-07-2025
NO FUN My opinion is Republicans like to control what businesses and people do, and the fun they have, under the guise of public safety (“Last call is earlier than ever,” July 24). Marie Carnes Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes TOO MUCH TIME Most bars have computerized registers, so it should be easy to quantify the impact of […]
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Editor’s Note
It was a perfect weather night in the park, with tons of children climbing playground equipment, getting soapy in the foam machine, competing in the cake walk. Neighbors old and new celebrated National Night Out with hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches. Display tables touted the Northside Children’s Community Library, Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens, Third […]
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Editors note 7/31/25
It was a step toward world peace when China visited Springfield July 25. The occasion was China’s gratitude for Minnie Vautrin of the tiny town of Secor, north of Bloomington, who was a teacher in Nanjing, China, when the Japanese captured the city in 1937 and massacred thousands. In her school, Vautrin sheltered many women […]
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Letters to the editor 7/31/25
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. — TURN OVER STADIUM I find it disappointing to the point of exasperation that the ownership of the Lucky Horseshoes has to resort to begging the community to pressure the Springfield Park District to live […]
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Candidates vying for statewide offices
According to the 2020 Census, Cook County is 40% white, 26% Latino, 22% Black and 8% Asian. Chicago is 21% of the state’s population. But the statewide ticket recently endorsed by the Cook County Democratic Party is overwhelmingly made up of white Chicagoans (JB Pritzker, Alexi Giannoulias, Mike Frerichs and Margaret Croke), with two Black […]
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Protect families from lead contamination
Illinois is home to more than one million lead service lines, the highest state total in the nation. While efforts to replace these aging and harmful pipes are underway, completing such a massive undertaking will take years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set a national deadline of 2037 for full lead pipe replacement, though […]
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Letters to the editor 7/24/25
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. — NOTHING NEW How many variations of this article is Illinois Times going to write (“City’s Black Caucus addresses disparities,” July 10)? It starts with broad pronouncements that everyone knows and has heard a million […]
Posted inEditor's Note, Opinion
Editors note 7/24/25
For my high school newspaper, I wrote a column titled “What in the World?” in which I earnestly parroted what I’d read about global affairs in The New Republic. Later in my career, though still young, I became an editorial writer, from which post I regularly weighed in on how Nixon and Kissinger ought to […]
Posted inOpinion
Editors note 7/24/25
For my high school newspaper, I wrote a column titled “What in the World?” in which I earnestly parroted what I’d read about global affairs in The New Republic. Later in my career, though still young, I became an editorial writer, from which post I regularly weighed in on how Nixon and Kissinger ought to […]
Posted inOpinion
Fights continue over RTA funding
The Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois and the Regional Transportation Authority agree that a change to Illinois’ sales tax law will net the RTA an additional $150 million this year and another $225 million next year. That money will drastically reduce the impact of the looming $770 million “fiscal cliff,” which begins in January. The extra […]
Posted inOpinion
Higher hotel taxes won’t bring more visitors
From Route 66 nostalgia and Abraham Lincoln sites to a vibrant dining scene and a new sports park that is poised to make our city a regional destination, Springfield has a lot to offer visitors. Yet, what should be our crown jewel – our beautiful and historic downtown – has become stagnant in recent years […]
