Richard M. Yon isn’t your typical tourist. As a Florida university student, pursuing his Ph.D. in political science, Yon’s visit to Springfield over Memorial Day weekend was part of his 5,000-mile tour of various presidential sites. “I’m such a nerd,” he laughs. Over the phone, it’s hard to tell whether he’s being self-deprecating or brutally […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
letters 6-23-05
Letters policy We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity. Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois 62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com ON THE SIDE OF HOPE The Arc of Illinois represents over 180,000 […]
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Cold Rod
Yet another statewide survey shows big trouble for Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The Glengariff Group’s poll of 600 registered Illinois voters found Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka leading Blagojevich 33 percent to 31 percent. The poll was taken June 2-4, after the legislative session ended and the governor had received his first positive media coverage in months. […]
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Sorry end
Rep. John Fritchey’s session was going extraordinarily well — until he smacked into the last 10 days. The Chicago Democrat was the prime mover behind the unprecedented compromise between anti-abortion and pro-choice groups earlier this session. The two sides had never worked together before Fritchey forced them to the table. It all started when House […]
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capital voices 6-16-05
He was Billy Mack See-Inside because it was the name he wanted and what he could do. He could see inside living trees, feel time as it was when each ring was newborn. Weather permitting, he came by every Saturday, stayed an hour, told his secrets, then lumbered on to his other worlds. His uniform […]
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common sense 6-16-05
George Washington sagely warned against America’s getting caught up in “entangling alliances” in foreign affairs. President Bush, however, seems to think he’s smarter than the first George W. As a result of Bush’s arrogance or ignorance or both, our country is now entangled in some ugly and messy alliances that put us on the wrong […]
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Green ham and interrupted prayers
They were known as plain people with a practical faith. Their church was called German Baptist and later changed to Church of the Brethren when ethnic identity became a handicap, but they were nicknamed Dunkards for their method of baptism: not once but three times under. Following the injunction in the Book of James “to […]
Posted inOpinion
letters 6-16-05
Letters policy We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity. Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois 62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com NEW REGS DON’T GO FAR ENOUGH The Illinois Department of Agriculture recently […]
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The coming storm
The Chicago media declared Gov. Rod Blagojevich a winner after the spring legislative session ended last week. Adjourning the session by May 31 and, for a change, getting along with other Democrats, upholding his promise not to raise taxes, and coming up with lots of new programs and comprehensive medical-malpractice reform made him look pretty […]
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Building Springfield
“Let every street be made a reverent aisleWhere Music grows and Beauty is unchained.” — Nicholas Vachel Lindsay, “On the Building of Springfield” Vachel Lindsay would be pleased with the town Springfield is becoming. If Lincoln is our first son, who placed us on the map with words and deeds of universal wisdom, then Lindsay, […]
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The natural
Just when I thought I’d heard everything, I get this plea from a high-ranking Springfield Police Department official, begging me not to write about a certain officer. “Please don’t write about Matt Fricke,” he says. “You’re gonna scare everybody away.” By now, I’m accustomed to brass trying to shoo me off when I’m inquiring about […]
Posted inOpinion
letters 6-9-05
Letters policy We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity. Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois 62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com TO STOP GLOBAL WARMING Thanks for Jason Mark’s article [“Harvesting Chaos,” May […]
