George W. Bush likes to strut around declaring that he’s a bold leader who’s unafraid to tackle big problems. So where’s His Boldness on the gargantuan problem of America’s addiction to high-priced, high-polluting oil? We recently saw the ballyhooed release of his “new energy program,” which wasn’t new at all and does practically nothing to […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Can’t take the heat
House Speaker Michael Madigan last year sent a clear message to Gov. Rod Blagojevich when he brought all of the governor’s highly unpopular tax and fee hikes to the floor for up-or-down votes. The governor’s bills all lost by overwhelming margins, and Blagojevich was forced to back down from his demand that Madigan pass his […]
Posted inOpinion
Medical District worries
Last week’s first of three public planning meetings on the comprehensive plan for the Springfield Medical District drew a big crowd and a healthy discussion. The professionals from RTKL Associates Inc., which has offices in Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, and other major cities, gave a nice presentation with interesting facts that they have accumulated so far. […]
Posted inOpinion
The Prosecution Complex
With the growing number of exonerations in recent years, it is obvious that Illinois has seen more than its share of individuals who have been wrongfully convicted and given long prison sentences or the death penalty by our courts. When those convictions and sentences were handed down, law enforcement and prosecutors celebrated the virtues of […]
Posted inOpinion
letters 5-19-05
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 “YARD TO NATURE” NOT “YARD TO YARD” I am sure that most […]
Posted inOpinion
capital voices 5-19-05
The downtown park bench is well located for cigar smokers, just far enough off the ordinary path to be away from the condescending stares of nonsmokers. I watched him approach. Each slow and delicate step seemed thought out in advance. Even at a distance, I could tell he’d targeted my spot. He was well dressed, […]
Posted inOpinion
GOP targets Lisa Madigan
Illinois Republican leaders who attended a recent Will County retreat with Karl Rove were a little taken aback when the White House political guru talked excitedly about bringing Vice President Dick Cheney into Illinois to campaign on behalf of the Republican candidate for Illinois attorney general. The race just hasn’t registered on anyone’s political radar […]
Posted inOpinion
Conduct unbecoming
Louis Russo was not quite 20 when he was interrogated by Illinois State Police in March 2003. It was the day after his infant daughter’s funeral, and investigators had reason to believe that Russo might have caused the baby’s death. Special Agent Cynthia Robbins and Sgt. Rebecca Dewitt-Early gave Russo his Miranda warning and then […]
Posted inOpinion
letters 5-12-05
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 TREATMENT INSTEAD OF PRISON According to the last figures I have seen, […]
Posted inOpinion
commentary 5-12-05
The recent appointment of Paul Wolfowitz as head of the World Bank was viewed around the world as a scandalous example of the Bush administration’s arrogance. Perhaps more than any other member of the clique that has taken control of the White House, it was Wolfowitz who masterminded the illegal war in Iraq. This, together […]
Posted inOpinion
common sense 5-12-05
President George W. Bush’s handlers keep him in a happy little bubble, comfortably isolated from something kind of important for a president: reality. Bush says that he doesn’t read newspapers, instead trusting his aides to give him any “news” he needs to know. And when he goes on the road for one of his “town […]
Posted inOpinion
common sense 5-5-05
Think you’re the only one who’s having a rough time in today’s economy, bucko? It’s time you started thinking about someone else — such as the rich. Yeah, the rich. Too few Americans consider the hardships of those at the top. Yeah, yeah, we hear you working stiffs whining all the time about how your […]
