You really have to hand it to Gov. Rod Blagojevich. By simply proposing to transfer the powers of the Illinois State Board of Education to his own office, Blagojevich did several huge favors for the teachers unions, forestalled any budget-busting funding increases for education and all but killed the income-for-property tax swap idea for the […]
Opinion
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Letters 2-12-04
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 LOWERED EXPECTATIONS I have just finished reading your article on the proposed […]
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Dodge ball
Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s success on major legislation last year may not translate into passage of his top priority this year: eliminating the Illinois State Board of Education, which he’s compared to a “Soviet-style” bureaucracy. On every major victory last year, the governor had the backing of both Democratic legislative leaders, House Speaker Michael Madigan and […]
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Pride and Prejudice
Rick Garcia, who runs the state’s largest gay rights organization, is obviously a little fed up with some Democrats in the Illinois state Senate. “They’re just wusses,” Garcia says. Garcia is upset at the Democrats for preventing Senate Bill 101 from receiving a vote by the full Senate. The bill would essentially forbid discrimination in […]
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Letters 2-5-04
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, IL 62705 Fax: (217) 753-3958 E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com UNBELIEVABLE, BUT NOT UNEXPECTED I wish to thank freelance writer Bob Schaper for the […]
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Letters 1-29-04
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 COMMON SENSE ON DRUG USE President Bush’s plan to pour millions into […]
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Guilt by association
John Sullivan, a Democrat from Rushville, was the biggest surprise winner of the 2002 election in Illinois. Political observers still wonder how Sullivan beat Laura Kent Donahue, a popular Republican state senator, in a Republican-leaning district. Sullivan was a factor in why Senate Republicans refused to cooperate with the Democrats during last year’s session: They […]
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Cabin fever, sassafras and morels
Do you have a tale to tell? If you live in the Springfield area and want to share a story about an adventure, a favorite activity, or a recollection of the past, send your essay to “Capital Voices” at Illinois Times, P.O. Box 5256, Springfield, IL 62705, or e-mail editor@illinoistimes.com In the middle of February, […]
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Letters 1-22-04
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 CONNECTING THE DOTS After reading a letter to the editor in the […]
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Seeking inspiration
Despite easily winning two consecutive statewide elections, a recent Chicago Tribune poll has Comptroller Dan Hynes at just 14 percent in the U.S. Senate race. Even worse, Hynes is tied with two of his opponents, Maria Pappas and Barack Obama. How can Dan Hynes possibly be polling just 14 percent in this race? And how […]
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Letters 1-15-04
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 OFF WITH THEIR HEADS Springfield’s present $7 million debt was caused by […]
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Letters 1-8-04
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 MINER’S POINT Meg Miner’s letter to the Illinois Times was thorough and […]
