For more than 20 years Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn has proudly cast himself as a people’s advocate. He helped create the 150,000-member Citizens Utility Board, which has acted as a trusted consumer watchdog of the utility industry since 1983. Quinn has long raged against the political clout wielded by the company formerly known as Ameritech, […]
Opinion
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Made men
At the end of primary election day on February 25, Mark Mahoney got some good news. He not only finished first among four candidates for alderman of Springfield City Council Ward 6, he got more votes than the other three candidates combined. Mahoney says his success was due to his simple promise to be a […]
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Your Turn 3-13-03
Heck no, he won’t go To the editor, Re: reviving the draft? [“First Draft: The battle to create universal national service has just started. Here’s how it can be won.” by Paul Glastris, March 6.] What are you guys, nuts or something? Now I don’t know what kind of dipstick Mr. Glastris is, but this […]
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Your Turn 5-8-03
Ahead of her time To the editor: Many thanks for Cinda Klickna’s fine retrospective on 1930s Springfield, gleaned from Lucy Williams’ remarkable diary [“The Lost City,” May 1]. The photos and the history revived plenty of memories and perhaps stirred new appreciation for Vachel Lindsay, the poet who gave our town a literary legacy despite […]
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Canned radio
A.J. Woodson knows how to say no. As a late-night deejay on WNNS-FM “Lite Rock 99,” he has received hundreds of phone calls over the years from listeners wanting to hear their favorite songs. If the song was on the station’s playlist, Woodson was happy to oblige. If it wasn’t, he wouldn’t. Or rather, couldn’t. […]
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Your Turn 3-6-03
Hindsight isn’t 90-90-90 Dear Illinois Times Editor: We commend the Illinois Times and journalist Pete Sherman for covering education-related topics in the article that appeared February 6 [“Dis-integration”]. In my discussion with Pete for that article, I mentioned that district representatives visited a 90-90-90 school in California. I’d like to take this opportunity to clarify […]
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The governor’s permanent campaign
Say what you want about Rod Blagojevich, he sticks like Super Glue to his top priorities. Unfortunately, his highest priority is running a permanent campaign. Pundits used to accuse Bill Clinton of the very same thing, but it worked for Clinton. Blagojevich undoubtedly figures he can ignore the grumbling of statehouse “insiders” and succeed with […]
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Your Turn 3-20-03
Correction In last week’s cover story [“Why Andy Won’t Die”], I should have said only one of Andy Sallenger’s surviving siblings now has a substance abuse problem. That sibling is in treatment to resolve the problem. Dusty Rhodes Would a draft have stopped the Iraq war? To the editor: A letter [March 13] argues against […]
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The consequences of war
If President Bush launches his pre-emptive war against Iraq, where will it leave America spiritually, economically, and politically? According to the President, we will have a short and successful war that will kill or maim innocent Iraqi civilians and some innocent American soldiers–but not enough of them to stop the people of Baghdad from cheering […]
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Good words
Rob Eure recalls his first visit to Springfield. He wasstanding in a line of tourists outside Abraham Lincoln’s house, but he knew he’d bring a new view of the Confederacy back home to old Virginia. Eure says something similar happened last year when he spent several months in Africa and Eastern Europe. As a Knight […]
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Statewide magazine struggles to cover Illinois politics
What a great time for a magazine dedicated to Illinois politics. The Democrats own Illinois again. Its leader, Governor Rod Blagojevich, is the son-in-law of a Chicago ward boss. Its head law enforcer, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, is the daughter of Illinois House Speaker and Democratic Party Chairman Mike Madigan. Not that the other party […]
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Nice guys finish first
The rumor that had seemed obvious since last week turns out to be true: WTAX-AM 1240 has hired broadcasting veteran Bob Murray to host its morning drive-time “news watch”–the same shift left open back in February, when WTAX fired the rabblerousing Donald “One-Eyed Jack” Jackson. So in essence, Murray–who prides himself on being a gentleman–is […]
