Opinion

You are probably thinking to yourself, surely that headline is a misprint, right? Ten years ago, the city of Detroit had an empty downtown, high crime, had lost half its population to outward migration and capped off its downward spiral with the declaration of bankruptcy. The city was effectively dead. Last month, the Wall Street […]

“You haven’t lived until you have helped someone who cannot repay you.” –John Bunyan Crack pipes. Heroin needles. Baggies. Air canisters. Infection from dirty needles. Stitches. Staples. Black eyes. Arms in casts. Open wounds. Crutches. Wheelchairs. Canes. Tears. Used condoms. Bloody clothing. Worn out book bags. Wet blankets. Torn sleeping bags. Dirty coats. Duct-taped tennis […]

A person’s freedom should not depend on how much cash they have. Illinois understands this tenet of fairness, and became the first state to eliminate money bond. The step follows the lead of other jurisdictions who successfully reduced the use of money bond. But rather than celebrating, the move away from money bond has come […]

Your Feb. 29 cover story, “When Kids Can’t Read,” references Springfield public schools and my curriculum, Units of Study. I applaud Springfield for attending to the individual differences among children as readers. It is fundamentally important to recognize that children are all different. Assessments from reading specialists and individualized support for those who need it […]

Vladimir Putin demonstrated in his “interview” with Tucker Carlson the delusional version of Russian history that rationalizes his brutality. Hamas and Benjamin Netanyahu continue to demonstrate Auden’s classic line: “Those to whom evil is done, do evil in return.” It often seems as if vast swaths of the Middle East operate under the collective delusion […]

Over the last century, Illinois has produced a few politicians of national prominence, usually for the wrong reasons. The one who achieved the most respect was Adlai Stevenson, a former governor who was the Democratic nominee for president in both 1952 and 1956. Stevenson, who was sworn into office as governor 75 years ago, on […]

In 2023, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Illinois Nature Preserves System. Sixty years ago, Illinois recognized the plight of our natural areas sooner than most states. Unlike out east, where most nature had already been fundamentally transformed, we still had high-quality remnant natural areas – unplowed and unpaved. Ecosystems of rare plants, animals, […]

Most people are familiar with the story of the Trojan Horse – the “gift” that disguised destruction, at least for Troy. When legislators reconvene in the fall veto session, they will be confronted with a legislative Trojan Horse called SB76 – a pro-nuclear power bill which Gov. Pritzker wisely vetoed this past spring. Nuclear advocates want this […]

Illinois Times has published guest opinion columns opposing construction of a second lake for Springfield. Over the years that the project has been under consideration, IT has published several articles and letters from Reg Davis in support. Here is his commentary on the latest lake proposal. About 15 years ago I attended a Springfield Chamber […]

In a study of electrical supply options for Springfield in the 1990s, a second gas turbine at the Dallman power station was the favored option. Although the fuel was expensive compared to coal, it was relatively inexpensive to build compared to a coal plant. However, another option presented was a solar farm, which showed it […]

President Xi Jinping has taken policy actions which cripple the Chinese economy. Why? Let’s look at Deng’s previous successful policies, what Xi has done since 2012 and the resulting political and economic consequences and discover why Xi has not acted to cure the current economic malaise in China. Last month the stock price of Evergrande […]

The 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions (POWR) convened at Chicago’s McCormick Place Aug. 14-18. To reach the registration hall, I passed under banners invoking previous parliaments, including the original one hosted in Chicago in 1893, as part of the Columbian Exposition. The more modern incarnations started in 1993, also in Chicago. This year’s theme […]