A little knowledge . . . No. 11 in a series
From Upshot, we get this report of a new public opinion survey of a national sample of 1,890 adults about “Obamacare,” or the Affordable Care Act. 35 percent of respondents said either they thought Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act were different policies (17 percent) or didn’t know if they were the same or different…
Surprising “Rings” Outdoes Predecessors
Not having been a fan of The Ring (2002) or its sequel, I had no great hope when Paramount Pictures announced a third entry/reboot was in the works. Surprisingly, Rings proves to be superior to the two previous movies what with its streamlined story and eerie atmosphere courtesy of Spanish director F. Javier Gutierrez. Taking…
Plyscraper, for real
Once in a while, life imitates journalism. In “The birth of the plyscraper” (April 24, 2014), I noted the trend toward green buildigs of a different kind – large commercial and residential structures made from wood rather than the usual steel and concrete. Were such buildings to become popular, it would open new markets for…
Bad date
Now we hear that they got the date wrong on the Illinois state seal. The seal, which is the centerpiece of the state flag, features a perched eagle bearing a banner, “State Sovereignty, National Union” encircled by the words, “Seal of the State of Illinois Aug. 26, 1818.” Only, the state of Illinois did not…
Catching sound
After reading “Red brick roads” (Jan. 19, 2017), a faithful reader who grew up in Tuscola – magical name — recalled for me the almost melodic sounds made by car tires on the old brick streets of that town, adding that the sounds should be recorded “for archives that store such things.” Hear, hear. Alas,…
The cosmopolitan perspective
I only scratched the surface of my topic in “Form over function” (Jan. 26, 2017). Under the old commission government, each of the five commissioners were both administrative and legislative—as individuals they ran major departments and, as a council, passed laws. Whatever the system’s faults, it did demand that every one of the five had…
Seeing things whole
In her recent conversation with Bruce Rushton (“Can we talk?,” Jan. 19, 2017) Lisa Clemmons Stott, executive director of Downtown Springfield, Inc., said that Springfield lacks a vision for its city center. “We don’t have this collective understanding of what the neighborhood wants to be.” This is not inaccurate but it is insufficient. What Springfield…
Stellar Cast Elevates “Comedian”
Groucho Marx’s third wife once stated, “If he’d only said ‘I love you’ once, I would have stayed.” No doubt, it must be difficult living with someone who makes their living cracking wise, especially those whose humor has a mean-spirited edge to it. Certainly, the boundaries between the performer’s personal and professional life must blur…
Shooting video under wraps
Ten days after a Springfield police officer shot and killed a mentally ill man, the department still has not released video footage that could show what happened. In a response to a records request made Jan. 25 by Illinois Times, the department today said that it needs additional time to consider whether it should release…
More parking downtown?
First it was going to be the site of a courts complex, then of a new Lincoln museum. After that hope fizzled it was going to be home to a showcase mixed-use development, but the City of Springfield backed out of the deal. “It” is the YWCA block downtown, the graveyard of broken dreams, two…
Why so many people loathe Congress
Uncle Sam wants you. Not the symbolic Uncle Sam, but Sam Johnson. Although he’s been a member of Congress more than a quarter of a century, it’s unlikely you’ve ever heard of him. He’s a lawmaker who holds a congressional seat but just sits in it, achieving so little that he’s unnoticeable. But look out.…
Timing and the governor’s ‘leverage’
Question the timing all you want, but last week’s legal filing by Attorney General Lisa Madigan to stop paying state employee wages without an official appropriation is long overdue and is completely consistent with a 2016 Illinois Supreme Court ruling and with her (and the governor’s) opposition to a similar lawsuit brought by social service…
Letters to the Editor 2/2/17
BEVERAGE TAX ACTWhile the recent Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Act story (“Lawmakers propose tax on sugary beverages,” by Alex Camp, Jan. 19) didn’t mention it, a complaint that has been made before when such taxes were proposed is that it is regressive because people who can least afford to pay this tax will be paying a…
Editor’s note 2/2/17
The Affordable Care Act has been responsible for improving the health of thousands of low-income central Illinois residents who, with the benefit of insurance, now are under the care of doctors and hospitals. Springfield’s medical facilities and physicians also benefit from being paid for their services through insurance, rather than having to provide charity care…
Health care ‘reform’ could devastate Illinois
While I often disagree with policy positions articulated by Gov. Bruce Rauner, I had to agree with him when he spoke out against the current effort to convert Medicaid into a Block Grant being pushed by Republicans in an attempt to derail the Affordable Care Act. One of the most important provisions of the ACA…
Poetry, music and dance
Don’t miss the Vachel Lindsay Association and Springfield Youth Performance Group Foundation’s “VOLTA: Animal Kingdom” show. VOLTA is an annual performance that showcases Springfield’s talented youth in the arenas of poetry, music and dance, this year featuring animal-themed vignettes. The show incorporates well-known poems from the past with the current writing of local high school…
An intimate theater experience
Step back in time to a fabled world of kings, queens and medieval sword-fighting during The Lion in Winter, the first production of 2017 from Springfield’s Legacy Theatre. Although The Lion in Winter can be described as an intriguing medieval soap opera featuring three sons, one crown, and the question of who will inherit the…
Get off my yawn
I’m a 61-year-old guy who’s been married four times. I love the security and acceptance of marriage, but after several years, either my wife du jour or I will get bored and we’ll agree to move on. Clearly, I like being a husband, but I do a poor job of remaining one. Can I change…
Young poets society
Poetry is at once the most marginalized and the most accessible of art forms. Pretty much anyone with both a thought and the desire to express it can jot down a few words and head to the local coffee shop to declaim in front of whoever will listen. But the practice remains relatively rare. A…
Springfield’s connection to Mar-A-Lago
What do Grape Nuts and Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate have in common? They were both created by members of the famous Post family who were born right here in Springfield. Charles W. Post was born on Oct. 26, 1854. His father, Charles Rollin Post, was a friend of Abraham Lincoln; in 1865, the elder Post…
Hard times
If you’re a state employee worried about Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s attempt to cut off pay due to the lack of a state budget, consider the plight of legislators. The comptroller’s office has just sent out June paychecks to legislators who were last paid in August. Due to the state budget impasse, Leslie Munger, the…
Springfield reacts to Trump’s immigration order
President Trump’s immigration executive order, which banned refugees from seven Muslim countries from entering the United States, mobilized the Springfield community to organize a rally on Monday at the Old State Capitol. The executive order bans entry for 120 days to permanent residents and visa-carrying refugees from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen who…
Looking for lead in school drinking water
Thanks to a new law, lead in drinking water will be tracked more proficiently at schools and day-care centers. On Jan. 16, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a law requiring school districts statewide to conduct sampling for lead contamination in each school building’s drinking water. In his State of the State address, Rauner touted the lead…
Arms race
Concerned about being outgunned, the Sangamon County sheriff’s office is equipping deputies with AR-15s. The civilian version of the military-issue M16 rifle that’s become a weapon of choice for mass shooters comes with a 30-round magazine, and each deputy will carry two extras, giving them 90 rounds of ammo. Deputies also carry shotguns and 40-caliber…
ILLINOIS VINTNERS HOST WINE FESTIVAL
On Feb. 24, the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association (IGGVA) will host the 2017 Winter Wine Festival in Springfield. The festival, organized in coordination with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, coincides with the IGGVA’s annual conference, and is open to the public. With over 15 wineries across the state participating in the festival, guests…
HISTORIC BARN PHOTOS SOUGHT
The local haylofts and corn cribs of Sangamon County could soon be featured in an e-book focused on the iconic farm structures. The book is a project of the Sangamon County Historic Preservation Commission (SCHPC) and will feature photos of haylofts and corn cribs from throughout the area. The public is being asked to submit…
Simplistic Purpose a bit listless
Anyone who’s ever had a dog has asked the question, “I wonder what they’re thinking?” Lasse Hallstrom’s A Dog’s Purpose does its level best to answer this query, and the results are less than satisfactory. Seems as though they think that kissing is an act in which humans look for food in each other’s mouths…
February findings
Here comes fantastic February, finely focused on the “fickle finger of fate” as they used to say on “Laugh-In.” Oh my, that will date some of us; but the “F’s” are flying in February because it’s fun and full of folly to fantasize otherwise. Forward! I guess with that silly intro we have to start…
The Loops
After a year of working out the kinks and playing “sparingly” around town, The Loops are now ready to roll onto the local scene in full force. With names you’ll recognize as familiar faces on central Illinois stages, this combination of Aley Mundstock (lead vocals), Howard Freitag (guitars, vocals), Joe “T” Phegley (bass), John Vickers…
Borscht beets all for winter warmth
Few dishes are more aptly suited to counter the effects of the bracing February wind than hot borscht. I remember the first time it was served to me as a young child. My family was in Chicago for the weekend, and it was a typically frigid winter day. After seeking refuge in the Art Institute…
cat poem #2
these frightful frigid temps of lateI ponder on our city’s homelesslighter thoughts have touched oncats – a kid whose allergies forbidfelines has nonetheless befriendeda large yellow stray gus lives besidethe patio door peers in but withthis cold he lolls snug in a doghousea soft pad heats up at three poundspressure water cup also electrifiedanother friend…
