Pockets of influence in Washington
What do shoplifters and members of Congress have in common? Tailor-made clothing. Like a shoplifter’s long coat, the suits of many lawmakers come with an astonishing array of inside pockets that hold surprising volumes of loot. We already know about various conduits that politicians have crafted to funnel cash into their election campaigns, but USA…
Year One: A primitive comedy in more ways than one
Is Harold Ramis’ Year One a good movie? Not by a long shot. Did I laugh while watching it? I’m ashamed to say I did. There’s nothing complex or sophisticated about the humor on display here — it’s a caveman comedy for cryin’ out loud — but with the level of talent involved, I did…
Plains to purchase Clayville
After less than two months of fundraising, the Pleasant Plains Historical Society is ready to purchase and restore Clayville. Jim Verkuilen, the historical society president and village mayor, and David Bourland, the property’s current owner, have signed an option agreement for the 13-acre historic site, located along Route 125 just east of Pleasant Plains. The…
Patti in the jungle
She served as the state’s First Lady, but lately Patti Blagojevich has been roughing it in the jungles of Costa Rica in NBC’s reality show “I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here,” which concludes this week. On Tuesday night’s episode Blagojevich was voted off the show. Initially, former governor Rod Blagojevich petitioned the courts…
If voters ran government, mess would be worse
Usually when polls are taken about tax hikes, the respondents are “informed” about the benefits of raising more government money, whether it’s for education, public services or what have you. So, not surprisingly, those polls regularly show lots of support for tax increases. But a recent poll of 800 Illinois voters taken this month on…
kidquotepoem #7
(with thanks toxavier’s grandmacarol manley) grandma, xavier says,are you thinking whatI’m thinking? well, I say, I’m thinkingabout how the square ofthe hypotenuse is equalto the sum of the squaresof the other two sides butI’m also thinking I wishI had some popcorn I’m thinking that tooxavier says
Forging a future beyond race
The following is an excerpt from the keynote address delivered at the June 7 Race Unity Rally at the Capitol. See page 16 for winners of the Race Unity Art and Poetry Contest. In the beginning existed Mankind. There was no such thing as race, except for the human race. With that, the spirit of…
Sri Lanka’s struggle for peace comes to Springfield
More than 50 people assembled on the steps of the Capitol Friday, wearing tan, gray and blue T-shirts that carried their message: Break the Silence in Sri Lanka. The crowd — with members young enough to ride in strollers and old enough to be grandfathers — chanted “Stop the genocide” and “We want justice.” They…
Rockin’ moms unite for a cause
When Anna Fermin and Becky Aud-Jennison decided it was time to act upon their humanitarian and philanthropic desires, everything just fell into place. Fermin, a popular singer-songwriter in Chicago and Aud-Jennison, a psychotherapist living in Springfield, describe the formation of MomsthatRock Productions, a homespun charitable organization, as a nearly spiritual convergence, bound to happen as…
The high price of cheap food
The old man leaned on his cane and stared at the line that inevitably forms at the Merwyn’s stand at the Old Capitol Farmers’ Market during strawberry season. At first he seemed to be mumbling to himself, but when he stepped up the volume it was clear he wanted those of us in line to…
Save the children
Tamara Moore left active duty with the Navy to return to college and spend more time with her three children. One of the factors that influenced her decision to give up a good military salary to work for the Springfield school district was a state program that pays a portion of child care for people…
Cutting addiction programs short-sighted
The already difficult road to recovery for substance abusers is about to get tougher as service providers prepare to deal with massive state budget cuts, which will result in a loss of treatment for thousands of substance abusers beginning July 1. Under the new budget, sometimes referred to as the “doomsday budget,” the state’s substance…
Letters to the Editor 06/25/09
NOT THE HOLIDAY INNThe June 18 article by Dusty Rhodes, “Tougher than Guantanamo” about the state prison at Tamms was well presented and was an interesting read. However, there is a much larger issue that should be considered in this discussion. I think the recidivism rate for those few individuals who find themselves institutionalized for…
Children picture race unity
“Children and young people are perhaps the key to realizing true racial unity,” wrote Mike Lang, one of the organizers of the 12th Annual Race Unity Rally held June 7 at the Statehouse. “Young people tend to ignore superficial differences, and make friends with people from all strata of society — a key component to…
