A little knowledge…No. 4 in a series
A recent NYT/CBS poll that found that 54% of American voters “disapprove” of the way Barack Obama is handling the deficit left Slate’s David Weigel puzzled. “What are voters reacting to, exactly? Can it be the size of the deficit? That wouldn’t make sense, as the deficit is down 35 percent from this time last…
Tonight at Donnie’s: Springfield Renaissance
Tonight is the second in the aptly named Springfield Renaissance series of events presented by the not-for-profit Illinois Independent Arts Association. It brings together music, comedy and visual art, with all proceeds going to benefit District 186 music programs. Artists with work on display will include Jess Black, Stan Bly, James Elliott, Keeley Mills,…
Why gambling expansion is bad for business
The Illinois treasury could have collected an additional $35 billion to $56 billion from gambling interests from 1990 to 2013 and thereby produced a surplus for the 2013 state budget. Pursuant to the 2008-2013 multi-volume United States International Gaming® Report, Illinois should have emulated other states and venues which levied larger tax rates on gambling…
Letters to the Editor 9/26/13
NAPALM IS A WAR CRIMESixty-three years ago atop a high ridge in the hills of North Korea, we were ready to open defensive fire against the sons of Chinese rice farmers climbing up to meet us, when a ground support plane came over the ridge from behind and dropped a belly tank of napalm on…
Fixing the wrong problem
“Throw the bums out!” I say. Ah, if only we knew who the bums are. Bruce Rauner thinks he knows – they are public sector unions, public school systems and the politicians who enable them. To bring about the Millennium in Illinois, Rauner is circulating petitions to put on the ballot a constitutional amendment authorizing…
State-run health insurance exchange launches Oct. 1
Starting next month, people in Illinois and around the nation will have a new option for purchasing health insurance. On Oct. 1, Illinois and several other states will operate state-run insurance “exchanges,” allowing individuals to purchase private insurance plans that have been vetted by state regulators. The exchanges are meant to provide health insurance options…
The right stuff
For a moment, let’s flash back to a poll I commissioned last month. The Aug. 13 Capitol Fax/We Ask America poll surveyed 1,102 likely Republican primary voters. The poll found that 74 percent of Republicans wanted GOP gubernatorial candidates to choose a running mate who was “more conservative” than the candidates themselves. Another 18 percent…
Another brick in the wallow
I’ve missed countless opportunities because I fail to speak up in the moment. A pretty girl smiles at me on the bus. Ten minutes later, I will wish I’d stayed on the bus and struck up a conversation. The same thing happens with business opportunities. At the critical moment I need to act, I go…
Classic cars
The International Route 66 Mother Road Festival takes to the streets of Springfield, Sept. 27, 28 and 29. The spectacular celebration kicks off Friday night as the Rt. 66 City Nights Cruise departs from Capital City Shopping Center and makes its way up Sixth Street to the square. Select your favorite spot along the parade…
WALK THIS WAY
If it seems like there’s been a lot of sidewalks getting fixed lately, well, there has been. The city of Springfield expects to spend $900,000 repairing and replacing sidewalks this year, an increase of about $200,000 over last year, according to public works director Mark Mahoney. “It’s a lot of money, but it’s a drop…
LATIN SCHOLARS
Several Latino students in and around Springfield have earned a special award that will soon help them in college. The Culturally Integrated Education for Latinos Organization Inc. (CIELO) announced this week that it will give out $6,500 in scholarships and grants to local Latino teens to recognize involvement in their communities. CIELO treasurer Ric Thompson…
Prisoners loses its nerve when it matters most
Director Denis Villeneuve sets out to examine many substantial themes in his gripping thriller Prisoners, chief among them the burden of guilt and the quest for redemption. These are heady issues for a Hollywood production and during the first two hours of the movie, the filmmaker takes an unflinching approach toward the lofty narrative goals…
foodie poem #4
those of us who live alone talk out loudto ourselves, come up with varied gamesone of mine when the larder is bare yet going to the store seems onerous is toplay freezer surprise select something long frozen unmarked undated of coursedefrost and see what leftover is for supperyesterday’s did not look promising a sortof grey…
Corporatizing animals – from cuteness to cruelty
Both the old and new media agree on this: If you need a story that’s guaranteed to be wildly popular – go with animals. “Kute kittens,” for example, are surefire winners, as is the entire p-group: puppies, porpoises, penguins and polar bears. And don’t forget baby chicks, goats and other farm animals – they can…
September soundings
Cool weather and cooler things to do appear as the fall season moves into our world with a pleasant and welcome entrance. As the days shorten, the night comes earlier and that means more “nightlife” for you and me. Another area band makes the effort to gain fan-based funding as Brushville (formerly Brushfire), a modern…
Engineered to succeed
What does the future hold for Springfield? That depends largely on what happens with the proposal to consolidate rail traffic on the 10th Street rail corridor. If the project withers without funding, downtown Springfield may be doomed to choke on a twofold increase in trains hemming in the city’s core. Relocating the Third Street rail…
Spaulding Orchard memories
Every fall I remember what it was like to come as a child to this place that has been my home for 30 years. My husband and I live in the old Spaulding Orchard farmhouse. It’s the first home we bought, and likely will be our last. It wasn’t our first choice, but after being…
Hat Trick
Founded in 2010 by Barry Woodworth (drums, vocals) and Gene Bennett (guitar, vocals), in 2013 Hat Trick added former member of The Backliners, Steve Harvey (bass, vocals) to complete the rock power trio. All together these veterans of the area band scene bring to the stage nearly 90 years of combined time playing the well-loved…
Call of the wild
Families, nature enthusiasts and bird lovers are in for a treat this Saturday, Sept. 28. Springfield Audubon Society is hosting an open house at Adams Wildlife Sanctuary, a nature center owned by the Illinois Audubon Society in the heart of the capital city. The free family event includes refreshments, tours of the Adams house (with…
Heavenly harp
Harpist, arranger and composer Frank Voltz of North Carolina will play Saturday, Sept. 28, at Springfield Bible Church. Second prize winner in the lever harp division at the 1997 Lyon and Healy International Jazz and Pop Festival Competition, Voltz has played at festivals and venues across the country. In 2012, he was guest clinician for…
News Quirks 9/26/13
Curses, foiled again• While neighboring groups of campers at Scotland’s Loch Earn argued, Barry McCutcheon, 25, who was camping between them, asked them to calm down, prosecutor John Malpass told a Perth court, “and that wasn’t received kindly.” Then someone in one group yelled, “Bring the hatchets.” McCutcheon fled but was stabbed in the back…
Rendering unto Caesar
West Side Christian Church is suing the state Department of Revenue in a fight over whether a church-owned day care center should be subject to property taxes. The lawsuit filed this month in Sangamon County Circuit Court came after the church lost its case before an administrative law judge, who ruled in July that the…
