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TRADE-OFFS
Taxpayers in the capital city contributed $56.5
million to the Iraq war last year, according to the most recent data of the
National Priorities Project. The NPP, which opposes war, estimates that the
sum could buy a mess o’ affordable housing, teachers, and cops. We
could also have supplied thousands of local citizens with health care,
college scholarships, and energy-efficient domiciles. But they say the same
thing about every town. The capital city has unique monetary needs. For
example, we can’t afford to retain our symphony conductors or keep
our beaches open, the governor’s threatening to spread our precious
state-government jobs all over the Land of Lincoln, our schools and
roadways are falling apart, and, most important, we’re frickin’
hungry. Here’s our list of things Springfield could do with 56
million big ones: • Lease and maintain the Illinois Department of
Transportation Division of Traffic Safety in Springfield, which Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants moved to
Harrisburg, for 33 years or
• Reopen Lake Springfield beach and run it for
283 years or
• Hire 342 engineers at the salary CWLP has
proposed paying Dallman IV project manager Brian
Fitzgerald or
• Replace Lanphier High School or Springfield
High School or
• Fund the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and
Chorus for 56 years or
• Pay for the MacArthur Boulevard extension and
Capitol Avenue renovation projects, as well as the initial phase of the
Korean War National Museum, to be built in Springfield or
• Buy approximately 9.4 million horseshoe
sandwiches.
GAILFORCE
Ward 2 Ald. Gail Simpson isn’t the type to project a defeatist attitude.
In spite of being abandoned by her fellow aldermen
— who last week refused to second her motion to repeal an ordinance
requiring special guidelines for building projects that receive at least
$500,000 in city, state, or federal funds — Simpson hasn’t
given up the fight. She’ll keep an eye on the issue, she says,
especially because she has a feeling that Laborers Local 477 business
manager Brad Schaive will attempt to lower the $500,000 threshold to incorporate
more projects. “He wants to make Springfield a total union
town,” she says. “The ordinance as it’s written
doesn’t satisfy him, so he will convince other aldermen to sponsor an
ordinance to lower the amount. “I will be diligent in letting the public know
when that happens.”
Schaive argues that he doesn’t have any plans
in the works to amend the ordinance. Instead, he says, it should be left
alone to see how it affects development. He adds that Simpson’s comments inflame the
public and maintains that he was elected to protect the welfare of the
families in his union local, no matter what the issue. “If Gail does not like that, sadly enough, Gail
does not have a voice in my local,” Schaive says, “but my
members do have a say in Gail’s election.”
Simpson and Schaive have battled publicly over the
ordinance since its May 20 approval [see Amanda Robert,
“Overseers,” May 29].
REMEMBERINGVICROBERTS
Why would a coal miner who’s pro-gun and
anti-affirmative action not only join the liberal Green Party but actually
pursue a seat in Congress under the party’s banner? Well, let’s
just say Vic Roberts didn’t fit into an ideological box. Roberts, a former
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, supported workers’ rights, as
well as women’s reproductive rights. He also believed in punishing
drug smugglers but not drug users. He might have made things interesting on Capitol
Hill. Roberts died at his home in Taylorville this weekend at age 75. A
visitation and memorial service are planned for 6 p.m. Thursday, July 10,
at the Sutton Funeral Home in Taylorville. Marc Sanson, chairman of
the Sangamon County Green Party, says a decision to replace Roberts on the
November ballot in the 19th Congressional District contest will be made at
a more appropriate time, after the party’s national convention, which
is to be held this weekend in Chicago.
CWLP, GOODWILLLENDAHAND
The “Hand Up” program — a joint
effort between City Water, Light & Power and Land of Lincoln Goodwill
Industries — is once again giving electric customers the opportunity
to work off delinquent bills. The program allows customers to work off as much as
25 hours for Goodwill and earn as much as $200 to apply toward their bills.
According to CWLP, 156 customers paid off more than $31,000 in debt last
year. Mayor Tim Davlin says he hopes that Goodwill’s new facility, at the
site of the former K’s Merchandise Mart, will encourage even more
participation. For more information, call CWLP at 217-789-2030.
This article appears in Jul 3-9, 2008.
