BOOST FOR DOWNTOWN
I hope this brings in the shows and conventions that they say it will (“BOS Center one step closer to major expansion,” Nov. 23). That would be a big boost for downtown. It also puts on the radar the casino that has been talked about for decades.
But with that comes transportation. Some people may need to fly to a convention or concert held in Springfield. They will hesitate if they have to fly and then drive an hour-and-a-half to get to their destination. It is a shame the Springfield airport does not have attractive flights. But then again, maybe the convention center expansion will fix downtown and the airport that has been run poorly for decades. If we only had a crystal ball.
James Patton
ENCOURAGING
It’s encouraging to see the momentum grow in downtown. There are a lot of new, small businesses that have opened downtown, especially on Adams Street. The Capitol renovation project is in full swing. So, too, is the rail relocation and new multimodal transportation center. Thank you to Downtown Springfield, Inc., Innovate Springfield, Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance and all of our civic leaders and volunteers who help bring this vibrancy to downtown.
Jay Shan
Via Facebook.com/Illinoistimes
ONLY GREAT FOR WEALTHY
Another great plan, charge an extra daily surcharge on hotel rooms – which are already super high – so this project can be paid for. Once again, the Democrat-run cities make things great for the wealthy who can afford paying elaborate prices for a hotel and event, while the average working man will not be able to afford going to anything, or go deeper in credit card debt.
Alan Smith
Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes
NEED NATIONAL ACTS
We need national touring acts. I end up going to Peoria or St. Louis to see bigger bands. It would be cool to see more groups in Springfield.
Kirk Donley
Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes
WON’T HELP
How will this draw bigger concerts if the expansion is a separate building connected to the current space by a skywalk?
Gerry Dalano
Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes
POOR KIDS STUCK
Democrats to poor kids: Good luck, kid, the teachers unions own us. You are stuck with the public school monopoly that has failed you for decades (“General Assembly takes no action on Invest in Kids program,” Nov. 16).
Ted Harvatin
FALSE SOLUTION
Nuclear power plants are not solutions to climate disruption, they are victims of climate disruption (“Legislature approves bill to allow small nuclear plants,” Nov. 16). Back in 1988 (a prequel to coming climate change), heat and drought jeopardized nuclear power plants in Illinois.
In addition to Illinois’ problems, heat and drought in France exemplify the danger. Water is the most important resource in a climate-disrupted world. More than half of France’s nuclear power plants were closed for two reasons when they were needed most: They could not be kept cool during the killer heat wave and drought, and they needed major repairs. According to Wikipedia, “As of early September 2022, 32 of France’s 56 nuclear reactors were shut down due to maintenance or technical problems. In 2022, Europe’s driest summer in 500 years had serious consequences for power plant cooling systems, as the drought reduced the amount of river water available for cooling.”
And in 2020, the Palo Verde plant in Arizona, which uses 40,000-60,000 gallons of water per minute (26 billion gallons per year) started figuring out how much treated wastewater it could steal from habitat restoration while the parched desert suffered. Do you think there’s enough sunshine in Arizona to have solved this problem?
Jan Boudart
Rogers Park, Chicago
This article appears in Inside Illinois youth lock ups.
