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We welcome letters. Please include your full name,
address, and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to Letters, Illinois Times, P.O. Box 5256,
Springfield, IL 62705; fax 217-753-3958; e-mail editor@illinoistimes.com.
GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT RENEWABLES After reading William Risse’s letter to the
editor “Why I oppose proposed wind farm” [May 1] I was actually
hoping for a letter from David Kraft in the following edition. Imagine my
surprise when I saw Kraft’s name in the letters section the following
week. But alas, it was the wrong letter on the wrong issue. Risse’s
letter trashes a proposed wind energy project. While I disagree with his
view, I respect his right to comment. Kraft’s letter trashes a
proposed nuclear energy project. While I disagree with Kraft’s views
with respect to nuclear power, that’s not the reason for my letter.
If anti-nukes like Kraft are serious about increasing
our reliance on renewables, they cannot remain silent while their
environmentalist colleagues trash wind power. Since Three Mile Island in
1979 and Chernobyl in 1986, renewables have gotten a free ride, but the
anti-nukes have failed to capitalize on their window of opportunity. One
reason is that in their zeal to kill nuclear power they have only given lip
service to renewables.
If the anti-nukes want to gain some mainstream
credibility, they need to take a hard line against those who speak out
against reasonable alternative energy sources such as wind. Rich Allen Cantrall
KIDSPAIDPRICEFORSTORY
I would like to take a moment to address the
misconception that I submitted my Springfield Figure Skating Club
resignation letter to Illinois Times. I did not participate in the story [see Amanda Robert,
“Tip of the iceberg?” May 15], in part due to fear of
retaliation against my daughter. In fact, I asked Illinois Times not to run the
article. Unfortunately, my fears were not unfounded. Just two days after
the article was published, there were shameful and spiteful actions against
the children that left the club. The club has a locked case, accessible only by select
members of the board, which is used to highlight recent achievements of the
children. At a recent competition there were several girls who represented
SFSC as a team. They did exceptionally well at the competition and their
individual results were posted on the board. Two days after the article
ran, the results were altered and the children that recently left the club
were literally cut out of the posting. The results of these eight-year-old
children were no longer displayed even though they represented SFSC at the
time of the event. Members complained about the altered posting and all the
girls’ results were then removed from the board. As a parent, try
explaining that behavior to small children.
For a club that “exists solely to support
children in the sport of figure skating,” I would have expected more
consideration for the feelings of the children. Lisa Steelman Springfield
THE REWARDS OF TEACHING PRISONERS There are a number of volunteers who go into prison
and don’t ask for numbers or crimes [see Dusty Rhodes, “Feeding
the good wolf,” May 8]. Most of us have never been paid to do what we do. It’s rewarding and
challenging and sometimes more gratifying than teaching in the “real
world”!
J.T. Hemphill Jacksonville IMPROVE CARE FOR STROKE VICTIMS I am a stroke survivor and steering committee member
of Stroke Survivors Empowering Each Other. SSEEO was created as an umbrella
group to provide local stroke survivors with a common voice and to empower
us to work to improve care for existing and future survivors.
One bill is particularly important to make sure that
future stroke survivors benefit from our experiences. House Bill 4699, the
Primary Stroke Center Designation Act, is pending before the Illinois
General Assembly. This bill will improve the care and treatment of future
stroke patients by ensuring that, whenever possible, suspected stroke
patients will be taken to the hospital best equipped to ensure rapid
diagnosis and treatment. Experts agree that time is of the essence when
dealing with a stroke. “Time lost is brain lost,” says the
American Stroke Association.
Fortunately, today’s medical advancements in
stroke diagnosis and treatment have given doctors some exciting new stroke
interventions. Unfortunately, these treatments are effective only in the
first few hours after onset of symptoms. These amazing techniques, which
were not even available when we got sick, can actually reverse the
devastating effects of strokes!
By enacting HB 4699, our officials can ensure that
future stroke patients will get better treatment, saving lives and
preventing misery caused by stroke. Many people who don’t even know
it yet will benefit for years to come. I urge everyone to support HB
4699!
Kate Steigerwald
Springfield
TRACE LEWIS AND
CLARK’S JOURNEY Two hundred and four years ago, on May 14, 1804,
Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and a group of more than 40 explorers set
out from Camp River Dubois, at the mouth of the Missouri River, to begin
their trek to the Pacific Ocean. Their primary task was to survey the new
lands west of the Mississippi River, but they also searched for a water
route straight through to the Pacific, which they reached in November 1805.
Clark’s exceptional mapmaking skills proved invaluable, and he kept
detailed records throughout the journey. Readers can see a map of Lewis and
Clark’s journey across the western part of America and learn more
about the journey on the Gilder Lehrman Institute Web site,
www.gilderlehrman.org.
James G. Basker,
president
Gilder Lehrman Institute
of American History New York City
STALKING HORSE FOR A CASINO? More than 90 percent of the voters asked to vote
before gambling was expanded in Sangamon County. This referendum was placed
on the ballot in 1994 by Citizens for Voter Choice and has served the
community well. Now Rep. Raymond Poe, Mayor Tim Davlin, and Sangamon Board
Chairman Andy Van Meter are supporting HB 4758 to expand gambling at the
State Fairgrounds racetrack from six days a year to nine months a year.
While expanding horse racing several months a year
may not seem significant, it is. If Poe’s bill passes, it will put
the fairgrounds in line to become a casino because of a proposed
gambling-expansion plan to legalize slots at the tracks. Surrounding
communities will also be affected because the racetrack could open six
off-track betting parlors (30 miles from Springfield). Gambling harms families. I pray that people will let
their legislators know that this is not what we want or need. The Rev. Shaughneysy Small Springfield
SIGN MY PETITIONS ONLINE Just for fun and to vent some frustration, I created
two online petitions (ipetitions.com) that I think begin to address the
anger of the citizens of Illinois at both their governor and the
Legislature. Shouldn’t the citizens of Illinois be the ones to decide
if our legislators deserve a raise or overtime pay? Otherwise there is no
accountability. Also, if the budget is as bad as everyone is stating, then
I think it is time to end Rod Blagojevich’s plane travel. For all of
the excessive spending he has incurred due to his refusal to live in
Springfield, I think it is time he paid his own way. Go to
www.ipetitions.com/petition/NoHouseOvertime08 and
www.ipetitions.com/petition/PlanelessBlagoavich [sic]. Anne Logue
Springfield
TIME TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE Contract time is here again for rank-and-file state
employees. Already the information coming from the negotiations is not
good. It appears that the state does not appreciate the hard work and
dedication of its employees. At a time when this state has asked its employees to
increase their workloads and responsibilities, they now want us to continue
to do more with less income. The state of Illinois is attacking our
pensions, as well as health care. The state is demanding cuts in many areas
of benefits.
What we find appalling is the audacity of many of
those in the Legislature: Each year they get substantial increases in their
benefits. Last year they got a whopping 10 percent increase in pay for one
year alone. They continue to argue they deserve another raise along the
same line. I ask them, “For what?” Just what have they done for this state in the last
few years that compel them to think they deserve more, all the while asking
the rank-and-file members to suffer setbacks?
Compare the work accomplished by rank-and-file
members to that of the elected officials during this last year and see just
who deserves a raise. If there is money for their salary increases, then
there is money for the rank-and-file state employee.
Don Miller Jacksonville
This article appears in May 15-21, 2008.
