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Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois
62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com
Everybody to the table
The Springfield Race Relations Task Force welcomes the news article, “The
devil’s in the details” [Dusty Rhodes, Nov. 20].
The message came across loud and clear from the national experts, who took
part in the Citizens Review Board Public Forum on March 13, that key to the
success of a review board is the development of a consensus among the principal
parties about the board’s operation during the planning process. And further,
that the union is an integral party in arriving at the consensus, so as to avoid
protracted, political or legal wrangling surrounding the board.
The Task Force was glad that the Policemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association,
Unit No. 5 agreed to be a co-sponsor of the forum, and believes that the union
continues to be a necessary party in the on-going planning process. Therefore,
we have recommended to the City Council, Mayor, and Chief of Police that all
“principal parties” be included in deciding “details” such as goals and purpose,
size and composition, legal authority, and budget for the Review Commission
before it begins operation.
Lawrence C. Johnson, Chair
Springfield Race Relations Task Force
Cat pause
For Job Conger on his Illinois Times article [“Hello, Kitty!” Nov.
27]:
here’s just a quick note of congrats
about your piece on feral cats:
though wild dogs still are worse than kitties,
felines still haunt our beastly cities
Sam B. Davis
Springfield
The rest of the story
I hope that you might have a look at the good going on in Iraq and not just
the bad all of the time. The Iraqi people have, as a country, new schools and
books! And all of the hospitals in Baghdad are up and running [and] have equipment
that the Iraqi doctors would never have thought of getting just a few short
years ago. Now they’re saving hundreds of lives each week because of President
Bush. Did you tell your readers about that? I bet not. Why?
Richard Stone
Springfield
This article appears in Dec 4-10, 2003.
