Rick Wilson of Springfield never thought it was asking too much for his daughter, Jennifer, who has cerebral palsy, to live in a comfortable environment. But when the Wilsons asked the State of Illinois to place Jennifer in a supportive living arrangement for adults with disabilities – instead of an institution – they were repeatedly […]
Politics
Posted inOpinion
New kid on the block
The year was 1969 and Sheila Simon remembers fidgeting in her seat as her father, the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, was sworn in as lieutenant governor of Illinois. Nearly eight years old at the time, Sheila Simon was “one of those squirmy kids who wouldn’t sit still,” she told a crowd of nearly 5,800 […]
Posted inOpinion
End greed, invest in healthy economy
As a business owner who has created hundreds of jobs over the past two decades, I understand economic policies that build sustainable growth. Yet the billions in tax cuts for the wealthy recently signed into law compromise our shared future. The promise of “trickle down” economics has failed. When recent studies suggest that one in […]
Posted inOpinion
Freedom of Information should include judicial branch
For reporters, the Illinois Freedom of Information Act is both a helpful tool and a stumbling block. It grants access to governmental records and allows the public to hold accountable those who run our communities and our state, but it also lets certain governmental entities escape the public eye by hiding behind exemptions and technicalities. […]
Posted inNews
Cohen: ‘Illinois needs honesty, not perfection’
Illinois hasn’t heard the last of Scott Lee Cohen. After winning the Democratic Party’s nomination for lieutenant governor in the February primary election, Cohen bowed out of the race, and he is now running for governor as an independent instead. Last week, he met with the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce as part of his […]
Posted inNews
Green for governor
If you knew where to look you might have seen him – bearded, bespectacled and biking through Springfield. Looking more like a college professor than a politician, the Green Party candidate for governor, Rich Whitney, spent May 20 through 28 riding his bike and various trains on a 650-mile tour across the state to promote […]
Posted inNews
Third-party profile: Lex Green, Libertarian for governor
“I want to make it clear,” Lex Green says with wry inflection, “that Libertarians are not just another type of Republican. Democrats tell you they’re going to raise taxes and spend more; Republicans don’t even tell you.” Green is running for governor of Illinois on the Libertarian ticket, a fiscally conservative but socially liberal platform […]
Posted inOpinion
The man who would be senator
We meet at a trendy little café on Main Street in Peoria on a cold, sunny Monday afternoon. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is on the campaign trail, and he has agreed to meet me to talk about his run for U.S. Senate. He smiles widely as he thrusts his hand out to meet mine in […]
Posted inNews
Quinn, GOP clash over ‘State of the State’
STATE | Diane Ivey Governor Pat Quinn emphasized his reform efforts during his “State of the State” address Wednesday, urging bipartisan cooperation as the General Assembly begins its 2010 session. Quinn, who addressed his audience via note cards, said his administration provided stability and positive change after his rise to power in January 2008. “I […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Health care reform for Christmas?
This could be a critical week in the national health care debate as Democrats aim to deliver reform by Christmas. Senate Democrats in Washington, D.C. have mustered the required 60 votes to stop a Republican filibuster of a health care reform bill, clearing the first of the remaining parliamentary hurdles before the massive bill can […]
Posted inOpinion
Polls show half of voters disapprove of Quinn’s performance
For the first time since taking office, a new Rasmussen Reports poll of Illinoisans shows that more than half of all voters disapprove of Gov. Pat Quinn’s performance in office. The poll of 500 likely Illinois voters taken Oct. 14 found that 53 percent disapproved of Quinn’s performance while 45 percent approved. That’s a six-point […]
