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Opaqueness: Not Really Good!
By Scott Reeder Illinois politicians talk a lot about transparency but rarely practice it – even among themselves. State budgets are negotiated behind closed doors between whomever is governor and legislative leaders. Sometimes members of the minority party are included, but other times, such as this year, not so much. This month, once a budget…
It’s Called ‘White Privilege’
By Scott Reeder A few months ago, I was pulled over by a Springfield-area police officer for a minor traffic violation. He shined a flashlight in my car and said, “Mr. Reeder, are you carrying?” I replied that “no,” my firearm was home locked up in a safe. He replied “You should always carry. It…
Would You Believe; What Next?
By Eric Peterson This past week, the Manteno Village Board has voted unanimously in favor of constructing a 22-story Mattress Firm store, which will be built on top of the Casey’s Gas Station off Division Street. As many residents may remember, Kankakee County used to be home to multiple Mattress Firm locations though, during the…
Inflation!
By Scott Reeder The problem with inflation is there is more than enough blame to go around. Some folks will say it’s Joe Biden’s fault, others blame Donald Trump or Russia or Congress or the Federal Reserve. Maybe everybody is a little bit right or a little bit wrong. I don’t know. I grew up…
Guilty by Marriage – It’s not Fair!
By Scott Reeder SPRINGFIELD – I always feel bad for the spouses. When politicians get charged with a crime, the political powers that be go after their mates, too. Early this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker booted Shirley Madigan from her position as chair of the Illinois Arts Council. It’s a position that she served well…
The Tears Still Flow…
By Scott Reeder I met Chip Gass for lunch at a Springfield diner March 4. I hadn’t seen him for decades, but we have something in common that places us in a unique community – those with dyslexia. I first met Chip 30 years ago when I was a young reporter in the Quad-Cities, and…
Letter to Ed.: Turay
Dear Editor: Mean tweets and a less than polite attitude, that was the so called “Orange Man” Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States. When you go fill up your car, pay your utility bills, buy groceries, buy clothes, buy household products, try to get parts for your car, or get your car…
Organ Donors: a Personal Reflection
By Scott Reeder I glanced at the calendar and the date February 26 stared back at me. It was my brother Danny’s birthday. He would have turned 65. A milestone birthday. At 13 you are a teenager. At 16, a driver. At 18, a voter. At 21, an adult, and at 65 you’re a senior…
Those Controversial Pronouns!
By Scott Reeder Pronouns are the workhorses of the English language, and I never found them to be particularly controversial – until recently. In case you’ve forgotten your fourth-grade grammar lessons, some examples of pronouns are: He, she, we, they, it. Recently, a Catholic priest in Arizona found out that sometimes the grammar police wear…
Who’s in Control of Your School?
Midnight Appellate Court Decision: Who is in control of your school? During the past two years, schools – along with everyone else – have navigated territories that have not been experienced in our lifetime. While global pandemics are not new in history, the context of each has brought its own unique challenges. Most recently in Illinois,…
Local Columnists Disappearing from Opinion Pages
By Scott Reeder Phil Luciano, perhaps Illinois’ best newspaper columnist, hung up his fedora at the Peoria Journal-Star and left the newspaper business. I’ve known Phil for 35 years and have long admired his writing. We were once classmates in a graduate program at Sangamon State University, back when “Big Jim” Thompson was in the…
Admission Preferences!
By Scott Reeder SPRINGFIELD – Colleges should admit the most qualified applicant. That’s the way many of us were taught life is supposed to work, but we know it often doesn’t. The U.S. Supreme Court is taking up the issue of university admissions in its upcoming term. It will look at the admission formulas used by…
Letters Get Results!
By Scott Reeder I mail letters to get results. This month, I noticed a leak under my kitchen counter and called a plumber. He told me how much it would cost and asked for payment in advance. Over the next week, plumbers visited our house multiple times, but the project was never quite done. My…
Better Politics, Smarter Government: Illuminating Illinois’ triumphs and travails through literature
Editor’s Note: This op-ed was distributed by Capitol News Illinois on behalf of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. By JOHN T. SHAW Several years ago, the staff of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute was preparing for our Renewing Illinois Summit for university and…
Cursive – a Dying Form?
By Scott Reeder SPRINGFIELD – I called the bank last week to inquire about a check I had written. When I asked the person on the phone if he could look it up on his system, he read back the correct amount of the check. But I had several checks written for similar amounts, so I…
How Families Allow Themselves to be Scammed
By Scott Reeder I don’t find joy in anyone being swindled, but I do find a bit of irony that the DeVos family, founders of Amway, were bilked out of $100 million. Amway is a pioneer of multi-level marketing, a concept where participants are expected to not only sell something but recruit others to sell…
Letter to Ed.: Williams
Dear Editor: Cornerstone Coffee House would like to express its unwavering support for the downtown streetscape project. This project would not only be a benefit to us and other small local businesses, but it is also something that we must have to survive and grow!!! The support we have gotten from the community during the past 18 months…
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