I’m writing in response to Michael Kleen’s recent “Keepin’ it Kleen” column “Crime smothers economic recovery” (May 16-22 issue of The Rock River Times).

Kleen’s main point appears to be that “crime and the economy are intimately connected,” and I fully agree. I also agree that Rockford’s decision to turn off street lights was short-sighted, but I do not agree that crime will necessarily “smother” our economic recovery.

Residents do not want to live or shop in high-crime areas, and businesses do not want to locate to such areas. So, crime can hurt economic growth. But a poor economy can also foster a high-crime climate.

Which comes first: crime or bad economy? In our community, I think we have a little of both. And in our case, better-paying jobs would help lower the crime rate.

Kleen seems baffled as to why Aurora, Ill., has a lower crime rate than Rockford, believing they are similar communities. Rockford and Aurora, with its population more than 190,000, are not that similar. One of the most significant Aurora-Rockford differences is Aurora’s median home price of almost $171,000, compared to Rockford’s $93,000. Since property taxes are the major source for police funding, Aurora simply has a larger tax base to pay for more police and fire services.

Rockford also has a higher poverty rate than Aurora. While median household incomes are similar between the two cities, the median income for individuals is higher in Aurora, which means more people are working in each Rockford home to achieve the same household income level.

Aurora is a fast-growing community of employed people, many of whom commute by train to Chicago for better-paying jobs. The jobs aren’t in Aurora, but you can get to a good-paying job via a 50-minute train ride.

Yes, we must take positive steps to reduce crime, but we must go after better-paying jobs that will help drive down the crime rate. Rockford residents don’t have the option of a 50-minute train commute to Chicago for work, so we need to create good jobs here.

Local leaders can’t simply target warehouse and fast-food jobs, and we can’t rely on increased landfill revenue to fill government coffers. We need to think big, we need to plan for success. We need to create a new economy. As Kleen points out, “Winnebago County has been in the top five Illinois counties in terms of both crime and unemployment rates for more than a decade.” I think we can both agree that’s not the plan we want for the next 10 years.

Paul Gorski is a Cherry Valley Township resident and a former Winnebago County board member.

From the May 23-29, 2012, issue

Alignment Rockford appears determined to pry open the mother of all cans of worms with their high school academy proposals. If, as has been said, the proposal is motivated, at least in part, because students complain what they are learning in school isn’t relevant, that in itself should send up red flags, for what adolescents often think is not relevant to learn is the very thing they need to learn. Heck, everyone knows “brung” is the past tense of “brang,” so why bother with any more of that “irrelevant” English stuff?

This leads to a deeper problem the Johnny-head-in-wind advocates will face with their proposal. Just because high school students have reached a certain chronological age, doesn’t mean they have mastered comparable academic skills. To give one example, I used to post cursive alphabet charts on bulletin boards around my classroom for students to refer to as needed when writing compositions. I didn’t insist on strict adherence to cursive penmanship, but expected it to be used as a guide for uniform, legible penmanship. One student, noticing the charts, turned to a classmate, and I overheard him say: “It’s embarrassing to see one of those in a classroom. I haven’t been in a classroom with one of those since I was in the fourth grade.”

Later, while correcting his paper, I had to mark more than a dozen primer word spelling errors of the fourth-, third- and second-grade variety. There is much more of that than the public realizes, and just because adolescents think they are ready to take on the “relevant” subjects that presumably interest them, that doesn’t mean they are prepared to do so.

In addition, Alignment Rockford will come up against the “Feel Good Curriculum, Self-Esteem” crowd of teachers that insist a “positive image of one’s self” comes before all else, no matter how unrealistic it may be. I once had a student tell me her career ambition was to become a doctor. She said her science teacher advised her so because the highest grade on her most recent report card was a “C” in basic science. When I asked the teacher, a Golden Apple recipient, no less, about it, she admitted that was what she had told the student. “I thought it was important for her to think big.” How about thinking realistic?

Alignment Rockford is sure to have fun coping with that mentality.

Back in the 1970s, Rock Valley College conducted a one college credit humanities course in conjunction with District 205 high schools that gave students an earned college credit prior to their high school graduation. The course was carried out in conjunction with high school English classes, but had to be abandoned because of scheduling conflicts with other, mandated courses of study, that would no doubt be deemed “irrelevant” by some students, such as state-required courses in American history, government, and the U.S. Constitution, to name a few. And the Alignment Rockford proposal will face the virtually insurmountable difficulty in dealing with that same set of circumstances, to say nothing of what will likely be the need for remedial classes in basic academic skills to bring students up to where they need to be to take “relevant” career courses.

District 205 schools once offered at both middle and high school levels a viable, even enviable, vocational and industrial arts program for Rockford public school students, much of which got trashed during the People Who Care witch hunt. I think business and community leaders would be further ahead bringing their influence and prestige to bear on revitalizing those programs than in putting their efforts in “high school academies” that, for various reasons, are certain to fail.

Tim Hughes is a former teacher in Rockford School District 205 who coached debate and taught English at Auburn High School for 20 years. At Auburn, he coached three debate teams to first-place national championships.

From the May 23-29, 2012, issue

In regard to the article in The Rock River Times titled “Nicholas Conservatory’s green roof contract: Does it pay to play?” (May 9-15 issue), the Rockford Park District would like to respond.

The Park District is governed by the Park District Code and the Illinois Compiled Statutes — Public Contracts, which requires all contracts for supplies, material or work involving an expenditure greater than $20,000 be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. There are exceptions to this law, such as utilities, telecommunication and computer supplies/services, professional services and other specific contracts for services outlined in the law. In the case of the Nicholas Conservatory green roof project, it was subject to the Public Contracts law and the lowest responsible bidder ordinance.

The Rockford Park District goes to great lengths to be in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations that govern the Park District and our operations. Additionally, the district prides itself in being transparent and above board about all information and processes, including financial and procurement operations. The Park District was following state statutes and laws surrounding public contracts and the lowest responsible bidder laws.

To make perfectly clear, the financial commitment made by the Winnebago County Board through Resolution 2011-R-8, passed 18-8 Aug. 11, 2011, for the county to provide $800,000 from landfill host-fees contributed only to the second phase of construction at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens. Phase II at the Conservatory is all outdoor projects that include gardens, walkways, fountains, parking and boat docks. All Phase I construction was completed through funds received by private donations (97 percent) and state grants (3 percent). None of the host-fees were ever used in the Phase I construction of the Conservatory, which included all work performed by Christiansen, Inc.

Christiansen, Inc., did not receive any work on the Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens project through the landfill host-fee agreement.

The district issued a Request for Bids for the Nicholas Conservatory green roof to more than 56 companies. The bid required certain roof specifications, including a minimum of a one-year warranty. All vendors that responded, Christiansen, Inc., McDermaid Roofing & Insulating, and Carlson Roofing were all deemed to be responsible bidders and met the district’s established specifications, terms of delivery, quality and serviceability set forth in the bid request. With all vendors meeting the specifications outlined in the bid request, the contract was awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, Christiansen, Inc.

The language in the Request for Bid stated “the Rockford Park District does not award on price alone” is only used as secondary criteria in the event vendors respond with the same exact pricing.

All Rockford Park District team members take our responsibilities with regards to transparent and open procurement operations very seriously, and strive daily to ensure all legal requirements are met in a fair and unbiased manner, and be excellent stewards of public funds. Anyone wishing to review any and all bid specifications and bid results with any Park District project may do so at any time. Just call us!

From the May 23-29, 2012, issue

Stanley Campbell

By Stanley Campbell

Here’s a blatant attempt at getting you to support a fee for you to pay as you enter a state park (which is presently free of said cost).

PLEASE CALL state Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, and state Rep. Chuck Jefferson, R-Rockford, AND URGE THEM TO RESTORE OUR PARKS AND PROVIDE FUNDS FOR MAINTENANCE AND STAFF.

Over the last five years, Office of Land Management (the Illinois Department of Natural Resources [IDNR] division that oversees Illinois state parks) has lost 24 percent of its staff, resulting in reduced services to IDNR constituents. The division now has 374 staff managing approximately 500,000 acres of public land at 324 sites. That’s just more than one person per site. During the same period, Land Management has experienced a total reduction in general revenue dollars of 40 percent.

The state park system faces more than $750 million in deferred maintenance and capital needs, including deteriorating bath and shower facilities, outdated and dangerous electrical systems, and inability to repair roads, bridges, and trails damaged because of storms and age-related deterioration.

Many site structures have leaking roofs. Equipment needs are quickly moving to a point where repair is no longer economically feasible. Vehicle and other equipment repairs frequently exceed the value of the vehicle or piece of equipment. Most of the vehicles used by Land Management employees exceed 100,000 miles. Land Management is often unable to afford fuel to operate its fleet. Without a dedicated revenue stream, IDNR will soon be forced to make extremely difficult decisions about the future accessibility, vitality and safety of our state parks.

Two bills have been in the legislature that attempt to address the devastating cuts to IDNR by the imposition of small annual or other special-use fees for visitors to the state parks. This revenue is desperately needed. Several states, including Wisconsin, charge user fees for their parks, which are well maintained. Illinois needs to follow suit — now.

Sen. Syverson and Rep. Jefferson are on record OPPOSING these fees for the parks. They claim they don’t support fees because they can’t be assured IDNR will get all of the fees. The bills are being modified to make sure IDNR gets the fees. Tell them, if they are concerned about the state raiding these fees, to support dedicated fees that go exclusively to IDNR. Morale at the parks is very low because staff have been trying to maintain them without adequate equipment and funding.

I know it is counter-intuitive to encourage the state to raise fees on your free state parks. But we are in an economic crisis, and charging a couple bucks may make our environment just a little better.

Memorial Day addendum

My friend reminds me that at least five soldiers and veterans commit suicide every day, and so we will commemorate those who died because of their service to this country. Rockford Urban Ministries hosts its annual Memorial Day Service at 7 p.m., Monday, May 28, in the JustGoods Meeting Room, 201 Seventh St., free and open to the public.

Besides remembering all those killed by war, our service will also remember those who locally fought against war. Nothing special, but memorializing the dead, especially those who died to make us free and keep us from war, is a very special time. You are welcome to join us, if not in person, then in spirit.

Stanley Campbell is executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries and spokesman for Rockford Peace & Justice.

From the May 23-29, 2012, issue

Michael Kleen

By Michael Kleen

In a recent report on crime in Winnebago County, former Rockford Register Star Executive Editor Linda Grist Cunningham concluded that fears about Winnebago County crime are “more hype than fact.”

Given Rockford’s reputation for being somewhere between Mad Max and Grand Theft Auto, Cunningham’s conclusion may be superficially true. However, her assessment fails to acknowledge the profound impact both crime and the fear of crime have on society as a whole, particularly on the local economy.

In other words, crime is not merely an issue of criminal and victim, courts and judges, costs and savings. Crime and the economy are intimately connected, and a safe and prosperous community cannot be built without taking that connection seriously. Dismissing public perception as hype or irrelevant is not helpful.

It is no coincidence Winnebago County has been in the top five Illinois counties in terms of both crime and unemployment rates for more than a decade. Robberies, especially armed robberies, have a devastating effect on business. It is not just money taken during the robbery that is lost — the damage can be measured in terms of customers who stop visiting for fear they will be there at the wrong time, employees who are too scared to come back to work, and in difficulty in hiring new employees. As a result, a business that was already operating at the margins can be forced to close, lowering surrounding property values and adding to urban blight.

Almost every day in Rockford, there is a carjacking, armed robbery or assault. At the beginning of May, for example, a young woman working at the Burger King at the corner of Bell School Road and State Street was robbed at gunpoint while she was leaving work. That night alone, there were two more robberies in the city, including one at an ATM machine on Auburn Street. Another 22-year-old man was simply sitting in his car at an intersection when two men pointed handguns at him and demanded his money. One Subway Restaurant on East State Street has been robbed more than three times since December.

Incidents such as these create a climate of fear that stifles economic activity. Rockford is the third-largest city in Illinois, with a number of fine shops, bars and restaurants in our downtown. Why aren’t they overflowing with customers like those in smaller cities like Naperville, Schaumburg and Aurora? The answer is an ever-present anxiety — a conscious or unconscious decision made on the part of many area residents to evade danger by avoiding entire sections of the city, including any businesses that happen to be located there.

The City of Rockford has done little to address this issue and has occasionally managed to make things worse. Turning off more than 2,300 street lights last year to save money, for example, was a step in the wrong direction. Nothing makes people feel less safe than having to walk home (or to their car) in the dark.

In one flippant response to a resident who inquired about her now darkened street, a Public Works employee told her to rent a light from ComEd if she was concerned about safety in her neighborhood. The concerns of local residents need to be taken seriously, not dismissed.

Some, including the editors at the Register Star, have suggested Rockford is simply suffering from a negative attitude. Like the young orphan girl in the children’s novel Pollyanna, who transforms her aunt’s dispirited New England town into a pleasant place to live by looking at the bright side of every situation, these Rockfordians believe they, too, can transform reality by only looking at the positive, but it will take more than a Pollyanna-esque attitude to turn things around. Problems need to be acknowledged before they can be solved, and so far, wishful thinking has not brought about an economic recovery or reduced crime.

Concrete steps need to be taken to change the perception of public safety (or lack thereof) before any serious economic recovery can get under way. One simple thing the city can do is increase police foot patrols downtown and in high-crime areas. Police officers should be visible at major intersections and should be given responsibility for a square block or section of businesses. This would send a signal that public safety is a high priority, and business owners and their customers (as well as potential criminals) would know police are always within shouting distance. Anti-vagrancy and public decency laws should be vigorously enforced. Finally, Rockford needs a local concealed carry ordinance, so residents can defend themselves if attacked.

Together, these steps would greatly reduce crime and — more importantly — dramatically increase public perception of safety. Only then will the local economy truly begin to recover.

Michael Kleen is a local author, historian, and owner of Black Oak Media. He holds a master’s degree in history and master’s degree in education.

From the May 16-22, 2012, issue

Stanley Campbell

By Stanley Campbell

As I said last week, Rockford Urban Ministries (for which I work) is celebrating 50 years of working for the city. I’ve served 26 of those years as director of RUM (as it is affectionately known). I’ve discovered it is difficult to entice churches into urban ministry. I found it easier to attract lay members who are passionate about helping than to encourage pastors or whole congregations to take on projects.

The Rev. Maynard Beal was the third RUM director during the early 1980s. He was an activist’s activist and encouraged the church to get involved in controversial issues. He took on redlining, which was a banker’s practice to draw a red line around a neighborhood and write it off by not underwriting loans. Without loans, a neighborhood devolves into a collection of boarded-up vacant houses. Maynard organized the West End Revitalization Council and proved the harm that local bankers were doing. RUM was able to stop this discrimination and to outlaw redlining, which probably saved some neighborhoods from further decay.

When I was hired, there were plenty of boarded-up houses around the city to keep a nonprofit busy for years. Second Congregational Church, with RUM’s help, started one of those nonprofits. The first thing we did was pray for a carpenter and for someone who could speak passionately about a project. David Stocker, a theater major from Yale with rehab experience, answered the call; and it was a religious call, since we paid him a “monk’s fee.” But David rehabbed houses throughout the west side and put families into homes where their payments were less than the rent they’d once paid. The church, though, used a lot of federal funds, and once those dried up, the program, like a house of cards, collapsed. Live and learn.

You are welcome to hear more stories from 50 years of RUM. The Rev. John Alan Boryk, a former council president, will regale us with stories and prayers. Join us at JustGoods Fair Trade Store at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 24, for a short ceremony and program.

And speaking of ceremonies, Rockford Urban Ministries hosts its annual Memorial Day Service at 7 p.m., Monday, May 28, at JustGoods Meeting Room, 201 Seventh St., free and open to the public. Besides remembering all those killed by war (and yes, we remember soldiers from both sides, as well as civilians who are becoming the main casualties nowadays), our service will also remember those who locally fought against war.

This year, we remember Britomar Lathrop. Quaker, friend of peace and justice, counselor and healer, Brit was an old soul who shared her wisdom and resources with those who needed both. I was one of the recipients who gratefully accepted advice in my early days as a peace activist. She continued to give of herself, and I and the community are much better for it.

This year’s Memorial Day service will be short and sweet. Music, some poems, a remembrance or two, and then some snacks. Nothing special, but memorializing the dead, especially those who died to make us free and keep us from war, is a very special time.

Stanley Campbell is executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries and spokesman for Rockford Peace & Justice.

From the May 16-22, 2012, issue

I learn so much from local residents, and I recently had an education regarding the Barbara Olson Center of Hope and the good works done there.

Mary Gwardys, executive assistant with Barbara Olson Center of Hope, was one of the winners of my print advertising promotion in the April 4-10 issue of The Rock River Times. Mary and her husband joined me this past Friday, May 11, for the promotion “prize,” a fish fry dinner at the Lithuanian Club.

I had planned on sharing more advertising tips with Mary over dinner, and I did, but I took away much more by getting a crash course on a valuable non-profit in the area, Barbara Olson Center of Hope, an organization with the mission to: “Help individuals with developmental disabilities reach personal goals through individualized skill development, vocational opportunities and community service.”

What intrigued me most about this organization is that not only does it provide programs for more than 180 teens and adults with developmental disabilities, but many of the programs benefit the community and local businesses.

Of its many participant and business programs, Barbara Olson Center of Hope offers document-shredding, computer hard drive destruction, a source for employment and volunteer services, and somewhat quaintly, “GourMutts” all-natural dog biscuits.

The services are great activities and experience for participants, and the community can benefit as well. So, while your contributions to the organization are most welcome, you might help out a bit more by taking advantage of one of the many community services.

Mary told me The Rock River Times is delivered to her office, and that’s how she learned of my promotion. From that, she responded, won, and I’m the beneficiary of learning about a great local organization. I’m now sharing my experience with you, and I hope at least some of you contact the Barbara Olson Center of Hope to contribute or simply learn more about this valuable organization. Print advertising does work.

To learn more about how you can help the Barbara Olson Center of Hope (or how it may be able to help you), call (815) 964-9275 or visit www.b-olsoncenterofhope.org. Read more about GourMutts Dog Biscuits at www.gourmutts.org.

The Guest Column “Growing your business: Print ads that drive sales” originally appeared in the April 4-10, 2012, edition of The Rock River Times.

Paul Gorski is a Cherry Valley Township resident and a former Winnebago County board member.

From the May 16-22, 2012, issue

Throughout the recent landfill expansion hearings, Winnebago County Board members were told not to speak of the issue or hear testimony outside the hearing process. The laws are in place to ensure a fair and equal debate and allow for cross-examination by petitioner and challenger alike.

Those are good laws, but why stick to the rules now? The board is not supposed to hear evidence outside the hearing process on zoning issues, either. However, a few years ago, board member Ted Biondo was allowed to discuss how he visited and inspected the land for a controversial housing development at a regular board meeting, a meeting where the public was not allowed to comment about the same topic.

Biondo’s “analysis” was not only unscientific, but outside the legal hearing process, and was improper testimony.

The board chairman violated the same testimony restriction during the wind farm ordinance process. The chairman had wind farm developers offer evidence to board members at their party caucus meetings, outside the hearing process, without allowing the public to challenge the evidence. This was a clear violation of the “no evidence outside the hearing” law, and exposed the process to a legal challenge.

Again, so why stick to the rules now? Most likely because the county did not want to endanger the landfill expansion process.

Ah, but the mistakes have been made already. Just prior to the recent hearings, the county updated its ordinance regarding such expansion applications and voted on a tentative agreement regarding fees to be received from the landfill. In doing so, board members must have discussed the potential for the landfill expansion, otherwise why discuss a new fee schedule?

Who knows what discussions — outside the formal hearing — board members had regarding the tipping fees? The proper procedure would have been: update the ordinances; process the landfill expansion process, including hearings and a vote on the expansion; and then vote on a new tipping fee schedule.

The landfill expansion can now be successfully challenged because it can be argued that the board did not follow the proper hearing evidence procedure. The board and the landfill operators should agree to halt the permit process now to avoid the potential for a costly court battle.

The process should be deferred until the next board is in place later this year, as the new board will not have been involved in the ordinance and tipping fee discussions. This may not stop the expansion, but it would allow for the fair and legal presentation and cross-examination of landfill expansion evidence.

Paul Gorski is a Cherry Valley Township resident and a former Winnebago County board member.

From the May 9-15, 2012, issue

Stanley Campbell

By Stanley Campbell

In 1962, the United Methodists hired a prophet to run Rockford Urban Ministries (RUM). The Rev. Edsel Ammons’ voice could shake the rafters. His job: shake up Rockford’s west side.

In 1962, the city had gerrymandered their black population into two different wards so they did not have enough votes to elect their own alderman. After visiting many neighborhood and city leaders, the Rev. Ammons persuaded the church to lobby for a redrawing of the ward boundaries. The African-American community elected Victory Bell in 1965 as their first representative to the city council.

The second director of RUM was the Rev. Charles Jordan. He led the first integrated march through the city after the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Rev. Jordan also instituted outreach programs for truant youth. The program, Shepherd of the Streets, was the precursor of many early youth programs.

The Rev. Ammons went on to become bishop of Detroit, and the Rev. Jordan became the Iowa Bishop of the United Methodist Church.

When I was hired in 1985, RUM had fallen on hard times. I was the first lay non-United Methodist director.

RUM will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year May 24, beginning at 7 p.m. JustGoods fair trade store, 201 Seventh St., hosts the program. We will share some songs and stories, and dedicate a Verl McNamara sculpture.

The speaker for the evening will be the Rev. John Allen Boryk. He came to Rockford in 1988 from Harvey, Ill. He says he was an “urban minister,” but the bishop moved him to Rockford “out in the middle of cornfields.” He remembers school redistricting and closing West High School. He became president of the RUM Council three years later when we helped Zion Development shut down the adult book store on Seventh Street.

RUM was also concerned with the overcrowding of the juvenile detention center (it was downtown behind the old jail), so we helped to back a referendum to build a new facility.

The Rev. Boryk was involved in the initial fight against the casino. Tom Grey, a pastor then from Galena, Ill., set up a meeting between the United Methodist bishop and then-state Rep. Zeke Giorgi, D-Rockford. John Allen Boryk remembers Zeke called Bishop Sheldon Duecker “an agent of the underground” because he did not want the state to legalize gambling.

The Rev. Boryk also remembers the most controversial issue as being our support for a needle exchange in Rockford. The need was there, as shown by the increase of HIV/AIDS spreading among the IV drug users. “Back then, a clean syringe cost $10 on the street.” RUM, with a lot of support from area drug counseling and medical facilities, set up a small outreach on Seventh Street that became quite controversial. The Rev. Boryk will talk more about that, and advocate for the church to get involved in the needs of the city.

Our 50th anniversary celebration is free and open to the public.

Stanley Campbell is executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries and spokesman for Rockford Peace & Justice.

From the May 9-15, 2012, issue

In Winnebago County, everybody wants to be a part of the “club,” the exclusive club of good ol’ boys where votes seem to go to the friends of friends and only the ones in power prosper.

Is this the case with the recent contract awarded to Christiansen, Inc., owned and operated by Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen (R)?

The Rockford Park District, in charge of all contracts for the Nicholas Conservatory, not long ago sent out a request for bids to construct and install a green roof over the existing conservatory roof structure. Fifty-six companies were notified of the opportunity, and three companies — McDermaid Roofing & Insulating, Christiansen, Inc., and Carlson Roofing — were deemed to be “responsible bidders” by the Rockford Park District.

The three proposals, as stated by the Rockford Park District in their own Request for Bid Form for the Nicholas Conservatory green roof, were to be weighed against the following criteria (bold emphasis added):

Although price is a major consideration in the award of bids, the Rockford Park District does not award on price alone. Also to be considered would be quality of product and service, as judged by the Rockford Park District, past experience with same products, services offered, warranties, long-range costs, delivery, and similar such items. All rights are reserved by the Board of Commissioners to determine whether the selection, in its judgment, meets the needs or purposes intended. Such decisions shall be final and not subject to recourse.

Christiansen, Inc., was awarded the contract as the lowest bidder.

In response to a Freedom of Information Act request regarding the contract, Kyle R. Martinson, purchasing manager for the Rockford Park District, stated that since all three finalists for the contract were “responsible bidders,” the contract “was awarded based upon lowest bid in compliance with Rockford Park District Ordinance.

“Secondary criteria, such as warranty, serviceability, ability to meet stated deadlines, may be evaluated should two or more bidders present identical bids,” Martinson added.

“In a Request for Proposal, unlike a Request for Bid, more latitude is given in the evaluation of proposals,” Martinson continued. “Proposals are scored on a numerical scale where factors such as price, warranty, experience in similar projects, references are [sic] come together for an overall score.”

In reviewing the actual bids, a discrepancy in the Park District’s own statements seems to emerge. Although Christiansen, Inc., was, in fact, the lowest bidder at $108,227, their offer only comes with a one-year warranty. McDermaid Roofing, the next-lowest bidder at $144,749, comes with a 20-year warranty.

Although Christiansen, Inc., has worked with the Park District in the past, McDermaid Roofing has done this type of roof before at Rock Valley College just last year. They clearly know what is involved in creating a green roof, and are willing to back their work for the long haul.

A one-year warranty might as well state “fingers crossed.” How is Scott Christiansen managing to create the same roof for $36,000 less? Where do the savings originate? Quality of products? Quality of workers? The savings now possibly turn into costs later.

Why would the Rockford Park District go against their own stated bid requirements and risk having to pay out of pocket many years to come to fix whatever happens to fall outside of such a miniscule warranty? Was it swayed by the fact that the Winnebago County Board, headed by Scott Christiansen, contributed money to the Nicholas Conservatory project with a grant of $800,000 over eight years to the second phase of the project?

It does not take a degree in accounting to realize that McDermaid Roofing is the only one standing behind their work. They are the ones with experience in working with the materials to create a sustainable green roof. They are the ones willing to put their reputation on the line with the 20-year warranty.

Although it selected the lowest bidder, the Rockford Park District clearly did not consider the long-term costs and potential risks with choosing Christiansen, Inc., and the constituents of this county could be the ones who pay for this decision for years to come.

Make your thoughts known to the Rockford Park District, 401 S. Main St., Rockford, at (815) 987-8800.

From the May 9-15, 2012, issue

Boris is tireless in his opposition to the industrialization of our natural and rural areas by foreign wind developers on the basis of economic, safety and health concerns. This paper’s editorial position is one of opposition to big wind development ruining our rural character on many levels and assaulting our environment on just as many levels.

Don’t be “green-washed” by these invasive mega-towers that kill bats and birds, threatening the web of life. Please go to www.wind-watch.org to see the extensiveness of the damage caused by these massive power plants that could be in the county-side next to a forest preserve near you. — Frank Schier, editor and publisher

By Richard Boris
President/Mayor of the Village of Lee

Lee County Board members:

Attached as a PDF file is a two-page letter to the Senate Energy Committee on H.B. 5814; in my judgment, this letter raises some issues of significance relative to wind turbines setbacks, etc., that have been approved.

This e-mail is being sent to you from a different e-mail address because the e-mail account I have been using has been blocked by Microsoft; by some strange coincidence, the next day, after I sent this letter to the Senate Energy Committee and I tried to access my e-mail, I could not because my account was blocked, apparently because of some unusual activity on it, as detected by Microsoft.

My apologies for the delay in getting this e-mail to you.

In the service of Willow Creek and all County residents.

Rich Boris

Editor’s note: Text of Boris’ two-page letter to the Senate Energy Commission follows.

My elected position and the three years of experience I have relating to the siting, and the impact of industrial wind turbines, etc., “requires” me to raise the following premises and issues as a form of mutual aid to legislators and governmental entities and citizens.

1. The Senate Sponsor, the original House Sponsor, the members of Senate Energy Committee and representatives of other House and Senate committees should be thanked for their concern relative to protecting the health, safety and property values of citizens and property owners of this State; hopefully, that is the primary concern of legislators as contrasted with benefiting wind farm companies & advocates.

2. As I understand it, this bill provides the setback from the property line; that would be an improvement over the setback of some approved wind farms in Illinois that have measured setback from the foundation homes of (non-participating) residents; in many cases the county-approved setback protrudes into the property of others (and public property) and decreases its value and increases exposure of the family members and their animals to sound nuisances, possible health issues, and safety concerns, etc.

3. The name-plate capacity of wind turbines is continuing to increase as is the height of turbine towers, the length of the blades, and the overall height; I understand that the sounds emanated by wind turbines also increase (including high-frequency sound most humans hear and low-frequency sound humans do not hear but which penetrates buildings). One setback does not fit all sizes of turbines!

4. From the Vestas Safety Regulations for Operations and Technicians for a V90 — 3.0 MW/V100 — 2.75MW dated 2006-009-11 on attached page 3 of 32 under #2 states: “Do not stay within a radius of 400M (1300 ft.) from the turbine unless it is necessary. …” (Is it OK for children to play within 1300 feet?) Another quote from Vestas publication HSE035 R00 dated 2005-Sep-26 on attached page 3 of 4 under 6.1.3: “If icing conditions are suspected, do not approach within 1,000 feet (305 meters) of any turbine while it is running. …”

5. While these sources may be out-of-date and may not refer to the turbines that have been or will be installed in Illinois, a question of value is what organization has responsibility and bears the legal liability for ensuring that all manufacturers’ warnings are being adhered to relative to a minimum setback? Also, who is responsible to ensure that property owners near turbines including contractors and workmen and citizens are provided with adequate related safety information? Should a Safety data-sheet be required?

6. By the State of Illinois setting one fixed minimum setback for “all” sizes of turbines, is the State then assuming health and other liability issues that the wind companies and turbine manufacturers should bear, and which should also be a required contract condition of all governmental bodies?

7. I was advised that (only) municipalities with zoning and a comprehensive plan can increase the approved setback. One premise that arises is that if H.B. 5814 is approved as it is currently drafted, county governments, Farm Bureaus and wind companies, etc. will use this setback for leverage to conclude that this is the maximum safe setback needed, as determined by the State of Illinois for wind turbines of all sizes, and no government authority should attempt to establish a larger setback. Whatever the intentions of the legislation, will this be a significant unintended consequence?

8. An earlier draft of this legislation indicated that it would amend the 65 ILCS 5 Section 11-13-26 which states: “a municipality may regulate wind farms and electric-generation wind devices within its zoning jurisdiction and within the 1.5-mile radius surrounding its zoning jurisdiction …”; that amendment language has been removed from the bill. I was also advised that the attached Sept. 30, 2010, Illinois Attorney General letter would not hold up.

9. I am not an attorney, but it appears that this legislation is an indirect (back-door?) way to amend the above-referenced law by “superseding” and effectively limiting its scope to apply only to municipalities that have zoning and a Comprehensive Plan. In addition, this bill nullifies the above-referenced Attorney General letter authored by the Chief of the Environmental Bureau upon which some municipalities have used to pass ordinances that required investments of time, money, and a public hearing. If this legislation is approved, what effect does it have on municipalities without zoning that have approved ordinances that have established a greater setback than 1,400 feet based on the above-cited statute and the letter from an Attorney General bureau chief? Also, shouldn’t notice be provided to the Attorney General’s office?

10. I was going to testify in support of S.B. 167 when I came to Springfield several months ago, but the bill was postponed. In my judgment, S.B. 167 should be approved to amend the above statute to make it clear that all municipalities, even those without zoning, should have the authority that the above statute provides to apparently all municipalities.

11. In my judgment, only allowing a 1,400-foot setback for municipalities without zoning is the equivalent of giving those communities a death sentence; wind turbines create adverse conditions for agri-business and other commercial and residential development. Turbines create economic development dead-zones that could quickly land-lock municipalities and promote the loss of residents including school-age children from rural schools and likely the slow death of the community. As the adverse effects of turbines become more widely known, it appears likely the turbines will contribute to blight because informed decision-makers will likely only find minimal infrastructure investments and maintenance of buildings near wind turbines. In addition, across the world there are similar reports of sleep deprivation and persons who have abandoned their primary investment, that is, their homes (with a likely result of more rural mortgages going “upside-down,” more foreclosures & bankruptcies, declining property assessments and EAV) etc. etc.

12. What is needed is an objective third party Performance Audit of Wind Energy to evaluate how effectively the National and State of Illinois objectives are or are not being met, coupled with a comprehensive review of the federal and state costs and benefits and the long-term impact on our economy and electrical energy costs. What little information is made public is primarily projected and estimated benefits that some call “puffing”; where is any actual net data and reports on net electrical energy provided to our electrical grids, etc. to support and evaluate the claims?

13. In a time of the greatest economic decline since the Depression, why is wind energy being awarded billions of $ while basic federal and state services are being cut? In Illinois, wind energy is a PART-TIME and primarily a night-time energy source that cannot reliably meet daytime peak-load energy needs. I have been informed that Illinois, most hours of the month, is an electrical energy exporter. Shouldn’t the replacement of our aging power plants that can operate 24/7 and reliably serve peak daytime electrical loads take precedence over funding an intermittent part-time energy source?

CC: State Senator Pam Althoff, State Rep. Joe Sosnowski, Mr. Joe Schatteman & other IML staff, et. al.

Mr. Thomas Davis & Ms. Lisa Madigan, Office of the Attorney General

Letter to Illinois Senate Energy Committee from Richard.W.B.@Hotmail.com

From the May 9-15, 2012, issue

Michael Kleen

By Michael Kleen

To many people, it seems natural to think an elite group of central planners can accomplish more than free people pursuing their own interests. When there is a problem in the economy, they reason, government action is the best way to solve it. This is often called Keynesian economics, after the economist John Maynard Keynes, who believed government should spend tax dollars to stimulate the economy. More than that, this belief embraces the notion that a very small number of politically-connected individuals know where, when and how the rest of us should spend our money as well.

Economist F.A. Hayek called this notion a “fatal conceit,” because no one person or group of people can ever hope to manage the complexities of a modern economy. Unfortunately, the predictable results of government intervention in the economy is that government grows even larger than before, a few well-connected people get rich, public debt increases, and the average citizen is left out of the process. More unfortunate still is the fact that the Rockford political class, and politicians in Winnebago County generally, seem to be enamored with this top-down approach.

One small example of central economic planning in Rockford is an effort by some city aldermen to create so-called “buffer zones” that would prohibit certain types of businesses from opening within a 1-mile radius of each other. These politicians believe they know best when it comes to what kinds of goods and services a certain neighborhood needs, a belief that is based on nothing more than their own personal preferences. The needs and desires of the people who spend their money and support those businesses, as well as other factors that might limit the types of businesses that are willing to locate in those areas, are ignored.

Some examples of Keynesianism in action are the numerous local government projects using tax dollars for “economic development.”

At a time when the State of Illinois has more than $9 billion in unpaid bills and is closing mental health and juvenile detention facilities, it somehow found $8 million to give to the City of Rockford for riverfront development. $200,000 is going directly into the pockets of “design consultants” who will explore the possibility of building another city water park, despite the fact that 2011 was the first year out of the previous four that Magic Waters (owned by the Rockford Park District) turned a profit. $3.1 million will be allocated to building an indoor sports complex. What impact would another taxpayer-subsidized and city-owned indoor sports complex have on private facilities in the area? No public official has bothered to ask.

Another $2.5 million of this public fund is going toward building indoor and outdoor markets in downtown Rockford, apparently under the premise that “if you build it, they will come.” But if this market was such a good idea, why haven’t private investors already seized on the opportunity and put their own money on the line? If the business climate in downtown Rockford was conducive to growth, the economy would already be booming there, but private investors have largely stayed away because they are all-too-aware of the current risks and liabilities. Do politicians and city planners, in their infinite wisdom, know something that entrepreneurs, investors and their potential customers do not?

Businesses fail when the amount of money they take in is not enough to cover their operating expenses. Rockford does not have a thriving downtown because it is either too expensive to do business there, there are too few customers to support any additional businesses, or some combination of the two. No amount of government investment is going to change these fundamental facts. What government should do is make sure the cost of doing business is as low as possible while protecting businesses and their customers from theft and other crimes, thereby creating an attractive climate for private enterprise.

By embracing central economic planning, Winnebago County and the City of Rockford are attempting to pick winners and losers in the private sector while diverting limited public resources away from essential services that government should provide, such as police protection and public infrastructure. Moreover, these efforts are disempowering average citizens and increasing the public debt, all on the gamble that politicians can make better business decisions than people who put their own money at risk in the private sector. It is a fatal conceit.

Michael Kleen is a local author, historian, and owner of Black Oak Media. He holds a master’s degree in history and master’s degree in education.

From the May 2-8, 2012, issue

April 23 brought perhaps the most anticipated public meeting of the Rockford Library Board in recent memory. Many citizens were concerned about proposals concerning the future of the library involving branch closures, the transition of the print collection to a 95 percent digital format and the possible renting of the top two floors of the Main Branch on Wyman Street. These proposals can be found in PDF format at this link: https://docs.google.com/file/d/1SeULADg4W1RrwLq8muFiyGiAGmNMZNbydIlv3vf-Xl24Y8ScdSPtdhzMaU8ca/edit. The proposals can also be accessed at www.saveourrockfordlibrary.blogspot.com.

A lot of important news came from the meeting. Most critical to me was Board Chairman Paul Logli stating firmly in front of the media that there are no plans for an alternative library facility to downtown and a renovated Sullivan Center will not replace any existing facility.

It was acknowledged that some parties had been given a “walk-through” of the second and third floors of the Main Library with the possible idea of “re-utilizing” that space.

During a Library Finance Meeting held April 18, it was also acknowledged that any plan for Embry-Riddle or EigerLab to occupy the upper floors of Main was now “off the table.” Whether this means those floors are now “off limits” to ANY prospective buyer is unclear.

Concerns also exist that the Rock River Branch on 11th Street and Rockton Centre Branch on Rockton Avenue would be closed. In the proposals linked above, Library Director Frank Novak directly laid out his vision for Rockford’s Library System, as follows:

• Rock River and Rockton Centre to be “tech centers” only, with almost zero human presence and no print collection;

• Main Library reduced to one floor with little print presence;

• Montague Branch turned into a local history center only; and

• Lewis Lemon would remain open as a full-service library, although “heavily weeded.”

Novak wanted to close the Lewis Lemon Branch, but didn’t want to get in an “East vs. West” scrap. Of course, the east-side branch would be the one most unchanged, as the farther east one goes, the more priority things are given.

Based on the comments made by Logli at the meeting, much of this would seem to be no longer under consideration.

Betsy Urbik, who spoke during the commentary section, expressed concern about Rockton Centre being closed, saying many elderly and poor citizens depended on the library, including her own mother.

Andy Strong, a former manager of Early Childhood Services with the library, spoke of a “disconnect” among Novak, the board, the library staff and the public. A 31-1 vote of “no confidence” in Novak by library staff was given as evidence of the disconnect.

This subject of disconnection in general came up several times during the meeting, with board member Daniel Ross saying he was disturbed not only by receiving threats by parties unknown, but also by not really getting any dialogue from the public. This is a point I would strongly agree with, as threats have no place in public discourse, and any increase in communication is welcome.

However, that street is a two-way street. The Nov. 18 proposals were originally marked “confidential,” as if they were to be shielded from the public at all costs. Certainly, much of Novak’s tone in the proposals is unprofessional, such as calling librarians “packrats” (page 7) and saying this: “I still hear tales of people saying ‘I need to feel the book in my hands, I love the smell of the pages.’ I believe those sentiments would change if the same people were given an old, moldy book that has been partially chewed on by a pet or an infant at some point at time.” (page 5)

Well, I’m one of those people. So are a lot of the public … the public that the library serves, not the public that should be ignored or belittled.

At a demonstration held in front of the Main Branch April 21, I was lucky enough to talk to a number of people going in and out of the library. When I asked them if they’d rather read a book or a Kindle, a grand total of ZERO opted for Kindle. That cut across age, sex and racial lines.

A pathological hatred of print media is a strange trait to have in a library director. Plus, people don’t go to the library to get books chewed by pets or infants, they go to get materials in good condition. They also like the idea of having a choice, instead of having something shoved down their throats.

Speaker Jesus Correa mentioned his love of the library and paper books. He also wondered why the city is spending $7 million on a riverwalk bridge to nowhere and the library is considering radical contraction.

Correa was interrupted in his speech by board member Jeff Glass (likely in violation of Roberts’ Rules of Order, which Logli admonished all speakers to obey prior to the meeting), but the question remains.

Rachel Leon, leader of Save Our Library, also addressed the board and brought up the subject of the Open Meetings Act being violated by the library board on numerous occasions in the past. Incorrect information had been provided regarding the time and place of previous meetings and not corrected until January 2012. Leon felt this was unforgivable, particularly since the Chairman of the Board (Logli) was a former state’s attorney. Logli denied the situation was intentional, and said steps had now been taken to make sure the correct information would be available at all times.

The subject of excessive “weeding” at the Main Branch also was given much discussion. The library produced figures detailing the weeding that had taken place in recent months and said the collection had actually increased in size overall.

At the March public board meeting, several librarians addressed the board, saying they did not know where all the books were going. That seems strange, especially since it comes close to a time when the board was discussing possible renting of the top two floors of the Main Branch, as outlined in the November 2011 proposals.

Speaking from a personal standpoint, I can’t remember any time in the last 30 years when so many books disappeared so quickly.

Examples of weeded books were provided. Many, if not all, were out-of-date medical volumes. I find it difficult to believe that all weeded books were of this nature, but the fact is, the books are gone and won’t be coming back.

This current spate of “weeding” seems much different than the process that has gone on before, but we’ll accept the figures given by the board and move on from there.

An announcement was made that a private firm has been hired to conduct a public survey concerning library use. The survey would mostly be phone based. This was one of the most encouraging things I have heard. Such a survey should have been conducted prior to discussions of branch closures, digitization and radical restructuring of the Main Branch. The board and Novak may have then discovered just how the public … the people they serve … felt about the proposals.

The April 23 meeting was a positive one. Logli and the board have significantly backed off the most radical proposals. The upper two floors of the Main, Rock River and Rockton Avenue branches seem safe … for now. New chances for communication have opened up between the board and the public, and I urge all parties to take advantage of them.

Most of these positive developments come from the scrutiny and involvement of the public and media. Without the November proposals being divulged to the public, we might be in a far different situation than now. The public MATTERS. The patrons of the library … rich and poor, young and old, white and black … MATTER.

Human beings still have a place at the library … both behind the counter and as patrons. Kindles may indeed be coming — I have zero desire to use one myself, but that’s just me. But they shouldn’t be shoved down our throats without choice.

Books and people are still what make a library tick. On my last visit, I saw a mother and two young children leave with smiles on their faces and their arms full of books. In all prior eras of the library, this is a scene that would make a director beam with pride. Currently, that mother and her kids would likely be considered “out of touch.”

Constant vigilance by the public is going to be needed to make sure we keep these valuable resources. The thought of waking up some day to see the Main Library, which has been a source of community pride since 1903, turned into a CASINO, as has been discussed in the proposals, is disgusting. Rockford already has enough black eyes, but this would be the worst-case scenario. Without an outcry from people of conscience, maybe this nightmare would already be on the way to reality.

I urge citizens of not just Rockford but the greater community to read those November 2011 proposals to see what they really entail. Thanks to Logli and the board for backing off the worst of these. They ended the meeting with a pledge that they are here to serve the library and the public. Let’s keep those lines of communication open!

Mike Korn is a Loves Park resident.

From the May 2-8, 2012, issue

Tuesday, April 17, my wife and I attended the presentation at Auburn High School regarding the District 205 and Alignment Rockford proposal to implement the College and Career Preparatory Academy model at each of the four high schools in Rockford. As a former School Board member and parent of former students who attended District 205 schools, I was not surprised to see the presentation include the statistic that only 36 percent of Rockford high school graduates are prepared to enter college or other post-secondary educational programs, or have the academic foundation to qualify for most job opportunities offered by area employers. I have seen the empirical data over the past two decades showing student academic achievement on a decline and student dropout rates spiraling out of control. It is more than evident that it is now well past the time that something should be done to change the direction of the Rockford public educational system.

District 205 Interim Superintendent Dr. Robert Willis and his administrative team, the business community, and Alignment Rockford have come together to support the “College and Career Readiness Rock” to deliver the transformative change that most of us in Rockford have been seeking for a long time. I was made aware of this initiative about a year ago when it was in the earliest part of the planning stage. I felt at that time Alignment Rockford and the administrative leadership team for District 205 was finally starting to address the curriculum and instruction issues that could have a positive effect on student academic outcomes. I am even more convinced now that the College and Career Preparatory Academy model will be what parents, students and teachers have been looking for to answer the question, “How do you get Rockford students effectively engaged in the learning process?” I am excited to see that the plan is better defined, designed and vetted.

Students should be excited about receiving instruction that is relevant to the real world and provides opportunities for service learning credits and post-secondary school opportunities. Parents should support this initiative because it is designed to motivate their children to learn and to stay in school. Teachers should be excited because the plan is designed to create a positive learning environment where they can teach more and deal with fewer discipline problems.

Many have tried, but few have been able to make systemic changes to our public education system that have made much difference in student behavior and academic achievement. For the sake of our children and community, let’s give Dr. Willis and Alignment Rockford the support needed to make academies work.

Michael J. Williams is a former Rockford School Board president.

From the May 2-8, 2012, issue

It’s my hope that Jane Hayes and her Watchdogs for Ethics in Education (Grrrrrrrr) will sniff out and identify the school board’s Chicago attorney rumored to get “approximately $500 an hour” for services rendered to the Forces of Reaction previously known as the current school board, many of whose members were so recently and so wildly endorsed by District 205 teachers as just the people teachers needed to have in charge of our schools!

Too bad the watchdogs have to (sniff) spend out-of-pocket money for a FOIA to unmask that old scoundrel who’s been getting $500 an hour. I say old because, gosh, he was collecting $500 an hour during the 1972 teachers’ strike, according to rumor, that is, and was around again for the 1978 strike, according to rumor, of course, and got rich off the 1984 , 18-day-long strike, again, according to rumor, and is now back collecting $500 an hour to drag out, and prolong as long as possible, teacher negotiations. That is, according to rumor, you understand. Heck, it’s no wonder the teachers’ union goes broke by having to keep buying the sheet music to “We Shall Overcome”!

Hayes then launches into shrill finger pointing at what she calls powerful influences of greed and capitalism that seek to take over Rockford’s school system and put business interests ahead of education, especially for minority students.

I wonder what Hayes would say to a firm that spent millions of dollars hiring lobbyists to fight and defeat attempts in Congress to force the firm to pay its “fair share” of federal income taxes on the organization’s commercial assets? Income taxes that would have advanced the educational needs of minority students in public schools in the city where that firm’s national headquarters is located. In other words, I wonder what she would say if she knew or even bothered to know the truth about the National Education Association (NEA), the only labor union in the United States exempt from paying federal income taxes on certain commercial assets? This was as a result of a 1906 congressional charter granted to the NEA when it still had something to do with education.

During the 1995 session of Congress, those nasty Republicans tried to revoke that charter, one of only seven granted by Congress and includes such organizations as the Red Cross and the Boy Scouts of America. The NEA spent nearly as much money fighting the attempt to revoke its charter as it would have spent had it paid its taxes. After defeating the effort, NEA officials managed to keep a straight face while insisting the NEA was no different than the Boy Scouts of America. The last I heard, the Boy Scouts of America weren’t hiring more political operatives than the Democrat and Republican parties combined!

Following its successful effort to defeat the attempt to eliminate its congressional charter and force the teachers’ union to pay its taxes, the NEA, just to show it has a conscience (sort of) offered to pay 40 percent of the taxes it would normally owe on its commercial assets. I’d like to see what the response would be if Rockford public school teachers advised the IRS that they were only going to pay 40 percent of their taxes for any given year!

During the funeral of modern civil rights founder Rosa Parks, the NEA, in yet another gesture of big-heartedness, opened the lobby of its headquarters to accommodate the overflow crowd wishing to watch the funeral service on large-screen television. But paying taxes on that very property, the NEA’s headquarters building, taxes that would have gone to help improve life for Washington, D.C.’s public school children, was another matter. The NEA has even set up an office of “D.C. Affairs” to provide its own forces of reaction to make sure its cash flow of more than a billion dollars annually doesn’t have to be accounted for.

Hey, I got an idea. Perhaps Hayes’ watchdogs can file a FOIA to find out how that billion-dollar, untaxed and unaccounted-for cash flow gets spent.

Tim Hughes is a former teacher in Rockford School District 205 who coached debate and taught English at Auburn High School for 20 years. At Auburn, he coached three debate teams to first-place national championships.

From the May 2-8, 2012, issue

Slick! That’s what I call the presentation done by Alignment Rockford and Rockford Public School District 205 Tuesday, April 17, at Auburn High School.

The PowerPoint and video presentation by Dr. Ehren Jarrett was professional and slick, and suggested the financial backing of businesses throughout the Rockford community, in particular Alignment Rockford.

In the presentation, Dr. Jarrett introduced the public to the academy approach, which creates small learning environments with a career focus. Interviews of Jefferson High staff members, who were sent to Nashville, Tenn., by our district to observe the Alignment Nashville model, were glowing. Local interviews of community movers and shakers stressing the importance of an educated workforce from Rockford were pertinent. Also, interviews of members from Alignment Nashville itself and staff from Glencliff and McGavock high schools in Nashville were positive.

Praising small learning academies for their “Rigor, Relevance, Relationships and Readiness” was established early and often. Slick and professionally-printed cards were given to attendees to write questions, concerns and feedback.

This just sounds so good, right? Think about it … schools supported by our community, important businesses and professional people throughout Rockford. What, if anything, is wrong with this picture? Well, first, the questions posed by many WEE (Watchdogs for Ethics in Education) members were not answered. Our group wonders how many unanswered or edited questions went unanswered by the panel of school and community members, which lacked diversity and transparency, in my estimation. Were our questions too sticky to address?

So, WEE will ask them rhetorically. First, how do you compare Rockford to Nashville, Tenn., which was awarded a major part of a $500 million federal grant, Race to the Top, to implement their academy structure? Second, what about all our current students? Why can’t we challenge them to think about careers, colleges and/or future goals? Why doesn’t our district promote the current small learning environments instead of outsourcing them? What will be done for students who choose not to be a part of the academy structure? Or is that not an option?

Good grief! Don’t think for one minute that the professional educators of WEE are not in favor of better schools. Most of us have lived in Rockford all our adult lives, earned our livelihoods here, sent our own children to public schools in Rockford, and still pay outrageous property taxes here.

We want to see public education thrive and have seen so many fads in education come and go. Actually, we have already had successful academies throughout Rockford. Think about CAPA, the Creative and Performing Arts Program, the Academy of Gifted Learners at Auburn, and ROTC. Think about the small learning environments already established here whose survival is threatened, such as Roosevelt Alternative High School and Page Park. Last year, ACE High School was eliminated.

We want to see more career and college readiness and improvement of academic and social skills throughout our district. We want to see more interdisciplinary and project-based learning. We want to solve our truancy problems and ameliorate crime problems in our community. Finally, we want to see our students succeed in college or their career choices so they can live productive lives.

However, recognize our backgrounds as professional educators by giving us a seat at the decision-making table. When Dr. JoAnn Shaheen and Barbara Oehlke, both honorable and lifelong educators, were denied access in the selection process at the committee level of Alignment Rockford, I knew something was amiss. (They were told they could attend meetings, but they could not ask questions.)

Another long-tenured teacher thought perhaps she had too much experience, and that’s why she was excluded from the committee structure of Alignment Rockford. Too much experience and expertise! Really? By excluding teachers, I continue to be suspicious of Alignment Rockford. They need teacher input and buy-in for this concept to survive and thrive.

Most teachers I know are creative and critical thinkers. If our students and parents value us, why doesn’t Alignment Rockford?

Sticky! I much prefer sticky to slick because a true test of any proposal or program is whether it can be challenged successfully. Answer our questions openly in a public forum and listen to our concerns. Are we that threatening? Something is so wrong in the Forest City because of the exclusion of educators in planning for the future, and a lack of transparency continues.

Educate yourself by reading some of the controversy regarding academies in Nashville in the hyperlink below:

“Do Metro’s public school ‘academies’ live up to promise?” by Joey Garrison, http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/do-metros-public-school-academies-live-promise.

Jane Hayes is a Roosevelt Alternative High School teacher and a member of Watchdogs for Ethics in Education.

From the April 25-May 1, 2012, issue

As residents of southeast Winnebago County, we wish to be on record opposing the expansion of the landfill for the following reasons that must be considered.

• The smell from the current landfill is unbearable. We can smell it in our home with the windows closed. We live 2 miles from the landfill. We have smelled it on Perryville Road as far away as CherryVale. It totally affects our way of life.

• This would be a horrible entrance into Winnebago County on Highway 39 from the south. If this is such a wonderful entrance to Winnebago County, why are there not signs directing people to the airport from 39 and Baxter Road? Does the airport not want people from out of town traveling Baxter Road? Wouldn’t it be an easy way to get to the airport?

• We are tired of only hearing about the money it would generate. Shame on special-interest groups for thinking only of the money they would get. We are talking about air pollution and ground pollution for residents of Winnebago County. We have had enough of William Charles/Rockford Blacktop promises and expansion.

• In the County Board Chairman’s State of the County announcement for his State of County luncheon, Scott Christiansen states, “[He] continually works to improve the quality of life for ALL citizens.” This will be totally not true if he and the board approve the expansion.

• There are many students who attend the outdoor education program in Atwood Park. We have been in Atwood hundreds of times, and the smell is awful and must be detrimental to the children.

• We have the beautiful Kishwaukee River that must not be polluted. I am sure the hikers around the area and canoeists must be affected by the smell. It deters from the beauty.

• Shame on each county board member who votes for the expansion only because of the money it brings to them. It will affect you and every member of Winnebago County.

• People coming to the airport will surely smell the landfill. In an article in the paper, it was stated that 65 percent of the people using the airport come from out of town. At least one-fourth of those people will be coming from the south.

• Perhaps one reason Embry Riddle did not locate here is because of the smell.

• Rockford is already on several lists of the worst city to live. Is this going to help?

• Bringing in garbage from all over is ruining our county. Life means a lot more than money.

• Is Kilbuck Creek polluted?

• The property values in our area and all of Winnebago County will decrease. Who wants to move here?

• Industry will never want to invest along the 39 corridor. Would you start a business there? THERE WILL BE NO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE, MR. CHRISTIANSEN AND BOARD.

• The hours of service will be expanded to 24 hours a day.

• Do not vote until you take a trip down Baxter Road to see and smell what we are talking about. You will smell it long before you get to Baxter Road.

• If this is approved by the board, there will be a 200-foot high, 400-acre tombstone for Winnebago County with all of the county board members’ names on it. Long after we are all gone, it will still be there for our children and grandchildren to see. Please vote NO on the expansion.

James and Donna Wernberg are residents of south east Winnebago County.

From the April 25-May 1, 2012, issue

With regard to recent misinformation circulating about the Rockford Public Library’s (RPL) collection development and collection weeding policies and practices, the Board of Trustees would like to present accurate statistics and data about both topics. While RPL encourages discourse about the evolving role of the library in the community, these discussions should be driven by facts.

Healthy library: Collection size, turnover rates and weeding

A community values a library for a variety of reasons, but perhaps most important is its collection. Several factors are taken into account when measuring the health of a public library collection including the size, turnover rates and overall relevance of materials to the community at large. Given recent interest in RPL’s collection and misinformation that has circulated regarding the weeding of the collection, here are some important facts about your Rockford Public Library.

FACT: The library’s physical collection has grown since 2010.

While much attention has been paid to the growth of the e-book collection in recent months, it is important to recognize that the library’s physical collection has grown as well. In 2010, Rockford Public Library had 580,787 items and in February of 2012, that number was 582,072. The physical collection had a net gain of 1,285 items. This does not include more than 12,000 purchased e-book titles now available to RPL customers.

FACT: Public libraries must weed their collections to maintain a healthy collection.

Studies of public libraries have shown that collection size alone does not predict overall circulation rates. Very often, libraries with smaller collections can enjoy extremely high circulation rates when they weed titles regularly to make room for current, popular and more relevant titles.

Collections are not static, and weeding should be an ongoing process to ensure public access to the most current materials and the best use of limited shelf space. In making weeding decisions, libraries often use the M.U.S.T.Y. criteria — is information Misleading or outdated, is an item Ugly or damaged, has the title been Superseded, does it have Trivial scholarly merit, and does it satisfy Your customers (has it circulated)? All of these questions help staff members weed the library’s collection based on the physical condition, accuracy, quality and relevance of materials.

RPL Policy 4.4 requires that “staff routinely examines the collection and removes materials which are no longer of value.”

FACT: A recent report of RPL’s collection showed more than 10,000 titles that have not circulated since May of 2004. While weeding is an ongoing process, even the most diligent of libraries will have titles that remain in the collection despite being grossly outdated, inaccurate or irrelevant to the community. A recent report showed 10,784 items currently in the RPL collection that have not circulated since May of 2004. Ideally, any item that has not circulated in the past three years should be evaluated for its continued relevance to the collection. Given this criteria, we would expect an even higher figure.

FACT: Rockford Public Library’s physical collection exceeds the national per capita average and is in line with the Illinois average.

According to an IMLS study released in October 2011, the national average for the per-capita size of a physical materials collection is 2.75. With a population of 152,871, Rockford would require a physical collection with 420,395 items. As of February 2012, RPL held 582,072 items — well above the national average. Illinois, which is ranked No. 16 among all 50 states and the District of Columbia for per-capita physical items, has an average of 3.85 items. Despite being well above the national figure, RPL’s collection is in line with the state average.

FACT: Rockford Public Library’s physical collection turnover rate (total circulation/items in the collection) is in line with the national average.

The national public library turnover rate is 2.6. Rockford Public Library’s physical collection turnover rate in 2011 was 2.67 (1,548,293 circulations/580,608 items in the collection). By weeding irrelevant and outdated information and replacing it with current, popular materials, we can improve that figure even more.

FACT: The final responsibility for collection development lies with the Director of the Library.

According to RPL’s policy 4.1, which was approved by the Board of Trustees in July 2005, “Final responsibility for collection development lies with the Director of the Library.” The director may appoint staff members to assist in the day-to-day decisions with regard to the collection, but ultimately, it is within the director’s role and responsibility to manage the collection as directly/indirectly as s/he sees fit. This may include selection, weeding, policy-setting and collection development philosophies.

FACT: The executive director personally weeded just 2 percent of the overall materials weeded from the collection in 2011.

In 2011, 48,234 items were weeded from Rockford Public Library’s collection (48,055 items were added to the collection in that same time frame). The Executive Director, Frank Novak, weeded 1,701 titles in categories for which he is uniquely qualified including legal and business/finance. Mr. Novak is the only RPL staff member who holds not only a Master of Library Science degree, but a Juris Doctorate (graduate degree in law) and professional experience in business and finance.

FACT: All weeded materials undergo a secondary review before being withdrawn from the library.

Items pulled from the collection by any staff member undergo a secondary peer review before being formally withdrawn from the collection. Even materials weeded personally by the executive director were reviewed by the manager of Collection Development (who also holds an MLIS degree) before being withdrawn.

FACT: The library makes every attempt to responsibly dispose of materials weeded from the collection.

Materials weeded from RPL’s collection are first sent to the Friends of Rockford Public Library, a separate 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds to support the library’s programs and services through book sales in shops at the Main and East Branch libraries, online and at semi-annual events. Any items that are not suitable for re-sale by the Friends or donation to other local charities are recycled appropriately.

FACT: A library does not want full shelves.

A full shelf is not an indicator of a healthy library collection. In fact, when items are popular and circulating regularly, they rarely sit on a library shelf. Ideally, when a library plans space to accommodate its full collection, it includes leaving around 25 percent of the shelf space open if it plans on maintaining the collection size. As materials circulate, the amount of open shelf space will fluctuate to even greater percentages.

For logistical reasons, it is important to have plenty of space on shelves to allow for easy paging of books, face-out presentation of titles (much like what bookstores do to highlight certain titles/authors), and convenient browsing of the titles available for customers. (Have you ever searched for a title among a shelf packed with books?) RPL avoids using the top and bottom-most shelves of our units, putting titles within convenient reach of all of our customers.

Rockford Public Library also uses a “floating collection” method of circulation. Items may be returned to the shelves of the branch where the item is returned or routed to another location versus items having permanent home locations. An empty shelf at one location does not mean resources are not available; it means they may be on shelves at other locations. Using our online catalog or helpful staff to browse the collection, identify where titles are currently available and place holds is the best way to determine what holdings the library has available.

Emily Hartzog is community relations officer at Rockford Public Library.

From the April 25-May 1, 2012, issue

“Let Them Always Be Remembered”

The Rockford United Labor organization, composed of AFL-CIO labor unions across the Winnebago-Boone County areas, will be holding its annual Workers Memorial Day on Saturday, April 28. This date is nationally recognized as Workers Memorial Day and is a day to remember workers who have been killed or injured on the job and to reinforce the critical need for strong safety and health protections at the workplace for all workers. This year’s theme is “Safe Jobs Save Lives — Keep the Promise Alive.”

Since 1989, Rockford United Labor CLC has honored those union members that have lost their lives performing their chosen occupation, and to give comfort to those they left behind. Their names are engraved on two plaques labeled “Let Them Always Be Remembered” that are housed at the Labor Temple on South First Street and will be on display at the ceremony April 28.

Four decades ago, the U.S. Congress passed legislation creating the Occupational Safety and Health Act that promised every worker the right to a safe job and working environment. Since then, unions and their allies have fought hard to make that promise a reality — winning protections that have made workplaces safer, saved hundreds of thousands of lives and prevented millions of worker injuries and illnesses.

But our work is not done. Many job hazards are unregulated and uncontrolled. Some employers cut corners and violate the law, putting workers in serious danger and costing our loved ones their lives. Each year, thousands of workers are killed and millions more are injured or diseased because of their working conditions.

The current administration has moved forward to strengthen protections with tougher enforcement on serious violators and has proposed new safeguards to address the unsafe workplace hazards. Yet, many groups and individuals opposed to workplace safety and unneeded injuries and deaths are opposed to any new regulations and only wish to eliminate the many already in existence, falsely claiming they kill jobs. They are pushing so-called “regulatory reform” legislation to make it difficult, if not impossible, to issue needed safeguards to protect workers and the public.

While such reform sounds good to some, it does not sound so appealing when a family member, friend or co-worker is tragically killed or receives permanent disabling injuries from a preventable workplace accident. These workplace safety and health regulations that are under attack apply to all workers, union and non-union alike.

We cannot afford to allow the clock to be turned back in time. Please join us Saturday, April 28, at the E.J. “Zeke” Giorgi State of Illinois Building (200 S. Wyman St.) in Rockford at 10:30 a.m. as we honor more than 110 union members from across the Rock River Valley who have lost their lives since 1946 while working in their chosen occupation and renew our efforts to continue their fight for workplace safety.

Ron Welte is the 2012 Workers Memorial Day Committee chairman, trustee for Rockford United Labor and a retired Business Representative from IBEW Local 15.

From the April 25-May 1, 2012, issue

Dear Friends,

The nonpartisan Tax Foundation defines Tax Freedom Day as the day: “When the nation has finally earned enough to pay all the taxes that will be due for that year…” In Illinois, Tax Freedom Day falls on April 23, meaning every dollar earned by citizens of Illinois from Jan. 1 until April 23 will go to pay taxes owed to local, state and federal governments. Illinois’ late Tax Freedom Day, the last in the Midwest and tied for fifth latest in the nation, is a reflection of our state’s current financial condition.

Last October, Sen. Kirk’s office released the original Report on Illinois Debt with assistance from his Sovereign Debt Advisory Board. The report warned of a growing crisis in the state of Illinois due to expanding debts and unfunded obligations. Since then, Illinois leaders have failed to make necessary changes: increasing taxpayer liabilities, deteriorating the state’s fiscal environment and incurring additional debt downgrade by Moody’s Investor services. On top of our late Tax Freedom Day, Illinois citizens must also worry about high debts that may drive even higher taxes down the road.

The Updated Illinois Debt Report shows how Illinois leaders have failed to make necessary reforms, address the impacts of overspending and fix pension funding, causing the fiscal outlook of the state to worsen. The main points include the following:

Moody’s has downgraded Illinois’ debt from A1 to A2, the lowest rating in the nation. The state’s low credit ratings have resulted in Illinois paying more to borrow money than other states.

The state is expected to end the fiscal year with a $508 million operating deficit, despite the $6.8 billion income tax increase pushed through last year.

Although the governor’s budget proposes modest cuts, pension and interest costs have increased so much that total spending is still up.

The state is still failing to pay its bills on time. In January, the Comptroller’s office estimated Illinois had a backlog of $8.5 billion in unpaid bills. As of yesterday, the General Fund alone had a backlog of over $6 billion in unpaid bills.

Overspending, tax hikes and blocking fiscal reform have given Illinois the worst economic reputation in the nation. As the Illinois General Assembly prepares to cast a critical vote on our state’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget, state leaders should recognize the need to reverse the negative trend in Illinois and promote fiscally responsible policies.

Please feel free to contact Sen. Kirk’s office at (312) 886-3506 or reach us online at www.kirksenate.gov whenever an issue of concern to you comes before the Congress. For updates on our work on your behalf and in Washington, “Like” my Facebook page and “Follow” me on Twitter.

From the April 25-May 1, 2012, issue

The rhetoric spoken by our Winnebago County Board members and President and CEO of Rock River Environmental Services (RRES) John Lichty around the proposed Winnebago Landfill plan just STINKS.

For the truth, simply take a car ride on I-90, enjoy the open farm fields, the slow driver in the fast lane that is always there, and play “Count the Trash Trucks” coming to and from Chicago.

We recently did just that, wondering what the count might be. We were able to count 12 garbage trucks in just 20 minutes.

The trash is flying into our county every day, taking up our landfill space, and paying an insultingly low host agreement rate.

“Host Agreement,” as if to mean we are only hosting the trash when, in fact, the trash is here to stay, and we are faced with expanding our landfill. This time, the company would like to add another 200 acres.

Lichty, seen on television and quoted in the news, wants you to believe this is progress for Winnebago County. After all, this landfill keeps 200 people employed, creates dozens of construction jobs each year, and brings in millions.

There’s just one issue: The math of this proposal does not seem to add up.

The original landfill of 433.5 acres had a capacity of 21 million cubic yards of space to place trash, or a little more than 6 million tons of trash.

The proposed acre increase of 200 acres would add around 10 million cubic yards of space, or 3 million tons of trash.

In 2010, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), the Winnebago Landfill took in 1.5 million tons of trash. This proposed increase of adding 200 acres would only buy our county two years of capacity by using the 2010 numbers.

Anyone want to bet the 2011 and 2012 trash tonnage poured into our county is higher than 1.5 million tons a year? With apparently only two years’ capacity being added, why is Lichty quoted as stating an income figure for 25 years?

In looking into the quoted income of $109 million for those 25 years of trash bliss for our county, another oddity shows up. At a rate of 1.5 million tons of trash per year, multiplied by the figure from Lichty of $3.30 per ton of trash, you get an income of a little more than $5 million per year, or $129 million in 25 years, if trash intact stays constant. Lichty is quoted as stating only $109 million. Who gets the other $20 million?

In looking into the other “facts” we hear constantly about William Charles selling the landfill to Lichty of RRES, other abnormalities appear. If you simply Google “William Charles” and “Winnebago Landfill,” the first link listed is williamcharles.com, a page dedicated to the Winnebago Landfill.

Google “John Lichty” and you get his own created profile on LinkedIn stating he is the vice president of William Charles Waste Companies and president and CEO of Rock River Environmental Services. Those of you who go to work each day and have a boss, would it be possible for you to be a CEO of a major company and a vice president of another and not get your hats confused in the morning?

In looking at the IEPA permits for the Winnebago Landfill, the permits list the address of 5450 Wansford Way for communications. According to the sign, this address is home of William Charles Waste Companies, WC Environmental Services and WC Energy, no mention of the separate company of Rock River Environmental Services.

We can all sit back and continue to let the same people run amok in our county. It is time to stop all these backroom deals, private meetings and promises made behind closed doors.

Pay attention and hold Winnebago County leaders responsible for putting special-interest groups ahead of the citizens of Winnebago County. Attend the three hearings scheduled with regard to this expansion. Hearings with registered parties on the proposed expansion of the landfill will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, April 23, and continue through that week, with the exception of Wednesday, April 25. Public participation hearings will be from 6 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, April 24, and, if necessary, from 6 to 9 p.m., Monday, April 30, in the Winnebago County Board Room, 400 W. State St., eighth floor, Rockford.

Region One: Northwestern Illinois landfills

All seven landfills in Northwestern Illinois Region remained open throughout 2010. Four landfills in Region One were in the top 10 rankings of all the state’s landfills in terms of waste receipts in 2010.

Veolia ES Orchard Hills Landfill Inc., Davis Junction, ranked first in the state by accepting more than 6.8 million gate cubic yards; Winnebago Landfill, Rockford, was second, accepting more than 5.1 million gate cubic yards; Prairie Hill RDF, Morrison, was seventh, receiving more than 2.2 million gate cubic yards; and Lee County Landfill, Inc., Dixon, was eighth with more than 1.5 million gate cubic yards of municipal solid waste accepted for disposal.

Region One’s seven active facilities received more than 16.5 million gate cubic yards of municipal waste in 2010. The waste receipts for 2010 showed that more than 1.2 million gate cubic yards waste was received than the year before. The waste receipts increased year to year by 7.9 percent.

Out-of-state waste accepted from California, Iowa and Wisconsin

LandComp Landfill, Ottawa, reported accepting waste from the state of California. Prairie Hill RDF reported accepting waste from the state of Iowa. Veolia ES Orchard Hills Landfill Inc. accepted waste from the state of Wisconsin. Altogether, this total of 181,231 gate cubic yards amounted to 1 percent of the total waste accepted in the region’s landfills.

Capacity decline of 19.5 percent reported as of Jan. 1, 2011

Capacity available for waste disposal in the region declined by 19.5 percent from 2009 to 2010, by a total of more than 55.3 million gate cubic yards. The capacity available in the region is reported Jan. 1, 2011, by Illinois landfill operators to be more than 228.6 million gate cubic yards. This region was one of five in the state reporting declining capacity. Also reporting declining capacity were Region Four: East Central Illinois; Region Five: West Central Illinois; Region Six: St. Louis Metropolitan East; and Region Seven: Southern Illinois.

Fourteen years of capacity remain for the region as of Jan. 1, 2011: three landfills rank in top 10 listing of largest landfills

This region is second in the state behind Region Three: Peoria/Quad Cities, in remaining capacity, with a 21.9 percent capacity share. Veolia ES Orchard Hills Landfill reported almost 90.2 million gate cubic yards of space available as of Jan. 1, 2011, making it third in the state in capacity rankings on that date. Lee County Landfill Inc. reported the fifth largest capacity, at 58.7 million gate cubic yards. Prairie Hill RDF reported more than 45.6 million gate cubic yards of capacity available and ranks eighth.

The region’s seven landfills may provide 14 more years of waste disposal capacity for the region, which ties the number of years available in Region Two: the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

Region One covers the following 12 counties: Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, JoDaviess, LaSalle, Lee, Ogle, Putnam, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago.

From the April 18-24, 2012, issue

Michael Kleen

By Michael Kleen

What people most look for in a leader, whether he or she is in politics, sports or any other profession, is honesty, competence and a positive vision for the future.

When leaders are performing at their best, they are doing more than just getting results, they are also responding to the expectations of their constituents. When times get tough, people expect the individuals who they have placed in positions of authority to give an honest assessment of the situation, determine the root causes of the problem, and act in the best interests of everyone to solve that problem.

Good leadership depends on individuals who are first willing to take seriously the responsibility of their office. Because of a general failure on that count, we are currently experiencing a severe leadership deficit at all levels of society and government. That deficit has led to a crisis of confidence in America in which poll after poll has demonstrated that public confidence in institutions like government, banks, churches and corporations is at historic lows.

Locally, as well as statewide, voters perceive their elected officials as out-of-touch political insiders whom are more interested in pandering to special-interest groups and helping out their business partners than they are with representing their constituents.

In a recent poll by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois voters gave Gov. Pat Quinn (D) an approval rating of 35.5 percent. Only 14.9 percent said Illinois is headed in the right direction.

According to another recent poll, 58 percent of Illinoisans believe political corruption is common among officials in Illinois, and 81 percent say they trust state government only “some of the time” or “almost never.”

These numbers do not come as a surprise, especially after the political scandals that have rocked our state in the past several years. Just in the last primary election, state Rep. Derrick Smith, a West-Chicago Democratic lawmaker, won his race in a landslide despite having been charged by the FBI with bribery.

Here in Winnebago County, we have a county board member who is openly violating the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act by sitting on two public boards. The solution? Not an apology or resignation, but Illinois Senate Bill 3182, which simply changes the law to allow him to continue to occupy both positions without any consequences for his actions. These are just two of many such examples.

I do not think that ethics reform, campaign finance reform, or more transparency will restore confidence, or solve the root of the problem. These reforms are a step in the right direction, perhaps, but in the end, it is the quality of elected officials that needs to change.

Because politicians are elected from within the communities they are supposed to represent, we must look deeply at the political culture of those communities. Why do we continue to elect candidates who fail to meet their basic obligations to the public? Why do we continue to allow tight-knit groups of political insiders to make decisions that affect us all?

We need to face a harsh truth: in a way, these politicians we distrust so much do represent us. They represent a public that is too lazy to get involved in the process, who is content to just let “someone else do it,” and who is more concerned about who won America’s Next Top Model than in attending a county board or city council meeting. As a result, we cannot simply look to the political process for a solution, but must start from the ground up.

Because it must come from all areas of society, the renaissance of leadership I am advocating is not necessarily political in nature. The leadership that will restore prosperity to Winnebago County (and perhaps the rest of the state as well) will arise from men and women who are willing to stand up and devote their talents, time and energy to serving their neighbors. These are parents, businessmen, pastors, teachers, administrators and other people of authority who are willing to put their personal interests aside to build a stronger, more self-reliant community.

This leadership will be more effective because it will focus on empowering institutions at the local level, while at the same time having the courage to delegate greater responsibility to individuals and family units. In other words, leaders of this caliber must act as inspirational guides, providing support for local businesses, schools and community organizations. They do not have to be perfect — they just need to shift the locus of power away from the uninspired, dishonest, short-sighted and self-centered. Only then will a group of worthwhile candidates for public office emerge.

Michael Kleen is a local author, historian, and owner of Black Oak Media. He holds a master’s degree in history and master’s degree in education.

From the April 18-24, 2012, issue

“Buy locally” to spur the local economy was great advice offered by contributor Michael Kleen in his April 4-10 column “Five simple ways to jumpstart the economy.”

Buying locally supports local friends and family and lays the groundwork for the growth of local business into larger corporations. However, Kleen’s other proposed ways to “jumpstart” the economy would neither be simple nor effective, and I address them as follows:

1. Payroll Tax Holiday — A temporary Illinois payroll tax holiday wouldn’t address most businesses’ long-term payroll or capital funding concerns. What would be more effective would be having the banks lend small business the money the federal government gave them to lend to small business for capital improvement, rather than the banks holding back the money and investing it in treasury bonds, as some of them have done.

2. Sales Tax Holiday — A sales tax holiday on small items that people need to buy, like school supplies, would save residents some money, but it doesn’t create more sales or spur new business. What might be effective would be a sales tax holiday on durable household goods, appliances and furniture. Residents might be encouraged to upgrade now, rather than later. But as home sales drive durable good sales and home sales are down, this would not be likely to spur the economy much right now, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.

3. Repeal Blue Laws — Spur the economy through alcohol sales and horse racing? Alcohol sales are just fine, and while horse racing and gambling in general sometimes have short-term economic gains, you are still chasing after the same pool of entertainment dollars and not creating new economies. As far as car sales on Sundays, that’s a workplace rule to give sales people at least one day off a week. Seems like a reasonable worker protection to me.

4. Demolish Excess Housing — There’s only excess housing because housing was sold at low interest rates to folks whose real incomes have been steadily decreasing since 2001, and now the owners can no longer afford the homes. Bulldozing homes only to build other homes people can’t afford is not a solution.

Locally, we might be creating some minimum-wage-level jobs, and that’s a start, but that only takes people off the unemployment insurance rolls, and does little to increase spending power. We need to invest in education and job training so our local residents can get better-paying jobs and spend that increased earning power — living-age jobs so we can buy, invest and grow locally.

In my April 4 guest column, “Growing your business: Print ads that drive sales,” I encouraged readers to respond to the article, with the chance to be my guest at a fish fry dinner at the Rockford Lithuanian Club. I’ll be taking readers Jim Hutchison and Mary Gwardys out for dinner. Congratulations!

Paul Gorski is a Cherry Valley Township resident and a former Winnebago County Board member.

From the April 18-24, 2012, issue

Stanley Campbell

By Stanley Campbell

I hate hospitals. Let me rephrase that. I dislike going into hospitals, even to visit sick friends. So, when my friend Chris suggested visiting Rod Myers in Intensive Care, I reluctantly went. But only because I loved Rod.

I first met Mr. Myers at Rock Valley College. Rod was a wheelchair-bound long-haired hippie radical environmentalist back in the ’70s. He introduced himself as, “I’m one of Jerry’s gimps” (meaning Jerry Lewis, who does a telethon for muscular dystrophy).

Rod had a wicked sense of humor, as well as a joyful way of sticking his nose into whatever issue he wanted. His first concern was mobility, as anyone strapped in a chair and dependent upon ramps and elevators would be. Rod was not afraid to make his needs known. He encouraged curb cuts where once a new sidewalk had gone. The college acquiesced, and is better for it, as well as the city.

Though he demanded more pavement for wheelchair accessibility, his greatest love was wild places. Wherever he lived, he had a patch of prairie growing that he cultivated and kept an eye on. He could name all the birds and plants that, to me, just looked like weeds and flying mice.

Now, he was fighting for his life, and it looked like he was losing.

His Baptist brother had laid a real heavy load on him to “come to Jesus.” But Rod did not like the fundamentalist view of nature. I leaned over Rod and said that Christ loved the earth, and was more of an environmentalist than his conservative followers. “When you see Him, ask for more activists down here,” I said.

I don’t want to remember Rod in that hospital room, dying. Rather, I like to think he just rode down the path at Severson Dells and never returned.

I’d like to dedicate the following announcement to Rod’s memory: “Faith at the End of Your Fork,” a day-long workshop program, will be from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday April 28, at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 1829 N. Rockton Ave., Rockford, across from West Middle School. Registration is $10 and $10 for a healthy lunch.

Environmentalist and activist Rod Myers was a columnist for “The Rock River Times.” (File photo)

Keynote speaker Anna Lappe wrote Diet for a Hot Planet as a sequel to her mother’s (Frances Moore Lappe) Diet for a Small Planet. Anna connects the dots between diet and climate change, and, thus, shares personal, local, national and international food justice issues.

Workshops include information about Food and Faith (“My Spiritual Journey as a Vegetarian,” “To Tithe: Plant Row,” “Bread in Empire: The Lord’s Prayer”); Food Practicum (“Starting Your Own Garden,” “Shopping at a Farmers’ Market,” “Purchasing Faithful Meals”); and Food Justice Workshops (“How to Lobby for Food Justice,” “The Meatrix”), to name a few. Registration is $10, and an organic lunch will be provided for a $10 donation.

Sponsors include the Justice and Witness Committee of the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ, Vegetarians in Motion, Rockford Urban Ministries, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, the United Church of Byron, Bread for the World — Rockford, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and Spring Creek United Church of Christ.

For more information and to register, please contact Michael Mulberry, United Church of Byron, (815) 234-8777; e-mail: revmikemul@frontier.com. Stay healthy and live a long and prosperous life.

Stanley Campbell is executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries and spokesman for Rockford Peace & Justice.

From the April 18-24, 2012, issue

As Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “The concentrating of powers in the same hands is precisely the definition of despotic government,” or in other words, tyrannical or repressive government. This is why the State of Illinois has a law stating one individual cannot hold two elected positions in the same community of more than 40,000 people at the same time. This is to protect our community from too much power in the hands of a few.

Right now, this law, which is designed to protect us all from king-makers, is now being challenged in the Illinois State Senate. To help you understand the background, this all started with local Winnebago County Board member Ted Biondo. Mr. Biondo currently holds two elected positions, Winnebago County Board member and Rock Valley College trustee.

Mr. Biondo was alerted of this law’s existence and was asked to step down from one of his positions. Mr. Biondo chose not to step down, and the Winnebago State’s Attorney, Joe Bruscato, was asked to get involved. Skirting his responsibilities, Mr. Bruscato chose to not make a decision regarding the law in our county and chose to send the decision up the food chain to the Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan.

Ms. Madigan’s office responded to the request stating Mr. Biondo resigned his Rock Valley College trustee position by accepting the Winnebago County Board position. The decision upholding the law of this state was evidently not the answer our local leaders were expecting or are willing to accept.

Apparently, Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen has asked state Sen. Dave Syverson (R-34) to amend the Election Code, for our entire state, for Ted Biondo to hold two concurrent positions. Syverson was quoted as saying, “So all we are trying to do is take out the 40,000 threshold and allow the local public, if they choose to vote for one person to be in two difference offices as long as they don’t conflict with each other, then they should be allowed to do that.”

With the Illinois Attorney General’s ruling currently standing you might ask, what is our Winnebago County State’s Attorney doing on this matter? Joe Bruscato’s only comments so far state he will let Ted Biondo decide what he wants to do, even though he is currently breaking the law. Mr. Biondo can decide to step down from one of his posts or just wait for the Illinois State Legislature to act, either way for Winnebago County.

Why is our state’s attorney not upholding the law? Joe Bruscato asked for a determination to be done by the attorney general. This request was honored, and now Joe Bruscato is refusing to do his job. Since when did the individual breaking the law get to decide whether to continue to break the law? A bank robber is not allowed to decide whether he wants to continue to rob banks or stop, depending on the agenda of the state legislature.

Why is it so important to have Ted Biondo continue to hold both positions? Do we as a community not have other qualified community members? Or is the Good Ol’ Boy list running out of names for the local elected positions? Senator Syverson’s suggestion to change our Election Code could alter our local community government, not to mention our state government evermore. By changing this law, it allows one individual to hold multiple elected positions in our community, the ability to become ruler, dictator, chief, commander, all in one.

As a community, let us heed the warning from one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, and ask our Illinois Legislature to uphold this law. This is not a clerical change to the Election Code. This type of change should not be taken passively and should not be considered for such a feeble reason. Protect our community from king-makers.

From the April 11-17, 2012, issue

Remember when we walked 3 miles to school every day, uphill both ways through snow, sleet, hail and torrential rain? School children in Illinois may soon return to those good old days. The bad news is we no longer live in Leave It to Beaver times, and safety is the overarching reason for public schools to continue providing bus transportation for students.

The yellow school bus may become an endangered species in Illinois, considering the 42 percent cut to state funding for public schools transportation in the past three years and the ominous clouds forming over the state’s education budget for next year. No one can argue with the emphasis on maintaining funding for the classroom, but the ability to safely transport children to school remains a basic fundamental of educating students.

From a purely political standpoint, cuts to school transportation clearly have far less impact in Chicago than they do downstate, where many school districts cover more than 100 square miles. Even in the state’s largest cities, the path to school often includes railroad crossings or busy highways, not to mention child predators.

There are those who believe it’s the responsibility of parents to get their kids to and from school. Setting aside the fact that many families depend on both parents working full time, there are logistical factors that make parents dropping their children at the school door virtually impossible in many school districts.

Most schools were not designed for hundreds of vehicles dropping off children; most were designed with lanes for relatively few buses. Factor just 30 seconds for a parent to pull up, say goodbye and drop off their children. How long would that process take for just 100 cars? 200? 300? Also consider the safety concerns with that much traffic while children are arriving or departing school.

From an overall economic perspective, the cost of bus drivers, fuel and insurance is less than the fuel cost for hundreds of vehicles making that daily trip.

The notion that local districts should shoulder more of the transportation costs ignores the fact that local taxpayers already pay a portion of the transportation bill. The state already has cut General State Aid to schools, and leaders in the House and Senate are talking about shifting the state’s portion of pension costs for teachers to local districts. Illinois already ranks among the nation’s highest in local school funding and among the lowest in state funding for public education.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has proposed changing the formula for transportation from the current reimbursement formula to an “efficiency” formula based on either per-student or per-mile funding. Recognizing that this is an attempt by ISBE to retain at least some funding for transportation in the current political and economical atmosphere, this would be a paradigm shift in funding that would result in “winners” and “losers” among school districts. Still, it is something that should be carefully considered if it rewards efficiency.

The ISBE proposal also allows for school districts to charge parents a fee to transport their children, and ISBE data indicates the cost for transporting one child for a year averages about $500. Realistically, what school board would want to assess such a fee on parents who already pay school taxes? Districts could not even assess the fee on families whose students are enrolled in the free-and-reduced lunch program, a growing population in many districts.

Certainly, districts should look at all feasible options to lower costs — and most districts have been involved for years in cost-cutting initiatives like bid purchasing, contract bargaining and shopping for the lowest insurance costs. Districts that have not already done so may need to look at more of a mass transit business model. For example, door-to-door service may need to be replaced by establishing bus stops at strategic locations. In some districts, that could result in fewer buses, fewer miles and fewer drivers.

There was a recent story about a school district in Missouri (Bayless School District near St. Louis) that eliminated its bus transportation two years ago, only to see 150 students move to neighboring districts that provide bus transportation. The district actually ended up losing more money in state aid than the bus transportation cost. The story underscores how important school transportation is to parents.

The yellow school bus long has been a fundamental, vital part of our public education system. It is not a luxurious benefit for children or parents. It remains the safest, most efficient way to transport our children to school.

Brent Clark is the executive director of the Illinois Association of School Administrators, a statewide association of more than 1,700 members. Clark was a teacher, coach, principal and superintendent at Belleville prior to becoming the head of the IASA.

From the April 11-17, 2012, issue

It was a classic case of blaming the victim:

Tanica Lewis did all she could to protect herself and her children from an abusive ex-boyfriend.

She got an order of protection (a court order, signed by a judge, prohibiting the abuser from contact with her), and she informed her landlord. When Tanica’s ex-boyfriend violated the order and broke into her apartment, she called the police and had him arrested.

Still, Tanica’s landlord responded to the break-in by evicting her for failure to supervise a “guest.” Already victimized once, Tanica Lewis, now driven out of her home, took her children to a shelter.

This story happened in Michigan, but it resonated throughout the nation.

The Tanica Lewis story became a vivid dramatization of the connection between domestic violence and homelessness. With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Ms. Lewis challenged the eviction as unlawful discrimination based on sex under the Fair Housing Act. She prevailed.

In 2010, because of stories like Tanica’s, Illinois legislators amended Illinois housing discrimination laws to prohibit discrimination because of order of protection status. Now, a housing provider (a landlord, for example) cannot deny housing to a person because she has an order of protection. The housing provider may not refuse admission to housing, evict her or otherwise treat her unfavorably because of her status as a protected party under an Order of Protection.

All housing laws — including those that prohibit discrimination — strive to balance the rights of property owners with those of people who need a place to live. In Illinois, as in Michigan, landlords (understandably protective of their property and the safety of other tenants) may tend to disfavor domestic violence victims, imagining them responsible for (or complicit in) the violent acts of their abusers.

These attitudes make it hard for domestic violence victims to find and keep housing, and confound their efforts to escape abusive partners.

Domestic violence victims (usually women, often with children and frequently lacking financial resources) face obstacles to housing similar to those faced by racial, ethnic and religious minorities for whose protection the federal Fair Housing Act (a centerpiece of civil rights legislation) was originally passed in 1968.

In April of 1968, barely a week after the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congress responded to the problem of segregated living patterns by passing the Fair Housing Act, prohibiting discrimination in housing transactions on the basis of race, color, religion and national origin.

In 1974, Congress added discrimination based on sex to the law’s prohibitions. In 1988, the Fair Housing Act extended protection to people with disabilities and families with minor children.

Illinois fair housing laws follow the federal law but add more protected classes, such as ancestry, age, marital status, military status, unfavorable discharge from the military, sexual orientation, and now, as of 2010, Order of Protection status.

The nation has celebrated April as Fair Housing Month since the 1968 enactment of the Fair Housing Act. Given the new protection for women with an order of protection, Illinois fair housing laws, domestic violence victims and their advocates have additional cause for celebration in the month of April.

However, fair housing laws cannot end wrongful discrimination without the participation of our communities. Housing providers must know their obligations under the law, and victims of unlawful housing discrimination must know their rights and how to assert them.

If you have encountered housing discrimination, you do not need to hire an attorney to file a complaint. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers a free complaint process to resolve allegations of illegal discrimination. HUD investigates, mediates and, when necessary, litigates discrimination cases at no charge to the complaining party.

A judge can order the housing provider to pay for damages that resulted from discriminatory conduct. In some cases, a judge may order a housing provider to make the housing available to a person who was denied housing unlawfully. To file a complaint, contact HUD (1-800-669-9777), or file a complaint online at www.hud.gov) or the Illinois Department of Human Rights (1-800-662-3942) within one year of the discriminatory incident. Low-income residents of northern and central Illinois may also contact Prairie State Legal Services for free legal advice on housing matters, including housing discrimination and fair housing remedies.

Jennifer Gelman is an attorney at Prairie State Legal Services who is working on a legal education and outreach project concerned with housing discrimination. This article was written under a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is dedicated to the public. The author is solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the view of the federal government.

From the April 11-17, 2012, issue

Stanley Campbell

By Stanley Campbell

“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” or at least that’s what I was told. With the variety of food that is in the shopping malls, my heart is where the fresh vegetables and fruits are. And, that’s why Rockford Urban Ministries (RUM) is happy to co-sponsor a program called “Faith at the End of Your Fork.” It’s an all-day workshop Saturday, April 28, hosted at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 1829 Rockton Ave. (that’s the church across from West Middle School). Anna Lappe, who wrote Diet for a Hot Planet, will be the keynote speaker in the afternoon. It’s affordable, at $10 for the all-day workshops and speaker, and then another $10 if you want to join in the organic lunch.

People should be interested in what they eat. It’s what keeps us alive. Unfortunately, it’s what also keeps the economy going.

Whenever there’s an economic interest, there’s a chance for cutting corners and sometimes outright fraud. If this were a perfect world, we would have good food available at affordable prices throughout the community; but some neighborhoods only have fast food and others have food sprayed with pesticides to prevent bugs from eating first.

We are blessed here in Rockford with organic farmers and markets that offer good quality, affordable products; and we don’t have to go out of our way to find them. But that depends upon an educated consumer. So, that’s why RUM sponsored this all-day program, hoping to encourage more careful perusals of the food stalls and maybe even get the big producers like Walmart to sell healthy fare.

“Faith at the End of Your Fork,” a day-long workshop program, will be from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 28, at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 1829 N. Rockton Ave., Rockford, across from West High School. Cost is $10 registration and $10 for a healthy lunch.

Lappe wrote Diet for a Hot Planet as a sequel to her mother’s (Frances Moore Lappe) Diet for a Small Planet. Anna connects the dots between diet and climate change and, thus, shares personal, local, national and international food justice issues.

Workshops include information about Food and Faith (“My Spiritual Journey as a Vegetarian,” “To Tithe: Plant Row,” “Bread in Empire: The Lord’s Prayer”); Food Practicum (“Starting Your Own Garden,” “Shopping at a Farmers’ Market,” “Purchasing Faithful Meals”); and Food Justice Workshops (“How to Lobby for Food Justice,” “The Meatrix”), to name a few. Registration is $10 and includes an organic lunch for a $10 donation.

Sponsors include the Justice and Witness Committee of the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ, Vegetarians in Motion, RUM, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, the United Church of Byron, Bread for the World — Rockford, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and Spring Creek United Church.

For more information and to register, please contact Michael Mulberry, United Church of Byron, at (815) 234-8777 or via e-mail to revmikemul@frontier.com. Stay healthy, and live a long and prosperous life.

Stanley Campbell is executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries and spokesman for Rockford Peace & Justice.

From the April 11-17, 2012, issue

Welcome to the Punch and Judy puppet show! The Education Committee of the Rockford Board of Education (BOE) met Monday, April 2, for three hours to discuss the Ombudsman program outsourcing Page Park and Roosevelt Alternative High School, except the rules for public speaking changed dramatically. Participants were given a card to write their questions on without any assurance of being able to address the committee. Apparently, they had checked with legal counsel to determine the format, but at what cost?

During negotiations, it was rumored the board attorney from Chicago was receiving approximately $500 per hour, so I guess the WEE (Watchdogs for Ethics in Education) women will have to FOIA legal expenses again.

Board member Jude Makulec appointed Matthew Johnson-Doyle as the facilitator of public comments, so he dominated and screened the questions before presenting them. First, comments and questions were directed to the Ombudsmen salesperson, Assistant Superintendent for Learning Martha Hayes and Assistant Superintendent for Schools Matt Vosberg. Then, the Rev. Johnson-Doyle promoted his views on civic discourse, with the following expectations:

1. Assume good intentions

2. Listen more than you speak; be specific

3. Stay to listen

4. Disagreement is not disenfranchisement

5. Anecdotes are not data

While people were called to the podium to address members of the committee, the facilitator hovered over the adults and students trying to redirect their comments. One speaker told him to move out of the way so she could see the committee.

Staff members had worked tirelessly to propose ways to improve Roosevelt and Page Park and submitted letters from students in support of alternative education. Staff members were rebuffed in attempts to elucidate concerns for their students and their alternative education program.

A slip of the tongue came from the Terminator, who has been promoting Ombudsman for the administration, “Ombudsman specializes in an alternative business.”

Well, isn’t that the problem? It is precisely that: a business scoping and scooping for financial gain, instead of student well-being and learning.

Ombudsman wants a three-year contract. Why not pilot the program first with 30 to 60 students instead of the 792 students the district wants educated in this manner?

At Roosevelt, we are a family, and for some of our students, the only one they can trust. If we had more technology at Roosevelt, we could teach our own students with engaging software programs. We are willing to work on grants or whatever it takes.

Why not promote Ombudsman to the gifted and Advanced Placement students? See how outraged and outspoken their parents would be if their children’s education were outsourced! After all, these students tend to be highly motivated and achievement-oriented, so they could learn independently with a computer and without a teacher.

I am tired of the puppet show from this administration and board. Favored programs and individuals, business interests, and elitism have reigned long enough.

Watchdogs for Ethics in Education has met with administrators from downtown on a monthly basis, addressing concerns regarding staff, schools and students. However, our concerns have fallen on deaf ears. Corrective measures to remedy leadership concerns at two elementary schools go unaddressed. Overcrowding at Auburn and Guilford impedes the learning process. Throughout the district, individual staff members have been on remediation at an alarming rate of one a week. Another costly legal expense! Nothing is being done to correct these concerns, so our efforts have been in vain and not that much different than the lack of transparency and responsiveness that we experienced under the last regime!

Unfortunately, I do not trust the people in authority! Approving the purchase of a bank building the day it became public, ENI, a costly $5.1 million program implemented for two years without teacher buy-in, Pearson and Title I discrepancies, are just the tip of the iceberg in our costly educational failures. Now, business interests prevail over basic educational concerns for our minority students. Stop playing with our minority students’ futures!

When the English textbook adoption was brought up at the last Education Committee meeting, guess which high school was not scheduled to receive new English textbooks? Why, of course, Roosevelt Alternative High School, leading me to believe this administration has already decided in favor of Ombudsman and against the staff and students at Roosevelt and Page Park.

Just as Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I believe civil disobedience can make a difference in public opinion. As an educator, my views on civil disobedience include the following:

1. Powerful influences will not atrophy my conscience.

2. Money and capitalism will not prevail over wisdom and common sense.

3. As a citizen in a democratic society, I will not acquiesce to any power other than my own conscience.

4. Justice will prevail over corporate greed and Ombudsman.

5. Any injustice to one is an injustice to all.

Now, the proposal to use Ombudsman as the only option for alternative education in this district goes to the full board. Can you predict whether it will be approved?

Be guided by your conscience. Don’t outsource our own people and programs. Please let your board members know that displacing teachers and minority students is unacceptable in Rockford.

Jane Hayes is a Roosevelt Alternative High School teacher and a member of Watchdogs for Ethics in Education.

From the April 4-10, 2012, issue

Michael Kleen

Editor’s note: The Rock River Times welcomes Michael Kleen as a regular contributor. Kleen’s column, “Keepin’ it Kleen,” will appear every other week on the Commentary page. Kleen was a candidate for the Winnebago County Board District 8 seat in the March 20 primary election and is also an author, historian and owner of Black Oak Media.

By Michael Kleen

With the second-highest unemployment rate in the state and the 19th highest in the nation, the Rockford metropolitan area is in serious need of an economic overhaul, but the State of Illinois is not far behind. Turning this mess around will require some innovative thinking. In that spirit, here is a list of five simple things Illinois government and we the people can do to put our county back on the path to prosperity.

1. Payroll Tax Holiday — Employees are one of the first things businesses cut when times get tough because they represent such a high percentage of the cost of doing business. Payroll taxes add to these costs and make employers think twice before hiring. One thing the federal government got right last year was to grant a 2 percent reduction in payroll taxes via the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. However, that does not go far enough. Since the majority of new job growth is generated by businesses that are less than five years old, it has been suggested that all payroll taxes be suspended for new businesses. George Osborne, chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, has proposed giving a payroll tax holiday for the first 10 jobs businesses create in that country. If similar proposals were enacted here, it would encourage new businesses to hire more employees than they would have otherwise.

2. Sales Tax Holiday — Suspending the state sales tax would immediately boost consumer spending. A sales tax holiday puts money directly into the hands of consumers and does it in a way that requires that they spend money to save money. According to the Peoria Journal Star, when Illinois suspended the state sales tax on basic school supplies for two weeks last August, consumers spent $323 million and saved $16 million. This year, citing the state government’s inability to stop its out-of-control spending, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) canceled a repeat of the holiday.

Sales taxes hurt low-income families and, ideally, should be dramatically reduced or eliminated altogether. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a 6 percent sales tax amounts to roughly a 1 percent income tax rate for families in the highest income brackets, a 3 percent tax on middle-income families and a 4.5 percent tax on the poorest families. That is because, generally, wealthier families spend only one-sixth of their income on items that are subject to sales taxes, while low-income families spend three-quarters of their income on taxable purchases. Suspending the sales tax on food, clothing and other essential items would bring much-needed relief to consumers.

3. Buy Locally — If you are serious about seeing the economy recover, spend your dollars at locally-owned stores instead of national retailers. Every dollar you spend contributes to the revitalization of the community. According to a 2002 study by Civic Economics, spending $100 at a chain bookstore generated $13 in local economic activity, while spending the same amount at a locally-owned bookstore generated $45 in local economic activity. A more recent study, conducted in Michigan in 2008, found dramatic advantages in locally-owned pharmacies, grocery stores and restaurants over similar national chains. They found that just a 10 percent market shift to locally-owned businesses in one county in Michigan could create 1,614 jobs and $53.3 million in additional wages. This is because local stores pay higher wages, spend more money in the community, and keep their profits in town.

4. Repeal Blue Laws — In these tough times, the government should do all it can to encourage entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, state and local governments continue to restrict economic activity through restrictions called blue laws. Blue laws were widely passed in the 1800s and were designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest. Blue laws still exist in many municipalities throughout Illinois in the form of alcohol sales restrictions and prohibitions on horse racing and car sales on Sundays. These laws should be repealed immediately so those who wish to conduct business or make purchases on Sundays can do so without restriction or penalty. Business owners — not the government — should decide whether they honor the Sabbath.

5. Demolish Excess Housing — Prices are largely driven by the laws of supply and demand, and those laws caught up to us with a vengeance during the housing bubble of the past decade. Prior to 2006, housing prices were artificially inflated, and construction companies built millions of housing units during the boom. Eventually, however, the bubble burst, and many of these homes were left abandoned. The exodus from inner cities to the suburbs added to the excess of empty houses. All these empty houses are now creating a strain on the market — driving down prices at an alarming rate. To balance out supply and demand, excess housing should be bulldozed, especially in the inner cities where abandoned properties have become a magnet for crime. This will create jobs for construction workers and allow developers to come up with new uses for that land.

Michael Kleen is a local author, historian, and owner of Black Oak Media. He holds a master’s degree in history and master’s degree in education.

From the April 4-10, 2012, issue

By Paul Gorski

Enter to win a dinner for four at a local fish fry. Simply read this article, find the coupon code at the bottom of the article, and either write this newspaper or e-mail: paul@paulgorski.com by April 11 with: 1) the coupon code, 2) your full name and address, and 3) your opinion of the article. The winning name will be drawn at random from the entries and the name published in the April 18 edition of The Rock River Times.

That’s a real offer above. Read on to learn more.

I used to write ad copy, and I still help print and web professionals create ads and sell ad space. Print advertising, especially in local weekly newspapers like The Rock River Times, can be very effective in driving new and repeat sales. Even in a weak economy, customers respond well to print ads that: 1) have a clear, benefit-driven headline, 2) a specific offer that your audience wants, 3) a time-limited offer that requires the customer to take an action, 4) state how to take advantage of the offer, and 5) have a central graphic in color, usually lighter colors.

This article has a benefit-driven headline (“drive sales”), an offer for a free dinner, a deadline to take advantage of the offer, and lists how to enter to win the dinner. It is only missing a central graphic and full color. But if you’ve made it this far, the offer worked.

Why the coupon code? To track the source of the ad and measure its success.

Why share this information with the general public? Because well-designed print ads can help create new business, support a fund-raising effort, or promote a specific community event.

Print ads in weekly newspapers also have “staying power” as they’re seen for an entire week by a variety of potential customers. I strongly recommend you use color in your ad and get professional design help.

Take a look at the ads in this paper and online. (Yes, there are coupon offers for local businesses online.) The ads with color and graphics really pop out and grab your attention. Once the color catches your eye, you need a clear offer or benefit to your customer. Somewhere in Rockford is a restaurant offering discounted meals, a mechanic with a brake special, or a non-profit trying to raise money for a good cause. All can benefit from well-crafted print ads.

Much of the commentary in the press these days is “support this” or “fight that.” I thought it would be instructive to show you how to deliver your message so you achieve your desired goal, whether it is a sales or social goal. One of my goals is to introduce our winner to a Friday fish fry at the Lithuanian Club as my guest. So, the coupon code is: 44Fish.

Thank you, I look forward to your comments and entries.

Paul Gorski is a Cherry Valley Township resident and a former Winnebago County board member.

From the April 4-10, 2012, issue

The 2012 primary election with the ballot size error and the handling of the known error is just another example of Winnebago County government incompetence.

While other parts of the state simply trimmed the extra one-sixteenth-inch off the ballot before allowing a citizen to vote, our election officials allowed the faulty ballots to be cast and then pile up for a hand vote, with apparently no official plan in place to count the ballots later.

As seen in e-mails going around to the candidates themselves from Jim Thompson, the Winnebago County Republican Committee chairman, the issue was known early on election day. From an e-mail time stamped 1:46 p.m., Thompson wrote: “Each precinct will be counted w/ two employees and a D and R observer. We need VOLUNTEERS to serve as observers, and it may be a very long night. Even if you can only stay a few hours, even that will help. I am asking for at least ONE volunteer from each campaign — can’t be the candidate. If we can get two, we can maybe set up shifts for 7-9:30 and 9:30 to ??? Email me who will be representing your campaigns as soon as possible….Isn’t life fun!!!”

From this citizen’s perspective, this is neither fun nor acceptable behavior for election officials. Instead of working to fix the issue before a vote was cast, like many neighboring counties, our election officials were busy rounding up VOLUNTEERS as early as 2 p.m. to assist in the long night of counting before the polls even closed.

A second e-mail from Thompson at 1:54 p.m., just a few minutes later, confirmed the constant change in IDEAS of how best to conduct the count, “OK — UPDATE. County Clerk MAY need extra workers, not just to observe but actually record votes. One D, One R. Won’t know until later this evening. Please have someone designated w/ your campaign who can come down to help out — and let me know best number to use — I will try and respond as soon as I hear that additional workers are needed. They CAN be PCs on the ballot — just not the main candidates (co. board, on up). Wait an hour, things will probably change again!!!”

At 8 p.m., according to all who were present, numerous people, including attorneys, candidates, candidate representatives, and who knows who, flooded into the administration building to start the process. The Rockford Register Star called it a “slew of people.” One can only guess if the largest and wealthiest campaigns had the most representatives present for the affair. All media were banned from recording the process for the public, so no full record exists of all who were present and all actions taken that night. With zero precincts officially fully reported or counted for Winnebago County, the “slew of people” had a large job ahead of them. According to many interviews with Margie Mullins, the group planned to hand copy or remake the ballots to feed them through the machine. There’s just one small issue.

According to state election policy, the only individual allowed to handle used ballots is the voter himself/herself, as they push it through the electronic machine. In the case of a hand count, the only individuals allowed to handle ballots are election judges and officials. By allowing everyone who had apparently nothing better to do late at night to come and assist, Winnebago County undermined our election and quite possibly invalidated any results. This haphazard approach allowed individuals with vested interests right in the room. How can we, as the public, possibly, trust the results, whether we agree with the official outcome or not? By just looking at one candidate race, the numbers and the reports do not seem to add up.

A little after 9 p.m., the following numbers were reported by the various news organizations. Fox News reported 92 percent counted with 191 out of 208 precincts reporting. WREX reported 65 percent counted with 135 out of 208 precincts reporting. Rockford Register Star reported 46 percent counted with 96 out of 208 precincts reporting. All stating in the race for Winnebago County Chairman, Scott Christiansen had 13,357 votes and Mike “C” Castronovo had 7,747 votes.

In looking at the numbers, how could 92 percent, 65 percent, and 46 percent reported all add up to the same number of votes for each candidate?

At around 10 p.m., Tuesday, March 20, the Winnebago County Chairman race was called by many local news organizations. The Rockford Register Star called it Scott Christiansen’s birthday gift, while Fox filled the television screen with Scott Christiansen giving his triumphant speech. All while the county administration building was full of unqualified and possibly prohibited people hand copying and remaking ballots for counting. All while the unofficial numbers coming out of the county show 0 out of 113 precincts fully counted, or a total of only 9,978 votes counted.

At 6 a.m., Wednesday, March 21, the numbers from the official election boards showed only 46 percent fully counted with Rockford counted at 100 percent with 3,829 for Mike “C” Castronovo and 7,297 for Scott Christiansen and Winnebago County with 0 precincts fully counted showed 3,918 for Mike “C” Castronovo and 6,060 for Scott Christiansen. Early estimations of the number of votes to be copied and then counted all day were estimated from 2,000 to as high as 5,000 votes by the news media, but as the votes were tallied, that number somehow grew.

By 6 p.m., according to sources in the room, the counting continued with more votes to copy and more votes to count. Kevin Haas sent a tweet out confirming rumors stating, “New hope from Margie Mullins is to have counting finished by 8 p.m. Original estimate of 5,000 ballots was low. Unclear how many more.”

By midnight, the votes were tallied and posted online. The hasty proposal of hand copying and creating ballots was over, and the unofficial votes were announced, Scott Christiansen with 10,102 and Mike Castronovo with 6,365. In the end, it seems 6,489 votes were counted in this particular race between election night and the next. In looking at the different official Republican Primary vote tallies, another interesting fact appears. Apparently 1,651 more people voted for the Winnebago County Chairman position but did not vote for the Winnebago State’s Attorney race. Were 1,651 citizens that passionate about the chairman race or that indifferent to who the new state’s attorney might be? Interesting undervote.

Will we, as citizens, really know how many votes were counted by the machine correctly and how many were counted by this new ad hoc procedure that according to e-mails and tweets was rewritten a few times along the way? We may never know all who were present in the mad dash to the administration building on election night, nor the complete list of folks in the room copying and creating ballots on the following day. Our various news organizations certainly are in no position to assert their grasp on the situation, as each reported conflicting numbers and inaccurate information throughout the process, not to mention they themselves were banned at times from observing the process.

In the end, Winnebago County citizenry is left to speculate on those answers and hope for the best as we move toward election night in November. The only problem, some candidate have no adversary in November, and the winner has already been crowned. I guess the Rockford Register Star prophesied correctly, it was Scott Christiansen’s birthday present after all. Unless there exists a citizen with some guts, the independent spot is still open for this and many races for our county government.

From the March 28-April 3, 2012, issue

Recently, our country celebrated Liberty Day, a day established to engage and educate the American public on the ideals of personal liberty contained within our nation’s founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Liberty Day is observed each year on March 16, the birth date of former United States President James Madison, who is also known as the “Father of the Constitution.” As a founding father, Madison understood the vital role that self-governance would play in the foundation of our emerging nation.

Madison helped to create and ratify the U.S. Constitution; penning the Bill of Rights, he played a significant role in the creation of our country’s laws, principles and values. James Madison embraced the spirit of the American people, setting the stage for a government that would respect personal freedom and embrace the citizens’ “inalienable rights.”

I believe the Second Amendment granting the right to bear arms is one of the most important doctrines advanced and protected within the Constitution. In Madison’s words, “a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

In an attempt to uphold this authority granted to American citizens, I have introduced Senate Bill 3772, legislation that will allow Illinois residents to apply for permits to carry concealed weapons. Illinois is the only state in the union that does not have some sort of concealed carry law, and I believe that it is time that this constitutionally-guaranteed right to bear arms be granted.

Though the right to bear arms is one of the foremost liberties protected within the Constitution, this American right is being denied in Illinois. I encourage you all to reach out to Illinois’ leaders and let them know that you want Illinois citizens to enjoy the same freedom of protection as the rest of the country.

I am so grateful to be exercising my First Amendment rights today in a country here, where, in the words of James Madison, “The happy Union of these States is a wonder; their Constitution a miracle; their example the hope of Liberty throughout the world.”

State Sen. Christine Johnson (R) represents the 35th District in Illinois.

From the March 28-April 3, 2012, issue

Stanley Campbell

By Stanley Campbell

Steve Stadelman won!? How did that newcomer beat two well-known Democrat candidates for State Senate? I heard a campaign manager chortle: “He will need a lot more signs to get any significant vote tally.” That pol’s probably out of a job. But Steve got more than his signs around town.

I’m referring to the mysterious phone call. It was a robocall the day before the election. Somebody endorsing Steve as “A Republican and long-time supporter of Ronald Reagan and Sarah Palin.” The phone call curiously sounded pro-Stadelman, but was definitely exposing him as a Republican. Next morning, a robocall from Stadelman deplored the campaign tactics and asked for support.

I wonder how many people voted for Stadelman because he was a Republican or because of the nasty robocall from one of his opponents (Danny?). I wonder if the initial message had been “Beware the Republican in sheep’s clothing” if more voters would’ve shifted their vote? As it was, Steve won with an astounding 46 percent in a three-person race. Steve, let’s talk about supporting the environment and opposing industrial-strength gambling.

Global warming

“If this be global warming, bring it on,” says a friend. One of them threatened to leave his car running, so as to encourage the warmer weather, but I think we should thank all those big trucks that small men drive. Thank them for increasing gas prices. Fox News wants to blame Obama, but I think it’s the oil companies taking advantage of a heated economy, and the boys with the honkin’ four-by-fours.

Stingy banks

A building here on Seventh Street cannot get a loan to fix themselves up. The owners used their hard-earned cash to purchase and rehab one of the commercial buildings. The second floor has six small apartments, which they’ve beautifully decorated, opening up the skylights. They’d like to replace windows with ones more attractive and energy efficient.

The bank denied them a loan. It seems that “commercial property on Seventh Street no longer has any value.” This reminds me of when the banks would draw a red line around a neighborhood and write it off, refusing to loan any inhabitants money. Homeowners who wanted to improve were faced with either living in dilapidated houses or selling cheap and moving.

The practice of “red lining” is illegal. Rockford Urban Ministries (RUM) was one of the organizations that fought against it back in the 1980s. (By the way, RUM is celebrating its 50th anniversary, having been founded in 1962 by a group of United Methodists who wanted to stay active in the community.) So, how can a bank deny a whole neighborhood loans that are really the lifeblood of any business community?

RUM has been blessed with a beautiful building at First Avenue and Seventh Street. The building houses JustGoods, the fair-trade store, which is a viable business. We would like some company, and think the area is affordable, and viable — especially for alternative businesses. But we will get nowhere if the banks draw a red line around the area, denying anyone capital to improve.

Stanley Campbell is executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries and spokesman for Rockford Peace & Justice.

From the March 28-April 3, 2012, issue

The following letter was written on behalf of all teachers whose positions will be outsourced because of Ombudsman Educational Services, a business the Rockford School District intends to employ without public or staff approval.

This business will replace teachers and staff members at Roosevelt Alternative High School and Page Park School. Instead of hiring a public relations firm, a former Rockford Register Star reporter, and a six-figure salaried employee, as District 205 has done to disseminate its messages to the community, I stand alone to do the same in a rebuttal to the article in the March 14-20 issue of The Rock River Times by Allison O’Neill, chief operating officer of Ombudsman Educational Services in Libertyville, Ill.

I am a teacher who has given her life to her children and students in Rockford. After living in this community for the past 33 years, paying property taxes here to support our public schools, sending my own children to public west-side schools, and burying my son and heart at the urn garden at Greenwood Cemetery, I will not bury my voice when I see the privatization of public schools and the unethical decisions made by this district.

I don’t live in Libertyville or Nashville, because I want to make a difference in this community by improving its public schools.

I don’t need to tout my values to this community’s schools and students because my reputation will stand for that. I have spent time, my own money, tears and years doing what is best for my students because they are an extension of my family.

I believe each student has value and promise, a democratic ideal not measured by statistics or dollars, like those of the business-blended model of Ombudsman. In addition to teaching, I have volunteered my time in this community.

Though I am not a chief operating officer or administrator and my pockets will never be lined with gold, I know the value of human contact, honesty and transparency, and professionalism of educators. I believe in truth beyond unions, administrators and dictators. But then, I am just one of many remarkable teachers at Page Park and Roosevelt who dedicates time and talents to teach. I was opposed to Pearson and the ENI debacle ($5.1 million) that came and went at a great expense to this district, but then teachers didn’t have a voice in making those decisions, either.

Monday, March 12, there was an open forum at Roosevelt for all stakeholders. Oddly enough, not a single Rockford Board of Education member or District 205 administrator attended because they were encouraged not to do so. WEE, Watchdogs for Ethics in Education, personally invited administrators from downtown. No one was there to hear testimonials of former and current students regarding how valuable Roosevelt and Page Park schools and staff were to serving the needs of disillusioned students. According to Aesop, “Any excuse will serve a tyrant,” just one of our weekly quotes you’ll see displayed in the halls and library at Roosevelt.

When the board considered closing CAPA, the creative and performing arts school, which my own children attended, board members and administrators were present. In fact, the leader of the gifted parent organization was given extended time to speak while others were required to limit their comments to the allotted time. Just another example of the inequity that exists in this district because our decision-makers do not care enough about minority and alternative education! Instead, there are plans to expand gifted, talented, Montessori and honors and Advanced Placement classes without supporting the opposite spectrum of educating the impoverished, disillusioned and/or disobedient students. That is unconscionable and has been very costly to this district, because the people who should have cared did not care enough. Remember? The Watchdogs for Ethics in Education are People Who Care. WEE will continue to care enough to make a difference for those who don’t.

So, just as Julius Caesar, whose fate was sealed on March 15, 44 BCE, my fate was sealed when I received my dismissal, which I accepted March 15, 2012, the Ides of March. The soothsayer warned, “Beware the Ides of March.” A major theme in Julius Caesar is the struggle between “Fate and Free Will,” which seems a fitting source for this dilemma in public education.

Fate: Outsourced as a part-time teacher at Roosevelt Alternative High School next year.

Free Will: A sound mind to question, a caring heart to empathize, and the power of the pen or keyboard to comment.

So, I will continue to speak the truth about the Rockford School District, its top-heavy administration, its faulty and costly decisions, its lack of transparency and consideration of public opinion, the teachers’ union, Nashville, the Ombudsman business model, Alignment Rockford, privatization, and our school board, just as Cassius did to Brutus in Shakespeare’s version of Julius Caesar.

Men at some time were masters of their fates,

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,

But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

Teachers apparently are not valued by this district, which considers us educated underlings, but our students and parents know just how valuable we truly are!

Jane Hayes is an outsourced part-time teacher at Roosevelt Alternative High School.

From the March 21-27, 2012, issue

Stanley Campbell

By Stanley Campbell

Besides the extremely wonderful warm weather (a friend suggests that if this is global warming, “Bring it on!”), the Christian holy day of Easter arrives early to our calendar, April 8.

Rome figured Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. I have no idea why. Maybe to confound the heathens. Maybe the early church fathers wished to keep the observance of Easter in correlation to the Jewish Passover. Because the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ happened after Passover, Easter was to be celebrated subsequent to the Passover. And, since the Jewish holiday calendar is based on solar and lunar cycles, each feast day is movable, with dates shifting from year to year.

Please allow me to share these thoughts with you again.

The story of Easter begins with Good Friday, when Jesus was “strung up” by the authorities. They did not like Jesus’ preachings on peace and poverty. He was a troublemaker and had to be silenced. But evil cannot conquer good, thank God!

On Good Friday, Rockford Urban Ministries (for which I work) sponsors the Walk for Justice, which commemorates the crucifixion by dragging a heavy wooden cross through the city.

The walk starts at 9 a.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 412 N. Church St., and visits 14 “stations,” where we stop and say a prayer. In the Catholic tradition, it is called the Stations of the Cross.

Our Walk begins at Shelter Care Ministries, 412 N. Church St., where people suffering from mental handicaps go to share a bowl of soup and some loving care. After a short reading, we pick up our 10-foot, 75-pound wooden cross and progress over to the bus station, where we say a prayer for more mass transit in the city (walking does that to people — turns them into liberals).

After this station, it’s a quick hike to Janet Wattles, which serves the mental health of the community. We’ll remember our friend, and their former director, Frank Ware. The fourth station, the jail, we pray the county puts more money into rehabilitation than it puts into steel and concrete.

At the Federal Building, we say prayers for immigrants and to stop wars. Impossible prayers. Then, a step across to the Public Safety Building, where we pray for justice and the police. A long walk to the “Zeke Giorgi” Building, where we ask Illinois “not gamble with its citizens.” We say a prayer at the Rock River, the News Tower, and stop on the bridge to pray for a less divided city.

The 11th station is behind Luther Center, and the 12th, which commemorates Jesus’ dying on the cross, we find ourselves in front of the Veterans Statue. All the soldiers look like they are giving the peace sign. (I asked sculptor Gene Horvath about that. He just smiled slyly.) We say prayers for soldiers placed in harm’s way. This is, for me, the most moving station. I’m a Vietnam veteran and pray for peace (please, God, no more stupid wars).

Then, to the Rockford Public Library, where we pray for staff and customers. Finally, we end at Beattie Park, a Rockford sacred site: the Native American Indian mounds.

Join us and enjoy the walk and prayers, rain or shine. Easter is a good time to reflect on one’s life, seek forgiveness, reconciliation, and to prepare oneself for the ultimate that life has to offer, which is our death. May we see a resurrection.

Stanley Campbell is executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries and spokesman for Rockford Peace & Justice.

From the March 21-27, 2012, issue

David Porter

By David Porter

The timing was apropos when Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued a binding opinion regarding the disclosure of invoices between attorneys and the public bodies they represent. The opinion is dated March 12, which marked the beginning of National Sunshine Week.

Sunshine Week draws awareness to laws such as the Freedom of Information Act, Open Meetings Act and Reporter’s Privilege Act. While Madigan’s opinion is a ray of sunshine, we can’t ignore the storm warnings as a few legislators continue to chip away at the public’s access to public records. In Illinois, there are about 50 FOIA and OMA bills pending, including “shell” bills, which are essentially placeholders that can be amended later.

The state’s FOIA declares that transparency is public policy in Illinois and that “all records in the custody or possession of a public body are presumed to be open to inspection and copying. Any public body that asserts that a record is exempt from disclosure has the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that it is exempt.” Yet, within days of being enacted two years ago, the act was modified to create additional exemptions.

The recent opinion from Madigan’s office is that invoices for attorney services to public bodies are not automatically exempt under the attorney/client privilege. While invoices may contain privileged information, that information can be redacted and all other information must be disclosed under FOIA.

Specifically, Madigan stated that “a general description of the nature of services the billing attorney performed, the attorneys’ initials, the time spent on the tasks described and the rate and dollar amount charged” are not privileged and cannot be withheld.

Some of this may seem like mumbo jumbo and only of concern to reporters who want access to everything, but it might surprise you to know that the vast majority of FOIA requests are filed by the general public. In 2010, the attorney general’s office handled more than 5,200 FOIA complaints. Of those, 91 percent were filed by the general public or other non-media entities such as government officials.

The only way to keep government honest and accountable is to keep it open. That’s why governmental records are called “public documents,” not “secret archives.”

David Porter is director of communications and marketing for the Illinois Press Association, which represents the interests of nearly 500 newspapers in Illinois.The Rock River Times is a member of the association.

From the March 21-27, 2012, issue

Headlines declared “free birth control for all” when the federal government recently issued an interim rule mandating health care plans to cover sterilization and prescription contraceptives, including the abortifacient drug Ella. But an under-reported provision of the same rule proposed an incredibly narrow definition of religious employer for exemption from the mandate.

The Catholic Church’s teaching on the immorality of contraception and sterilization as a rejection of God’s life-giving design may lack popular support. However, our nation’s commitment to protecting the free exercise of religion has led to long-standing conscience exemptions from mandates concerning abortion, contraception and sterilization in both federal and state law for health care professionals, insurers and purchasers. President Obama’s health care plan, the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act and the exemption of “church plans” in various federal laws are just a few examples.

But the newly-defined exemption for religious belief is stricter than anything found in current federal law. Exemptions may now be unavailable to individuals or insurers and apply only to religious employers that meet the extremely narrow criteria of (1) having the purpose of teaching religious values, (2) primarily hiring people who share the organization’s religious tenets, (3) primarily serving people who share those tenets and (4) being a nonprofit as described in the Internal Revenue Code.

Under this proposal, an organization would not be “religious enough” if it served people of different faiths, failed to hire based on religion or did not restrict its mission to the teaching of religious values. As organizations striving to serve all people in need, Catholic hospitals, Catholic universities and Catholic social service agencies would be denied the exemption.

Astonishingly, Jesus Christ and the early Church could not qualify for the exemption. His ministry was not confined to members of the Church, nor did it consist only of preaching.

By ignoring individual conscience and attempting to determine which ministries of the Church are not “religious enough,” the federal government abrogates existing law and undermines the free-exercise protections of the First Amendment. Left unchanged, the final implementation of this provision will present an impossible dilemma: forcing the Catholic Church to either withdraw from public ministry or violate deeply-held religious belief through the compelled provision of health insurance coverage for contraceptives and sterilization.

Illinois residents surely cannot accept this threat to religious freedom.

Zach Wichmann is director of Government Relations for the Catholic Conference of Illinois in Springfield.

From the March 21-27, 2012, issue

The Republican primary in Florida brought discussions of health care, particularly Medicare, back to the forefront of the national discourse. With its sizeable senior population, Medicare and Social Security were top of mind to Florida voters.

It is certainly important that health care, and particularly Medicare, be debated thoroughly during the presidential campaign, as entitlement reform is one of the most pressing issues that Congress and the White House will face next year. Indeed, the latest annual Medicare and Social Security Trustees report projected that the Medicare trust fund will run out in 2024 — five years earlier than previously expected — and the Social Security trust fund will run out by 2036.

The good news is the emerging national consensus, across the ideological spectrum, that we must address the nation’s budget problems and that Medicare reform must be a part of any agreement. It’s essential, though, that changes to the Medicare program be made responsibly, starting with the principle that reform must protect the elements of the program that are working efficiently now.

One Medicare program that should be kept intact is Part D, the prescription drug benefit program. Part D is the most cost-effective and successful entitlement program the federal government runs. Even Newt Gingrich, presenting himself on the campaign trail as the champion of conservative voters, has spoken up several times in support of Part D. He has touted the market-based program’s success and effectiveness in saving lives, saving money and offering people more choices.

Thanks to competition among insurers, the prescription drug program costs the government and beneficiaries far less than initially projected. Last year, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reduced its baseline 10-year spending projection for all of Medicare by $186 billion, two-thirds of which is accounted for by a reduction in Part D spending.

While Medicare Part D is an example of a Medicare program that works, it is clear that not all Medicare policies and programs are as useful and valuable.

The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) that was created with the passage of President Obama’s health care law is one such provision that should be eliminated. IPAB would allow an unelected and unaccountable board to make program cuts to meet spending targets.

Proponents of the board have argued that IPAB will improve the quality of care as a result of the cost-cutting measures it enacts. In fact, IPAB is a threat to critical medical treatments and services for all Medicare beneficiaries. The cuts it imposes will only reinforce systemic problems, not fix them, and create unsustainable savings.

Major changes in the Medicare program should not be decided by bureaucratic fiat in a process lacking transparency and oversight. Rather, they should be debated and decided by elected officials who will be held accountable for their decisions. Everyone knows that tough choices lie ahead. Its up to our political leaders to explain that reforms are essential to make Medicare secure for future generations of seniors.

There are many possible ways to reduce Medicare spending. A broad reform debate will enable people to better understand the tradeoffs involved.

To make sure program benefits remain available for those who need them most, lawmakers should consider eligibility requirements and need-based benefits. By raising the eligibility age for Medicare to 67 from 65, for example, $124 billion would be saved.

The bipartisan Simpson-Bowles commission has proposed gradually limiting the Medicare benefits the wealthy receive. Last fall, President Obama proposed higher Medicare premiums for high-income seniors as part of the deficit reduction plan that he submitted to the Congressional “supercommittee.” Obama’s plan would save about $20 billion over 10 years in Medicare.

Increasing premiums beneficiaries pay for Medicare doctors’ coverage to 35 percent of program costs from the current 25 percent could save $241 billion. Modernizing Medicare’s benefit package to include co-payments, deductibles and an out-of-pocket maximum could save about $14 billion through 2018. A cutback in subsidies for “Medigap” supplemental insurance would save $92 billion.

A still-bolder proposal going beyond Medicare itself would be to remove the distortion in the tax code that keeps health insurance tied to employment. The tax write-off for employer-provided health care benefits is the single largest tax expenditure. It is estimated to cost the government more than $1 trillion over the next five years. Capping the tax exclusion in 2018 and then phasing it out over 10 years would result in massive savings that could be devoted to shoring up Medicare and other programs for seniors.

The American people are ready to accept some difficult choices as part of a comprehensive deficit reduction program. It is time for Congress to begin the debate.

Douglas Schoen is a political strategist and author of Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System (Harper 2010), co-authored with Scott Rasmussen.

From the March 21-27, 2012, issue

Why should a Rockford citizen have any interest in horology? Horology is the study of time-keeping instruments, that is, clocks and watches.

Rockford was a town with a rich industrial history, so railroads served this area, moving goods and passengers. These railroads included the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, the Union Pacific, the Canadian National and the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad, among others. Accurate time keeping was essential to the railroads.

A century ago, there were no electric, quartz, tuning fork or atomic clocks or watches. The country ran on fine mechanical watches that were powered by coiled springs. These devices could be adjusted to run within an accuracy of 10 seconds or less per month. Of course, they required frequent servicing to achieve this degree of accuracy. So, there were many watchmakers, watch repairmen and jewelers in Rockford at that time. Do you remember the large street clock outside of Anger’s Jewelers and the clock tower of the National Lock Co.? In fact, Rockford had a watch factory from 1873-1915, and it produced more than 1 million watches. The building still stands on South Madison Street. Their better watches were preferred by the railroad industry for their engineers and conductors.

The Rockford Watch Co. was established in 1874 by H.P. Holland, Israel Sovereign and George Troxell with $150,000 in capital. Other prominent individuals involved in the company included Levi Rhodes, Henry Price, George Clarke, A.D. Forbes, Thomas Butterworth, and S.P. Crawford. The factory was completed in 1876, and shortly thereafter, the first watches were produced. The officers decided to focus the production on a small output of high-quality watches rather than to produce large numbers of average-quality watches. To emphasize this point, during the 39 years of Rockford watch production, the American Waltham Watch Co. produced more than 19 million watches, the Elgin Watch Co. produced 18 million watches, and the Illinois Watch Co. produced 2.6 million watches. They were all established before Rockford’s Watch Co.

At the other extreme was the Freeport Watch Co., founded in 1874, when Rock Island did not prove to be a viable location. Unfortunately, the factory built in Freeport burned down in October 1875, destroying 300 brass watch movements. About 20 nickel movements were salvaged from the fire and subsequently completed. They are very rare and sell for $40,000 and more, when one comes on the market. Some of the finest Rockford watches will fetch more than $10,000, especially if found in original solid gold cases. However, more common Rockford watches of average quality may sell today at $150 to $500. There are still many of these watches sequestered in dresser drawers or other safe hiding places throughout this region. However, many may not run well or at all, since they have not been maintained for decades. These watches would need to be overhauled, cleaned and oiled before they will function and keep good time. An estimate of such repair work would be $100-$200. It could be more if parts must be replaced.

If you have interest in old timepieces (mechanical clocks and watches), whether they be of American or European manufacture and want to learn about your time piece, there are many excellent references in the Rockford Public Library. You can also bring your item to a Northern Illinois Watch and Clock Club meeting on the fourth Tuesday of each month (formerly Ken-Rock Community Center) at 3218 11th St. in Rockford between 6 and 8 p.m. The club officers will provide free appraisal for watches and clocks. Some of the club members are watch and clock repairmen.

Robert D. Restuccia is a resident of Rockford and president of the Northern Illinois Watch and Clock Club.

From the March 21-27, 2012, issue

Rockford Public School District 205 is considering outsourcing teaching staff at both Roosevelt Alternative High and Page Park schools and hiring Educational Services of America, based in Nashville, Tenn., for its Ombudsman Educational Services program. The program would also be implemented in a lesser capacity at four high schools (Auburn, Jefferson, Guilford and East), two middle schools and two elementary schools.

The Ombudsman program is expected to be discussed at the Rockford Board of Education’s Education Committee meeting at 5 p.m., Monday, April 2. A vote by the full board on the Ombudsman program is not expected until at least the April 10 or April 24 Board of Education meeting.

By Allison O’Neill
Chief Operating Officer, Ombudsman Educational Services

I am the chief operating officer of Ombudsman Educational Services. I live in northern Illinois and I work in Libertyville, where Ombudsman’s main office has been located since Ombudsman was founded in 1975, and I’m writing to clear up some misunderstandings about our program.

Ombudsman teachers teach. They are certified educators who provide differentiated instruction, lead small group activities, guide students as they collaborate on projects and work with them one-on-one.

Ombudsman teachers in Rockford will work with each student to a develop a personalized academic plan, and graduates will earn a Rockford Public Schools diploma.

The Ombudsman program is a blended learning model; it is not a virtual school or online program.

Ombudsman students will participate in teacher-led instruction and use computers we provide to complete some, not all, coursework during class sessions. Our curriculum is aligned to Common Core and Illinois Learning Standards and includes focused, dedicated preparation for national and state tests.

Roosevelt and Page Park students will continue to participate in art, physical education and other elective classes and will have continued access to district-provided counseling services and Roosevelt’s licensed day care.

In addition to alternative education, the district has asked us to provide transition services to help middle and high school students improve their academic skills in core subjects and/or make up credits they need to be on track for graduation.

Our parent organization, Educational Services of America, was formed with a strong social mission to help kids. Its for-profit status means we have access to funding to develop and provide quality programs without being distracted by fund-raising or affected by decreasing budgets.

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) discontinued our program when a new superintendent assumed leadership of the district, not because of academic performance. Ninety percent of eligible students — 39 of 43 — graduated with an MNPS diploma. One year later, MNPS engaged our special education division to create and operate a program for students with emotional disturbance. That program continues today.

Many of our district partners don’t share data regarding free/reduced lunch with us. However, we do know that we work with 40 districts where more than half the students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Of those 40, seven districts have a free/reduced lunch rate of 75 percent or more, and, in at least three districts, more than 99 percent of students qualify for free/reduced lunch.

Ombudsman educators believe all students have value, can learn and can develop their inherent talents to become contributing members of society. The people of Rockford want to ensure students have every chance to succeed. We share that goal, and I welcome the community to learn more about our program.

Allison O’Neill is chief operating officer of Ombudsman Educational Services in Libertyville, Ill.

From the March 14-20, 2012, issue

“Education is the key to economic empowerment. It’s the best way for equal opportunity for the most people in a democracy.”

When Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) spoke those words during his 2010 State of the State Address, those of us involved in educating children saw a glimmer of hope that this governor understood how important education is, not only to the students, but to the future of our state.

We probably should not be surprised or allow ourselves to be disappointed when actions do not match political rhetoric. Being governor is a tough job, even more so these days in Illinois, where the only thing worse than the political climate might be the economic climate. The economy has been in a prolonged slump. Budgets everywhere are tight. We get that.

However, there are no mulligans or hold harmless escape clauses when it comes to educating students. Today’s administrators and teachers are being asked to do a lot more with a lot less when one looks at the budgets versus the expectations.

The No Child Left Behind federal initiative to have every child meet ambitious academic performance standards in reading, math and science is admirable as a goal, but as a law it fails the common sense test because it fails to realize that all children are not the same when it comes to learning, and no two school districts are the same when it comes to resources.

In no state is that more pronounced than in Illinois, where local property taxes provide the majority of public school funding in most communities. General State Aid (GSA) is somewhat of an equalizer in theory, as it is supposed to provide the difference between local funding and the so-called foundation level of $6,119 established by the General Assembly to educate one student. Even that number is well below the $8,360 that an Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) blue-ribbon panel, the Education Funding Advisory Board, found it would cost to provide an “adequate” education for a student in FY2012.

Now, even the $6,119 is not being met as it was reduced 5 percent for this fiscal year, meaning districts will not receive what they were promised this year, and the foundation level is effectively reduced to approximately $5,800. While ISBE has proposed a small increase in GSA for the next fiscal year, it still falls well below the foundation amount. The governor is calling for a flat GSA budget; therefore, schools will see another 8 percent reduction in state support for education.

Couple that with a more than 40 percent cut to transportation funding over the past three years and the prospect of children not just being left behind, but literally being left at the curb, becomes more possible. ISBE is looking at alternative formulas for transportation and perhaps even eliminating some of the transportation mandates. But removing the mandates does not eliminate the need to provide transportation in many school districts. Bus transportation long has been a staple of public education in those communities.

Charging fees is possible, but would not be well received by parents who already are paying taxes to fund the local portion of public school transportation. Also, a fee system is not feasible in the growing number of school districts where poverty is a major factor.

On top of the cuts to GSA, transportation and the habitual late payments by the state to school districts, there is serious discussion in the capital about shifting the state’s portion of the teachers’ pension payments to local school districts. Though the details are unknown at this time, that shift of an estimated $800 million would place significant additional budget pressure on school districts throughout the state.

School districts have only three options when faced with dwindling funds or new expenses: they can try to bargain down salaries and benefits, they can raise local taxes if they are not already at their tax cap limits, or they can make operational and programmatic cuts. The more the cost of education is shifted to local school districts, the greater the gap becomes between the haves and have nots.

Consolidation has been floated as a simple answer to some of these problems — and consolidation can be a viable solution in certain cases where it makes sense academically, fiscally and is acceptable to local voters. But the “Classrooms First” Commission that has been studying consolidation reported that forced consolidation could result in higher costs because of teachers all going under the highest contract of the merging districts and the need for larger buildings, increased transportation costs and the like.

A national study at Ohio University titled “Consolidation of Schools and Districts: What the Research Says and What It Means” concluded that consolidation is a complex issue, that bigger is not necessarily better, and that forced consolidation simply does not work.

The bottom line to having an excellent education system is actually the bottom line: If education is as important as the politicians tell us it is — if it really is the best investment in our state’s future — then the state needs to properly fund it as a top priority.

“Making sure that every child in Illinois has access to a quality education is a top priority of my administration and parents throughout Illinois.”— Gov. Quinn in a Sept. 15, 2011, press release

Words are great, and those are great words. But in the end, we’re all judged by our actions.

Brent Clark is the executive director of the Illinois Association of School Administrators, a statewide association of more than 1,700 members that has been a voice for school administrators since 1946 with a vision of “Maximum Educational Success for All Students.” Clark was a teacher, coach, principal and superintendent prior to becoming the head of the IASA.

From the March 14-20, 2012, issue

Illinois legislators should be commended for tabling H.B. 5143, which would have made it illegal to photograph or document conditions at local or industry farms. Legislators recognized the harmful impacts this “ag-gag” bill would have had on the public’s health, safety and right to know.

H.B. 5143 was introduced by Illinois Rep. Jim Sacia (R-89), Pecatonica/Freeport. He has stated he will continue to be an advocate for the bill.

This bill was an industry-endorsed attempt to stifle perfectly legal actions that document illegal actions at factory farms. Some verbiage within the bill states that a person commits animal facility interference when he or she, without the consent of the owner, knowingly: possesses or distributes a record that reproduces by a photographic, audio or similar medium an image or sound of a visual or audio experience occurring at the animal facility. In other words, “whistleblowing” or undercover investigations would become criminal acts.

The bill proposed that any person who committed animal facility interference would be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense.

Factory farm supporters claim they have a clean slate but know their egregious growing practices and pollution events can be consistently revealed in photographs that lead to investigations and/or fines. If they have nothing to be ashamed of, why all the cover up; why propose the bill?

Links to other states regarding ag-gag bills:

It’s a map of states where similar bills like Sacia’s in Illinois are being proposed:
http://animalvisuals.org/

Go to the following link for the latest on Chicago Tribune writer Monica Eng’s column “The Stew.” Our message about the ag-gag bill is clearly stated here — another threat to public health in Illinois if we cannot record pollution events.

“Food Policy: CAFO protection bill gets hearing in Illinois,” www.chicagotribune.com Features › The Stew

The bill was to go before the Illinois House Judiciary Committee this Wednesday before it was tabled by the leadership and Sacia.

Why H.B. 5143 was a bad bill

1. Documentation is routinely utilized by citizens to record illegal and pollution events.

2. Documentation “tells the story” of agricultural practices. This “real side” reveals abuses producers want to hide at abusive facilities. This information will help promote socially responsible agriculture.

3. Illinois EPA cannot be everywhere at once. Citizens in our state shoulder the burden of policing intensive animal feeding operations on a daily basis.

4. Documentations of alleged violations on intensive animal feeding operations and on manure application sites are forwarded to many Illinois agencies and assist in the enforcement of warnings and penalties.

5. Documentations help to create increased public health awareness of intensive animal feeding operations and the safety and the quality of the food that they produce. This results in consumer protection and food safety initiatives.

6. The routine use of antibiotics to promote growth of diseased or healthy animals promotes antibiotic resistance in the human population. Documentation continues to educate the public about conditions behind closed doors that affect public health.

Editor & Publisher Frank Schier contributed to this column.

From the March 14-20, 2012, issue

Stanley Campbell

By Stanley Campbell

When somebody doesn’t like their neighbor, they can up and leave, not only because this is a free country, but also because God gave us a lot of space (well, we took it from the Indians; but if you don’t like your neighbor, just move).

If we lived in Japan or Switzerland, to construct a new house, we’d better have a court order and 10 times more money. In Rockford, it is cheaper to build a house than to rehab an older home, even though in some neighborhoods the initial purchase price is so much more affordable.

Rockford Urban Ministries is just one of many church groups trying to rehab neighborhoods. The best is, of course, Zion Development, an outgrowth of Zion Lutheran Church. I’ve borrowed a lot of good ideas from that organization.

Unfortunately, when you buy a run-down house in a dilapidated neighborhood, you can end up putting more money into the rehab than the house is worth on the open market. Still, we try because we love the people in every neighborhood and have an environmental spirit that believes we shouldn’t throw away neighborhoods like we throw away Styrofoam cups. Let’s not pave over the best farmland in the world while homes are deteriorating.

Rockford Urban Ministries, in celebrating its 50 years of service to the city, is hosting a program about churches fighting poverty. Somewhere in the Bible, it says we should help the poor. Really, everywhere in the Bible it says we should help the poor. In fact, helping the poor is mentioned more often than going to war with one’s enemies and accruing great wealth to afford useless luxuries.

But I digress.

March 22, I’ve asked the Rev. Enrique Gonzales to share with us his personal work from Broadway United Methodist Church, 1503 Broadway. He is the pastor of Centennial UMC and has recently moved the congregation to the smaller and better heated building. Pastor Gonzales also has a concern for treating the immigrant fairly. He hopes to improve the neighborhood in which he finds himself. He will be joined by the director of Shelter Care Ministries, the Rev. Louisett Ness. She wants to rehab some Broadway/11th Street buildings for affordable housing in the neighborhoods.

This city does not like affordable housing for the poor. Unfortunately, the city “fathers” are only familiar with the old-fashioned warehousing of the poor and seem to be reticent to support faith communities when they venture into housing.

I’ve asked the reverends to speak, at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 22, at Broadway UMC, not only about their projects, but also about the faith that moves them to do their work. I invite not only those interested in the Broadway/ 11th Street neighborhood, but also anyone interested in helping those in need.

Stanley Campbell is executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries and spokesman for Rockford Peace & Justice.

From the March 14-20, 2012, issue

The district is considering outsourcing teaching staff at both schools and hiring the for-profit corporation Educational Services of America, based in Nashville, Tenn., for its Ombudsman Educational Services program. The Ombudsman program would be a partially computer-based online teaching platform.

The following e-mails were also sent to Rockford Board of Education members, District 205 administrators, other media outlets and elected officials. They are included here in the order in which they were received by TRRT.

Roberta Edwards, executive coordinator to the superintendent and the board of education, said March 6 that a vote on the Ombudsman program was not likely until either the April 10 or April 24 Rockford Board of Education meeting.

The program will also be discussed at the Education Committee meeting at 5 p.m., Monday, April 2.

Following is a form letter TRRT received in separate e-mails — each with slight variations that may not be reflected below — from Donovan Bray, Cathy Noga, Kevin Nachtmurney, Andrea Holm and Emma Veitch.

Dear Board members, committee members, and any other interested, involved, and concerned parties,

I am sending you this e-mail in order to show my support for Rockford Public Schools’ current alternative education models, especially Roosevelt and Page Park. Some of you are charged with making final decisions regarding these programs and their potential replacement by a company called Ombudsman. This company’s primary goal and responsibility is making money for its owners, not the education of Rockford’s youth. I implore you to hear and read the concerns of the students, their parents, their teachers, and others in the community who have firsthand experience with at-risk students and the process of their education. These people — not computers — are the greatest resource you have available to you. Please, consider their input with the weight and gravity they deserve; please consider the points below and read the links included. Please do not sell the education of Rockford’s youth short in order to save money, as at-risk students deserve an education equal to that of traditional students, even if it takes a bit longer or requires a more flexible and fluid approach.

Roosevelt recently won their third consecutive Truth Talk debate, and two current Roosevelt students won Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and honorable mentions at the Rock Valley High School Art Show. Roosevelt art students have placed regionally or nationally in Scholastic for the past three years. A Roosevelt student won the Poetry Out Loud competition last year — she went on to study at NIU. Roosevelt has graduated future Marines, college students, Army officers, and countless productive citizens for our community.

Ombudsman’s reputation is for serving students with behavior concerns. Not all at-risk students fit this category, and treating them as such would be a disservice to those who do not fit the description. No two students are alike — and if you’ve ever spent any time in a classroom as an adult, you would understand that.

Does outsourcing to another state make sense for Rockford? Our community will be investing in a private corporation in another state — thusly taking money away from our region. Let’s reinvest in our students and in Rockford. Roosevelt serves teen parents by offering a DCFS-licensed daycare; will Ombudsman provide these students the same opportunity for the same amount of time?

Placing students in front of computers for three or more hours at a stretch, with a computer proscribing assignments and a teacher only, in the words of Interim Superintendent Dr. Robert Willis, “supporting, but not teaching,” sends them the message that all they have to rely on in their education is an inanimate object and a cheerleader.

The ISBE’s Interactive Report Card indicates that RPS spent $6,586 per student on instruction in 2011. It has also been indicated that in order for Roosevelt to compete with the Ombudsman proposal, instructing students would have to total less than $3,050 per seat. This is less than half given to all other students who do not attend an alternative school. Would the parents or board consider inflicting this level of inequity on programs serving gifted students? Why is it that the students in need of the most support are being given less?

Illinois districts that Ombudsman serves do not have demographics similar to Rockford, despite what Mr. [Matthew] Vosberg [assistant superintendent for schools] claims; this becomes obvious if one checks the state’s interactive school report cards: see www.iirce.niu.edu to compare RPS205 to Naperville, Lyons, Waukegan, etc.

Assistant Superintendent Matt Vosberg has been touting his experiences in South Beloit as a reason to outsource Rockford’s alternative education to Ombudsman. He boasts an 80 percent graduation rate; he doesn’t advertise that he only purchased five seats. Roosevelt alone currently serves 100 times that many students, and it must be asked if Vosberg’s sample size is representative, or is he simply extrapolating data in a convenient, even if misleading, manner?

Rockford is considering offering the Ombudsman program at ALL of its four traditional high schools and Lincoln and West middle schools; this is not just about Roosevelt and Page Park

If the district and Board of Education were to choose Ombudsman as a viable learning path, this means that they’ve chosen an inferior education for students in alternative learning environments across the district. Is that equitable? Would you put your child in this program?

According to the National Educational Policy Center, “Over just the past decade, online learning at the K-12 level has grown from a novelty to a movement. Yet, little or no research is available on the outcomes of such full-time virtual schooling.”

Numbers to Know: or How Rockford is Unique

• 8 percent of Ombudsman-served districts have free or reduced lunch (FRL) rates greater than 75 percent; Rockford has a FRL in the upper 70s

• 70 percent of Ombudsman-served districts have FRL rates less than 50 percent

• 75 percent of the Illinois districts have FRL less than 20 percent

• 4 percent of Ombudsman-served districts have 28,000 students or more; Rockford is around 28,500

• 80 percent of Ombudsman-served districts are 10,000 students or fewer

• 62 percent of Ombudsman-served districts have 5,000 or fewer students

Links for further reading:

http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/online-k-12-schooling

http://prospect.org/article/f-fizzle-faltering-school-privatization-movement

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-06-17/health/ct-met-ombudsman-0616-20100617_1_ombudsman-educational-services-school-districts-state-board-spokeswoman

http://onlineathens.com/stories/021110/new_561335318.shtml

http://www.iirce.niu.edu/

www.iirce.niu.edu

Editor’s note: The following e-mail is from Leslie Arbetman.

Hello,

I live in Rockford. I work in Rockford. What the district is trying to do with alternative programming at Roosevelt and Page Park (and other schools who would have an Ombudsman component part of the program) is educationally inferior to what students in a traditional program would receive. Is this equitable for ALL students? Choosing this program is a gross misuse of funds; it is NOT the direction our community needs to go in, and goes against what best practices in alternative education truly are.

If you need any further information about what Ombudsman is (or isn’t), please feel free to contact me.

Thank you for your time.

Editor’s note: The following e-mail is from Leslie Hazelbauer-Wetter.

Good evening! My name is Leslie Hazelbauer-Wetter and I am a parent at Roosevelt High School. I would like to start by saying I was very upset when I first heard about the changes the Rockford School District was planning on implementing at Roosevelt. I thought there is no way the school board would think this was a good idea, but the more I heard, the more I realized it was true.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself and my children. Two of my three have attended Roosevelt. My daughter is a 2009 graduate, and my youngest son is on target to graduate on time this May. Both would not have graduated without Roosevelt.

My daughter gradated in the top 12 of her class with a 3.98 GPA. At Auburn, she was a girl with problems and invisible to everyone. I was lied to and given the runaround by the entire staff there. Roosevelt was the best thing for her. The teachers made her feel worthy and gave her the support to be successful. She wanted to do her best because she knew people cared about her and what she accomplished.

My youngest son, Shawn Crabtree, is a senior at Roosevelt. Last year, he would change the subject about college and if he would attend one after high school. He is currently in the running for a full scholarship to college and talks about going. He is also a National Scholastic Art winner and a Rock Valley Juried Art winner for his graphic art pieces.

I am so grateful for the teachers and staff at Roosevelt for all they have done for him. I hear nothing but how good he is doing and how far he has come since he started there. They also push him to do better because they know he can do it. They are also there for him and the other students.

I do not believe my children would be as successful as they are if it was not for the staff. As a parent, I do not see anything postive about sitting my children in front of a computer and thinking they are going to learning. Also, how is this preparing them for their future? Children need to interact with teachers who are not only able to teach them, but support and mold them to become productive adults. A computer can not do that. Roosevelt is a positive and supportive environment. PLEASE keep it that way!!!!!

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and please keep Roosevelt the way it is.

Editor’s note: The following e-mail is from Anita Ellis.

I am writing to you because I am worried about special education students and the direction the district is considering with Ombudsman. I absolutely agree that we should consider this for the 500 students who are slipping through the cracks and not graduating, but not at the expense of the students currently enrolled in Page Park and Roosevelt. Students with learning disabilities cannot just be propped in front of a computer. Also, students with behavioral needs will not be addressed with just using a computer.

In my teaching this year, two students with learning disabilities transferred from my classes to Roosevelt. I think Roosevelt will be perfect for them. Is there any way you would consider trying a computer for core classes pilot program for next year without dropping Roosevelt and Page Park? We need a full continuum of programs and services for our students. Thank you for reading this and for your consideration.

Editor’s note: The following e-mail is from Alyxandria Libert.

Dear members of the Rockford School District No. 205,

My name is Alyxandria Libert, and I have been going to Rockford public schools since I started second grade. It was different coming from Arizona, where they taught grades K-12.

My struggle with school started in sixth grade. I just didn’t seem to care about my education. It seemed that no one else cared about it, either. So why should I?

When I started my freshman year at Guilford, I started hanging out with the wrong crowd, and when my mom enrolled me in Auburn, I fell into the same patterns. I dropped out of high school my junior year. By that time, a lot of my friends had enrolled at Roosevelt and kept telling me about how they treated you like an adult and with respect, and how the teachers actually knew what they were talking about, not to mention the many programs they had for students who didn’t have a babysitter, or no income, or support.

I was scared to go back to school, I can’t lie. But I knew if I wanted to make anything good of myself that I had to suck it up and go back to school. So, I decided to check out one of the orientations, and I liked how it sounded — the open campus, nice teachers and a genuine education beyond what is required by the school board. But it wasn’t until I actually began attending that I got to see firsthand what everyone was talking about, and I automatically knew that Roosevelt was the place for me. They let me work at my own pace and even gave me a flexible schedule. I found out that the staff-student relationships at Roosevelt were more like a family, the way they worked with each other, and opened up to one another.

I can’t imagine a better place to have learned the things I have learned at Roosevelt. I know that if I needed support or advice or just a great friend that I could rely on the Roosevelt teachers and staff.

Think about what’s better for the students that need to be at places like Roosevelt, the ones who might be dropouts. I hope you will let them have the chance to experience what I’ve experienced at Roosevelt. Thank you for your time.

Editor’s note: The following e-mail is from Steve Schultz.

Dear Friends:

I have been afforded the honor of serving students with special education needs in the Rockford district for 10 years. Four of those years have been at Roosevelt Alternative High School, and I am writing to support and defend the good works done there.

During the 2010-2011 academic year, 23 students with IEPs graduated from Roosevelt. Considering there are only two special education teachers, this is quite a feat. I believe that you would be hard pressed to find any area school that can say that a special education case manager graduate 10 or more students. The year I worked at Auburn, I had no more than two students graduate from my caseload. From my recollection, my colleagues had similar results.

I ask that you defend Roosevelt to stay open, without using a computer-based program from a private company from Tennessee. Please read the Rockford Register Star March 4, 2012, guest column by Cathy Noga and Kyle Wolfe linked below my signature. I am very confident that the data provided is accurate. If things need to be changed, the highly skilled faculty at Roosevelt should be given the opportunity to turn things around.

I was reassured by Mr. Vosberg that I will have a job in the district, and I am not concerned about teaching elsewhere. My concern is about the future of our students. Thank you in advance for your support and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Steve Schutz

Roosevelt Alternative High School

Special Education Teacher

http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/whatyouresaying/x1644229815/Guest-Column-Tennessee-is-not-the-answer-for-revamping-schools-alternative-education

Editor’s note: The following e-mail is from Jane Hayes.

Dear Citizens of Rockford,

“American education has a long history of infatuation with fads and ill-considered ideas. The current obsession with making our schools work like a business may be the worst of them, for it threatens to destroy public education. Who will stand up to the tycoons and politicians and tell them so?” — Diane Ravitch

We will stand for that which we know best as educators when we reject the absurdity of outsourcing Roosevelt and Page Park.

Jane Hayes, WEE, Watchdogs for Ethics in Education and Roosevelt staff member

Editor’s note: The following e-mail is from Sabrina Crook.

Dear Board members, Committee Members, and any other interested, involved, and concerned parties,

My name is Sabrina Crook and I am a proud Page Park staff member. We are an incredible staff at Page Park who love our students. I just heard this week from a couple of administrators that downtown administration is planning on splitting up our classrooms back into the regular education buildings. This is not a good choice for our students, as their needs are great and they need the resources that the Page Park building offers. Please defend Page Park and Roosevelt alternative education programs.

Some of you are charged with making final decisions regarding these programs, and their potential replacement by a company called Ombudsman. Their primary goal is to make money to their private owners, not the education of Rockford’s youth. Please consider our community’s input in this final decision. I believe that Page Park and Roosevelt are innovative programs that students are striving in. Although Page Park has had some adjustments this year, we have had many successful students come out of our program. I believe under the care of Scott Ramsby that Page Park will continue to be a successful program.

Thank you.

Editor’s note: The following e-mail is from Matt Green.

Members of the Board of Education, Education Committee, and other Invested Parties,

Father of transcendentalism, lecturer, author and Unitarian minister Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The secret in education lies in respecting the student.” I am writing to you to express deep concern over the proposed adoption of the Ombudsman program at Roosevelt. It does not offer the same educational quality afforded to other students in the district.

The most problematic elements of the program, from my perspective, are that A.) instruction is delivered by computer, B.) the instructor in the classroom is not certified in all subjects taught, and C.) the quality of instructor will be inferior to what currently exists.

For example, I am certified and highly-qualified to teach English and hold a master’s degree in secondary English education (University of Minnesota), but I’d be supporting the instruction of math, science and social studies as well, even though I’m not qualified to do so. I would feel uncomfortable teaching math, as I am sure a math teacher would be evaluating complex essays.

I have eight years of experience evaluating and teaching student writing at the secondary level. It is what I am trained for and NCLB requires me to be highly-qualified to teach English in order to provide effective instruction to my students.

In Mr. Vosberg’s editorial, he points out: “Teachers in alternative education have the toughest of tough jobs. They work hard. They want the best for the kids — kids who turn up at their door because we failed to intervene earlier.” Our job is too important to be entrusted to underqualified educators.

To frame it in a different light, hiring Ombudsman would be like a hospital asking a doctor who just completed residency to perform the most complex operation. Or a law firm giving its most important case to someone who had just passed the BAR. Or a banker entrusting the most valuable account to the most junior teller. The idea is ludicrous and illogical in these contexts, as it is when it is proposed for our most challenging students. The education of these students is incredibly important and something we take incredibly seriously.

Like gifted and CAPA students, at-risk students are a special population. If Ombudsman is truly better than teacher-delivered instruction (we have been told that if the current program were equivalent in cost, that Ombudsman would still be recommended), it should be implemented district-wide to be equitable, including in the gifted and CAPA programs, which are in and of themselves, alternative education. My own wife was in CAPA.

I know that I would much rather have a licensed, highly-qualified instructor teaching my kids than a computer. Having previously taught AP Language and Composition and every level of high school English, I also know that you could not possibly teach that course or any other robust and engaging English course, for that matter, with a computer. I wonder how parents of gifted students would feel if AP English was taught by a computer with a math teacher in the room for support? I imagine they wouldn’t feel it was a world-class education. If you would not tolerate or accept such inferior instruction for your own children, I feel there is no way this program can be approved, implemented, or forcibly imposed on any other parent’s child with a clear conscience or any sense of equality.

I think the greatest insult felt by the staff at Roosevelt is that we were not consulted or allowed to formulate an alternative to Ombudsman. We found out about the proposal on Feb. 15, eight days before its presentation at Education Committee and less than two weeks before the next full board meeting. It goes against the transparency, trust, and student-focused collaboration that Alignment Rockford has outlined in its four key Leadership Values:

1. We work with a spirit of unity — We agree to offer one voice on topics related to the alignment effort and to resolve conflicting agendas in private.

2. Our relationships are based on trust — We understand that predictability, clear communication and mutual support precede success in every challenging community endeavor.

3. Our focus is on our children’s needs — We seek collaborative, student-focused solutions to barriers which impair academic achievement.

4. We promote life-long learning — We know that raising educational aspirations and attainment will result in greater economic prosperity for all in our community.

(http://rockrivertimes.com/2010/03/24/public-private-organizations-gather-to-sign-alignment-rockford-memorandum-of-understanding/ )

Being told that we would be discarded without consultation and without opportunity to develop ways to increase the efficiency of the program seems contrary to common sense or the guidelines by which Alignment Rockford governs itself. If we had had since October to formulate our proposals or even suggest improvements to the alternative high school, we would have, and would have done so effectively. I have only seen two board members at Roosevelt this entire year, and the administration and Education Committee have been just as scarce. You are proposing a complete replacement of an entire program without seeing exactly what you are replacing. We want to work with administration to make our program better. It does not need replacing or outsourcing.

Furthermore, the Ombudsman program has not even been piloted in the Rockford Public Schools yet. Not enough evidence exists that it will effectively teach our diverse population. A drug must undergo many trials to be approved by the FDA, so why jump in with both feet if we don’t know if it will even work here, disassembling an already effective program that has been in place for 20 years?

We are experts at teaching and engaging the at-risk students in this community at Roosevelt. Engagement is a best-practice in English education and one that was a focus of my studies at the University of Minnesota. It basically means that people will become better readers and learners if they are interested in what they are reading. Common sense. We teach reluctant readers and learners at Roosevelt.

I had the privilege of serving on the district’s English textbook adoption committee this year. The committee unanimously selected a fantastic textbook for next year. I selected the textbook because of its literature, alignment to the standards, usability with technology, differentiation, and wider variety of texts to choose from. I was excited to share this with the rest of the Roosevelt faculty since we were also informed that it was the board’s policy that every student have a textbook. Very fair and very equal. As part of the proposal with the textbook manufacturer, we were also promised 1,000 new and replacement novels for the English Department at Roosevelt. One of the great assets to Roosevelt’s program is diversity, options and individual differentiation of instruction for each student. The English Department hand-picked a comprehensive, engaging, multiculturally-diverse collection of literature that would make our program even better next year and provide many options that engage even the most challenged reader. We were proud of the hundreds of titles and excited to be getting so many new novels. We even consulted some of our most voracious student readers to make sure we were picking relevant and engaging literature.

The day I submitted the list to administration, I was told that a stop had been ordered on all textbooks and novels for Roosevelt, meaning that they would not be submitted as part of the order, if approved. What I cannot understand is that even if Ombudsman is adopted, which it should not be, why are students being deprived of the textbooks that the board mandates they have, why are they being deprived of a greater variety of literature than they currently have, and why are they being deprived of 1,000 pieces of carefully selected literature? How does that foster learning? I just cannot understand the rationale or equity in that.

I was moved by Mr. Rollins’s words at the school board meeting. Nobody believes that the job of the school board is an easy one. I would not want your jobs, and I respect you all for caring about this community and taking on such a thankless task. I implore you, though, to remember that you are dealing with human lives here. Just because you have difficult decisions to make, doesn’t mean that you have to make hasty, regressive, reactive, or frankly, wrong ones.

I have confidence that the members of the board will ultimately come to the right decision. We feel passionately about our successes and the entire program at Roosevelt, which cannot be rebuilt if and when the Ombudsman program fails. We just ask for the opportunity to make an already great program a beacon and model for other school districts to emulate. Let’s have other districts want to model our alternative schools. We feel we can make that happen with the proper time and resources.

As one final thought (thank you for bearing with me), I implore you to read this article by world-renowned educational researcher, educational historian, and NYU professor Diane Ravitch: (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/ravitch-why-finlands-schools-are-great-by-doing-what-we-dont/2011/10/12/gIQAmTyLgL_blog.html). It is about Finland, whose schools are consistently top performers on the world stage. While current educational policies and trends may make this system seemingly impossible, it is always desired to strive to be the best and learn from the best. Roosevelt already uses some of these ideas in its current program.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Matt Green

Department of English

Roosevelt Alternative High School

From the March 7-13, 2012, issue

March 20, voters in the Village of Machesney Park will have the option of renewing a 1 percent sales tax that was levied in 2008 to pay for road repairs and construction. The imposition of this tax brought the combined state and local sales tax on most retail items in the village to 8.25 percent.

A misleading campaign by proponents of the tax is taking an “all-or-nothing” approach, claiming that roads will go unrepaired in the village if this sales tax is not approved. I believe Machesney Park voters should look past these arguments and reject the sales tax extension. Instead, the village should levy a small land-value tax, which would accomplish its goal of funding roads without all the negative side effects of a sales tax.

“Citizens for Roads,” a private and largely union-funded committee in favor of the tax, in conjunction with village officials, has begun a campaign to “inform” voters about the benefits of the 1 percent road tax, which will expire in 2013. In their arguments, they imply that there are only two ways of funding road construction, a sales tax or a bond issuance. Bonds are an inferior revenue source, they say, because the village will have to pay interest on them. That is fair enough, but voters need to ask themselves why these are the only two options. Surely, there are other ways of paying for roads.

The Frequently Asked Questions document provided by the Machesney Park Village Board is not helpful in answering this question. It claims that if the 1 percent referendum does not pass, “with no additional revenue source, the village will be unable to continue repairing roads unless another alternate source of revenue is found.” Are we expected to believe that no roads were ever repaired in Machesney Park before the 2008 sales tax increase? Or that bond issuances were the only way road construction and repair was previously funded?

Additionally, proponents of the sales tax claim it has not negatively affected local businesses, citing an average yearly revenue growth of 2 percent. While it is true growth has not gone into the red as a result of the tax, a 2 percent growth rate in consumer spending is barely above stagnation. How do we know that consumer spending would not have increased much more had the sales tax not been imposed? It is impossible to say.

Rather than accuse sales tax proponents of attempting to sway voters to their side through omission, I am willing to grant that they are simply being unimaginative in failing to address these questions. Since they cannot imagine any other source of road funding, and since no one has stepped forward with an alternative proposal, please allow me to suggest a different course of action.

The Village of Machesney Park should allow its sales tax to expire and replace it with a small land value tax. A land value tax is different from a property tax because it only taxes the value of the land and not the improvements (buildings) on that land. This is a fair tax paid equally by all property owners that discourages land speculation and encourages economic development. It is much better for the local economy than a sales tax, and it is easier for families and individuals to plan for in their budgets. Furthermore, it makes sense for public roads to be funded by a consistent resource like land, rather than by consumer spending, which is subject to the unpredictability of the marketplace.

Voters, do not let yourselves be convinced that a sales tax is the only reasonable way to pay for public improvements. I urge you to consider all the options, and when you do, I am confident you will reject this measure to extend the local sales tax. Instead, consider the alternative of a simple, flat tax on land value. You will find this to be a more fair and equitable way to fund your public projects, one that does not punish consumer spending in an already challenging business climate.

Michael Kleen is a local author, proprietor of Black Oak Media, and candidate for the Winnebago County Board in District 8.

From the March 7-13, 2012, issue

Chad Miller

By Chad Miller

Our community leaders, and especially forest preserve officials, have been trying to utilize our preserves as tourism destinations for decades. We even pay an employee whose primary job it is to promote our preserves.

I used to enjoy going to the preserves to observe nature and, in particular, deer. That can’t be said today.

We need to look at ways to manage, to the fullest potential, our greatest natural inhabitant of these preserves. Bow hunting and quality deer management (QDM) are the method and philosophy we should enact.

Bow hunting has most certainly evolved far past the negative images portrayed by the media and anti-hunters. So much so that anti-hunters hardly have a valid argument against it. Bow hunting is, therefore, the economic engine that could drive tourism and increase visitors and tax revenues to our region far more than without.

Deer hunters today use science and technology far more than many people realize to become the most effective and efficient conservationists and hunters. We do more to improve timber, plant forage, keep the population in check with habitat, and harvest within specific age and sex ratios than the non-hunting community knows. We have removed the top of the natural food chain as sport and tax fee revenue source, and the herd has been reduced to mortality by car collisions and starvation. This is neither proper nor humane! Bow hunters fill that harvest gap and do so in ways much more humane than the alternative.

Through the use of modern technology and change in mentality, hunters are out in the woods year round and keep track of various deer numbers, ages and sex ratios. Trail cameras are a perfect example of the benefits of such technology. We have eyes in the woods 24/7, 365 days a year, watching and observing so we know which deer to target in the coming season. Our chainsaws and prescribed burns help remove invasive trees or dying trees so new growth can occur and new habitat be formed. Our bows shoot razor sharp, lightning fast arrows that pass through many deer before they even know what happened.

People say it is inhumane to see a deer with an arrow stuck in it, and hunters are the LAST people who want that. However, from the point of a hunter, we are also the people who stop at road kills and cringe over the time it took that animal to suffer and die. We, too, love our animals.

The main safety issue with hunters today is tree stand safety, NOT wayward arrows flying through the air. We use harnesses to get in and out of our tree stands. The flight of our arrow is primarily downward and into the ground. Where is the valid point against these facts? There is none.

Quality deer management encourages people to slow down before a shot to determine age, sex and behavior. I have never heard of someone or their pet being accidentally shot by a bow hunter, let alone a proponent of QDM. This self-discipline during harvest is exactly what allows us to be safe and grow the healthiest and best deer herd. How does this benefit the average user, though?

Yes, the forest preserve district could charge up to several thousand dollars for just one deer tag! Times how many deer? Do the potential tax math for operations and land acquisition!

Bow hunters spend thousands of dollars a year in the forms of licenses and fees, gas, food, seed, lodging and many forms of equipment. This translates into tens of thousands of dollars in local revenues. We would gladly pay hundreds more in fees to our forest preserve district as well as hundreds of volunteered hours of labor. People pay thousands just to hunt the genetics we so uniquely have in Winnebago County. We would gladly take time to put more food sources in and around preserves to bring greater viewing pleasure at lower overall deer numbers. This practice benefits the habitat, as well as the general public.

We need to stop paying county employees to shoot deer when we could make so much more with bow hunting. The time has come for the general public to understand we will not stop applying pressure to be involved in this process. Our involvement will be the greatest shift in utilizing eco-tourism for this region and should not be swept aside.

Chad Miller is a Rockford resident, family man, conservationist and bow hunter.

From the March 7-13, 2012, issue

Photo by Nichole Larison Sammon

By Nichole Larison Sammon
Fox Ridge Subdivision Resident

In these election times, when big money has the ability to buy much of the story we hear, it is important to understand the backers of each candidate. These big-money backers offer support through campaign contributions, land for large marketing signs, and office space. They have the ability to change an election simply by allowing a candidate to get their name out. Name recognition is considered an important factor in elections, as candidates with low name recognition are unlikely to receive votes from people who only casually follow politics.

From the street level, driving around Winnebago County, it is easy to see who supports each candidate by the yard sign locations. Each candidate must get permission from the land owner to place a campaign sign on their land. Take note of the largest of these signs and their locations. Note the land owner and how many times this is the case.

For those of us who want to dig deeper to understand whom the candidate might owe a favor or two or might heavily lean toward in hard decisions, Illinois offers an online-accessible database searchable by candidate. Scott Christiansen’s campaign contributions offer a glimpse into who might really be running for Winnebago County chairman.

The following have contributed to Scott Christiansen’s 2012 re-election campaign: Northwestern Illinois Building & Construction Trades Council with members Rockford Blacktop Company and William Charles Ltd. gave $32,500. Northern Illinois Building Contractors Association with Directors Ben Holmstrom and Nathan Howard of William Charles Ltd. gave $7,950. William Charles Ltd. and subsidiaries gave $6,000. William Charles Ltd. law firms gave $9,350. William Charles Ltd. executives Ben Holmstrom and William Howard gave $1,200.

NOW, remember the big political issues from the last year or so; remember these? First, the potential blows of huge wind turbine development landed, ready to industrialize our agricultural and natural areas, threaten our health and environment, and approved by the labor-intimidated, rubber-stamping Zoning Board of Appeals (they pretty much let the wind company write their own ordinance); and then, the wind ordinance finally passed because of the pressure of union construction workers paid to stand in the courageous county board room during the vote — jobs at all costs! Second, after we had more outrageous, rubber-stamping ZBA hearings (they violated the Open Meetings Act — still no action from the Illinois Attorney General), the chairman and the county board ignored all of the taxpayers in the Fox Ridge Subdivision and instead bowed and scraped to William Charles and Big Ben Holmstrom to ruin our lives, property values and neighborhood with the asphalt plant on our busiest commercial street, East State — right at the tollway ramp.

Third, after another series of hearing “for show only,” the expansion of Pagel Pit right up to the west side of I-39 (halting all future, REAL commercial development there) to accept Chicago’s garbage at a super-low rate, maxing out OUR landfill — hey, we can put “CHICAGO’S GARBAGE PIT” on all of our county tourism brochures!

Will money buy this election? Will the campaign contributions persuade future important Winnebago County decisions and votes? Time will tell on both of these questions. Illinois makes it easy for you to understand for yourself the magnitude of money given to each candidate. Visit www.elections.il.gov. Remember to vote March 20.

Editor & Publisher Frank Schier contributed to this guest column.

From the March 7-13, 2012, issue

Stanley Campbell

By Stanley Campbell

As the director of a nonprofit organization, I can’t make political endorsements of any candidates, which is too bad because most nonprofit workers know which candidates are generous and live up to their words. But the way the politicians drew their district lines, I might as well go ahead and give my 5 cents worth on some of the upcoming primary elections.

Last week, when I suggested U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Ill., was more liberal than his opponent (he is vying with a young Tea Party Republican for the 16th Congressional District), I reiterated the views expressed were those of myself only and did not reflect upon the broad opinion of the United Methodist Church, Rockford Urban Ministries or its affiliates. Of course, few people read the column anyway, and took it with a grain of salt (or something the size of Lot’s wife). So, hesitantly, I suggest you take a close look at that primary election.

In my humble opinion, I believe the real election is taking place in the March 20 primary. The districts are so well gerrymandered that the other party’s given up and will not even slate a candidate. The aforementioned Manzullo district is now so heavily Republican, there’s no Democrat who’ll even consider putting his/her name in, much less take time to file the paperwork to get on the November ballot.

The same can be said for state Sen. Dave Syverson’s Illinois senatorial district. He has been gerrymandered into another Republican district now occupied by Christine Johnson, who is well-loved in DeKalb and those parts. Sen. Syverson has always been a big backer of casinos here in Rockford. He could be upset when the farmers of DeKalb County show their disapproval. So, voting in the March 20 election will determine the course — and the representation — of that district, but I dare say there will be no Democrat who could defeat either Syverson or Johnson in November. Therefore, the real election is in March.

The 34th Illinois State Senate district, Syverson’s former, has the same problem, except it is all Democrat. There’s a three-way race, and depending on whose campaign manager you are talking to — Marla Wilson, Steve Stadelman or Dan Lewandowski is in the lead. As of this writing, I am still pondering the choices. I do like the fact that Lewandowski filled out a Sierra Cub questionnaire, although I wish he was a little more concerned about industrial-strength casino gambling.

But the real battle seems to be in the Winnebago County Republican Party. Almost every incumbent has a challenger from the right wing, as if the Tea Party was trying to take over. At one of the candidate forums, the snide attitude was palpable, and someone even questioned why we needed a police force, much less a school system.

I ask you to be real careful whom you vote for. Make sure you know them, and can vouch for their political beliefs. Otherwise, we’ll end up with government deadlock that’ll make Washington, D.C., look like, well, a tea party.

Stanley Campbell is executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries and spokesman for Rockford Peace & Justice.

From the March 7-13, 2012, issue