IPA position

EDITORS: One of the most basic rules of reporting is "If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out." In other words, no matter how plausible something may appear, check it out.

It may have sounded extremely plausible when someone speculated about the positions and actions of the Illinois Press Association on reduction of the number of units of government. In this case, however, the speculation — and the resulting unverified report regarding "Local government" in February's "Legislative Action" column — could not have been more wrong.

For the record, the Illinois Press Association has not taken a position on any of the bills to reduce the number of units of government. The IPA did not appear at any of the hearings held around the state.

The first concern of the newspapers of Illinois about local government is not how many units there may be, but that it be open and accountable. Openness and accountability are achieved through access to meetings and public records as well as by publication of appropriate information in public notices.

I am surprised that our association was singled out on this issue since we have never said anything to anyone about it, in sharp contrast to the dozens of representatives of the affected governmental units which have been quite vocal and obvious.

Dave West
Manager
Illinois Press Association

JFK's margin

EDITORS: I wish to register my protest at the statement in Robert Mackay's "Chicago" column in February when he states Mayor Daley "handed John F. Kennedy the state of Illinois in 1960 and gave JFK the margin he needed to win the presidential election." This is not correct. Kennedy received 303 electoral votes — and needed only 269 to win. He could have lost Illinois' 26 votes and still be elected. As Theodore White pointed out in The making of the President-1960, it was Michigan that gave JFK the victory. He stated (p. 346), "Richard Nixon could not be elected no matter how Illinois and California went."

For almost 20 years many media people have perpetuated this myth — including David Broder just a few weeks ago. I expected better from Illinois Issues. Don't you have a World Almanac?

Richard G. Browne
Bloomington, Ill.

Kudos from Knuppel

EDITORS: I read with pathos, the recent article, "Echoes of a Golden Age," by Diane Ross. While the article was not necessarily complimentary to me, I was flattered to be compared with other gladiators of the Illinois General Assembly covering the last 50 years. While I may have used unorthodox methods to achieve goals during my 10-year tenure, I feel that careful objective research will disclose that on quantity and quality of legislation, I have established an unparalleled 10 years as one of the most effective members who ever served without benefit of a leadership position in the Illinois General Assembly.

Thanks again for mentioning my name in the same article with such legislative goliaths as Paul Powell, C. L. McCormick, "Deacon" Davis, Roscoe Cunningham, Bernard Niestein and Hudson Sours.

Maybe sometime at midnight, in the ethereal future, to everyone's amazement and amusement, at midnight on June 30th, the ghost of John L. Knuppel will walk the rotunda and the call of "LAAANGEHOOORN BOOOND" will resound again through the Capitol corridors.

Sen. John L. Knuppel

Recovering used oil

EDITORS: Someone once said, "better you should light a single candle than curse the darkness." So many people today curse the effect without looking at the cause. It is so easy to blame OPEC for our problems. Do you think for one second that things will change simply because we blame OPEC? Their policy toward us won't change until we change. Until we show them some unified approach, other than our willingness to wait in lines for gas, prices will continue to escalate.

What better way to show others our interest in conserving than for every American who is a do-it-yourself oil changer to bring in a gallon of used oil? Every year in the U.S., at least 200 million gallons of used motor oil are dumped or burned. If that were turned in to service stations and recycling centers and re-refined, there would be 150 million gallons of quality lube stock available for the market. The American Petroleum Institute says that we get an average of 1.5% (.63 gallons) of lube oil from a barrel (42 gallons) of crude oil. At that rate, we would need to refine 238 million barrels of crude oil to get 150 million gallons of lube stock.

The National Association of Oil Recovery Coordinators is an association made up of state and federal officials in 36 states dedicated to the recovery and reuse of used oil. This oil not only is hazardous to the environment, but also a needless waste of energy, and the economics to support such waste is staggering. Let's not continue to curse the darkness — but instead light a single candle — recover a single gallon and make it count. Join the several million people already involved in this national effort.

Don Eastep, Director
National Association of
Oil Recovery Coordinators

April 1980/Illinois Issues/17