But magazines are expensive propositions. So in 1973 three people — Sam Gove, Sam Witwer and Paul Simon, with advice and assistance from others — drafted a grant proposal asking the Ford Foundation for the money to get Illinois Issues off the ground. From the beginning they envisioned a publication with provocative articles not likely to be found in the daily press and a product guided by a diverse advisory board well- seasoned in Illinois public affairs.

Well, the Ford Foundation approved a grant, and Illinois Issues published its first issue in January 1975. Bill Day, the first publisher, and Mike Lennon describe in the pullout section in the middle of this magazine more details about Illinois Issues' early days. We also reveal in this section the 10 winners of the 1995 Award for Extraordinary Public Service, and on the tearout card, we invite your reactions to this list.

A special word of thanks to you, our readers, for your encouragement, support and interest in the past two decades. Your expressions of dependence on our product make us continually aware of our responsibility to analyze Illinois government reliably and fairly, but in the end, we know we have an interdependent relationship with you. We know we have to satisfy you. We also know that providing a balanced perspective is the only way to go because our readers, like our board, are a well-educated group of Republicans and Democrats, social activists and corporate executives, as well as academics and career public officials. And there are others, too — many people who seek a better handle on what Illinois government is doing.

I hope you enjoy the special pullout section that helps you review the past 20 years. Our commitment to you in the future is to live up to our reputation as the state's best public affairs magazine by defying conventional wisdom, getting beyond the spin and keeping you abreast of what's really happening.

Elsewhere in this issue, you'll find our features on affirmative action timely. Michael Hawthorne examines the political and social currents that underlie the current debate (see page 10), and Mary A. Mitchell, in a first-person essay, details the positive effects of affirmative action in her life (see page 15).

In response to your requests for more personality profiles, this issue also features the career of Terry Gainer, the director of the Illinois State Police. But it's no ordinary profile. It's the story of a leader whose troops don't like everything he's doing (see page 18).

Finally, Jennifer Halperin, our Statehouse bureau chief, has an interesting piece about the growing Orthodox Jewish community in Chicago's West Rogers Park. Many younger people are attracted to the strong family sense in the neighborhood (see page 26). 

Many readers say no to taxes for college sports
In September our Question of the Month asked you whether any tax dollars should be used by Illinois universities to pay for part or all of their intercollegiate athletic programs.

Nearly three-fourths of the respondents said no.

The typical reason given was that the money would be better spent on other educational programs. Several readers said that tax revenue should be spent on "education," and intercollegiate sports is considered by some to be entertainment, not education.

"Alumni foundations should fund athletic programs," a Springfield reader wrote. "In today's world of rising taxes, the revenues generated should go to educate, not entertain."

A suburban reader, echoing the thoughts of several others, said, "There is too much emphasis on sports today. Sports are important and entertaining, but not necessary when using state tax dollars."

Several readers said intercollegiate sports don't assist enough students, and more funding should be allocated to intramural sports that attract participation from more students. And a few readers called college sports training camps for the National Football League and National Basketball Association, and said these pro sports leagues should help fund the college programs.

On the other hand, a number of readers expressed great support for tax-supported college athletic programs. A Carol Stream reader explained that sports can be educational: "I believe [that sports] is part of the overall upbringing and education of a person. This is something everyone can participate in if they wish, either as a participant or as an observer and fan. It teaches teamwork and supporting something with other people."

Several readers consider sports a legitimate extracurricular activity. A Wheaton reader said sports are "just like participating in the band, theater department, student governance, etc. Each of these is supported in part by taxes." 

Ed Wojcicki

November 1995/Illinois Issues/3