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LETTERS Build arts education with gambling taxes I read with interest Jennifer Davis' recent articles on how our state has lost ground in arts education (see Illinois Issues, December 1997, pages 6 and 30). At the start of this decade, Illinois was a leader in arts education, but now we have sadly slipped in education arts funding and classes offered. Experts believe teaching music, painting, dance and theater not only makes children more "civilized," but with behaviorally challenged or special needs students, arts education often keeps kids in school! Last year I introduced Senate Bill 425, entitled the "Arts Education and Cultural Enhancement Fund." The legislation provides that 1 percent of the proceeds from the riverboat gambling tax in Illinois be used for arts education. After all, if we are going to tear our culture down with gambling, we should at least try to take some of the proceeds and build it back up at ¦ the other end. My arts education funding bill was introduced to alert the legislature and Illinoisans to the importance of arts to a child's overall education. Arts education assists students with the three R's and their intellectual development.
Kirk W. Dillard Time to focus on community human service providers For several months, members of The Arc of Illinois, individuals with disabilities and their families and friends wrote to their respective legislators. Community providers held open houses to allow the media, the community and legislators to see for themselves what a fantastic and important job they do in providing services to individuals with developmental disabilities. All this was done in hopes of securing a 3 percent [cost of living adjustment] during the fall veto session and the special session called by the governor. We understand that education was a major priority during these past two sessions, but every year this state gives its citizens with disabilities another excuse — another issue — as to why the state cannot, or will not, increase funding for community supports. When the state downsizes its institutions, it looks to community providers for support but will not adequately compensate these same providers.
Tony Paulauski Corrections • Deanna Blackwell, the poet featured in the January 1998 issue, is a student of African Studies, not African-American Studies, at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. She spent a semester studying non-Western literature in Zimbabwe after getting her bachelor's degree in literature from Eastern Illinois University. • Regretfully, we also misspelled Muhammad All's name in that same issue. 40 / February 1998 Illinois Issues
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