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Get control of Toll Editor: Robert Heuer's article on the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (see Illinois Issues, February 1994, page 27) was very revealing. This monster was created by the Illinois General Assembly, and like many monsters is seemingly out of the control of its creators. No other organization in the state of Illinois, private corporation or state agency, enjoys the freedom from public oversight and control as does the Toll Authority. Since its creation, the authority has had a long procession of political hacks overseeing the expansion of this transportation monopoly with little regard to the real transportation and development needs of Chicago and the suburbs. Fueled by years of patronage and political payoffs and protected by their own private armed collectors, in the guise of the Illinois State Highway Patrol, these political predators have thwarted any attempts to rein in their power and return control of this road system to the people of Illinois. In the past, citizens of states have had to appeal to the federal government to correct inequities their own state government refused to address. Examples are to be found in the civil rights and environmental movements, where federal intervention spurred change and restoration of justice. The use of federal environmental regulations to slow down the system's expansion should be considered and perhaps federal law is needed to foster some form of public control over a "toll authority." Then there is always the possibility of the RICO [Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations] statutes having some application, if the activities of those in control of the authority are investigated. If Illinois is to have a balanced transportation system that considers quality of life and the needs of the people, we must gain control of the Illinois State Highway Toll Authority and use that resource for the benefit of all the citizens of the state and not just the politically connected few.
Kenneth L. Bird
Editor: Your recent guest column "New airport needed" (see Illinois Issues, January 1994, page 10) summarily dismisses development of a Midwest regional high-speed rail system, with a Chicago hub. Approximately 20 percent of the flights in and out of O'Hare are less than 200 miles, and 40 percent are less than 400 miles. A network of high-speed trains between the large Midwest cities is a logical and cost effective option that could produce both economic development and environmental quality benefits for the Chicago area. By contrast, Denver's new second airport has been widely viewed as a disaster, which has prompted most public officials, including Frederico Pena, the former Denver mayor and now secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, to state that no new airports should be built for the foreseeable future. Finally, jobs would be created since a significant share of the remaining rail-related manufacturing business in the country is located in the Midwest. The bottom line is clear: The state and region will benefit more from a Chicago-hubbed high-speed rail network than a new airport that is more than an hour's drive from downtown Chicago.
Robert S. Kallen
Editor. Shortcuts don't work. Congress has tried to deal with our social problems such as welfare, unemployment, crime, school dropouts and farm bankruptcies by providing shortcuts. Bills are passed and money appropriated, and the problems get worse. Aid to Children (ADC) was created during the Depression as a "stopgap" until the problem could be studied and a better program organized. Fifty years later we are still paying for the "stopgap." Congress passed the Unemployment Act of 1946 to cope with the problem of the "hard core unemployed." But there has been no follow-up. Building more prisons is a stopgap. There is no "Department of Welfare" in France. There are no dropouts. Our rate of incarceration is six times that of France. Health care is available to everyone in France. As a poor nation it has been forced to take the path of prevention. Can we afford to continue financing "shortcuts"? Isn't it time to take steps to stop the suffering of the poor, the ill and the victims of crime? Isn't it time to follow in the steps of all other industrialized nations and take the road of prevention?
Lillian M. Snyder
Editor. The February guest column by Ed McManus (page 10) did a good job of describing the evolution of attitudes toward children with disabilities and the concerns of those on both sides of the question of "including" these children in "regular" classrooms. However, Mr. McManus' comment that the State Board of Education has "dragged its feet on adopting a position statement supportive of inclusion" was inaccurate. In Illinois, as well as in states throughout the nation, discussion about "inclusion" has generated misinformation and misunderstanding. Last spring, after several months of study by our board, it became evident that teachers, parents, administrators and advocates had very different understandings of the word "inclusion." They also had very different kinds of concerns about its implementation. The State Board decided that instead of adopting a position statement in this environment, it would be better to respond to the questions and concerns of Illinois citizens. We therefore developed a plan for helping everyone understand the concept of inclusion and addressing problems such as funding and safeguarding the rights of students with disabilities. There is no specific timeline for this "information initiative"; instead, we plan to take whatever time is necessary to achieve this understanding. (A general description of the plan is available through the State Board office.) The point is that neither State Board position statements nor federal mandates can produce immediate changes of attitude and practice. Understanding must come first. As members of the State Board, we believe that we must acknowledge confusion and misgivings where they exist and then work aggressively toward the development of an informed public.
We hope that this will eventually lead to schools in which there is no "special education" or "regular education," but only an "appropriate education" for each child.
Lyie Neumann
In the November 1993 issue (page 34) the name for the people of Colombia, Colombians, was incorrectly spelled. Illinois Issues regrets the error and wants to thank Fabio A. Naranjo of Chicago for pointing it out. Readers: Your comments on articles and columns are welcome. Please keep letters brief (250 words); we reserve the right to excerpt them so that as many as space allows can be published. Send your letters to:
Caroline Gherardini, Editor |
12/April 1994/Illinois Issues
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Sam S. Manivong, Illinois Periodicals Online Coordinator |