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LETTERSLawmakers needed to go one more step The substance abuse prevention and treatment agencies, as well as the individuals interested in substance abuse issues who comprise the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association, commend the General Assembly for passage of several pieces of legislation for our field that were not mentioned in the June 1997 edition of Illinois Issues. It is a victory for Secretary of State George Ryan and the citizens of Illinois that the legislature finally supported lowering the state's BAC (blood alcohol concentration) level for determining DUI from .10 to .08 (see page 9), as well as a measure to allow graduated licensing of teenage drivers. Victims of alcohol- related accidents were also recognized with the passage of legislation to revamp the current dram shop law to raise damages victims' families can receive and to allow compensation for the families of nonworking victims. Legislation was also passed that will overhaul the state's welfare system. Aid to Families with Dependent Children, and replace it with the new Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program effective July 1 in order to comply with federal welfare reform . In this bill the state exercised its option to allow individuals convicted of drug-related felonies to retain their eligibility for food stamps. This is laudable because removal of federal benefits would serve as a roadblock to individuals seeking substance abuse treatment and/or working to retain sobriety and maintain intact families; it also would create a financial burden for the state. Unfortunately, the General Assembly did not act on one item of importance to community-based substance abuse prevention and treatment providers: a cost of doing business adjustment for the next fiscal year. It is a travesty that the legislature failed to place any priority on this issue. As the state moves ahead with implementation of the Department of Human Services, it is paramount that a partnership be established between the state and community-based providers. It is unconscionable for the state to rely on these providers to deliver quality services and then weaken the service infrastructure by ignoring reasonable adjustments for increased expenses. A partnership can only be accomplished if the state is willing to commit funds necessary to maintain efficient services without compromising quality.
Irene H. Gainer
A's for Daniels and Philip I tried not to laugh out loud while reading the laments of your editors and columnists regarding the defeat of the Edgar/Madigan tax hike (see Illinois Issues, June 1997, pages 8 and 42). Jennifer Davis quoting Sen. Art Berman saying "Shame on us. Shame on us" was simply too much for me to bear: I laughed long and hard. Your publication didn't bother to make the pretense of being objective during the legislative debate, so the wails following the defeat of "your" side come as no surprise. Still, it showed a disturbing lack of professionalism. The Edgar/Madigan tax hike plan deserved to fail. It would have central- 34 / September 1997 Illinois Issues ized funding of schools, a tendency known to reduce accountability and student achievement. It would have raised spending, when there is little evidence that a lack of funds is the real problem public schools face. Its promise of tax relief was a chimera, likely to disappear after a few years. And its promise of "spending equity" was little more than an appeal to envy and 1960s-style egalitarianism, things voters rightly outgrew a long time ago. A reader foolish enough to rely on Illinois Issues for coverage of the school reform debate would not have seen any of these ideas mentioned during the past year, much less seriously debated. "Shame on you. Shame on you." Lee Daniels and James "Pate" Philip deserve "A's" for standing up for local control, accountability and taxpayers. Jim Edgar, Michael Madigan and Illinois Issues deserve "F's" for putting ideology ahead of real reform.
Joseph L. Bast
No property lax relief for small businesses Missing from the debate on the education funding reform plan considered by the General Assembly in the spring legislative session was discussion of a critical flaw. It sought to raise income taxes on individuals by 25 percent to provide more funds for schools and to provide property tax relief to residential property owners. However, under the proposal passed by the House, thousands of small businesses in Illinois would be singled out for a 25 percent tax increase while receiving no property tax relief. More than 267,000 small businesses in our state pay their business' income tax at the individual rate of 3 percent because they have not organized themselves as corporations. (Corporations were excluded from the plan's income tax increase and property tax relief.) These businesses would have had their income taxes increased, along with individuals, yet their businesses would not qualify for the residential-only property tax relief. The result is a $128 million tax increase on small employers with no benefit on property tax bills. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is leading the fight to treat small businesses fairly in any school funding reform plan. Illinois' small businesses — the family-owned merchants, the personal service providers, the restaurants and the small manufacturers in our communities — should not be singled out as the only class of taxpayer to receive an income tax increase without receiving property tax relief. They work hard to be the "economic engines" of this state, to grow their businesses and provide new jobs. They have been the key in the creation of more than 100,000 new jobs in Illinois in each of the past four years, leading to record employment levels. Legislators who opposed the school funding plan rightly recognized its negative impact on small businesses struggling to stay afloat in a fiercely competitive economy. The Illinois Chamber urges the legislature to address this issue in any subsequent discussions on school funding reform. We are committed to working with the governor's office and legislative leaders to address this concern, something that can be resolved with a touch of a pen to the legislation.
Dennis R. Whetstone
Proponents, media did not clarify the tax plan I read with interest the article about Mike Lawrence (see Illinois Issues, May 1997, page 20), who is joining the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He sounds like a person worthy of being associated with [former U.S. Sen.] Paul Simon. I want to take exception to the statement in the article that says the plan to reform education funding recommended by a commission headed by former University of Illinois President Stanley Ikenberry "called for a huge state income tax increase." The "huge" increase was in actuality .75 percent of income, the tax now being 3 percent (one of the smallest state income taxes). What one was hearing and reading in the news was that the recommended tax was 25 percent. This statement killed it, and the proponents could not, or did not, get across the point that it was only three-fourths of 1 percent. The same thing was done when [1994 gubernatorial candidate] Dawn Clark Netsch recommended a 1.25 percent increase in the income tax, which was touted as a 42 percent rise. This is the sloppiest of sloppy journalism.
Lillian Adams
Home schooling a parental rights issue Home schooling has in the past 10 years or more become a discussed issue (see Illinois Issues, July/August 1997, page 30). Our family has home taught for five years. We have five children, and we have chosen this as the best way to educate our children. Illinois Issues September 1997 / 35 We feel that each child is a responsibility to his or her parents. As such, we as parents must take all areas of our children's lives seriously. Education is a big part of each child's life. The concern I read in your web page was one of home schoolers not being held accountable to the state for the education of their children. I propose that each parent is responsible to the community, state, country, world and, most of all, to God for the education of their children. If I raise my children without the ability to read and write, I am raising people who are a drain on society as a whole. The main point is that I am responsible because the children are mine, not the state's. As home schoolers, we are considered a private school. Just as a private school, we are not policed by the state. This has not been a problem as far as I can see from the families I have had contact with. Most families that choose to keep their children at home do so because they care about their education. A lot of time and thought goes into a year of home teaching. I think that the main issue is parental rights. I would pose a question to those who think that we home teachers are underregulated: Where are the children who are suffering from being at home all day with loving parents? Do these children suffer more than children who spend a few hours in the evening and on weekends with their parents?
Dianna Long
Justice delayed is justice denied The grievance of the African-American community that precipitated the filing of a federal case over the new Chicago ward map was based upon rudimentary facts. The 1990 decennial census determined that more African Americans resided in Chicago than whites, a fact that would lead one to fairly expect that a new ward map would carve out more wards with African-American voting majorities than white. Despite the demographic facts, the new minority (white) powerbrokers drew a map that resulted in several more white-majority wards than black, more than numerically supportable. Two ward maps emerged from the remap process. First, the "fairness map," as it was called, which was supported by African-American aldermen and other leaders. It more nearly reflected census data in the number of black-majority wards created than its rival. The other map, confusingly named after fairness, the so-called "equity map," was approved by Chicago voters by public referendum. The equity map was upheld in June by U.S. District Court Judge Brian Duff. The lines of both maps gerrymandered ward districts into irregularly shaped "ragcloth" that reflected the reality of remap villainy and the political tug-of- war for power that produced them. The gerrymandered maps were litigated for years at a cost of about $10 million to Chicago taxpayers. The equity map and the city of Chicago were represented by a well-respected and talented Chicago-based law firm, Jenner & Block, which has won the 5-year-old court battle for the power of Chicago. The deafening message sent by the belated lower court remap decision is that a major dispute challenging the fundamental fairness of representative government and legislative apportionment cannot be heard and resolved in a timely manner by the judicial branch of government. Judicial stultification is no less destructive to the rule of law than jury nullification. Courtroom "Jennerblocking" like legislative gerrymandering enervate public confidence in political institutions and the law. Unfairness, whether real or perceived, followed by justice delayed and thereby denied, cannot and will not withstand the rigors of racial, political and economic pressures that must be fairly accommodated if society is to remain civilized.
James E. Gierach
Negative legislation does more harm than good I am deeply concerned with the reaction to the changes in our current welfare system. My fears are based on reality and facts. As of July 1, hundreds of thousands of people will be shifted to a new system that has uncertainties and little hope for the future. We have a government that is rich in resources, but does little to help the unfortunate, the poor, the widows and the fatherless. However, our government does a real good job at passing negative legislation that does more harm to society than good. I have some questions to ask our government leaders: When our shelters get full, where will the homeless go? Could they go live in the White House? Or live in Springfield at our state Capitol? Or better yet, live at the homes of our elected officials for whom we cast our votes every election day?
Mary Hartsjield. Home schooling done not need to be expensive Your article on home schooling is interesting (see Illinois Issues, July/ August, page 30), yet one statement seemed to be misleading. Dorothy Werner says, "When someone asks me what it costs to home school, I say about $50,000. If I were in the work force, I would probably be making that much, maybe more." Werner didn't lose any money. She gave up earning it, for her children's sake. My wife home schooled our youngest son for seven years. There is so much help amongst the home schoolers that actual expenses are minimal. We didn't spend more than $100 per year for the materials that we needed. My wife did give up working, and we did struggle financially, but our son's education was more important. Public school education teaches down to the student. Students can only handle so much seems to be the motto of the NEA. Home school materials treat the student with respect and are designed to push, even accelerate the student's education. Students will excel when excellence is demanded of them. Public education materials do not make those demands; private education materials do.
Bill Cormier
36 / September 1997 Illinois Issues |
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Sam S. Manivong, Illinois Periodicals Online Coordinator |
