Opinion
John Rung President and Publisher
Dan McCaleb Group Editor
Jason Schaumburg Editor
Monday, June 24, 2013 • Page A9 • Northwest Herald • NWHerald.com 8SKETCH VIEW
8ANOTHER VIEW
Solution? Vote out incumbents Feeling contrarian? Have for some time? Care to drive yourself mad or perhaps just enjoy a belly laugh? Fire up a search engine and plug in this phrase: “Illinois business climate.” The St. Louis Business Journal in January 2012 reported a study by The Tax Foundation saying Illinois’ desirability in terms of tax climate fell 12 places from the previous year. Just last month, The Huffington Post reported a national survey of CEOs (published in CEO Magazine) identified Illinois as the nation’s third worst state to do business in. Only New York and California finished lower. But, again just last month, Crain’s Chicago Business had a different take. It reported that Good Jobs First, a Washington-based nonprofit, determined that such surveys focus too much on taxes and omit other important information. Crain’s even said its own 2011 analysis found Illinois has a healthier business climate than its neighbors. So there you have it; everything’s just fine. It certainly is not, and here’s why. It’s been about 22 years since Gov. Jim Edgar left office with a positive balance in the general fund and the state’s long-term debt not looming like a giant black hole. Since then we’ve seen new or increased taxes on everything from candy to cigarettes. Gambling in certain taverns and truck stops is now legal. And then there’s that 67 percent “temporary” income tax increase. The underfunded public pension crisis is approaching $100 billion. The state is routinely $7 billion to $9 billion behind on bills now due. It is clear that at this moment, blame rests squarely on Democrats. They went into the spring session with an elected governor not under federal investigation and supermajority numbers in both chambers. And they did nothing to address the state’s pension crisis. The question isn’t about Illinois business climate. The question is why haven’t we, the electorate, tossed every single incumbent out on his or her bottom? (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan
8LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORY U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam R-6th District 2700 International Drive, Suite 304, West Chicago, IL 60185 630-232-0006 Fax: 630-893-9735 227 Cannon House Ofice Building Washington, DC 20515 202-225-4561 Web: roskam.house.gov U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren R-14th District 332 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-2976 Fax: 202-225-0697 Web: hultgren.house.gov Gov. Pat Quinn 207 Statehouse Springield, IL 62706 800-642-3112 governor@state.il.us www.illinois.gov State Sen. Pamela Althoff R-32nd District 5400 West Elm Street, Suite 103 McHenry, IL 60050 815-455-6330 M103E State House Springield, IL 62706 217-782-8000 Fax: 217-782-9586 pamela@pamelaalthoff.net State Sen. Dan Duffy R-26th District 330 E. Main St. Suite 301 Barrington, IL 60010 847-277-7100 105D Capitol Building Springield, IL 62706 217-782-8010 State Sen. Karen McConnaughay R-33th District 81 S. McLean Blvd. South Elgin, IL 60177 (847) 214-8245 303A Stratton Building Springield, IL 62706 (217) 782-1977 State Rep. Jack Franks D-63rd District 1193 S. Eastwood Drive Woodstock, IL 60098 815-334-0063 Fax: 815-334-9147 267 S. Stratton Building Springield, IL 62706 217-782-1717 Fax: 217-557-2118 jack@jackfranks.org State Rep. Michael Tryon R-66th District 1500 Carlemont Drive, Suite D 815-459-6453 Fax: 815-455-8284 244-W Stratton Building Springield, IL 62706 217-782-0432 Fax: 217-782-1275 mike@miketryon.com
State Rep. Barb Wheeler R-64th District 37 E. Grand Ave., Suite 101 Fox Lake, IL 60020 847-973-0064 214-N Stratton Ofice Building Springield, IL 62706 (217) 782-1664 repwheeler64@gmail.com State Rep. David McSweeney R-52nd District 105 E. Main St. Cary, IL 60013 847-516-0052 226-N Stratton Ofice Building Springield, IL 62706 ilhouse52@gmail.com State Rep. Timothy Schmitz R-65, Geneva 127 Hamilton St. Suite D Geneva, IL 60134 630-845-9590 224-N Stratton Ofice Building Springield, IL 62706 217-782-5457 timschmitz.org Tina Hill Chairman, McHenry County Board McHenry County Government Center 2200 N. Seminary Ave. Woodstock, IL 60098 Phone: 815-334-4221 Fax: 815-338-3991 TRHill@co.mchenry.il.us President Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20500 202-456-1414, Comment: 202-456-1111 www.whitehouse.gov U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin 230 S. Dearborn Kluczynski Federal Building Suite 3892 Chicago, IL 60604 312-353-4952 711 Hart Senate Ofice Building Washington, DC 20510 202-224-2152 www.durbin.senate.gov U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk 387 Russell Senate Ofice Building Washington DC, 20510 Phone: 202-224-2854 Fax: 202-228-4611 230 South Dearborn Suite 3900 Chicago, IL 60604 Phone: 312-886-3506
Editorial Board: John Rung, Dan McCaleb, Jason Schaumburg, Kevin Lyons, Jon Styf, Kate Schott, Stacia Hahn
8IT’S YOUR WRITE Bunch of cowards To the Editor: Whether you agree with him or not, the Rev. Brian Grady at least has some backbone. That’s more than I can say for most of the men in our society today. We are raising a bunch of cowards who are afraid to take a stand for truth and righteousness as seen in the word of God. People are entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own truth. Man up, men. Rev. Scott K Barrettsmith Sr. Senior pastor Spring Grove Bible Fellowship Church
Recalling unpleasant week To the Editor: Long before parents routinely told their children about inappropriate touching of others – at least my parents did not tell me – at age 11, I spent an unpleasant summer week at a Boy Scouts of America camp in Wisconsin. For many years, I believed that I was just very homesick because I had never previously been away from home other than spending summer weeks at the homes of
my cousins. Upon reflection of that summer week in 1952, we were assigned to two-person tents. Now, I believe what made that week so negative of an experience for me occurred when my tentmate and I visited another tent, in which the tent’s occupants were happily engaging in the groping of other Scouts genitals. After witnessing this activity, I immediately left that tent. I did not want to participate in this groping activity that just did not feel right to me. I just wanted to go home. I never told my parents about the genital groping because I did not know at age 11 that it was inappropriate. I quit the Boy Scouts before age 12. Robert Gebhardt Johnsburg
On teacher pensions To the Editor: According to the June 6 letter, “Pension payment outrage,” writer Nancy Hardwick doesn’t think that retired teachers in Illinois deserve their pensions – retired teachers who worked for years at low sala-
How to sound off We welcome original letters on public issues. Letters must include the author’s full name, home address and day and evening telephone numbers. We limit letters to 250 words and one published letter every 30 days. All letters are subject to editing
ries are now depriving taxpayers of their basic necessities. I am a retired teacher and a taxpayer. I also paid union dues and into the Teacher Retirement System all of the years that I taught. My workweek was never 40 hours; it was 60 hours or more: making lesson plans, having conferences, doing supervision and after-school activities, correcting papers and assigning grades; all of which took place in the evenings or on weekends. Most teachers spend three times as many hours outside the classroom as they do inside the classroom. Summer vacations are usually spent returning to college for courses directly related to improving one’s teaching.
for length and clarity at the sole discretion of the editor. Submit letters by: • E-mail: letters@nwherald.com • Mail: Northwest Herald “It’s Your Write” Box 250 Crystal Lake, IL 60039-0250
Remember that the teachers did not create the fiasco in Springfield. The lawmakers have not paid into TRS for many years. Gov. Rod Blagojevich didn’t start robbing the TRS; he just perfected it. The TRS has subsidized its own annuitants for many years. The money meant for the TRS went to the general fund, which benefited everyone in Illinois. Today’s teachers pay as much as 18 percent of their salary into a system that may never provide them with a pension. There are various options available to us after high school. Ms. Hardwick could have gone into teaching. By the way, if you’re able to read this letter, thank a retired teacher. Raymond La Francis McHenry
How the office of vice president came to be On this day (June 24) in 1788, delegate to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, John Dawson, voiced his strong objections to Virginia ratifying the U.S. Constitution, which had been laboriously drafted in the summer of 1787 at the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention. Among Dawson’s numerous objections, which he shared with his more famous Antifederalists convention colleagues (especially the ever-popular Patrick Henry and the studious George Mason), was his concern that creating the vice president office blatantly violated what Dawson claimed – in what was a long, rambling speech – was the timehonored “political fact” that “the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial powers, should be separate and distinct.” He went on to imply that the office of vice president was not needed, was superfluous, and, therefore, should be eliminated. Despite strong Anti-federalist opposition in the Virginia ratifying convention, Virginia ratified the Constitution on June 25, 1788, by an underwhelming vote of 89-79. However, opposition to the creation, existence and the usefulness of the office of vice president is still heard. The framers of the U.S. Constitution created the office almost as an afterthought. Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 of the Constitution states that each state shall appoint electors who “shall ... vote by Ballot for two persons. ... The Person having the greatest of Votes shall be the
ON THIS DAY Joseph C. Morton President,” and the person receiving the second-highest number of votes “shall be Vice President.” In the Constitution, the vice president was explicitly given only three duties: 1. Succeed to the presidency if the president dies, resigns or is impeached and removed from office (nine vice presidents have succeeded to the presidency in this manner – eight through the death of the president, and one through the president’s resignation); 2. Serve as presiding officer of the Senate; 3. Cast tiebreaking votes in the Senate. Partly because of the nature and structure of the office, many men who have occupied the office of vice president are not well known and, in many instances, did not play significant roles or have political clout during their terms in office. However, there also were many vice presidents who were prominent and influential. There have been 47 vice presidents to date. By party affiliation, there was one Federalist (John Adams), two Whig (John Tyler and Millard Fillmore), six DemocraticRepublican (most notably, Thomas Jefferson), 18 Democratic and 20 Republican. Most vice presidents have been well known and
8THE FIRST AMENDMENT
politically experienced figures (at least at the local and state level) in their own right. In addition to those who eventually succeeded to the presidency, a list of prominent, influential and famous or infamous vice presidents should include Aaron Burr, John C. Calhoun (one of the two vice presidents to have resigned while in office), John Nance Garner, Henry A. Wallace, Alben W. Barkley, Hubert Humphrey, Spiro Agnew (the second veep to have resigned while in office), Nelson Rockefeller, Al Gore and Dick Cheney. There are six living U.S. vice presidents: Walter Mondale (served under Jimmy Carter), George H.W. Bush (served under Ronald Reagan), Dan Quayle (served under George H.W. Bush), Al Gore (served under Bill Clinton), Dick Cheney (served under George W. Bush) and Joe Biden (serving under Barack Obama). During most of U.S. history, most vice presidents did not play significant or influential roles. However, since World War II, the office of vice president has assumed the importance it now enjoys. Since 1948, the list of prominent, well known and influential vice presidents includes Alben Barkley, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Nelson Rockefeller, George H.W. Bush and Dick Cheney. • Crystal Lake resident Joseph C. Morton is professor emeritus at Northeastern Illinois University. Email him at demjcm@comcast.
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