14 The Rock River Times • Feb. 11-17,L 2015
n n n Robots can be dangerous
Face it — this whole robotic science movement has me frightened. We have all seen how robotic “arms” manufacture autos on the assembly lines. They are very dangerous should a live worker get in a robot’s way. Last week, according to NOVA (PBSTV) scientists have created a more flexible “arm” designed after the no-bones trunk of an elephant. They have also used the wisdom of evolution to copy the stability of certain animals (think mountain goats) to create machines that can carry military equipment over rough terrain — something tanks and present-day haulers cannot do. The program also featured hamburger-sized drones that have the capability to circle something (like a skier lost in the mountains) and are much more reliable than helicopters. Should the programmer shut down one of these mini-robots, the others will automatically rearrange themselves to make up the loss. Are these bugs thinking? When one imagines this in the far future — not so. In present-day Swedish nursing homes, the patients are assigned robots (just the upper half of a human body) to each room. These robots converse with the patient, and can regularly take their vital signs and relay them back to the main nursing station. The patients really like them, and furthermore, their relatives are assuaged from the guilt of having to visit grandma. Cost? About $6,000. In a robotic research lab out East, pre-schoolers were privately placed in rooms with cheerful, friendly robots, and they quickly connected verbally, even had a few laughs. Then, behind a one-way glass window, the programmer pulled the plug. The reaction of the tot was immense! It was as if a parent or a pet had died. The conclusion was that a small child cannot discern the difference between living people and robots. Could that also be true of the elderly? And when this artificial intelligence becomes even more sophisticated, will we also prefer our robots? Just because robot scientists can “go there” does not mean they should. Robotic science, in a very real sense, demeans humans. There are simply too many evil people in this world to trust this advancement. Think of what they can, and no doubt will, do. Alice Kaczmarek Rockford
n n n Response to Village Administrator Tim Savage and trustees
The article in the Rockford Register Star, “My View,” on Jan. 18, 2015, by Machesney Park Village Administrator Tim Savage, Jerry Bolin, trustees Kate Tammen, Tom Yoe and Erick Beck, is not telling the whole story. Approximately three years ago, the Village of Machesney Park had the opportunity to trade the park north of the quarries along Highway 251 on the north end of Machesney Park for approximately 10 acres of land south of the quarries, which included one enclosed salt shed, one open salt shed, one heated building that would have housed any and all equipment the Village owns, one nice office, approximately 10 acres of land, and a small house that could have been used for storage or other Village uses. Savage will tell you the property is contaminated, and this is not true; the lower half that is not used floods from time to time, but it does not affect the 10 acres for the trade. If the property is contaminated and it is not, then Savage should have done his job and made them clean it up. All the village uses the park for now is a dump site. This would have saved the taxpayers $140,000 to build a salt shed that was built in a very inappropriate area. It would have saved the residents $900,000 to buy the Penney’s property and all costs to update the property and all costs to update the property, which could be in the millions. It may even be possible to make this trade and save the residents money today. There are many jobs in the village that should have been outsourced and many that should be outsourced that are not. Why does the Village not use the TIF to fund out lots in front of the mall instead of trying to fix up an old rundown Penney’s building? What a waste of taxpayers’ money. To my recollection, the TIF by the Lowe’s building comes due this year, and how are Mr. Bolin and Mr. Savage going to pay for this TIF? If it were not for the article in the RR Star on the purchasing of the Penney’s store, I would be willing to bet you the residents would still not have known about this purchase. I am tired of getting halftruths from Village Hall raising taxes without notifying the residents. I am tired of this mayor, village administrator and board spending taxpayers’ money foolishly. If Bolin and his group feel so strongly about the Penney’s project, put
Letters to the Editor
it on a referendum and let the residents decide, not six lonely political people. I have talked to many village residents that are so disgusted with the people at Village Hall, they want nothing to do with them. The closed-lip and closeddoor policy that Bolin and his group have, who knows what surprise comes next, and how are the residents to know what is going on in the village when Jerry Bolin, Kate Tammen, Tom Yoe, Erick Beck and Tim Savage do not communicate with the residents to let the residents know what is going on? When I was mayor, one of the biggest complaints I had about Tim Savage was his communication skills. He had meetings with the trustees unknown to me. A good example of this was when he met with the trustees about the utility tax behind my back because I was against the tax. And I found out about his meetings with the trustees the Friday before the Monday meeting when the board was going to vote on it. I immediately contacted the press, and they got the message out, and about 70 residents attended the meeting protesting the new utility tax. I received many phone calls and letters protesting this tax, and I passed them on to the board members, and as usual they paid no attention to the residents and passed the utility tax anyway. In my opinion, this has been the mind frame of this administration since elected and hired personnel think they know everything and the residents know nothing. This mind frame must stop, and this administration needs to start listening to the residents and as far as the view in the RR Star on Jan. 18, 2015 by Savage, Bolin, Tammen, Beck and Yoe sent in that attacked me. I do not care; I am used to it by this mayor, Savage and most of the trustees. The Penney’s purchase is very bad for the economy and residents of Machesney Park, and they should not buy Penney’s. Tom Strickland Machesney Park, Illinois This letter is a response to the guest column by Tim Rollins entitled “The Age of the Trolls” from Feb. 4.
n n n Rollins has questions to answer
Although I have great respect for investigative journalists, I have never said I was one. Instead, I am a taxpayer who believes academic education is vital to the lifeblood of our society. Instead, I am a retired teacher, a plain Jane but not a simple one! I have taught 6-12th grade English, ESL,
French, science, drama, and speech to gifted and below average students from privileged and impoverished homes. All of my teaching experience was in the public school sector so I do feel qualified to speak and write as a concerned citizen for the grim state of public education in Rockford. It’s not just a whim or fanciful notion because I also was one of the top 10 teachers in Illinois for Those Who Excel so I know about excellence and relevance in the classroom. Of course, I was chagrined to be called a troll when a leprechaun speaks more to my Irish roots. I just happen to be wise enough to understand the double entendre of calling me an Internet troll and the disfigured Norwegian spirit. But, this aged troll’s voice will not be silenced by such a public figure as Mr. Rollins, who is afraid of criticism even when it was not directed at him or his wife. Demeaning others is what you do, Mr. Rollins. I choose to question and analyze the problems that loom in this district and will continue to speak and search for the Truth. Now, I will give substance to what you have characterized as innuendo by me. Fact #1: Children sat in the classrooms at Riverdahl with coats, hats, and gloves on and the parents were not contacted. Specific facts on Jan. 7 WREX broadcast. Fact #2: A third-grader at Rolling Green Elementary was denied a school lunch and given crackers. Fact #3: Under Dr. LaVonne Seffield, one person, Mark Bonne, a part-time secretary, Vince Vitale as Audio-Visual specialist & Amber Ellis as a copy writer were the entire Communications Staff. Now, we have two PR firms on retainer: KMK Media and GrahamSpencer, as well as Earl Dotson, as the Chief of Communications. Cathy Bayer, Mary Kaull, and Emily Trott were hired from the RRStar as district employees, although Ms. Trott works in another department. Now, the district also employs Alan Leon, Jennifer Thompson, Monica Cordon, and Angela Lundine, which doubles the size of the past department. Unfortunately, it was impossible to attain a current list employees in the department on line so we had to call the department which was reluctant to give the names and duties of the employees. Fact #4: 46 grams of suspected heroin were found at Jefferson High School and