Sunday, March 24, 2013
Letter to the Editor: "I think it is time we follow private industry’s lead, and move government pensions to a defined contribution plan."
Dear Editor, Illinois faces a pension liability conservatively placed at $95 billion. Gov. Pat Quinn and his legislative leaders have finally recognized the problems caused by years of offering too many pension sweeteners without meeting state funding obligations. It is unfortunate that their rhetoric has — so far — not been accompanied by action. Quinn has neithe rproduced his own plan nor rounded up votes for other plans and, quite frankly, I’m getting fed up. Further clouding the issue are claims by House Speaker Michael Madigan that suburban and downstate school districts are receiving a “free lunch” from the state in terms of paying teachers’ pensions costs. The Speaker and other Chicago leaders are pushing a proposal to shift those …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
A Chicago parent of three students calls the virtual charter school "the best decision we’ve ever made" and urges parents to support the proposed Illinois Virtual Charter School in the Fox River Valley.
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Wednesday, March 20
My name is Chris Boyle, and I attended the forum Sunday afternoon at Congregational Church of Geneva regarding K12’s initiative to establish an Illinois Virtual Charter School in Fox River Valley which would encompass 18 school districts. In regard to the remark that charter schools that use the K12 curriculum are consistently behind their peers of traditional public schools, I invite you to view the article from Chicago Magazine. Chicago Magazine identified the top public schools in Chicago; Cook, DuPage, Lake and Kane counties. Chicago Virtual Charter School ranked 14th in the city, which included the selective public powerhouse high schools of Northside College Prep, Walter Payton College Prep and Whitney Young Magnet. CVSC is a non-…
Monday, March 18, 2013
"This is not about a parent’s choice and free will; it’s about making money off of our hard earned tax dollars where we all need every dime and resource to go to our kids," says a concerned resident in an area affected by the application of the online cha
There have been many articles lately about the proposed virtual online program that may be offered by a for profit company that has no direct responsibility to our school districts if implemented. This proposal to allow this organization into our communities has become deeply troubling to me for many good reasons. This proposal by the company that is making such an offer is known as the Illinois Virtual Academy at Fox River Valley (VLS) that would fall under the controversial umbrella of K12, Inc. The VLS Company would be a start up here in our state and has no past experience in this type of education which is a major concern in itself. I have found many troubling articles about K12, Inc. that discuss concerning practices, multiple …
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Wheaton resident writes in support of Peter Roskam's views related to the fiscal cliff.
- OPINION
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Wednesday, January 9
Congress: Job Half Done? While it was good to see some solution to the 'fiscal cliff' situation from Congress, does anyone really question that Congress has only completed half of the task before them? The Obama Administration calls for a 'balanced approach' but only really desired to address increased revenues. We all know that revenues alone will not solve the problem. I agree with my Congressman, Peter Roskam of the 6th District, when he calls for curbing 'out of control' spending. Roskam believes that the only way our economy will rebound is to put in place a strong economic foundation. That foundation must be built with measurable spending cuts. Is it unreasonable to think that our federal government is immune to the same budget …
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Letter to the Editor: Batavia resident endorses St. Charles School Board member over Jim Oberweis in the Nov. 6 General Election.
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Saturday, October 27, 2012
To the editor, I have the pleasure of knowing Corrine Pierog, a candidate for the Illinois Senate in the 25th District, and heartily endorse her for that position. Corrine offers a fresh new alternative to the usual list of political candidates. Her experience working with nonprofit organizations has taught her about being a prudent money manager when funds are limited, a much needed trait to bring to Springfield. Her experiences as a current member of the St. Charles School Board, a businesswoman, a former teacher and a Director of an organization that supports opportunities for children with developmental disabilities, make her a well-rounded individual who will empathize and relate to a broad range of constituents. With all the news …
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Says U.S. Representative is working for constituents.
Instead of offering solutions to our high unemployment rate, the Obama administration has been exploiting the millions who are out of work by encouraging them to envy those who are financially better off for their own political purposes. The Obama administration and lawmakers who agree with the President’s policies are not bringing us out of these tough economic times. That’s why I support Congressman Peter Roskam. He is working hard for the businesses and his constituents here in the 6th District by holding job fairs, listening to the needs of small business job creators, and voting for commonsense solutions to spurring job creation, like the Red Tape Reduction Act. Our values teach us not to envy others or covet another’s property. A …
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Letter to the Editor: Pierog "will honestly fight for a better life for people with disabilities."
- OPINION
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Thursday, October 4, 2012
To the Editor: As a parent of an autistic son, it’s hard to find a state legislator, who is willing to understand the issues that special needs parents face on a daily basis and has the experience to provide solutions on how to help families, not continue to live in a state, which is ranked near the bottom in the nation, in providing education and services to people with Developmental Disabilities. I first met Corinne Pierog, when she ran against John Milner for State Senate in 2008. As a parent advocate for my son, on things related to autism, what I immediately noticed and liked about her, was her experience and knowledge about disability issues and her passion to help families like mine, even though she has no children with disabilities…
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
To send a letter to the editor, email it to ted.schnell@patch.com.
Recently I had an enlightening visit with Leslie Coolidge, our Democratic Congressional candidate in the 6th District. Leslie spelled out her goals for serving in Congress. She explained how she would propose to cut Medicare costs and improve the image of the U.S. in the world. Her view is that the U.S. is still the only superpower, and with focused leadership, there is no reason we cannot have a very bright future. Investing in our infrastructure is very important to Leslie. A green economy can provide new jobs. Leslie said she wishes she could talk to all 6th Congressional District voters face-to-face. Meeting Leslie has convinced me that we have a chance for positive change in the U.S. House of Representatives. We can make a …
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Recently retired McDonough County coroner throws his support to candidate in Kane County race.
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Wednesday, August 22, 2012
To Whom It May Concern: I am wrting to encourage all voters to become aware of one of your candiates for the Office of Kane County Coroner. I am a recently retired county coroner after serving for 28 years as coroner. I have had four county coroners serving in two different counties since 1972. I served as President of the Illinois Coroners & Medical Examiners Association in 1992 and served over 20 years as a board member.. I have served on the Necropsy Board that oversaw the conduct of coroners offices across Illinois. I am a past member of the International Coroners & Medical Examiners Association. During this time I have had the pleasure meeting and working with numerous coroners. Each elected or appointed official operates his or her …
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Glen Ellyn Patch welcomes letters to the editor. Letters may be submitted to Local editor Mary Ann Lopez at maryl@patch.com.
Peter Roskam for the 6th District I am eager to elect men and women to Congress that truly want to represent their constituents. Congressman Peter Roskam has been doing just that, fighting to create jobs and put a stop to excessive regulations that are hurting small businesses right here in Illinois. He supports the Red Tape Reduction Act, which would bring relief to businesses here in Illinois that are swamped with burdensome and sometimes unnecessary regulations. As a lifelong Illinoisan, Peter has been working hard for the residents of the 6th district in the fight for commonsense economic policies here and across the country. Peter Roskam’s deep Illinois roots have prepared him to fight for your values this upcoming term. I encourage…
Dale Seidel
9:17 am on Sunday, March 31, 2013
The Union did. It forced the General Assembly to agree that any changes in remuneration commitments to the Ed. Fund or pension fund could only be done by changing the Illinois State Constitution. But contracts are only good if both parties agree to live by them. A contract with the General Assembly is about as good as an agreement with The Palestinians or North Korea. Your question about how do … more ›