Opinion 4A
The Southern Illinoisan • Friday, April 11, 2014
EDITORIAL BOARD John Pfeifer, publisher Gary Metro, editor Mark Fitton, managing editor Jeff Wilson, online editor
4A
The Southern Illinoisan • Friday, April 11, 2014
Great volunteers, state budget woes, making things right
T
humbs up ... We salute the 90 volunteers and auxiliary members who provide many services to patients at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. The volunteers were honored by the hospital as part of National Volunteers Week, which concludes Saturday. Many of the volunteers are seniors who enjoy staying active and serving their fellow citizens. The volunteers logged more than 17,000 hours at the hospital last year. They visit patients, answer phone calls, take care of office tasks, work in the gift shop, provide patient information, deliver mail and flowers to patients and help admit and discharge patients. We also salute the hospital for holding a luncheon at Giant City Lodge to honor the volunteers. While many volunteers are retired there are also several teenagers and college groups who serve the patients. Kindness and service are great healers, for the recipient, the giver and society. Thank you, volunteers, for all you do. Thumbs down … It’s annoying to consider the decades of irresponsibility on the part of Illinois state government. On Wednesday, as we and The Associated Press reported, another major credit-rating house issued a statement calling the next 50 days of Illinois state budget-making “pivotal” to the state’s financial health. Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services issued the statement, which was similar to those issued a week earlier by Moody’s and by Fitch. Lawmakers must approve a budget for the coming year by the end of May. Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed a budget that relies on making a temporary income tax increase permanent to avoid a $1.8 billion revenue hole. Here’s an idea: Put a stop to tax-and-spend mentalities and handouts. Think about holding the line for a change, then citizens might be amenable to discussing the need for taxes. Thumbs up ... We think the City of Herrin and The H Group were wise to settle a housing discrimination issue without going to court. This could have remained messy, bitter and damaging to Herrin. But the city agreed to issue a public apology as part of the settlement agreement. And the council immediately took action to amend its zoning code to make community residences for people with disabilities a permitted use in all residential districts. We were impressed with Mayor Vic Ritter’s candor, admitting the city erred in its June 2012 vote to deny a special use permit for a group home to house four people with disabilities. Executive John Markley of The H Group also displayed patience in helping people to understand and work through misconceptions about people with disabilities, group homes and property values. “It’s a finish to the story, if you will. I am very happy and I know Vic is too,” Markley said. Thumbs down … How many people have to die before a stoplight is recommended for the intersection of Illinois 13 and West Poplar Street in Harrisburg? Illinois Department of Transportation’s District 9 office issued recommendations on how to deal with the intersection, but did not include installing a stoplight. The intersection has been the sight of five wrecks in five weeks and a dozen wrecks in the last two years. One of those wrecks resulted in a fatality. Clearly, motorists are in need of some extra guidance at this perilous intersection. Thumbs down … We can’t understand the delay and the lack of movement on pending levee legislation that would allow Jackson County to access funds that would allow work to begin on the Grand Tower levee. After unanimous passage in the state Senate on March 4, the bill is still waiting to be called for a vote in the House. There’s a lot of work to be done, and passing the bill is only the first step. It’s time to get this done. FEEDBACK: We want to hear what you have to say.
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Voice of the Reader Hotel-motel tax To the Editor: Though I was aware the Carbondale City Council was talking about raising the Hotel-Motel Tax, I did not know they were acting on it in Tuesday’s meeting. Having paid over $775,000 in taxes to the city over the last three years, I am opposed to their decision. It’s a misleading statement that this tax won’t affect local residents. My father and I are local residents as well are several of the other hotel owners in town. We built both the Hampton Inn and the Holiday Inn and still own the Holiday Inn. During this recession, we have had to lower our rates in order to stay competitive, but for some reason the council thinks it has the right to put the burden on us to collect an additional tax for them. A 15 percent tax on a customer’s bill is significant and will lower occupancy. They should take the money they give to the Carbondale Convention and Tourism Bureau and put it into the city coffers for all of the good it is doing the hotels. Occupancies and hotel revenue have been down since they did away with the former bureau. Hotels are suffering resulting in less tax revenues for the city. So it’s like let’s just add another tax to make up for our mistake. Maybe a better way to raise additional tax revenue is to quit supporting special interest groups and allow convenience stores to sell alcohol instead of that revenue going to neighboring communities.
Trace B. Brown Carbondale
Waste in budget To the Editor: Carbondale Mayor Don Monty stated at the last city council meeting that anyone who could find waste or fraud in the budget to stand up and show them where it is. That was grandstanding on his part because I had sent him an email four days prior showing him a $250,000-per-year waste of government money. The civic center portion of the complex spends in excess of $320,000 per year to yield revenues of $70,000 per year. That government foray into business has cost over $2 million and counting. I also showed how a simple change in the rental inspection ordinance
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would save $300,00 per year. I also proposed other changes resulting in over $300,000 in savings. These ideas address long-term solutions to the problem, not just a band aid. If you combined the city council’s new tax hikes with these other ideas, we would have over $1 million per year to spend on community investment projects. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it. The city council has now raised the sales tax rate three times in six years and property taxes twice in three years. They refuse to address the spending and continue to act like they are the only tax bill we all pay. Let the debate begin.
create an All-Century basketball team for the Salukis. But, one player left off the All-Century team was my teammate, Georg McNeil. On Dec. 20, 1965, Wichita State came to the arena ranked seventh in the nation. A high school coach named Charlie Sponhour, who later became one of the great college coaches of our nation, came to the arena to see the famed 2-2-1 press of Wichita State. After that game, coach Sponhour stated that SIU went through Wichita State’s fabled press “like water through a screen.” We were able to go through that press, and defeat the number seven ranked team in the country, Rebel C. Pinkston because of George McNeil. George Carbondale scored 20 points that night. But George wasn’t about points, partly because of SIU coach Jack Hartman, and partly because of George’s innate character. George was about the team. Having seen every SIU Salukis teams and players since 1961 to present...and havTo the editor: ing coached an undefeated State I read Leonard Pitts’ column on Championship team, I feel justified March 20, “Who Speaks for the in saying that George McNeil was Voiceless?” with tears in my eyes. one of SIU’s greatest players. I believe this article should be I am aware that a lot of people do required reading at every meeting not care about George McNeil being of a pro-life organization, before every anti-abortion session in Con- left off of the All-Century team. But George’s teammates do. Pat, gress and basically any time and anywhere any gathering or group of George’s wife, asked me to speak at George’s funeral. I told the packed people are espousing right-to-life church that George McNeil was, “principles.” Small-government conservatives and is, one of the top 10 players ever to play at SIU. want the government out of their During George’s junior year at lives, except for the unborn. Once a child is born, Mr. Pitts is right, this SIU, George averaged 17.2 points same group of people do an abrupt per game. Walt Frazier, who was on the team with George, averaged about face: no food stamps, no less, at 17.1 points. During that year daycare, no concern for the plight of the ‘born’ child. That child truly with George and Walt, we were 20-6. Three of those losses were does have less rights in the eyes of conservatives than does the unborn to my friend Jerry Sloan, and the child. Thank you, Leonard Pitts, for Evansville Aces. During George’s senior year stating the obvious. 1965-66 season, when we played I dare anyone to read this article and continue to declare how without Walt Frazier (who was unable to play that year), our team important those unborn rights are finished 22-7. and how the government should The team was top-rated in its turn its back and refuse to “get involved” in our personal lives after division nationwide by United Press International. We beat North the birth. Rozanne Schaefer Dakota State, with Phil Jackson on West Frankfort the that team. George averaged 18.2 points per game that year. George McNeil was the best player on our team. With his basketball skills, and the record of his teams, leaving a person like George McNeil off of the All-Century team of our beloved Salukis was unfair To the Editor: and erroneous. One of the most difficult things to do is to name an all-star team. David R. Lee I can understand SIU’s desire to West Frankfort
Pitts speaks for children
Remembering George McNeil
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Editor: Gary Metro email gary.metro@thesouthern.com (618) 351-5033 Managing Editor: Mark Fitton email mark.fitton@thesouthern.com (618) 351-5807
Gov. Pat Quinn Springfield Office of the Governor 207 State House Springfield, IL 62706 (217) 782-0244 TTY: (888) 261-3336 Chicago Office of the Governor James R. Thompson Center 100 W. Randolph, 16-100 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 814-2121
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (312) 886-3506 (202) 224-2854 (217) 492-5089 http://kirk.senate.gov U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (618) 252-8271 (202) 225-5271 www.house.gov/shimkus U.S. Rep. William Enyart (202) 225-5661 http://enyart.house.gov
State Sen. Gary Forby U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (618) 439-2504 (618) 351-1122 / (202) 224-2152 (217) 782-5509 http://durbin.senate.gov senatorforby@yahoo.com
State Sen. David Luechtefeld (618) 243-9014 / (217) 782-8137 sendavel@midwest.net State Rep. Brandon Phelps (618) 25-4189 / (217) 782-5131 bphelps118@gmail.com State Rep. Mike Bost (618) 457-5787 / (217) 782-0387 mike.bost@hotmail.com State Rep. John Bradley (618) 997-9697 / (217) 782-1051 repjohnbradley@mychoice.net State Rep. Jerry F. Costello II (618) 282-7284 / (217) 782-1018 staterepcostello@gmail.com