Moral Right to Information

About Abortion

Patients have a right to be informed of all their medical options for care and treatment, not just the options consistent with the religious beliefs of their health care providers.

Most of us assumed this was already the case. It was not.

An updated version of the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience law passed both houses of the Legislature and was signed by the governor July 29.

Medical providers still have a right to refuse to perform certain medical procedures like abortion, however, the law establishes that medical providers have a moral obligation to inform patients of all their options, including abortion. Same with their contraception choices.

Some anti-abortion rights advocates are claiming this law forces them to promote abortion, and it impinges on their religious freedoms. It does not. It forces them to honor the basic human right of patients to information about their medical situation.

George Hopkins

Peoria

 

Food is a Value

Food should never go to waste. That’s something we can all agree on, regardless of our religion, politics, race, class or gender. And that’s why the article “Hunger, Gleaning and Clarence” in the August Community Word was so important. http://thecommunityword.com/online/blog/2016/07/31/hunger-gleaning-and-clarence/

Especially important to publicize and act upon is the new, permanent, enhanced tax deduction for farmers and others who donate food to a qualified nonprofit. Of particular use to farmers are these four key elements of the Food Recovery Act of 2015:

• There is now a clear protocol to determine the fair market value of food donated. See this website for details, and a sample calculation: http://healthyfoodbankhub.feedingamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/mp/files/tool_and_resources/files/feeding-america-2016-food-donation-tax-law-changes.pdf
• Any business entity (not just C-corporations, as in the past) can deduct their food donations, and carry the deduction forward for five years
• The 10 percent cap on charitable contributions is now 15 percent for donated food
• The tax deduction for food is now permanent, which allows farmers to not only donate unsold or excess produce, but to actually incorporate donation as part of their crop planning

Although the federal tax break is a good incentive, a similar state tax deduction would provide even greater impetus for food donations. Please contact your state legislators and let them know that the federal tax deduction can serve as a model for food donation deductions from state taxes. Together, both deductions would bring more nutritious food from Illinois farms to the tables of struggling families in our communities.

We also need to contact area food banks and let them know that they are a crucial link between the farmer wishing to donate food, and the people who need that food. Currently, very few Illinois farmers markets have someone like Clarence Johnson making the rounds each week, weighing donated food and generating a receipt for farmers to use when claiming the federal tax deduction. It shouldn’t be difficult for food banks to send a volunteer or staff member to the Peoria Riverfront Market, for example, and make it easy for farmers to donate, and easy for those who need fresh, nutritious food to get it. Because food should never go to waste.

Terra Brockman

Congerville, IL

Despite Recent Award,

New Intersection Doesn’t Work

Ken Hofbauer and I logged many hours gathering data trying to convince our council person Chuck Grayeb and Director of Public Works Mike Rogers and his staff that the Uplands and our street specifically, North Parkside Drive, had received more traffic as a result of the re-construction of Main and University. We timed vehicles on University southbound going through the Main/University intersection and then west on Main Street and compared times cutting through the Uplands. We did this at various times in the day having city staff ride with us to observe the time difference. The result was it took less time cutting through the Uplands than it took staying on University and Main Street for most of the studied times. We tried to convince the city officials that as long as this exists, motorists are going to cut through the neighborhood.

We had multiple meetings and proposed solutions, one of which was to prevent a turn west from North Parkside onto Main for southbound vehicles. More than 70 percent of North Parkside residents supported this proposal. The city refused to implement it. Additionally, Ken Hofbauer had an excellent solution of one-way streets throughout the Uplands incorporating additional alley traffic that would have discouraged cut through traffic and again the city refused to help us.

So, after more than 35 years living on North Parkside Drive, we realized that the city expected us to “find something we like about it.” We are fortunate that we had another option, i.e. to leave the Uplands, Peoria and the state of Illinois and re-locate to Longmont, Colorado. We’ve found Longmont city government staff to be very responsive and appreciative of our input and our life has improved immensely since we have moved. Unfortunately, not everyone in the Uplands has the option to do what we did and have to live with the result of the current traffic pattern.

Ron Douglas

Longmont, Colo.