Author Archive for Terry Bibo

Water debate continues

Agreed: Water and its safety are important to Central Illinois. Agreed: Water is a key piece of the economic puzzle as the City of Peoria faces huge financial strains. Agreed: Water’s place in that puzzle is determined by the Peoria…

“Fakebook news”

Bobbi Millinger realized she should be skeptical of news on Facebook. “We truly thought that we were being careful about who we were interacting with, given the need for discretion on social media. We were very aware that people can…

How to avoid fake news

Between Facebook and the Internet, the 24-hour-a-day news cycle, traditional media outlets, competing political organizations with competing agendas –– fake news is thriving. Democracy, not so much. “I do not know how a democracy functions when you don’t know what…

Illinois Infrastructure: C-

Kickapoo bridge

On Aug. 1, 2007, in the middle of St. Paul-Minneapolis’ rush hour, the heavily-travelled eight-lane I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed. Thirteen people were killed. Another 145 people were injured. Roll your eyes in boredom about infrastructure, if you…

Student loans: immortal

BY TERRY BIBO Instead of “Pomp and Circumstance,” the Class of 2017 probably should have graduated to the tune “Sixteen Tons.” Their grandparents may have been toddlers when Tennessee Ernie Ford’s cover of a coal miner’s debt struggles topped the…

Voter fraud: Sasquatch 

BY TERRY BIBO From the relatively serene vantage point of Central Illinois, there are two peculiar items of interest about voting rights. First, there are more states with laws on the books to restrict voting rights today (32) than there…

Cautious optimism following election

News Analysis: BY TERRY BIBO Scanning headlines in 2016 could make you fearful, anxious, maybe crazy — even when you weren’t looking at the presidential race. On Dec. 14, “Dow nears 20,000” and the Federal Reserve raised interest rates because…