Why a dividend-based carbon tax? Because of spectacular, fossil-fueled increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide spell great danger. CO2 emissions, Englander notes, are “increasing 55 times faster than anytime over the last 500 million years.” Fossil-fueled emissions exploded after World War…
What is justice in a country that considers its same justice to be blind? At 4 a.m., I lay awake thinking about the “20/20” episode I had viewed on television about Breonna Taylor who was shot to death by police…
The State of the City address, sponsored by the West Peoria Residents Association and featuring Mayor James Dillon and City Administrator Kinga Krider, will be 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21. It could be canceled due to COVID-19 mitigation rules. Check…
Children and teenagers love looking ahead and speculating about new freedoms awaiting them. They consider each different one a sign they’re growing up. But that doesn’t necessarily mean maturity and ability to make wise choices are imminent. It’s a gradual…
Now that the 2020 presidential election is over, it’s time to do an autopsy. What did we learn? We learned that nearly 160 million Americans voted in this year’s presidential election as of this writing. Clearly, people felt that a…
With 31 days in December and 20 days in January before the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States, many of us are holding our breath. It’s unclear how outgoing President Trump will react. He…
The contest for Peoria mayor has taken more turns than a Central American road race. We’ve known for weeks who’s in, while rumors circulated about others interested, but undecided. Most local political, civic, and business leaders were unimpressed with the…
Tuesday, Nov. 3 was one of the most consequential elections for African Americans since 1876 when Democrat Rutherford Hayes was awarded the presidency in what is now called The Compromise of 1877 which ushered in the Jim Crow Era. As…
God love the people who keep doing their jobs without drama and fanfare, despite the hot mess which has been 2020. And that includes most of our public officials. On Oct. 13, Peoria County Election Commission geared up for the…
When I think back to when I first became interested in nature, the world seemed a relatively “wild” place. The nearby woods in an urban area was a place to explore. One November day, so long ago, I remember coming…
