Hoosick Falls versus Bedford Falls: Guardian angel for one but not the other Greed almost ruined Bedford Falls, the idyllic fictional town in the Frank Capra classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” When George Bailey (James Stewart) felt overwhelmed by a…
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death leaves the court balanced between conservative and liberal positions on free speech rights and unions. Scalia and the court’s other conservatives comprised a winning five-block coalition that had been expected to issue a conservative…
Food Stamp spending cut nationwide but Illinois, thankfully, bucks the trend On the campaign trail in early January, presidential candidate Jeb Bush called for an end to Food Stamps, replacing the federal program with “Right to Rise” grants awarded to…
Aaron Mair, national president of the Sierra Club, spoke in Peoria at the state NAACP conference and said it’s a “false trick” to protect the coal industry because it provides jobs. Now Robert Pollin, distinguished professor of economics at…
It was toward the end of her press conference advocating to restore funding for child care subsidies that State Rep. Jehan Booth-Gordon expressed her shock. The TV cameras were off and most print reporters had gone when Booth-Gordon said she…
WHAT’S THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF MORALITY? Words that obfuscate: Cut the Illinois income tax surcharge: This really means a tax savings bonanza for high-income earners and a miniscule savings for middle- and low-income earners. Right to work: This really means…
Colleges and universities are increasingly relying on adjuncts rather than full-time faculty. Adjuncts are part-time teaching staff who often have master’s or doctoral degrees. They are usually paid a set amount per course taught. Adjuncts don’t receive health insurance or…
Gov. Bruce Rauner has not definitively confirmed or denied he is prochoice. His first state-of-the-state address focused on lots of choices but not choice to have an abortion. Rauner is a millionaire pragmatist. Money has meaning to him. The “burdensome”…
If you were disappointed with the November election, vote again with your holiday meal. Regardless of whether meat or plant-based protein is the centerpiece of your holiday dinner, your choice can proclaim your values and fight injustice. When your holiday…
