BY DR. BOB EASTON AND NANCY LONG Most Midwesterners don’t worship sacred cows–or do we? If we count the varieties of meat and dairy products that fill the shelves of our grocery stores and compare the percentage of food budgets spent on…
Letters to the editor
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Trans fat ban; Koehler was right Illinois Sen. Dave Koehler should feel exonerated. Labels like “nanny state” were hurled at him years ago for his efforts to ban trans fat. It took the FDA a while to catch up with…
Ramadan: Muslim holiday of fasting, reflection and kindness
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By Imam Kamil Mufti Ramadan is more than a time when we Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. It is a time to restore our connection with our Creator, and it is also a time to become closer to each…
No responsible government ever, ever sells precious park land
by Community Word Staff • • Comments Off on No responsible government ever, ever sells precious park land
So now the verdict is in: On April 14, only three members of the Peoria City Council voted to stop the sale of nearly six acres of Riverfront Park for a private apartment development. The rest voted to proceed…
WOULD THE DEATH PENALTY FOR LITTERING BE TOO OVER THE TOP?
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By George Hopkins OK, we’re kidding. But such thoughts do cross our minds as my wife and I hike the two miles daily that’s supposed to be good for us. Over the years we’ve found some amazing stuff: of course…
Editorials – HOW “EFFICIENT” ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorials – HOW “EFFICIENT” ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
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…
College Adjuncts Paid Below Minimum Wage: UNIONIZE
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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…
Letters
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Trans-Pacific Partnership: Bad for Labor; Bad for the Environment The Trans-Pacific Partnership has rightly received some negative attention in recent months as the Obama Administration pushes for its ratification and implementation. Creating a race to the bottom, the provisions of…
Injustice pervasive in the justice system
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Injustice Pervasive in the Justice System Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, made a rare public appearance at Bradley University Feb. 12. It was standing room only in the Michel Student…
Strong unions are an important part of true employee empowerment
by Community Word Staff • • Comments Off on Strong unions are an important part of true employee empowerment
By Nancy Long To hear Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposal to allow local governments to establish “employee empowerment” zones where employees could get all the benefits of union membership without paying union dues, one would think he is acknowledging the benefits…