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Accountability depends on sunshine laws
In the newspaper business, we deal with it all the time. A police department won’t release an arrest record. A school district fires a superintendent and pays him a six-figure settlement but won’t say how much it is. Public meetings are held without giving notice or are improperly held in closed session.

‘I’m all right, Jack.’
For decades the attitude of the U.S. middle class toward income inequality was, “I’m all right, Jack. I’ve got mine.” Incomes for all classes were rising, and if the rich got way more, well, who cared? There was plenty to go around. No more. The inflation-adjusted income of the median U.

“Transparency in government isn’t about the media; it’s about you, and your right to know.”
In a Chicago suburb, a mayor is also the liquor commissioner and owns an insurance company. Is the mayor forcing tavern owners to buy insurance from him in order to renew their licenses? We don’t know; he keeps the documents in a safe in his office and won’t release them.

America’s true crisis
America’s corporate, political, media, academic and other leaders aren’t. They’re not leaders because they refuse to stand tall, be bold, offer vision, inspire and ... well, lead. We’ve got too many 5-watt bulbs sitting in 100-watt sockets.

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Wisconsin politico poem #2
“What’s disgusting?” “Union busting!” “What’s disgusting?” “Union busting!” your IT reporter is abroad today folks on the front line, the curb before the wisconsin school for the deaf in delavan our sign-bristling crowd is mustering pretty loud...

LETTERS
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number.

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Backing away from legalized video poker
A big question on a lot of Statehouse minds right now is: Why would Senate President John Cullerton all of a sudden decide to string out his members yet again on a dollar a pack cigarette tax hike when he surely knows that the House will kill it for the umpteenth time?.

BETTER BOATERS
There’s something intensely satisfying about boating. Slicing through the water as the wind rushes over your face feels like a great adventure, but with adventure comes risk.

Labor unions balk at bargaining bill
Labor unions are continuing negotiations over legislation backed by Gov. Pat Quinn that would lift collective bargaining rights from current high-ranking state agency workers and legislative liaisons, as well as their right to apply for future union membership.

Minorities, women poorly represented on city payroll
Data filed by the City of Springfield with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission show that as of June 30, 2009 – the latest date for which statistics are available – the city’s work force was overwhelmingly comprised of white workers. Out of 1,576 city employees, about 92.

Candidates eager to lead District 186
On April 5, voters in four of seven sub-districts will be asked to choose who they want representing them on District 186’s school board for the next two years.

Aldermania!
As Springfield heads to the polls April 5 for the general election, many voters will be focused on their choice for mayor. But just as important is the makeup of the city council, with 10 aldermen drawn from across the city. Together, their decisions will set the tone for Springfield’s future even after their four-year term is over.

Aldermania
“It’s tough to build as it is, and our construction industry is somewhat besieged now.” He says he wants to see Hilltop Road widened and Toronto Road resurfaced. For any major roadwork to happen, though, the city will need either grants or patience. “Until we get our budget in order, it’s going to be tough to make any promises on anything.

Ward 3: Workhorse candidates in a working man’s ward
Ward 3 covers much of Springfield’s far east and is mostly residential. Once home to many coal miners and factory workers, the ward has largely retained its blue-collar makeup, but is also quite diverse, including newer, mostly white neighborhoods in the north and south, as well as older, majority black areas in the center.

Aldermania
“I think that we really have to start holding department heads accountable for the way they issue out work orders and the way that they double back to ensure their completion,” Turner says. Jim Gasparin, 56, serves on the board of managers for the Sangamon County Employee’s Health Insurance Plan and is the lone Republican running in Ward 3.

Cahnman says
Additionally, Tozer says he was troubled by Cahnman’s August 2009 arrest on a misdemeanor charge of soliciting a paid sex act from two female undercover police officers. Cahnman was acquitted in December 2010, but Tozer feels Cahnman should have resigned anyway.

Aldermania
Counts’ fellow Ward 6 write-in candidate, 46-year-old Kent DeLay, has a Facebook page, a MySpace page and a Twitter account, but through his 21st Century persona DeLay is silent on his current candidacy. Instead, his online presence is built only around his failed attempts to run for state representative.

Finance districts
As for cutting the budget, Jobe says, “Everything is on the table right now, but I will always fight the hardest for public safety and infrastructure.” He says the mayor needs to eliminate middle-management positions and says the city should examine reorganization of certain programs.

Aldermania
Three candidates are running for one seat, making the contest visible and competitive. The candidates are Michael Higgins, 63, owner and chef at Maldaner’s Restaurant; Joe McMenamin, 58, an attorney and former candidate for the 19th congressional...

Theilen is supported
Stout also criticizes Theilen for not having a listed telephone number. Theilen says that his wife, Lori, is listed because the phone is under her name. Theilen’s wife, Lori Theilen, is the only person listed at their address in the 2010 White Pages due to an error by a phone service provider, says Theilen.

Slavery in the shadow of Lincoln
Set on a pre-Civil War plantation, the play tells the story of five slaves whose wife and friend, Sadie, has been sold. Her young son, Jim (who remains unseen), scurries up a tree and refuses to come down. His dad and the others recite well-known stories in an effort to talk him down.

Tiffany Williams
Meanwhile, direction by Funkenbusch and MacMurdo lets the story and the performances stand out. The stage is almost bare, covered only with a stone bench, a few logs and a glowing fire. The co-directors and their technical staff allow the story to come alive unobstructed by sets and props and effects.

Spotlight on Ice
What do an Olympic figure skater, your favorite musicals and the greatest family entertainment in the area have in common? If you’re thinking of the Ice Capades then you’re in for a seasonal, local treat. For all you figure skating lovers and skater wannabes, it’s that time of year again.

After 35 years
General admission tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Tickets are available in advance from any Springfield Figure Skating Club member or at the Nelson Center box office, located in Lincoln Park, 753-2800. Tickets can by purchased at the door as well.

Michael Higgins, the chef as politician
Bourdain wrote those words in 2000. His point was that the denizens of restaurant kitchens’ controlled chaos and crazy hours were unlikely candidates for celebrity. But the intervening years have shown that some chefs make great celebrities – and I’m talking about actual chefs, not faux-chef personalities, such as Rachael Ray and Sandra Lee.

Higgins also wants
“As far as being a chef and restaurateur, I think the main advantage that gives me is my sense of having a small, local business – that’s how the restaurant plays into it.

The Lincoln Lawyer presents a solid case
He’s Mick Haller, a young hotshot attorney who takes on a case that starts off looking like a rainmaker. Spoiled rich kid Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) is charged with brutally beating a prostitute, an incident he says was a setup so he could be extorted.

McMurtry meets the Bottle Rockets
For Sunday, March 27, Sean Burns, along with colorful cohorts Bill Wheelhouse of WUIS and Todd Egizi of E & F Distributors, landed a big one, hooking eminent singersongwriter James McMurtry with his rocking trio the Heartless Bastards and...

BAND SPOTLIGHT | The Legendary Drifters
The Legendary Drifters, a quality representation of the Drifters, one of the most dynamic and influential singing groups in rock ’n’ roll history, slide into town again after a superb performance last October.

PUB CRAWL
Dates, times and locations are subject to change, so we suggest calling before attending an event..

Saturday March 26
Child Bride, Thieves, His Throne, Backwords, (((loud))), Last Legs.

THE CALENDAR
Dates, times and locations are subject to last-minute changes, so we suggest calling before attending the event..

CHILDREN | Upgrade 3.11
The Illinois State Museum upgraded its facilities for children and launches the space March 26 as they cut the ceremonial ribbon at 9:30 a.m. to open the new Mary Ann MacLean Play Museum. Family-oriented entertainment, games, activities and crafts highlight an entire day of fun throughout the museum.

MUSIC: GENERAL EVENTS
John Paul Keith and the One-Four- Fives w/ Jack O and the Tennessee Tearjerkers.

THE CALENDAR
Cuba: Accidental Revolution: Sustainable Ag.

BOOKS | Native scribes
Books cover a wide range of subject matters and genres such as fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, World War II, African-American Federal Marshalls, Vietnam, and more.

NATURE
Professor Emeritus of Legal Studies, reviews the book, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do. Discussion follows. Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 745 Woodside Rd, 585- 9550..

THE CALENDAR
My Old Kentucky Homo: The Promises and Perils of Queering Abraham Lincoln.

PUBLICNOTICES
NOTICE UNDER ASSUMED BUSINESS NAME ACT STATE OF ILLINOIS COUNTY OF SANGAMON TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Notice is hereby given that on 14th day of March, 2011 a Certificate of Ownership of business was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of Sangamon...

FAITH & PHILOSOPHY
Apr 03, 10:30am, Tami Watson talks about her experiences being a mother of autistic child and researcher at Washington University. Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 745 Woodside Rd, 585-9550..

MUSIC | Superlative soloist
Stanley Yates is sure to wow the audience with sound and technique at the Springfield Classical Guitar Association’s next concert March 26. Originally from Great Britain, Yates is an international concert performer, arranger, recording artist and award-winner who also directs the guitar program at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee.

AMY ALKON
According to you, most women aren’t interested in seeing pictures of naked men. To quote you, most would “run past a naked man to get to shoes.” So, how do you explain all the women who go to clubs to see male strippers? Looks like somebody has to admit she’s wrong! —Gotcha!.