LETTERS
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MED SCHOOL MINORITIES Kudos to Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, which has extremely competitive admission requirements, for achieving a 15 percent minority medical student enrollment, which is much better than any other institution in our country with similarly competitive admission requirements. Vinod Gupta Springfield
USE YOUR VOICE I would like to thank the nearly 2,200 constituents who cast their vote for me, Brandon Damm, for SMEAA Board District 1 on April 7. As a relatively unknown first-time candidate without party support, I have been humbled by your support. Although I came up short, it was encouraging to see the number of votes I got compared to other citywide races.
Congratulations to all of the candidates who won. It’s nice to see change in the city of Springfield. Let’s hope everyone follows through in the next four years. I look forward to working with my new alderman and mayor to move Springfield forward.
As a note to those interested in running for office, just do it! The initial paperwork can be intimidating, but go for it anyway. This city needs good people who want to run, not just candidates with a lot of money or hand-chosen by the higherups. Even if you don’t succeed you can hold your head high knowing that you ran and that you tried to make a difference.
Finally, to the citizens of Springfield, please get out and vote next time. Don’t let such a small percentage of people choose your future. Republican, Democrat, east side, west side, young, old, white, black, gay, straight, wealthy or poor – you have a voice. The voice you have is your vote at the ballot box.
Once again, thank you to those that voted for me, donated to my campaign, walked neighborhoods with me and ultimately believed in me. This is just the beginning. See you soon. Brandon Damm Springfield
STRIKING SOCIAL SERVICES It was the Good Friday/ Passover massacre. Late on Friday, April 3, when most people were focusing on their holiday and legislators had packed up for spring break, Gov. Rauner announced, with no warning, that he was immediately suspending $26 million in funding to a range of vital social and human service organizations. The impact was to shut down programs and lay off dedicated staff providing services ranging from services to persons with disabilities to addiction prevention and assistance to the homeless. The action was an affront to any good-faith, bipartisan effort to resolve the state’s budget problems. Why were these programs cut, and how were these decisions made? We have no answers.
Politics aside, the governor’s cuts affect funding for programs through the end of the current fiscal year on June 30, and put thousands of adults and children at risk for poor outcomes and higher costs. One of the most farreaching impacts will be on Teen REACH, a proven, high-success after-school program touching 15,000 students across the state, including 8,500 in Chicago. Consider: 98 percent of students participating in Teen REACH homework help, tutoring, mentoring and other services graduate from high school versus 82 percent statewide. Across the board, the 6-17 year-olds in Teen REACH achieve better grades, test scores and promotion to the next grade level.
Eliminating Teen REACH will have the opposite effect of Gov. Rauner’s stated goals to reduce juvenile delinquency and improve educational outcomes. It will make it more difficult for low-income working parents to move toward self-sufficiency. Adults, in other words, are playing chess with children and their parents, and putting program staff, often low-paid, at risk of unemployment.
We were pleased to hear that the governor might reconsider reinstating some of the funds that were cut. We all care about children and families in our communities and state and want programs that work for them to be the best they can be. It is critical that we speak up and urge the governor to reverse his decision. Andrea Durbin Chief executive offi cer Illinois Collaboration on Youth
