LETTERS 
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Cops save lives
I am writing in response to your Guestwork article: “Cops: Why we love ’em and hate ’em,” [by George A.M. Heroux, IT, Feb. 5]. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) more than 13,000 lives were lost across America in speeding-related traffic crashes in 2005. Of those lives lost, 24 occurred in Sangamon County.
NHTSA considers a crash to be speeding-related if the driver was charged with a speeding-related offense, or if the responding officer indicated the driver was driving too fast for conditions at the time or was exceeding the posted speed limit. In 2005 speeding was a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal traffic crashes nationally.
I am very thankful that none of those lives were lost within my patrol venue. In 2005 the Jerome Police Department handled 51 traffic crashes, 12 of these crashes were caused by motorists who failed to reduce speed to avoid an accident and 5 of these crashes were caused by tailgating (following too closely). These crash numbers are high for a community of 1,400 residents, with one out of every 27 residents involved in a crash.
The Jerome Police Department is proud to team up with NHTSA, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety, Illinois State Police, local law enforcement agencies and highway safety leaders across the nation to remind all drivers to stay alert, and obey all posted speed limits, especially in our residential and business areas. The speed limit in our neighborhoods is posted at 25 miles per hour, while Wabash Ave. is posted at 35 miles per hour. Our goal is to save lives. Drivers need to remember that there is a reason for posted speed limits. The roadway can be a dangerous place and the speed limits are designed to protect everyone — drivers, passengers, pedestrians — everyone! Please remember to stop speeding before it stops you. As far as being a gallant knight, authoritative villain, or part-time cop, as the writer of “Cops: Why we love ’em and hate ’em” suggests, I am none of the aforementioned. I am just your average cop who took an oath of office as a full-time police officer to protect and serve the community, and have done so for over 20 years.
How about the presiding judge that found the writer of “love ’em and hate ’em” guilty of speeding at 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit in a residential area? Obey the sign or pay the fine. Sergeant D. Skaggs Jerome Police Department
LaHood is no change
The appointment of Ray LaHood to become Secretary of Transportation is not a commitment to bringing change to Washington. Rather, it is a recommitment to the old and current way of doing business in Washington.
Former Congressman LaHood acquired the House seat warmed by his mentor and boss of many years, Bob Michel. He ran in a district made “safe” by incumbents who gerrymander district lines to assure their periodic retention. He inherited a network of special interest group support primed by years of pork barrel “earmarks” which Congressman LaHood steadfastly continued to provide and defend, thus furthering the practice of bribing the people with their own money. He attained some notoriety by promoting his bipartisan civility retreats. While that worked as a gimmick to garner press attention, there is no evidence that the retreats have had any impact on the workings of Congress.
The LaHood appointment will not be likely to facilitate change in Washington. LaHood’s experience and ideology are tied to the Washington that finds the Constitution an inconvenient barrier to doing whatever those in Washington find most expedient to foster their own interests. Joseph J. Goleash, Jr. Springfield
Eliminate the IRS
Government’s solution to the crises they created in an election year is to spend trillions of dollars. Increasing taxes to cover out-of-control spending will only make the economy worse. They cannot pay for this idiotic spending, so their plan is to print more money, and the money printing machines have recently been running 24/7. Uncontainable inflation will be the result. Printing money is not the solution, but that is what our government is doing because it does not have the will to make hard choices.
It is time to eliminate the IRS and go to the Fair Tax. Some say this would bring at least $10 trillion home from foreign countries to kindle our recovery. This makes far more sense than spending money we do not have. Career politicians will not consider eliminating the IRS because it is their source of power, and they also will not consider term limits because that is not in their best interest.
The people wanted change, but are getting the same old party politics. It does not pass the sanity test, and it will fail. Bob Ruble Springfield
