By Ray Hanania You would think that record low temperatures might save you money. But not in Illinois and not at Nicor gas, the company that has a monopoly on how we heat our homes. You can’t switch your utility companies. They are determined by geographic location. Originally an Illinois company gobbled up by AGL, […]
Category: Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Are independent medical practices becoming extinct?
By Sally C. Pipes Facing declining revenue prospects, physicians are shuttering their private, independent practices to join larger hospitals that have near-monopolies on care in the regions they serve. This trend is depressing news for Americans. Further concentration of market power in these health systems ultimately results in less personalized care for patients — and […]
Posted inOpinion
Police get political, go after Martwick
By Rich Miller The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police’s top campaign priority this spring is defeating Sen. Rob Martwick (D-Chicago) in the Democratic primary. The police group is backing Chicago police detective Erin Jones, who not long ago was described as a “loyal member” of the Northwest Side GOP Club. The previous practice in that […]
Posted inManteno Vedette We/Us, Opinion Vedette, Vedette We/Us
The Tears Still Flow…
By Scott Reeder I met Chip Gass for lunch at a Springfield diner March 4. I hadn’t seen him for decades, but we have something in common that places us in a unique community – those with dyslexia. I first met Chip 30 years ago when I was a young reporter in the Quad-Cities, and […]
Posted inOpinion
Gorman is the centrist we need
By Ray Hanania Most people in Cook County laugh when they hear the words “local Republicans.” That’s because the Republican organization in Cook County and in Illinois is a mess. Many Democrats I know shrug their shoulders and ask, “Who cares?” It’s more of a statement of fact than a question. The few Republicans who […]
Posted inOpinion
Everything ‘Madigan’ is called into question
By Rich Miller For decades, House Speaker Michael Madigan and everyone around him insisted that the man was always very scrupulous and extremely careful about not only the language that he used, but the language he allowed to be used in his presence. For instance, if a property tax client of his law firm began […]
Posted inCrete, Opinion Vedette
Letter to Ed.: Turay
Dear Editor: Mean tweets and a less than polite attitude, that was the so called “Orange Man” Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States. When you go fill up your car, pay your utility bills, buy groceries, buy clothes, buy household products, try to get parts for your car, or get your car […]
Posted inManteno Vedette We/Us, Opinion Vedette, Vedette We/Us
Organ Donors: a Personal Reflection
By Scott Reeder I glanced at the calendar and the date February 26 stared back at me. It was my brother Danny’s birthday. He would have turned 65. A milestone birthday. At 13 you are a teenager. At 16, a driver. At 18, a voter. At 21, an adult, and at 65 you’re a senior […]
Posted inOpinion
I like Mike, but losers don’t
Funny how fast the weakest and the most failed political leaders in Illinois cheer when the most powerful are attacked. For a lot of politicians who can’t win office, and those who have won but who fail at their jobs, they relish seeing those who have been successful and powerful get pushed under a cloud […]
Posted inOpinion
Time to restore faith in government
By Rich Miller By the end of 2020, most people assumed there were only three ways to get House Speaker Michael Madigan out of office, and none were going to happen anytime soon. Not one of those scenarios involved the Republican Party, the Chicago Tribune editorial board, the Illinois Policy Institute or their fellow travelers […]