Reactions to Governor’s Budget Plan

Editor’s note:  Prior to his election, Gov. Bruce Rauner was the chairman a private equity firm based in Chicago, IL.  His income tax returns show he earned $108 million between 2010 and 2012.  This essay is licensed under a Creative Commons...

Military Option Won’t Win Against I.S.I.S.!

A panel of experts–people knowledgeable about the area, its people, and its problems–is very much in agreement that a military solution, by itself, to the challenge of ISIS, a.k.a. ISIL, is no solution at all.  The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant...

What’s Going On Behind Closed Doors? Stink!

I have always believed that with very few exceptions, the public’s business should be transacted in public. The very few exceptions are when doing so would result in damage to the public. For instance, if a public body is wanting to acquire land for a park, the...

A Tale of Two Christmas Stories

Editor’s note:  This panel from a 4th century sarcophagus is one of the earliest Nativity images. Christmas as a holiday and, as a Christian feast day, is a time of giving, of gift exchanges, and parties. It is also a time when fund raisers badger everyone...

Keystone XL Pipeline: To Where and for Whom?

This has been in the news time and time again. It is a political issue with a lot of money riding on it. How much money? That’s hard to tell. For starters, TransCanada Corporation is a major North American energy company based in Calgary, Alberta, developing and...