Readers weigh in on public discourse and officials contact
Letters to Voice of the Reader outline submission rules including word limit, signing and phone verification, and editing rights. The notice lists contact addresses for mail, fax, and email, plus a roster of local and national elected officials with phone numbers and websites for citizen outreach.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Voice of the Reader
Southern Illinoisan
P.O. Box
Carbondale
Thesouthern.com
Budget gridlock prompts calls for action in Springfield
The piece critiques lawmakers for delaying a state budget and cites August 8 as a pivotal deadline for funding schools and the State Fair. It urges residents to contact specific Southern Illinois lawmakers Gary Forby David Luechtefeld Brandon Phelps Mike Best and John Bradley to press for budget progress.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Michael Madigan
Rod Blagojevich
Springfield
Gary Forby
David Luechtefeld
Brandon Phelps
Mike Best
John Bradley
Illinois
Editorial urges Illinois voters to consider constitutional reform
A letter to the editor criticizes state government as dysfunctional under the current mayoral viewpoint. It urges a 2008 ballot question on a constitutional convention, proposes legislative term limits, a recall mechanism for the governor, and using Article XIV to initiate amendments to the legislative article to shrink the House and curb pork spending.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Robert Butler
Illinois
House of Representatives
Remember the past as it was To the Editor
A reader recalls a family line tracing World War I service and the 1918 19 influenza pandemic's toll. He recounts infant mortality childbirth deaths diabetes scarlet fever and polio, doctors families suffering, patients in homes, and a generation marked by hardship and care.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
W. Author Simmons
John Simmons
Laura Simmons
Congress blocks cross border Mexican truck pilot plan
Representative Joan Shimkus reports that HR 3074 amendments prohibit funds to establish or run a cross border motor carrier pilot allowing Mexican domiciled carriers beyond border zones. Teamsters and OOIDA opposed the program, urging safety parity and equal access. Constituents are invited to share concerns.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
United States
United States-Mexico
Teamsters Union
Independent Drivers Association
Teamster
Transportation Department
Mexico
Joan M. Shimkus
Collinsville
Hillary's early letters reveal deep self discipline
Kathleen Parker explains in the Washington Post Writers Group column how Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 1960s college letters show self awareness, moral rigor, and intellectual curiosity. The piece notes her inner conflict between child and adult self, her references to Freud and Voltaire, and the unhip but disciplined tone that shaped her worldview.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
America
John Peavey
New York Times
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary
Wellesley College
Kathleen
Gail Sheehy
Times
Mark Leibovich
Park Ridge
Freud
Voltaire
Oscar Wilde
Doctor Zhivago
Dylan
Baez
Leary
Ginsberg
Hoffman
Superego
Jet Bill Clinton
Also Mentioned on This Page
Gary Metro
Gary
Metro
Thesouthern
Karen Binder
Karen
Murphysboro
de Soto
Williamson County
Barack Obama
Obama
Senate
U.S. Sen
Dick Durbin
Durbin
U.S
John Shimkus
House.gov
Shimkus
Jerry Costello
Costello
Mike Bost
Dan Hynes
Parker
Kathleen Parker
The
Washington Post Writers Group
Kparker
Kparker.com
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!