BackTalk

Should Illinois voters be able to recall statewide elected officials?

The Sun-Times editorial board thinks it's a good idea, in theory, but a deeply flawed one in practice. A recall would create far more problems than it solves. The process would probably be too cumbersome to recall the worst offenders in a timely fashion and would render them even more ineffective while they're in the cross hairs. A recall election would also drain the state of money it doesn't have to spend.

Despite that, we urge the state Senate to take a vote on the recall proposal. A senate vote is being blocked by backers of Blagojevich -- who is the main recall target. In the name of good government, let our senators speak.

The House already passed a version earlier this month. With a May 4 deadline looming, the Senate must act now and then send a revamped version of the recall proposal back to the House. We may be shooting ourselves in the foot -- there's a good chance the senate will pass the recall bill. But we elected our senators to legislate, not to kowtow to party leaders.

Posted by Kate Grossman at 04:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

The story of baby Lazar makes us want to hold our children and grandchildren
close to us.
The idea that a force of nature - the wind - could blow the 2-year-old in his stroller into
chilly Lake Michigan makes our hearts shutter. A beautiful walk by the lake
with a grandfather and his grandson turned into a nightmare.

Fire department divers responded quickly and bravely and rescued him from
the water within three minutes of their arrival on the scene. However, the
boy may have been submerged for as long as 15 minutes.
“You see this kid underwater, and you’re a firefighter, you’re a rescue
diver, but you’re also a father,” Brian Otto told the Sun-Times. “I held
nothing back.”
Our thoughts go out to the family, especially the anguished grandfather, as
they keep vigil at the child’s hospital bedside. He remains in critical condition.
Perhaps we can find meaning in the Serbian toddler’s name - Lazar - which
reminds us of the story of Lazarus who Jesus rose from the dead. Is it more
than a coincidence that the day after the accident was Lazarus Saturday, a
special holiday for Serbian children?
Let’s all hope for a miraculous recovery.

Posted by Teresa Puente at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

While speaking before the Colorado state legislature, state Rep. Douglas Bruce argued against a guest worker program and called Mexican workers "illiterate peasants."
"I would like to have the opportunity to state at the microphone why I don't think we need 5,000 more illiterate peasants in Colorado," Bruce, a Republican, said Monday.

Fortunately, he was quickly rebuked by Democratic Rep. Kathleen Curry. "How dare you," she told him. Then she told him he was no longer recognized to speak.
If Bruce wants to rant against legal immigration at least he could make an intelligent argument. Instead, he has to resort to hate-filled speech. He's the one who sounds ignorant here.

Posted by Teresa Puente at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (20) | TrackBacks (0)