In the Nov. 10 BND you reported that the University of Illinois is to get $15 million to build a 20-acre solar farm. It should start producing power by next fall and eventually will supply about 2 percent of electricity used on campus. Two percent and it costs $15 million? Is this another one of those Illinois boondoggles that we hear about? Surely $15 million will buy more than 2 percent of the university's electricity.
Faith restored
This presidential election was so humbling because I was so afraid that huge amounts of money from Las Vegas, Wall Street and the big corporations were going to buy the presidency. I feel bad that I doubted the American public and thought they might not be able to see a pseudo-Christian charlatan when they saw one, but they did. The other lesson learned is that you cannot be elected by telling the people that they are stupid moochers and don't deserve to live well in our country.
Respect is earned
In response to a recent letter, the president of the United States needs to earn respect just like everyone else does. I have the right to disrespect someone who repeatedly lies to me, whatever the title he holds. It's called freedom.
All the best for Bowen
I don't know reporter Jennifer Bowen but I feel like I do because of her column which I enjoy. I am pleased that her personal life is going so well and I wish her and Boogie and her new husband and family all the best.
Sick of her columns
A caller hit the nail on the head when he said that reporter Jennifer Bowen must be related to the owner of the Belleville News-Democrat. I'm sick and tired of reading about her kid. We all have kids of our own and we should look after them in the privacy of our home, not in the Belleville News-Democrat.
Careful in glass house
In the recent article on the Swansea volunteer firefighter, Mayor Jim Rauckman made a statement that the firefighter was a representative of the village and he expects a certain level of professionalism, especially from someone who is a first responder. But the mayor should look at himself before he suspends someone else for doing basically the same thing. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
The more the merrier
Glenn McCoy's cartoon about congressman-elect Bill Enyart not wanting to get his uniform dirty in the Illinois political swamp was really good. It would have been even better if he had included state Rep. Eddie Jackson, state Sen. James Clayborne and St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern dipping their toes into the swamp, too.
Unions, wise up
Every union man in this country wears a certain brand of insulated work clothes. They used to be made in the USA. Now they're made in China but the union men keep buying them. Why don't they boycott that company? That's what the unions are for, I thought, to fight for the working man. If the unions fought for the working man, we'd be making those clothes in this country.
One word: Catalog
J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson wants to know why business has gone down. Doesn't he know the catalog needs to come back so they can get back their customers who don't have a computer? Duh.
Trouble in Collinsville
Collinsville is poorly run. The City Council members are narrow- minded, poor money managers and cannot separate church and state. The council members do not care about what the people want or vote for, only what they want. If you plan on opening a small business in Collinsville, beware of the council and members' negative attitude on everything. The council needs to think about Collinsville's financial future, which needs to foster small businesses and new ideas.
The right call to close
Although Veterans Day fell on a Sunday, I would like to thank all of the school districts that chose to take Monday off in honor of our soldiers and our veterans.
Safety tips at twilight
I'd like to offer a heads-up warning to pedestrians now that it's getting dark early. They may think that because they can see the cars coming toward them that the drivers can see the walkers, too. But people wearing dark clothing and are in areas that are not well-lit become practically invisible in the shadows of twilight. People need to be aware and make themselves visible. They should dress in light-colored clothing and make sure they do not walk in front of traffic expecting motorists to stop.
Signs of a quick sale
I'm a retired used car dealer and I have some advice for people who are trying to sell their cars. So often I see cars with a "for sale" sign on it with a phone number in the small space. You don't need "for sale" on the sign. A potential buyer is only looking for two things: the price and the phone number. If a buyer has to get out of his car to read the phone number on a "for sale" sign, you may lose the sale.
Guidance on morality
Regarding the Catholic bishops' meeting, the press mostly takes the attitude that moral issues are political and can flip-flop all over the place. To all of the non-affiliated religious people out there, please read and study the Ten Commandments. They definitely do not say, "Live according to your feelings" if you ultimately want to get to heaven. Glenn McCoy needs to keep the cartoons coming, they are right on.
Written for a tabloid
I was pleased to read recently that investigators were making progress in the murder of the man in Granite City. But then in the very last paragraph, there it was -- some minor indiscretion your reporter dug up about the victim's past that had absolutely nothing to do with that poor man's death. When are your reporters going to learn the difference between journalism and tabloid trashing? They do this all too often. It's very sad.
What road kill signals
Road kill always enrages and scares me and makes me sick. It's a clear sign that either someone doesn't have control of his vehicle and cannot avoid hitting a small animal or it means he just don't care about the life of anything except himself. Either way, it's bad news.
Spread the awards
It's wonderful that awards are given to teachers who work with kids with disabilities and special education, but isn't it time that some honor be given to the teachers who work with the kids in the middle, the average students, or the teachers who work with the honors kids? How about some credit and applause for the teachers who work their tails off for the kids in the middle?
Don't push censorship
I find it disturbing to read letters to the editor or Sound-off comments advocating censorship of news or opinions in the BND with which that reader disagrees. Such readers only like freedom of the press when they agree with the reporter or cartoonist. Often an excellent BND reporter or award-winning cartoonist with which the reader disagrees is called a radical extremist on the right or on the left. Reporters write on a wide variety of topics under the pressure of time deadlines and cannot study the topic as much as they would like. For heaven's sake, leave the reporters and cartoonists who don't share your beliefs alone. Just move on.
GOP gets schooled
Good riddance to GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and congressional candidate Jason Plummer. We don't care about their tax returns anymore. Their arrogance and their trying to sell out the middle class are the reasons they lost. And for all the die-hard Republicans, it's time to stop whining and being negative in the News-Democrat and start focusing on the positives and the good things of America. If you can't focus on the good, it's time for you to pack your bags and move to another country -- if you can find one that will take you.
A half-baked idea
Somehow I can't work up any sympathy for the Hostess Bakery workers who lost their jobs. They were warned that refusing to make contract concessions would make the company go belly up and their jobs would be gone. And so it happened. Wasn't that a smart thing to do? The workers have no jobs and no benefits so now we the taxpayers have to pay to feed them and put them on unemployment.
Propaganda won't fly
The Nov. 13 headline, "Business is looking up at MidAmerica," was a laugh. The St. Clair County Democrats just keep putting out that propaganda thinking the gullible people will just swallow it like they swallow the massive tax burden we all have for that farce in the field.
Too much for payroll
The O'Fallon Progress reported that 80 percent of the budget for O'Fallon School District 90 is devoted to payroll. Shouldn't this tell us something? Evidently the salaries of teachers and other staff are too high with too many benefits. Eighty percent of a school budget should not be used for payroll.
Avoidable tragedy
I don't know why there wasn't a railroad employee with a two-way radio manning the railroad crossing for the Veterans Day parade in Texas where people were killed. If they knew the slow-moving parade would be crossing a track, a railroad person would have alerted the engine that the parade was crossing. Someone slipped up on this. Trains are moving at 60 mph on the track and a parade is moving about 2 mph. It's sad that this happened when it could have been avoided.
Don't allow shelter
Belleville had better think twice about letting the Rev. Larry Rice take over the old YMCA. He took over the Catholic Community House in East St. Louis. It was a beautiful building where single women who lived out of town stayed while they worked in the area. It didn't take long before it went to ruin. That's how he takes care of buildings.
Cheerleaders left out
The Rotary Club does a good job of commending our athletes. But why did it exclude all the cheerleaders from three schools? They are a very important part of sports. And, athletics officials are finally considering treating cheerleading as the risky sport that it is.
Keep it A, B, C, D
This just continues to happen. When I open my newspaper, I get through Section A and find Section D where Section B should be. Is there a machine that puts the paper together or is there an illiterate person who doesn't know the alphabet?
Taxed in many ways
The president talks about not raising taxes on the middle and lower income class but what about the taxes we already pay on the higher gas and food prices? I'm sure we'd rather have those prices reduced and pay a little more in income taxes.
Shameful behavior
It is a sad day when our top generals have nothing better to do than act like horny teenagers sending out thousands of emails to publicity-seeking bimbos. No wonder this war on terror is never-ending. The people in charge are more occupied with their sex lives than the task that the taxpayers hired them to perform. They are a disgrace to themselves, their families and the uniform they wear.
McCoy is great as is
Leave Glenn McCoy's cartoons alone. I love them.
