Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009

Letters 11/11

Creating good schools

I would like to first give kudos to the educators at Jackson Elementary for their outstanding performance on the Prairie State exam. On the other hand, we have the same old song and dance from 98 percent of the school districts below the hill failing miserably. One doesn't have to look too far to find the root of the problems.

First and foremost is the lack of quality leadership on the school boards and second is the lack of good parenting, which keeps these children from attaining better grades, self-esteem, and a chance out of poverty.

Undoubtedly many of these educators are more interested in riding the gravy train than educating young minds. One only has to look at our overinflated taxation system, which keeps many of these lackeys at the trough.

Take East St. Louis School District 189, for example. Taxes are approximately 46 percent higher than Belleville High School District 201, yet their test scores are about 60 percent lower.

Obviously, if residents want to see any substantial change in these test scores, they must get involved and demand more from themselves and from their administration.

The best solution is to dissolve or disband failing districts such as District 189 and turn the performing schools such as Jackson Elementary into charter schools. It is quite obvious that many of these districts and educators have outlived their usefulness.

Kevin Sheridan

Fairview Heights

Bergman defended

In reference to the letter by Kathy Craig on Oct. 25, who signed her letter as living in Cahokia. She owns a house in Cahokia, but actually lives in New Baden.

When she says Cahokia has been going downhill for a long time, I agree, and it all started when Mike King was mayor. He welcomed HUD and Section 8 to take over our nice village.

Mayor Frank Bergman acquired a huge mess when he was voted in legally. Craig has been blinded about the good things Bergman has done and continues to do for our village. Every year our streets are paved. However, it will take millions of dollars to fix our old sewer system.

Our mayor does cleanups, snow removal, and yes, he actually gets dirty. How many mayors do this? We have an excellent police department that keeps crime down, and our fire department also does an amazing job.

The new trustees voted in by "voter fraud" on their breath of fresh air, I would say, this is polluted air. They bring their own agenda and try to run the board meetings, even when the village attorney tells them that they are out of order.

One of the board members called my adult daughter a "bitch." At the end of the meeting on Oct. 20, Kyle Johnson called all of us ignorant.

Craig needs to get her facts straight before she sounds off.

Bernetta Radford

Cahokia

Parents, wake up

I fail to comprehend the hoopla about notifying parents about the sexual activity of their offspring.

The parents know their children are having sex. They encourage it and are aware of the consequences; they should after having children or they really do need help.

I have been disgusted for a long time of the sexual display and encouragement of sexual activity. I have never before seen so much breast, stomach and butt displayed in public, much less on television. The sexual language in songs, movies and general public is revolting as well as the murder of the English language everywhere.

It is long past due for the parents to get involved in their children's lives, not wait until they have caused them the pain and anguish of an abortion, which is a result of their own neglect.

Caryl Jane Yancey

Fairview Heights

No comparison

Bruce Tinsley, cartoonist author of "Mallard Fillmore," recently has taken to attacking former President Jimmy Carter, calling him an irrelevant buffoon. Let's compare the two.

Accomplishments/ awards by Tinsley: While in high school, he won a cartoon contest. He established himself in Virginia, winning three Virginia Press Association awards for Best Editorial Cartoon. He was named the 1998 Conservative Journalist of the Year at the 1998 Conservative Political Action Conference.

Other accomplishments: On Dec. 4, 2006, Tinsley was arrested for DUI with a blood-alcohol level of 0.14, just below twice the legal limit in Indiana, according to the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department. He later publicly attacked the character of the arresting officer and the judge who heard his case -- but never denied being blitzed while behind the wheel.

Carter, by comparison, was trained as a nuclear reactor officer by the U.S. Navy, successfully ran the family peanut farm, served two terms in the Georgia state Senate, four years as governor of Georgia, elected 39th president of the United States, won the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, negotiated peace between Israel and Egypt, negotiated the SALT II Treaty with Russia to limit nuclear arms, serves as a key member of Habitat for Humanity, and has been awarded more than 20 honorary degrees around the world. Need I say more?

Gary W. Gaines

Granite City

Thank a veteran

America would not be the country it is today if not for the sacrifices made by the countless men and women who have served in the U.S. military.

Yes, it is a cliche, but it is so true: Servicemen and women risked and, in many cases, gave their lives so we can have the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

It's a humbling notion to ponder. And I'm proud to see these sacrifices not taken for granted among the people of Southern Illinois.

The metro-east communities hold our military veterans in the highest regard as they well should. I see examples of this nearly every day as I travel throughout my district and notice all the supportive signs and events honoring active duty members and veterans.

As a new state lawmaker, I've made it a priority to become an advocate for veterans in Springfield. If people have any suggestions on ways I can help be of assistance to veterans and their families, or suggestions on how to make state law more responsive, please contact me at my constituent service office at (618) 875-9950.

I hope people will join me in honoring these brave men and women and thanking them for their service on Veterans Day. They have earned it.

Rep. Eddie L. Jackson

114th District East St. Louis

Deserving of benefits

I would hope that people of all political persuasions could agree that the legislation President Barack Obama signed Oct. 22 regarding veterans health care was an honorable act, long overdue.

For some reason, the Department of Veteran Affairs has had difficulty making the numbers work, never sure the country was committed to veteran care. They never got the appropriate level of funding, and the funding never got a consistent and timely focus. For all the flag-waving platitudes, veterans have had to fight every inch of the way. It has been a national disgrace.

With contributions from both parties, we finally have a law that demands that our obligations to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice be honored with deeds, not words. It shows what can be accomplished when we work together. Never again should any veteran have to beg for help.

I am proud of this Congress and this president for solving a three-decade old debt, long overdue.

Dennis M. Gilbert

Waterloo