Campaigning to reduce the large number of government units is a campaign to reduce local control of taxing bodies. Does consolidation lower taxes, or does it reduce accountability for local services? Does consolidation cut waste? Waste implies duplication of services or unnecessary spending. Townships by state statute have three main purposes: 1) Assessment of property […]
Regarding your opinion piece “We can do it, we should, starting now” (Dec. 8, TheIndependent). I’m not convinced that “We can do it.” The column suggests reducing the number of government employees. Currently, both parties won’t eliminate positions that they tend to dominate, so township government in Illinois will not go away anytime soon. To paraphrase […]
Two years ago, this column gave readers something they could have fun with, especially for that time after the family has shared a Christmas meal together, opened any presents they’ve been fortunate enough to receive, and found themselves engaged in some potentially awkward conversation (e.g., “When are you going to find some nice person and […]
I hadn’t planned a series about Christmas Clearing House, but for the third consecutive week I’m sharing the wonders of an effort that brings the joy of Christmas to our neighbors who are experiencing hardships or loneliness. Two weeks ago, I encouraged donating and mentioned the need for drivers for delivery day, which is this […]
Late last month, statehouse Democrats and Gov. J.B. Pritzker enacted a new map defining the boundaries of central Illinois congressional districts for the next 10 years. Three districts cover territory within a 35-mile radius of Peoria — the 15th, 16th, and 17th. It was my privilege to represent large parts of this same area (then […]
Campaigning to reduce the absurdly large number of government units in Illinois seems like quite the quixotic quest in a state so steeped in politics. That hasn’t deterred retired barber Bob Anderson of Wonder Lake, who is attacking the political windmills with more than scissors and a comb. As reported recently in The Independent, Anderson […]
My son, Zach Brokaw, had a mission in life … to make the world a kinder place. Sadly, in June 2015, at age 20, he died in an automobile accident after falling asleep behind the wheel. Six months later, “Stuff the Stocking for Zach” was born. Zach was my only child, and this fundraiser was […]
By Cheryl Wormley I’m pumped. I found out about Christmas Clearing House’s product partners last week. For those of you who knew all about the effort, you are probably wondering what planet I’ve been on. If you didn’t know about it, I will share what I’ve learned. First of all, product partners, Rotary, and Christmas […]
By John T. Shaw People in government rarely have time to extract themselves from the relentless rush of daily drama and urgent deadlines to think about the future. Former North Carolina Gov. Terry Sanford once observed there is no one in the governor’s office looking out the window, pondering the problems of the future. Former […]
Five years ago this month, the Woodstock City Council was wrestling with how to move forward with the Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House. Sound familiar? You can read about the 2016 issue in Flashbacks on Page 19 of today’s edition of The Independent. A report from the previous year had put the city’s expenses up […]
Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.
Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.
Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.
Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.
