U.S. health officials say 4.4 million Americans have rolled up their sleeves for the updated COVID-19 booster shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the count Thursday as public health experts bemoaned President Joe Biden's recent remark that "the pandemic is over."The White House said more than 5 million people received the new boosters by its own estimate that accounts for reporting lags in states.Health experts said it is too early to predict whether demand would match up with the 171 million doses of the new boosters the U.S. ordered for the fall."No one would go looking at our flu shot uptake at this point and be like, 'Oh, what a disaster,'" said Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "If we start to see a large uptick in cases, I think we're going to see a lot of people getting the (new COVID) vaccine."SEE MORE: Doctors Are Still Hunting For The Cause Of Long COVID Brain FogA temporary shortage of Moderna vaccine caused some pharmacies to cancel appointments while encouraging people to reschedule for a Pfizer vaccine. The issue was expected to resolve as government regulators wrapped up an inspection and cleared batches of vaccine doses for distribution."I do expect this to pick up in the weeks ahead," said White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. "We've been thinking and talking about this as an annual vaccine like the flu vaccine. Flu vaccine season picks up in late September and early October. We're just getting our education campaign going. So we expect to see, despite the fact that this was a strong start, we actually expect this to ramp up stronger."Some Americans who plan to get the shot, designed to target the most common Omicron strains, said they are waiting because they either had COVID-19 recently or another booster. They are following public health advice to wait several months to get the full benefit of their existing virus-fighting antibodies.Others are scheduling shots closer to holiday gatherings and winter months when respiratory viruses spread more easily.Retired hospital chaplain Jeanie Murphy, 69, of Shawnee, Kansas, plans to get the new booster in a couple of weeks after she has some minor knee surgery. Interest is high among her neighbors from what she sees on the Nextdoor app."There's quite a bit of discussion happening among people who are ready to make appointments," Murphy said. "I found that encouraging. For every one naysayer there will be 10 or 12 people who jump in and say, 'You're crazy. You just need to go get the shot.'"SEE MORE: Study: Pfizer COVID Treatment Pill Showed No Benefit To Younger AdultsPresident Biden later acknowledged criticism of his remark about the pandemic being over and clarified the pandemic is "not where it was." The initial comment didn't bother Murphy. She believes the disease has entered a steady state when "we'll get COVID shots in the fall the same as we do flu shots."Experts hope she's right, but are waiting to see what levels of infection winter brings. The summer ebb in case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths may be followed by another surge, Dowdy said.Dr. Anthony Fauci, asked Thursday by a panel of biodefense experts what still keeps him up at night, noted that half of vaccinated Americans never got an initial booster dose."We have a vulnerability in our population that will continue to have us in a mode of potential disruption of our social order," Fauci said. "I think that we have to do better as a nation."Some Americans who got the new shots said they are excited about the idea of targeting the vaccine to the variants circulating now."Give me all the science you can," said Jeff Westling, 30, an attorney in Washington, D.C., who got the new booster and a flu shot on Tuesday, one in each arm. He participates in the combat sport jujitsu, so wants to protect himself from infections that may come with close contact. "I have no issue trusting folks whose job it is to look at the evidence."Meanwhile, President Biden's pronouncement in a "60 Minutes" interview broadcast Sunday echoed through social media."We still have a problem with COVID. We're still doing a lot of work on it. But the pandemic is over," President Biden said while walking through the Detroit auto show. "If you notice, no one's wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it's changing."By Wednesday on Facebook, when a Kansas health department posted where residents could find the new booster shots, the first commenter remarked snidely:"But Biden says the pandemic is over."The president's statement, despite his attempts to clarify it, adds to public confusion, said Josh Michaud, associate director
BLOOMINGTON — McLean County remains at a low community level for COVID-19 for the third week in a row.
The McLean County Health Department's Friday COVID update reported 171 new cases reported to the department since Sept. 16. That brings the total probable and confirmed cases to 59,940.
A plurality of the new cases in the past week, 38, were in people in their 20s, followed by 21 people in their 40s.
The update did not include any new deaths, leaving the total at 395.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data places the county at "low" community level. At any level the CDC recommends increased caution for high-risk individuals and those who live with them. The agency also recommends everyone stay up to date on boosters.
Most area counties are also at low community level, though Ford County is at high and Tazewell is at medium, CDC data show.
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 17,373 new cases statewide since Sept. 16. As of Thursday night, there were 1,069 people hospitalized with COVID in the state, including 147 in the ICU and 40 on ventilators.
The IDPH's vaccination data shows that 63.35% of McLean County is fully vaccinated and 67.63% have received at least one dose.
So far more than 340,000 Illinois residents have received the bivalent booster vaccines that are designed to increase protection against the omicron variant, IDPH's Friday update said.
MCHD is scheduling appointments for both the primary vaccines and the new bivalent vaccine meant to more specifically protect against the omicron variant. Adult vaccinations can be scheduled by calling 309-888-5435 and child vaccinations can be scheduled by calling 309-888-5455.
MCHD also is offering free COVID-19 testing at the McLean County Customer Service Center, found in the parking lot on East Street at Front Street in downtown Bloomington. The site is right across the street from the McLean County Government building, and parking is free for up to two hours.
Testing clinics will be held there from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday and Wednesday.
When some of my GOP friends ask my why I think the U.S. is better off than just two years ago, I remind them that two years ago we were using freezer trucks as morgues. I also explained what has been accomplished in just 1½ years under President Biden and a Democrat Congress and Senate.
The list is long: Sound leadership against the COVID mess left by the last administration, a friend in White House for all who believe in inclusion, an infrastructure bill, the lowest unemployment and highest GNP in years, the highest minimum wage ever, the most money ever toward global warming, lower prescription drug prices, $3 billion toward the national debt, a stronger and bigger NATO alliance, getting troops out of a trillion-dollar failure in Afghanistan, the killing of the head of a major terrorist group, punishing Russia, being strong toward China, the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, pro-law enforcement, some gun legislation, help for low / middle incomes and small businesses and finally a minimum tax on large companies.
We are definitely better off than two years ago. But there have been some bumps in the road that the pandemic caused, supply chain difficulties and inflation. To help families and businesses survive through the pandemic we are facing those bumps. Gas prices are lowering and supplies are improving. Situations were serious because of price gouging and hoarding of supplies.
This has been a fantastic start. Think how much even greater the accomplishments would have been if the GOP would have helped and not blocked. After revealing all the accomplishments to some of my GOP friends, they had to admit that the U.S. is better now than two years ago. Keep the good times going.
Michael Kober, Bloomington
We would like to commend Connect Transit for their decision to use money received from a federal grant program to purchase new electric buses and vehicles for our community. These funds are coming from the Buses and Bus Facilities Program run by the Federal Transit Authority.
This grant will provide five new full-size buses to replace older diesel buses, allow for purchase of smaller electric vehicles for the new Microtransit on-demand service, and covers maintenance and training as well. The benefits of these buses include savings for electricity that costs less than diesel fuel, less maintenance without oil changes, plus an improved rider experience. These electric buses are quieter and don’t produce emissions. Our entire community benefits from this cleaner transportation system.
All agencies are seeking resources to make use of the emerging electric technology. It is our hope that our local school districts will soon find a way to convert their bus fleet to electric school buses.
Thank you to Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and Congressmen Rodney Davis and Darin LaHood for collaborating to secure this funding. It is wonderful to see what can be accomplished when we work together.
The Green Team
Normal First United Methodist Church
The SAFE-T act needs immediate change before January 1 when it is set to go into effect. The deep-blue Democrats of Illinois politicians and legislators are set to let violent criminals walk out of jail free.
They would post no cash bond for kidnapping, attempted murder, robbery, car-jacking, or man other heinous crimes against Illinois citizens. There won’t be any cops around to protect Americans in Illinois because they will all quit when they see that they will be persecuted by the Democrats in the super-majority Democrat House and Senate. Where is common decency from the top down?
Last Labor Day weekend in Chicago there were 50 people shot with eight dead. This crime is totally out of control in blue Chicago, but democrats want to persecute cops and let criminals out same-day of crime to commit more crime. This is democrat insanity. Vote them all out of office!
James Bourke, Normal
On November 8, we have a choice: Keep paying the highest taxes in the country while nothing is done to reform our state or we can vote for Darren Bailey for governor.
Darren has proven he is not afraid to stand up to wrong. He fought Pritzker over his cruel and unnecessary extended lockdowns that destroyed small businesses and kept public school children out of schools. Seniors missed their final games, final proms and high school graduations. Students were isolated, and fell behind and the damage to many is permanent. Darren also fought against the masking of our healthy children which caused headaches, drowsiness, fatigue and impaired their ability to learn.
It's for this reason I have chosen to vote for Darren Bailey for governor who fought against these cruel measures that fed our current governor's hunger for power and added to our state's reputation for political corruption.
On November 8, a vote for Darren Bailey is a vote for safety against crime, lower property and income taxes and someone who looks out for its citizens. It is time to make Illinois a state you want to live in not flee.
Becky Rieger, Bloomington
I’ve known Chuck Erickson both personally and professionally for several years. He is a respected attorney and county board member. He respects the opinions of others and is committed to fighting for his constituents and the citizens of McLean County.
He would not hesitate to work with anyone, Democrat or Republican, to get things done for the citizens of McLean County. Yet, he also knows when to take a stand for what he believes. Not only is Chuck straightforward with objectives but demonstrates good judgement to make changes when and where necessary.
I highly recommend placing your trust and confidence with Chuck Erickson and Re-Elect him as a McLean County Board Member, District 10.
Sally Diemer, Bloomington
From political speeches to media reporting, concerns about the protection of children in our schools has been at the forefront of public concern. Adolescent mental health has been seen as a culprit for U.S. mass shootings. The shooter often being depicted as “a loner”, “deeply troubled” or bullied by their peers. Under the recently signed, bipartisan Safter Community Act, one focus is the boosting of funding toward mental health services and training.
Yet will providing more quality and quantity of mental health resources address the possibility of a future school shooting? While it is true that public mental health and school-based resources are desperately underfunded, counseling and psychiatric care can only be effective when a trusting and voluntary relationship is developed between clinicians and young people.
For example, will a young male share their thoughts and emotions with a mental health provider about their propensity for violence on others? In short, do they have an interest in personal change? Unfortunately, research tells us that men are less likely to utilize mental health resources.
Despite these concerns, young men, particularly disengaged from school, family, or an employment setting, can feel a lack of control in our society. The Bipartisan Safter Community Act law should support programs that truly engage young men to avoid disengagement from school and their family.
Men need means for expressing power and control through any number of groups including vocation programs, sports, the arts, music, drama or a gaming club. When utilized, these spaces of connection can bind young men to something bigger in the community.
Each of us in the community probably knows a young person who wants opportunities to feel accomplished, confident, or strong. How can our community encourage and provide these opportunities?
Christopher Gjesfjeld, Bloomington
I am writing to encourage the voters in county board district 10 to re-elect Chuck Erickson to the McLean County Board. I have worked for him for 16 years and as an attorney, he looks out for and advocates for his clients. I know it, I have seen it. He cares about the people he represents. When he believes in something, he fights for it.
I worked for Chuck when he first ran for the county board in 2012. Since that time, I have seen the dedication he places in his county board position and for his constituents and the citizens of McLean County.
I have also seen the nastiness of his political opponents. He always advises me to ignore them. Yet through it all, Chuck continues to fight on for the citizens of McLean County, regardless of their status, position or party. In my view, the county is fortunate to have someone as dedicated as Chuck is serving on the board.
Please join me in supporting Chuck Erickson for re-election to the McLean County Board.
Betsy Huffman, Towanda
Sen. Lindsey Graham has helpfully revealed that Republicans will pass a nationwide abortion ban as soon as they get the chance. Republicans are eager to deprive women, quickly, of their long-established rights. Sen. Graham can hardly contain himself.
GOP strategists, of course, are livid that Sen. Graham threw his “reveal party” ahead of the midterms. He wasn’t supposed to blab about abortion before the election -- it could wreck their chances.
The plan is to end all access to abortion in every state. All abortions will be forbidden no matter what the circumstance, including the life of the mother.
Not long ago -- like, last week -- Republicans were vocal advocates of states’ rights. Now this week they’re against states’ rights.
Republicans fully intend to impose their plan by force, to control women’s bodies and their privacy in every state. They promise to criminalize abortions, the women who seek them, the health care workers who provide them, and anyone who “abets” the “crime” by helping women in crisis.
Throughout America, women in need of medical aid will have nowhere to turn. Women and girls will suffer and die. Victims of rape, incest, and problem pregnancies will receive no mercy. Individual situations and personal freedom will be heartlessly crushed. Infant mortality will skyrocket. The birth rate will plummet. Doctors, nurses, and others will face criminal prosecution. No state (including Illinois), no woman, no family will be safe from the snooping of the GOP. Constant surveillance and anti-abortion enforcers will be required.
So that’s the plan. No, really: that’s it. Sen. Graham ran his mouth when he should have kept the plan secret. But now we know. Count on them to keep this one promise beyond any doubt. If Republicans gain the majority in Congress, they will immediately ban all abortions, nationwide, with no exceptions. Sen. Graham, thanks for the warning.
Larry Gaylord, Normal
The American Dream and More Perfect Union risks in our November election are shockingly high. And voters have never faced more sophisticated and thorough simultaneous informing and disinforming. We the people are on the spot big time and must rise to the occasion wisely.
We must use this election to significantly upgrade the awareness, attitudes, and actions of our elected officials and local, state, and federal governments toward (1) the public interest, (2) popular sovereign self-governance of the people, by the people, and for the people, and (3) our recently neglected, and now purposely suppressed, national internal control process.
We are history’s first and only formally declared and empowered sovereign citizens. We are the de facto bosses here. We have all the sovereign authority and practicable opportunities we need.
We are failing to meet our solemn civic duty to actualize popular sovereign self-governance by insisting on keeping our government and major corporations firmly and appropriately safely bridled and harnessed within our unique and precious national interactive fund-accounting-based public budgeting and auditing internal control (PBAIC) process.
PBAIC actualizes popular sovereign self-governance by substantively involving the general public in the power of the purse strings. It subjects government and major corporate activities to (1) timely, detailed and thorough public interest transparency and accountability; (2) interbranch, intergovernmental, and public cooperation and oversight; and (3) inclusive public informed consent.
Neither of our two major political parties is acknowledging our suppression of PBAIC or advocating its reversal. We must pressure them to do so. We must also pressure the elected officials and candidates on the November 8 ballot. And we must then vote for those who will fight for PBAIC.
Dick Haas, Pontiac
Governing is not a team sport. Governing isn’t about winning and losing. Governing is about good decision making. Governing is about collaboration. Elected officials are not coaches or referees. The individuals we select to represent us should have their focus on the good of the “citizens of the community”. Their energy and leadership should be focused on collaboration and consensus building that will move McLean County forward.
Elizabeth Johnson has demonstrated her capacity and vision for leadership of McLean County. As a professional social worker, she uses her professional skills to research problems and concerns in McLean County, evaluating past decisions and through collaboration builds a process for going forward. True decision making requires inquiry and wisdom, decisions that are not influenced by political party affiliation.
Elizabeth has demonstrated her leadership by asking substantive and probing questions on mental health funding and programs, economic development, employment, housing, community safety and taxation. Elizabeth acknowledges that good and substantive decision making requires ongoing collaboration and evaluation.
“Lizzie” isn’t just available for conversation during the election season Lizzie is always seeking her constituencies ideas and concerns in our homes, in the coffeeshops or on the street.
Please join with me in sharing ideas with Lizzie and giving her your affirmation by voting for her on November 8.
Jana Edge, Normal
In my apple tree those pesky squirrels knock a half-dozen apples down just to get to one they can eat. Even though the apples aren’t ripe at this stage, the rabbits like them. I keep a stash for them out back. It’s actually a bribe to steer them away from the garden. Over time, more and more rabbits have discovered my stash, and indulge themselves. Lately, some hungry foxes have taken notice and tend to drop by more often. Sadly, I’ve had to clean up the remains of several rabbits due to the fox activity. Whoops! I’m afraid my kind gesture has led to some unintended consequences.
Of much more concern are the unintended consequences of actions taken by our elected officials. Many liberal Democrats have promoted defunding the police in their various communities. The results of their efforts in several large metro areas are in, and they are not pretty. An uptick in crime has generally been the result, including increased homicides.
Immediately upon taking office, Joe Biden signed executive orders reversing the prior president’s restrictive immigration practices at our southern border, as well as halting construction of the border wall. A massive spike in illegal immigration at our southern border has occurred, bringing along with it drug smugglers, sex traffickers, and violent criminals. The smuggling of fentanyl into our country has increased, and drug overdose is now the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45. Whoops!
Other Democrat debacles include passing huge spending bills that have contributed to inflation, making ill-advised foreign policy decisions that have weakened our world status and promoting racism as a political tool to garner votes. The upcoming elections are our chance to elect lawmakers that can correct these wrongs. Please join me by voting for Republican candidates this November.
Rick Skelley, Bloomington
Central Illinois speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Sep. 23, 2022
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Pantagraph.
When some of my GOP friends ask my why I think the U.S. is better off than just two years ago, I remind them that two years ago we were using freezer trucks as morgues. I also explained what has been accomplished in just 1½ years under President Biden and a Democrat Congress and Senate.
The list is long: Sound leadership against the COVID mess left by the last administration, a friend in White House for all who believe in inclusion, an infrastructure bill, the lowest unemployment and highest GNP in years, the highest minimum wage ever, the most money ever toward global warming, lower prescription drug prices, $3 billion toward the national debt, a stronger and bigger NATO alliance, getting troops out of a trillion-dollar failure in Afghanistan, the killing of the head of a major terrorist group, punishing Russia, being strong toward China, the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, pro-law enforcement, some gun legislation, help for low / middle incomes and small businesses and finally a minimum tax on large companies.
We are definitely better off than two years ago. But there have been some bumps in the road that the pandemic caused, supply chain difficulties and inflation. To help families and businesses survive through the pandemic we are facing those bumps. Gas prices are lowering and supplies are improving. Situations were serious because of price gouging and hoarding of supplies.
This has been a fantastic start. Think how much even greater the accomplishments would have been if the GOP would have helped and not blocked. After revealing all the accomplishments to some of my GOP friends, they had to admit that the U.S. is better now than two years ago. Keep the good times going.
Michael Kober, Bloomington
We would like to commend Connect Transit for their decision to use money received from a federal grant program to purchase new electric buses and vehicles for our community. These funds are coming from the Buses and Bus Facilities Program run by the Federal Transit Authority.
This grant will provide five new full-size buses to replace older diesel buses, allow for purchase of smaller electric vehicles for the new Microtransit on-demand service, and covers maintenance and training as well. The benefits of these buses include savings for electricity that costs less than diesel fuel, less maintenance without oil changes, plus an improved rider experience. These electric buses are quieter and don’t produce emissions. Our entire community benefits from this cleaner transportation system.
All agencies are seeking resources to make use of the emerging electric technology. It is our hope that our local school districts will soon find a way to convert their bus fleet to electric school buses.
Thank you to Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and Congressmen Rodney Davis and Darin LaHood for collaborating to secure this funding. It is wonderful to see what can be accomplished when we work together.
The Green Team
Normal First United Methodist Church
The SAFE-T act needs immediate change before January 1 when it is set to go into effect. The deep-blue Democrats of Illinois politicians and legislators are set to let violent criminals walk out of jail free.
They would post no cash bond for kidnapping, attempted murder, robbery, car-jacking, or man other heinous crimes against Illinois citizens. There won’t be any cops around to protect Americans in Illinois because they will all quit when they see that they will be persecuted by the Democrats in the super-majority Democrat House and Senate. Where is common decency from the top down?
Last Labor Day weekend in Chicago there were 50 people shot with eight dead. This crime is totally out of control in blue Chicago, but democrats want to persecute cops and let criminals out same-day of crime to commit more crime. This is democrat insanity. Vote them all out of office!
James Bourke, Normal
On November 8, we have a choice: Keep paying the highest taxes in the country while nothing is done to reform our state or we can vote for Darren Bailey for governor.
Darren has proven he is not afraid to stand up to wrong. He fought Pritzker over his cruel and unnecessary extended lockdowns that destroyed small businesses and kept public school children out of schools. Seniors missed their final games, final proms and high school graduations. Students were isolated, and fell behind and the damage to many is permanent. Darren also fought against the masking of our healthy children which caused headaches, drowsiness, fatigue and impaired their ability to learn.
It's for this reason I have chosen to vote for Darren Bailey for governor who fought against these cruel measures that fed our current governor's hunger for power and added to our state's reputation for political corruption.
On November 8, a vote for Darren Bailey is a vote for safety against crime, lower property and income taxes and someone who looks out for its citizens. It is time to make Illinois a state you want to live in not flee.
Becky Rieger, Bloomington
I’ve known Chuck Erickson both personally and professionally for several years. He is a respected attorney and county board member. He respects the opinions of others and is committed to fighting for his constituents and the citizens of McLean County.
He would not hesitate to work with anyone, Democrat or Republican, to get things done for the citizens of McLean County. Yet, he also knows when to take a stand for what he believes. Not only is Chuck straightforward with objectives but demonstrates good judgement to make changes when and where necessary.
I highly recommend placing your trust and confidence with Chuck Erickson and Re-Elect him as a McLean County Board Member, District 10.
Sally Diemer, Bloomington
From political speeches to media reporting, concerns about the protection of children in our schools has been at the forefront of public concern. Adolescent mental health has been seen as a culprit for U.S. mass shootings. The shooter often being depicted as “a loner”, “deeply troubled” or bullied by their peers. Under the recently signed, bipartisan Safter Community Act, one focus is the boosting of funding toward mental health services and training.
Yet will providing more quality and quantity of mental health resources address the possibility of a future school shooting? While it is true that public mental health and school-based resources are desperately underfunded, counseling and psychiatric care can only be effective when a trusting and voluntary relationship is developed between clinicians and young people.
For example, will a young male share their thoughts and emotions with a mental health provider about their propensity for violence on others? In short, do they have an interest in personal change? Unfortunately, research tells us that men are less likely to utilize mental health resources.
Despite these concerns, young men, particularly disengaged from school, family, or an employment setting, can feel a lack of control in our society. The Bipartisan Safter Community Act law should support programs that truly engage young men to avoid disengagement from school and their family.
Men need means for expressing power and control through any number of groups including vocation programs, sports, the arts, music, drama or a gaming club. When utilized, these spaces of connection can bind young men to something bigger in the community.
Each of us in the community probably knows a young person who wants opportunities to feel accomplished, confident, or strong. How can our community encourage and provide these opportunities?
Christopher Gjesfjeld, Bloomington
I am writing to encourage the voters in county board district 10 to re-elect Chuck Erickson to the McLean County Board. I have worked for him for 16 years and as an attorney, he looks out for and advocates for his clients. I know it, I have seen it. He cares about the people he represents. When he believes in something, he fights for it.
I worked for Chuck when he first ran for the county board in 2012. Since that time, I have seen the dedication he places in his county board position and for his constituents and the citizens of McLean County.
I have also seen the nastiness of his political opponents. He always advises me to ignore them. Yet through it all, Chuck continues to fight on for the citizens of McLean County, regardless of their status, position or party. In my view, the county is fortunate to have someone as dedicated as Chuck is serving on the board.
Please join me in supporting Chuck Erickson for re-election to the McLean County Board.
Betsy Huffman, Towanda
Sen. Lindsey Graham has helpfully revealed that Republicans will pass a nationwide abortion ban as soon as they get the chance. Republicans are eager to deprive women, quickly, of their long-established rights. Sen. Graham can hardly contain himself.
GOP strategists, of course, are livid that Sen. Graham threw his “reveal party” ahead of the midterms. He wasn’t supposed to blab about abortion before the election -- it could wreck their chances.
The plan is to end all access to abortion in every state. All abortions will be forbidden no matter what the circumstance, including the life of the mother.
Not long ago -- like, last week -- Republicans were vocal advocates of states’ rights. Now this week they’re against states’ rights.
Republicans fully intend to impose their plan by force, to control women’s bodies and their privacy in every state. They promise to criminalize abortions, the women who seek them, the health care workers who provide them, and anyone who “abets” the “crime” by helping women in crisis.
Throughout America, women in need of medical aid will have nowhere to turn. Women and girls will suffer and die. Victims of rape, incest, and problem pregnancies will receive no mercy. Individual situations and personal freedom will be heartlessly crushed. Infant mortality will skyrocket. The birth rate will plummet. Doctors, nurses, and others will face criminal prosecution. No state (including Illinois), no woman, no family will be safe from the snooping of the GOP. Constant surveillance and anti-abortion enforcers will be required.
So that’s the plan. No, really: that’s it. Sen. Graham ran his mouth when he should have kept the plan secret. But now we know. Count on them to keep this one promise beyond any doubt. If Republicans gain the majority in Congress, they will immediately ban all abortions, nationwide, with no exceptions. Sen. Graham, thanks for the warning.
Larry Gaylord, Normal
The American Dream and More Perfect Union risks in our November election are shockingly high. And voters have never faced more sophisticated and thorough simultaneous informing and disinforming. We the people are on the spot big time and must rise to the occasion wisely.
We must use this election to significantly upgrade the awareness, attitudes, and actions of our elected officials and local, state, and federal governments toward (1) the public interest, (2) popular sovereign self-governance of the people, by the people, and for the people, and (3) our recently neglected, and now purposely suppressed, national internal control process.
We are history’s first and only formally declared and empowered sovereign citizens. We are the de facto bosses here. We have all the sovereign authority and practicable opportunities we need.
We are failing to meet our solemn civic duty to actualize popular sovereign self-governance by insisting on keeping our government and major corporations firmly and appropriately safely bridled and harnessed within our unique and precious national interactive fund-accounting-based public budgeting and auditing internal control (PBAIC) process.
PBAIC actualizes popular sovereign self-governance by substantively involving the general public in the power of the purse strings. It subjects government and major corporate activities to (1) timely, detailed and thorough public interest transparency and accountability; (2) interbranch, intergovernmental, and public cooperation and oversight; and (3) inclusive public informed consent.
Neither of our two major political parties is acknowledging our suppression of PBAIC or advocating its reversal. We must pressure them to do so. We must also pressure the elected officials and candidates on the November 8 ballot. And we must then vote for those who will fight for PBAIC.
Dick Haas, Pontiac
Governing is not a team sport. Governing isn’t about winning and losing. Governing is about good decision making. Governing is about collaboration. Elected officials are not coaches or referees. The individuals we select to represent us should have their focus on the good of the “citizens of the community”. Their energy and leadership should be focused on collaboration and consensus building that will move McLean County forward.
Elizabeth Johnson has demonstrated her capacity and vision for leadership of McLean County. As a professional social worker, she uses her professional skills to research problems and concerns in McLean County, evaluating past decisions and through collaboration builds a process for going forward. True decision making requires inquiry and wisdom, decisions that are not influenced by political party affiliation.
Elizabeth has demonstrated her leadership by asking substantive and probing questions on mental health funding and programs, economic development, employment, housing, community safety and taxation. Elizabeth acknowledges that good and substantive decision making requires ongoing collaboration and evaluation.
“Lizzie” isn’t just available for conversation during the election season Lizzie is always seeking her constituencies ideas and concerns in our homes, in the coffeeshops or on the street.
Please join with me in sharing ideas with Lizzie and giving her your affirmation by voting for her on November 8.
Jana Edge, Normal
In my apple tree those pesky squirrels knock a half-dozen apples down just to get to one they can eat. Even though the apples aren’t ripe at this stage, the rabbits like them. I keep a stash for them out back. It’s actually a bribe to steer them away from the garden. Over time, more and more rabbits have discovered my stash, and indulge themselves. Lately, some hungry foxes have taken notice and tend to drop by more often. Sadly, I’ve had to clean up the remains of several rabbits due to the fox activity. Whoops! I’m afraid my kind gesture has led to some unintended consequences.
Of much more concern are the unintended consequences of actions taken by our elected officials. Many liberal Democrats have promoted defunding the police in their various communities. The results of their efforts in several large metro areas are in, and they are not pretty. An uptick in crime has generally been the result, including increased homicides.
Immediately upon taking office, Joe Biden signed executive orders reversing the prior president’s restrictive immigration practices at our southern border, as well as halting construction of the border wall. A massive spike in illegal immigration at our southern border has occurred, bringing along with it drug smugglers, sex traffickers, and violent criminals. The smuggling of fentanyl into our country has increased, and drug overdose is now the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45. Whoops!
Other Democrat debacles include passing huge spending bills that have contributed to inflation, making ill-advised foreign policy decisions that have weakened our world status and promoting racism as a political tool to garner votes. The upcoming elections are our chance to elect lawmakers that can correct these wrongs. Please join me by voting for Republican candidates this November.
Rick Skelley, Bloomington
Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter:@connorkwood
Concerned about COVID-19?
Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily.
Connor Wood
Higher Education Reporter
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
