I write to compliment the River Cities' Reader on the thought-provoking juxtaposition of the letters "'We the People' Are to Blame" by Roger Bolewicz and "Voting for Al-Qaeda" by E. Douglas Hansen in the May 26 issue.
During the last scheduled night of the spring legislative session, a reporter decided to step outside for a smoke. While he was outdoors, he tried to catch a glimpse inside the governor's office. In one window, the reporter saw Deputy Governor Bradley Tusk talking to someone on the telephone.
Many Quad Citians are familiar with Bettendorf High School superstar coach Merv Habenicht and his better half Evelyn. One might think Merv gets his superstar status because of the five state championships claimed by Bettendorf's football team under his leadership, or the 10 regional conference victories during his watch, or the 15 times Bettendorf advanced to the playoffs, or his induction to the Iowa High School Hall of Fame.
In a spectacular reversal of fortune, the Chicago Tribune reported last week that Governor Rod Blagojevich's job-approval rating has dropped to just 40 percent. In February, a Tribune poll had Blagojevich's approval rating at 55 percent.
The Reader recently enjoyed the privilege of interviewing the chairperson of the Federal Election Commission, Bradley Smith, who spoke at Augustana College's commencement last week. (See feature story, page 7.
It was dreary that day before the November election, and it was not a good day for my 83-year-old father. He had been told following eye surgery that he might lose the sight in his left eye - bad news for someone whose sharp mind and wit are fueled by reading newspapers cover-to-cover and watching every news program he can.
Something really stinks at CMS. The latest scandal to hit the powerful Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) revolves around a lucrative contract to manage health-care costs for tens of thousands of state workers and their families.
There is a lot of discussion going on today regarding the images of American atrocities coming out of Iraq. Discussions regarding who is to be held accountable, whether it is the active-duty troops, the Army Reserve, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, or President Bush himself.
Part of me cheered when Governor Rod Blagojevich took a shot at Chicago Mayor Richard Daley last week. In case you haven't heard, last Monday, Daley announced that he wanted a huge, land-based, city-owned casino.
It is no secret that I am a big fan of Dan Carmody. And with good reason. His leadership as president of the Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation (RIEGC) and its sister organization, the Development Association of Rock Island (DARI), over the past decade has resurrected Rock Island's downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, placing Rock Island on top for successful, innovative community revitalization, which includes the historic residential Broadway District just south of the renowned downtown entertainment District.

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