Letters: If the state would fund its mandates, the RTA wouldn't be faced with such a fiscal crisis
The day the Tribune front-page story exclaimed, 'RTA warns of 'doomsday' transit cuts if budget gap isn't plugged' (March 21), the editorial inside railed against state unfunded mandates ('Our views on the suburban ballots' advisory questions on fair maps, pension reforms and unfunded mandates'). Rightly, the Tribune Editorial Board asks: 'Why should the state be allowed to pass a bill that requires spending someone else has to cover?' Our region's public transportation faces a $771 million transit 'fiscal cliff' when federal COVID-19 monies run out. The state of Illinois contributes the least to mass transit operations of any state — 17% here compared to 28% in New York, 44% for Boston and 50% in Philadelphia.
Regarding unfunded mandates, the state's reimbursement for Americans with Disabilities Act paratransit is just 4% — just $10 million of the $249 million yearly mandate. Also, the state mandates free and reduced fares of $150 million annually but provides a paltry reimbursement of $20 million.
Recently, Springfield began to impose a 1.5% collection fee on RTA sales taxes reducing the budgets for the CTA, Metra and Pace suburban buses by another $20 million each year. If the state would fund its mandates, the doomsday budget cuts looming over the 1.2 million weekday RTA riders could significantly shrink.
— Kirk Dillard, chair, Regional Transportation Authority
Use of Will County land
Last month, Gov. JB Pritzker went to Champaign County to launch his Standing Up for Illinois Tour. The governor blasted the abrupt cancellation of U.S. Department of Agriculture contracts and programs. He called farming 'the bedrock of our economy … the backbone of our communities and … a way of life … under attack by the leaders of our country.'
Pritzker can also demonstrate his commitment to Illinois agriculture by calling out Democratic lawmakers for blocking long-overdue state legislation.
In February, state Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, introduced a bill, SB2186, authorizing an alternative use plan for 7 square miles of state-owned countryside near the Will County village of Peotone.
About a quarter century ago, the Illinois Department of Transportation bought the land for a 'third' Chicago airport. One problem: The region is already served by five commercial airports: O'Hare, Midway, Milwaukee, Rockford and Gary.
In 2023, Pritzker signed a law directing IDOT to solicit bids to turn the land into a cargo airport. (The property — including some of the best farmland on earth — is leased to corn and soybean farmers.) Last November, the Will County Board voted to explore an alternative use plan. Area residents envision a 'regenerative agriculture research and development center' — a place where people can learn, teach, experiment, grow, process and sell food and other agricultural products.
I'm working with Will County Board member Judy Ogalla, R-Monee, to find partners to develop the Northeastern Illinois 'Good Food For All' research triangle.
Anchored by the Peotone site, a tricounty research triangle would connect Joliet, Kankakee County's Pembroke Township and Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. (This south metro area is home to 'a critical mass of local food infrastructure,' according to state officials.) We envision a local farm economy planning process to address the interrelated goals of community-centered and commercial-scale agri-food groups as well as nature conservationists.
Ventura responded by introducing the 'Agri-Food Infrastructure Investment Task Force Act.' The bill would authorize a study drawing on 'broad-based community support for solving food insecurity problems.'
The outcome would be a road map to build a thriving regional farm economy.
Ventura was told Illinois Senate Assistant Majority Leader Napoleon Harris, D-Harvey, has found potential airport developers, so there's no need to consider alternatives.
Pritzker should demand that state lawmakers entertain options instead of clutching to an idea first proposed nearly six decades ago.
— Bob Heuer, director, HNA Networks, Evanston
Loss of Black teachers
As members of the Chicago Alliance of Urban School Educators (CAUSE), we are compelled to respond to Paul Vallas' April 1 op-ed 'The decline in Black teachers has nothing to do with CPS' evaluation system.' While we appreciate the attention to this critical issue, Vallas' commentary fails to address the structural policies that continue to push Black educators out of Chicago Public Schools — namely, the do not hire (DNH) list and the racially biased evaluation system known as Recognizing Educators Advancing Chicago's Students, or REACH.
The REACH system, introduced under the same managerial reforms that Vallas once championed, consistently ranks Black teachers lower — particularly those serving in high-poverty, underresourced schools. This is not a reflection of ineffective teaching, but of an evaluation framework that penalizes educators for the systemic challenges their students face. These scores are then used as a pretext to remove teachers from classrooms and place them on the DNH list, often without any misconduct, due process or opportunity for reinstatement.
The DNH list has become a quiet but powerful mechanism of exclusion, disproportionately affecting Black educators and operating with no transparency or oversight. It strips educators of their careers, silences their voices and destabilizes school communities — while CPS and city leaders claim to support equity and justice.
If Vallas is serious about reversing the loss of Black teachers, we urge him to support the implementation of the CPS DNH four pillars, which would ensure that no educator is placed or kept on the DNH list unless they:
Have a disqualifying criminal conviction.
Fail a standard background check.
Lack a valid Illinois State Board of Education license.
Have an open or substantiated Department of Children and Family Services case.
All educators who meet these criteria must be reinstated immediately.
It is not enough to lament the loss of Black educators — we also must dismantle the policies that have caused it. The REACH system and the unchecked power of the DNH list are central to that problem.
CAUSE calls for action, not rhetoric. Justice for Black teachers must begin with accountability and meaningful reform.
— Dr. Marlo Barnett, executive board member, and Dr. Rosita Chatonda, president, CAUSE, Chicago
Trans student's life
The Tribune recently covered the controversy over a transgender student using the appropriate school locker room in Deerfield ('Transgender issue puts middle school in spotlight,' March 23). I'm the mother of two teenage children, a son and a daughter, both of whom attend public high school and neither of whom is transgender. I worry about a lot of things when it comes to my kids, but the mere existence of a transgender student — even a transgender student in the locker room — isn't one of them. I'm pretty sure transgender students, like most students, are just trying to make it through the day and live their lives.
By all accounts, the Deerfield student, whose parent filed a federal civil rights complaint over her transgender peer, was given opportunities to change in private, as any student should be allowed to do. That means she was not forced to change anywhere or change in front of anyone, and her safety was never put at risk.
In fact, I wonder why there hasn't been more discussion of what the trans student has been going through. What must it feel like to be so unwanted by a fellow classmate, viewed as so dangerous, that your classmate runs out of the locker room (and a parent makes a federal complaint about it!) rather than share space with you?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
20 minutes ago
Kennedy's new CDC panel includes members who have criticized vaccines and spread misinformation
NEW YORK -- U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday named eight new vaccine policy advisers to replace the panel that he abruptly dismissed earlier this week. They include a scientist who researched mRNA vaccine technology and became a conservative darling for his criticisms of COVID-19 vaccines, a leading critic of pandemic-era lockdowns, and a professor of operations management. Kennedy's decision to 'retire' the previous 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was widely decried by doctors' groups and public health organizations, who feared the advisers would be replaced by a group aligned with Kennedy's desire to reassess — and possibly end — longstanding vaccination recommendations. On Tuesday, before he announced his picks, Kennedy said: 'We're going to bring great people onto the ACIP panel – not anti-vaxxers – bringing people on who are credentialed scientists.' The new appointees include Vicky Pebsworth, a regional director for the National Association of Catholic Nurses, who has been listed as a board member and volunteer director for the National Vaccine Information Center, a group that is widely considered to be a leading source of vaccine misinformation. Another is Dr. Robert Malone, the former mRNA researcher who emerged as a close adviser to Kennedy during the measles outbreak. Malone, who runs a wellness institute and a popular blog, rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic as he relayed conspiracy theories around the outbreak and the vaccines that followed. He has appeared on podcasts and other conservative news outlets where he's promoted unproven and alternative treatments for measles and COVID-19. He has claimed that millions of Americans were hypnotized into taking the COVID-19 shots and has suggested that those vaccines cause a form of AIDS. He's downplayed deaths related to one of the largest measles outbreaks in the U.S. in years. Other appointees include Dr. Martin Kulldorff, a biostatistician and epidemiologist who was a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, an October 2020 letter maintaining that pandemic shutdowns were causing irreparable harm. Dr. Cody Meissner, a former ACIP member, also was named. Abram Wagner of the University of Michigan's school of public health, who investigates vaccination programs, said he's not satisfied with the composition of the committee. 'The previous ACIP was made up of technical experts who have spent their lives studying vaccines,' he said. Most people on the current list 'don't have the technical capacity that we would expect out of people who would have to make really complicated decisions involving interpreting complicated scientific data.' He said having Pebsworth on the board is 'incredibly problematic' since she is involved in an organization that 'distributes a lot of misinformation.' Kennedy made the announcement in a social media post on Wednesday. The committee, created in 1964, makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC directors almost always approve those recommendations on how vaccines that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration should be used. The CDC's final recommendations are widely heeded by doctors and guide vaccination programs. The other appointees are: —Dr. James Hibbeln, who formerly headed a National Institutes of Health group focused on nutritional neurosciences and who studies how nutrition affects the brain, including the potential benefits of seafood consumption during pregnancy. —Retsef Levi, a professor of operations management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies business issues related to supply chain, logistics, pricing optimization and health and health care management. In a 2023 video pinned to an X profile under his name, Levi called for the end of the COVID-19 vaccination program, claiming the vaccines were ineffective and dangerous despite evidence they saved millions of lives. —Dr. James Pagano, an emergency medicine physician from Los Angeles. —Dr. Michael Ross, a Virginia-based obstetrician and gynecologist. Of the eight named by Kennedy, perhaps the most experienced in vaccine policy is Meissner, an expert in pediatric infectious diseases at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, who has previously served as a member of both ACIP and the Food and Drug Administration's vaccine advisory panel. During his five-year term as an FDA adviser, the committee was repeatedly asked to review and vote on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines that were rapidly developed to fight the pandemic. In September 2021, he joined the majority of panelists who voted against a plan from the Biden administration to offer an extra vaccine dose to all American adults. The panel instead recommended that the extra shot should be limited to seniors and those at higher risk of the disease. Ultimately, the FDA disregarded the panel's recommendation and OK'd an extra vaccine dose for all adults. In addition to serving on government panels, Meissner has helped author policy statements and vaccination schedules for the American Academy of Pediatrics. ACIP members typically serve in staggered four-year terms, although several appointments were delayed during the Biden administration before positions were filled last year. The voting members all have scientific or clinical expertise in immunization, except for one 'consumer representative' who can bring perspective on community and social facets of vaccine programs. Kennedy, a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement before becoming the U.S. government's top health official, has accused the committee of being too closely aligned with vaccine manufacturers and of rubber-stamping vaccines. ACIP policies require members to state past collaborations with vaccine companies and to recuse themselves from votes in which they had a conflict of interest, but Kennedy has dismissed those safeguards as weak. Most of the people who best understand vaccines are those who have researched them, which usually requires some degree of collaboration with the companies that develop and sell them, said Jason Schwartz, a Yale University health policy researcher. 'If you are to exclude any reputable, respected vaccine expert who has ever engaged even in a limited way with the vaccine industry, you're likely to have a very small pool of folks to draw from,' Schwartz said. The U.S. Senate confirmed Kennedy in February after he promised he would not change the vaccination schedule. But less than a week later, he vowed to investigate childhood vaccines that prevent measles, polio and other dangerous diseases. Kennedy has ignored some of the recommendations ACIP voted for in April, including the endorsement of a new combination shot that protects against five strains of meningococcal bacteria and the expansion of vaccinations against RSV. In late May, Kennedy disregarded the committee and announced the government would change the recommendation for children and pregnant women to get COVID-19 shots. On Monday, Kennedy ousted all 17 members of the ACIP, saying he would appoint a new group before the next scheduled meeting in late June. The agenda for that meeting has not yet been posted, but a recent federal notice said votes are expected on vaccinations against flu, COVID-19, HPV, RSV and meningococcal bacteria. A HHS spokesman did not respond to a question about whether there would be only eight ACIP members, or whether more will be named later. ___ ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
David Hogg won't run again after DNC votes to redo vice chair elections
David Hogg will not seek reelection to his Democratic National Committee leadership position after the party announced Wednesday that members had voted to redo the vice chair contests he and Malcolm Kenyatta won in February. 'Ultimately, I have decided to not run in this upcoming election so the party can focus on what really matters,' Hogg said in a statement. Hogg's decision not to run again ends a monthslong intraparty fight between the young gun control advocate and much of the national committee that has distracted from the party's efforts to rebuild after devastating 2024 election losses. The outgoing vice chair has accused party leaders of attempting to oust him from his position over frustration with his plan to primary 'ineffective' Democratic incumbents in safe seats through his PAC Leaders We Deserve. DNC members have argued that Hogg has mischaracterized the vote. The initial challenge to how the committee handled the February 1 vote for two vice chair positions was made in late February, months before Hogg announced his primary initiative. Still, members' feelings toward Hogg and his ongoing, public dispute with party leaders loomed large over the vote. The proposal to hold a new election passed 75% to 25% with 89% of DNC members participating. DNC chairman Ken Martin praised Hogg for his work on the committee. 'I commend David for his years of activism, organizing, and fighting for his generation, and while I continue to believe he is a powerful voice for this party, I respect his decision to step back from his post as Vice Chair,' Martin said in a statement. 'I have no doubt that he will remain an important advocate for Democrats across the map.' Had Hogg run again, he would have faced Kenyatta in an election for a position which, under the DNC's gender parity rules, must go to a man. 'I'm grateful to the overwhelming support I've received in this reelection from DNC members and I look forward to getting back to work electing Democrats up and down the ballot,' Kenyatta said in a statement. 'I wish David the best.' Voting for the other vice chair seat will run from Sunday morning through Tuesday afternoon. Three female candidates who were in the running in February will be eligible: Kalyn Free, an Oklahoma Democratic activist who filed the challenge, as well as Kansas state party chair Jeanna Repass and Washington state party chair Shasti Conrad. Separately, the DNC is also weighing a new proposal put forth by Martin that would officially require elected party leaders to stay neutral in primaries. The DNC is expected to vote on that measure at an August meeting. This story has been updated with additional details. CNN's Arlette Saenz contributed to this report.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Controversial housing bill heads to governor's desk
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) —The 2025 session of Connecticut's state legislature has been over for more than a week, but a major piece of housing legislation passed by majority Democrats continues to cause controversy — and a chorus of calls for Gov. Ned Lamont to veto it. Connecticut House passes housing bill after 11-hour debate The legislation, formally known as House Bill 5002, is the latest in a series of Democratic-led efforts to implement statewide policies that spur the development of more housing. Proponents of statewide housing reform have cited research showing Connecticut's housing stock is short by as many as 100,000 units. Lawmakers clash over proposed affordable housing bill 'We know how imperative it is that we get more housing in the state,' Gov. Lamont said on Tuesday. But as the governor and others look for ways to use public policy to encourage more development, they've encountered resistance from leaders on both sides of the aisle who say provisions of H.B. 5002 encroach on the authorities of local zoning boards. Governor's Hartford residence to open for annual open house day Three provisions in particular have drawn the ire of defenders of local control of zoning. First, the bill establishes a baseline for the amount of units, including affordable units, each municipality in Connecticut must plan for. Municipalities that hit the goals outlined in the bill will be prioritized for certain state grants. Local leaders and legislators who oppose the bill have characterized that provision as a mandate. 'It absolutely is a mandate,' State Rep. Joe Zullo, a leading Republican opponent to 5002, said. 'It allocates to every town a certain amount of housing they have to build no matter what.' Supporters of 5002 push back on this characterization of the legislation. On the affordable housing metrics, they say the bill seeks to set objective standards while providing measured incentives to communities that comply. 'Gasoline on the flames:' Lamont, Tong, Bysiewicz respond to Trump administration's use of National Guard in California 'Any time you want to have a policy outcome, there needs to be an accountability measure and that's what we're talking about here,' State Rep. Jason Rojas, the Democratic house majority leader, said of the concept in an interview conducted before the final passage of the bill. 'We can call it a stick, I call it accountability. We expect every other area of government to be accountable for something. Towns should be accountable, too.' Another provision of 5002 takes aim at minimum parking requirements often imposed by municipalities on small towns. The third provision seeks to bypass planning and zoning hearings for the approval of conversions of certain commercial properties into residential units. These measures have also drawn considerable criticism. In both instances, advocates say the bill seeks to remove onerous barriers, while opponents charge that local control of development is being deeply eroded. H. B. 5002 passed through the legislature over the objections of every Republican and a relatively small but significant vocal faction of Democrats, mostly from the state's suburbs. Now the bill is passed and on the governor's desk awaiting action, Lamont is faced with the decision to either veto or sign it. He has signaled that if he signs it, he would only do so after an agreement had been made with legislative leaders to make revisions before the bill goes into effect in October. 'I think they went too far in some areas of the bill and that's what we look to change,' Lamont said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
