Archive for August, 2009
August 27th, 2009
Larry Morrissey strongly courted the black vote in his April re-election campaign. Rockford’s independent mayor put a campaign headquarters at on the southwest side at South Main and Morgan streets, the first time that’s ever been done to my knowledge.
At the opening ceremony he was surrounded by influential black ministers. He made it clear that when he said his goal was excellence everywhere, he meant west of the river, too.
He won the black votes he wanted. And now he faces a dilemma. Two of his police officers, Oda Poole and Stanton North, both white, shot and killed a 23 year old, unarmed black man, Mark Anthony Barmore, inside the House of Grace Day Care and Preschool, 518 N. Court St. The police entered the building, which is inside a church, and shot Barmore, who was fleeing their pursuit, while children and adults were in the vicinity.
I won’t venture an opinion on whether the officers acted properly. I believe we hire police officers to strap on guns every day and go out into the city and keep us safe. I also believe there are dangerous residents in Rockford who act erratically. I believe that officers sometimes have to act in a split second. Once in awhile they make mistakes. In Rockford’s recent history, they haven’t made many.
I also remember looking into the open casket of Detective Kevin Rice, who was killed in cold blood by an armed thug in front of the house on Hoban Avenue where I grew up. And so, whenever I’m tempted to blame the police for a shooting incident, I think about Kevin Rice. That allows me to keep an open mind about these things.
But in this Barmore case, I just don’t know what to think. The officers’ account of what happened — he tried to get one of their guns — is totally different from what witnesses said they saw — he came out of a storage room with his hands up.
At Wednesday’s news conference, the mayor said we shouldn’t rush to judgment. Then Police Chief Chet Epperson did just that. He said the officers’ version of events were “the facts.” A day later, he retracted those words. It should not have taken him a day to do that.
The appropriate thing to from the beginning was to request a disinterested third party to conduct the investigation into what actually happened. The hour is late, but it is still the right thing. And it is the only investigation that will have any credibility.
It could be the Illinois attorney general, the U.S. attorney, or a respected, retired police chief like William Bratton, recently of the Los Angeles Police Department and before that, New York City.
Just asking an outside agency to help out the police department, as the city did Friday afternoon, won’t do. There are too many people who will not believe the results of a city-conducted investigation, regardless of which way it comes out. So, for the sake of the officers involved, the police department’s future credibility and the trust of the community, this probe must be conducted only by outside investigators.
Looking beyond the Barmore incident, the mayor and City Council should establish a human relations commission. I think we once had such a commission in the 1960s when Ben Schleicher was mayor.
This group would examine police/community relations and make recommendations for improvements. It would also act as a forum to break down racial and cultural barriers to understanding that keep Rockford neighborhoods isolated. Such isolation breeds distrust and keeps us from achieving the excellence that Morrissey seeks.
Morrissey has won allies in the black community for his ambitious campaign against truancy, his championing of charter schools, his attack on urban blight and his emphasis on community policing, He has said many times that if we let one part of town go to ruin, the entire city — and region — suffers.
But he has gotten himself into a pickle with the Barmore killing. He could have made it a much smaller pickle by doing what I suggested to him several times: broaden the circle of advisers and department heads around him. They remain mostly white, male and very conservative.
These are good people and they mean well. But Rockford is not made up primarily of white, male conservatives. We’re more like the United Nations, and at least half female! People bring their heritage and life experiences with them into adulthood.
Our personal histories affect how we look at the world, and how we perceive the Rockford community. An excellent mayor must have close, trusted advisers who bring him a wide variety of views. And he should actively promote diversity in the ranks of our public safety departments because, as Wednesday’s news conference displayed graphically, we have precious little of it.
My hope is that we all learn something from this awful chapter in the city’s history and work to unite this community for a strong future.
Reach Senior Editor Chuck Sweeny at 815-987-1366 or csweeny@rrstar.com.
August 26th, 2009
I remember when Ted Kennedy was first elected to the Senate in 1962. He was 30 , barely meeting the age requirement for the national legislature’s upper chamber. I was in 8th grade at the time, but had followed politics since 3rd grade.
That was the era of “Camelot,” when his brother Jack was president, elected by a whisker in 1960 thanks to some good, old-fashioned electoral thievery in West Virginia and Illinois.
Ted Kennedy was the youngest of the four, Kennedy brothers. Joe was killed in World War II, Jack as assassinated in 1963, Bobby met a similar fate in 1968, leaving Ted all alone.
In 1969, an event happened to Ted that probably made it impossible for him to be president. While driving a young woman from a party on Chappaquidick Island to catch the last Edgartown ferry , Kennedy’s car ran off a narrow, unlit bridge. Mary Jo Kopechne, a former campaign aide to the late Sen.Robert Kennedy’s 1968 presidential bid, drowned. Ted was able to get out of his car, but he did not report the incident to police until the next morning when his car was being hauled out of the water.
Nevertheless, Kennedy ran for president in 1980 against President Jimmy Carter, a fellow Democrat seeking re-election to a second term. But in an infamous “60 Minutes” interview with Roger Mudd, Ted failed to articulate any key reasons why he wanted to be president; he seemed not to have any passion for the job. His candidacy quickly evaporated after that interview; Carter was renominated, only to be defeated by Ronald Reagan.
Ted Kennedy was a fierce champion of liberal causes and was one of the most influential senators in U.S. history. He was totally or partially responsible for passing more than 300 pieces of legislation. But the one goal he worked for his whole life — universal health care — eluded him.
Ted Kennedy, who endorsed and campaign for Barack Obama, died late Tuesday night at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Mass. He was 77. He had suffered from a brain tumor.
August 25th, 2009
Memories are short among politicians — some politicians, anyway. Back in 2004, when state Comptroller Dan Hynes was running for the U.S. Senate, he courted support from fellow Democrats. One of them was Doug Scott, mayor of Rockford. Scott backed Hynes’ candidacy strongly. Ultimately, Hynes, the most lackluster campaigner I think I’ve ever seen, lost to that black professor from the south side of Chicago who is on the evening news every night.
Now, the very same Hynes, still stuck in the comptroller’s invisible job, is running for governor in the Democratic primary against Gov. Pat Quinn. And Hynes needs an issue. So, he throws his old pal Doug Scott under the bus. Scott, who lost his mayoral re-election bid in 2005, was appointed to direct the state EPA by his friend Rod Blagojevich, who was governor.
When a Chicago newspaper revealed that under Scott, the EPA had referred no cases to Attorney General Lisa Madigan, whom Blagojevich considered an enemy, Hynes called for Scott to resign. Quinn immediately came to Scott’s defense, insuring that Scott stays in the job.
A Hynes campaign spokesman, Matt McGrath, takes issue with my posting, and I am adding his statement:
“If being outraged and calling for accountability after a major newspaper reveals that the state’s environmental watchdog for years routinely stalled or dropped pollution investigations because Rod Blagojevich was playing politics demonstrates lackluster political skills, than I guess Hynes is guilty as charged. Governor Quinn’s inaction on this scandal speaks volumes - and the people of Illinois are still waiting for a clean break from the politics-first governing style of the Blagojevich era.”
August 25th, 2009
Anybody who has read my columns knows I am a proponent of charter schools. They’re not a panacea, but our one-size-fits-all public schools model obviously isn’t working in the U.S.A.; student proficiency in this land is abysmal compared to other modern countries. IF that trend isn’t reversed, the country will no longer be competitive with the world. Charter schools, I hope, will introduce some much-needed competition within the public school environment. If they work, they should spur improvement in all schools.
Rockford entered the world of charter schools this year when the School Board approved three proposals. One of those schools, Legacy Academy of Excellence, is up and running, but there has been controversy swirling around it. Some parents complained that they couldn’t go into their young children’s classroom the first day of school. Then there was the telephone snafu — the phones didn’t work and Superintendent LaVonne Sheffield couldn’t get through to talk to school officials.
And then there was the controversy over the security deposit; Faith Center, which owns the former Evergreen School on Prairie Road, where Legacy operates, said the school owed a $26,810 security deposit. Legacy leaders said they didn’t owe it, rather, the fee was waived. Not so, said Faith Center. Monday, the school paid the money with a caveat that it didn’t owe the sum. Faith Center accepted the check but isn’t sure whether it’s going to cash it.
While all this plays out, it’s important to remember that there is school going on inside the building. Children are learning. Initial reports from parents our reporters talked to indicate they’re pleased with the learning environment. Teachers are sending notes home, kids are excited to go to school.
That’s the important thing to remember here. There are going to be start up hassles in any new venture. But I also know that charter schools have powerful opponents who would like nothing better than to see Legacy fail, in order to say “told you so” and quash the fledgling charter movement in Rockford.
It’s important that we don’t let that happen. Let’s work together to make sure Legacy and the other charter schools can work.
August 24th, 2009
When I went to AirFest 2009 Saturday,I made sure to arrive early, at 9:30 a.m. Cars were already backing up on the bridge from South Main, and later on I heard tales of traffic backed up to the U.S. 20 Bypass trying to get into RFD.
I told my wife I’d never seen so many people at Air Fest before, and now I know that I was right. Preliminary attendance figures for the two day show indicate that over the course of the weekend about 160,000 people passed through the turnstiles. So, that easily makes AirFest Rockford’s most popular and largest attraction.
Quite a feat, when you consider that AirFest has no full time, year-round staff. Rather, people who work at the airport take on AirFest duties. Dave Lindberg, who is in charge of assembling the more than 40 “static” aircraft displays on the UPS tarmac, reports that he got no more than 9 hours of sleep over the weekend. Airport Executive Director Bob O’Brien even directed traffic.
Congratulations, too, to Rudy Malnati, Jr., showman extraordinaire, who books the talent and is in charge of the flying attractions. Rudy also does the Chicago air show. (Rudy’s also a restaurateur, who owns Pizano’s restaurants in Chicago and Glenview. His dad was Rudy Malnati, Sr., who opened Uno’s in 1943, Due’s in 1955, and is known as the father of deep dish pan pizza.)
The F-22 Raptor did not disappoint for showmanship and “wow” appeal. Some wondered beforehand whether the lack of the Air Force Thunderbirds or Navy Blue Angels teams this year would keep folks away, but the opposite was true. The Raptor provided a thrill all its own, with its amazing aerobatic skills, power and deep-throated jet noise that reverberated throughout the Rock and Kishwaukee valleys.
I really enjoyed the Harrier’s vertical take-off and landing demonstration, along with the ferocious explosions by Rich’s Incredible Pyro that simulated a strafing run. It was realistic.
Finally, I must thank He or She Who Is Responsible for All Weather for keeping the rains away. It takes a certain kind of chutzpah to plan huge, expensive events that can be killed by a rainy day.
Although I did not miss the jet-powered outhouse, I’m told that some of the junior rug-rats were sad that it did not reappear.
To Mike Dunn, Bob O’Brien and all the gang: How are you going to top this one, guys? Congratulations.
August 20th, 2009
Amazing. I have not seen this many people turn out to a “town hall” meeting since then Senator Barack Obama came to Rockford in October 2006 and took questions from people in an audience of 1,000 at RVC.
There were about that many people who came to hear and talk to U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan, at his town hall meeting at the NIU Center. The main hall seats about 300, which soon filled. They opened classrooms that seat an additional 100 people, connected to the main meeting room via flat screen TV.
But several hundred people were turned away because the rooms were too packed. They weren’t happy, but the Manzullo, who had not expected so many people, quickly scheduled a second meeting for Thursday night and gave out tickets. They’re also trying to schedule a third meeting on a Saturday to get everyone who wanted to get in.
I hate to disappoint you all, but there were no YouTube moments. Although the dozens of speakers/questioners represented all sides of the health care reform debate, there was no yelling and screaming during the 3 hour session, and except for three or four speakers, all were polite to Manzullo.
Altogether, this was a healthy exercise in grass roots democracy. In a showing of hands, most people said they heard about the town hall from the newspaper, friends, TV or radio. Only about 5 said they heard about it on a website.
What I liked a lot was that quite a few health-care professionals among the speakers, several doctors, Winnebago County Health Department chief Mike Bacon and Gordon Eggers, chief of Crusader Clinic. Manzullo made a point of lauding Crusader, one of 1,200 such community health centers. Crusader sees about 40,000 patients a year.
Mazullo made it clear that he wont vote for a health care bill that exempts Congress, the president and 4 million federal employees. He called the public option the death of private health insurance. Most of all he’s upset that the main bill being discussed, HR 3200, exempts all 4 million federal employees, including Congress, and won’t take effect until 2013..
August 18th, 2009
If it’s August, it’s guess what team Brett Favre thinks he can play for now. Last year he thought he could play for the NY Jets. This year he thinks he can play for the Minnesota Vikings, his old Green Bay Packers’ arch-rival.
I enjoyed watching Favre as a Packer. There was something about the country boy from the Mississippi bayou that seemed to fit perfectly with the NFL team from the misfit football city of Green Bay, smaller than Rockford.
Favre in New York? That was patently absurd. He looked really uncomfortable when Mayor Bloomberg honored him at City Hall. Favre in the Twin Cities, wearing purple? Appearing on A Prairie Home Companion? This makes no sense, either.
No, Favre belongs in Green Bay, or nowhere in the NFL. I know the Packers organization greatly offended him two years ago, bribing him to quit for a front office job, then trading him to New York. But the Packers front office had grown tired of Favre’s endless retirement/no retirement talk. Also the Packers wanted to bring up backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was tired of playing understudy. So in a way I don’t blame Favre for wanting to get even. Still ….
I think Favre is too distracted — to be an A list quarterback. Clearly I don’t see him being committed to the Twin Cities, just as he wasn’t committed to the Big Apple. What’s next? Will Favre become a Chicago Bear in 2010?
He could go fishing. And with his fame, Favre could easily get a fishing TV show, where he could do battle weekly with star fishermen like Babe Winkleman.
August 17th, 2009
There’s a lot to do in the Rock River Valley, enough to keep a “staycationer” busy — and exhausted at the end of the day.
The Boone County Fair just wrapped up, and the Winnebago County Fair in Pecatonica picks up the fair action Tuesday. On Saturday and Sunday there’s AirFest 2009 at Chicago Rockford International Airprot. This is becoming one of the permier air shows in the U.S. Just think of the fact that the people attending Chicago’s air show had to watch aviation action that took place over Lake Michigan. They saw no ground displays.
Here at RFD, you’ll be able to wander among dozens of aircraft on the Tarmac, and the air show will take place directly overhead.
All summer long we’ve had free concerts in Sinnissippi Park, Sunday concerts at Levings Lake, Starlight Theater at Rock Valley College, the Joe Marino 4th of July fireworks. And those are just a few things. And On The Waterfront caps off the summer.
One thing I’d like to see is better promotion of our local events by the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. For instance, my sister who lives in Carol Stream constantly sees a commercial on Chicago TV advertising for people to come to — “the real, original, Rockford.”
That’s fine. We need folks from out of town to show up and spend dollars. I’d like a little more visibility for our own, hometown events so that we know what’s on.
We do have the excellent “GO” section in the daily Register Star, and without that I wouldn’t know what’s going on. I’d like to see the RACVB produce some TV ads touting the events of the week..
August 13th, 2009
America is not a nation of small businesses. Americans are not competitive with the rest of the industrialized world and have not been for a long time. We are the “no vacation” nation and work long hours with not much to show for it. Don’t blame me for this — I’m just telling you what’s in a Guardian story that cites a study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Read it here and please comment.
August 12th, 2009
The British are getting angry — not too much, though, they’re British — about the Republican Party’s relentless trashing of the UK’s National Health Service, the country’s socialized medical system that provides coverage to everybody.
However, they haven’t responded much to the criticism because officials don’t want to involve themselves in U.S. domestic policies, says this article in The Guardian.
Most Brits know their system isn’t perfect, but they’re not clamoring to replace it with a U.S.-style pay-to-play health-care sytem.
Ditto for Canadians, who polls say wouldn’t trade their single-payer system administered by individual provinces and territories for the U.S. model. See this article in The Epoch Times
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