I am the debt manager for a unit of local government, managing nearly $10 billion in outstanding municipal debt. But this opinion is solely my own. Due to my involvement with government finances, I am required to comply with numerous ethics rules and internal controls. These range from transaction approvals, prohibitions on accepting gifts, disclosures of financial interest, procurement rules, a requirement to live within the city limits, and many more.
All of these rules are important and necessary. Especially in Illinois, we understand how the functioning of society depends on public officials — even middle managers like me — refraining from corrupt activity.
And yet, as I read allegation after allegation of bribery, conflicts of interest, sexual assault and even treason surrounding the U.S. Supreme Court, it makes me feel like a sucker. Am I foolish to be constantly doing my best to play by the rules? Am I setting my sights too low by living solely on my official salary? What is the value of respecting the law if the highest court in the land does not?
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If we are to prevent feelings like these from growing into a general breakdown of ethics in government, the behavior of the Supreme Court must be thoroughly investigated and sanctioned where appropriate. Corrupt justices have no place on the Court.
I am frustrated by the lack of action by Sen. Dick Durbin and the Senate Judiciary Committee in investigating these allegations. This is no time for excuses about Senate procedure and committee majority. If Sen. Dianne Feinstein is unable to serve she must step down so that an investigation can proceed. Corruption on the Supreme Court is a bigger issue than any one senator’s career or any notion of decorum. No more excuses.
Ben Kidder, Logan Square
Telling the truth about nuclear power plants
Illinois is more dependent than any other state on nuclear power and we have more nuclear waste inside our border than any other state. But now there is a lot of money and propaganda saying we need more nuclear power plants.
These propagandists, uniformly, benefit from nuclear power. They push only the points that can be viewed as advantages. Nuclear power is called “clean” in spite of routine and constant emissions that spread radioactive contamination in the air, water and soil, and in spite of nuclear accidents which spread their unspeakable filth throughout the world.
They say, “nobody died at Three Mile Island” or only 46 people died at Chernobyl and nobody died from radiation at Fukushima, obvious lies that demean the intelligence and scholarship of anyone who has examined the truth about these accidents and many never-mentioned others. We need information from the people who see nuclear power differently and will tell the truth about how more nuclear power plants would disadvantage the citizens of Illinois.
Jan Boudart, Nuclear Energy Information Service board member
