Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon speaks at annual Democratic dinner

[July 24, 2012]  The Logan County Democratic Party had its annual "Donkey" chicken dinner on Saturday evening at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Lincoln. The main speaker was Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, daughter of longtime statesman and politician Paul Simon (deceased), who served in the halls of the United States Congress for 22 years (1975-1997).

Ms. Simon is a "chip off the ol' block" with her dedication as a former Jackson County prosecutor fighting crime, a former SIU law professor and a participant in the Illinois Reform Commission, which helped to restore ethics and trust in government by establishing the first political contribution limits in Illinois.

As lieutenant governor, Simon has recently undertaken a fact-finding of the state's 48 community colleges in an effort to increase the percentage of college degrees or certificates earned by Illinois working-age adults from 41 percent to 60 percent by 2025. She said that one of the major impedances in reaching this goal is the poor mathematics preparation of high school graduates, which translates into the need for a statewide standard of a three-year high school mathematics curriculum.

Simon, while admitting and understanding the desire for hometown elementary and secondary schools, spoke of the need for school consolidation -- from 800 school districts down to 300 or 400. The consolidation efforts are not just for financial considerations; students will have better and more widespread curriculums taught by more highly trained and qualified teachers. In addition, consolidation would provide shared accounting and administration services, eliminating the need for so many local and regional superintendents, assistant superintendents and principals; thus saving taxpayer money and freeing up more funds for classroom instruction -- for science and language labs, computer skills and programming classes, and, yes, more mathematics classes, to name a few areas.

On other matters, Simon pointed out that 97 percent of the state food money goes to non-Illinois food. She noted the exciting rise in numbers of statewide farmers markets, noting that the federal government has recently passed legislation providing funds for card-swipe machines and credit and debit card checking for small entrepreneurs at farmers markets.

She closed with a reference to Wisconsin's attempts to shut out organized labor from its decision-making and said that here in Illinois, "we involve everyone" in our decision-making throughout the state.

As Simon was returning to her seat amid a standing ovation, Logan County Democratic leader Rebecca Drake of Chestnut remarked how "all of us here in this room tonight feel instantly connected to our lieutenant governor, Ms. Shelia Simon."

A preceding political and fact-finding informational talk was delivered by nationally known motivational speaker Jill Morgenthaler, a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel who served nearly 30 years in Korea, Berlin, Bosnia and Iraq. She spoke of the need to "rescue" our nation from attacks on medical care for military veterans, senior citizen rights, women's rights and student education financing, including Pell grants.

In reference to Simon's reflection on longtime organized labor rights in Illinois, Morgenthaler noted that she came to the event in an American-made car from one of the automobile union lines, ate dinner processed and trucked in by union workers, and was educated by school systems on the elementary, secondary and collegiate levels that allow their teachers and professors to sit across the bargaining tables to help negotiate salaries and curriculums.

In regard to the "war on women," Ms. Morgenthaler related that on the federal level, Republicans want to cut nearly $1 billion of food and other aid to low-income pregnant women, mothers, babies and kids. She went on to note how various states are enacting legislation attacking women rights -- ticking off state after state that are currently doing this and exactly what they are proposing. In the "war on public education," the Republicans are striving hard to cut the Head Start program by $1 billion -- meaning that over 200,000 kids would lose their spots in preschool programs.

She pointed out the need for political awareness, noting what Winston Churchill once proclaimed: "Never give up, never give up, never give up."

[By PHIL BERTONI]