A small group of thoughtful people could change the world," Margaret Meade once said. "Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." That's also the belief of Progressive Action for the Common Good, but a small group was most certainly not the case at the public summit that more than 400 people attended April 16 at Augustana College.
Citizens' anger over garbage and stormwater fees imposed by the Davenport City Council is fueling efforts to recruit candidates to oppose incumbent members of the council in the municipal election this fall, according to interviews conducted by the River Cities' Reader.
By 1945, World War II had finally reached its end, and a young German girl named Anne Frank, most of her family, and more than 6 million others had lost their lives in the Holocaust. Sixty years later, the legacy of Anne Frank remains with us still.

Not So Fast

I would like to separate the casino-hotel issue into two separate components, regarding the casino anxiety about permanence and the hotel placement on the riverfront. Regarding the casino: There really is little concern.
There's no violation of state law if a toxic-waste landfill is partly owned by one of the governor's in-laws, or even a nuclear-waste dump, for that matter. There's no problem with the law if a member of the governor's family owns stock in a regulated monopoly such as Commonwealth Edison or SBC.
Gracious. Determined. Modest. Courageous. Lover of life. True friend. These are but a few of the words used by friends to describe Kathy Kirschbaum. Kathy, who died last Thursday night, was a community leader, a great supporter of the local arts community, and a trusted friend to many, many people.
Recently appointed Illinois state Senator Mike Jacobs is spearheading a new task force to look for ways to speed up construction of a new Western Illinois University - Quad Cities campus on the Moline riverfront.

I Am Positive

As a longtime Rock Island resident, I followed the ongoing saga of Davenport's proposed relocation of the Rhythm City Casino gaming complex with an attitude of bemused detachment. Having recently moved to Davenport, I've found the issue to be of more immediate interest.
Harsh statements and public and private threats by Senate President Emil Jones over the past two years have prompted Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson to reach out to some labor leaders. Jones has been sharply critical of the construction trades unions, accusing them of freezing out African Americans and Latinos from apprenticeship programs and job sites.
When exactly did our leaders stop referring to us as "citizens" and start calling us "consumers"? When did the "public square" get replaced in political discussions by the "marketplace"? These are questions I have been pondering for the last several years as a community activist.

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