Born in a Pandemic

15 FILM | The Killing of Two Lovers 17 FOOD | Celery Kvass 18 MUSIC | Jimmy Riemer FREE May 20-26, 2021 • Vol. 46, No. 44 Born in a pandemic COVID-19 has created a new world for children and parents 11 FAMILY | Rachel Otwell 2 | www.illinoistimes.com | May 20-26, 2021 OPINION What do we Illinois ballads mean by the Songs in the key of strife “common good”? UPON FURTHER REVIEW | Bruce Rushton GUESTWORK | Lee H. Hamilton Time for me to drive? I’ve always been impressed that the About the only thing that our new state preamble to the Constitution begins, tourism song has going for it is that it was “We the People of the United States.” inspired by a band from Illinois. Otherwise, JB We’ve heard the phrase so often that we would have us eschew public transportation, don’t even stop to think about it. But pile into carbon-spewing cars and roam the as the proposed constitution was being Land of Lincoln in search of fun. debated in 1787, there were people who I’m not sure how much we paid, if did – notably, Patrick Henry, who in a anything, for rights to the REO Speedwagon famous speech to the Virginia ratifying song, but it is too much. Replacing the word convention asked why the drafters hadn’t “fly” with “drive” isn’t fooling anyone who said, “We, the states.” recalls the 1979 original that appeared on the By their phrasing, the founders landmark album You Can Tune A Piano But You made clear that they were creating a Can’t Tuna Fish: government, as Lincoln later put it, I’ve had enough of the falseness “of the people, by the people, and for Of a worn out relation community boosters producing videos and “I’ve got a number for a senior VP with the people.” They were making a case Enough of the jealousy popping pride for an ever-changing commercial Exelon right here on my phone, I can text it to that government should strive for the And the intoleration that would feature different burgs every couple any one of you to make a call to her right now,” common good, which they went on to Really, it’s a song about the General weeks, with a grand prize winner joining Cheap Mitchell testified. “And I will walk upstairs to lay out: “establish Justice, insure domestic Assembly, not carefree days spent visiting Trick on stage at the state fair. Woo hoo!!! my office, take the confidential copy of the Tranquility, provide for the common the likes of Galena. There are other bands Apologies to Earth, Wind and Fire: report that I have, run off copies and bring defence, promote the general Welfare, and from Illinois. We can do better, Head East When you trip within a car them to people down here. The governor fully secure the Blessings of Liberty.” notwithstanding: Save my life, I’m going down It can take you very far supports releasing this report unredacted to the Though they also laid out the rights for the last time isn’t the vibe we want. But if you drive within your means public and to this committee, as soon as right of individuals that government couldn’t How about “Saturday in the Park?” Illinois fulfills your dreams now. You just let us know.” touch – speech, religion, the ability to Possibilities are endless. We could change Less danceable, there is Styx – you wouldn’t Here is what Pritzker spokesperson Jordan read a free press, and so on – they made “park” to “car” and keep the video, or we have to change a word, just run footage of “That Was Then This is Now” Abudayyeh told clear that there needed to be a balance. could change “park” to “bar” with footage of scenic byways, ball games and Lollapalooza me last week when I asked for a copy. “Government is instituted for the maskless – finally– folks doing what folks do along with Renoirs and Van Goghs installed at “We are not authorized to release the common good…and not for profit, honor at the Ceres Café, Butternut Hut or nearest the Chicago Art Institute: unredacted version of the report,” Abudayyeh or private interest of any one man, family VFW. Or we could just keep the song the way Welcome to the grand illusion, wrote in an email. “Exelon required the parties or class of men,” John Adams wrote. it is, accompanied by images of Wrigley Field, Come on in and see what’s happening, involved to sign an NDA to protect trade So what do we actually mean when we Starved Rock State Park, Cahokia Mounds Pay the price, get your tickets for the show secrets. If they release everyone from the NDA talk about the “common good” – which and Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and I’ll take Earth, Wind and Fire, hold the we have no problem sharing the report. This politicians like to do frequently? One Wildlife Area. REO, and schedule Cheap Trick for the fair. has been discussed at length during committee notable point about the Constitution’s Instead of a band from Champaign, we hearings.” A few hours later, an update arrived. preamble is that phrases like “the general should steal from a Rockford ensemble and SPEAKING OF GRAND ILLUSIONS, “Exelon has agreed to release the state from the welfare” and “domestic tranquility” are rejigger “Surrender:” here is what deputy governor Christian privacy agreement they insisted on previously,” vague. The founders left those ideas open Morton’s all right Mitchell told the Senate Energy and Public Abudayyeh wrote. Attached was a less- for debate, and in the centuries since, Cairo’s all right Utilities Committee last month, when senators redacted-but-still-redacted report with excisions much of our country’s political history has They just seem a little weird demanded unredacted copies of a report on necessary, Abudayyeh explained, to protect revolved around how to define them and Beauty is, there’s hardly a town that you Exelon finances that the governor is using to Exelon’s bidding strategy for an upcoming where individual interests leave off and couldn’t plug right in – even New Berlin justify $355 million in subsidies for two nuclear power supply auction: “Once that auction takes the public interest prevails. would work. Imagine a statewide contest with plants. place, we’ll unredact that information as well.” We can see this at play almost As the legislative session ticktocks to a close, anywhere we look today. It is in our people behind closed doors ponder our energy common interest, for example, that as Editor’s note future with hundreds of millions of dollars on many people as possible be vaccinated the table for Exelon, a company that seems ever It was a privilege to be present for Springfield Business Journal’s recognition this week of Women against the coronavirus – that’s the best in the driver’s seat, daring us to let go. Maybe way to protect everyone. But there are of Influence, sponsored by Security Bank, which has hallmarked appreciating women and their we should. achievements. Six were honored for their various accomplishments – one for leading Parkinson’s plenty of people who don’t want to get vaccinated. Whether and how to respond patients to dance, another who moved from politics to health care in a pandemic, a downtown I make you laugh advocate, a helper of homeless people, a volunteer extraordinaire, and one with the motto, “If it is to is a topic of hot debate among businesses And you make me cry and state governments. Indeed, the entire be, it is up to me.” All said in various ways they don’t do what they do for recognition, but it’s nice. I believe it’s time for me to fly Each brought her support group and acknowledged a bedrock of spouses and friends. In the room course of the pandemic has laid bare the tension many people see between public was a cloud of proud witnesses, including many past WOI honorees, applauding this year’s group of REO Speedwagon fans may contact Bruce women strong and fierce. –Fletcher Farrar, editor and CEO health and individual rights. Rushton at [email protected]. Similarly, we can probably all agree May 20-26, 2021 | Illinois Times | 3 OPINION Pritzker threatens to begin vetoing bad bills POLITICS | Rich Miller Gov. JB Pritzker has vetoed only a tiny circles, it’s even reviled and ridiculed for its But, in fairness, Pritzker had Madigan handful of bills since assuming office in 2019 ineffectiveness. and Cullerton shepherding members for him and has taken a mostly hands-off approach to But the grumbling has noticeably during the 2019 session and had no real need this year’s spring legislative session. But that intensified this year as members complain that to issue any threats. The 2020 spring session may soon change. the governor’s office has been of no help all ended up being just a few days long because of Pritzker and his top staff began contacting session. Just the other day, one lobbyist who the pandemic and everything was negotiated. lawmakers and interest groups last week to tell works often with a particular state agency Now, it’s pretty much anything goes and even them how they need to “fix” their bills and to was talking about how the agency had zero though veto threats are usually a final weapon warn them that the governor will veto their involvement with bills this year that could and not a legislative strategy, he may have no legislation if the requested changes aren’t made.

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