Support for Edgar's plan
I'm sure Madeleine Doubek speaks for many suburbanites when she refers to [Gov. Jim] Edgar's school funding plan as a "rip-off" (see April issue, page 41). Sadly, we've come to a point when school funding is considered a rip-off by many who do not have children in the schools.

As a downstater whose children attend a rural school, I support Edgar's plan. I suspect my perspective has to do with the fact that I see the children my kids go to school with. They are a far more economically heterogeneous group than my own suburban Chicago classmates were. It's clear that for many of these students, isolated geographically from the cultural riches of a large metro area, school provides the only academic advantages they will enjoy.

A formula that provides a reasonable baseline for funding all schools will benefit all of us. The fact that downstate referenda are so difficult to pass is not, as Doubek suggests, that down-staters are unaware that "their students need to go to college to succeed and compete in the metropolitan area." Believe it or not, that degree is crucial down here too! Rather, it is a reflection of our aging population and the peculiar idea that if you don't have kids in school, you ought not to have to pay to maintain schools.

I voted with the majority of my school district to raise the property taxes for school funding last time it came up for a vote. I did this with the knowledge that improving the school is going to do nothing for the value of my rural home. I did this while seriously considering sending my kids to a parochial school. I did this because I don't think there is a better investment in quality of life than good schooling for everyone.

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Until I can trust my fellow citizens to take the same long-range view, however, I'm definitely going to support a universal statewide, income tax-based formula for funding. City kids, country kids, suburban kids — they're all going to need well-educated colleagues.

Valeric C. Bock
Decatur

Correction
Let me offer a correction to the article "City Lights" in your April issue (page 28). The "Perfect Attendance Award" you noted actually went to a representative of Illinois Power Co., not Commonwealth Edison.

The "award" was presented to make a gentle point, but with tongue firmly planted in cheek. I would like to note that the Illinois Power representative who accepted this award was very gracious and entered into the spirit of the thing, much to his credit.

I would also like to note that Illinois Power has not been a regular visitor to our meetings in recent months. This is a matter that has been noted and appreciated by our 35 board members.

Phillip M. "Doc" Mueller
Illinois Municipal Electric Agency

Apologies
Former state Sen. David Barkhausen served 16 years in the General Assembly. He chose not to seek re-election; it's not correct to say he resigned. His appointment to the State Labor Relations Board was confirmed by the full Senate February 28.

40¦ May 1997 Illinois Issues