Cost of Program Was Reportedly a Concern for Teachers WHO Went On Strike Wednesday PEORIA -- Two residents of the Illini Bluffs School District have contacted the School Board to say that they are willing to donate the total cost of a teacher drug-testing program for the next two years. In a statement issued Friday by Karl Meurlot, attorney for District 327, the board said these individuals came forth separately. Both individuals were present at the Aug. 15 board meeting, where teachers expressed their concern that the cost of drug testing would divert dollars from classrooms and students. [continues 348 words]
It is common in many area school districts for certain students to be subjected to random drug testing. The proposed policy in Illini Bluffs District 327 to randomly drug test teachers is a first in the greater Peoria area. Wednesday's return to classes was canceled over a division between teachers and the administration, which led to a teachers' strike. Ray Roskos, a field service director at the Illinois Federation of Teachers for the Peoria area, said this was an issue he had not encountered before. [continues 358 words]
The ironic thing about this largely urban drug war that has devastated the black community is that it is being carried out, for the most part, by black mayors, councils and police chiefs all across the country. The black community has not grown up enough politically to look past the skin color of the person running and ask the tough questions. This would explain why these same politicians continue to run unopposed or win by huge margins. If the mayor, council, congressman and police chief of Atlanta had been white, would City Hall still be standing? This same city rioted over the beating of a black criminal by white cops in a city located on the other coast of this country; an event that had no impact on their lives and yet Kathryn Johnston is dead and we barely hear a peep from the usual suspects. GREG STEWART, Duluth [end]
Why are police investigating mayor-elect Sam Sullivan for a $10 gift to a drug addict that could be alleged to have facilitated an illegal drug deal? Is the insinuation that he's not fit to be mayor? Everyone knew about this. And that was five years ago, before the previous municipal election. Former mayor Larry Campbell, who contacted the solicitor-general's office over this incident, is just stirring the pot. Why don't police examine Campbell's record of opening a safe-injection site, where there is open and accepted drug use every day? If this isn't facilitating illegal drug use, I don't know what is. Greg Stewart, Maple Ridge [end]
