“Long” John Wentworth, who died this day in 1888, served six terms in Congress representing Chicago – first as a Democrat, then a Republican – and among a legendary career played a role in formally ending the border dispute with Wisconsin, which long sought to claim everything north of La Salle County.
He also represented both parties during two nonconsecutive mayoral terms. A quote from his 1860 inaugural resonates today. Wentworth stressed the executive branch shouldn’t “inquire into the justice or expedience of any law” but enforce everything on the books: “The best way to bring about the repeal of an obnoxious law is to enforce it; and every law which ought not to be, or cannot be, enforced should be at once repealed.”
MAILBAG: Kelly Rohder-Tonelli, the executive director of strategic engagement for Joliet Junior College, responded to a Sept. 28 column about how Illinois funds higher education, specifically “about the opportunity of rethinking 11th and 12th grades in conjunction with leveraging community college resources.
“This idea was particularly resonant because it echoes a program JJC just launched last year, the 12x12x12 dual credit program. The goal is this: to provide a framework that encourages high school students to have 12 credits of college classes, by the time they complete 12th grade, for $12 a credit hour. While dual credit opportunities are traditionally offered to juniors and seniors, JJC is now offering college credit classes to freshmen and sophomores, too, within this program.
“The state has shown interest in expanding this model and legislators, including the Illinois Community College Board, have allocated budget dollars to support it. … We believe it could be a game-changer in terms of equity and access to higher education.”
Reader TW, regarding interstate safety: “On the evening of Sunday, Oct. 13, I used I-90 and I-355 to get home. As has become normal, there was a lot of excessive speeding. It seemed to me that at least some vehicles were moving at speeds over 100 mph in areas with posted speed limits of 60 or 70. I saw the types of vehicles driven in such a way leading me to believe they were driven by young men with a certain attitude not to go to work or some other destination, but to use the public way as a racetrack.
“I have been watching a series of drivers’ education videos on YouTube produced in Great Britain. The host and narrator [Ashley Neal] of the series has used words including ‘disgrace’ to describe the type of driving behavior I witness every day. One thing used in Great Britain the above person seems to endorse are speed cameras. I believe using speed cameras here would be an excellent deterrent.”
• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. Follow him on X @sth749. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.
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