I was pleased to read that Urbana is finally starting to examine development needs on Philo Road. having lost Jewel, Kmart and more recently, Jerry's IGA, the Sunnycrest shopping area is turning into a ghost town.

As this election season moves along, I have to wonder why it took Mayor Tod Satterthwaite so long to recognize that Philo Road required the city's attention. The day that Kmart announced it would close two years ago, Satterthwaite should have made Philo Road development a top priority.

Instead, he seems to have spent all of his time picking fights with the city council about ward maps, at-large seats and other political issues that interest few Urbana residents.

The time to take seriously the challenges our city faces is long past. We need a mayor who can keep priorities n order and focus on the needs of our community. Laurel Prussing was an outstanding County Auditor and State Representative. I think she could bring a much needed change to the mayor's office.

—Todd Rusk, Urbana, 11/30/2004

Mayor Tod Satterthwaite has no business claiming the Urbana Free Library expansion as one of his accomplishments. A fact well documented by The News-Gazette is that he fought vigorously against the project that is now under way.

Even after the city council voted unanimously to provide funding for the proposal supported by the library board and library foundation, Satterthwaite tried to sneak through a design that cut 10 feet off the building.

He had earlier criticized the extra space as being unnecessary because it would just be used for more books.

Satterthwaite refused to reappoint to the library board five excellent members because they supported the project that he tried to stop. The expansion of the Urbana Free Library is happening in spite of the mayor, not because of his efforts.

—Marya Ryan, former Urbana City Council Member, Urbana, 12/04/2004

I read with disbelief Milt Otto's letter in the December 9 News-Gazette denying that Mayor Tod Satterthwaite fought vigorously against the library expansion project. Otto sat at the table with me and council members Danielle Chynoweth and Ruth Wyman at the February 12, 2002 library meeting at which Satterthwaite insisted emphatically that the city would not contribute the funds requested by the library board and foundation for the project. Satterthwaite called for a straw poll and was displeased that Otto, Chynoweth, Wyman and I all voted to spend the extra money needed. The following week, council members Hayes, Huth and Whelan joined us in unanimous support for the $8.1 million project that Satterthwaite opposed.

This was the culmination of a three-year struggle that started in 1999 when Satterthwaite insisted the project cost be limited to $4.75 million. Compare that to the $29 million Champaign now plans to spend on its library. Anyone who does not believe the accuracy of my version of the story need only look up the February 13 and February 19, 2002 stories by Deana Poole in The News-Gazette. They include a full account of two meetings, including Satterthwaite's comment that the extra space wouldn't be worth the money because it would just be used for books.

—Esther Patt, Urbana City Council Member, Urbana, 12/12/2004

Former Alderman Milton Otto's letter about Urbana Mayor Tod Satterthwaite's support of the library expansion urges people to check the facts.

After years of wrangling over the size and cost of the library expansion, the mayor, library trustees and the library foundation agreed on a building plan for a 96-foot addition that would double the size of the library, contingent on the foundation raising $2 million in private donations.

This was the building plan that foundation board members and volunteers presented to the public when asking for private donations to fund the project.

However, the final schematic plan presented to trustees and the foundation board for approval at a joint meeting in January 2002 substantially downsized the expansion by cutting 16 feet off the addition - yet this major change was not even mentioned by the architects in their spoke presentation.

With no discussion on size, both boards believed they were approving the original plan. Rather than honoring the public promise of doubling the size of the library with a 96-foot addition, Mayor Satterthwaite directed that the project be downsized because of costs and then tried to push the small plan through without any public disclosure.

When reviewing the schematic plan, Alderwoman Esther Patt recognized the downsizing and called for a study session. It is a matter of public record that Satterthwaite opposed any additional funding for library expansion and that it was the city council's unanimous vote that provided funding for the library building that now makes Urbana proud.

—Gerri Kirchner, Urbana, 12/15/2004

A letter from Ryan Ames comparing Laurel Prussing and Tod Satterthwaite was a tad one-sided, it seems to me. Yes, Prussing rant for Congress and lost. For the last 50 years, no Champaign County Democrat has succeeded in gaining that office. But they tried.

Ames may not know that Satterthwaite ran for state representative in 2000, and lost in a district that Prussing won in 1992. Prussing was the only Democrat to win in 10 years under a Republican gerrymander.

Candidate Prussing ha a 22-year run of victories, all of them uphill battles on Republican turf.

The individual who will be the next Urbana mayor is an important issue. Those most knowledgeable about city government, current and past city council members, citywide elected officials and a former Urbana mayor, along with former mayoral candidates, overwhelmingly support Laurel Prussing.

—Barbara Anderson, Urbana, 12/27/2004

I am responding to the recent letter about Democratic Party mayoral candidate laurel Prussing and Build Urbana. A review of Prussing's comments at the March 5, 2001 city council meeting reveals that her comments were primarily about Mayor Tod Satterthwaite's narrow perspective.

Prussing said, "I think the biggest problem is the misplaced emphasis on property taxes as a reason to locate. I'm very concerned about having this be the theme of Urbana. I don't think it's good marketing to tell people they can get a rebate for five years and then they'll be getting a huge tax increase. I don't think that's the way to sell Urbana. Urbana has many advantages, and I think that's what we should be emphasizing."

Prussing concluded with, "We should be promoting what is good about Urbana rather than being in a defensive position. I hate to see the emphasis just on taxes because I think that is selling Urbana short."

Mayor Satterthwaite has won election and re-election because, until now, no one better has run against him. I join many Urbana residents in gratitude that our former State Representative Laurel Prussing has decided to run for mayor.

I've served for two terms on Urbana's Human Relations Commission and have experienced first-hand the difficulties of working with our current mayor. I know Urbana can benefit from Prussing's initiative and positive approach to working with the community. She understands that quality of life is Urbana's best asset. She won't sell us short.

—Cope Cumpston, Urbana Human Relations Commissioner and Urbana School Board Member, Urbana, 1/9/2005

On February 22, people in Urbana have a chance to make a real difference in their community. I encourage folks to vote Laurel Prussing for mayor - she's a community leader with energy, vision and talent.

As a former council member, I witnessed too many missed opportunities in our community: a mayor's office focused on retribution over real change, and reactive versus proactive government.

I watched firsthand an inactive mayor's office stymie progress on too many important issues - downtown redevelopment, Philo Road plans, the library and many others. Under Mayor Tod Satterthwaite, mean-spirited tactics took precedence over spirited and thoughtful debate, bullying took the place of building and intimidation ruled over innovation.

It's time for a change. Laurel Prussing has worked to make our community a better place for over three decades. She has an impressive record of working for women's and worker's rights, environmental protection, equal opportunity and fiscal responsibility. As a state legislator, county auditor and county board member, she has racked up impressive accomplishments. Prussing has won some and lost some races, but each time she's run impressive campaigns and has always won the hearts of the people in Urbana.

It's time to elect her mayor of Urbana. We need vision for downtown redevelopment, her passion for creating a Philo Road commerce center and her experience with balanced budgets and sound fiscal management. We also need her love for Urbana to revitalize and protect our neighborhoods. Vote for Prussing for mayor on February 22.

—Laura Huth, former Urbana City Council Member, Urbana, 1/12/2005

I was a member of the Champaign County Board during 12 of the16 years that Laurel Prussing was County Auditor. I don't believe that there is anyone who criticizes her efforts on behalf of the taxpayers of Champaign County.

Prussing does not try to squelch people who disagree with her; in fact, she enjoys the give and take of discussions about issues and policies. In contrast, Mayor Tod Satterthwaite treats anyone who even asks a question as disloyal to him. He is quick to anger and has been known to yell, even at public meetings, at those who express views different from his.

Prussing does not hold grudges. I supported David Thies against her in a Democratic primary for the Illinois House some years ago and that has never been a block to our working together on common causes.

Satterthwaite, on the other hand, got even with five members of the library board who disagreed with him by not reappointing them to the board. I believe that the recent effort to increase the city council by two members elected at-large was Satterthwaite's attempt to get even with the city council members who did not support his ward map.

Prussing has vision, integrity and extensive administrative experience. I believe that she will listen to and consider many points of view and provide strong, honest, leadership for city government.

—Shirley Stillinger, former Champaign County Board Member, Urbana, 1/14/2005

In his January 5 letter, Juan De La Cruz falsely claimed that Laurel Prussing was the most vocal opponent of the Build Urbana Program.

Actually, the vocal opponents were four members of the Urban Planning Department at the University.

Prussing wrote to The News-Gazette disputing Mayor Tod Satterthwaite's presentation of the cost of the Build Urbana program. Satterthwaite said that Urbana taxing districts would get over $2 million in revenue from rebates that cost only $270,000.

Prussing pointed out the mayor's calculation did not count the $3.5 million that Urbana taxpayers paid to subsidize infrastructure for Stone Creek subdivision. Factor that in and the city invested $3.77 million for a $2 million return.

Satterthwaite takes credit for 550 new housing starts in the last four years. He ignores two factors that contributed much more to this success than anything he did. In 2001, the year Build Urbana started, the Federal Reserve Bank lowered interest rates 11 times. This caused a boom in housing starts all over the nation.

The other factor is that close to half the new homes are in one subdivision, Savannah Green, where houses sell for $120,000 to $140,000. The lack of new housing in that price range was the biggest gap in the housing market four years ago.

The smart growth design of Savannah Green, not tax rebates, is Urbana's success story.

Prussing is a strong advocate of smart growth and an economist with a proven record of making the best use of tax dollars.

—Meg Miner, Urbana, 1/15/2005

n his letter published January 7, Bill McGrath contends that Laurel Prussing is unable to work with others. I have not always agreed with Prussing, but I have never found her to be abusive with those who were not in agreement with her. I cannot say the same of Mayor Satterthwaite.

During the 2001 primaries for city council, I accompanied Danielle Chynoweth to a meeting of the College Democrats. Chynoweth was there to explain her candidacy for city council and ask for support. The mayor also showed up. After Chynoweth's presentation the mayor spoke against Chynoweth and for his ally Carolyn Kearns. So far, fair enough. But after the formal presentations the mayor, with anger in his face and his finger right up to Chynoweth's face, became so abusive that I said to him, "How dare you speak to her in this manner?" The mayor turned to me and, with the same rage accorded to Chynoweth, said, "Why don't you tell these people you are a socialist?" I am very proud to acknowledge that I am a democratic socialist. But in my now forty years in this community, this is the only time I have been "red-baited."

I have since been told of other instances of the mayor's intimidation and inability to control his rage when dealing (off camera and microphone) with people with whom he disagrees. On the basis of Bill McGrath's own criterion of the ability to work with others, I think that Laurel Prussing is a much better choice for mayor of Urbana.

—Belden Fields, Urbana, 1/18/2005

I was recently at a community meeting where mayoral candidates Tod Satterthwaite and Laurel Prussing spoke. I was disturbed by one of the pieces of literature distributed by Satterthwaite.

As hundreds of Urbana residents personally know, the effort to oppose Illinois Power's tree cutting was led by Laura Huth who organized the Save the Trees group. City arborist Mike Brunk was helpful to that effort. Tod Satterthwaite did not oppose the effort, but his claim in his literature that he "led" the effort is simply untrue.

Satterthwaite also claims credit for expanding recycling to apartments, but it took five years for council members to persuade him to do it. And as mentioned in previous letters, Satterthwaite fought against library expansion and is now claiming credit for that as well.

Satterthwaite should run on his own record and not take credit for other people's accomplishments.

—Drew Thomas, UIUC Sophomore, 2/1/2005

A recent letter asks why Prussing supporters think we need to replace Urbana Mayor Tod Satterthwaite. One reason is that he treats the public as outsiders who interfere with his work. He seems to think "the city" means himself and his management team. Satterthwaite has rejected input from hundreds of people whose education, profession or personal experience informed their ideas.

For example, when people with disabilities discovered Urbana's building code did not meet federal housing accessibility standards, the mayor opposed changing the code. His priority was to defend the error rather than fix the problem. Requests to correct the traffic hazard at Elm and Vine met the same response. Change happens only when concerned citizens and council members refuse to back down. Once Satterthwaite capitulates, he takes credit for the proposal.

The mayor's fights with city council are all about council members having greater allegiance to the public than to the mayor. Satterthwaite would have told council members he directed architects to cut 6000 square feet off the library expansion if he could trust us to keep the secret from the public. But he knew we'd tell so he tried to slip the change past everyone and almost succeeded.

The people of Urbana deserve open government, led by an honest mayor with vision beyond the inside of the city building. We've waited too long. Laurel Prussing's performance as county auditor and as state representative make me certain that she will be a much better mayor for Urbana.

—Esther Patt, City Council Member, Urbana, 2/3/2005

Dick Wyninger greatly distored the facts in his Jan. 24 letter. He criticized the four women on the Urbana City Counil for voting against raising the underage drinking fine to $280, and concluded that their support of Prussing for mayor means Prussing is outside the mainstream.

Wyninger neglected to mention that the three men then on the council, Democrats Jim Hayes and Milt Otto, and Republican Joe helan, also voted against raising the fine to $280. The unanimous rejection of Satterthwaite's proposal places the mayor, not Prussing, outside of the mainstream.

This is one of many examples of Satterthwaite's poor leadership. Why did he introduce a proposal if not one of the seven members supported it? Does he even talk to council members first? He obviously doesn't respect their opinions.

The nature of Wyninger's attack is similar to Satterthwaite's own sexist attacks on the council. Satterthwaite blames "the girls," as he refers to the female members of the council, for every defeat he has suffered—even when every man and woman on the council rejected his idea.

Prussing has won the support of Urbana voters in every election. Even when she lost for Congress, a majority of Urbana residents voted for her. That's about as mainstream as one can get. In the 22 years Prussing held elected office, she has proved her leadership skills, saved the taxpayers millions of dollars, and was respectful of the people with whom she worked.

—Rosemary Braun, Urbana, 2/8/2005

I have been an avid supporter of Laurel Prussing since our time in county government together. As the first women on the Champaign County Board, veteran legislators didn't expect us to know anything, but Prussing immediately recognized issues that needed attention.

Prussing's economic training made her a shrewd arbitrator. When she noticed that the county was maintaining an outmoded tuberculosis sanatorium—one that the state already wanted to close—she led the board in shutting it down and in getting the levy off the tax roll.

It was Prussing who got the board to publicly advertise county jobs. Still not satisfied with the budgetary process, she ran for county auditor and was elected. Due to her leadership, the budget won national recognition.

She caught the county board in violation of their own travel reibmursement policy and demanded more efficiency in the board's tax levies; all of this at a great savings to taxpayers.

After sixteen years as auditor, she won a term in the Legislature despite Republican gerrymandering. While in the Legislature, she pushed to adequately fund state retirement systems. She received excellent ratings on education, environment, health care, human rights, labor, and taxes, and was voted outstanding freshman legislator.

In and out of the office, she has never stopped promoting good government. Prussing has championed citizen interests during her remarkable political career.

She'd make a great mayor for Urbana.

—Amy Kummerow, former County Board Member, Urbana, 2/9/2005

I had intended to stay neutral in the Urbana mayor's race despite Tod Satterthwaite's efforts in 2002 to downsize the library expansion. But when I received his latest mailing about the library, I was livid.

I was a member of the Urbana Free Library board when final plans were brought to us for approval of the expansion in January 2002. No one disclosed to us that while working with the architects, Satterthwaite directed them to cut close to 6,000 square feet from the building addition.

At the January 28, 2002 city council meeting, council members' questions revealed the downsizing. They expressed concern that the plan had been changed after private donations of $2 million had already been reaised based on the original plan. Satterthwaite responded saying that everything anticipated in the original plan would fit in the smaller building. He said the space would just be used more efficiently.

His exact statement: "The question is not are we getting cheated out of square footage, its are we getting the library services we anticipated with the new square footage, and the answer is clearly yes."

He was not speaking the truth. Two weeks later, library officials revealed that downsizing cut space for more than 26,000 books. Satterthwaite then fought against spending the money to restore the space.

If he were honest, Satterthwatie would say nothing about the library expansion during this campaign. His entire role in the project indicated he wanted a smaller library than the public, the library foundation and the library board agreed was necessary. To now base a campaign on support for the very project he tried to undermine is disingenuous and dishonest.

—Jane Williams, former Urbana Free Library Board Member, Urbana, 2/10/2005

In 2001, as the University of Illinois continued to refuse to recognize the right of teaching assistants to organize, the Urbana City Council sensibly passed a resolution in support of the teaching assistants. But this simple act of human decency was opposed by the present mayor of Urbana.

By contrast, his primary opponent, Laurel Prussing, is a longtime supporter of students' rights. She believes that people who work for a living deserve a living wage. I urge all students who live in Urbana to vote on Feb. 22 for Laurel Prussing.

—Robert Naiman, UIUC Graduate Student and former Champaign County Board Member, Urbana, 2/15/2005

The News-Gazette endorsement of Tod Satterthwaite for re-election as mayor of Urbana failed to even mention one of the most important issues citizens value in a leader and one that Satterthwaite lacks: honesty.

On the library expansion, Satterthwaite didn't just lie to members of the library board, the foundation board, and the city council.

He lied to the library donors, including the News-Gazette, and he lied to the people of Urbana.

I have been a member of the city council for eight years and am not running for re-election. As such, I have the same stake in who is elected mayor as every other Urbana citizen.

Satterthwaite's behavior begs the question: If he gets re-elected as mayor, what else will he lie about?

—Ruth Wyman, Urbana City Council Member, Urbana, 2/16/2005

I was amazed that Mike Monson's article on February 13th failed to address a critical issue in this month's mayoral primary--honesty.

Tod Satterthwaite tried to swindle the public when he secretly directed architects to chop 6000 square feet from the Urbana Free Library expansion. Even after he was caught, he lied about the implications of the space reduction. Once his secretive plans had been revealed and rejected, one might have thought he'd leave the subject alone.

But he didn't. Urbana voters recently got a postcard in the mail from Satterthwaite proclaiming himself as a strong supporter of the expansion project. Clearly he was hoping the public would forget the truth.

Honesty is an essential consideration when evaluating candidates for elective office, yet the article failed to mention Satterthwaite's deceptions. The News-Gazette did a disservice to its readers by ignoring this issue. To get some objective and balanced reporting on it, they might want to look at the February 9th Daily Illini, which contained a hard-hitting article investigating the dishonesty behind the current Mayor's claims.

Simple honesty is a minimum qualification for the office of Mayor, but Tod Satterthwaite just doesn't have it. Isn't it time for an open, honest Mayor who will focus on the urgent needs of Urbana?

—Ben Grosser, Urbana, 2/18/2005

We have the opportunity to elect a very well qualified person for mayor of Urbana, Laurel Prussing, an economist. Prussing has a record of 30 years of public service, and public service is what she does best.

I worked for Laurel when she was our state representative. We received dozens of calls every day from constituents, and Laurel spent many hours listening to people's complaints and ideas about state government. Prussing helped people solve their problems and learned from constituents how to make state government meet the public's need. No details are left out when Laurel tackles problems. She is proactive.

Prussing, a longtime proponent of public schools, introduced legislation 10 years ago in Springfield to shift the funding of public schools more to the income tax. As an economist, she will continue to work for better funding for public schools.

Prussing worked actively in Springfield on environmental issues. She made the honor roll of the Illinois Environmental Council. She helped start recycling in Urbana and will preserve our neighborhoods, our trees, and natural areas.

Prussing will bring business to Philo Road and downtown Urbana and, at the same time, make business areas more beautiful with trees and shrubs.

Laurel has the strength, the vision, and the wisdom to make an Urbana an even better place to live.

We deserve an honest mayor who treats people with respect. Please vote for honest and open government. Vote Prussing for mayor of Urbana.

—Bernadine Evans Stake, Urbana Plan Commissioner and former Urbana City Council Member, Urbana, 2/18/2005

The recent News-Gazette's story about the mayoral race in Urbana amazed me: Why was there no mention, even oblique, of the Urbana Free Public Library? Tod Satterthwaite's egregious role in its development is one of the principal issues in the campaign, and the story didn't even refer to it. Why?

The public needs to know about the mayor's betrayal of the public trust—lying about his secret downsizing of the institution's expansion project. A candidate's lack of integrity is supremely important to the voting public, not the marginal issues on which your story focused.

Satterthwaite and challenger Laurel Prussing both have government experience, but there is a significant difference between them: Prussing is well-known and widely respected for honesty and openness. Satterthwaite has proven to be dishonest. Don't you owe it to your reading public to let them know this?

—Walter Matherly, Urbana, 2/19/2005

I am supporting Laurel Prussing for mayor of Urbana because she is honest.

Over many years in elected office, Prussing has impressed co-workers and constituents with her fiscal responsibility and truthfulness. She is well-informed about the budgetary implications of government policy, and she tells it like it is.

Sleepy members of the county board did not always like what she had to tell them when she was county auditor, but they needed to hear it.

I'm very concerned about the future of Urbana. The federal and state budget cuts for cities, health care and education will aggravate an already fragile situation.

In the Urbana school district, more than 50 percent of students are eligible for federal school lunch programs. Hunger is epidemic in central Illinois, and real poverty is affecting all our schoolchildren.

We have empty storefronts downtown and empty big-box stores on Philo Road. Carle and Christie clinics are denying primary care to Medicaid and uninsured people. Building more big-box stores and interstate off-ramps, recruiting low-wage, nonunion employers, moving tenants from one office property to another and encouraging high-end housing development with money-losing tax rebates may benefit a small segment of Urbana's population, but only in the short term.

Prussing will search for better solutions and tell the truth about which strategies will make Urbana economically sound and livable in the long run.

—Susan Davis, Urbana, 2/20/2005

I am writing in response to Justin Lewis' letter of Feb. 21 attacking Laurel Prussing for Mayor. Lewis claims that Prussing is a "perennial loser." However, Laurel Prussing won 6 general elections and 2 primary elections, which is how she acquired 22 years of government experience as a county board member, county auditor and state representative.

Lewis then states that Prussing is not a true Democrat. In truth, Laurel Prussing has been a Democratic precinct committeeperson for years and worked very hard for many Democrats, including Barack Obama in both the 5-way primary last year and in the general election.

As the DI editorial pointed out, "Prussing seems to have student interests at heart." She certainly proved it when she was a state legislator, and her campaign speaks to students like me about the issues I care about. She genuinely encourages student involvement in government and refuses to exploit students as a revenue source with unreasonable underage drinking fines. For these reasons and many more, Laurel Prussing should be the next mayor of Urbana.

—Tarah Williams, President, Students for Laurel Prussing, Urbana, 2/22/2005

Although the DI did not endorse in the Urbana mayor's race, it's good to see that your editors picked up on a key difference between Prussing and Satterthwaite. Laurel Prussing is concerned about student issues.

When she was our state representative, she often came to campus to meet with students to find out their concerns. She sponsored legislation that student groups supported.

Prussing strongly opposed the at-large ballot measure last November and worked to defeat it. She joined 76 percent of Urbana students when she voted "no" and believes that students deserve an equal voice in government.

Of the issues in the mayoral race, Prussing is the one candidate who has shown she thinks about students as part of this community. That's why so many students are working on her campaign. Vote Prussing for mayor.

—Ben Grosser, Urbana, 2/22/2005