Remembering Paul Simon
ICPR co-founder and Steering Committee Chair Paul Simon passed
away on Tuesday, December 9 after undergoing heart surgery. His
dedication to honest government and civic service, borne out over
five decades in public office, continued into his retirement from
public office with his establishment of the Public Policy Institute
at Southern Illinois University. Throughout his long and illustrious
career, Paul never stopped fighting for the things that he believed
in--education, healthcare, good government. He was a shining example
to us all that government can be something which makes the people
proud and through his work taught us that we can and, in fact, are
obligated to try to make a difference in this world.
Simon worked to promote high ethical standards in government throughout
his life. Together with former Governor William Stratton, he co-chaired
the Illinois Campaign Finance Task Force, and after it issued its
final report in 1996, Simon joined with then-Lt. Governor Bob Kustra
to create ICPR as a vehicle for continuing its work. In many ways,
Paul was the inspiration for Illinois' comprehensive ethics bill,
which was signed into law on Tuesday. The new law came to fruition
because he so generously shared his wisdom, led by example, and
inspired so many to get involved and fight the good fight.
His generosity with his time, his talents, his knowledge, and his
warmth has inspired ICPR since its inception. We send out heartfelt
condolences to his widow Patti, his children Sheila and Martin,
his grandchildren and to the innumerable people whose lives he touched.
We have lost a leader, a teacher and a friend. We will miss him
greatly.
We invite visitors to this site to send your thoughts and reflections
on Paul Simon to: nelly@ilcampaign.org.
We will post your submissions on this page, below.
People interested in expressing their sympathies to Simon's family
can mail cards or letters to: The Simon Family, Public Policy Institute,
Southern Illinois University, 1231 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL
62901. E-mails can be sent to the family through the institute¹s
Web site, www.siu.edu/~ppi.
Publics Thoughts and
Reflections on Paul Simon
- I haven't seen Paul in nearly 30 years, but I think of him often
and I feel a deep sense of loss with his passing. His amazing
energy, courage, good humor and pursuit of what's right will be
a loss the world can hardly afford. I was one of the lucky few
in his Public Affairs Reporting class at Sangamon State University
and later spent a week as a volunteer in his congressional office.
Just lately, I had been thinking about trying to get in touch
with him about a political project he might have liked. Now, I'll
take his passing as an inspiration to press forward and do something
good.
Greg Dent
- STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF PAUL SIMON, Jack Darin, Director
Sierra Club Illinois Chapter Paul Simon’s commitment
to serving the public interest made him a natural champion for
Illinois’ environment. He was instrumental in protecting
places like the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie south of Joliet,
Wilderness Areas on the Shawnee National Forest, and many other
special Illinois places that future generations will enjoy thanks
to his work. He also fought to reduce pollution of our air and
water, and to control the influence of money in our political
process. By standing up for the public’s interest in a clean
and healthy environment, he set an example Illinoisans can all
be proud of.
Illinois conservationists will miss Paul Simon’s leadership
and integrity, but will treasure his legacy.
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