A Sun-Times civics lesson
Nonprofits deserve deal on water Has the city looked at how much money the nonprofits save it? Most of these nonprofits provide better service at a lower cost than a government agency does. When they have to cut services to pay water bills, the city …
Warnings against retaliation are wise
In his Tuesday column, Steve Huntley is deeply irresponsible in criticizing government officials acting to fend off retaliation against Muslims. Warnings not to blame all Muslims for the acts of extremists began with George W. Bush in the aftermath of 9/11, and for good reasons. …
Help make Roseland a better place
Help make Roseland better Roseland is a dangerous place. It has been a place where low-income people have been dumped, mental illness runs rampant, angry and desperate young men with criminal records flounder, women with low self-esteem manipulate lonely relationships, too many people are hooked …
Schools are closing, deal with it
Why wasn’t little Asean Johnson in school instead of at the Board of Education meeting? I guess his parent thought it was cute to have him speak, but I don’t think so. The parents should face the fact that the schools are closing and focus …
Blacks not disappearing from baseball
The popularity of “42,” the film dealing with Jackie Robinson’s breaking of baseball’s color line, has unfortunately energized chatter about the supposed dwindling number of black players in Major League Baseball. In truth, there are arguably more blacks playing professional baseball than ever before. To …
Crack down on dangerous trucks
A month has passed since Trooper James Sauter was killed by a truck that was traveling in the far left lane. During the last month and the last several years all I see on the expressways are trucks driving in the left two lanes. Some …
Where are our priorities?
The city is broke and struggling with a pension crisis. So what do our aldermen do about it? Talk about raising the legal age for smoking to 21. Michael T. Malone, Garfield Ridge Condemn terror forcefully Kudos to Steve Huntley on his Wednesday column. Burying …
Encourage native plants
“Green engineering” using permeable pavers and native plantings that absorb storm water are practical solutions to Chicago’s problem of basement flooding. But in Chicago, administrative law judges harshly fine residents who choose “native plantings.” Why? Because Chicago law in Section 7-28-120 of the Municipal Code …
NRA masters art of publicity deflection
If I were asked to give public relations advice to the NRA on fending off legislation that might inconvenience gun owners and cut into sales, it would be the classic “change the subject” tactic. Talk about anything but guns as a cause of the nation’s …
It’s all about the money
Gun freedom has little to do with the Second Amendment — it’s about the money. It’s sanely impossible to justify weapons of war being so widely sold or, in fact, being sold at all. It’s time took a united stand against the senseless killing sponsored …
Concealed carry
The way I understand it, a federal court struck down a prohibition against citizens carrying concealed firearms in Illinois, and the court gave the state until June 9 to institute a law that would give some conformity to this newly restored right. The failure of …
Now ban pressure cookers and batteries
After the bombings in Boston on Monday, there should be a call to ban Fagor pressure cookers and Tenergy batteries. No one needs such weapons of war. Steve Zahareas, Schaumburg Harry Truman’s useless Congress is back President Harry Truman said he had a “good-for-nothing Congress.” …
Wrong lesson taken from Killing Crew gun
This newspaper’s editorial page backs universal background checks for gun purchases, citing the example of the purchase of two guns in Indiana by the Far South Side Killing Crew. Yet this example actually shows the futility of background checks. The gun was purchased by someone …
Work on schools is in good hands
I read with interest your Monday editorial concerning what you characterize as the mayor’s risky move in having the Public Building Commission oversee $230 million of construction work to be performed in Chicago’s public schools. Your editorial indicates that you would feel much more comfortable …
How to fix pensions
As a veteran school district business manager, I have watched the pension fracas in Springfield with consternation. Illinois has a pension mess for two reasons: 1) the state did not make its pension contributions over many years, and 2) the Legislature passed a law nearly …
