Chicago Sun-Times

A Sun-Times civics lesson

Thu, 02 May 2013 02:25:32 -0500

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 will have to pay for these services. They also save us all a lot of money in future expenditures with youth programs. After-school, mentoring and tutoring programs help at-risk youth to become contributing members of society, saving us all from paying the price of more police, jails, drug treatment centers and crime. Compare the amount …

Warnings against retaliation are wise

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:40:48 -0500

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. Even one highly publicized anti-Muslim act could cause serious problems for the millions of Americans fighting, traveling and living in Muslim lands. Thomas W. Evans, Mundelein Syria is U.N.’s problem President Barack Obama said it would be a “game changer” if it were found that chemical weapons had been used in Syria. That does not …

Help make Roseland a better place

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 02:19:12 -0500

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 on drugs and alcohol, and a racist attitude by African Americans is isolating the community from any hope. Until we stop denying this fact, the community will never do anything to better itself. I have lived and pastored in this community for eight years. I know the sins of the community, but I also know …

Schools are closing, deal with it

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 02:15:47 -0500

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 on establishing safe and secure school routes for their children. Argue about that at the meetings. Hortense Edwards, Hyde Park Strong stand for mental health care We want to sincerely thank our state senators for strongly supporting an effort to put mental-health patients first in Illinois by allowing specially trained psychologists to prescribe medications and …

Blacks not disappearing from baseball

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:09:28 -0500

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 be sure, an increasing number of black ballplayers are not native to the United States, but this does not render them any less “black” than indigenous players of African ancestry. The black diaspora engendered by the trans-Atlantic slave trade populated various areas of the Western hemisphere, not just the United States. All of the whining …

Crack down on dangerous trucks

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 02:23:48 -0500

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 tailgating and terrorizing drivers. How about cracking down on these maniacs before another tragedy occurs. Roger J. O’Brien, Edgebrook Washington was great leader Thank you, David Orr, for those eloquent words about a lovely, intelligent, eloquent man, Harold Washington. Thanks for reminding us of the strong, passionate leader that Washington was. And putting a synopsis …

Where are our priorities?

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:31:41 -0500

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 our heads in the sand will not make “West-bashing” go away. It is time for Muslim clerics, Middle East leaders and our own home-grown liberals to stand up against the use of a religion and a God (Allah) as a reason to kill and maim. They must forcefully condemn groups and people who spew and …

Encourage native plants

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:21:46 -0500

“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 defines “weeds as vegetation that is not managed or maintained by the person who owns or controls the property on which all such vegetation is located and which, on average, exceeds 10 inches in height.” “Native plantings” — composed of native Illinois trees, flowers, grasses and shrubs — often exceed the 10 inches in height …

NRA masters art of publicity deflection

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 02:19:12 -0500

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 high homicide rates. The broken mental-health system is a natural subject. Violence in the movies is another. No need to get behind politically difficult measures to address such problems. Just talk about them. Seems to be working. Thomas W. Evans, Mundelein Field of Dreams needs no instant replay A Jumbotron and LED ribbon would mostly …

It’s all about the money

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:35:36 -0500

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 by our gun industry and the NRA. Art Jaeger, Mount Prospect Thanks to Durbin, Kirk I want to thank Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk for their vote with the majority of the American people in support of expanded background checks. The overblown worship and misinterpretation of the Second Amendment, and the use of this …

Concealed carry

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:12:57 -0500

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 a concealed carry gun bill to be approved by the Legislature won’t mean citizens can’t carry firearms; it will mean the Legislature could lose its opportunity to set the guidelines. This restores to citizens their right to carry firearms whereever they go, even in Chicago. Illinois still must obey the court’s ruling. Thomas E. Latham, …

Now ban pressure cookers and batteries

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 02:17:19 -0500

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.” Well, we have another one today. They protect the gun, not the people. Shame on them. John Keating, Near North Side Anti-gun control senators put career first The Senate has rejected gun control, What will it take for our representatives to stop voting for their personal job security and start voting for the lives and …

Wrong lesson taken from Killing Crew gun

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 02:21:21 -0500

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 with no criminal record with the express intent of giving it to a known criminal, which already is illegal to do, just as it’s already illegal to shoot people, sell narcotics, steal cars and rob. The Killing Crew does these things anyway. Laws do not stop criminal conduct; they define what conduct is criminal. The …

Work on schools is in good hands

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:58:01 -0500

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 if Chicago Inspector General Joseph Ferguson “was minding the store” but, as noted, he cannot because the mayor has refused to extend Ferguson’s jurisdiction to the PBC. You failed to point out that the Office of the Inspector General for the Chicago Board of Education has jurisdiction to investigate allegations of waste, fraud and financial …

How to fix pensions

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:08:01 -0500

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 20 years ago that the state pensions need to be “fully funded” by 2045. The state cannot make it work. Many plans have been devised, but none is guaranteed to pass constitutional muster or save enough money. There are two faulty assumptions. The first is that the pension funds must be “fully funded,” i.e., 100 …