Dennis Byrne is right when he says that “The lure of Chicago’s superlative entertainment, sports and cultural attractions aren’t enough to keep [people] in the city when their kids are getting shot up and forced into substandard schools” (“
Wanted: The suburbanization of Chicago
,” March 1).
Daniel Burnham, the honorary father of Chicago, told posterity to “make no little plans.” Politicians and urban planners, in their hubris, have failed to realize that maintaining public safety, providing high quality free public education, ensuring value for your tax dollar, and promoting an economic climate conducive to starting and growing a business are themselves the biggest plans of all because they are the foundations of middle-class life. They should be the mayor’s urgent priority.
— Jeff Baird, Chicago
