Horse racing, tobacco, liquor, gambling, slot machines, beer, the lottery — these used to be called vices. Now all are streams of revenue into which Illinois governments have stuck their fingers. Legally.
So the city of Chicago should grab hold of marijuana with both hands and not let go. Now. There are so many directions and opportunities, it’s dizzying.
For the first time in his tenure, in my opinion, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has uttered something comprehensible and of imagination; so, yes, he should proceed toward legalization. Chicago cannot live indefinitely with problems like a shrinking home-sales market, a crumbling infrastructure and an outdated, inefficient transportation network.
But a bold idea done right and done quickly — to get an edge over what’s sure to be an avalanche of cities and locales doing the same thing — might help save the city.
— David Atella, Hinsdale
