Jeb secretly glad he’s a Bush
It is possible that Jeb Bush struggles to escape the brand of a Bush dynasty and all that it implies. No matter how much Americans protest their scorn of royalty, it must be admitted that we do have a secret crush on families of stature.
The prime example of that is our love affair with the Kennedy clan. In a weird way, even the Kardashians have a loyal following, not to mention our fascination with the English royal family.
Despite his protests, Jeb Bush must secretly be satisfied with his lineage.
Carole Bogaard, Oak Lawn
Will County towing-related fees unfair
The Will County Board’s Judicial Committee recently discussed a proposed $300 administration fee for individuals when their car is towed. There is no such fee now, but there is a towing fee and a storage fee that must be paid by the person regardless of the verdict — meaning that a judge can find you not guilty and you still must pay those two fees.
Under the proposed legislation, the proposed administrative fee could be returned to you if the judge so orders, but the towing and storage charges would remain the person’s expense even when found not guilty. Nothing is changed except adding an administrative fee.
As a member of the Judicial Committee, I spoke firmly against what I consider to be an unethical and unfair fee system. With a not-guilty finding, the judge should be able to order all three fees refunded.
Charging these fees to someone found not guilty is not right. In such a case, Will County should have to pay the towing and storage charges and not collect the administrative fee.
The committee argued that the administrative fee may be too high, putting a burden on people, but members seemed to view the towing and storage fees as an acceptable part of the process.
One member said those fees are similar to having to pay for a lawyer, whose fee is not reimbursed by a judge. But you don’t have to hire a lawyer when your vehicle is towed, and you would not have to pay any fees if your car was not towed unjustly in the first place.
Steve Balich, Will County Board District 7
Terrorists are cowards
I wish to comment on a recent letter from Dan Marler, of Oak Lawn, who stated that Islamic terrorist groups and their actions should not be labeled as cowardly even though they have displayed a number of “negative characteristics.”
On the contrary, I feel that cowardice is the hallmark of the way in which these groups, such as ISIS, operate. They prey on various Islamic sects that choose to worship differently than the ISIS interpretation of the Koran, attacking and eliminating people who for the most part are unable to defend themselves militarily.
They execute helpless hostages to demonstrate their resolve but cloak themselves in hoods and masks to hide their identities. They use captured women as virtual slaves, taking them to serve as wives for their fighters.
Based on these and many other depraved actions, I think these groups are the model of cowardice, a cowardice that will be exposed when they are ultimately confronted by every nation that has had enough of their unspeakable acts. Although they should not be underestimated, their actions demonstrate that they are only “powerful” over those who are unable to resist them.
Doug Barnum, Homewood
The Daily Southtown welcomes letters to the editor. Email them to letters@southtownstar.com and include your name, address and phone number. Only your name and the town you reside in will appear with the letter. Please keep a letter to no more than 200 words. The Southtown is not responsible for the accuracy of the opinions expressed in letters to the editor.
