To Joe from Orland Park: As a Chicago resident, there’s a difference between garbage collection in Orland Park and Chicago. Chicago has three city workers on the truck, Orland Park contracts with Waste Management, which has one driver in a truck. We in Chicago are being overtaxed to pay for patronage jobs. Also, under Mayor Emanuel’s new garbage plan, only certain people will pay, people who own homes worth more than $250,000. I do not think that’s the case in Orland Park, where every homeowner pays the same rate.
Joe, Mount Greenwood
I was shocked to hear that Cracker Barrel closed its store in Matteson recently. I cannot understand why after 24 years in Matteson the company felt that it was OK to suddenly close without warning. People become and remain long-term customers of companies that understand the importance of relationships. By pulling out in such a disrespectful manner, this corporation shows that they do not value maintaining relationships, at least not with those in Matteson. A company that would treat customers and their employees like this does not deserve my hard-earned dollars anywhere in the country. I am encouraging everyone I know not to patronize Cracker Barrel.
Deborah
Instead of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel raising real estate taxes higher and higher, with all these bicycling paths that he’s having installed in the city bike owners should have to buy a license plate and a driver’s permit. Also, make sure they have insurance. Why put everything on the homeowners?
Lemont
From a Chicago White Sox fan to the Chicago Cubs fans: Go Cubs.
John, Bridgeport
Gun-free zones equal mass shootings. There are schoolteachers and security guards with military backgrounds. Arm them. There are military employees among the students and staff at colleges and universities. Arm them. Gun-free zones are like an all-you-can-eat buffet for wackos.
Guy, Oak Lawn
The problem with Gov. Bruce Rauner is his approach is “my way or the highway.” While I was not a fan of former Gov. Pat Quinn, I was hoping Rauner would compromise to get our state running the way it should be. If he and leaders of the legislature could agree on something, maybe we would get the state running again. We don’t want to be like Indiana where they have much less in government services.
Of all the advanced nations in the world, only America has some 40 school shootings this year. One person is shot every 16 minutes in the United States, and we think we’re the smartest, best country in the world. I hope everyone who owns a gun realizes that because of all those legal guns we lose about 30,000 people a year nationwide. New York City cut annual shooting deaths from about 5,000 to 3,000 and its police were sued for targeting minorities in traffic stops. Inner-city New Yorkers apparently kept their guns at home so police wouldn’t stop them and take their guns, thus saving about 2,000 people from getting shot and killed.
Orland Park
I’m just curious. Why is it that Social Security always runs out of money but welfare never runs out of money? I’m for the working-class guy, and I’m fed up with it.
Pete, Oak Lawn
It gets tiring to see post after post on a daily basis in Speak Out the trashing of Gov. Rauner. The usual cacophony that he only helps the rich, with no accompanying specifics, demonstrates the close-minded drone of union-centric automatons. The guy just got in office, but it seems he has the fossilized Democratic legions suddenly shaking in their boots.
Evergreen Park
I keep seeing comments about how houses are going to go up for sale really fast once Chicago passes a higher property tax and garbage pickup fees. Where are these people going to go? Have any of them ever looked at home prices and taxes in the suburbs? I have. I’d pay three times more in property tax in addition to higher garbage fees and water bills in the suburbs. The bills run up by Mayor Richard Daley, our previous mayor, who kept us all happy by not raising our taxes, have now come due. We, the citizens of the city, let it happen.
El, Chicago
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