There are seven train stops between my home and my office downtown. I have a salaried job and can work from home as often as I want. But I want to be in the office more. I’m more than happy to spend money on a coffee or lunch in the Loop.
Yet my commute often takes almost an hour each way. Too often, there are 20 minutes between trains during rush hour (both morning and evening). Trains packed with people arrive at overcrowded platforms. There is no sign of the new high-capacity cars, let alone another train for 20, even 30, more minutes. It’s unbearable, and that is irrespective of the conditions of the stations or the people smoking on the trains.
I bring up my fortunate circumstances because I am well aware that I have it significantly easier than others, such as people with far longer commutes and people with hourly jobs, to which they are expected to be on time. It is a daily struggle even for those with “easy” commutes.
Mayor Brandon Johnson should be aware of this, given he aligns himself with the working class and strivers. Poor transit service will prevent people from going downtown and contributing to the economic recovery of the business district. It will erode ridership and contribute to already-awful traffic congestion.
But worse still, it will cause people to lose jobs for being repeatedly late, have their children pushed out of a day care because they are so frequently late for pickups and strand older kids at school. It robs people of time with their families and the energy that requires.
The total lack of accountability for CTA leadership has been apparent for years. State Rep. Kam Buckner spoke passionately about nearly all of these issues during his mayoral run, and none of that was new information to those who use public transit. He seems like a great person committed to public transit and the logical starting point for the change CTA riders need.
Johnson fired Dr. Allison Arwady over a difference of opinion, in his words. So it seems the bar for change in leadership in his administration is low. Johnson is slow to act on things. But if he needs time to deliberate on this obvious need for change at the CTA, he should head to the “L” during rush hour. He’ll have all the time in the world.
— Eric Fahey, Chicago
Rectories as migrant shelters?
Walking past one of the many large and nearly empty Catholic church rectories, the buildings adjacent to a church where priests resided at a time when multiple priests served a parish, I thought, can we house migrants here? Many migrants from Latin American countries are Catholic, I would think. Now, perhaps, one priest lives in these big buildings with a kitchen and bathrooms. These residences could be outfitted with bunks, and parishioners could volunteer to provide various services.
Then perhaps, city funds could provide a widespread Meals on Wheels-type program to all the rectories, and parishioners could donate clothing, child care, English language lessons, etc.
This might be a better option then housing people in tents just prior to the long, cold Chicago winter.
— Beth Shannon, Oak Park
Focusing on race and gender
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would appoint a Black woman to replace Dianne Feinstein as U.S. senator, which he did, just as President Joe Biden appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson as Supreme Court justice. How is this not sexist and racist, and how can it possibly be right?
The recent obsession with classifying people as members of a race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition or marital status has resulted in the treatment of people not as individuals to be judged by their actions and deeds but by their membership in these various collectives.
This has served only to increase racism, bigotry and bias, and instead of making people more tolerant, it has brought about measures to silence dissent of any kind. Identity politics has only backfired and brought about the exact opposite result that it had intended.
The only way I see us ever coming together again as one nation is to follow the wisdom of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and start judging people by the content of their character.
— Charles Michael Sitero, Ormond Beach, Florida
Formal dress code for Senate
Thank you to Scott Petersen for his excellent letter on Sept. 29 concerning the fact that dress code matters (“Why a dress code matters”). I was happy to read that my friends and I are not the only people who thought this was deplorable.
I was very pleased to read that business attire is now required for senators after the new relaxed dress code was reversed. Yeah!
Now U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has a decision to make: Get with the program, or find another job. He should stop being an embarrassment to his constituents in Pennsylvania.
— Priscilla Virelli, Geneva
Headline about Trump trial
Regarding “Trump rips AG, judge at fraud trial” (Oct. 3): Of all the possible front-page headlines, that’s the Tribune’s best, referring to the defendant’s politically motivated and staged emotional reaction? We have an ex-president who was impeached twice, faces 91 felony charges and has a track record of settlements for university and charity fraud — that’s the news.
The news is about the trial and the alleged crime, the grift, not the bombastic theatricality of New York’s most famous malignant narcissist.
— Lindsay R. Resnick, Chicago
Officers keep their cool
Kudos to the two police officers flanking Donald Trump on the Oct. 3 front page. I don’t know how they kept straight faces, with no eye rolling, as Trump, looking like a caricature of himself, lost his cool between them. Very professional conduct, gentlemen!
— Nancy Krauss, Aurora
Join the conversation in our Letters to the Editor Facebook group.
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
