Regarding the editorial “Let’s get some ‘Pothole Politics’ here from Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s New York” (April 19): The Tribune Editorial Board is right to highlight the value of “pothole politics.” When city government focuses on the basics — transit, clean streets, working lights, filled potholes and simple processes that actually move — people notice.
Chicago has known this before. For all the debate about the years of Richard J. and Richard M. Daley, there was a clear expectation: The basics would be delivered. Streets were cleaned. Lights worked. You didn’t have to agree with the politics to feel like the system was paying attention.
When I ask Chicagoans what’s frustrating them, it’s the train that doesn’t show. The broken glass that sits on the sidewalk. The pothole you keep swerving around. The permit that drags on for months when you’re trying to open a business. These are the things that determine whether people feel like the city is on their side.
So how do we take these lessons and apply them here? Chicago should adopt a blitz mindset.
Too often, the city still operates one complaint at a time — one pothole, one streetlight, one service request, one permit moving slowly from desk to desk. That pace does not match the urgency people feel in their daily lives.
Other cities are starting to take a different approach. They surge resources into problem areas and fix issues all at once. Pittsburgh’s new “Blitzburgh” programs are one example — targeting potholes, abandoned cars and other visible problems and delivering results quickly. Chicago should adopt that same mindset.
Start with entire corridors — major streets, bus routes, and areas around schools and transit — and fix the basics together, such as sanitation, lighting, potholes and illegal dumping. Apply that same urgency to transit reliability by focusing on the busiest routes, closing staffing gaps and being honest with riders about real performance. Bring it to permitting by setting clear deadlines, assigning one point of contact and restructuring the process so reviews happen at the same time.
This won’t be easy. But with focus, discipline and a willingness to measure whether we’re actually delivering, we can replicate the successes we’re seeing in other cities. We might even consider naming the program after Chicago’s blitz master, Richard Dent. The “Put a Dent in It” program has a nice ring to it.
When that starts to happen, people don’t need to be told the city is working. They’ll feel it.
— Liam Stanton, Chicago
Prioritize students’ learning
Every day, thousands of Chicago Public Schools teachers go above and beyond without cameras, without headlines and without politics. They are in classrooms early, stay late, spend their own money, mentor, protect and inspire students who need them the most. There is an excellent chance these teachers will be in their classrooms on May Day.
Yet, Mayor Brandon Johnson and his handlers at the Chicago Teachers Union want your kids in the streets, not the classroom.
Public education has one core mission: Educate children. Teach children how to think rather than what to think.
Yet, despite the fact that only 30% of CPS students in grades three through eight meet proficiency standards in reading and only 18% are proficient in math, CTU wants kids at a May Day political rally. There are undeniably many teachers who are likewise ideologically driven.
In refusing the CTU’s demand that CPS reschedule May 1 as a holiday so that teachers and students could attend the rally, CPS Superintendent Dr. Macquline King stated, “As a career educator, I believe every minute in the classroom is vital for our students.”
Thankfully, as evidenced above, King is not alone in her belief.
— Mike Cello, Chicago
Civic engagement of students
Barrington Hills state Rep. Martin McLaughlin’s recent criticism of the Chicago Teachers Union’s planned Day of Civic Action frames a false choice between student learning and civic engagement. In reality, the two are not in conflict — they are deeply connected.
Public education has never been limited to reading, writing and math alone. It also prepares students to think critically, understand their communities and participate in a democratic society. Civic awareness is not a distraction from education; it is a fundamental outcome of it.
The suggestion that a single day of civic action meaningfully undermines academic progress ignores the broader challenges students and educators face every day — challenges that often require advocacy to address. Teachers and school staff are not “diverting” education; they are using their voices to improve the conditions in which education happens.
Equally concerning is the portrayal of public school funding as a burden rather than an investment. Strong public schools benefit not just Chicago but also the entire state. Framing this as a divide between suburban taxpayers and urban students risks deepening inequities rather than solving them.
If Illinois truly wants to prioritize students, we should listen to educators, support equitable funding, and recognize that preparing young people for the future includes academic skills and civic understanding.
Students deserve more than narrow definitions of success — they deserve an education that reflects the full scope of their role in society.
— Rachel LaPlume, Barrington
Opportunity for those with records
Curtis Reed’s op-ed on Illinois’ Clean Slate Act is right to celebrate a step forward (“Clean Slate Act opens the door to job opportunities for millions,” Feb. 20). Justice-involved Americans are an untapped pool of talent, and JPMorganChase deserves credit for hiring nearly 2,000 Illinoisans with records. More companies should follow that lead.
But two hard truths remain. Not every employer will hire someone with a record, no matter if some major banks do. And Clean Slate, by design, does not cover everyone, leaving many returning citizens with a record that will follow them for life.
I believe that the best path forward for them is entrepreneurship. I remember the first time I walked into a prison in the early 1990s. A man told me that his plan upon release was simply to “get a job.” It hit me right then: For someone with a record, that simple goal is an uphill battle or, frankly, impossible. It would be much easier for him to start a small service business than to convince a skeptical human resources director to take a chance on him.
That was the eureka moment behind Inmates to Entrepreneurs, which was formed in 1992. Justice-involved people are uniquely suited for the grit of business ownership. They have hit a real bottom, which breeds a hunger and willingness to take calculated risks that you can’t teach in a classroom. They have already experienced failure. Starting a business is a series of punches to the gut, and returning citizens know how to take a punch and get back up. That resilience is the secret sauce of every successful small business owner.
However, the system is still rigged. The digital scarlet letter means a Google search ensures your worst mistake is the first thing an employer or landlord sees. Also, licensing hurdles in many states ban people with records from even becoming barbers or mechanics, the very trades that offer the best path to independence.
— Brian Hamilton, founder, Inmates to Entrepreneurs and Sageworks (now Abrigo)
Use of AI for companionship
I applaud David McGrath’s op-ed (“Can I trust my AI ‘best friend forever’?” April 25). It was spot-on!
Artificial intelligence, if used in a proper context, can be an addition to many important aspects of life. Certainly science, medical research and perhaps an aid to legal issues. But it can be used in an emotionally destructive manner, as shown by some tragic outcomes.
My favorite paragraph in McGrath’s piece is the last, which includes this line: “Forget AI and spend your money on a rescue dog instead.” I am a dog lover and owner, and that statement rings true.
But developing close friendships and social involvement is also a way to help oneself. Group therapy can also be explored by those in need of help.
AI should not be involved in mental health. It can lead down a dark path.
— Myrna Silver, Coral Gables, Florida
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