The op-ed written by state Reps. Nicolle Grasse and Kevin John Olickal and state Sen. Rachel Ventura (“Donald Trump’s cuts broke Illinois’ budget. It’s time to make the wealthy pay to fix it,” May 19) is more of the same blather from Democrats showing they think that just throwing a pile of money at a problem will solve the problem. They blame the state’s financial mess on President Donald Trump and “wealthy individuals” and say that the solution is simply taxing the rich. The real cause apparently slipped their minds.
They forgot about the exorbitant public union pensions the Democrats created and continue to feed. Someone should remind them that Illinois has the largest underfunded pension liability in the nation even as Illinois public unions demand more and do their best to misinform. The budget hole they cite was not caused by any president. It was caused by Illinois politicians and the public unions that bought them.
There are plenty of working families whose members are not in a public union. Accountants, salespeople, architects, restaurant owners and engineers like me pay for our own healthcare and retirement plans. We work just as hard, pay the same high taxes, have less job security and face the same struggles as any public union employee, but we are still on the hook for the pension mess, with no end in sight.
A lot of us working people are tired of paying for someone else’s retirement. There is no way we should trust the Illinois General Assembly with more tax money until we are assured it will benefit all of us and not just the public unions.
So if the General Assembly wants us to vote to increase taxes, lawmakers should let us vote on public pension reform at the same time. I agree that everyone should pay their fair share. That includes the public unions.
— John Kavouris, Naperville
Tie tax changes to cuts
In the op-ed written by three Democratic state lawmakers, they write of the damage to state of Illinois finances from changes by President Donald Trump’s administration. They recommend changes to Illinois taxing that could potentially offset these changes, but not until the end do they mention waste, and they give that very short shrift — no specifics at all. Just that they “support” eliminating it.
As with Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan for a graduated income tax a few years back, I can’t support any tax changes unless they are tied to roughly equivalent spending reforms.
It’s more than just waste; there is a ton of redundancy that can be reduced. Get to work, lawmakers.
— Matt Foster, Orland Park
Time to end public pensions
In response to the op-ed by state lawmakers, I’d like to remind readers that our state has long been broke. Some $144 billion in debt was long ago created by politicians because of public pensions. Public pension enhancements do not have to be offered in contract talks. Politicians simply could say no.
This debt is among the major causes of higher taxes. Public pensions are unaffordable, corrupt and unsustainable, and it’s long past time to end them.
— Jack Kraus, owner, PTR Truck Center, West Chicago
Public funds for public schools
The editorial advocating for Gov. JB Pritzker to emulate New York’s approval of the federal tax credit scholarship program overlooks a fundamental principle of civic responsibility: Public funds should remain within public schools (“NY governor signals she’ll OK federal tax credit scholarships. Gov. JB Pritzker now has cover to do the same,” May 13).
The argument that tax credits offer a “cover” for Illinois disregards the state’s primary responsibility — to provide a high-quality, equitable education for all children, not just those who can access the private system. By using tax credits to incentivize private school donations, we effectively divert potential revenue from the very institutions that serve the majority of our students.
Public schools are more than just classrooms; they are the foundation of our communities. They are legally obligated to serve every child, regardless of children’s background, ability or disability, or academic standing — a standard that private institutions are not required to uphold. Weakening the financial foundation of these schools undermines the future of Illinois.
While individuals can support low-income students through private scholarships, true philanthropy should exist outside the public sphere. Private generosity should not be subsidized by public funds at the expense of our collective well-being.
Pritzker should remain committed to fully funding the evidence-based funding formula for our public school districts. Let’s ensure that public dollars are allocated where they can have the most significant impact on the most children: in our public schools.
— Stephen Hogan, Westmont
Let’s lead in climate action
According to a recent report by an international panel of climate scientists, the worst-case climate scenario has been revised downward. The new upper-end estimate projects about 3.5 degrees Celsius, or 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit, of warming by the year 2100, rather than 4.5 degrees Celsius.
What is rarely discussed is that the increase in global heating is expected to continue beyond the end of the century.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “Limiting global mean temperature increase at any level requires global CO2 emissions to become net zero at some point in the future.”
This means reducing carbon dioxide emissions enough that they are balanced by CO2 removal, such as being absorbed by forests and dissolved in the oceans. Otherwise, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will continue to grow.
Disturbingly, the earth has already warmed to the point that, instead of absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, the planet’s carbon sinks are becoming sources of CO2 emissions. Warmer oceans are less able to take up carbon dioxide. Moreover, permafrost is thawing, and forests are burning.
Imagine if the Roman Empire had possessed the power to irreparably harm much of the life on earth, yet limited its concern for sustainability to just a few generations.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting forests and wetlands because of their ability to store carbon, and funding adaptation are among humanity’s greatest moral obligations. Even small changes in the trajectory of Earth’s warming could mean better lives for decades for millions of people.
As the world’s largest cumulative emitter and its most powerful nation, the United States has a responsibility to lead in addressing the climate crisis.
— Terry Hansen, Grafton, Wisconsin
Benefits of solar farms
The May 13 Daily Southtown report on the Will County zoning commission’s rejection of the Pride of the Prairie solar project again reflects a lack of perspective among opponents of renewable energy (“Will County Board votes 12-8 to approve sprawling Pride of the Prairie solar farm“). Claims that solar farms lower property values, damage watersheds and industrialize valuable farmland are based on hyperbole rather than facts.
Solar fields can make good neighbors because they do not generate a lot of noise or traffic, they do not emit hazardous materials that could contaminate groundwater, and they don’t emit odors. With a profile that is usually no taller than a single-story building, solar fields can be hidden behind trees and other vegetation. The Will County project would add 600 megawatts to the grid, enough to power 110,000 homes, and contribute $3.5 million annually to the tax base, the lion’s share going to schools.
As for land use, a Princeton University report estimated that clean energy will require about 10 million acres of land for solar farms and wind turbines, compared to the 38 million acres in use in the U.S. to grow crops for corn-based ethanol and biodiesel, which still contribute harmful emissions to the air we breathe, and 39 million acres devoted to parking lots and roadways.
Do they bring down home values? Not necessarily. Data from home sales in 2024 near a solar farm and data center in Urbana, Illinois, showed increases of 35% to nearly 50% over a five-year period, according to a solar farm developer in DeKalb County.
When solar projects come to town, public comments are vital to understanding the impacts, but the 22-member Will County Executive Board should base its decision on facts, not innuendo.
— Joe Tedino, Chicago
Note to readers
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