Regarding the editorial “What’s really at stake in the Pritzker-Johnson cold war” (May 24): Gov. JB Pritzker long ago figured out that Mayor Brandon Johnson is a one-term mayor; Pritzker has no reason to satisfy Johnson. Johnson has seemingly accomplished the almost-impossible: Virtually everybody dislikes him. Except for the Chicago Teachers Union and maybe the Service Employees International Union, he has lost most of the Democratic electorate. Most of the City Council doesn’t care for him, and Cook County pols don’t like him. Downstaters will always hate anyone from Chicago. He has offended many of the traditional power sources for a Black politician.
Johnson will attract very heavy primary opposition, and he will lose. Why should Pritzker or any Illinois politician help this lame-duck mayor? The governor just doesn’t want to lose the Bears, and if he can attract enough Chicago state lawmakers to his cause (there are still goodies to hand out), Arlington Heights is a done deal.
Goodbye, Johnson!
— John A. Luther, Lombard
Pritzker, mayor need each other
Regarding the editorial, while I’m no fan of Gov. JB Pritzker, the governor may be frustrated with Mayor Brandon Johnson’s poor decision-making and his hesitancy to make decisions.
Johnson’s fiscal irresponsibility was never more on display than during the negotiations between the Chicago Board of Education and the Chicago Teachers Union, which resulted in heavy lobbying of Springfield for money for the union and schools. Indeed, no matter the city problem, Johnson seemingly falls back on claims of a lack of state financial support.
At the same time, while Pritzker may act irritated by Johnson’s failure to make definitive moves to keep the Bears in the city, Pritzker’s efforts regarding the team are probably more geared toward his political future. He clearly has his eyes on higher office.
While Pritzker has higher approval ratings than Johnson, neither politician is getting glowing reviews from city or state residents. The men seemingly do not recognize that they need each other. Their failure to play nice may cost them both in time to come.
— Terry Takash, Western Springs
Mayor keeps giving excuses
Enough with Mayor Brandon Johnson. It’s one excuse after another. He’s bad for business, public safety and Chicago’s livelihood.
Between him and President Donald Trump, to quote “Annie: The Musical”: “It’s a hard luck life.”
— David Parris, Chicago
Stadium’s effect on O’Hare
Gov. JB Pritzker is promoting a Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights without fully addressing what it could do to one of Illinois’ most important economic assets: O’Hare International Airport.
The proposed stadium site is near the already congested Interstate 90 corridor used daily by O’Hare travelers. On Sundays, traffic between downtown Chicago and O’Hare is already unpredictable. Adding tens of thousands of fans headed to and from Bears games could significantly worsen congestion during peak airport travel periods.
Nearby suburban officials have repeatedly warned that traffic planning remains incomplete and that local infrastructure may be overwhelmed. Yet state leaders continue discussing public support for the project before releasing any comprehensive analysis of the impact on airport access, freight movement and emergency response times.
That omission matters because O’Hare is far more economically important to Illinois than a football stadium. Delays affecting business travelers, cargo operations and tourism would ripple across the regional economy.
The public also deserves honesty about cost. Bears officials have acknowledged that nearly $1 billion in public infrastructure improvements may be necessary around the site. Roads, interchanges, rail access and police services will not pay for themselves.
The only realistic way this project proceeds at the scale being discussed is through heavy taxpayer support, new public borrowing or diversion of transportation funding from other priorities.
Before Illinois taxpayers are asked to subsidize a private NFL franchise, the governor and the Illinois Department of Transportation should release a full independent study examining how Bears-related traffic would affect access to O’Hare under real game-day conditions.
Illinois should not risk degrading one of the world’s busiest airports to support a stadium deal.
— Thomas Schoendorff, Chicago
I will stop being Bears fan
If the Bears move out of Chicago, how can they still be the Chicago Bears? If the Bears are no longer the Chicago Bears, I will no longer be a Bears fan.
— Richard A. Winkler, Rodeo, New Mexico
Illegal conversion of guns
With only days left in the current legislative session, Illinois lawmakers must stop delaying action on the Responsible Gun Manufacturers Act, HB4471, which addresses the growing threat of do-it-yourself convertible guns.
Illegal “switches” added to handguns in just a few minutes turn those guns into automatic weapons, making shootings more deadly for all our communities. In Chicago, police are recovering more of these modified handguns. DIY machine guns turn everyday conflicts, traffic stops and neighborhood disputes into far more dangerous and unpredictable situations. Survivors, students, volunteers and community members are asking for action.
HB4471 would help stop the future sale of firearms that can easily be converted into illegal machine guns.
The clock is running out. I’m a volunteer with Illinois Moms Demand Action, and we urge our lawmakers to pass HB4471. Gun violence personally affected my own family many years ago. I know intimately the lasting trauma innocent victims live with, and I know we all deserve to live free from the threat of these modified guns that serve no legitimate purpose in our communities.
— Linda Englund, Chicago
Opt into federal program
A federal program that gives a tax break to people who donate money to help students, including those who attend private or Catholic schools, is under discussion. Gov. JB Pritzker hasn’t decided whether to opt in, and both sides are pleading their causes. This decision should not be left up to one individual, but to the parents involved.
The Invest in Kids program was allowed to sunset at the end of 2023 because our legislators did not even have the gumption to bring the issue to the floor. We cannot afford to have that happen again.
One of the strengths of our country is our strong education system. Those parents who are willing to spend $1,000-plus a month to give their children an education better suited to their child’s needs are making our country stronger. They should be recognized for their willingness to add this additional monthly child-rearing expense to pay for their child’s, and ultimately the country’s, future.
After spending 40 years as a full-time teacher (23 years in the private and Catholic systems and 17 years in the public system), I observed that those students whose families were willing to add a tuition expense to their monthly budget fared better and were stronger students than those students whose parents were only marginally involved in classroom activities.
The federal tax credit scholarship program allows for a competitive school system, which benefits all students and ultimately our entire country.
It should not be discussed. Illinois should opt in!
— Mary Ann McGinley, Wilmette
Willie Wilson deserves praise
I would like to thank the Tribune for occasionally publishing op-eds by Willie Wilson. His May 21 op-ed was excellent (“Are CPS graduates prepared for college and a shifting job market?”). As I read that piece, I realized that Wilson, first and foremost, has a great love for the great city of Chicago and all of the people who live in it. He should be the mayor. He presents a problem and then comes up with viable solutions. Every student graduating this year should read his suggestions for them.
Most importantly, Wilson is not afraid to say that he puts God first in his life.
— Kathleen Higgins, Evergreen Park
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