opinions
‘Chunk’s brother’ impresses Hillary Clinton
I loaded my niece and nephew into their plastic wagon and wheeled them across the street. What could be more fun on a gorgeous Tuesday afternoon than helping Uncle Scott do laundry, right? And by helping, I mean the two toddlers pushed each other around …
OpenLine: Keep government secular
Americans should not follow the Bible or the Koran. America needs a secular government. When you incorporate sacred texts into government, things get convoluted because you are basing our society on a standard that is 2,000 years old. Brad May Joliet Boycott gas gougers Enough …
OpenLine: Killing the middle class
I’ve been following the newspaper’s coverage of the negotiations and strike of the union machinists against Caterpillar. As a Democrat and former union member, my sympathies are with the union machinists. This union, like industrial unions all over America, is fighting an uphill battle against …
Landlord accountability long overdue
It’s about time. That’s all I can say. Landlords of rental homes in Romeoville seem to think that their obligation to the places they rent ends with the signing of the lease. (“Inspections of rental properties to be required in Romeoville,” May 15). Rental property …
OpenLine: It sounds unfair
For eight years, Bush-bashers blamed one man for high gas prices. Now that “Prince Charming” is in the White House, they say that one man can’t do anything about these inflated prices. It sounds like protectivism to me. It sounds unfair, doesn’t it? Mark Dedin …
Taxpayers end up losers in battle of state and local government
As the saying goes, “No man’s life, liberty or property is safe when the Legislature is in session.” Well, brace yourselves because the political winds are aligning to make that old warning hold true — and make your wallets bleed. Illinois’ budget mess — made …
LTHS ‘Willy Wonka’ a sweet experience
The Lockport Township High School Theater, the Porter Players, last weekend put on the best high school performance that I’ve ever seen. The production was the musical of Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka.” The musical was narrated by high school junior Stephen Hippleheuser, who played the …
OpenLine: Sad day for victims
A couple of girls were suspended for posting on Facebook that they wanted to kill another girl. They said it wasn’t fair being suspended because it was just a joke. Their parents also agreed that it was not fair and that it what they had …
Drew’s murder trial should be televised
The judge who will decide when Will County trials will begin being televised says there’s no hurry. And even if there were a perceived need for haste, Chief Circuit Court Judge Gerald Kinney says it’s too difficult to do it as quickly as many would …
OpenLine: Win-win politics at work
I applaud New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann and prominent restaurateur Dick Portillo in setting an example of how, after respectful negotiations, government and business can reach a win-win solution. Baldermann clearly sees private enterprise as the catalyst for a thriving economy and does not view …
Y’all come down for some Wild West fun
Saturday — keep the date! Holy Family School in Shorewood will have its blockbuster fundraising event of the year, “Wild West Spring Fest 2012.” This is the school’s major annual fundraiser, and all proceeds go to the school to offset the price of tuition. The …
OpenLine: Romney a chameleon
Will Mitt Romney be the Republican candidate for president because he is a chameleon? He will change his color to suit the speech or the occasion. If he is with a group who wants national health care, he is for it. If he is with …
We need to invest in teachers, education
The yearning to learn is found naturally in most children, and if the kids are lucky, the yearning is encouraged throughout the adventure we call school. To emerge as a curious and passionate adult is the best mark of a successful, but still unfinished, education. …
NATO will displace real Chicago
We have been assured repeatedly that next weekend’s NATO Summit in Chicago won’t be a catastrophe for city residents. Confusing, if not chaotic? Almost assuredly. But for every consultant and mouthpiece paid to mollify concerns about mass street closings, train re-re-routings, closed museums, traffic and …
Gay marriage should not be called a crime
In a recent interview with ABC News regarding same-sex marriage, President Barack Obama came out stating; “At a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able …
