Speak Out: Cities should have their say
September 14, 2012 3:50PM
Updated: October 17, 2012 6:26AM
Cities should have their say: This is about the low-income housing project being built in East Dundee and the proposed project in South Elgin. Remember back in the day when the Elgin Watch Factory was launched and low-income housing was built around the city because Elgin was out of money? They took government money to help them out. Look what happened. It changed the demographics of the neighborhoods, and they have never come back. Arlington Heights said no to low-income housing along Euclid Avenue, and the property values now are so much higher. I think cities should have their say on whether or not they want this stuff. It’s getting a little out of hand.
Front-yard veggies: If that isn’t the dumbest thing that Elgin is going to allow. Are we going back to our forefathers’ way of living in the 18th and 19th centuries? They are allowing for growing vegetables on front lawns in the city. Growing vegetables in the backyard is OK, but along residential streets it should be kept neat and clean. They are also talking about allowing animals in the city. Whose head is not on straight? These people need to move to the country and not live in the city. The front-lawn fences are bad enough. What more is Elgin going to allow people to do with their properties in the city?
Ribbon-cutting photo missing: I’d like to say all of the pictures of the grand opening of Sam’s Club in Elgin were nice, but how come there wasn’t a picture of the mayor cutting the ribbon? I’d like to know.
Editor’s note: Our preference — and that of perhaps most of our readers — is for photos which capture the most interesting and essential aspects of an event. We felt the Sam’s Club grand opening was about the store itself and its first customers. Our photos were intended to tell the most about that story. Ribbon-cutting photos often are static and staged, and don’t show much other than a line of officials.
Teflon Don: President Obama, who gave you the right to put all of the money from Social Security and Medicare into your health care plan? That’s really wrong. We worked for that money. I can’t believe Congress let you do it. They should call you the Teflon Don. He was a mafia guy who could do anything that he wanted to do.
Editor’s note: Despite certain claims, the Affordable Care Act neither cuts out benefits to Medicare nor cuts the life of the plan but rather extends the life of the Medicare program. The cuts that are frequently cited as “stealing” from Medicare are reduced payments to providers and other expenditure cuts intended to streamline costs, agreed to by the health care industry because it would be getting many new customers under the new law.
Taxes for tow truck: This is for (Elgin School District U46 Superintendent) Torres. Why did School District U46 taxpayers pay for a $180,000 tow truck for the transportation department but let it sit on the side of the road while Huntley’s tow truck took care of the accident on Route 20 last week? Are my tax dollars being put to good use again?
