Editor’s note
Talk of the County is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, please tell us. Call us at 312-222-4554 or email [email protected].
Thoughts and prayers
I’d like to thank Republicans for reducing their own numbers in future elections. With their anti-mask, anti-vax and anti-mandate choices, they are literally committing mass suicide. Thoughts and prayers to their friends and families, but we’ll all be better off without them.
How stupid?
Who sets up the Waukegan leaf pickup schedule? This year, it started Oct. 16 and 17, and there were no leaves. How stupid is that?
Stop talking about it
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Is anyone else sick of hearing Biden talk about his 247-mile daily train ride when he was a senator?
Reach out
I was expecting Ann Taylor to implement a community outreach program by establishing citizen outreach committees composed of citizen leaders that reflect the diversity of our community, to generate ideas and policies for community-supported renewal and development initiatives. I think an outreach to the leaders of our other local, independent taxing governmental units to generate ideas is OK, as each can point to successes within their own “lanes.” But, this approach, without a corresponding community outreach program bypasses the direct involvement and input of the citizens. Also, we need to insist on complete transparency in accounting practices at each governmental unit regarding the potential co-mingling of funds, or savings, or investments across the governmental units, as each generates their funds separately via their own separate tax allocation and levy.
Ambidextrous
There are people who like lots of illegal stuff — like murder, stealing, abusing people, graffiti and eating pizza or not — and their freedom to do or not to do things. What difference does it make if you’re a lefty or a righty? Some are ambidextrous.
We should be a priority
So let me get this straight, the Build Back Better Plan started out at $3.5 trillion over 10 years, or roughly $350 billion each year. The U.S. military budget is about $750 billion each year, or twice as much as what Congress originally wanted for the infrastructure bill. Now this amount is getting whittled down, which is fine if everyone is negotiating in good faith. But my question is, why is spending half as much as we spend on the military too much? When is the average American going to be a priority in this country?
Sad irony
Is this ironic or what? On your webpage, there were two stories. One, by Charles Selle, takes a lighthearted approach to burgeoning marijuana sales, “Grass sales continue to make the Prairie State greener.” Right below it there was another story, “Two teens arrested in fatal Park City shooting of North Chicago man.” The shooting, of course, seems to have been the result of an illegal marijuana sale gone bad. So, while we all make light of more and more people lighting up, the illegal sale of marijuana continues to be a thriving, though illegal and sometimes deadly business. And, as legal marijuana makes its way into more and more law-abiding lives, and comes to be viewed as more and more acceptable, is it naive to think that as it becomes even more widespread, illegal, cheaper, non-taxed weed will continue to plague our communities? If you wanted to see the Prairie State greener, you should have been advocating for the preservation of the Bell Bowl Prairie in Rockford, instead of marijuana.
It’s all good
Isn’t it great living in Lake County. Folks from Wisconsin can come here and buy cannabis. And we can go to Wisconsin and shot people. It’s all good.