For about two weeks, families across northwest Indiana endured extraordinary hardships. Homes went dark. Food spoiled. Businesses and schools were disrupted. Thousands of our neighbors waited day after day for their power to return.
I know something of that experience. My own power was out for 10 days.
The Aug. 11 storm was catastrophic. We should recognize the magnitude of the damage and thank the line workers, first responders, municipal employees, volunteers and neighbors who have worked tirelessly throughout this recovery.
Nearly two weeks without power is simply too long.
Gov. Mike Braun has called for an investigation into NIPSCO’s preparation for and response to this disaster. I not only support that investigation but have asked Braun to expand it and ensure ratepayers in Northwest Indiana are protected. The people of northwest Indiana deserve clear answers and real solutions.
Our engagement on utility issues did not begin with this storm. In April, I participated in discussions with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission in Gary as residents raised concerns about utility costs, reliability and accountability. Those questions matter even more today.
We need to know how prepared our system was, whether vegetation and rights of way were adequately maintained, and whether infrastructure and reliability investments paid for by ratepayers delivered what was promised.
I have also spoken with the chair of the Indiana Senate Utilities Committee about what we can learn from this catastrophe and what measures we should examine when the Indiana General Assembly reconvenes, to make our communities better prepared for the next major storm.
I do not want to prejudge those answers. I want us to find them.
And when the final home is reconnected, our work cannot end. We owe northwest Indiana more than restored power. We owe our people answers, accountability and a better prepared system for whatever comes next.
— Indiana state Sen. Mark Spencer, D-Gary
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Campaigns’ social media videos
When I was running for mayor, one of our more successful social media endeavors involved me eating shrimp. A video at Haire’s Gulf Shrimp at 75th and Vincennes — a great, family-run small business — drew hundreds of thousands of views.
People started asking me a pretty reasonable question: Why the hell are you doing this? Aren’t you running for mayor?
The answer was that I wanted to show the more human side of a campaign — a normal Chicago guy celebrating some of Chicago’s best food. I wanted to highlight a great small business. And, of course, I wanted to build followership.
Because if someone followed me for the shrimp, maybe the next day they’d see a video about why it takes too long to get a business license. Or housing. Or public safety. Or the city’s finances.
That’s the needle politicians everywhere are trying to thread. The best political content looks and feels like regular social media, but it also informs, educates or persuades people about something of substance.
There’s nothing wrong with that. Politics could use a little more personality and joy. Not every interaction with someone running for office needs to be a six-minute explanation of pension liabilities. If a video gets someone who normally couldn’t care less about local government to pay attention, you might bring them into the conversation.
The problem comes when attention becomes the whole point — or when campaigns blur the line between political advertising and organic content.
Campaigns are increasingly working with paid influencers who have built audiences of their own. Paying a creator to reach an audience isn’t inherently more sinister than paying for a television commercial, but there is an important difference.
When you see a campaign ad, you know it’s a campaign ad. When a creator you follow suddenly starts praising a candidate, you may have no idea if they mean it or if they’re getting paid.
The fix is pretty simple. If political content is paid for, it should be disclosed clearly. Illinois should also make those payments easy for voters to find.
Social media can show you Chicago. It can’t replace Chicago.
So I encourage candidates to make the videos. Have some fun. Bring more people into the conversation. Just be transparent about who’s paying for what, have something worthwhile to say — and don’t forget to put the phone down and go meet the people you’re asking to represent.
— Liam Stanton, Chicago
Get to work, Mayor Johnson
Our mayor is spending time and energy issuing executive orders versus spending time and energy on real issues: why it costs three times as much as one suburb to remove lead pipes, underfunded pension plans, police overtime levels, the CTA and school funding.
While Brandon Johnson’s executive orders are legal (unlike many of the president’s), they are not doing much to make Chicagoans’ lives better.
Get to work, Mr. Mayor.
— Lee Berenbaum, Chicago
DNR’s handling of lake water
The Aug. 27 editorial about the suburban challenge to Chicago’s monopoly on Lake Michigan water fails to mention one fact (“A suburban challenge to Chicago’s monopoly on Lake Michigan water makes major waves”). The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is responsible for the allocation of Lake Michigan water under the Level of Lake Michigan Act, and the DNR has not been serving the public interest for decades. The suburban frustration with Chicago is a direct result of DNR’s mismanagement of our precious resource.
Each year, as much as 25 billion gallons of water are lost through leaking, aged water mains in numerous municipalities because the DNR hasn’t enforced its own rules for water conservation.
— Dick Lanyon, Evanston
Actions to take for the climate
The orange haze that has blanketed the Chicago skyline over recent summers is a stark reminder that climate disasters do not carry passports. Record-breaking wildfires across Canada have turned our shared air into a seasonal public health crisis, triggering frequent air quality alerts and aggravating health conditions for thousands of local residents.
This cross-border crisis presents a powerful, urgent opportunity for shared American action. The science is simple. A warming planet dries out our landscapes, stretching fire seasons into year-round threats.
We are not helpless spectators. By aggressively cutting carbon emissions right here in the U.S., we can directly prevent these wildfires from getting worse on both sides of the border. Shifting rapidly toward clean energy and tightening emission standards directly cool the global climate engine driving these mega-fires.
Without urgent action to curb rising temperatures, wildfires will continue to spiral out of control. The catastrophic summers we endure today will become the norm tomorrow and a future that nobody wants to live in.
Readers can call or email their representatives and urge support for clean energy subsidies, carbon pricing and stricter industrial emission limits.
— Joseph Reitmeyer, Mount Prospect
Blown tires at O’Hare, Midway
In the month of August, at least four jets at O’Hare International Airport and one at Midway International Airport have sustained blown tires. My absolute amateur opinion is that the runways and taxiways may suffer from the same malady affecting our highways.
I drive on the Kennedy and the Edens expressways frequently, and since the spring, the pavement has been horrible; it’s like driving on rumble strips for miles. I have been driving for over 50 years and have never experienced these conditions.
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I have wondered if it may have a negative impact on my tires, too.
— Paula J. Schneiderman, Chicago
Parents’ conflict over vaccines
Thank you to Dr. Barbara Hendrickson for her letter regarding vaccines in the Aug. 26 edition (“Why vaccinating kids matters”). As a nurse, I was aware of some of the complications of a measles infection. I was not aware of the continued risk to immunity or subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Parents want to do their best to protect their children, but mistrust and false information regarding vaccines that have been provided for decades are leaving parents conflicted.
The decision regarding vaccine administration should be between the parents and their pediatrician/medical provider.
— Patricia Bonk, Midlothian
Note to readers
Construction on Chicago streets and bridges this summer has created headaches for many drivers. We’d like to hear from you about your frustrations with the delays and the city’s management of the closures and detours. Send a letter of no more than 400 words by Wednesday, Sept. 2 to [email protected]. Be sure to include your full name and city/town.
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email [email protected].