The following Speak Out! messages appear in January 12-13, 2022 editions of the Journal & Topics.
Help Shovel
I would like to have someone that volunteers to help seniors shovel snow. There must be an organization or a group of people that does that. Plus put it in the paper or announce it in the news because there are a lot of seniors that can’t shovel snow and need help and the young people are stuck in their house with their computers.
God Help You
All you people that refuse to get the vaccination, once you get sick, you’re going to be one of the first ones to be on the ventilator in the ICU. This prevents other people who need to get into the ICU, who suffered from a heart attack, from getting in there. What’s up with you people? Your reasoning does not make sense. You won’t oblige by the mandates. You won’t oblige by having your children protected. You are some sick people. May God help you guys. I hope you don’t take my ICU room if I need it because I’m following the rules. Goodbye.
Got Brains?
To all you anti-vaccine morons that picketed at Park Ridge City Hall, why don’t you get a life. Do us all a favor. How stupid can you people continually be for two years. Also, picketing Park Ridge City Hall to open up schools or not wear masks at schools. The Park Ridge City Council and City Hall has nothing to do with anything that has to do with schools. If you had any brains, you would have walked down a block to Dist. 64 headquarters and picketed over there. Hopefully, they would have called the cops and had you ushered into the police station.
Overreaching
Hello, I’m calling in regard to the Cook County Board president mandating that I cannot go into a restaurant now. What kind of powers does this person have? This is overreach. This is despicable. I hope that the suburbs will rescind this. Thank you.
Warning Sign
Well here we go folks. Glenview District 34 School Board is now beginning to drop the words “over budget” on the costs of this massive construction project for all Glenview middle schools. That’s a big warning sign. It’s only furniture costs today, but it will soon be construction costs. They already have a villain to blame: supply chain problems. This is about to get real ugly. Huge tax increase coming?
Getting In Way
We need Ald. Carla Brookman to institute a winter ban on parking on the streets: Webster, Greenview, Westview, Plainfield Drive. They are getting in the way of the plows on all these streets. These cars can utilize their driveways that sit 300 feet back on the property. There needs to be a snow ban so these plows can get down the street. Thank you.
Confused In Illinois
Confused. If vaccinated and unvaccinated can contract and/or spread the virus, why do you need to show proof you are vaccinated to eat at a restaurant?
Retake Oath
I would like to see all politicians retake their oath of office, but I don’t think it would help.
Restaurant Instead
I’d like to respond to the Speak Out in the January 5th paper entitled Seems Wrong. Obviously this person hasn’t been following the situation in regard to the cannabis dispensary. It’s not that we don’t want it in Des Plaines. Or not want it in the downtown area. It was rejected because of the location. That’s all. Most people would rather have a family type restaurant there instead. It would make more sense for a restaurant than anything else. Especially with the theater next door. The city has also said they were okay having the cannabis dispensary downtown just not at that location. Besides, most people wanted the restaurant.
Biden Failed
Joe Biden said he was going to calm everything down and bring Americans together. He has failed miserably. Joe Biden’s main item that he ran on was he was going to end the pandemic and when asked how his response was with The Biden Plan. He has failed miserably. He is not the president of the country, he is not making the big decisions clearly Bernie Sanders and others are calling the shots. Thanks to Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema there is still some sanity left going on. But hark, Chuckie Schumer at the last minute is trying to change the rules to try to steal the midterms. Too late unless we enjoy paying so much more and getting so much less. P.S. Are the illegals crossing the border over 2 million already been checked for Covid or vaccinated?
Testing Legit?
I am concerned about the Covid-19 rapid testing centers in Des Plaines. Are they legit? Is the city inspecting and checking them? Do they need licenses to work in Des Plaines?
Anyone There?
What is going on with the Des Plaines postal service? No mail on 1-6, 1-8, and 1-10-22? Called the Post Office and after 10 rings my call disconnected. The worst service I have experienced in 31 years of living in Des Plaines. I think another bumbling monstrosity is evolving.
Promote More
As I read through the Journal I have trouble finding an ad featuring upcoming events at the Des Plaines Theater. Des Plaines Journal is the No. 1 paper in Des Plaines and our theater is the only one we’ve got. There should be a mutually satisfying relationship between Journal and topics and Mr. Onesti so that we can start publicizing the many new exciting events coming to our town. Let’s get behind this thing.
(Ed. Note: While we have run regular full page ads on concerts and events at the theater since it reopened in October, we always welcome more.)
Not Much Change
Have you ever noticed that Carla Brookman says she has been on the council since 1997? During that time has she or her husband ever pushed the issue to make changes to the downtown Metro Square? It has sat empty for the most part in the almost 25 years they have warmed a chair. If they were so concerned about the city why have they never pushed for changes? What has that seat ever done to improve the downtown? In almost 25 years they have let the city down and not asked the hard questions. Why have they not pushed for business changes? I live in the “Brookmans fabulous 5th ward” as John Magg likes to say. I feel she does not represent the ward or the city well. I ask the city council to change the name of Metro Square to “Brookmans blunder” established 1997.
Question More
I think we need to start making up our own questionnaire for our health care workers. They want to know everything about you, but you know nothing about them. What is their temperature? Are they experiencing symptoms of Covid? When you go to your doctor/dentist, etc. do you know where they live? Are they married? Do they have kids? What is their professional license number? What was the last continuing education class they took? My doctor wanted to know if I had throw rugs in my house. Does he/she? Do I have grab bars in my shower/bath? Do they? We need to start questioning why they need this information and question the health of our healthcare workers. I have been in offices where the staff is coughing. Do they have Covid? Will they give it to me? Have they been vaccinated? Wake up America.
Who Can Help?
Hoping someone can help us, I have a friend who is going to be getting Medicare/Medicaid and has no idea where to turn to get the right information about what type to get so she doesn’t get screwed so to speak. Who should she talk to in order to get straight answers? Can anyone help? Please?
Alcohol Worse
I would like to comment on all of the outrage about locating a cannabis dispensary on Miner Street in Des Plaines. Recreational marijuana is just as legal as alcohol. Since there are four establishments selling liquor along the Miner Street block, they should also not be allowed to operate in that area. Most experts agree that alcohol abuse is a much greater problem in our country compared to cannabis. Alcohol has ruined way more families than cannabis. Allowing liquor but not cannabis in that area is very hypocritical.
Gun Talk
This is written in response to your recent Speak Out telling us to educate ourselves on how firearms laws work in Illinois. I suggest this person should educate himself on how such laws work in other areas of our country. Because of huge campaign donations from the NRA to many members of Congress, our federal gun laws make it extremely easy to obtain a gun. A number of states only follow the federal guidelines which allow private gun sales at gun shows and online without a waiting period, background check, or identification. What good are our Illinois gun laws when a person can go to nearby Indiana who only follows these easy federal standards. Until we have much tougher federal gun laws our state laws are easily circumvented. Your reader also says a car or knife can be used to kill people. My hands could also be lethal weapons but all of these things have legitimate purposes. The only purpose of a gun is to kill.
Support local news by subscribing to the Journal & Topics in print or online.
