I tried to enjoy the fireworks last Wednesday night, but in many ways it didn’t feel like an Independence Day celebration; it felt like I was visiting a dying friend. The awful memories of the debate linger.
One of the candidates seemed like an old man in cognitive decline, the other, a bombastic, lying, egotistical, selfish blowhard with a history of racism, misogyny, and profane language and behavior. It is utterly amazing that one person can tell more lies in 90 minutes than most people do in their lifetimes.
One political party has forgotten its patriotic duty; the vast majority of its elected officials and other leaders are toadies and lapdogs, slavishly following their flawed leader in a nauseating fashion scarily reminiscent of Germany in the 1930s. The members of that party who speak their conscience are isolated and ostracized.
The other party is paralyzed and divided between a hard left that is hopelessly out of touch with the beliefs of the vast majority of Americans and a far-too-small center.
Only a minority of the country does not see the U.S. Supreme Court as hopelessly biased, and, by all appearances, two justices have been bought and paid for by right-wing billionaires.
Calling the legislative branch dysfunctional feels like an understatement, and the behavior of some of its members is a national and international embarrassment.
Our leaders need to do better; if not, we will no longer be a “city upon a hill” but a society destined for decline.
— Elliot Weisenberg, Chicago
Are Americans tired of this?
Donald Trump. Joe Biden.
Neither is fit for office.
To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, perhaps our honored dead have died in vain, if the presidency is being vied for by a convicted felon and insurrectionist and a sundowner.
My question is to the American people: Are you tired of being taken advantage of?
In my lifetime, every election has had the same results, regardless of which party won: The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the only thing that changes every year is the list of poor grows longer.
Are these middling candidates truly the best any party has to offer? Are you satisfied being talked down to for the umpteenth time?
This race is a disgrace and continues to make America the laughingstock of the world. The absolute, utter idiocy of this election is completely avoidable. The political parties have revealed themselves as the useless cults that they are.
Enough.
I am demanding the political parties dump Trump and Biden in favor of candidates who are not entitled, elected aristocrats, but public servants willing to undertake the solemn duty of public service.
There is nothing left to say.
— Stephen Sonneveld, Manteno, Illinois
I feel abandoned by the GOP
As a lifelong conservative voter, I can’t help but feel disgusted and abandoned by the GOP. President Joe Biden’s closest political allies have not hesitated to publicly confront him with their concerns about his continuing to run for office. Good for them. Where are our elected Republicans and their questions for Donald Trump? Why are they not at least troubled by his record about everything from his thoughtless treatment of classified documents to his involvement in the insurrection at the Capitol? Apparently, their political futures are so essential that they are willing to pander to a man who has been found guilty of multiple felonies and faces additional charges.
My heroes are Adam Kinzinger, Liz Cheney, Chris Christie, Larry Hogan, Mitt Romney and others who appear to have been willing to sacrifice their own ambitions to speak the truth.
The viability of our democracy is at stake. Republicans, wake up!
— Diane P. Verratti, Waukegan
Democrats have made a mess
My, oh, my! It appears the sincere and forthright Democrats have finally taken a page from the Republicans’ playbook — the use of fear to move the electorate. Unfortunately, the sincerity and forthrightness crept back in, forcing the Dems to use the lesson only against themselves.
Will somebody please tell the Dems (if they’re not going to also adopt deny, equivocate and lie) that you’re supposed to scare swing voters by pointing out the other guy’s flaws, not your own guy’s? And all this hand-wringing over what basically amounts to a beauty contest, though these debates have largely become devoid of any beauty. If it weren’t for the Dems, most of us would have put the debate debacle in the rearview.
Granted, living in Chicagoland, we are all well acquainted with disappointment. But can anyone imagine even the Cubs being stupid enough to tell their fans, “Wow! We are really horrible this year! Honestly, we don’t know why any of you still support us”?
What’s next, Dems? Wait until 2028?
— Jim Koppensteiner, Niles
Transparency as treasurer
Regarding the editorial “Our state treasurer, Biden, Trump have something in common” (July 1): The state treasurer’s office does not normally attract much media attention. I was surprised by the recent editorial calling out my office’s “touting a record $130 million in earnings for the state’s investment portfolio.” Transparency is a major tenet of my administration. Since 2015, I have regularly reported the ups and downs in our state investments on our website and through news releases.
I was equally surprised by the projection that I will lose those earnings “when the market sours.” It seems that the Tribune Editorial Board is unaware of how my office operates. I am prohibited from directly investing the state’s portfolio in the stock market.
As treasurer, through bull and bear markets, my office has consistently made millions of dollars for Illinois taxpayers. The editorial board is correct that I was able to convince the General Assembly to change “ultraconservative” state laws to allow my office to invest in highly rated corporate bonds, which the editorial describes as “smarter” and a “commonsense step.”
We also convinced the General Assembly to allow us to invest in secure local government bonds, such as those issued by Illinois school districts to purchase land or erect buildings, and prime money market funds that emphasize security and liquidity.
We have improved returns by making commonsense reforms, by increasing the average weighted maturity of our investments, which was made possible by a healthier fiscal situation in our state and by working with the governor and General Assembly on innovative ideas.
The General Assembly afforded me the authority to make investments in much longer-term assets. Two examples of that are the Illinois Growth and Innovation Fund (ILGIF) and the FIRST Fund. ILGIF’s investment in Illinois-based venture capital is showing an internal rate of return that exceeds 14%. Through ILGIF, we have invested in 585 Illinois companies, generated 19,000 jobs in Illinois and attracted more than $57 billion in private investment. We expect to replicate that impact on jobs and the economy through the FIRST Fund’s infrastructure investments.
I was humbled in 2018 when the editorial board recognized me as a good steward of taxpayer funds, described my “diplomatic” style to resist governing through headlines, and liked how I “protected taxpayer investments and found creative ways to help residents better protect their own money.”
Thank you for elevating a routine disclosure of earnings on the state’s investment portfolio to coverage worthy of a presidential campaign. Issuing our monthly earnings report is not political “spin.” It is transparency. It is showing people that I am doing the job I was elected to do.
— Michael W. Frerichs, Illinois state treasurer
Mayor’s response to violence
More than 100 people were shot and at least 19 killed this past holiday weekend, and the best our mayor can come up with in response is: “We are standing here today talking about a violent weekend because of generations of disinvestment.”
Are you kidding me? Enough of the platitudes and excuses. If Mayor Brandon Johnson has nothing to say, then he shouldn’t say it. Same goes for the Chicago Police Department superintendent.
— Mike Rice, Chicago
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