LETTERS: County reforms should include Preckwinkle’s removal

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle campaigned against a tax hike. Now, we who live in Cook County have been, are being and will be taxed out of the county and our homes.

The county’s new soda tax is a prime example of how politicians work. When I first caught wind of this tax, it was disguised as a tax to fight obesity. I smelled something fishy right away. Then a couple of months prior to it taking affect it was declared (read: fessed up) as a way to fight obesity and provide much need influx of revenue for the Cook County.

The obesity they were fighting was political taxes and spending. Preckwinkle should be ashamed of herself but she is not, as she has declared she will run for office again.

I wish there was something citizens could do to put these politicians in check now rather than wait for election time.

Aivars U. Freidenfelds, Elk Grove

Those truly deserving of a 2016 Cubs World Series ring

I see the Chicago Cubs organization has awarded Steve Bartman a World Series ring. And while most people would look at this as both a grand gesture and a public relations coup, I have a slightly different take.

For one thing the Cubs don’t owe Mr. Bartman anything. Truth be told, it’s the over-wrought Cub fandom that owes him a huge apology for disrupting his life. Maybe they should be the ones to give him a ring?

The nameless people who counted off the days of winter until spring training started up again, who listened to the anguish in the voices of Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray game after game. And who, nonetheless, passed on their love of baseball to their grandchildren for all time. These are the folks who are most deserving of a ring. Their misfortune was simply not to have gotten in the way of a foul ball in a playoff contest.

Bob Ory, Elgin

Planned Parenthood taking proper steps toward gender education

In a July 27 column, S.E. Cupp criticizes Planned Parenthood “guidelines” about how to discuss sex and gender with your child.

I have not read these guidelines, but I gather from the column they tell parents that a child’s gender is not necessarily determined by her anatomy. Ms. Cupp seems to regard this as somehow unscientific. She is, simply put, wrong. Scientists have long recognized that even anatomical sex is a continuum rather than a binary situation and that gender is subjectively determined — that is, you are the gender you believe you are.

As parents, we have an obligation to listen to our children tell us about their gender identities and to refrain from imposing our preferences that they be boys or girls, preferences arising from our awareness of anatomy. If Planned Parenthood is trying to help us with this obligation, I say, “thanks.”

Bert Rice, Hyde Park