Steel plant site ideal for Obama Library

OK, OK. the search for the site for the Obama Presidential Library is over. It is the grounds of the old US Steel South Works on the Southeast Side.

The land is fallow, so there would be no need to disrupt or rearrange an existing neighborhood to do the building. Take 87th Street east as far as you can go, get out of your car and walk over to the shore. The view from there of the lake and the downtown skyline are magnificent. An addition, an Obama Library on this site would spur redevelopment of this vast piece of vacant land. Put the Lucas Museum there too, and you would have tandem engines for redevelopment.

Then have Jeanne Gang design both structures.

The case is closed, signed, sealed and delivered.

Gary Odom, South Shore

No idea how Rauner will save Illinois

Regarding the Illinois financial crisis facing Governor-elect Bruce Rauner, former governor and Rauner transition adviser Jim Edger made this truly disingenuous statement:

“I’m amazed he was able to say as little and promise as little and get elected.”

Nobody should be amazed that Rauner won by running a fraudulent campaign based on tax cuts for every individual and corporation, including the wealthy ones, while critical departments like Corrections and Human Services are already running out of money. When pressed, Rauner offered no specifics, just the need to trust a billionaire who made his fortune, in part, by gaming the tax laws to his advantage at the expense of the public. He’s suddenly shocked, shocked that the state’s financial condition is worse than he realized during the campaign.

But Edgar did get one thing right when he said, “Doomsday’s coming, we do not have a printing press.”

Outgoing Gov. Quinn ran a principled campaign based on spending cuts, tax increases, paying down the pension deficit, paying state vendors more quickly and maintaining essential services.

We know how Bruce Rauner made his billion. We have no idea how he’s going to salvage Illinois based on tax cuts for everyone, which will double our debt while critical agencies run out of money. His final take is simply: “I ain’t perfect. I fail sometimes. But you know what? In the long run I don’t fail.” That may work for Bruce Rauner’s long run but not for Illinois. The state doesn’t have one.

Walter Zlotow, Glen Ellyn

What’s in your wallet?

The national debt now exceeds $18.0 trillion and continues to grow. Let me present this in a way that may be more understandable to everyone. We owe $18,000,000,000,000. That is more than $56,000 per person. What’s in your wallet?

Lee J. Regner, Park Ridge

Last of the moderate Republicans

It is always sad to read of the extinction of a species. The last “liberal Republican,” Sen. Edward Brooke of Massachusetts, died last week. There is another endangered species within the GOP: The RINO. “Republicans in name only,” also known as “moderates,” tend to be knocked off during GOP primaries. A GOP without a few liberals and many moderates cannot long endure.

RIP GOP.

Bob Barth, Edgewater