Mitts' anti-gay remarks inexcusable

Apology schmology. Thirty-seventh Ward Ald. Emma Mitts said that gay couples don’t deserve our tax dollars — and never mind that “our tax dollars” includes those from the LGBTQ community. She said that because God made you a certain way, you don’t deserve “ . . . the same benefits as the woman or a man get.” What? Gay people aren’t women or men? If she tried to say something more ignorant, I don’t think she could. She is now trying to get us to believe her apology is sincere, once she realized that her all too precious campaign money from the mayor’s super PAC could be withdrawn. People with this kind of negative attitude toward her constituents have no place in public office.

Scot Sinclair, Gurnee

Have these guys actually driven down Ashland?The authors of an opinion piece in the Sun-Times, Ron Burke and Jacky Grimshaw, writing about the proposed Ashland Avenue rapid transit bus line, obviously have never driven on the northern portion of Ashland at rush hour. Their comment, “the traffic concerns would require some compromise” underscores their lack of concern for all drivers and an unfamiliarity with the traffic situation in general.Just last week, I had the displeasure of driving down Wrightwood Avenue at Ashland at 5 p.m. Traffic on southbound Ashland was backed up well past Fullerton on the south and well past Diversey on the north. If the proposed rapid bus lanes were installed, where would all these cars go? Onto the side streets? Into carpools? They certainly won’t just disappear.Mayor Rahm Emanuel has declared war on cars in Chicago by installing so many bike lanes on major streets and eliminating traffic lanes. The Ashland rapid bus line would add to the assault on drivers. A better idea would be to move the bike lanes to the much safer side streets, cancel the rapid bus service, and eliminate rush hour parking on major streets, which would create an additional traffic lane. Then remove the beautifully landscaped medians all over our city in favor of additional traffic lanes. It’s time for someone to stand up for the drivers of Chicago.Mike Kirchberg, Forest Glen