Monday letters: How about tamer name for Riot Fest?

Regarding Riot Fest: Change the name. We have enough violence in the world. Riot sounds horrible, like they’re promoting a riot. Change the name to something more pleasant. Maybe Love the Music Fest? Anything but riot. Webster definition: Wild or violent disorder, confusion … a violent public disturbance.

Come on people, let’s return to a more peaceful style of living. Stop all this violent behavior and even the suggestion of such.

Edwina Jackson, Longwood Manor

Tears over Rauner’s proposed cuts

Who does Gov. Bruce Rauner think he is to take money from the elderly because the budget doesn’t balance or work? These people have worked and supported this state most of their lives. Every politician either starts as a millionaire or ends up as one. They push those who can least afford it to another corner. You take from the elderly, nursing homes and senior centers, along with programs for the disabled and youth, that are desperately needed. You need budget resolutions. Find them elsewhere. We are drowning in our own tears.

Dave and Elaine Banks, Forest Park

Legislature should know its place

Our governor was elected by the people of the State of Illinois; the Speaker of the House of Representatives was elected by voters in the 22nd district. The governor was elected by the voters of the state, possibly even a few in the 22nd district, who are concerned with the fiscal health of our state. The electorate who elected Gov. Rauner was alarmed by the spending of recent governors and lack of cooperation between the legislative and executive branches of our state government. We elected a de jure governor, not a de facto governor. The legislative branches should confine their activities to legislative matters, not assuming that their interests supersede those of the state.

John Culloton, Norwood Park

Fix Wrigley’s shadowy side

In the course of Wrigley’s massive renovation, someone forgot something: constructing light standards beyond the right- and left-field bleacher section. Currently, Wrigley’s lighting network attaches to the roofing of the stadium’s grandstand. This configuration produces on-field players’ shadows matched only by those shadows witnessed in Atlanta’s Turner Field.

Do what has been done in Detroit’s Comerica Park. Place a lighting standard behind each of the right- and left-field line bleacher sections. This would provide the proper illumination necessary to light-up the ballpark, thereby ending not only these shadows, but the appearance of ghostly figures hauntingly moving about Wrigley’s outfield in the darkness of a Chicago night.

Earl Beal, Terre Haute, Ind.

Stick with ‘Chiraq’ tag

In response to Stephen Franklin (“‘Chiraq’ tag dangerous to Chicago in many ways” — June 4), “Chiraq,” the title of Spike Lee’s new film, is totally accurate. In fact, until there is a new successful strategy against gang violence, we should all refer to Chicago as “Chiraq.” Everywhere in Chicago/Chiraq there is gun violence from gangs. The gangs are our own homegrown internal terrorists.

I wonder how Hadiya Pendleton, Jonylah Watkins and countless other Chicago children murdered by gangs, would feel about “Chiraq?” A week ago, right across my alley, a gang execution occurred. “Chiraq” isn’t just a tag, Mr. Franklin. It’s a sad fact of life in this city.

Jean Scott, Irving Park

Kill Illiana, not prairie

It’s great that the governor rejected the Illiana expressway plan. The decision can help to protect the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. This vast and wondrous nature haven is home for 16 endangered and threatened species. It’s also a refuge for dozens of wild mammals, reptiles, amphibians, aquatic creatures and over 100 breeding bird species. Saving wildlife and protecting nature is more important than a misguided and costly expressway scheme..

Brien Comerford, Glenview

Spell words well, remember their meaning

Neil Steinberg’s interesting recent article about spelling bees (“Can you spell ‘labyrinthine?’” — May 26) prompted the following: Spelling bees have much to be said about them, both pro and con. Regardless, one fact will remain paramount and that is that spelling does not much correlate with IQ but vocabulary does. Spelling every word in the world correctly may be fascinating (to contestants, their families, teachers and others) but it has nothing to do with ever receiving a Ph.D. from Harvard.

Leon J. Hoffman, Lake View

Let accusations fly in King v. Burwell

The Supreme Court will soon issue its ruling in King v. Burwell and if the ruling invalidates healthcare subsidies under the Affordable Care Act issued in states without Obamacare exchanges, chaos for those so subsidized can be expected.

The legal issue revolves around wording in the ACA which states that subsidies can only be applied in states which have established exchanges and it turns out that a majority of states declined to do so. In order to make the act work, the Obama administration stepped in and issued the subsidies, a procedure the plaintiff contends is contrary to what the act plainly states. The law was drafted by Democrats without Republican input, and the authors hold that the error was merely an unintended oversight. Others believe that the contentious wording was not an oversight, but rather was designed to force states to establish exchanges.

If the Supreme Court rules for the plaintiff, it will be accused of a partisan decision, as if five moderate to conservative justices voting as a bloc opposed by the four liberal jurists voting as a bloc renders the majority opinion questionable. Five moderate to conservative jurists voting together shows bias, but four liberals voting as a bloc is just good jurisprudence.

Paul Bloustein, Cincinnati