Being an elected politician under federal investigation would normally mean taking a low profile until the dust has settled. But not in Illinois, and especially not in Chicago. Seeing Dorothy Brown’s picture on the front page as she announced her run for mayor made me laugh out loud. Until I read the part that campaign coffers for Illinois politicians can be used for legal defense. (“‘Flabbergasted’: Some can’t understand Dorothy Brown’s decision to run for mayor” — April 19).
Scot Sinclair, Third Lake
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Third-party candidates could be solution to ‘big money’ politics
I just read your article, (“Skip the political ads, Mr. Pritzker and Gov. Rauner, and save Illinois” —April 17) where you covered University of Chicago economics professor Allen Sanderson’s suggestion that the two candidates pledge not to run any television ads this fall and instead each donate $100 million to charity.
You know perfectly well that Rauner and Pritzker are never going to forgo running political ads to donate the money to the needy. If you genuinely want to see big money out of politics, you need to hit them where it hurts, and best of all, it’s free to you.
There’s a perfectly acceptable alternative to these two out-of-touch billionaires. His name is Kash Jackson. Mr. Jackson is a 20-year veteran of the US Navy running for governor for the Libertarian Party. If you start giving equal coverage to third-party candidates like Mr. Jackson, you’ll shake up the status quo and threaten the Republican-Democrat duopoly. Maybe then we can get big-money politicians out of politics. Until that happens, your publication is part of the problem.
James Pragit, Lisle
Everyday is Earth Day for some
April 22 marks Earth Day, but for many people everyday is Earth Day. This includes environmentalists, ecologists, marine biologists, arborists, wildlife conservationists, endangered species preservationists and nature advocates.
Millions of people worldwide are endeavoring to make the earth more green, pristine, clean and serene.
Brien Comerford, Glenview
