During cold, city must increase shelter bed capacity

Chicago has been under a winter weather advisory for a couple of days, and is now entering a wind chill advisory for sub-zero weather. Volunteers working with persons experiencing homelessness in Jefferson Park have been scrambling to distribute winter coats, hats, gloves and blankets.

They have also called City of Chicago 311 for shelter placement for people experiencing homelessness, including senior citizens, and no shelter beds have been available. Some people have waited three or more days for a shelter bed.

The city must do something to increase shelter bed capacity and respond to calls for shelter in a timely manner to prevent cold weather-related illnesses. And, let’s prioritize calls for shelter beds for older adults.

Monica Dillon, volunteer, Jefferson Park Working Group on Homelessness

Equal justice?

A U.S. judge has approved a Texas woman’s request to go on vacation in Mexico, despite charges that she took part in last month’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Jenny Cudd is accused of breaking federal laws that could result in a prison sentence. But she told the court that she wanted to travel, because she had already paid for the weekend retreat.

Equal justice under the law?

Warren Rodgers Jr., Matteson

Pure genius

General Motors’ Super Bowl commercial featuring Will Ferrell hilariously starting a feud with Norway over who will have the most electric cars was pure genius. And GM touting its 30 new EV’s by 2025 to 100 million people at once was a monumental step in the right direction for our planet!

Karen Campbell, Bolingbrook

Astonishing degree on consensus

The polling finds that something like two adult Americans out of three support the COVID-relief proposal from the administration. In the present political polarization, that is an astonishing degree of consensus. Congressional Republicans, however, say that because they are standing outside the consensus, it is not true unity.

President Joe Biden was elected president to lead the nation, not to lead both political parties.

Frank Palmer, Edgewater