Pump the brakes on driving, especially SUVS

Faced with high prices for gasoline, angry and frustrated drivers are pointing accusing fingers every which way. What they should do is take a long look in the mirror.

Judging by current observation of rush-hour traffic on Chicago and nearby suburban streets, there are a startling number of cars on the road and a great number of those cars are “gas guzzling” SUVs. Clearly the price of gas has not led people to curb their driving nor their appetite for big vehicles.

Less driving in more fuel efficient cars will do a lot more to curb gasoline prices than all of the cockamamie schemes proposed by politicians and other know-nothings.

William P. Gottschalk, Lake Forest

Illinois tourism campaign is useless

Gov. J.B. Pritzker this week unveiled a $30 million tourism campaign to promote the state of Illinois.

People know where Illinois is and the problems we are having here. Who wants to come to a state that has a high crime rate? Who wants to take the chance of walking down Michigan Avenue in Chicago and getting mugged?

Who wants to come to a city or state that is soft on crime? Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx takes her time in pressing charges against some criminals. It’s reported on all the time. And people read the newspapers and listen to the news.

There are other cities and areas in Illinois but the big attractions are in Chicago, and right now, no one wants to come here. Put the $30 million dollars back into our state budget and give the taxpayers a break and lower our taxes.

Janice Montgomery, Clearing

Mayor has work cut out for her

Any day now, Mayor Lori Lightfoot will announce her bid for re-election. What’s more, the leader of the nation’s third largest city plans to enlighten all of us on her accomplishments since taking office.

It’s expected her speech will be short considering that violent crime is on the rise, the city is in a financial black hole and in her three years since first being elected, she’s become an alienator rather than a negotiator when dealing with union leaders who work for the Chicago police and Chicago Public Schools.

Lightfoot has also failed to add any significant revenue streams other than lowering the threshold for speed camera tickets. Though that alone might have won an election for anyone named Daley, it hardly seems like a winning proposition for this particular candidate.

Bob Ory, Elgin