LETTERS: Old quarries find new purpose, but let’s not pollute

Monday’s editorial about dumping in quarries was spot-on. I’m surprised such dumping is allowed in today’s environmentally conscious world. We have a lot of stone quarries in Lemont, and they’re all filled with water. Common sense says that if water can seep from our quarries, then rainwater can seep out of a dry quarry into the aquifer.

When I was a kid, our quarry land was a mess. Garbage was dumped, stolen cars were abandoned, teenagers partied and swam and sometimes drowned. It’s all cleaned up now, and named Heritage Quarries Recreation Area. The I & M Canal runs right through the middle of it. There’s a lot of history in our little valley. The Chicago Water Tower, for instance, was built with Lemont stone. Now that the area is cleaned up, people enjoy hiking and biking, picnicking and fishing.

Come out and take a look around. Maybe there’s a contrasting story to be told.

Tony Galati, Lemont

SIU bold reinvention untested

The proposal by the chancellor of Southern Illinois University to realign academic fields poses an untested formula for success, but it seems to forget two important elements. As an alumnus and parent of two current undergraduates, I’m watching with intense interest for the on-campus and off-campus reaction.

First, let’s agree that public higher education in Illinois is at a low point for two reasons. No one paid much attention to the enrollment raids launched about 10 years ago by schools in our border states. They offered in-state tuition and found willing takers. And Gov. Bruce Rauner’s starvation diet for almost three years made the problem worse. It created a huge wave of uncertainty for families across Illinois and out of state who might have been lured by more competitive tuition rates.

One can only hope the realignment of SIU will be matched by an aggressive marketing campaign that reminds everyone that the school retains its essence of nationally recognized excellence.

Steve Brown, Washington

Why I pay my taxes

Phil Kadner did a terrific job of summing up the argument for paying for government services. I, too, like paved streets and sidewalks, traffic signals, streetlights when it’s dark, public transportation, public schools, public parks, space exploration, emergency services, etc. I am happy to pay my share of the cost for the infrastructure and services I use, as well as my share of the cost for infrastructure and services my fellow citizens require. No one of us can be safe and secure until everyone is safe and secure.

I am not happy that wealthy individuals and corporations don’t pay their fair share. They constantly demand more “tax cuts” while grabbing more entitlements. US-style bankruptcy, for example, is welfare for the rich. The “failed” business or individual gets to dump obligations to employees, reduce their obligations to creditors and investors, and move on to the next “big deal.”

Muriel Balla, Hyde Park