Fran Spielman quoted Mayor Rahm Emanuel this week as saying, “You are not gonna erase years of built-up [financial] challenges,” but the mayor does not indicate how the city got into these dire financial straits. That former Mayor Richard M. Daley spent the city into financial oblivion is obvious to all except Rahm Emanuel, who is conveniently wearing blinders. Either that, or it is a massive case of denial.
Mike Koskiewicz, Portage Park
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Don’t forget the $1,000 wine club
Mayor Emanuel can pretend to distance himself from his pal, Gov. Bruce Rauner, but the truth remains that he is good friends with someone whose policies are immoral and beyond selfish. Your ideas are your character. Like water, a $1,000 bottle of Cabernet seeks its own level.
Joel Ostrow, Deerfield
Protect retiree benefits
March 23 is the 5th anniversary of the signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Regardless of how anyone feels about this law, these years have been filled with fears about an unaffordable health care landscape.
Millions of retirees like me spent decades working for a single corporation at an agreed-to lower total salary in exchange for the commitment of lifetime health benefits and other protections from our former employers. We earned and paid for these benefits in our working years.
Disregarding our sacrifice, a new generation of greedy CEOs have been actively diminishing and canceling retiree earned health benefits.
Enough elected leaders in Washington, D.C., have yet to stand up and do something to protect and maintain the retiree benefits that we earned over decades-long careers. Programs such as Social Security and Medicare are critical but just not sufficient for all older Americans to survive on.
I am part of a group, ProtectSeniors.Org (www.ProtectSeniors.Org), which is leading the charge to protect retiree benefits from being canceled or diminished. I urge my fellow retirees to stand up and be heard.
Karen Alberts, Alsip