Speak Out for June 10, 2012
June 8, 2012 2:20PM
New Lenox Mayor Tim Balderman, who is taking over as the new superintendent in Union School District 81, talks about his new job at his home in New Lenox, Illinois, Tuesday, June 5, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media
Updated: July 11, 2012 10:21AM
New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann took a new job as superintendent of Union School District 81, a one-school district with 110 students. He is going to make $127,000 per year.
Surely big coffee chain owners are among the 1 percent just as surely as their baristas are part of the 99 percent. An Orland Park barista told me the owners don’t let them receive tips. That is what this presidential election is all about. Which candidate really cares about her or how much she makes? Which candidate can most relate to her lot in life? The one born with a silver spoon in his mouth or the one who grew up poor, worked hard, went to school and became president? By the way, I left a dollar on the counter.
My son goes to a Southland public high school. The suggestion to speak to the coach is a joke. That would only make things worse. My son started his first two years of high school ball and, like the other Speak Out commenter’s son, was benched junior year. He was just as talented as the kids playing but hardly got the chance to prove himself. It was embarrassing when family came to the games because I never knew if he’d play or not. Most of the time he didn’t or was used as a substitute in the last few innings.
The next time any of us feel sorry for ourselves or find the need to whine or criticize, we should think of the story of the late Cody Green being named an honorary U.S. Marine Corps member. The 12-year-old from Indiana was diagnosed at 22 months old with leukemia and loved the Marines. Very few stories get to me, but this story of Cody drawing courage and strength from the Marines to fight his battles into three remissions, did get to me. Fly the flag and thank God for all we have and those who serve. God bless the USA.
How about this for a great job? How about working for Chicago’s Fire Prevention Bureau? This is a place where you can allegedly make really good firefighter pay, earn one of those juicy pensions, and pad your expense account with overstated mileage charges. The best part is that because cheating on expense reports has been allegedly condoned for years, you probably can’t be fired if you are caught. This is the stuff the Chicago taxpayers pay for, and I guess will continue to pay for. Integrity, honesty and fairness. What foolish virtues those are in this world of ours!
To Gov. Pat Quinn and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on raising the car sticker rate to $80: Wow! Are you kidding me? You should be ashamed for always raising everything. Is this just for unincorporated Cook County or all of Crook County?
Illinois needs to stop giving money to education until every school district is audited as to how they spend the money that they get. If you would see the waste and unnecessary spending that goes on, you would be shocked. I know what I speak of. I worked approving these grants and budgets. When I went back to check their spending, it was amazing how differently they spent their money. There is so much waste in our schools.
It is too true that mankind is made up of wolves and lambs. The wolves are the politicians, and the sheep are the taxpayers who must fund the politicians. Politicians do not need drug tests. They are already drunk with power over the people. Freedom is fading into the distance because the sheeple keep reelecting the wolves. The problem is the sheeple are so accustomed to being herded by the wolves that they do not know the difference between domination and freedom.
RW from Oak Forest
I received my SouthtownStar and on the cover was former Bolingbrook Police Sgt. Drew Peterson. I am so disgusted to think the paper can cover something so unrelated to our lives. Peterson belongs behind bars. Keep him and his comments there.
I came up with a solution to solve the overcrowding in the prisons and lower taxes. If you have more than a 60-year term you are put to death. Some people would say, “Please, don’t kill them.” Let those people live with these criminals for one day. They will see how quickly they change their mind.
Rick from Chicago Ridge
So Disney is going to banish ads for unhealthy foods from its TV channel for kids. Are they also going to quit selling so-called junk foods at Disney World and Disneyland? Is this because parents don’t know how to say no to these children?
If you found a large bag filled with money, would you turn it in? I would, right to my banker.
Mike P. from Chicago
Imagine how surprised I was when a cemetery worker recently told me I was going the wrong way. I have been driving through that cemetery for 38 years. My family has been there for more than 80 years. Suddenly, the way we drive through is wrong and he’s arguing with me. Cemetery workers need to be a little more courteous to the people who are visiting their loved ones. A little courtesy goes a long way.
It’s a shame that people in power lose sight of their first true and honest intentions when they become a boss or mayor. People are taken in by their character and believe in them and trust them for years. Then it’s later learned that this person is just like all the rest in power. They get sloppy and endanger people by their actions. It’s too bad the person never seems to tell the whole truth or gets punished for not telling the truth. But the people left behind will always remember that family name that they thought they can trust.
