This is Lombard calling in reference to the village refusing to speak to the anonymous voters and by voting, that means everybody is supposed to be anonymous. I came across an idea that maybe we should put a question on the next ballot that should read, “Shall the Village of Lombard be required to answer questions presented to them by anonymous constituents or must the Village of Lombard be required to remove their proposition that says they can not respond, from the roster of rules and regulations?” I think it’s possible to do. I’ve contacted the DuPage County Election Commission and I’m getting some paperwork to find out how many signatures we need to get the question on the next ballot. I would like some help in doing so.

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Hello, Lombard calling. Lombard is such a great place to live, except when massively disruptive storms fell large limbs and trees. And surprise, one’s in our backyard as well as on the tree bank. With the price we pay for waste removal, couldn’t some of that revenue be allocated to help with the clean-up after our obvious act-of-God storms?

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The people of Norway were defenseless victims of the alleged serial murderer because you can’t own a gun in Norway, because the government denies them the basic human right of self defense. We have a Second Amendment right to own a gun but our state rulers, that is, our so-called servants of the people, deny us ownership and the right to carry. We are the only state without a right to carry.

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This is Lombard calling. I hope West Suburban Bank is having the town shredding event this summer. I was in the hospital last year so I have to dispose of two years of shredding this year. It’s very nice to have that.

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Lombard area calling. On July 20, I was a guest, along with 96 other World War II veterans, who were flown to Washington to see the World War II Memorial. We were treated with honor and respect beyond words. This was paid for by generous donations of American people. We were not even allowed to buy a cup of coffee for our guardians. They guarded us all day long. God bless America and God bless the honorflightchicago.org. This was their 30th flight for us vets.

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Lombard calling from four homes on Hillcrest Lane. Shame, shame, shame on what was our wonderful village after 42 years. Our homes had huge broken limbs blocking the sidewalks, the parkways and landing in the street. We called the village the following week and talked to a very cordial woman who told us to wait our turn, as the village would come and remove branches and chip them. Surprise, surprise, surprise. The village trucks arrived Wednesday, July 20, and removed nothing from all four houses. We have pictures to show the damage. Our neighbors even helped us cut ours up, since we are in our 70s. Our branches were over 20 feet long. Why were the branches on Fairfield and Elizabeth removed the next day, without bundles? We know that as a fact and we even saw village trucks and a big loader. We are now having second thoughts as to why we stay and pay these huge taxes when seemingly we receive nothing in return when we need it most. What’s wrong with this picture?

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Good morning, Lombard. Remember in 2008 when all the Democrats and liberals and independents said, “We don’t want four more years of George Bush”? Remember that? Remember how they said the economy was going to tank if we got McCain in office? Well, guess what—it’s worse. We didn’t get four years of George Bush, we got three years of Barack Obama, who made it 10 times as bad. Thanks.

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I’d like to send a big thank you to the public works department. The men from the streets department were out in the blazing heat paving our roadways. They’re the same ones who work day and night in the freezing cold clearing our streets of snow and ice. They do a fantastic job so we can go about our lives with as much comfort as we can manage, and I’d like to thank them for all they do.

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I would just say to the Villa Park library board that the Kroch’s and Brentano’s is gone, Borders is gone and the wave of the library in the future is going the same way. I think they should look at that before they decide that they should expand anything here. They need to look more into the computerization of the library.

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Lombard calling, north of 22nd, east side of Main Street, they just repaired the street last year and they’re ripping it up again, a newly repaired spot. What is wrong with Lombard’s inspectors?

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After reading several of Rep. Peter Roskam’s “In the District” columns, it is obvious he’s completely out of touch with the needs of his constituents. Maybe if his generous salary and benefits were frozen and he had to take several numerous furlough days like the rest of his constituents, he would hopefully get a clue. If he thinks his columns are educating us about the mistakes of both political parties, he’s telling us what we already know. Maybe he should spend a couple of days observing the trauma of foreclosure court or observe the sheriff’s deputies evicting people from their homes and moving their furniture and household possessions to the parkway. He already has a state pension from his time in the Legislature. Now he qualifies for a federal pension. Both pensions are guaranteed, unlike many company pensions and Social Security. At long last, maybe he will respond to the numerous requests of his dwindling number of supporters for a series of town meetings.

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Just want to say thanks to the Lombard Fire Department for getting me out of an elevator during a power outage last week. I had just gotten in the elevator and the power went out, and was stuck, called 9-1-1 and their quick response got me out in half an hour. It was really hot and I sure appreciate their quick response. Thanks, Lombard Fire Department.

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To all the callers complaining about local government, federal government, teachers and so on in SPEAK OUT, I thought it might be nice to pass along a nice story for a change. The wait staff and their families at Maxfield’s on Roosevelt Road came to the aid of one of their coworkers last Saturday. She and her three young children had lost everything they owned in a recent apartment fire in West Chicago. They organized a car wash and raffle fundraiser to help replace some of the possessions they lost in the devastating fire. It was a success and was a great example of people pulling together in times of need. Way to go, Maxfield’s.

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A big congratulations to the Dance Centre’s tap troupe and junior tap troupe for their two gold and one high gold finishes at nations in Sandusky, Ohio, last week. The tap troupe’s Sweet Dreams also received the Entertainment Award. Way to go dancers and Miss Penny.

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Hi, this is Lombard calling. Not to worry about the Lombard village officials being responsible and returning phone calls, because they don’t. At least with SPEAK OUT, other people can hear the concerns of the residents of Lombard. It’s very frustrating living in this town. Bill Mueller, you should resign immediately. If it wasn’t for Yorktown, you would have been out of this office a long time ago. Thank God for Yorktown, Mr. Mueller. As far as the rest of the people in Lombard, if you live on the other side of St. Charles, I guess we’re on the bad side of the tracks, which is why there’s no response to any of the problems over here; Terrace View Pond is absolutely a problem over here. But if you call Mr. Mueller, he’ll tell you they’re going to take care of it. He’s been telling me that since last May and they haven’t done a thing. All those people should be paid based on what they contribute. We need new leadership and we need it now.

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Hello, this is for Villa Park trustees on cleaning the streets. It would be nice if you would let residents and visitors know when you’re going to clean the streets so they don’t park there. If there are cars there, the street cleaner just drives down the street and doesn’t clean the streets for the residents. You’re paying somebody and the gas for that machine to go down the streets and not clean the streets because people don’t know where they’re not supposed to park. Sometimes you come on one day, or sometimes on another day. If you put some signs up, people would know. If you don’t have money to pay for the signs, have some police officers follow the street cleaner and give out some tickets and the money from the tickets will pay for the signs you could put up on the streets.

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Villa Park calling. Bill, the world’s best mailman is back. We didn’t even have to see him to know he is back after his long illness. He is the only mailman who puts the red flag up on senior citizens’ mailboxes, a rubber band around our bundles of mail so it doesn’t scatter all over the front hall, a warm friendly “hello,” his watchful eye over the neighborhood and over our senior citizens. Bill, you were missed and it is so nice to have you back. God bless you.

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I’m getting sick of hearing from the Obama-bashing SPEAK OUT on how Obama is destroying the country. Now the Republicans are threatening not to raise the debt ceiling which would have catastrophic effects, but yet their hero Reagan raised the debt ceiling a record 18 times and their much bigger hero Bush increased our debt $6 trillion on an unpaid bogus war after inheriting a surplus from Clinton. The reason there is a huge debt is because the Republicans are giving the millionaires and billionaires huge tax breaks, but can you blame them for taking care of their fat cat donors? Don’t be fooled by their scare tactics or lies.

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As long as the village will not answer questions, maybe the residents can help them out and drop off a copy of the Constitution at the village hall. I do not think the village manager has ever read it.This is a democracy, not a Communist country. He needs to answer to the people who pay his salary; someone needs to hold him accountable.

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Awhile ago someone called in and listed some things for which we can thank unions, but they left some things off the list. For example, if you’ve never been able to afford a new car, thank the unions. If your manufacturing job got shipped overseas, thank the unions and if you could have kept your house out of foreclosure if you didn’t have to pay $500 a month in property taxes so the teachers can make $100,000 a year, thank the unions.

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Lombard calling. People complain about the leadership of the county, state and our country. It all starts at the local level of our towns. If we can’t keep our local government and management ethical, and on the side of residents and local businesses, we are losing control of our own lifestyle and destiny. We need leaders who understand what’s going on. If you have a village manager who takes a raise because he can, how can he look people in the eye and say, “Take a cut in pay or you’re out”? We don’t need self-serving people in these times. We need examples. As someone else said in the news, fire the rascals.

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On Monday night our president gave a speech saying he would like to bypass Congress, but he’s not able to do that under the current system. Do you ever think that’s why he’s trying to crash it? Do your part; call our congressman, Peter Roskam, and tell him you don’t want to raise the debt limit and you don’t want a dictatorship. Speak without fear. Hold to the truth.

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Hi, this is Lombard calling for Mr. Bill Mueller. Have you taken a ride down St. Charles, the downtown area? St. Charles Road is one office building or one office building after another vacant. Come take a ride over here and maybe you could spend some time over here. If you paid half as much attention to this side of town as you do to the other side of town, Lombard wouldn’t be in the shape that it’s in. I hold you 100 percent responsible for the condition the north side of town is in, as well as the trustees. You all should be held accountable. Obviously you won’t answer any questions via SPEAK OUT; you don’t answer questions when we call either. Absolutely ridiculous the way the Village of Lombard operates. I’m embarrassed to say I live in Lombard. When people ask me where I live, I tell them, the Western suburbs; I don’t even tell them Lombard. Thanks, Bill, for absolutely nothing. Time to retire, move to Florida, stay where it’s warm all the time.

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Hi, this is just a shout out to Capone’s for putting on a great spread at the Tri-Town YMCA golf outing. That was a great time also. Thanks, Lombard.

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It’s called SPEAK OUT, not “Ask a Question, Get an Answer.”

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Hi, this is Lombard. This is to the person who says that SPEAK OUT is not a political forum. It’s SPEAK OUT, not “Speak About Lombard,” not “Speak About What You Want to Hear,” it’s called SPEAK OUT. If we want to use it to speak out against President Obama or against our village, or against our governor, or against our representatives or whatever, or for something, we have the right to do so. That is why this is America and not some socialist country.

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This is in reference to the village meetings that are broadcast on TV. If you listen carefully to Mr. Hulseberg when he makes recommendations about spending taxpayers’ money, he says, “Staff recommends that we do this,” or “Staff recommends that we do that.” He never says who staff is, and we really don’t know where those recommendations are coming from, yet the motions get passed. Why don’t you say who really is making those recommendations? Is this another of Hulseberg’s ways of being anonymous, just like in SPEAK OUT, where the village’s governing bodies don’t have to answer our questions or say who is responsible for what they do with our money? I think that Mr. Hulseberg is staff. I know citizens who have tried making suggestions to the village and weren’t anonymous. They ended up on the receiving end of the village. No wonder they want to call SPEAK OUT.