To all you Democrats, on Sept. 29 your wonderful vice president, Joe Biden, told a Florida radio station, WLRN, that voters should hold President Barack Obama, not former President George W. Bush, accountable for the poor state of the American economy. Looks like the vice president doesn’t even agree with the president, and it is Barack Obama’s fault, now that he’s been in office almost three years, the way he has messed up this economy. The only thing I’ve ever agreed with Joe Biden is, you are correct, Mr. Biden; your wonderful boss is now the problem of the poor state of the economy, the proud owner of the poor state of the economy. Thank you, Joe.

Vice President Joe Biden did say that blaming the former administration is “not relevant” but did not name President Obama specifically. He said, “We’re in charge,” more than once and added, “It’s gotten better but it hasn’t gotten good enough.”—JAC

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Hi, this is a Lombard resident. I’m wondering if anything can be done about the goose population around Madison Meadow pond. We live around Madison Meadow and we enjoy walking there often. There are probably 100 or more geese that have now flocked to that area, with droppings all around the track. Just wondering. We had heard that swans can deter the geese. Is it possible we could get some swans over there to help with this problem? Also, there’s a problem around the Montini track. We can no longer walk there, either.

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Hello, this question is both for the Lombard and Villa Park recreation departments. What type of drains do you have in the swimming pools and are they in compliance; have they been replaced as required? I saw an article in the Chicago paper about this safety concern and a number of pools are not in compliance. Could you please find out so that our children are safe?

Paul Friedrichs, executive director of the Lombard Park District, explained: “Prior to the opening of the 2011 pool season, the park district was required to replace two drain covers in the tot pool. Prior to the 2012 season, an additional 28 drain covers need to be replaced; that work is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 18.” A response from the Villa Park Parks and Recreation Department noted that Jefferson and Lufkin pools are in compliance.—JAC

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This is Lombard calling. Recently in a speech to the joint session of Congress, our president referred to the economic crisis as simple math. Unfortunately, for “the world's smartest man,” simple things apparently are difficult. Apparently he uses Louis Farrakhan’s math made easy; 100,000 people show up to march and you call it the “million-man march.” Our president is using that same crazy math. He is correct, though. It is simple math. One percent of the people pay 40 percent of all taxes; 46 percent of the people in this country do not pay any taxes. That leaves 54 percent of us pulling the wagon. The wagon is very heavy. The 54 percent of us pulling the wagon are now saying to the president, “Anybody who just doesn’t want to work needs to get off the wagon. They need to start pulling the wagon and paying their fair share.”

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Big thank you and congratulations going out to Lombard Town Centre for the awesome job on this year's Spooktacular event. This event has become something my family and I really look forward to each year and this year they did not disappoint. I love that we have such a great organization that is committed to bringing awareness to all of the great businesses we do have downtown and the potential we have in our downtown. We can’t wait until next year’s event. Thank you for all of your hard work.

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From Lombard Town Centre (LTC): To the person calling in questioning why Sunday was chosen to have Spooktacular this year instead of on a Saturday, Lombard Town Centre hosts Spooktacular every year to showcase what businesses are downtown and our beautiful downtown itself. Earlier this year, we surveyed the downtown businesses on Spooktacular and one of the questions was whether they would like Spooktacular on a Saturday or a Sunday. The majority of the businesses that responded chose to try to have it on a Sunday this year. We will again survey the businesses this year and ask them the same question—Saturday or Sunday. LTC hosts this popular event but we do go to the businesses for their input and feedback as to when, where and how, as this event is to highlight these businesses.

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To the person who was saying that the caller frustrated over the teens hanging out at businesses, should learn to live with it or go north toward downtown, please rethink what you said. Yes, the high school has been here for all those years. However, you’re wrong to assume that businesses along South Main Street have benefitted from their patronage all these years. How many of the businesses that would appeal to teenagers were even there at that time? And what if the person works in the area and doesn’t have enough time to go downtown? Also, suggesting the person use a drive through and sit in the car—really? What if that person’s job involves a lot of driving for a living? Not my idea of a break, hitting a drive-through. I think your comments were insensitive. And by the way, you can’t say there is no after-school patronage downtown. I see young people there after school every day.

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Congratulations to Bill O’Reilly on Fox News Network for raising money for wounded warriors. Shouldn’t the government be taking care of them instead of illegals, and people who find excuses not to work or couples who don’t want to marry but have children and get support, subsidized housing, food stamps, etc.? Maybe we need quotas and limits for these. Oh, there are? Then how did these things happen? Who’s minding the store? Never mind. We all know the answer. Let’s vote in someone who’s for the legal American working taxpayers and have our government back to of the people, by the people and for the people, the way it was meant to be.

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Again, this is Meadowlark’s Quilt Club. I am just overwhelmed with the donations to make the lap robes for our veterans, blankets for the preemies and now all the things we’re going to make for Shriner’s Hospital. Again, any yarn or materials for quilting that you may have, God bless you, we appreciate it. Thank you very kindly.

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Hi, this Lombard calling. A big thank you to Rick Poole for getting the parking lot at Sunset Knoll. Now, I’d like to see a bathroom put in at the football field for the Lombard Falcons. Again, thank you very kindly. Good job. Thank you.

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I am one of 50 million senior citizens and I remember what America used to be like. We were proud to fly the American flag, standing up for the national anthem, putting my hand on my heart when saying the pledge and men removing their hats in respect for the flag. And, you know what? No one raised a protest about those actions.

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Having moved out of Lombard after living there for so many years, I now have a different view. You people who cry because you moved into a house by the railroad tracks.  What were you thinking? That the railroad would move? Or that the village officials won’t answer your questions in the Lombardian. Get off your behind and go to a board meeting. Better yet, vote. Stop crying and look for tomorrow and how you could help.

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Lombard here. I was driving by the village hall on a recent Saturday morning about 7:15 a.m. and lo and behold, sitting in the police parking area were 25 Lombard police cars, including unmarked ones. I had a couple of questions on that, none of which I am sure will be addressed by Lombard officials. One is, why are there that many cars in the lot at one time? Who is serving and protecting the taxpayers of Lombard? And, I don’t want to hear “shift change.” If that’s your excuse, you need to revisit how you prioritize your efforts. Two is, how many police cars does Lombard have anyway, and how many patrol officers? I would think we would need about one car for each two or three officers plus maybe three to four extra cars for the “just in case” situation. Doubt we have 60-plus officers on the Lombard force. Again, I have to question the thoughts that go into the spending of Lombard taxes by the village administration, especially in these trying economic times.

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Maybe you can give me an answer. In the Chicago Tribune on Oct. 14, T. Boone Pickens talked about the almost endless supply of gas we have to fuel cars, trucks, etc. instead of being shanghaied by the oil producers. So, if we have so much gas, my question is this: Why is my gas bill to heat my house so high if it’s so plentiful and cheap? Why is natural gas costing me so much? It costs me more than electricity and now companies are telling you, “Oh, we can sell you electricity cheaper than ComEd.” There’s some kind of chicanery going on here that they can sell it cheaper. Why don’t they sell gas cheaper so I can heat my house up and it doesn’t cost me so much money? OK everybody, give me an answer if you can.

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The hotel and convention center is another example of why the Village of Lombard should stay out of community development in the private sector. The village was given the DuPage Theatre property in the center of town and we still have a vacant lot after many years. Lombard needs to change leadership. The village manager, Mr. Hulseberg, can’t come out and tell us how much of our tax dollars he has put in jeopardy. That is apparently why no one from the village is allowed to answer questions. The surplus money paying off the convention center is not surplus—it’s our tax dollars.

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I invite any politician—Mueller, Quinn, Kirk, Roskam or Durbin, to name a few—to meet with the people and listen to the real thoughts of the common everyday American, get the real flavor of the life we live. I think, but really don’t know, ordinary folks are perplexed and unhappy at the prospect that politicians are a group of power grabbers out to better their own nest. Get away from your focus groups and special interests; get out in the real world and meet, greet and deal with ordinary folks.

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I live right alongside the railroad tracks and since spring they have been working on the tracks putting in switches and signals. Two weekends ago the crew starting working 9 p.m. from Friday and worked all the way until Monday morning. The trains were blowing their horn all night long to make the workers aware. It’s a little overkill but required. Soon it will be over and quiet will resume—somewhat.

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I would just like to thank everybody who put on the Spooktacular that was in downtown Lombard on Sunday, Oct. 16. It was a beautiful fall day, I brought my kids and a couple of nieces and nephews, and they just had a great time from the bucking bronco to the climbing wall to the balloon blaster. All the businesses that took advantage of staying open that day, we thank them for giving out candy; there was free cotton candy there too and especially the demonstration at Sky Centers; it was really great. So I just want to thank everybody for that; it was a great event, the kids loved it and I hope Lombard will continue to do events like this in the future. Thank you.

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I don’t know what all the discussion on the village board was about, tying salaries to people’s names. Those are available at openthebooks.com as are firemen, policemen and most state worker salaries; state and local teacher salaries; openthebooks.com.

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This is Lombard calling. To the secret Democrat who’s a Republican but might be a secret Democrat, who said the Democrats are more compassionate, and feels like he or she can feel compassion in their words, there’s an old saying called symbolism over substance. I agree with you. Bill Clinton felt our pain and that’s all he felt. He didn’t even know what the definition of "is" is and this person also threw out a quote. I’m going to throw out another great quote: “The greatest threat to our nation’s freedom is an uneducated voter.” When you vote on feelings, sorry to say it, that’s an uneducated vote. If you look at the actual facts is it compassionate for Democrats in our own state to allow illegal immigrants to go to one of our universities cheaper than one of our own citizens? This state’s been run by Democrats now, to the office, for 10 straight years; one party rule. Do you realize that in women and children services we rank below Puerto Rico?

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Hi, Lombard, this is to the person who calls him- or herself a secret Democrat or somebody else thought so. As far as the tea party being greedy, they’re for tax cuts for everybody. When you give rich people tax cuts, they use it to stimulate, spending; they hire people who actually need jobs. Has the government done that, creating jobs? With billions and trillions that Mr. Obama has spent hiring so-called czars as if we’re in Communist Russia or Fascist Germany, really? That makes sense. The rich pay the majority of the taxes in this country; the top 2 percent of the rich people do, and to tax them further, guess what? They won’t spend their money to help things get going in this country. As far as compassion, Winston Churchill said, “If you’re not a liberal by the time you’re 18 you have no heart. If you’re not a conservative by the time you’re 30 you have no brain.” Read it, learn it, live it.

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Hi, this is Lombard calling. I was just wondering why people with handicap placards feel the need to drive around with them hanging from their rear-view mirror. Doesn’t that impair their vision and driving capabilities to have stuff hanging from your rear-view mirror? I don’t think the intent of those placards was to hang there all the time. I think the placard should come down when you’re driving and when you pull in a handicap spot, you put the placard up. Please, people with handicap placards, please be considerate to other drivers.