Hi, this is a 72--year-old senior calling in regard to the person who’s appalled by our ignorance. Can you imagine, I’m calling in on my cell phone and I’m sitting in front of my laptop doing my business on my computer? I can also go to the grocery store and use the self-checkout. Can you imagine that? I mean, it’s just amazing. I have a scanner here to scan my bills. My gosh, I can’t believe I can actually do this at my age, 72, and be in touch with the 21st century. I venture to say that most teens are far more advanced than I am, so I guess maybe you need to get in touch with the 21st century seniors so you know we’re still as advanced as you and probably even vote better. Goodbye.

* * *

Hi, neighbors in Villa Park and Lombard. I guess it’s time for the message about Christmas decorations. Christmas decorations are wonderful and they make the season joyous; and they make it special, but when you leave Christmas decorations up for over 90 days, it’s ridiculous because they no longer become special. Please take down your Christmas decorations so that in the fall they will again be special.

* * *

This is a heads up—when you make a store a super center, it’s probably a good idea to hire some additional people. I was there today to get some stuff from the deli. There were three people in line and two people behind the counter. While I waited, one lady went in the back and never came back. I waited for 10 minutes. I finally decided I didn’t need what I went in there for and I started to walk out. On the way out, I grabbed a loaf of bread and I was going to check out with a loaf of bread, go home and have a sandwich. I got to the automatic self-service checkout—there were four there—they appeared to be broken. I left.

* * *

In regard to the people who say seniors should not vote anymore because we don’t know anything. I’ve got news for you people. I, for one, am 89 and still have all my faculties. Thank you.

* * *

No, I am ticked off that Gov. Rauner creates an executive order that he knows is a violation of statute. It doesn’t save the state a dime, but he wants to pick a fight with unions. His own comptroller refuses to enforce the order because it is illegal. So, he hires one of the most expensive legal teams in the nation—at our expense—so that they can spend the next several years arguing the matter “all the way to the Supreme Court.” Isn’t that a great use of our tax dollars.  

* * *

Hello, Lombard calling. Just reading Page 9 of the March 11 Lombardian. As stated in the article, Adam Rodriguez has been charged with criminal sexual assault, which is a Class X felony. The end of the article states, if he is found guilty, he faces a possible prison sentence of six to 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, to be served at 85 percent. My question is, why isn’t he facing deportation served at 100 percent of the rest of his life? Why do Illinois taxpayers have to pay for him to stay here? Just wondering if this bothers anybody else. Thank you.

* * *

For the federal government, the state of Illinois or any city, town or village in Illinois to be allowed to file bankruptcy is wrong. The elected officials, who feel this is a lifetime job, continue to spend money they don’t have. They continue to kick the can down the road. In the 80s, 90s and early 2000’s all levels of government continued to spend money on pet projects like a drunken sailor. They borrowed from secure funds, such as pensions, to pay other debt they created, so as to not raise taxes and get re-elected. They neglected their fiduciary responsibility and we’re not responsible with our money. Now that they have created this mess, certain legislators think it is okay for them to file bankruptcy to get out from under the debt. Wipe the slate clean and then start over and run up the deficit again. For a unit of government to be able to file bankruptcy, they should have to get rid of everyone in office and start over and justify any taxes they want to levy and spend it on what they have said it would be spent on. The same people who ran up the debt, now want a chance to do it all again?

* * *

Another week, another juvenile “Faux News” comment in SPEAK OUT. Again, no specific examples of how supposedly terrible the channel is. The comment provides one more example of liberals’ jealousy of the Fox News Channel’s success. The channel is crushing the hapless CNN and MSNBC in the ratings. Here’s one reason. Liberals cannot tolerate opposing viewpoints. CNN and MSNBC are widely echo chambers for left-wing beliefs. Leftists have a hard time defending their beliefs, and they’re often shocked when someone expresses a different opinion. Instead of defending their beliefs with reason, they resort to infantile name-calling.

* * *

There was a comment in SPEAK OUT about Deb Conroy, who was trying to save taxpayers’ money by eliminating duplicate public agencies and payrolls. Bravo for her. Someone working for us. I don’t know her party; I don’t care. This brings me to Rauner, and all the guesswork by partisan politicians. Let the guy work to make our lives better. As one person mentioned in SPEAK OUT, there’s no such thing as a right party in office. If Rauner does not do the job, vote him out. And finally, I support the 47 senators who wrote the letter to Iran. Someone has to work for this country.

* * *

Recently a person who claimed to be a veteran of the United States claimed he took an oath to support the president and the Constitution. He went on to say that 47 senators did the same thing and they had broken their promise. I think he’s talking about the op ed letter they posted in several newspapers saying they don’t think we should be in negotiations with a country, Iran, that has declared to want to kill the great evil Satan—that would be us, the United States. If this guy is a veteran, I am quite surprised. Senators do not take an oath to the president of the United States. Absolutely not. Now, the military does because he’s their commander in chief. Also, this guy says they’re guilty of treason. The First Amendment of the Constitution is called free speech. I really doubt that this guy was a veteran of the United States. I’m not sure what that even means.

* * *

Lombard. Did you know an American soldier was dishonorably discharged 15 years ago for refusing a Clinton order to put him and his company under UN command and a foreign commander? This soldier was the only one to refuse to remove his American insignias and put on a UN insignia and follow UN orders. Military code makes it a crime for a military person to put on the uniform of a foreign power. Clinton hid this order by classifying it to keep it secret. When the lawyer got it declassified after 10 years, they promptly hid it in the Clinton Library. The military judge, perhaps out of fear for Clinton, refused to allow the constitutional evidence to show that the order was unlawful. This is another example of Clinton lawlessness. Thank you.

* * *

Thank you, Lombardian, for SPEAK OUT, for letters to the editor, for Peter Breen’s column and your guest column about sunshine laws. Lawmakers are trying to remove requirements to publish notices in local community newspapers, placing required public notices on government Web sites or party sites that can, and do, get buried. Things that the taxpayer really needs to know. Government transparency is being taken away, and your Page 4 on March 18 is what a good local newspaper does. This is wonderful information that we all need. Thank you and God bless.

* * *

One more fact to add to the climate warming discussion. Today’s Tribune, Thursday, March 19, on the weather page, despite the chill here, the planet Earth recorded the warmest winter on record. This winter was 3 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century meteorological winter average. Thank you. Bye.

* * *

This is for the caller who calls up and starts talking about Faux News, Fox News. First of all, I don’t watch Fox News. I don’t watch it. For all you Obama lovers out there and you Democrats, you’re the ones who are out spewing hate all the time. The two-party system does not work. As long as you keep voting in Republicans and Democrats, you’re not going to get anything done. And, as far as the birth certificate goes, I don’t care where he was born. I know that people couldn’t stop talking about it but now here you’re bringing it up. Here again it’s the two-party system. Our governors go to jail, that’s all there is to it. Pat Quinn didn’t go. He’s a good guy. He didn’t go to jail, I will give him that. But as far as what Mr. Obama does, you think we’re spewing out hate? The Democrats and Obama are the ones spewing out all the hate.

* * *

Hi, I’m a Democrat and I call SPEAK OUT and guess what? I have absolutely no problem calling the Village of Lombard if I have a problem. I absolutely had no problem calling Mark Kirk’s office and telling him what a disgraceful thing he and the other 47 senators did. I have no problem talking to anybody, as all Democrats do. The problem with the Republican Party is you cannot talk to them anymore because if you do, they scream and yell at you and tell you how we’re dumb and we don’t know what we’re doing. Well, dumb is a strong word. The problem is, the Republicans need to start looking at things through their own eyes because it’s not a Democrat they’re trying to destroy, it’s all of us they’re going after, with our Social Security and everything. So, wake up, people. I have no problem calling anybody; even SPEAK OUT.

* * *

Hi, Villa Park calling. A walk on the Great Western Trail west from Villa Avenue or a stroll down Wildwood Avenue east from Villa Avenue on the Ovaltine apartment side shows that some people who live in Villa Park have no community pride or the community decency to even pick up their dog’s poop. Those of you who think they have the interest or intelligence to vote are sadly mistaken. Stop with the political propaganda and just pick up the poop. Thanks.

* * *

President Obama claimed his administration was “the most transparent administration in history.” His administration included a secretary of state—Hillary Clinton—who set up a personal e-mail account to conduct official business. That setup reportedly had minimal security measures in place. Clinton recently admitted to deleting more than 30,000 e-mails while Congressional subpoenas for her communications were in effect. Not to worry. I’m sure all 30,000 of those deleted e-mails were related to personal matters like her daughter’s wedding arrangements, her mother’s funeral arrangements and various yoga routines.

* * *

To the person who called last week looking for the new “Rules of the Road” book, when you get a copy of it, could you check and see if they changed the rules where the left lane is now the driving lane and the right lane is the passing lane? It seems like everybody and their brother immediately goes over to the left lane even when there’s nobody in the right lane and drives miles and miles and never turns and never passes. If that’s the new law, I’d like to abide by it, but I think it’s not. Thank you.