In response to Rep. Peter Breen: Abortion is a legal right. No religious group has the right to remove funding from any woman who chooses to pursue a legal procedure. Religious zealots must remember the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment separated church and state. Nation is not a theocracy, Peter. Any group could present a reason for endangering legal rights: i.e. refusing to pay for medical care of Catholics or Lutherans because they are atheists. Abortion and choice are the law of the land. Get your religion out of our government and practice it in your churches.

* * *

Does anyone know how many miles Barack Obama has put on the Chevy Volt he promised to buy when he left office?

* * *

I really don't know how many Planned Parenthood facilities are available in the state of Illinois. This I do know: When there was Planned Parenthood and when birth control became available to women and women could get birth control from Planned Parenthood who couldn't afford it, the abortions all over the United States dropped. So to sit here and say that it's in the federal government's lap is fine. People protest the facility on Roosevelt Road. Regardless of what you try to say, Mr. Breen, a woman's right to have an abortion is her right. Most women, I would say some of the women who do have abortions, there is a reason. Either they are ill or maybe the baby is severely handicapped.

* * *

It's happened to me again — and it must be happening to others. On Thursday Dec. 14, a school bus turned right in front me on Villa Avenue by the Prairie Path; the bus had a stop sign and I did not. Would someone else please start reporting these? The bus number and phone number is on the back of the buses.  Our kids are in danger.

* * *

I thought transparency in government was the right thing to do? How come York Township does not display their meeting agendas or minutes on their website? You have to drive to the township office and ask for a copy. What are they hiding?

* * *

Peter Roskam is a disgrace. I just saw an interview where he tried asserting that "everyone" will see a decrease in taxes if this disastrous tax bill is passed. Affluent urban and suburban areas with high state, local and property taxes are double-taxed under this plan. For the party that loves to complain about how unfair taxes are, the Republicans are really being duplicitous on this one. He also tried to claim that the president will not benefit from the changes to the tax code. This is a flat-out lie: people who invest in real estate (versus earn wages like the majority of Americans) will pay less in taxes, and more importantly, the president never released his taxes, even after promising to do so if he won the election. In reality, the top 1 percent and 0.1 percent get the vast majority of benefit from the proposed changes. Our democracy is a failure when people like Roskam are seemingly bought and apparently sell out their constituencies without a second thought.

* * *

Remember studying how in 1928 Republicans took control of both houses of Congress and the White House and then the stock market crashed and we entered the Great Depression. Remember in 2000 when Republicans took control of both houses of Congress and the White House and the stock market crashed and we entered the Great Recession. Well, history rhymes. Happy New Year.

* * *

This is Villa Park calling. Whoever hit and killed the black cat on Summit Avenue in Villa Park, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. This is disturbing; you kept going.

* * *

Thank you to the person who left a gift card at our home as they enjoyed our nativity set.  Your kindness is heart warming and appreciated.

* * *

To the person who responded to a contributor to Speak Out as pathetic, please get a grip on reality and curb your less-than-amiable tone. You have no facts to back your ramblings. That is exactly what your statement is—ramblings filled with venomous rhetoric. Now have a nice day and a very Merry Christmas.

* * *

I am sitting outside our library (the Helen Plum Library) right now and as usual the service they provided was less than friendly. On top of that, they have taken the tax dollars and there is no evidence, no final approved plan. When you look at this site you see that the park district has the alley easement that they've given them to use, that they're not going to be able to build over that. You realize, this is a lost cause. Please, please, I urge you, visit the Addison library and then go to one of our library board meetings and tell them they must figure out a different way or a different location. This is just not going to work. It is so frustrating that they have kept our tax dollars and now we're talking about using operational dollars if the cost is greater than what they anticipated. Well, the operational dollars come from us, too. Please, we must do something about this.

* * *

Someone asked why people hate Trump so much so I thought I'd provide an answer. He's a liar who only cares about his personal wealth. If you think he's in office to drain the swamp then you clearly aren't paying attention. If you think he'll create a job for you then I have some nice swamp land in Florida that I'd like you to buy. Seriously; the future of our republic is begging you to turn off Fox News and wake up.

* * *

Hello. If you walk into a restaurant or tavern and they have CNN on, you can ask politely that they change the channel. If they don't, you can just leave and not patronize them.

* * *

This is Villa Park calling and this is directed to whoever was driving the vehicle that hit and killed a black cat on Summit Avenue. You didn't even bother to stop and see if the cat could have been saved. I'm only hoping you remember this incident for all of eternity. It happened because of your carelessness; probably speeding also. You've broken a lot of hearts.

* * *

May the year of our Lord 2018 bring peace and blessing to your family, our state, its 200th anniversary, our country and the world. Thank you to our president and the U.S. Congress for our new tax law. This will benefit nearly every person in America despite what the naysayers have drummed into the media's heads. Not one Democrat voted in favor. Come on. Let's strive for some bipartisanship in 2018. God bless you all.

* * *

So you think because I refer to President Trump as a buffoon that I can't possibly have a sensible conversation without having any anger. I'm not angry when I call President Trump a buffoon. The man has no business being president of the United States. He does not know how to handle anything. All he does is sign whatever they put in front of him no matter how harmful it is to us, the people of the United States. This income tax bill, letting them go after our Medicare, our Social Security, Medicaid? What has he done in the almost year that he has been in office? He has practically destroyed the United States of America. People laugh at us. And you seem to don't think there's anything wrong with it? I'm not angry, as I say, this is the truth.