The city of Chicago has a 2024 budget of $16.6 billion. With a 2024 population of 2.590 million residents, that’s an expenditure of $6,409 per resident. The city of Chicago needs $321 million to sustain its migrant population. As of April 2024, the current migrant population in Chicago is approximately 38,000 individuals. That’s an expenditure of approximately $8,447 per migrant . Realistically, the migrant population and the city’s budget for migrant spending both are expected to increase, not decrease, from this point through the end of 2024. Chicago elected officials and their appointed, paid contractors need to do a better job of allocating and managing scarce resources for the benefit of migrants. Please note the city’s budgeted sums for migrants do not take into account donated scarce resources from private individuals and charitable and religious organizations, which have made and continue to make huge contributions on an ongoing basis for the benefit of migrants, and which are not counted as line items in any of the city’s migrant budget plans. This observation makes the plea for better management of the city’s migrant budgeting all the more pressing. If the city is already underway with steps to deliver migrant services in a more efficient manner, those details need to be made public now, not later, for building trust with its residents.
— Mark Grenchik, Chicago
Benefits of humanities
As a retired English and history teacher of 40 years, I share James Coltella’s lament that the humanities too often lose out to STEM (“The limitations of an all-STEM world, minus the empathy we need,” April 10.) No one feels alone when they read, and, as he suggests, reading allows people to escape their own narrow perspective while providing a safe window into the experience of people we might otherwise never know or understand. Without even considering the value the arts add to entertainment, the broader economy and a more fulfilling life, the academic pursuits central to the humanities are vital assets, not just in jobs but in politics and society. Teaching the humanities convinced me that students who make subtle distinctions and accurately perceive and articulate complicated ideas are as rare, special, and irreplaceable as talented mathematicians, scientists or engineers. It’s hard for me to accept these skills are simply “soft.” I’ve met so many brilliant young people whose future contributions should be reading, writing, and — especially — thinking in ways that benefit us all.
— David Marshall, Chicago
Judaism and Israeli politics
With all respect due to Kenneth Seeskin (“When does anti-Zionism start to become antisemitism?” April 11,) he is mistaken when he states, “For example, if one were to list the various nationalities in the world, there would be Greeks, French, Koreans, English, Brazilians, Chinese, Italians — and Jews.” The list should read, “Greeks, French, Koreans, English, Brazilians, Chinese, Italians — and Israelis.”
Conflating Judaism with Israeli policies is the reason why criticism Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government — as reasonable as criticism of the Biden administration — is equated in the mind of some with hatred of the Jews, an abomination for all right-minded people of the world.
— Olga Vilella, Downers Grove
Women’s rights
I loved Mike Luckovich’s political cartoon, published on page 6 of the April 12 Chicago Tribune, where two elephants, presumably Republican lawmakers, are discussing the fallout from ending women’s reproductive rights, with angry protesters in the background. The first elephant says they “erred” in doing so, and the second elephant responds that they should have also ended women’s right to vote. What would have made the cartoon perfect is an image of the Supreme Court building in the background with a dialogue balloon stating, “Hey, we can help you with that!.”
— Paul Wolfson, Evanston
Trump and abortion
Donald Trump claimed that Democrats support the right to an abortion “up to and even beyond the ninth month.” That simply isn’t true. There’s no such thing as a post-birth abortion.
As much as Trump bragged about being responsible for getting Roe vs. Wade overturned, he’s now trying to distract us from this because the ruling is so unpopular. Numerous polls indicate that most Americans support a woman’s right to choose, with restrictions during the second or third trimester.
There are 14 Republican-controlled states that ban abortion in nearly all circumstances. Seven Republican states ban it at times ranging from six weeks to 18 weeks. This is before many women know they’re pregnant.
Arizona has a 15-week ban, yet a total ban will soon take effect based on a law passed in 1864. Anyone who performs or assists in an abortion could face prison time.
Many Republicans also want to use the 1873 Comstock Act to criminalize the shipping of any materials that could be used in an abortion. This would include abortion pills, even in states where they’re currently legal.
In February, Jonathan F. Mitchell, the former solicitor general of Texas, told the New York Times that Comstock would allow Republicans to impose a national abortion ban, although he cautioned that “pro-life groups should keep their mouths shut as much as possible until the election.”
I used to think Republicans wanted to push women’s rights back to the 1960s. It seems they’d rather push reproductive rights back to the mid-1800s.
— Mike Mosser, Chicago
Rising prices
The economy is in good shape, according to President Joe Biden. Unemployment is at a record low, jobs are plentiful, stock market is up, inflation is declining. What then is the disconnect between these numbers and the reality for most Americans? Easy. Prices are high for essential goods, like groceries, gas and housing. Don’t get me started on going out to eat. It can break the bank. My recommendation for Biden in this campaign is to focus on what typical Americans see matters most in the economy. Rising prices. He needs to jettison the macro approach and hone in on the micro approach. Get his messaging to address the everyday issues Americans are facing, me included. I am retired and live on a fixed income. It is a constant struggle to economize. I don’t go out to eat like I used to. I buy store brands rather than name brands. I cut back wherever I can just to make ends meet. I am not alone. Until Biden addresses these issues, he will lose votes. I suspect most voters don’t care if unemployment is low, jobs are plentiful and inflation at the macro level has declined. What’s most important is how the economy affects our finances and our lives.
— Charles Wilt, Cary
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