Belleville News-Democrat Logo

Reader opinions on election, steel jobs, Belleville fees, MetroLink crime | Belleville News-Democrat

×
  • E-edition
    • Site Information
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Archives
    • Advertise
    • Advertise with Us
    • Media Kit
    • Mobile
    • Mobile Apps & eReaders
    • Newsletters
    • Social
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

    • All News
    • Metro-east News
    • MetroLink crime database
    • Business
    • Congressional shooter
    • Crime
    • Belleville News
    • Education News
    • Violation of Trust
    • Sometime in the Night
    • Then I Knew
    • O'Fallon Progress
    • Highland News Leader
    • State|Region News
    • Nation|World News
    • Politics and Government
    • Scott Air Force Base
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Public Salaries
    • Send Us Your Photographs
    • All Sports
    • Cardinals
    • Cheap Seats Blog
    • Blues
    • Colleges
    • High Schools
    • Recruiting
    • Chiefs
    • High School Football
    • High School Baseball/Softball
    • High School Basketball
    • Send Us Your Photographs
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • All Living
    • Metro-east Living
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Horoscopes
    • Health Sections
    • Ask Heidi
    • Special Sections
    • Records
    • Contests
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Celebrations
    • Send Us Your Photographs
    • All Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Glenn McCoy
    • Letters/Sound-off
    • Submit a Letter
  • Obituaries

    • Today's Hot Deal
    • Today's Circulars
    • Service Directory
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
    • Homes
    • Local Homes for Sale
  • Legals
  • Place Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

Letters to the Editor

Reader opinions on election, steel jobs, Belleville fees, MetroLink crime

By Belleville News-Democrat

    ORDER REPRINT →

March 15, 2018 04:53 PM

More patrols

The derelict Rob Nora apartments in Belleville are coming down and new $200K attached homes are being built. Be nice to have the eyesore gone, but there aren’t any homes in the surrounding area worth $200K. Crime in the surrounding neighborhoods has been increasing year after year. Bet the neighborhood associations would rather have more police patrols and green space from the city instead of wasting their tax money on a developer.

Rauner for me

A letter written by Jeanne Ives was published in the Wall Street Journal responding to an interview with Bruce Rauner. It reads like a typical political ad. It says nothing about what she would do about the myriad of problems she ticks off, only that Bruce Rauner is bad. It's easy to call yourself a Republican in her hometown of Naperville — it's nice and clean and rich and close to the boss. Her message is basically: Illinois sucks, Bruce Rauner sucks, I wanna be governor, I'm a mom and a veteran, so vote for me. I'll stick with Rauner because he "resists" the Mad-man, and let Ives go back to her comfy spot in the Dem-stacked Illinois legislature where she can get along with her kind.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to Belleville News-Democrat

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Self-serving politician

Erik Jones, a candidate for U.S. Congress in the 13th District, often touts his legislative track record and Washington, D.C., experience. But when I really look at his track record and career progression, I see an individual who has changed jobs every two to four years and who moved into the 13th District from D.C. less than a year ago. Washington already has far too many self-serving politicians driven by ambition and opportunity. I want a U.S. Representative who is committed to the 13th Congressional District and whose life and career choices before becoming a political candidate reflect this commitment.

Romanik' lies matter

On Jan. 15, Bob Romanik stated on his radio show Black Lives Matter was endorsing his political opponent, Tanya Hildenbrand. Bob has PhotoShopped Hildenbrand into pics, created a fear-mongering commercial and talks daily of Black Lives Matter's support of his opponent. One problem, other than from Romanik's mouth and his Facebook sites, there is no evidence of Black Lives Matter's support. Romanik even stated Black Lives Matter called him and told him they are supporting Hildenbrand. So, in the last 54 days, the only person Black Lives Matter has called to express support of Hildenbrand is her political opponent who says the N-word 30 times in a 60-minute radio show? Bob professes to tell the truth; however, it appears he's done nothing but lie.​

Illinois 15 forever

Another multi-year Illinois 15 bridge project — I lived through the last Illinois 15 multi-year replacement of two bridges in my daily commute. Now, I have another. Why did I move to Belleville? In St. Louis, Interstate 64 and all bridges were completely replaced within two years. No delays or million-dollar cost overruns. Is IDOT so riddled with Democratic patronage jobs they can no long function? The ineptitude of IDOT will be on display for another two years.

Steely resolve

It’s good to see steel jobs coming back to Granite City. It’s an economic shot in the arm for all and will hopefully grow the economy as the plant expands. The growing Trump economy is one factor and the Trump steel tariffs will be the other. After 8 years of Obama and Democratic blabber, President Trump is actually doing something about unfair trade policies.

Self-protection

An East St. Louis woman, living in public housing, should be able to own a gun to protect herself. Her Second Amendment rights are being violated. Law-abiding people living in public housing should be allowed to protect themselves. Does anyone with a brain think the criminals won’t be carrying guns? The housing authority is a useless political organization full of lazy, corrupt political appointees who don’t care. If residents of public housing are allowed to carry, I bet public housing crime would drop significantly.

Gun control

When assault weapons are no longer available in corner stores, possibly accessibility will be limited. Maybe, having to go to a few licensed dealers to fill out forms and have a background check and waiting period will deter gun buyers who decide to buy a weapon in the same place where they can get a tennis racket or a loaf of bread. Hooray to the companies who are no longer selling assault weapons. Let's patronize them.

Judgment

Who wears black, gets paid, but never works — Judge Ron Duebbert. Charged with sexual abuse and intimidation in 2017, he continues on paid leave, with health benefits and accruing pension. Meanwhile, taxpayers are out more than $221,000 and counting.

MetroLink crime

Everyone knows MetroLink is unsafe to ride. People I know, who took MetroLink to the Cardinals' games last year, are thinking twice about riding it this year. No one is willing to ride it alone in the day or night. Violent crime on the MetroLink has increased this year even though MetroLink supposedly has more security. Didn’t Kern meet with all the political clowns to resolve this last year?

School tax

The article on the proposed Madison County sales tax increase quotes Nancy Moss saying, “This isn’t Branson, people don’t come from all over the country to shop here.” Is this lady serious? With the close proximity to St. Louis and the interstate access, Moss, people from all over actually do. Whether you are for or against this tax, at least speak with some common sense. I can’t believe she’s anyone’s spokesperson.

Base boss

Kudos to BND reporter Teri Maddox for her recent article covering the new 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott. What a grand introduction for Col. Leslie Maher. Maddox’s fine piece served to humanize and personalize the base’s new boss in a very special way.

False alarm fee

If Belleville charged the property owners fees for sending out firemen to all of the false fire alarms that are called in on South Jackson, we wouldn't have to charge business owners more for their slot machines. We'd make money, save taxpayer money and encourage business owners to stay here.

Toss trash trucks

Instead of raising fees for Belleville big trash pickup, how about cutting some expenses. Get the city out of the trash business. You can get a real company to do this job cheaper and save a lot of money. You can get rid of trucks which means no maintenance for them, you would not have to pay drivers and laborers. Also, there would be no insurance payments on trucks and employees, no pension payments, no payroll taxes. Add that all up and you would not have to have higher fees.

Insanity

The BND points out 84 percent of the voters thought Illinois was going in the wrong direction. Yet, the same voters keeping re-electing the same people who are destroying our state. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Independent voice

As evidenced by many letter writers, people are dissatisfied with the current governmental bodies — local, state and national. However, they still vote for status quo; they still vote same party lines; they still vote for those who do not have an opponent or are incumbents. Time to vote against party lines and incumbents and vote or write-in the candidate that can best right the wrongs. Vote independently.

Promises, promises

The lot where the new Dollar General Store has been built in O'Fallon was zoned single-family residential until the city council rezoned it. During the negotiations the developer promised an 8-foot-high fence across the entire field behind the store prior to construction. Despite an audio recording of him making statements that verify this, he developer is refusing to build this fence, stating that he doesn't remember the promise and plans to build a lesser fence sometime in the future. For some reason, the city left this detail out of the final project write up, so they are unable to hold the developer accountable for his promise. The lesson is that you cannot count on city officials to protect you or a developer to keep his word.

  Comments  

Videos

The 100 Greatest Cardinals: 41-50

Local legislators react to Pritzker budget address

View More Video

Trending Stories

Jack Crab opens in Fairview Heights. Here’s a guide to the new seafood restaurant

February 20, 2019 10:01 AM

Pritzker unveils ‘bridge budget’ that relies on new revenue, calls for graduated income tax

February 20, 2019 04:12 PM

Woman shot in her car while driving in East St. Louis

February 20, 2019 12:03 PM

Man charged after throwing old toilet through East St. Louis board of education office

February 20, 2019 05:25 PM

Police searching for suspect after man shot and killed in East St. Louis

February 19, 2019 10:47 AM

Read Next

Letters to the Editor

World War II vet says the man who paid for his groceries restores his faith in kindness

For the News-Democrat

    ORDER REPRINT →

November 02, 2018 08:32 AM

A good Samaritan at an Aldi grocery store in Southern IL paid the bill for a man who served in World War II. The soldier says the stranger restored his faith in kindness and humanity.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to Belleville News-Democrat

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the Editor

SIU trustee responds to claim that board can’t remove president in emergency meeting

June 08, 2018 02:37 PM

Letters to the Editor

SIU board chairwoman says executive committee doesn’t have authority to remove president

June 08, 2018 02:34 PM
SIU president responds to professor’s allegations that led to calls for his resignation

Letters to the Editor

SIU president responds to professor’s allegations that led to calls for his resignation

May 17, 2018 05:29 PM
SIUC professor alleges SIU president has ‘contempt’ for Carbondale campus

Letters to the Editor

SIUC professor alleges SIU president has ‘contempt’ for Carbondale campus

May 17, 2018 12:20 PM
Tax relief to put $2,232 in pocket of average Southern Illinois family

Letters to the Editor

Tax relief to put $2,232 in pocket of average Southern Illinois family

April 17, 2018 01:20 PM

Letters to the Editor

Sound-off: Reader opinions on property taxes, college spending, and MetroLink safety

April 05, 2018 05:43 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Place a Classified Ad
  • Advertise With Us
  • Shopping
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story