Toss-up Tuesday: You pick the topic

Fence Can't Stay
Ohhh, poor people have to look at a fence that doesn't match. Thomas Thanas said "When we get cases like this, the goal is to preserve this great neighborhood." What about the southside neighborhoods? We get to look at 80' asphalt towers. Preserve this great neighborhood! Joliet took northern Elwood areas and called it a "boundary agreement". Then they gave us industrial zoning because they put the racetrack in our backyard. Joliet - did it ever occur to you to preserve some open areas? Make the area around the track a place where tourists would like to stay. You said people have a right to do what they want with their property. If it's an asphalt plant, YES. If it's a fence or bed and breakfast, NO.

Curious: Who's more pompous, Blagojevich or Burris? Doesn't Burris realize that his nomination is coming from someone with no credibility? Danny Davis had the right idea in his non-acceptance of the nomination, why doesn't he? There's got to be an 'important' reason why Burris is so adamant on being the next 'short-term' senator. Why is he continually introducing himself as a junior senator when it's evident he is not holding this title? As far as race, why is this being introduced? Wasn't it obvious, weeks ago, that the Congress indicated that any appointment by the governor was not going to be accepted before any color was presented? What is happening to our country, our state, and its values and ideals? As a resident of Illinois and a citizen of the United States, I am becoming more and more disgusted with the way our country is being run, both economically and politically. Is this all that we have to offer to the citizens as far as the kind of people we have to choose from when it comes to voting?

Mike, Burris took the appointment because his political career was over with, and he saw this as his last chance to resurrect it. Legally, it looks like he is the junior senator, because the appointment is legal.

Can't we talk about something fun for a change?

Go ahead, JO.

Where is your favorite place to go to enjoy an adult beverage?

Did anyone read Dave Sinker's column today? It was another fine column. I am glad he decided to stay on as a columnist for the Sun. He sure has a way with words.

Anyways, his column was regarding how the city council pushed through the 75th - Washington superhighway. What a joke. Sure, the intersection needed to be widened, but three through lanes that choke down to two? What are they thinking? Can you say bottleneck? Not to mention taking more right of way than needed.

Double left, a dedicated right and two through lanes would each direction suffice, no need for a third lane going nowhere.

I know the 3 thru lanes doesn't seem like it make sense, but it does from a traffic capacity standpoint.

It provides a 50% improvement over the number of cars that can get thru the light from the beginning to end of any given light cycle.

The questions isn't the number of vehicles travelling down the road... rather the time it takes to go from a complete stop and get all of the other waiting vehicles from a complete stop moving and up to speed.

Granted if we had truly synchronized lights there would only be a need for 2 thru lanes because with synchronization the light would just turn green as the moving wall of already up-to-speed traffic approached the intersection and there would not be a need do deal with the up-to-speed issue.

However, with the serious lack of in-house talent and even more serious lack of funding, not to mention the whole city vs county vs state road ownership issues... synchronization is a great idea but we are not going to benefit from it for a long, long time. The only other reasonable solution is to build monster intersections that will allow more vehicles to pass thru each cycle.

And if we don't want monster intersections bad enough then the alternative is to tolerate long waits and many cycles to get thru intersections like this.

Hey did anyone watch the interview with Gov Patterson tonight (ok technically last night but...). He wants to tax music downloads & 18% tax on sugar soda/pop for revenue. He mentioned the high childhood obesity rate & how they will be the first generation to not outlive the previous. If you guys are hurting for revenue perhaps you want to do that? :-) Maybe Oprah can get Daley to do it in Chicago as she is doing her week of health with Dr. Oz tonight! Actually it was pretty good...except apparently I should be in bed now ugh! They also mentioned on tv today that Sanjay Gupta as possible Surgeon General...hmm Dr. Oz was passed over?!

Ok JO how about this...

LOVE! ;-)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7811686.stm

A 5 & 7 yr old eloped because they where in love with each other so much already! :-) They even thought of bringing a sister for a witness. Wow! I wonder whose idea was this? The little girl pressuring him HA! Maybe she would not play doctor until she had that ring on her finger? HA! Or was he her Knight and he tried the shoe on her & it fit? I wonder if they will end up together later? What will they be like even if they do not? Lets get them on tv to interview! :-)

I always ask my students if they believe in love at first sight. Very interesting discussion. Then they have to survey each age group from little kids to 80+ what they believe love is and make a powerpoint presentation. Quite insightful! You can tell when someone has been really hurt and those who still really do understand what Love really means. And the kids are very interesting as you can imagine. Actually, both ways...it is sad when you can tell they do not know what it is. You just want to go & adopt them! One response a student received recently which I really loved was from a 74 yr old male. He said, "After waking up to the same face after all those years, you still smile when you see them and can’t imagine life without them." What a lucky woman!

"By Anonymous on January 6, 2009 11:25 PM

I know the 3 thru lanes doesn't seem like it make sense, but it does from a traffic capacity standpoint."

In theory, that is true, but in reality, it doesn't always work that way.
Ever notice how any time a lane ends traffic backs up in? That is because everyone with the 'me first' attitude fly's up the lane that closes, then the through lane backs up to let them in. Happens every time a lane ends or is closed.

There is an interesting link from Drudge today that indicates a model is trying to sue Google over comments made on their blog site.

The link is: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/01/05/2009-01-05_model_liskula_cohen_sues_google_over_blo.html

She is apparently upset at disparaging remarks made about her on Google's blog, something that has been previously discussed on this blog regarding libel and slander. It either shows that you can sue anyone for anything now days, or that hosts of blogs must now take a more careful look at exactly what is posted on their sites.

I have a follow up question related to the 75th street wall. I thought that when asked, last night, about the audible differences between a 5 db, 8db and 9.5 db reduction in noise, Mr Novak responded that a 5 db reduction would not be noticable, that an 8db reduction would be barely noticeable and a 9.5 db reduction would be very noticeable. I further understood that the staff's plan for a 12 foot wall will provide something around 8db and the residents want something more -- 9.5db. It seems to me that spending $3.0 mm for a wall that will make a barely noticeable difference in noise seems pointless. Especially if a slightly more expensive wall will make a very noticeable difference in the noise levels.

Can someone more knowledgeable elaborate on this for me? Unless I misunderstood the comments ( which is quite possible) the City's preferred wall seems to be pointless from a sound abatement standpoint.

Thanks

Should Furstenau have his head examined? Probably not. Although I consider myself as one of his early supporters, since he sued the taxpayers I wonder if we all shouldn't get our heads examined for electing him. That goes for most of the rest of the council as well.

The time for a revolution in this country has arrived. It’s time for the citizens to band together and return our tyrannical government to the people. What is going on in this country is a disgrace and the American people must put a stop to it now.

If you think 3 lanes through the intersection choked down to two is a good idea just travel up and down Rt 59 between Plainfield and West Chicago sometime during rush hour. People in this town have red-light running down to a science. Their 'merging' skills still leave much to be desired.

The City of Naperville code states, “Not keeping sidewalks clear is a city code violation”. Are you kidding me! Trash has been stacked on 75 East Chicago for months and months. The problem with Naperville is their selective enforcement of laws. Just like the city, the good citizens of Naperville may select the laws they elect to obey and the ones they care to ignore; it’s the Naperville way.

@Anonymous One on January 7, 2009 9:33 AM

The article only mentions that the suit was filed. You can file a law suit against someone for absolutely anything. Heck, I could sue you because the cracks in your sidewalk cause me undue emotional distress... That doesn't mean any judge in this country would ever actually take the case!

@Mike on January 6, 2009 2:34 PM

Ugh, it's a toss-up. I really just don't even know what to say anymore about the whole fiasco. I'd probably have to say Burris is more pompous because at least Blagojevich has the sense to not go to Washington and start making a huge stink about things.

Keyboard Rambo on January 7, 2009 11:56 AM

Heck, I could sue you because the cracks in your sidewalk cause me undue emotional distress...

______________________

Of course I would require a psychological exam if you claimed "emotional distress" (ala Dick Furstenau) - LOL. I know anyone can be sued, I simply threw it out there as a topic because it had been discussed extensively on these sites - I believe her claim will be thrown out as frivolous.

My congratulations to Dave Sinker on his column yesterday regarding the 75th & Washington intersection project. He could not have been anymore correct about certain individuals on the council as well as the council as a whole including the Mayor. I am a 30 year resident of Naperville and a 10 year resident of Maplebrook Two. Having grown up here, I have seen time and time again the council rarely, if ever, siding with the concerns of residents. This project was no exception and never needed to be at this scale.

The congestion at this intersection could have been greatly alleviated by simply extending the existing left turn lanes and adding one single right turn lane at each corner. Oh yes, and make sure the left turn arrow is on longer so more than five cars can turn before turning red again! But we could not have it this way. It had to be in its current state so federal money would pay for it, as the council argued. Anything less and the city/county would have to pay so it would have been our dollars. Well, federal money is all of our money regardless.

I came home from a business trip in time to see the council meeting televised in which Dick Furstenau made the comments Dave Sinker was referring to in his column. My wife and I asked each other if he had just said what he said. We could not believe it. DF did not lose his state senate campaign because of being arrested, he lost because he is DF. Finally, this man may be on his way out in the next election and hopefully never heard from again.

The same can be said for the others including Doug "The Forever Campaigner" Krause. Supposedly, he is a real estate agent but I never see anything listed by him in the paper. All this man does is run for any available higher office, probably for the pay and benefits. I can not believe he has been able to keep his seat on the council as long as he has.

But this is what we get when people do not vote, especially in local elections. The same people over and over again. Just take a look at your school boards, Park District and their actions over the years. Many of these people have been there too long and are not sharp business people.

Thank you City Council for screwing-up the 75th & Washington intersection for the next two years as traffic is diverted through ours and the Maplebrook One subdivision!! You guys and gals really stuck it to us good!

To Maplebrook 2 Resident:

Why are Maplebrook 2 residents opposed to the 75th and Washington project? It's designed to make traffic flow more smoothly, from what I understand. Is there some fear that traffic will substantially increase?

-JQP

The correct answers to the psychological exam are:

Since the incident:

I sleep but don't feel rested like I use to.

Sex with my wife is not as enjoyable as it use to be.

And I can't concentrate like I could before.

QED in a court room.

Bubo

BEST CURE FOR HICCUPS!
Have your better half sit behind you and put their fingers in your ears while you the hiccuper slugs down a glass of water. Works with 1 to 2 trys. Don't knock it till you try it.

Now that's fun.

Who's next? Ken? Whatiya got?

Well, JO, the fun in my house currently revolves around the nerf guns the kids got for Christmas. Fun for one and all, as we are finding out.

I was amazed to read Paul White's letter to the editor in today's Sun regarding George Bush.

While Mr Bush has disappointed many with his movement away from the Republican Party platform that helped get him elected, and towards the socialist agenda of the left, that is no reason to describe him in the terms you used. He has served this country, whether you like him or not which I would venture is more than you can say, Mr. White. I'd suggest you just say thank you for your service, and then keep your mouth shut.

Mr White, I hope you read this and are embarassed. Is this kind of language the type of example you set for kids? Didn't your parents raise you any better than this? For their sake, I hope they don't see your letter. I'm sure they would be embarassed too.

Host Chris - could you re-post the Paul White letter to the editor here in this forum for all to see?

As anonymous requested, here is Paul White's letter, originally in the Jan. 7 Sun:

Happy to see Bush leave
It isn’t even close, in poll after poll, President Bush has been declared the worst president ever.
And soon, somewhere in Texas, a village will reunite with its idiot.
Good riddance to the era of Bush.
Paul White
Naperville

Bubo...

And all inkblots look like Clowns...then SCREAM!

Remember our conversation last summer on the Principal who Plagiarized. People were posting what is the big deal back then & it should be only a slap on the hand etc. Some did point out people do lose jobs etc.

Take a look at this story on the whole website being shut down! There are many other authors who post on this website so it has a big impact for others & in many ways!

http://www.propeller.com/story/2009/01/07/best-selling-39god39-author-faces-plagiarism-claim/

By the way...

The HS might like to have their students take the following tutorial & test & print out the results. Many colleges do & I am with my students starting this term. Any of you who posted last summer & didn't understand what the big deal was you may like to take it yourself.

http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/

One who values you wrote:

"And all inkblots look like Clowns...then SCREAM!"

LOL!

Chris –

What guidance does the Sun use for publishing letters to the editor? I can see where you’d publish opinions and suggestions about local issues such as the garden plots or local candidates, but Paul White’s letter just smacks of an angry old man venting his opinion because nobody at home is listening to him.

It doesn’t matter whether you agree with him or not. The man’s entitled to his opinion but when I read his letter my first reaction was to wonder why this was in the paper. Was it a slow letter day and you needed to use up some space?

Why was it published? Why should we care? Did this letter inform anyone of anything?

Just curious,

T.B.

Anybody else suffer the on Route 59 ride home lately. I park at the north plot at Route 59. The last two nights were absolutely horrible driving home with little or snow removal. My thought is if they dropped some salt on the road, it would have been a much easier drive home. The side street that i live on was in better shape than Route 59.

As a strong fiscal conservative, I must support Paul White's letter. The only credibility of George Bush was his reaction to 9/11. History will show that other than that he was a terrible President. My key points.

1. He has increased spending to unprecedented levels. He is more concerned about his image than his principles. He should have shut down government to put the nation on the right course. Now we are going off in uncharted areas.

2. This entire Federal bailout was a farce. After successful actions on Bear Stearns, AIG, Indy Mac, Washington Mutual,and Lehman, he gave in after that. The reality was that Citigroup (and maybe one other bank) was "bankrupt". We could have structured the same approach for Citi as AIG for $150 billion (in Treasury "bailout" money--excludes Fed support that has never been disclosed). Instead, the Treasury and the Fed had to concoct a plan that brought in ALL banks. Most of the banking system is sound even after the FDIC has taken over 100 or so banks. In short, we spent an extra $200 billion to protect Citigroup.

And as we know, the rest of the TARP plan, the original intention (buying troubled assets) has never been implemented.

3. He never came up with a plan to address the post Sadam Iraq. While the international community objected to the invasion, I feel it was necessary, reluctantly, to get rid of a renegade who was creaing international turmoil at a time we needed calamity and stability. The risks were too large if he had weapons of mass destruction. We only later learned that he claims to have made up this claim to protect Iraq from another Iranian invasion (that would have been a good way to solve that problem, let those two countries kill each other for another 8 years).

Once gone, the establishment of a new democracy in Iraq should have become an international effort rather than a United States effort. This matter should have been put on the foot of the United Nations. If they rejected the plan, we should have withdrawn from the UN and end our funding. We should have told them to get out of New York and go elsewhere.

Next we put it to our "Allies", particularly those guys that we defend through NATO. Again, if they do not want to help, end NATO. Let Western Europe go it alone. Their economies are much worst than ours, either get with a plan for international stability or face the wrath of these infidels yourself. You can see the Russians and the Iranians seek to overthrow Europe.

Or some other plan. Instead, we stayed their by ourselves, taking the losses (lives, monatary, image). The rest of the world thinks we are a bunch of wimps that constantly turn the other cheek. Let them ridicule us when they are standing by themselves.

We could have taken the money spent on Iraq (after the overthrow of Sadam) and invested it in alternative fuels (electric car, hydrogen, whatever) to eliminate our dependence on the Middle East after we tell them and Europe to choke on their oil.

This country was strong until the mid 40's when we bought cheap Mideastern oil. Let's get back to our roots.

In summary, where was George Bush? As Paul states, being one of the worst American presidents in history.

Host Chris,

I read a tragic story in this morning's edition of the Sun that yet another Naperville child has been struck by a vehicle crossing a street adjacent to their school and has been seriously injured.

Can you PLEASE start a new thread on school crossing safety? This is not the first time that a Naperville child has been seriously injured and it absolutely won't be the last... most of the fault with these accidents is directly attributable to the City of Naperville because the city traffic department puts a higher priority on moving traffic than protecting our children. This fact is exemplified by the consistent and systematic lack of applying and enforcing existing state laws by creating safe school zones on all roads adjacent to all schools in our community.

The Naperville Sun would be doing a terrific thing to help educate all Naperville parents and their children who walk to school each day about exactly what the City of Naperville IS NOT doing and SHOULD be doing to protect our children. How many more Naperville children have to be seriously injured or die before we finally stand up and demand school zones be created and enforced around all of our schools?

IS BUSH THE WORST PRESIDENT IN US HISTORY?

Host Chris,

Perhaps a thread on what do you think of Pres. Bush's record may be in order. I have been trying to get my arms around this one for a while. I haven’t read or seen any of the so called surveys of historians that are out there.

While I have to work through the details, my first impression is that he has:

• Left the USA bankrupt, we now depend on handouts from China and Japan to meet the Federal Govt payroll.

• The middle class is being ratcheted down first by housing inflation running 150%

• Then by deflation 18% in housing last month etc etc etc

• And a 40% deflation in the stock market that wiped out many 401Ks

• Free Trade Deals are a thin veneer for cheap-labor and have caused the loss of critical sectors of the economy, high-skill jobs, caused stagnant to declining wages in addition to eroding national security. Can we still defend ourselves?

• The financial sector was allowed to completely skirt the regulatory mechanisms; the nuclear bomb part of this $70 T in derivatives, is still armed and may go off.

• The industrial base that was carefully built up over the last 500 years has been severely damaged and much of it shipped to China in exchange for loans and $200 million paid to lobbyists who paid it out on Capitol Hill. All the pigs on Capitol Hill got the pay to play from China.

• The undersized military is exhausted from fighting two wars.

• The next President, a negative reaction to the current one, will finish off the military with gay affirmative action.

• Feel-good Federal programs have now moved gangs in mass into the Suburbs and out of the cities with no accountability by those running or sponsoring the programs. Latin Kings HQ was in Boiling Brooke. A fortune is being made redeveloping the housing projects though.

• Feel good Federal Housing programs caused the housing bubble and now the crash, Barney and Friends will use the second $350 billion to reward people who voted for them and give them their houses while making the purchase on the Federal Credit Card. Who will pay?

• At some point, T Bills will get the junk bond status the FEDs are earning. Unable to borrow lots of money on the cheap, the States won’t be able to get their bailouts and a cascade of State bankruptcies will follow.

• Bush could have fired Greenspan and didn’t, he could have also clamped down on the insane PC lending policies but didn’t, instead he bragged about them.

• The tens of millions of illegals that Bush green lighted into the US over our collapsed borders will be given citizenship cementing the Democrat’s control of the US for the next 50 years while the middle class is sucked dry to buy their votes. The future looks like Brazil, a few rich and a lot of poor.

• Bush led the way in socializing the US economy; now that the door is wide-open expect the Democrats to run through it.

• Katrina was probably an unfair rap. If Bush had done a forced evacuation of NO we would have heard that he was a racist violating the civil rights of Americans while watching JJ marching around on TV trying to line up his next shake down scam. After the flood, why amphibious equipment, landing craft and helicopters weren’t used to bring supplies to stadium and little kids and old ladies out is un-explainable and screams of incompetence. Why the Head of FEMA, the former head of the horse jumping association, couldn’t handle this is hard to understand

If there were a worse President, what are the criteria for naming them?

11 shopping days left to exercise your second amendment rights before they expire. I wonder how the gun round-ups are going to be handled. Will gun owners have to wear yellow stars in our brave new Obama world?

Can Bush be held responsible for the negative reaction that has created Obama?

Since the CIA and military are going to be withdrawn from fighting the Islamic Terrorists, expect to see a lot of new programs to protect us. The next big attack in the US will be handled by the local PD with help from the FBI, back to the Clinton days of eat the attack. If the suicide bombers blew themselves up, then the perps. are all dead so case closed. Maybe we can launch a bunch of cruise missiles at empty desert in revenge.

T.B., letters to the editor are the department of Tim West and I'm not entirely sure what criteria he uses. I believe he would take the local and timely ones first and then once in awhile he'll throw one in about something else. We have some people who send a few letters every week and once in awhile Tim will publish one but certainly not all of them. I guess that like on this blog, while we have a local focus, sometimes people want to discuss larger issues with their neighbors, and we don't want to completely silence that conversation. That is my guess, but you'd have to ask Tim for a definitive answer.

On a related note, Bubo, when the inauguration gets here I will probably post something about what do you expect from Obama, maybe retrospective on Bush. I'm a little afraid it will just turn into who can say the worst thing about Bush and I don't really want to encourage that.

About the school crossings, I'm not sure if there's enough to talk about on that for a separate post, but you can talk about it on this one, and if there's a lot of people who want to discuss it I'll make a new one.

Editors,

Given the almost total concentration of power into Washington DC, everything done there has substantial impacts on every community. Would the State Government of Illinois have ever approved the de-industrialization treaty with China, no never.

Federalism is a nice, but almost extinct, concept in our governing bodies; the States have basically become subservient implementers for DC. The current arrangement is exactly like when you are driving the kids out to eat, you drive the car, you pick the rout, you pick the restaurant, you control what they can order, they eat it.

Given the absence of any facts in Mr. White's letter, one has to ask if its publication was simply a statement of Mr. West's opinion via a proxy.

As long as the arguments are facts based, why not allow a good Bush or Obama bashing. Things are not well, something more than one individual must be wrong.

Since reckless government spending and borrowing have gotten the country into a hole, the best way to get out of the hole is by even larger reckless spending and greater debt?

Makes sense to me,

Bubo

Bubo, we have published letters from defenders of President Bush as well as those who attack him, probably in about equal proportion. Usually when someone writes a letter like Mr. White's, someone else will write in to contradict it, and I'll bet if you watch our letters section over the next few days you'll see one. As I say, I'll consider a blog on the presidents, but I'd like to wait until the inauguration so the timing is better.

I would like to comment on driving habits in Naperville.

Yesterday I drove my 15 year old child to high school in the morning and later I took my mother shopping. In the course of a little over 3 hours the following happened:
1. Several students and parents (at least 3 cars each time) made left turns after their light turned red.
2. On Route 59 in our trip from the mall to 126th Street we encountered at least 9 eighteen wheelers where the drivers were driving while talking on cell phones. Two of those trucks ran red lights. And, we only noticed the number after my mother commented that it would probably be difficult to stop such a heavy vehicle one-handed. Nine!
3. We saw a near accident where an elderly couple in a sedan had to swerve into another lane to avoid a woman in an SUV who was on her cell phone. I don't even think she realized she almost caused an accident.
4. Coming out of Costco the car ahead of us remained stationary even though our light had just turned green. Before I realized, a utility truck/van sailed through the intersection. He had a red light. Had this man at the green light not been paying attention, he most likely would have been hit on the driver's side of his car.
5. On 75th Street between Plainfield-Naperville and Shepherd Drive, eastbound traffic was scrambling to get in the right lane as a landscaping vehicle was traveling westbound on the wrong side of the median after turning off of Shepherd. The driver looked oblivious of his mistake.

These observations do not even begin to include encounters with other drivers speeding at least 15 to 20 miles over the limit or didn't use their turn signals.

While I have to admit that the number of encounters yesterday was probably more than I normally observe in one day, they are not uncommon. The reason I mention this is because now that I have a teenager with a learner's permit, it is far too easy to find examples of how NOT to drive in this town. I guess I had not realized how poorly Naperville driving habits were until we started driving with her and when we had out-of-town visitors comment over the holidays.

When driving with my daughter she obeys posted speed limit signs, traffic signals, uses her turn signal, and does not use a cell phone. I cannot count the number of times she has been cut-off without the driver signaling, had someone sail right past her while she's doing the speed limit, or honked at angrily because she chose not to sneak through a red light on a left-hand turn. It's usually adults who do this. These kinds of encounters can be very unsettling to new drivers and sets a bad example. Even worse, they can cause accidents.

Is it just our town or does this happen everywhere? People seem so distracted or disconnected. Where are the police?

Re: 75th/Washington,
The only part of this project that seems to be truly questionable is the 3 lanes down to 2 issue. At almost all the areas where this occurs, it seems to cause problems (at least eventually). The best examples are Route 59 by the train tracks and I-55 (going south) near Weber Rd. Other than that, adding additional turn lanes cannot be considered a bad thing and pure number of total lanes at the intersection is irrelevent except to scare the people who believe bigger is bad thereby getting them to oppose the project.

No one should be surprised that another child was hit at 75th and Olympus. Dr. Leis' comments regarding children being bused are silly. I cross 75th and Olympus everyday around the time Lincoln is getting out. There are dozens of kids who cross 75th. Are these kids really going to wait and take a bus to go a couple blocks? Here is my suggestion, build the pedestrian overpass and fund it with the reduction in school buses, gas for those buses and carbon credits for the reduction in idling school buses. By the way, that truck had been sitting on 75th waiting to turn before 3:00, I don't know why it would have turned when there is so much after-school traffic, let alone kids crossing the street.

By Bubo on January 8, 2009 10:48 AM
IS BUSH THE WORST PRESIDENT IN US HISTORY?

==================================================================

Any US President that calls war criminal and former Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon, "My Friend" has to be the worse President in US History.

President Bush has given the Green Light to the current Israeli Regime to slaughter as many Palestinians as possible with a total disregard for whether they are civilian or combatants. Over 500 innocent Palestinian civilians have been killed in the concentration camp known as Gaza and we have not heard a condemnation by our President yet. I guess it is hard to condemn those who line your pockets with campaign contributions.

For a US President to not condemn a terrorist regime for unloading 2000 lb USA made bombs on a helpless and defenseless civilian population living in a sardine can, only makes him the worse of the worst.

Last poll I saw had him at a 13% approval rating. I suspect the next one will have him in single digits somewhere.

Senior President Bush was much smarter than his son. He threatened to chop off aid to Israel, if it would not stop building the illegal settlements on occupied land. At one point he froze aid to Israel. He did his best but in the end he could only do so much against AIPAC and the Israeli Lobby in Washington which "pays big bucks to play" and controls both the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America. I thought we were an independent country but I guess Israel has bought us. How sad and shameful that this great country can be bought by a racist apartheid foreign regime!

There is another problem with the 75th street issue. There should have been a grade crossing at Washington with 75th STreet's four lanes going over and not having a light. The same at Route 53.

The other problem is that there should be less, rather than more intersections with 75th Street. All of the curb cuts for Buffalo Wild wings and the like hurt traffic. If Naperville had their way, 75th STreet would be a mess like Route 59. It does not have to be that way. But then again, DuPage County did nothing as well.

As for Lincoln school, I think one of the Taxpayers Ticket candidates had a great solution. Move Naperville Central to more suitable site (the Meier property in Lisle) and build a new junior high campus on the Central site. This site could replace the two worst buildings in the District (Lincoln and Washington), consolidated the gifted program at this site (instead of Kennedy), provided more commuter parking at the Washington site, and eliminate a very poor location for a school (Lincoln).

All of the Lincoln problems should fall squarely on the District 203 board.

Liz...

"Where are the police?"

Oh but they are being reduced because people feel there are too many & too highly paid! People complaining, "Don't you have anything else better to do" when they are stopped for traffic violations. That was the whole other thread. Get some more traffic light cameras for the areas that have too many running red lights. Will NPD talk phone calls reporting plate numbers with major violations...probably not speeding a bit but like traveling down the wrong side of a median? Why don't you call and report it!

Liz, tell your mother that truck drivers use their foot on the brake to stop like any other vehicle so she has one less thing in life to worry about.

TO: JQP

There will be a future increase in traffic. I think all reasonable people realize that. But it would not be to the point of requiring such a massive expansion of this intersection. You will have three through lanes that will merge back down to two in all directions, so this will not change much as far as these lanes. As mentioned, extending the existing left turn lanes and adding a single right turn lane would do a tremendous good for the intersection as a whole with little to no effect on the Maplebrook subdivisions. Heck, we probably would not even need the sound barrier walls if this was the case. The intersection of Rte. 59 and Rte. 34 (Ogden) is what this intersection will be turned into.

What is angering to me and others is the continued disregard of residents by the council with this or any project that affects us. They just do not listen and it has been going on for many years. The people did not go to the council and ask for this. At some time, it was discussed/introduced and forced upon us by our officials. I live more in the center of the neighborhood so I am not effected like those against 75th and Washington. But I really feel bad for those people.

Ken, as you may already know, 'Ignorance is Bliss' and in some instances it's a blessing but in this case my mother knew that most 18 wheel trucks are still manual transmissions or semi-automatic.

In any event, due to the weight and size of a semi I would hope the driver would be fully focused on the road when driving rather than distracted by a cell phone call while driving one-handed.

To One Who Values You,
We turned around by turning in to a church parking lot on Shepherd Drive and then we went westbound on 75th Street. I was going to get a license plate number or try to find the driver. We were unable to find the landscape truck. We were hoping they realized their error by the time they got to the next intersection.

Bush the worst President ever? Not by a long shot.

The worst president ever was Jimmy Carter. No one, NO ONE is even close to him. Why?

* 21% interest rate when he was resoundingly voted out of office.
* 13% inflation
* Iranian hostage crisis
* Horrible global human rights record
* Terribly misguided anti-Israeli stance (which he still believes today)
* Boycott of the 1972 Moscow Olympics.
* Created a massive beaucratic financial black hole (Energy Department) that has nothing to show for its efforts except wasting billions of taxpayers dollars.

This link may be worth viewing for more information on the Carter fiasco. http://www.ibdeditorials.com/Special3.aspx

The irony is that Carter as our worst president was followed by Ronald Reagan who, in my opinion, was one of the three or four BEST presidents ever!

Liz on January 9, 2009 9:27 AM
To One Who Values You,
We turned around by turning in to a church parking lot on Shepherd Drive and then we went westbound on 75th Street

One problem with this Liz is that 75th Street off of Good Shepherd is a right turn only (Eastbound). If you really did this you would be as guilty of bad driving as you claim others are. I do agree with you that drivers on cell phones are a continued nuisance and may be a cause for accidents.

Who Is Embarrassed (01/08 @ 9:45 am) –

Though it would have been nice to see the rebuilding and democratization of Iraq be an international effort, we (and Bush) can’t make a country or the UN do something they don’t want to do. Colin Powell’s “Pottery Barn” policy comes to mind – you break it, you buy it.

Actually, I think many of the countries we sought help from refused specifically because they wanted to see the US fail. Nice “allies”, right? And the UN? You’re kidding, right? The UN is a corrupt body of America-haters. Why would they help us?

As for NATO, I mostly agree with you. I think NATO has outlasted its usefulness (the defense of Western Europe from the USSR). We can see this specifically in Afghanistan where some of our “allies” have contributed troops but placed restrictions that keep them in the relatively safe parts of the country where they contribute nothing to fighting the Taliban or terrorists.

It may be time to become only loosely affiliated with NATO much like France did decades ago. We’d be better served forming military and economic treaties with our true allies in Europe and discarding the free-loaders to fend for themselves.

T.B.

Wow, Jimmy Carter boycotted the 1972 Moscow Olympics. He wasn't President then. And it was probably a good thing, because the Olympics weren't in Moscow in 1972.

It could be argued that the economy under Bush and Carter weren't much different. Plus, equally bad human rights record. Misplaced energy policies. And Bush has led us into several conflicts.

My mistake! It was the 1980 games in Moscow, not 1972. Good catch.

Bush gives Israel 3 billion dollars a year to buy US MADE weapons to use in its slaugher of Palestinian civilians..

So far he is indirectly responsible for the slaughter of over 300 children and babies in the last 2 weeks alone.

How come you bloggers are not objecting to your hard earned tax money going to the racist, zionist, nazi and Apartheid State of Israel?

Can anyone on this site think of a better and higher use for this 3 billion dollars?

Israel is a very rich country. We are a country in debt struggling to make ends meet and we are giving 3 billion dollars of our hard earned tax dollars to a state that practices Apartheid....just like the former S. Africa. How despicable!

Anon,

It honks me off that my tax dollars have (for years) been used to outfit a country that turns around and uses them in ways that kill innocent civilians. Everyone knows where the weapons came from and it festers ill will towards the United States by their use. To be fair though, it also honks me off when someone hides in an area of civilians to launch attacks and draws fire their direction with innocent people around. They are both bad things to do.

Anonymous on January 9, 2009 6:00 PM
How come you bloggers are not objecting to your hard earned tax money going to the racist, zionist, nazi and Apartheid State of Israel?

__________

Anonymous, why don't you rekindle your Napergate personalities and you will have more in agreement with you?

OJ,

To be fair though, it also honks me off when someone hides in an area of civilians to launch attacks and draws fire their direction with innocent people around.

___________________________________________________________________

This is Israeli Zionist Propaganda. The Palestinians are not firing from civilian areas. They are firing from fields, orchards and beneath trees.

Israel recently lied and said Hamas was firing from a UN compound. They finally admitted they lied and the UN wants to put them on trial in the Hague for killing 46 shool children. I posted the link on another thread in which they admit they lied and used fabricated pictures.

The militants have left their families to fight. They are mostly in underground tunnels surfacing to fight Israeli tanks.

The hospitals are reporting no militant deaths since the first day when they were caught off guard....only civilians being killed who have stayed in their homes.

Hamas militants have a right to visit their familes and attend to their needs when they are not fighting. As TB said no one has a right to attack our soldiers when they are home with their families. It should apply that Israel does not have a right to kill a militant visiting his family and 31 members of his family with him. In many cases they killed the entire family hoping the militant was home and the militant was in the fields firing Katyusha Rockets.

Try not to believe all this Zionist Propaganda. Keep in mind Gaza is like a sardine can....no matter where the militants go they will be near civilian areas. If the true intent of the Israelis was to only kill militants a 100 lb guided missle from an Apache Helicopter will do the job. These bombs can enter through a window.

What is the point of dropping a 2000 lb bomb to kill one militant assuming he was in a civilian area hiding? As Bubo stated these bombs kill everything in an 800 yard radius. I have to conclude when Israel drops these bombs their intent is to kill as many civilians as possible.

They would like to scare the civilian population and have them run to Egypt. Gaza is part of Greater Israel according to the Zionist Maps. They want Gaza as they want the W. Bank. But without the Palestinian populations.

As I said Israel is a racist, Nazi, and Apartheid country masquerading as a civilized democracy for western consumption.

Read Jimmy Carter's book about their racial and Apartheid practices and you will understand what I am saying and also be shocked. Israel is former S. Africa dejavu.

Thanks OJ for your reasonable comments.

To: " Anonymous on January 9, 2009 9:20 PM"

If there is no where to go to not be around civilians, then they should not be firing rockets; which you already have said are virtually ineffective to begin with.

Stated again: If they stop firing the rockets, the Israelis will have nothing to base their propaganda on.

They can't claim a rocket was fired from an apartment complex or a hospital if NONE are going up in the air.

You've got to realize even that basic principle of what I am saying. Palestinians need to STOP giving Israel any form of EXCUSE to do what they are doing.

Continuing to fire ineffective rockets will accomplish nothing except increase the number of innocent Palestinian civilian deaths.

Please don't read into this as excusing what Israel is doing. It isn't. I am spelling out the strategy the Palestinians need to follow to bring an end to the current immediate turkey-shoot that is going on. If the rockets keep firing, more people will die from the return volley. They need another cease fire and it has to be immediate. Period. If saving innocent lives is their goal, that's the path they need to take. Nothing more, nothing less.

The rest of the injustices can be addressed at some point down the line but they are certainly not going to be addressed as Gaza Strip is being out gunned and losing lives at a very accelerated rate.

I happen to share the same opinion that the IDF is choosing return ordinance far greater than is necessary and are probably pleased with themselves when a 1/4 mile radius of dwellings are flattened to kill one guy. It's pathetic and it's disgusting. This is why I am sick and tired of our tax dollars and weapons being given to them. I'm also not stupid enough to think the IDF will just stop out of the goodness of their hearts. They are fighting because they have an excuse. The Palestinians need to remove their excuse.

By Original Joe on January 9, 2009 10:45 PM
To: " Anonymous on January 9, 2009 9:20 PM"

I happen to share the same opinion that the IDF is choosing return ordinance far greater than is necessary and are probably pleased with themselves when a 1/4 mile radius of dwellings are flattened to kill one guy. It's pathetic and it's disgusting. This is why I am sick and tired of our tax dollars and weapons being given to them. I'm also not stupid enough to think the IDF will just stop out of the goodness of their hearts. They are fighting because they have an excuse. The Palestinians need to remove their excuse.

------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree with you 100%. Maybe they should take away the excuse the Israelis are using to committ genocide and maybe see if Obama can lift the suffocating blockade and open the borders by threatening to cut off the 3 billion in aid to Israel.

I think the Israelis are savage people who as you say are pleased with themselves when they level an entire block or two of civilians just to kill one militant.

As TB said our soldiers should be left at home when with their families and their militants should also be left at home when with their families.

Most of the times when Israel says it leveled a 10 story building packed with civilians to get to one militant it is not true. There usually is no militant in the building. The militants have not been found with all the slaughtered families. Apparently they live in underground tunnels and only emerge to fight the Israelis and fire their rockets.

Can you imagine the United States calling a fighter planes to demolish the Sears Tower because one armed man or even a terrorist was inside of it. We would call our government insane. But most of the bloggers except for you, OJ, are not willing to call it as it is. They have been blinded by the Israeil Propaganda Machine. Our Congressmen have been paid to play and give Israel our hard earned tax dollars in return for the bribes they receive from AIPAC and the Israeli Lobbyists. 183 billion dollars in 61 years and counting. For what, to bomb civilians.....

Thanks for having an open mind and understanding the situation.

I am hoping the Moderator will turn neutral soon as I am sure he can see through all the Zionist Propaganda. His Vatican and Cardinals told us the truth....the truth that I had seen with my own 2 eyes twice......that being the Nazi style concentration camp in Gaza that the Israeis developed and control.

Hey, can we keep Israel to the one thread where most of the discussion has taken place and save this one for other things please?

I agree how did Israel transfer to here?

Has anyone see the movie Seven Pounds with Will Smith? Just got back from it...WOW! If you have not seen it I HIGHLY recommend it. One of those ones that makes you really think...OH NO! Well it definitely makes you feel too...unless you are a slug and unfortunately we do have some on this planet. Yes, men were more than tearing up! I'd put it on my list of must see in your lifetime along with Crash. My students will be having some extra credit early in the term! Trailer: (I love that Great Dane!!!)

http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/seven-pounds/trailer

It is just really sad that it takes something like what happens in the movie for someone to realize what life is really all about. Though I guess we all need reminders from time to time or need to be nudged a bit to the next level. We all get caught up in just going through the motions of life & doing what we think we are suppose to do, what society tells us. People are yelling at each other over opinions of the death penality or some other issue. Make Sense? We miss all the incredible opportunities we are given each day to make even small differences...and not just complain or talk about it but DO SOMETHING about it. Reminds me of the CNN Heroes, people who didn't just notice and do nothing or just complain but did something about it. If you have not watched it go to the link below & scroll down & you will see each:

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/cnn.heroes/

One Who Values You,

Thank you for your review - and not giving anything away :-) I've heard great reviews of this movie, and it's on my list. I really appreciate your thoughtful remarks. Along with you, I'm sick and tired of the negativity in just about every corner these days. I'm finally meeting people of like minds, though, and let me tell you, it's a breath of fresh air. It's wonderful to meet and be with people who want to make a difference, no matter how small it may seem, who don't get caught up in whining, and actually make a point of focusing on the positives in people and life. Nice to see a touch of it here with your post, so again, thanks! Have a great New Year!

Quick question for everyone: Does anyone know where I can recycle an old word processor-style typewriter? I could just toss it in the trash but I'd rather not put it in a landfill if I can avoid it.

What is with the homeless guy living in front of the parking garage on Chicago Ave.? I noticed him numerous times in the summer, not sure if he still calls that home in the cold weather.

Nothing like coming down the hill into downtown and the first thing you see is a cardboard shack and a guy who doesn't look like he has bathed in a month living there. Why does the city allow this?

Fred at 2:33pm, I'm thinking you just asked "the homeless guy" yourself. His name is Scott Huber and he blogs on this site.

So Scott Huber is the person on the sidewalk and he blogs on this site? Who pays for the electricity for his laptop? And why does the city allow him to take up residence on a public sidewalk? Does anyone know his 'story'?
Scott, I have often wondered what your situation is. I have driven past and know there are signs, but I don't know what they say. Is there some kind of protest involved?

Pat Bucnanan's good by to Bush, worth a read.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=30256

Editors:

I see that a consortium of local towns have filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the EJ&E sale. Perhaps this might be a good local topic to reintroduce a blog about.

Yes...what is it about this Huber fellow that permits him to camp out on our street? Someone must owe him...or he's threatening ...someone with something. Who DOES know? Clearly the police let him stay and that must be under orders from...The Mayor??? THis sounds like a book in the making.

Anyway, my wife and I are ready to speak up; it's been years! It's an eyesore and...just not what we want in our hometown. WHO'S WITH ME. When the going gets tough the tough get going (John Belushi, Animal House)!

Who can shed light on this?

Not A Fuddy Duddy-

Everything you'd ever want to know about Scott Huber and more can be found here- http://flickr.com/photos/7506162@N08/2370191842/

Plug your ears with cotton balls before reading it to prevent brain leakage.

To the fuddy duddy...

I find it hysterical you picked Belushi from Animal House when he was one considered an eye sore & Dean Wormer wanted him gone! Lets hope this guy doesn't get you back like they did...including Belushi's character who became a Senator I believe! HA!