Mandatory road tests for drivers starting at 87? That's too late.

This is in response to Alexi Giannoulias trying to move back the age for older folks to take mandatory driving tests ("Giannoulias pushes bill to raise age for mandatory road tests to 87 for older drivers").

I’m sure there are many drivers who are still competent to drive until age 87. But my mother was not one of them. She had dementia, probably starting in her early 80s. None of us lived in the town where she resided. We spoke to her weekly by phone and she seemed to us to be fine.

We were not aware of her declining mental health until a relative who lived near her contacted us. My mother had gotten lost driving home. When we went to check on her we learned that she was not taking medications properly, forgetting doctors’ appointments and over-paying her bills. It was not easy to persuade her to give up driving. We had to pretend her car was no longer working. Her doctor persuaded us to move her into assisted living. He said we were lucky she had not accidentally burned the house down! We also felt very lucky that she had not harmed herself or anyone else by still driving.

These are difficult decisions to make for loved ones, especially if they seem to be in good health and are resistant to giving up independence. Aging is not easy! I am now 85, and happy to go every two years (soon every year) to renew my driver’s license. I would urge Giannoulias to reconsider.

Kathryn Williams, Hyde Park

Surviving second Trump presidency

Thanks to columnist Neil Steinberg for trying to assuage our angst about a Trump presidency. "There is a value in showing up, bearing witness," he wrote. And if that doesn't help? Try woodworking!

It is hard to fathom how this man got elected. As Los Angeles burns, he thinks climate change is a hoax. As immigrants provide much of the needed labor and entrepreneurship in this country, he plans to deport millions (Melania and Elon Musk being immigrants, notwithstanding). He's discussing using the military against Canada, Greenland and Panama. And raising the prices of groceries and cars with huge tariffs.

But he did get elected and we must deal with the countless lies, the toadying of our country's billionaires to get their tax breaks at our expense, plus possible breakdowns in all of the country's support systems (Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, FBI, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security). Our country's security is also at risk if Tulsi Gabbard and Pete Hegseth get appointed.

And yes, we are helpless, at least until 2026. But we can still speak up, support honest media, hope the Democrats come up with young, bright, charismatic candidates and contribute to those candidates. We can't concede our democracy and leave our children a Trumpesque world. We must value the truth and the ethos of honesty and integrity. And we have to vote!

And when Trump invades Greenland, head for the gym.

Carol Kraines, Deerfield

Upside to Broadway rezoning

The letter criticizing the Broadway rezoning open house missed the forest for the trees ("A charrette or a charade?"). While the writer focused on meeting formats, they overlooked something far more important: how this rezoning proposal could benefit Chicago taxpayers.

The city, school district and other taxing entities are required by state law to increase their pension payments over the coming decade. This means they need to come up with billions of dollars in additional revenue every single year.

We face two options: burden existing businesses and residents with higher taxes and devastating service cuts, or grow our tax base to lower the burden on an individual level.

As someone who intends to be paying property taxes here for the next 40 years, and who will be sending multiple children through CPS, I strongly prefer the second option. I welcome new neighbors and businesses to Broadway who can help share the burden of pension obligations we inherited from prior generations.

There's much more the city can do to promote the growth of our tax base, but allowing more housing (and more taxpayers) directly next to the largest transit investment of the last 20 years is a good start.

Alec Schwengler, Lincoln Square

How to respond to political uncertainty in South Korea

America aims to promote peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. However, South Korea is facing political turmoil following President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law and the impeachments of the president and acting president.

How should the White House respond to Korea’s political uncertainty?

In mid-December, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said, “We fully support [Acting President Han Duck-soo], and we will do what’s best to continue to send the signal of deep engagement.” Later, after the opposition impeached the acting president, a State Department spokesperson reassured America’s support for the newly appointed Acting President, Choi Sang-mok.

The U.S. pledges create a complicated situation. On the one hand, these pledges could undermine America’s foreign policy goal of restoring grassroots democracy in Korea, especially since the imposition of martial law on Dec. 3 has hindered this effort. Many Koreans lack trust in their acting president due to his involvement in the martial law plot.

On the other hand, the U.S. remarks align with the U.S. goal of supporting the South Korean government, which has fostered a friendly relationship with America’s security interests in East Asia. Yoon and his cabinet members have been strong proponents of this partnership.

The first option to strengthen Korean democracy may benefit ordinary Koreans but might not align with White House interests. The second option will secure U.S. security interests, but may not protect those of Korea.

America’s best strategy is to reconcile these two options; however, this will be very challenging due to the complex nature of South Korea’s domestic politics.

President Yoon has been accused of treason, allegedly supported by his Cabinet members, including Han Duck-soo and Choi Sang-mok.

Han and Choi were involved in the declaration of martial law, and as a result, they share responsibility for the treason that led to President Yoon’s impeachment. Therefore, the opposition argues that giving authority to the Acting President is like asking a wolf to guard the sheep.

The White House needs to recognize South Korea’s political paradox and aim for a foreign policy goal that prevents the resurgence of anti-American sentiment, reminiscent of the 1985 occupation of the American Cultural Center in Seoul by 73 Korean college students.

Seung-Whan Choi, Ph.D., political science professor, University of Illinois Chicago

CPS needs more funding

I am one of eight kids. My siblings attended, or are attending, Chicago Public Schools. I am currently a high school senior at a Chicago public school on the West Side. During my childhood, I felt as if we did not have enough money or resources, so I’ve been thinking a lot about my future. I hope to quickly come into a career, so I can make money and feel good about myself. This is why I hope to attend a trade school and learn about HVAC systems. I am disappointed by the lack of opportunities for post-graduation success offered by CPS.

My high school doesn't provide any support to learn more about trade school, and I have not talked to anyone about HVAC. There should be activities, like college tours, or have the colleges come to schools for a college fair. With more school funding, additional resources can be placed toward students who want a career after graduating high school or who want to continue their education by going to college.

Chicago Public Schools provides different educational opportunities for students with different economic backgrounds. In Illinois, higher property values equals more money for schools and lower property values equals less. Chicago is considered 79% adequately funded. “Adequacy” is the estimated minimum cost to educate students in a district by considering factors such as student needs and staffing ratios. The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability found that the Illinois’ evidence-based funding law signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2017 can reverse decades of unequal funding.

In my current role, as a peace ambassador at Alternatives, I learned that CPS has received $300 million in additional funding since evidence-based funding was introduced, but CPS is still $1.4 billion away from being fully funded. Many studies have shown that increasing funding for education equates to enhanced academic performance and higher graduation rates as well as increased earnings and social mobility. This is important to me because I want upper mobility and the chance to make money to provide for myself. I deserve an education — as do all CPS students — that will prepare me for success in the future. Increasing funding for evidence-based funding to $550 million would help students like me.

Maurice Jackson, Michelle Clark student, Alternatives peace ambassador

Ogden Park needs a new field house

The city’s major football team challenged our hope all season, but there is another local football team that the city and the Bears can get behind: the Ogden Park Vikings, a Chicago Park District team in Englewood that again won the Mum Bowl. The Vikings also won the 2022 Mum Bowl. This team is filled with youth from the community. It was a joy to watch them play and continue to beat the odds. During the championship game, when it looked like the team would not succeed, one amazing play showcased their focus and determination.

However, this team and other Ogden Park teams are playing indoors in a field house in much need of replacement. The deterioration, at times even safety issues, are not fair to any Chicago community, but for the city champs … unacceptable.

As the Bears explore the possibility of funding for a new stadium, we must advocate for a community-first approach that prioritizes local resources and infrastructure. The city and the Bears can contribute to the improvement of local facilities, including the Ogden Park field house.

The Bears have an opportunity to lead by example. By partnering with the city and committing resources to the Ogden Park Field House, they can demonstrate their dedication to the communities they represent.

A new field house will also complement other community-driven developments along the Racine corridor in Englewood, such as the Go Green Fresh Market; the Regenerator, a former school converted into affordable housing; and the 63rd and Racine L train station.

We urge city officials to prioritize the development of a new Ogden Park field house and other sports and recreation spaces throughout divested areas.

Cecile De Mello, Teamwork Englewood, and Keith Harris, Ogden Park volunteer coach