America's health will decline with repeal of climate change finding

As a medical doctor, I find the repeal of the Environmental Protection Agency's endangerment finding completely unacceptable. The administration’s decision equates to deliberately harming Americans by intentionally exposing people to known toxins. I am outraged at the wanton disregard for the scientific and medical knowledge that enables the advancement of society and allows people to live longer and better lives.

In our hospitals and clinics, we see the consequences of poor air quality, extreme heat and severe weather events every day. There is a mental toll that we all suffer when dealing with loss from a flood or caring for a child who develops asthma. And these are just a few examples of the known consequences of ignoring decades of science and medical evidence showing that greenhouse gas pollution is a danger to our health.

For Illinois alone, this decision could amount to $29 billion dollars in health harms in the next 30 years, according to an analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund. Illinoisans stand to suffer some of the greatest health harms being one of the five of the most impacted states. This will mean premature deaths, asthma attacks, emergency room and hospital admissions and lost days of school and work. For the United States, the human toll could reach up to $500 billion. This is not the kind of legacy that leads to greatness.

This decision prioritizes industry profits over the health of the American people. Our patients, families, and communities are paying the cost while polluters are shielded from accountability.

As a doctor, it is my job to let patients know when something is harmful to their health. The repeal of the endangerment finding is a great harm to our health. Our leaders, this administration, and polluters should be held accountable. We deserve better.

Regina de Leon Gomez, Arlington Heights

Federal tax-credit scholarship program good for Illinois

Most who oppose the federal scholarship program are concerned that such programs would take funds away from public schools. This is a common misperception.

The federal program does not take money away from public schools, but is in addition to Title I and other federal programs. While many public school advocates oppose this type of federal legislation, the plain fact of the matter is that it exists.

If Gov. JB Pritzker does not endorse the federal tax-credit scholarship program, it only means that Illinois children and parents will lose millions of dollars in educational aid.

There is also a fundamental misunderstanding of the economic impact and the tax burden of parents sending children to private schools that should be understood. The existence of private schools actually permits higher levels of public school funding on a per-student basis than would be sustainable without them.

Every parent of a private school child is, in effect, subsidizing the public school system and the taxpayers of Illinois, not the reverse. Each parent of a private school child provides the same funding to the public school system as does a parent of a child in the public school system but, in addition, pays tuition on top of that for the private school system, thus not burdening public schools with the expense of educating their child.

In Chicago Public Schools, the operating expense per student per year is over $20,000 and the total expense is almost $30,000. Consequently, private school parents save taxpayers millions of dollars.

If the private school system in Chicago were to shut down, it would cause about a billion dollars additional cost to the taxpayers of Chicago to absorb the private school population, without any additional revenue from real estate taxes and would almost certainly necessitate a significant increase in tax rates. Given the already tenuous financial position and the ongoing closure of private schools, public policy should encourage Illinois government to make the most of every opportunity to bring in new federal dollars to keep private schools open.

Pritzker’s responsibility is to all citizens of Illinois, both those who favor public schools and those who enroll their children in private schools.

Charles W. Murdock, former dean, Loyola Law School, and former deputy attorney general, state of Illinois

Delivery robots aren’t the problem

While reading the article on robotic delivery vehicles and the petition being circulated by people who find them a nuisance and safety hazard for blocking the sidewalk, I found myself laughing out loud reading the quote from the woman who has to manage a stroller, a small child on a bike and a labradoodle on her walks (what, no Starbucks?). The question I have is: Who is the bigger sidewalk nuisance?

David Dornback, Park Ridge

Super Bowl dancing wasn’t risque

I am sorry recent letter writer Patricia Lofthouse and others I encountered on social media were offended by the female dancers at the Super Bowl halftime show. I found their outfits and dancing tame compared to some cheerleaders — even some high school cheerleaders.

Craig Goldwyn, Brookfield

New job in the cards

Apparently, the Trump administration had nothing better to do than create its vision of digital Valentine’s Day cards on the topics of Greenland, Nicolás Maduro, and MAGA's favorite Dems. Perhaps they all should do us a favor and go work for Hallmark!

Eileen Hughes, Near North Side