City's tree-trimming program branches out in right direction

While criticism of government services in Chicago is often warranted, the city’s tree-trimming program demonstrates what effective public investment can achieve.

Increased funding for the Department of Streets and Sanitation’s bureau of forestry has expanded crews and enabled a coordinated, citywide approach that is both efficient and fair.

By trimming all trees within a geographic area at the same time, the program ensures consistent service across neighborhoods while protecting the long-term health of Chicago’s wonderful urban tree canopy. Even outside the typical April–December season, crews have continued working during last month’s occasional mild weather to remove dead branches and hazardous trees along parkways and medians, proactively improving safety, reliability and quality of life for residents citywide. With more than 500,000 parkway trees, their work is never-ending as they also treat insect and disease threats while safeguarding and strengthening tree health across Chicago.

Kudos to the leadership of the Department of Streets and Sanitation’s bureau of forestry for developing and executing a tree-trimming program rooted in service to all Chicago residents.

Tom Tunney, former City Council member, 44th Ward

Many losses tied to building demolition

Loyola University Chicago's demolition of the building at 1224 Loyola Ave. represents more than the loss of a historic structure — it marks the displacement of dozens of longtime Rogers Park residents and the continued erosion of affordable housing in our community.

The building housed approximately 30 families and individuals, along with three small businesses that served as important neighborhood gathering spaces. These apartments were among the most affordable remaining units in Rogers Park. More than a year before demolition began, Loyola forced out all low-income tenants despite having no immediate plans for redevelopment.

Instead, the university is creating yet another vacant lot across the street from property it cleared more than a decade ago that still sits empty. While the land waits for a potential CTA Red Line expansion and rising property values, Chicago has permanently lost more than two dozen affordable homes and dozens of valued Rogers Park neighbors who helped define the diversity and character that Loyola publicly claims to value.

Dave White, Rogers Park

Extend Weber Spur Trail

The next "606" is closer than you may think. The proposed Weber Spur Trail would be an elevated right-of-way mixed-use trail on the Northwest Side. But unlike the 606, the Weber Spur Trail would connect the heart of the city with natural oases and green spaces, including the North Branch Trail, the Forest Preserves and suburban trails. The southern end of the trail would connect with the CTA's Montrose Blue Line and Metra Mayfair stations. In the process, the trail would traverse over two interstates, connecting communities that have been bisected by highways, and turn Portage Park into a gateway between city life and natural escapes. The potential is huge, and momentum for the trail has been growing. The trail is included in Chicago Department of Transportation's Trail Vision Map, and a recently awarded federal grant includes $850,000 for corridor planning.

But the city has arbitrarily decided to cut off its plans for the Weber spur beyond Elston and Kimberly avenues, leaving its vision for the trail as no more than a quarter-mile stub past LaBagh Woods. Residents with existing access to green spaces would have yet another trail, but the rest of us would still be cut off, and on the wrong side of a highway or two.

For the Weber Spur to realize its potential, it must connect communities and cross active mobility barriers. This is not a pipe dream. The right-of-way crosses over the Edens Expressway a quarter-mile past the city’s chosen end point on Elston. A few hundred yards further, the right-of-way crosses over the Kennedy Expressway before concluding at Sunnyside Avenue, a planned neighborhood greenway and gateway to the Blue Line. The alignment is there. The bridges are there. Only the vision is missing.

Anyone interested in advocating for the full Weber Spur Trail, can contact the Weber Spur Alliance at weberspuralliance@gmail.com

Thomas Lis, Weber Spur Alliance, Portage Park

Public schools lose with federal tax credit scholarship program

I write to respond to reader Charles W. Murdock’s assertion that the federal tax credit scholarship program does not take away funds from public schools. Our federal (and state) tax dollars go into a large pot that funds many public goods, such as public schools and roads. Public schools have to serve all students. With tax credit scholarships, you make a donation to one of the organizations specifically created to receive your donation. That money goes toward scholarships to private schools, which are not required to meet the needs of all students. These schools can deny admission to students with special needs or students whose identity does not align with their stated beliefs.

When you get a tax credit for your donation, that means that you are not paying money into the pot that funds public schools (and roads and all the other public goods). So while these scholarships do not technically "take money away" from public schools, they function to reduce the pot that funds them. The outcome is the same. Yes, parents of private schools subsidize public schools that have to serve all students, the same way that we subsidize roads that we don’t drive on. This is funding for the public good. Tax-credit scholarships reduce the funding source for public schools. I urge Gov. JB Pritzker to say no to the federal tax credit scholarship program.

Katie Gruber, parent of two Kenwood Academy High School students, Hyde Park

Reimagining Epstein saga through past American scandal

The staggering incompetence regarding the Epstein files cover-up makes me pine for the cunning corruption of the Nixon administration.

We all know the story by now: the Watergate Hotel, 1972. A few goons with flashlights and a presidential mandate. Only James McCord’s inability to tape a door properly caused the Committee for the Re-Election of the President scheme to come crashing down.

They would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those meddling reporters.

If Donald Trump attempted to pull a Watergate today, what would it look like?

I can see it now. Stephen Miller creeps through the door at the Watergate. It’s noon, of course, broad daylight. Does he know where the office he’s supposed to wiretap is? Of course not — he has to ask at the front desk. Pam Bondi is with him. The lady at the desk asks about the suspicious cords coming out of her bag. She mumbles something about the Dow Jones. Despite asserting presidential authority to be allowed to break in, they’re turned away. They get their parking validated, though, so Miller and Bondi high-five.

No matter. They try again that night. Fewer people around, they figure. This time they bring Pete Hegseth (they wanted Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but he was busy being shirtless with Kid Rock.) A worker offers to let them in (he’s a big MAGA guy). Hegseth punches him anyway. He flexes and shows off his new back tattoo: "Maximum lethality, not tepid legality!" How cool are we, the intruders think.

They stumble upstairs to the Democrat offices. Bondi forgot the flashlights, earning a reproach from Miller. She reminds him he isn’t a lawyer. They hit the lights. On a desk is a strongly worded letter from Chuck Schumer. As with all strongly worded letters from Chuck Schumer, this one is ignored.

They successfully bug the phones, but it turns out that most of the calls are just Gavin Newsom wondering which office is going to be his. The scandal is exposed by every major news outlet (except, somehow, The Washington Post).

Miller tells Trump what a "cover-up" is. Donald likes the idea. He spins a "Wheel-O-Missiles." Will it land on Tehran? Venezuela? Greenland? Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick put an X through "stimulus checks," though; after using that one twice, people are starting to get suspicious. Trump wants music for the big moment. He looks at the playlist. "Entry of the Gladiators" sounds cool. It isn’t. The wheel spins …

James Ross, West Chicago

Stop attack on Iran

The attack on Iran is wrong, morally and strategically. It could potentially cost many lives and resources and disrupt world trade. The Iranians have an estimated 500,000-man army, allies and says it has hypersonic missiles, so this could be a huge tragic mistake.

It is the duty of our representatives to stop this. What will they do to put a stop to the bombing?

Dan Bailey, Wheaton

Supreme Court stands up to Trump

Donald Trump accused the U.S. Supreme Court of being disloyal to him on the tariff ruling. He doesn’t seem to understand that most justices' loyalty is to the Constitution, not to a convicted criminal.

Six of the justices showed their constitutional loyalty while three others (Moe, Larry and Curly) showed their loyalty to Trump.

Michael Levey, Deerfield

TV talk

President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address frequently focused on multiple individuals who overcame adversity, suffered a horrific loss or acted "above and beyond the call of duty." I thought I was watching "The Price Is Right" where audience members are encouraged to "c’mon down." I shouldn’t have expected anything substantive as Trump’s political career arose from the popularity of his own television show.

Paul L. Newman, Merion Station, Pennsylvania

Fed-up fans

Time isn’t running out for Illinois to keep the Bears. Rather, many Illinois residents are running out of patience with their greedy owners.

Did anyone notice how spectacular Soldier Field and the city of Chicago looked in the TV coverage of the Bears' playoff games this year? I recently drove through the area in Indiana that is being proposed for the stadium and couldn’t help but compare the two areas. If the Bears management would rather have Indiana taxpayers build them a "world class stadium” surrounded by oil refineries, steel plants, casinos and swamps, that’s their choice.

But I’m not interested in paying for owners who are more motivated by greed than loyalty to the city and state that’s paid their way all these years. I hope that the Illinois Legislature will not give the Bears one cent of tax money or tax breaks.

Things change. We will adjust. Go ahead and move. On a clear day, the Bears may even have a view of the magnificent Chicago skyline that they used to be a part of.

Leonard Harsy, Cathedral District

Changing tunes

A line in "Bear Down, Chicago Bears," is, "You're the pride and joy of Illinois." If the Bears move to Indiana, will words to the fight song change?

Larry E. Nazimek, Logan Square

Stratton ad undignified

I find Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s expletive-laden ad totally disgusting and ignorant.

The ad shows multiple people, including U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, saying “F- - - - Trump," and it’s bleeped out.

What kind of example are the Democrats setting for young children with such an ad?

It should be removed from being shown on television.

Can you imagine if the tables were turned and this was a Republican running for Senate and had this same ad? Liberals and Democrats would be outraged.

Stratton should have some dignity and have that TV ad removed.

John Moravecek, Naperville

Cruelty to cats

While I'm not a big fan of cats, cruelty to any animal is unacceptable, as Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg touched on in his piece headlined "Pet surrenders surge during hard times — but there is a right way and a wrong way." The couple who surrendered their three cats to the bitter cold should get a good dressing-down. Thereafter, they should be surrendered to the freezing weather.

Terry Takash, Western Springs