Better economy for us

President Joe Biden’s speech to Congress and the nation was a passing of the baton from squeezing American government into a smaller and smaller box (Ronald Reagan) to a more expansive and supportive role for government (Lyndon B. Johnson).

The wealthiest 1% of Americans and large corporations prospered mightily, even obscenely, during Reaganism. Now it’s time for the rest of us to see a better and more equitable economy. not be an easy task, he needs to acknowledge some of the former administration’s positive accomplishments as U.S. Sen. Tim Scott expressed during his rebuttal address.

Furthermore, instead of continually citing “systemic racism,” how about stating that while we’ve made substantial progress, which we have, there is more work to be done.

Finally, let’s give the police some credit for their extremely difficult and dangerous work. We can seek some positive reforms without denigrating entire police departments. more government programs to make college affordable is evidence of the failure of existing government programs.

Assailing lakefront

Joseph D. Kearney and Thomas W. Merrill, neither of whom lives in Chicago, have raised interesting points about the pros and cons of turning Chicago’s lakefront into a national park (“The pros and cons of turning the lakefront into a national park,” April 30). The most telling part of their op-ed, though, is in the last paragraph: “The people have argued, protested, finagled and sued, and, in the end, created the most spectacular waterfront in the nation, perhaps the world.”

The looming tragedy is that the self-government that produced something remarkable has now sycophantically fallen in line and facilitated plans to obliterate historical Jackson Park by turning it into the site of the Obama Presidential Center.

All Chicagoans should “think long and hard” before it is too late to stop this legally protected piece of our forever open, clear and free lakefront — leased to the Obama Foundation for 99 years for a $10 fee — from being handed over to memorialize Barack Obama as a part of the Chicago skyline.

Road test for seniors

I disagree with letter writer Sandra M. O’Donnell on the subject of driver’s license renewal for people of a certain age (“Driver’s license renewal,” April 29).

I’ve had to do it several times and think it is important to have someone critique our driving as we age. The last time I did it, I was criticized and was offended at first, as I’ve had a flawless driving record. But in retrospect, I realized that I’d become sloppy over the years.

I believe Illinois is one of the few states that require retesting at a certain age. More states should make it mandatory, especially Florida with its large aging population.

Clean energy fantasy

Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposes eliminating electricity fired by coal by 2030 and by natural gas by 2045. At the same time, he targets having 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030 with subsidies to encourage their adoption.

Does he intend to provide enough blowhard politicians to generate the wind necessary to provide the electricity for all this? Asking for intellectual consistency from a politician is futile, but this is ridiculous. We need both base load power (e.g. coal or nuclear) and responsive power to balance demand (e.g. natural gas or diesel). Wind and solar cannot fill these roles.

The governor is virtue signaling rather than making a serious proposal.

— Mary F. Warren, Wheaton

— Dan Schuchardt, Glen Ellyn

— Ethan Sudman, Gurnee

— Shirlee A. Hoffman, Chicago

— Barbara Dallia, Chicago

— Lewis Jones, Wheaton

Why process is long

In response to letter writer Jim Simonis (“Path to citizenship,” April 30), who asked why it takes almost a lifetime for an immigrant to obtain U.S. citizenship, I would like to remind him that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is bound by the law of the land: “Enter the U.S. legally.”

— Manny Javier, Chicago