Be a Cubs fan and forget the Ricketts family’s politics

Sunday’s editorial “A Cubs fan’s dilemma:…” is exactly wrong with today’s politicizing of everything. Suggesting that going to a Cubs game is a dilemma, because one of the owners of the Cubs makes campaign donations to President Donald Trump, is ludicrous.

Did anyone question who the Wrigleys gave campaign donations to? Or Charles Comiskey or Bill Veeck? The politics of the Wrigley family, Comiskey and Veeck never crossed my mind while I was eating a hot dog and trying to keep score while enjoying a baseball game. Why should the Ricketts’ political views concern me now?

Let’s go to the ballpark, forget politics for nine innings, and enjoy the game.

Robert S. Bank, Jefferson Park

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Sinclair and the Cubs

In your Sunday editorial on the Cubs and the Ricketts family’s politics, you noted that some Ricketts family members are significant financial supporters of Donald Trump. You might have added that subscribing to cable for Cubs telecasts — should baseball ever return — would do the same thing.

That is because Sinclair Broadcasting Co. now has exclusive rights to all Cubs telecasts, cable only, except for some Sunday night network games provided by Major League Baseball. Sinclair, with 194 TV stations in 100 markets, has been cited by many as a mouthpiece for the Trump administration, ordering — yes, ordering — its evening news anchors to broadcast the very same commentary on every station on the same night.

Some media watchers claim Sinclair’s combined voice is more powerful than that of Fox News Channel — hard to believe. Although I have been a Cubs fan from childhood, a long time ago, I won’t subscribe to Cubs cablecasts when they are available.

Bob Manewith, West Ridge

No permit for General Iron

For years, scrap metal processor General Iron has failed to comply with EPA regulations at its Lincoln Park facility. If the company were in compliance and its emissions safe, why would their employees need to don personal protective equipment (PPE) to clean up the plant’s emitted “fluff” from nearby alleys and sidewalks, where people live and breathe everyday?

Should neighbors who have this “fluff” on their windows and decks be wearing PPE, as well?

As a member of the Climate Reality Project — Chicago Chapter, I believe environmental justice is inextricably connected to our central mission of finding solutions to our climate crisis. Giving license to our dirtiest businesses to locate in our poorest neighborhoods has to stop.

We have joined with the Southeast Environmental Taskforce and the Southeast Side Coalition to Ban Petcoke to oppose the granting of a permit to General Iron to allow it to move from Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side.

While metal recycling has many environmental benefits, if this scrap metal recycler can’t prevent its plant from contaminating any neighborhood with substances that might be harmful to the respiratory system, particularly during a pandemic, they should not be granted a permit to operate.

General Iron, which has already been fined for environmental violations, has proven itself an untrustworthy steward of the environment. All of us have a responsibility to safeguard our environment, so that we can have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.

Jane Goldenberg, Lake View East

Stop asking police to solve society’s ills

I have heard many calls seeking the defunding of our police, both locally and nationally. But let’s ask ourselves what we task our police with taking on.

Homelessness? Let’s let the cops solve it. Mental illness? It’s the cops’ problem. Problem kid? Call 9-1-1 and let the officer play parent. Addiction programs? Nah, we don’t have the money, so let’s send in the cops to handle it.

Why don’t we fund programs that may actually reduce the number of calls where the police are needed? Own that mental illness and homelessness are real and fund programs to help people. Let’s not put all the ills of society on the shoulders of officers.

Why focus on defunding the police when instead we can focus on funding other programs at the proper levels?

Art Miller, Naperville