The following is what our readers sounded off about this week:
Don't need a park
I'm responding to the "Park sounds good" [Sound Off comment about] downtown St. Charles. I can't see having a downtown park. You want to see the river go by, what you can do is walk along by Hotel Baker and sit there and have lunch outside. And you can see it. Why don't you start supporting the restaurants in the area that are along the river. They sure could use the business. No, I am not an owner, but I have done that several times. Forget the park. You're just going to have beer cans when the kids get to be 18, 19 years old.
Very weak smokers
On the call that said the person made a choice with smoking, and why should they go into an exercise facility – a person who smokes is addicted. It doesn't mean that they don't want to be attractive. Yes, I agree, that smoking makes them a lot less attractive, but it doesn't mean they wouldn't like to be in good shape. Just because they are destroying their lungs with smoking and making their armpits smell and their feet smell and their skin smell and their breath smell, and they're aging their skin and destroying their lungs, [this] doesn't mean they don't want to be attractive and live a life well into their 30s. They are just addicted. It takes a very strong person to give up smoking. It takes a very weak person to continue smoking.
Romney's tax returns
Mitt Romney made money as a pure capitalist, and the liberals and Democrats do not like capitalists, even though they also invest in companies to make a profit and add to their wealth. Romney did very well, just like Democratic supporters Buffett and Santos, plus most of the Senate. What Romney's income tax returns will show is how the politicians of both parties favor the wealthy, so they can use the tax code for both individual and corporate benefits. The only thing that Romney's tax return will show is that the tax code must be completely overhauled, not only for the individual, especially for those who pay nothing, but also for the corporations, who also pay nothing.
Speak up
The Kane County Board is in the process of planning and implementing the development of Fabyan Forest Preserve, east of Route 25, north of Fabyan Parkway, for one city's monetary gain. Geneva will receive revenue from the destruction of the preserve if the proposed plans for roads, mountain biking, etc., is passed by the politicians we elected to preserve our beautiful forest preserves. Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns is on the task force to develop the preserve as well as Kane County Board member Mike Donahue, a Geneva resident. The other member of this task force is Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke. What do the remaining citizens of the county expect to receive from this misuse of land? More taxes? It is likely that Kane County [Board Chairman] Karen McConnaughay wishes to push this plan through before the November election. Fabyan Forest Preserve must be saved for our future generations. Hundreds of citizens have signed petitions to save the Fabyan Forest Preserve. It is time for those who say they want to save this beautiful wooded area to take this stance and speak publicly against the politicians who are hardcore business people with power-minded plans. They will do what they want if we, the citizens, do not speak up.
• You can sound off, as well, by calling our Sound Off line at 630-845-5240 or by sending an e-mail to soundoff@kcchronicle.com. Calls must be limited to 1 minute or less.
