The following is what our readers sounded off about this week:
Be grateful you have a job
Does anyone think that after the election, things will get better? I can't see it. Whoever gets in, it seems that the country – with the wars, with the gas prices, with the unemployment, with people losing their homes – what's the solution for this? And I don't support the teachers for striking. They make good enough money. The way I look at it, in this economy and you have a job, we don't here. People who strike, be grateful that you have a job. Paying your own health insurance is a bummer.
Pay freeze for District 304
I believe the teachers and administrators in Geneva School District 304 need to take a pay freeze, as all staff, for two years, have done in the St. Charles District 303. Geneva teachers need to make the same sacrifice that many taxpayers do, having faced many significant hardships.
Gabby's is great
I just think people who live in St. Charles should know of a great restaurant right here in their own town. Gabby's kitchen – the owners hire staff who have a good sense of humor and a caring nature. I have had several different illnesses, and I have been treated so well. I felt special. The food is superb, and the service is special. The owners make the day well worth the trip. They have entertainment on Fridays, which is great. People of St. Charles should be told and give it a try. I'm 70 years old, and the demographic from 20 to 90 would be pleased. I just had my knee replaced, and the staff did all they could to make me comfortable.
Great experience at Delnor
I just wanted to show my appreciation. I was recently hospitalized at Delnor Hospital, and I know they had great care there. I was astonished how their day care had even improved beyond my wildest dreams. Doctors were attentive and caring and compassionate and understanding. They have fantastic transport staff and hostesses who deliver food that you order and it's something on your schedule, based on when you can eat, rather than when someone wants you to eat. Even the staff that helps clean the room smiled. And the volunteer staff was absolutely phenomenal, offering, cookies, massages and games. Delnor Hospital was a very good hospital, and I had a nice experience there for major surgery.
You call that classy?
In one of your Sound Off columns, a caller called Michelle Obama articulate and classy. Give me a break. Remember before Barack became president, she said she was never proud of America. What a hypocrite she is. You call that classy?
Helping the wrong ones
I'm a Christian, and I espouse to the Christian values, and I'm reading about a number of churches of different faiths that are helping illegal immigrants and helping the children of illegal immigrants. In my church, we had parishioners who were out of work and parishioners who volunteered a lot to help the PADS program, but when they came on hard times, the church didn't do anything for them. And we ended up leaving that church because they turned their backs on their own parishioners to help people who contributed nothing to this country or to the church.
The president should lead
The office of the president of the United States should lead, and not from behind. The office of the president of the United States should not belly up to our allies and snub our allies. The office of the president of the United States should work to strengthen business, private investment and capitalism and not promote socialism. The office of the president of the United States should not feel and act as if America is a second-rate nation. The office of the president of the United States should be proud of this great country, one nation, under God, and act accordingly.
We don't need monstrosities
Your "Building for the future" article interviews the ShoDeen representative stating that most people lived in a rental unit at one point in their life, which is true. The problem is if you have too many rental units in an area, all of the prices will come down to get them occupied. And when there are too many of them and the prices get lowered, that will attract the not-so-desirable tenants in those units. And who suffers? The rest of the community, that's who. If you drive from Route 64 in downtown St. Charles and head south on Third Street into Geneva, there are five rental homes available. That's just one street. There are tons of rentals available on every street around St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia. We don't need to build monstrosities, whether it's the Lexington Club, the Corporate Reserve plans or a five-story building along the river, right in downtown St. Charles, we don't need them until all of these rental units that are already available on every street in each of these towns, is filled up. If you keep building rentals, you will keep getting the undesirable people in town. That's a reality.
Invest in America
JFK in his inaugural address stated, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Mitt Romney mentioned that he cannot win the support of the 47 percent that pay no income tax because these people are doing the exact opposite of the JFK speech – ask your country what you can give me, as I have no desire to improve my status. This election is not about the haves or have-nots, but about the people who are willing to invest from America, and those who want to take from America. Let's hope that the words of JFK have some meaning in this election.
Our authentic wilderness
America's famous naturalist, [Henry David] Thoreau, wrote, "In [wildness] is the preservation of the world." We in Kane County have been advocating for the preservation of Fabyan Forest because we see it as our small but authentic wilderness. If the forest preserve officials are now serious to allow citizens to assist in planning the future maintenance of the forest, we should welcome the opportunity. We will be there to remind staff and officials that this place is not a city park, and that it is home, today, to wild animals, such as a number of deer including a buck and family. Yes, we have observed them this year and before. The remaining question is, should we introduce bicycle traffic into any such forest? Not now or for any reason would be this caller's reply.
• 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.
