SPEAK OUT - December 8th, 2010

This is my weekly column to rip apart call-in comments in a section called “Speak Out” in The Lombardian/Villa Park Review, my local paper. All comments are published by The Lombardian/Villa Park Review and are their property. I pick and choose comments I choose to rip apart.

Link to SPEAK OUT

Hi, Lombard calling. I’ve got an idea to address these political signs that are left up for months after the election. How about we charge them a nominal amount, maybe $25, to any candidate who wants to put up signs, no matter how many they put up? We”ll charge them something and then maybe you’ll have $500 or $1,000 bucks to deal with it at the end, and then you can get a couple of kids from College of DuPage, or wherever, to ride around on a Saturday and pick up all the signs. It won’t cost the taxpayers any money, it won’t hurt the candidates much, and we’ll clear up this eyesore that goes on and on. Think about it, Lombard, Mr. Mueller. It would be a good deal.

Tell me how this survives a court challenge?

On Veterans Day, did you get the day off? If you work for the government, you got the day off. If you had any other job, you had to get up and work. We have government employees getting paid for not working, police and firefighters who work in quiet towns like Lombard retiring in their early 50s, teachers making over $100,000 for nine months’ work and the state is in debt up to its eyeballs; and you people elect the same characters all over again.

So the government treats it employees better than your corporate overlords. Whose fault is that? Again, if you want to be pampered like government works, why don’t you get a government job? Problem seems to be solved right there. Better yet, why don’t you just become CEO of your company you currently work for, and then give all your employees living wages as well as a full pension. Oh and most banks are closed on Veterans Day.

This is Villa Park calling regarding our garbage pick-up service, which is horrible. It is now 4:30 and our garbage has not been picked up. The office is closed for the day. This is the worst service they could have contracted with. Again, a real disgusted Villa Park resident.

You wouldn’t be happening to complain about garbage pick up on a day after a holiday would you?

Lombard, please explain why Veterans Day ceremonies are held on Volunteer Plaza. This is a small area in the 7 Eleven parking lot on the corner of a busy intersection in downtown Lombard. A plaza with three flagpoles, one a Lombard flag, benches, statues, signage, flowers and other plants is enclosed with a low brick wall. Each year you have tried to hold a “moving tribute to our nation’s veterans,” by packing the VFW color guards, American Legion color guards, Boy Scout color guards, a keynote speaker, additional speakers, and of course, our village president, Bill Mueller, plus our citizens, wherever they can fit, into this inappropriate plaza. Next year, do our veterans a favor. Rather than hold it downtown, give a “solemn” tribute as other communities afford them. We have a veterans memorial for each branch of service. Sounds like a perfect place for a Veterans Day ceremony.

This is probably because Mr. Mueller wants to promote downtown Lombard, which you know, supports this town. However, I do see your point in that having it at the veteran’s memorial in the Lombard Commons (At least that’s what I think you’re talking about) would be a much better idea.

I hope a lot of you feel like I do. President Barack Obama tells everybody you’ve got to cut back and stop wasting money and stop spending money, etc. Well, I think he should take some of his own medicine. We’ve got to cut back on his vacations, he can’t have more than two a year; this is ridiculous. And, he can’t be spending billions of dollars on those vacations. Who the heck does he think he is? His wages are peanuts compared to what he spends on how many vacations, how far he travels on that billion-dollar plane. We’ve got to tell him he’s got to pull in the reins on his spending too or stop talking if he can’t do what he wants everybody else to do.

You become President and you tell me you do not want to have a vacation. The Presidency is the most stressful job in the world. Also, if you would open your eyes a little be and be opened minded and read/watch/listen more than one news source you would know his vacations cost nowhere near a billion dollars. Air Force One is also nowhere near a billion dollars. It’s an expensive plane, but nothing that ridiculous as you state. And while you’re speaking of pulling the reins in on his spending, why don’t you speak with the Republicans on doing thing to reduce the deficit…like allowing the tax cuts to expire…

This is for Villa Park, Villa Park Review SPEAK OUT. How come there is no grumbling from the residents of Villa Park? How come you don’t put anything in the paper from the residents of Villa Park since it’s in the Villa Park Review? I’m sure residents from Villa Park have called SPEAK OUT. Everything is Lombard. There shouldn’t be any national news in SPEAK OUT; it should all be local. That’s my opinion.
In the last two issues of the Lombardian and Villa Park Review—which share the SPEAK OUT column—there were three calls each from Villa Park. While that may not sound like much, there are, quite frankly, fewer calls received from Villa Park. –JAC
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Poor Villa Park. Maybe YOU should petition your fellow Villa Parkians to speak out more often. I’ll be more than glad to speak back!

Hi, this is Lombard calling. Just another complaint about the post office. I have tried to complain at the post office, but get nowhere. I have had cards and letters lost, I have had bills that never got delivered to me and I ended up getting late fees. I’ve had cards that come back to me damaged and destroyed with a note that says, Sorry, your mail got damaged—no other offer of a refund of my 44-cent stamp or the cost of the card, which can range up to $5 nowadays. Any other business would be held accountable for this poor service. Since I can’t anywhere with the post office or get my money back from their mess-ups, I have decided to boycott them in my own small way. Of course we can’t do without the mail completely, but whenever possible, I pay online, in person or auto-deduct from my checking account. Any business run so poorly would go under by now if it wasn’t government-run. Since complaining doesn’t seem to get us anywhere, I suggest boycotting when able; hand deliver those cards when able; use online and auto-deduct options. The post office will get the message that we, the consumer, are dissatisfied.

Are you the same one who called in starting this whole shenanigan with the Post Office? If so, I’m glad you actually did take it up with the post office. And again, to correct you, the post office is not government run anymore. It is suppose to be self-sufficient. It worked well before Nixon and Reagan did things to it to take it out of control from the government. If anything blame Republicans for doing everything possible to destroy anything credible having to do with government. Also, plenty of people were already doing what you have been doing for years. It’s the reason why the post office is suffering so much. Technology has essentially damaged what the post office has done for over 200 years.

I’d like to comment on the person who said Barack did more than President Bush. You’re right; he did do more than President Bush—the highest unemployment in, I don’t know, 20 years? More foreclosures than anybody can ever remember? And let’s not forget the summer of recovery where nothing happened; more spending that anyone can ever remember. You didn't think he spent more than George Bush? Oh yes, that famous health care is going to mess up the economy even more, unless you're lucky enough to be one of the 111 companies he's giving waivers to, or the unions. I don’t think I need to say any more. Barack has really messed up this country and we're heading to socialism.

Unemployment started rising in 2008, before Obama was elected. Foreclosures started happening before Obama was elected. We would be in a deep dark DEPRESSION if the “summer of recovery” didn’t happen. I want all your proof, fact checked, cross referenced, confirmed by several economic analysts in great detail as to why you think the health care bill is going to mess up the economy even more. Also, define socialism and what makes it so bad and scary? And I think you’re right, you really don’t need to say anything more, because you haven’t been right on one thing so far.