Letters: Baseball is back. Opening day brings back so many memories.

Chicago Tribune

26-03-2025

Baseball is back this week; it's summertime's second greatest diversion next to the cooking of weenies on an open fire. It's also the first blush of spring even if the game time temperature is close to freezing.
And who can resist attending opening day? It brings back so many pleasant memories regardless of the final score. Half the fun of going to the first game of the season at Wrigley Field is the struggle to secure a parking spot. The next trick is staying warm while avoiding an overserved fan from falling asleep on your shoulder.
But hey, it's baseball in Chicago, and who'd want it any other way? What's more: A victory just might mean an undefeated season is a very real possibility.
— Bob Ory, Elgin
Family-friendly games
Baseball is back. It's a great time of the year. Financially, the owners are doing well. It's time to make games available for a family outing. The Cubs and White Sox should lead the way.
Center this concept on the number three. For baseball, let's call it the Triple Play Value Package: a hot dog, soft drink and box of popcorn for $6, sales tax included. Other Chicago owners should do the same when their seasons begins: Bears, Field Goal Value Package; Bulls and Sky, 3-Point Value Package; and Blackhawks, Hat Trick Value Package.
How about a Drop Goal Value Package for rugby? Soccer could call it the Left Half-Back Value Package.
I give baseball teams the option of calling this the Babe Ruth Value Package, as Ruth wore No. 3 and was a huge fan of eating hot dogs.
Let's go, Cubs.
— Mark Renz, Oak Lawn
Still magical to many
Spring has sprung, which can mean only one thing: a new season of baseball.
Baseball is still magical to many, as it is the game that many played in their innocent youth. Now that they are adults and have work and family obligations, they can watch a game on TV and forget their troubles (an ode to sportscaster Jack Brickhouse).
Watching or playing baseball is an escape from problems and where men can still be boys. At games, a person can make new friends and enhance old friendships, while forgetting social graces that they are expected to abide by at work or home.
Another reason that baseball is a game that matters are numbers. True baseball fans should easily recognize what these numbers represent: 56, 60, 61, 73, 121, 300, 406, 500, 762 and 3,000. Let's add these numbers for Chicagoans: 2005 and 2016.
Anthropology is the study of the origin, culture and development of humans. Baseball definitely falls into this science, as a baseball fan can recount what happened in a bygone season and an individual's career.
A new season starts fresh with everyone in first place, but all good things must come to an end. A new year may bring additional new numbers and memories.
— Cary Riske, Grayslake
Adapting to road use
Every time I drive to the store to pick up groceries for my family or head to Springfield for a legislative session, I am reminded of how important it is to have dedicated funds to maintain our roadways. Rolling over a pothole is an experience every driver wants to avoid.
Illinoisans illustrated they feel the same way at the ballot box. In 2016, voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment, the Safe Roads Amendment, which protects funds generated from transportation-related revenue from being spent on anything other than transportation-related purposes.
With that important safeguard and the fact that current transportation-related revenues that fund the projects that maintain our roadways continue to decline, we need to adapt the way these are collected. Approximately 20 states have recognized the need to explore alternative ways to fund roads and highways that meet the demand of their users.
We have the chance to do the same — to start discussions, reevaluate our current systems and see if we are still meeting the needs of our communities — and not just stick with the status quo.
Now I'm not averse to opposition. It comes with the office. But when I introduced Senate Bill 1938, which includes the Road Usage Charge Pilot Program, as a way to explore how a mileage-based fee would work for Illinois, news outlets unloaded their full fury. What's so dangerous about a discussion?
Following this voluntary study, the General Assembly would receive information about the cost of the program, privacy concerns and protections, as well as the feasibility of permanently assessing a road usage charge.
Knowing what works for our drivers, roads and highways is vital, and this voluntary study would provide us with the information we need as legislators to make this decision. This measure does not impose a new tax on Illinoisans but rather allows Illinoisans to voluntarily participate in a road usage charge system to see how this would help maintain and improve our roadways.
Exploring, discussing and evaluating what would keep our residents safe is an integral part of being a legislator. That's why I am sponsoring Senate Bill 1938 — so my colleagues and I would have the data we need to determine how we can fund improvements to our roads and highways in a way that reflects how we use them today.
So, tell me: What's the harm in that?
— State Sen. Ram Villivalam, 8th District
U. of C.'s debt load
In the midteens, I watched the University of Chicago's financial decline that snowballed into the $288 million deficit in 2024. I remember the poor decisions that led to student and faculty protests over overspending on buildings and pet projects.
One example: In 2013, in the post-recession, the University of Chicago deliberately increased its debt while peer institutions, including Harvard, lowered theirs. S&P reported that this could result in the U. of C. having to borrow as much as $500 million in 2018. Moody's and S&P lowered their outlook on the university's debt to negative in 2013.
Being in the red resulted in mandatory budget cuts of up to 8% in academic units. It was a frightening time to work at the university. People were scared they would lose their jobs and afraid to take time off. The process seemed opaque. Needless to say, morale was awful.
That was 10 years ago. I can only hope that someone rights the ship of this still-great university.
— Phyllis Brust, Gainesville, Florida
Transparency for city
I applaud and support Daniel Boland's recent letter ('Chicago needs a charter,' March 23, 2025). Boland states that a comprehensive charter is needed to address Chicago's continuing climate of political corruption. He also advocates reducing the number of alderman from 50 to 25, which he opines will guard against the establishment of political fiefdoms. In this regard, I would add that such a reduction would lower municipal expenses, lessen taxpayers' burdens and thus serve the public interest. He further advocates curbing mayoral influence by explicitly requiring City Council consent for appointees and debt servicing. Such oversight is critical today, particularly given that our current mayor is aligned with and beholden to the Chicago Teachers Union, a conflict of interest.
Chicagoans need a charter to ensure that city government is transparent and is responsive to and represents their needs.
As Boland concludes: 'The time for reform is now!'
I heartily concur.