Obama is not qualified, but Palin shows leadership
In response to her letter, Ms. Nancy Luiz (Suburban Life, Oct. 1) should not be so astonished that intelligent Hillary supporters have flocked to John McCain and Sarah Palin. Both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, more than once, have declared that Obama is not qualified to be president. After clinching the nomination, Obama did not even consider pursuing Hillary, or any woman, as his vice president. Obama had every opportunity to show how well a woman could lead.

Many mothers, especially Catholic mothers, consider Obama’s enthusiastic support for both the barbaric practice of partial birth abortion and the lawful murder of babies that survive abortion to be born alive, to be utterly unacceptable. Other Hillary supporters believe the economists who predict that Obama’s tax increases and repeal of the Bush tax cuts will throw our already troubled financial system into the next depression.

Ms. Luiz spends much of her letter attacking Sarah Palin. Yet, Sarah Palin’s Alaska is prosperous, functioning quite well and has returned $1,200 rebate checks to its citizens. Contrast that with Illinois, where famous “community organizer” Obama cannot even organize his own political party in his own state. Illinois is a laughingstock where the Democratic governor, Cook County, state legislature and mayor of Chicago are locked in a quagmire of corruption, nepotism, egos and infighting. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have fled Illinois and unemployment is at 7.3 percent.

We have the highest sales tax and the highest gas prices. Children are gunned down in the streets by gangs every single day. And elitist Obama hasn’t done a thing to help us.
The Hillary supporters who are voting for McCain are intelligent patriots who love this country and refuse to be bullied by femi-Nazis or race-baiters. They will not let Obama do to this country what he did to Illinois.

Greg Saganich, Riverside

Shevitz’ comments deemed unnecessary
I read with disappointment Mark Shevitz’s Letter to the Editor of the Suburban Life. Mr. Shevitz apparently wrote the letter before attending the meeting, which he in fact did attend and spoke at.

The (Riverside) Long Term Finance meeting was not required to be a public meeting, as the purpose of the meeting was to update the committee on the status of the recommendations offered by the committee in 2007. I decided, in the spirit of transparency, it would be posted as a public meeting and taped for viewing on our local cable channel. Out of respect for the committee members’ time, I requested any comments or questions be provided in writing and called for questions on a number of occasions throughout the meeting.

Every comment or question offered was read by me. In addition, a number of participants were invited to speak and clarify their comments. I invite all Riverside residents to view the meeting on cable or at the Riverside Public Library to ascertain the truth. Mr. Shevitz’s blatant disregard for the truth in this matter should clearly call into question his motivation regarding other misleading insinuations made by him and the organization he represents, including his statement that the village enjoys an operational surplus.

Riverside village finances should not be the subject of political gamesmanship and I hope that Riverside residents will see Mr. Shevitz’ strategy for what it is and reject the tone. Riverside needs suggestions and solutions, not unproductive partisan bickering insinuating that village volunteers have anything but the best interests of Riverside in mind.

Mike Sedivy, chairman of the Long Term Finance Committee

Thank you for making library taste a success
I would like to thank all who joined us at our third annual Taste of Brookfield at Your Library Friday, Oct. 3.

The event was wholeheartedly supported by Brookfield businesses and residents alike, and couldn’t have taken place without the dedication and efforts of Sandra Baumgardner, Jane Hubner, Jo Day, Marc Kritzer, and each and every Friends of the Library member.

Special thanks also go to the Library Board, library staff members, Village President Michael Garvey, the Brookfield Village Board and village staff, and to this year’s guest emcee, Salt Creek Wine Bar’s own Linda Kampschroeder. Many thanks also go to the fire, police, public works and recreation departments for their outstanding support. Funds raised during the evening will go to the long-term fundraising arm of the Friends of the Library.

Libraries are a force that can unite, teach, empower and build communities. It is in this spirit that I thank everyone who made our third annual Taste a success, especially the residents. I stand in awe of the devoted effort of our resident volunteers who commit their hearts, as well as their time, to Brookfield’s library. Brookfield is fortunate to be filled with citizens who continually support library excellence

Kimberly Litland, Brookfield library director

Palin and Teddy Roosevelt draw connections
Having noted the paralleling in the media, and by politicians of vice president candidates, i.e. Dan Quayle and Sarah Palin, I believe they are as different as their genders.

A far better analogy illustrating the similarities of two vice presidential candidates can be made by comparing past president Teddy Roosevelt and Sarah Palin.

Both were nominated for vice president when their ages were near 45 and had served short terms as governors of their respective states. Sarah’s prior experience as a mayor of her home community of Wasilla provided her with valued executive experience, and President Roosevelt’s Secretary of the Navy service was a valuable leadership experience for his term as vice president prior to becoming president when President McKinley was assassinated.

After becoming president, Teddy Roosevelt’s crowning achievement was the instigating of the construction of the Panama Canal, which was quite an accomplishment for a young president without a great deal of political experience when he succeeded to the presidency.

His other achievements, strikingly similar to Sarah Palin’s beliefs and objectives, included as an environmentalist and conservationist the establishing of Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks and placing 150 million acres into the reserve category through the Bureau of Forestry.

In addition, President Teddy Roosevelt, 100 years before Sarah Palin, expressed his belief that our natural resources may be exhausted in the future as I believe she has said also.

President Roosevelt, concerning foreign policy, said his belief and actions cohered with the African saying, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” This appears to be on the agenda for a McCain-Palin administration if elected also.
Edgar Gifford, La Grange Park