Letters to the Editor
November 9, 2012 6:24PM
Updated: December 12, 2012 6:16AM
Allow liquor license
holders to serve
on Geneva council
I am writing to encourage the Geneva City Council to remove an ordinance that prohibits residents who hold a liquor license from running for alderman. This is an outdated prohibition that serves only to exclude otherwise qualified candidates from serving their community.
The arguments in favor of retaining the ordinance do not hold water. Geneva Alderman Maladra reportedly has said that bar and restaurant owners need the city to grant them a liquor license in order to sell alcohol, and therefore they are dependent on the city for some of their profits. Serving on the city council would be a conflict of interest.
By that standard we would also have to exclude any contractor of any kind who bids or provides services to the city. Should we also exclude everyone employed by the city directly in any capacity? After all, who is more dependent upon the city than their own employees?
The well being and good governance of the community is very much in the interests of every small business owner. To rule out a candidate simply because they have a license to serve liquor is ridiculous.
Nick Rentas
Northlake Trading Company, Geneva
Hastert’s health care
is at our expense
(On the Oct. 31 Viewpoint page). Dennis Hastert, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and a lifelong Republican, wrote after an absence of many moons, about protecting Medicare.
There are many subjects that the former speaker could inform us of, such as his expressway land deal and his lobby work for faraway Turkey — I have a strong family tie to that Fata Morgana at the Bosphorus. But I am pleased that he has taken a timely interest in our health system.
I know a little about Medicare, and I have recently reduced my participation in it through use of the Affordable Care Act. I’ll spare you the details of my personal health planning, but more attention should be paid to this already profitable ACA. Anyone who wants to save money should read up on it. Disregard the controversy; “Obamacare” is here now and helping people!
Hastert’s article comes from a political party of sworn enemies of public health. It should be noted that the former speaker enjoys a fine medical plan at our expense — a single payer plan.
John Heinz
Aurora
