Gas bills have been striking fear in the hearts of Chicago’s low-income families for generations. As the torch is passed to Mayor Brandon Johnson, it is now his responsibility to address this issue.
Growing up in the 1990s, the burden of gas bills was a familiar hardship. My mother and I lived in public housing without heat or hot water for months when she was behind on our gas bill.
This city has suffered from high prices and inadequate oversight, placing the greatest strain on Black, Latino and other communities of color. The key to resolving the gas price crisis lies in all-electric buildings, a sustainable answer to skyrocketing costs. Our city can’t afford any more delays.
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As CEO of 548 Development, my childhood experiences motivate me to develop all-electric housing. This year, we are starting construction on five all-electric buildings that will have efficient heating and cooling systems, reducing costs for tenants.
Electrifying buildings at scale will require the support of Johnson and the adoption of common-sense policies, like those supported by business leaders who recently urged the city to adopt fossil fuel-free requirements for new construction and establish building performance standards for large buildings.
Johnson has a significant opportunity to capitalize on the cost savings and job creation potential of building electrification.
On April 4, the 548 Foundation launched a clean energy workforce training program, preparing Chicago’s workers for jobs in the emerging clean energy sector; there is already a waitlist for both training and hiring. Chicagoans are ready to build and benefit from a clean energy future.
My all-electric development projects address unaffordable gas bills for some and provide an example of what’s possible. But many are still burdened by exorbitant gas bills. I urge energy economy and sustainable communities.
AJ Patton, founder and CEO, 548 Development
Flat-out lies about presidential records
Former President Donald Trump and his toadies in the GOP are straight-out lying about what the Presidential Records Act has to do with Trump’s retention of classified material.
Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan would have you believe the act allows Trump to keep the documents for up to two years after leaving the presidency to sort through their papers.
This is the exact opposite of what the act requires. It specifically states the president has no rights to his presidential papers after he leaves office. The only exception is if the then- president requests a secured site to store the documents while building a presidential library, for example. Trump made no such request.
The man is an enemy of everything our country stands for, and voting for him is a direct assault on our republic.
Richard Keslinke, Algonquin
Park district HQ could house migrants
I’m curious why the new Chicago Park District’s headquarters on the Southwest Side has not been considered to be used to temporarily house the migrants.
It has 17 acres of mostly open land with 58,100 square feet of office space and a 20,000-square-foot field house with a gym, fitness center and multi-purpose rooms. Alongside the office building, there are two large turf fields, a playground and splash pad.
Mike Cello, Lincoln Park
One way to get rid of smoke from Canada
Flights have been delayed, Major League Baseball games cancelled, and millions of Americans remain in danger as undocumented Canadian forest fire smoke just keeps pouring across the border unchecked.
We must secure our northern border. Build the air filter, and make the Canadians pay for it. Let’s put that smoke on buses and send it to Florida and Texas.
Come on Joe, send in the National Guard fan brigades and blow that smoke back to Canada. MASFA! Make America Smoke Free Again!
Charles Carlson, Belmont Cragin
