Your editorial, "Remember, water is our lifeblood" (Aug. 12),was prophetic. Two days later, an unprecedented storm inundated thearea with nine inches of water. Water is not only our lifeblood, butit can also be a harsh and unforgiving adversary when we fail to takeadequate plans to control its extremes.
Although the levels of the Great Lakes have now gone downbecause of a rather sustained dry period from November, 1986, to theAug. 14 storm, steps must be taken now in order to be prepared forthe next high water level emergency that will come as surely as wewill have heavy, severe rains in the future. We must plan and actnow on both.
I believe your editorial misses several very important points.The Midwest region cannot "deal away any water or any control"because it does not have any control. Chicago's diversion of LakeMichigan, the only lake totally within the jurisdiction of the UnitedStates, is controlled by the U.S. Supreme Court. The control of theother four Great Lakes is shared with Canada and an internationaltreaty governs the management of those lakes.
Secondly, the notion that increased diversion might set "auseful precedent for thirsty Southern and Southwestern states"totally ignores the economic reality that piping water from LakeMichigan to Arizona or Wyoming is totally unfeasible. Oil pipelinesbarely pay their investors even when the outflow of the oil sells at$20 a barrel. Water sells in the range of $3 per 1,000 gallons; theeconomics of a 1,500-mile pipeline are simply not there.
The suggestion that there be restrictions on new lakefrontconstruction is workable but will not solve the problem of buildings,structures, parks, harbors, etc., that are already there.
Lastly, the suggestion, "that those who chose to make theobviously risky investment in lakefront property . . . should beresponsible for most of the bailing" ignores the reality that inChicago more than 95 percent of the lakefront is publicly held.
The water levels of the Great Lakes are managed today bycontrolling structures, dams, locks, etc. Those structures have beenand are managed to protect hydroelectric and shipping interests tothe detriment of persons and governments that are on the shoreline.
We believe that lake levels should be managed for the greaterbenefit of all and not just for a few special interests. Increaseddiversion at Chicago is part of that management plan. Richard J. Troy, chairman, Committee on Lake Level Management, Metropolitan Planning Committee The good side
I wish to commend the Chicago Sun-Times staff for its coverageof the flood that devastated the Chicago area.
I was beginning to feel that those of us who live in the city onthe Chicago River were "forgotten" people. This area had not been avictim of the flood last fall. We had been concerned, but thefloodgates had been opened and the water receded.
This time, we were called at work at 2 p.m. Friday and told thatthere was water in the basement. By the time we arrived home werealized that it was more than that. The Chicago River was using ourbuilding, including the two basement apartments, as a cul-de-sac torun through. It was also trying to use at least a six-block area onboth sides of the river as a channel.
Thanks to the city Department of Streets and Sanitation whoresponded to our calls, we finally did get relief in our three-blockarea on the south side of the river. By 6 p.m., the first partialtruck of sandbags arrived and we were able to diminish the flow intothe basement apartments with the few bags left on that truck.
When the trucks of bags arrived in force about 10 p.m. - a finaltotal of six "low-boy" semi-trailer trucks in all - the neighborhoodwas marshalled. And with the help of the city workers (five or sixor eight men or more. Thank you, Jim Woods, and all the rest of yourcrew - I wish I knew all of your names - but your faces, and thememories, are inscribed in our hearts), we were able to unload thesetrucks and establish a dike along the river at Drake, St.Louis andBernard.
The water went down in the streets immediately. We had beenstanding in knee-to-thigh-high water until the dike was built. Thenthe sewers could handle the problem. We could see streets andsidewalks.
I cannot praise the city workers highly enough. I cannot praisemy incredible neighbors highly enough.
Thank you for your edition documenting the work we were doing.Your photographer was great. Thank you, Maureen Collins, and thankyou, Sun-Times. Susan DeBusk and the families at 4952-58 N. St. Louis Right eye vs. left
Reading your Aug. 17 editorial, "Central American peacepremise," the day after your informative Commentary piece, "What thepeople of Nicaragua want," I'd say your left eye doesn't know whatyour right eye is reading.
One day you quote the Nicaraguans as saying that democracy canthrive in their country if America provides economic help and adviceand asking why we can't make a Taiwan of their country instead of aVietnam. Then the next day you're back talking ideology andsubversion and revolution spreading all over Central America.
I`ve called the White House and written my congresspersonstelling them that I no longer want anti-communism used as an excusefor arming the contras and mining Nicaraguan harbors and handing outtorture manuals. Blind anti-communism led to the dismayingcontragate mucking-up. Margery Frisbie, Arlington Heights Patronage drain
Patronage . . . the Hatch Act . . . most people could care less.Unless a family member or a friend is employed by the county,citizens have no idea what strings are attached as terms of youremployment.
The majority do not suspect the trade-off for a politicallyappointed job. It starts with the never-ending deluge of money thatis requested from you in different forms such as dinner tickets,cocktail party tickets, raffle tickets or the outright blatant 3percent of your yearly gross.
Then comes the time you must give up to campaign, ring doorbells, pass out literature and attend organization meetings andrallies. Miss one and you'd better have a doctor's excuse or be neardeath.
To whom is this allegiance owed? He is your sponsor (yourclout). Your job security now rests in his hands. Where then doyour obligations end? One year, five years, 15 years down the road,or it is never ending?
Of course, all that I have mentioned is strictly "voluntary"(like volunteering for the Russian Front). The consequences of notabiding by these rules can be a job site change (as far as possiblein the opposite direction from your home) or a sudden layoff.
Sympathy is not the issue here, but doing your job without thesword of Damocles hanging above your head. The U.S. Appeals Courtwas wrong in overturning Shakman and hopefully the Supreme Court willsee it in a different perspective. Marilyn Laurie, West Ridge Hess story lost
It is unfortunate that the Allies allowed Rudolf Hess to diewithout being interviewed by the public press. His words wouldunlock many mysteries surrounding World War II and expose numerousdiplomats who squelched what, many believe, to be his mission ofpeace.
His forced recluse in West Berlin's Spandau Prison without beingpermitted to speak to the world's news media for 46 years will alwayskeep the flame burning that the man had something to say that wouldshock the world and tarnish the reputations of our so-called humane,peace-loving and awe-inspiring leaders of the war era. Carl Siegel, Belmont Cragin Plug CTA `holes'
I was appalled to hear that the CTA may raise its fares again.The increased revenue generated by a fare increase will probably becounteracted by a decrease in ridership.
I am about to start a new job outside the downtown area, and Ihave already established that, sadly, it is cheaper for me to drivemy economical little car than to take the train.
I think that the CTA and the general public should be aware ofwhy the CTA is unable to make ends meet, and that is, in largemeasure, because of the incredible inability to collect the fares italready charges. I routinely see people "begging" transfers off ofriders who have completed their travels; while I do not have animmediate solution to this problem, it is clear that the CTA islosing money from it. The biggest "hole," though, is the failure tocollect fares on the trainduring off-hours when certain stations are closed.
Despite its chronic insolvency, take it from someone who haslived in a number of major U.S. cities that the CTA is one of themost comprehensive public transportation systems in this country. Iwould love to see greater operating efficiency, instead of watchingthe CTA price itself right out of the means of the public it issupposed to serve. Deborah F. Amar, Edgewater
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