Water filter coupons will help more Cook County residents get lead-free water

An innovative new project in Cook County offers select families affected by lead-contaminated water a crucial solution for human health: coupons for water filters.

Sen. Dick Durbin’s recent announcement of the program represents a critical step towards ensuring safe drinking water for Chicagoans, which is especially important in a city that has 400,000 lead pipes — more than any other U.S. city. Families with a verified lead service line, who are enrolled in Medicaid and have a child under 7, are eligible for a $50 water filter coupon to be distributed by mail, including approximately 90,000 households in the county. Eligible residents can visit their nearest Jewel-Osco grocery store to redeem their coupon for the full value of a filter pitcher and a replacement filter. This initiative follows a letter by Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Durbin to five Medicaid care companies in the state, advocating for the distribution of water filters certified to remove lead.

Filtered, not bottled water, offers a solution far preferable to the unjust financial burden and additional human and environmental health risks associated with single-use plastic water bottles. Single-use plastic bottles further expose people to microplastics, nanoplastics, and toxic additive chemicals. Most plastic bottles — like all plastic — are not recycled, resulting in more unnecessary pollution in landfills and the environment.

Despite the program's positive impact, it leaves over 300,000 households on their own to access clean drinking water while the local water systems work to replace lead service lines. Sixty-eight percent of children under 6 in Chicago have lead in their drinking water, a rate potentially higher and less likely to be tested in Black and Latino neighborhoods. Full lead service line replacement is estimated to take two decades to complete. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must provide additional guidance to water systems to directly distribute water filters certified to remove lead at no cost to all impacted customers, and provide culturally significant education on filter use and maintenance — a critical step to ensure customers can access, trust and properly use their filters. The EPA has the opportunity to ensure that water systems reduce barriers for accessing clean drinking water with filters certified to remove lead, without exacerbating plastic pollution and its toxic impacts.

Julia Cohen, co-founder and managing director, Plastic Pollution Coalition; Madison Dennis, project manager of Filtered Not Bottled, Plastic Pollution Coalition and Emily Kowalski, outreach and engagement manager, Environment Illinois

Return Veterans Day to its origin as Armistice Day

I’m a veteran. I’m not proud of the fact that I was involved with killing millions of people in Viet Nam (yes, it was once spelled with two words). I cringe when people say "Thank you for your service." To me they’re saying, "Thank you for death and destruction." If you want to thank me, thank me for what I do now — work for justice and peace.

I’m drawn to Nov. 11 because it was originally called Armistice Day. After the massive carnage of World War I — "the war to end all wars" — it was clear that the slaughtering of humans had to be eliminated. Congress took action and declared Nov. 11 to be a day focused on bringing the nation and the world together "with appropriate ceremonies expressive of our gratitude for peace and our desire for the continuance of friendly relations with all other peoples."

On Monday, at 11 a.m., I’ll be with other veterans and progressives who want to Reclaim Armistice Day. We’ll be at the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial, 24 E. Wacker Dr.  Our focus this year is on the genocide in Palestine and stopping U.S. weapons shipments and support for Israel’s aggression.

The event is free and open to all who are working for and/or desirous of justice and peace.

Arnold Stieber, Kenwood

Home sellers and buyers, understand the economics of elections

Election cycles don’t just shape headlines; they also send ripples through key industries, and real estate is no exception. Every four years, the housing market experiences what I call an “election shopping slump,” a temporary slowdown as buyers and sellers pause amid policy and economic uncertainties. But this lull creates unique opportunities for savvy buyers and strategic sellers who know how to navigate it.

In a typical election year, real estate activity dips by 3%-5%. Buyers and sellers adopt a “wait-and-see” approach, questioning potential tax hikes, interest rate spikes, and the likelihood of a recession. Yet history shows us that this dip is temporary. Once election results come in and uncertainties clear, the market tends to bounce back swiftly, often with renewed vigor. Past elections show that home prices in high-demand areas like Chicago can increase by $25,000 to $50,000 post-election.

For buyers, the election slump can be a strategic opportunity. Fewer active buyers mean less competition, which often translates to better negotiating power and more favorable pricing. This is particularly true in high-demand markets like Chicago. Acting during the slump could mean securing a home at a price that won’t be available once the market heats up again.

Sellers, on the other hand, should proceed with caution. Listing during the election slump could mean your home sits longer on the market, with fewer competitive offers. The best strategy for sellers is often to wait until the post-election period, when buyer activity increases, and demand pushes prices higher. Timing is everything, and sellers who hold off may benefit from a more favorable market environment once the dust settles.

The election slump is more than just a political phenomenon — it reflects human behavior. Major financial decisions are often delayed during times of uncertainty. However, those who understand this cyclical pattern can use it to their advantage. Buyers can find great deals now, while sellers might maximize returns by waiting until confidence returns to the market. History has shown that those who make informed, strategic decisions in uncertain times are best positioned to capitalize on the market upswing.

Grigory Pekarsky, managing broker and co-founder, Vesta Preferred; and head of Vesta Team

Trump editorial hit the mark

Thank you for Thursday's wonderful editorial on Donald Trump's forthcoming presidency; it said it all, and it said it well. I felt comforted and reassured that the truth can still be told.

Ulrike Erwin, Evanston

Bad news travels across the globe

I am writing from Christchurch, New Zealand, where I am in the middle of a two-week holiday.

I have been wearing a T-shirt, in the colors of the New Zealand national rugby team, that reads, "If Trump wins, is it okay if I stay in New Zealand?"

I have received many compliments on it, more than a few enthusiastic "yees" (local pronunciation) responses to the question the shirt poses, and this morning at breakfast, we got an offer to live in a "large" house if we wanted to stay.

The reaction among Kiwis to Trump's reelection has varied from concerned to horrified. Since there is little evidence that Trump gets a warm feeling from making people's lives better, that would, probably, please him. He likes to talk about how the world is laughing at the United States. Yet, he confused himself with the nation. But nobody here is laughing now, as they consider the damage that he can do even to them miles away.

I will be returning next week to a country that will be different than the one that I left. For me, it will be like a Bears flight back from a West Coast loss, times a dozen. My biggest worry is if Republicans take the House, the Trump administration will become a black box. With Republicans controlling all three branches of government, there will be no oversight of it on behalf of the people. None.

I expect reporters will be invited to the White House for what will casually be called "press conferences" solely so they can be lied to as an expression of power. I further expect that Fox News will serve as the quasi-official state news outlet and will be briefed privately on the official government line. Citizens may have very little, if any idea of what "their" government is doing.

Welcome to the world of Trump 2.0, where things will get worse before they get better, if they ever, actually, get better.

Curt Fredrikson, Mokena

Dems fumbled

To: S E Cupp: I too felt the Republican pain of 2008 and 2012 in losing candidates of character. Also include 2016 when Paul Ryan lost in the early primaries.

I think the first problem might be the description of Kamala Harris as "qualified, competent, upstanding candidate."

Harris failed to show herself as that in her presidential run in 2020 or in her years as vice president. Then she did nothing in her short campaign to show those qualities.

Her campaign tried too long to mirror President Joe Biden's successful "stealth" campaign of 2020, but without his long track record and his COVID-19 "cover." Was that her decision or her “handlers?”

Another issue is the mistaken reliance on polling. This is now the third Trump election cycle where polling drove the breathless news reports. Trump’s support was underestimated each time.

Buckle up for the next four years.

John McIntosh, Lake Bluff

Hispanic election trend can help DACA

Sen. Dick Durbin, it is time to take advantage of the fact that the old myth of Latinos only supporting Democratic candidates is wrong.  They vote with their pocketbooks like many others. In the presidential election, many of them chose Republican.  Thousands of adult lives hang in the balance.  This is an amazing opportunity to reach across the aisle and solve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program issue.  

Mark Renz, Oak Lawn

America isn’t ready for a woman president or progressive policies

The Dems did it again. They chose a woman to run against Donald Trump. They tried that in 2016. They lost. They tried it again this year. They lost again.

I’m not saying that a woman shouldn’t be president. I am saying that America is not ready for that.

Just about any man would have beaten Trump in 2016. Biden proved that in 2020. And just about any man would have beaten Trump this year. Instead, the Dems thrust Kamala Harris into the spotlight.

This is not a Monday Morning Quarterback observation. It's an awareness of the two parties.

Republicans are status quo people. Their values, viewpoints and what they stand for haven’t changed much over the years. That is not an insult. It describes a solid, steady, consistent kind of people.

On the flip side are the Democrats; always changing and moving the needle. America needs that. We can’t stay dynamic otherwise.

But the Dems, progressives in particular, move too fast. That is the case with two of their last three presidential nominations. Like I said, I'm not against a female president. But not now, and not against Trump.

My message to Democrats is, "Slow down, you move too fast," to quote the Simon and Garfunkel song. My follow-up comes from Aesop: Slow and steady wins the race.

Dan Franch, Wood Dale