February 2024

A recent editorial comparing the events of January 6th to the events of December 7th, 1941, was very disheartening and truly insulting to anyone whoever wore the uniform especially to those brave men and women we fought and died at Pearl Harbor. I will admit that the events of January 6th is a stain on American history but it was nowhere near an insurrection. There are evil forces in this country on both the right and the left whose sole purpose is to create chaos and destruction of the status quo. You see these actions take place throughout many areas of the United States usually as a follow up to another event. When Donald Trump was first elected as president, chaos broke out in many major cities and the riots and looting left cities in destruction and turmoil. If you recall the events of Minneapolis and watch the nightly news as a police station is being abandoned, business is going up in flames, police cars being torched and the massive destruction that was taking place day after day, a logical question is, “who are these individuals that feel it is their right to create such a massive disruptive event? Ironically these events are broadcast on the nightly news as “mostly peaceful “events where they hide behind the catchphrases of our” First Amendment right to protest” and “social justice”. How many of these individuals were held accountable for their behaviors and the billions of dollars' worth of damage that was left in their wake. How many of these people were held accountable for the businesses that were destroyed and a huge area of the city was left burning in ruins. How many of these individuals were held accountable for the massive numbers of injuries to our police officers that were hugely outnumbered and not even given the right tools to do their job. And let us not forget the civilians that were caught up in the mayhem and happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I understand that there are a lot of people out there who hate Dona

With the cancellation of dog sled races and the difficulties facing our winter resorts this season, it’s time for us to take effective action to combat climate warming now - before it’s too late. The 2023 Yale Climate survey showed that 75% of residents of Cook County already understand that our climate is warming and 62% of us accept the strong evidence that this is due to human activity. So let’s do something.

Recently I’ve heard from friends of ours who have children in the local school district I.S.D. 166, and who’ve become concerned about the School District’s policies on bathrooms and locker rooms. Not knowing much about it, I was directed to page 23 of the Middle School/High School Handbook, located at cookcountyschools. org, in regard to the transgender or non-conforming students use of bathroom/ locker rooms. The district states that: “any student who desires increased privacy shall be provided with a reasonable alternative changing area.” However, the handbook also states that “All students, including transgender and non-conforming students shall be permitted to use any and all facilities consistent with their gender identity.” So, if a child is changing in an area with others of the same sex assigned at birth, another child with genitalia of the opposite sex can change their clothes in the same room.

To the Citizens of Cook County: On January 25th, the North Shore Health Board of Directors approved and released a report of their findings after they reviewed several issues of public concern at North Shore Health.

As a concerned citizen living in Cook County and as an actuary whose clients included hospitals and physician clinics, my motivation for writing the following is to bring to light a broader perspective on rural health care.