Daily Herald wrong about home prices
As I read the newspaper on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 1, I nearly choked on my coffee as I read the headline, "Home prices on rise".
I thought to myself, you have got to be kidding.
I live in Carol Stream and see countless homes for sale, with prices being reduced because they are not selling.
Personally I know my home is worth $50,000-plus less than a year ago. So this makes me wonder about this report and its validity.
I do have eyes and see that communities like Glen Ellyn, Wheaton and Naperville, etc. level one or two homes and build a larger, custom, more expensive home.
If this is the gauge this report uses, it is not a true reflection of all DuPage communities. Not all DuPage communities are high income and should not be lumped in with communities like these, especially when it comes to real estate tax calculations.
I am one and I am sure there are plenty of others in agreement that our/their properties are not appreciating, but depreciating.
I'd like to know more of the real particulars per DuPage communities, not just vague numbers.
I challenge the Daily Herald to do real research on individual communities and determine what were the selling prices a year ago, and what the selling prices are today. I believe then you would choke on your coffee.
Chris Heichele
Carol Stream
Rebuttal to two Fence Post letters
The Aug. 18 Fence Post contained two letters that were loaded with half-truths and innuendo.
The Valerie Plame "leak case" was not a fact, since her identity was well known prior to the investigation.
However, in the investigation of the so-called leak, Lewis Libby was found guilty of some contradictions in his testimony. Therefore the pardon was a minimal action by President Bush compared to the more than 200 pardons of criminals (some of terrible notoriety) that President Clinton pardoned.
Apparently, Richard Nelson did not remember prior pardons that were given some six or seven years ago by the president who lost his license to practice law.
The report card failure, as outlined by Walt Zlotow, makes all the attacks over the years on our embassies and foreign bases and the 9/11 attack killing 3,200 innocent Americans seem like they never happened.
We should thank Rep. Peter Roskam and the Bush administration for attempting to prevent more of this type of atrocity, especially on our own soil.
Mr. Roskam does well following in the steps of Henry Hyde.
Our commander-in-chief depends upon the guidance of our military leaders (God bless them) for the actions he recommends to Congress and he has been strong in standing upon his moral principle beliefs.
Myron H. Dudek
Bensenville
Don't just single out New Orleans
Mona Charen's argument against "reckless" rebuilding (Daily Herald, Sept. 4) would be more credible if she also castigates Los Angeles for building on a fault line, Seattle for building next to a volcano, Dallas for being located in Hurricane Alley, Washington for being built in a flood plain and Minneapolis for building where ice storms are a certainty. Somehow, though, one thinks this unlikely. New Orleans is an easy target. The city is like a college friend you'll go drinking with, but won't invite to your wedding.
Neil Fears
New Orleans