Opinion

It's probably the economy, stupid!

Posted February 18, 2008 10:00 pm

Let me get this straight. Housing starts and resales and car sales are all in the tank because of our pitiful economy. Homebuilders are going under. Home foreclosures in Illinois are up 36 percent over 2006 and are reaching epidemic proportions nationwide.

General Motors posts an almost $40 billion loss and wants to dump more than 16,000 workers. Ford posts a $2.7 billion loss for 2007 and Chrysler announces a $1.5 billion loss, 13,000 layoffs and plant closings.

Stores are closing everywhere. Salaries are stagnating and layoffs are increasing. Utility costs and taxes are up everywhere and gasoline is $3 or more per gallon. Economists are debating if we're now in a recession, the Federal Reserve dropped interest rates yet again and Congress initiated a tax rebate scheme to stimulate the economy.

But in your Feb. 12 article, "Casinos take beating," officials are blaming the new state smoking ban for the casinos' drop in revenue!

This wouldn't be a brainwashing effort by casino interests to solicit support for relaxing the smoking ban, could it?

Albert J. Dzermejko

Gilberts

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