Letters: Why isn’t anyone being held accountable for the lack of transparency in the NASCAR race deal?

Unspoken in Leslie Recht’s op-ed (“Will NASCAR races be worth the mess they bring to Grant Park?” April 28) is who, exactly, made this NASCAR deal. Why didn’t people like Recht know about it, and why was the deal drafted so poorly and without any apparent input? Recht has seen the contract and should know who is responsible for this. Why isn’t anyone being held accountable?

I’d look for the answer in the pockets of the usual political suspects. This has to be one of the least transparent “plans” made for the city, ever — while at the same time, one of the most public. And we are to just sit here and passively take it? This is why people don’t bother to vote, and why Chicago politics are broken — it’s still one backroom deal after another.

It’s time to start grabbing the ankles of the officials who signed on to this and start shaking them upside down until we see whose pockets all the cash falls from — and before someone signs on for NASCAR to come here again.

— Lynn Saccoi, Chicago

I’ve been waiting for this one with breathless anticipation, no pun intended! I’m referring to Grant Park Advisory Council President Leslie Recht’s op-ed. There seems to be no concern for the air that we breathe.

Then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel disbanded the city’s Department of the Environment. Soon-to-be Mayor Brandon Johnson has promised to restore it.

Chicago is suffering from air pollution, especially along the lakefront, and city officials schedule this folly for the beginning of July? Heat, humidity and stagnant air may greet the gathering crowds.

I’ll stay far away from this one.

— Fred J. Wittenberg, Evanston

In her op-ed, Grant Park Advisory Council President Leslie Recht details the widespread damage and disruptions that this summer’s NASCAR races will bring to Chicago.

But the problems go beyond those she points out so poignantly. We also should consider the significant environmental damage that these gas-guzzling race cars will cause because of the air pollution they generate.

Also, Chicago already has a street racing problem, and because police will be preoccupied with the event, young people may be prompted to design courses in their neighborhoods and have their own street races.

— Neil Milbert, Wilmette

Leslie Recht’s op-ed about the unknown impact of the NASCAR event is spot-on! I only know our annual trips to the Museum Campus with our grandchildren from the Indianapolis area will not be happening.

So very sad and mad!

— Carol Brimer, Crown Point, Indiana

What’s that old saying? “If life gives you lemons, then make lemonade.” I say, if Texas wants to send migrants to Chicago, then bring it on. Farms in the Southwest have been dependent on migrant workers for decades. The American workforce simply doesn’t want to work so hard for little pay.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the hospitality industry was decimated, and the workforce participation rate plummeted to record lows. The current unemployment rate of 3.5% might sound great, but the workforce participation rate has never fully recovered. This huge shortage of workers is a key driver of inflation.

Today, when I go out for dinner, the service is atrocious. So I’ll ask the manage, “What’s the problem?” The response is always the same: “I can’t find help that is willing to work for the current pay scale.”

Does this sound familiar? I’m quite certain the immigrants Texas wants to bus to Chicago would jump at the chance to fill these positions. With office space occupation rates at 50%, the building owners could covert some of that space into affordable housing.

This would be a win-win-win situation. The Chicago restaurant patrons would get the service they deserve. The migrant workers would find gainful employment. Building owners would find a new source of revenue.

— Robert Priban, Crest Hill

I consider myself a practicing Muslim. I respect all other religions and their beliefs. DuPage Township Trustee Reem Townsend does not have to disturb a board meeting with her Islamic practice. During Ramadan, she could have quietly excused herself for a few minutes to break her fast and then rejoin the meeting. The fuss she created is unacceptable.

— Mumtaz U. Khan, Chicago

The article in the April 29 Tribune, “Muslim trustee stands up to hatred,” was very inspiring with the words of Suzanna Ibarra, chair of Will County Progressives, who as a Catholic said that to not speak up against hate is “allowing it to continue and perpetuate.”

As a Catholic, I, too, feel compelled to speak up for Reem Townsend. We have much in solidarity with those who are Muslim. The Quran says to “attend to your prayers morning and evening, and in the nighttime too.” We, too, are encouraged to “pray without ceasing.” And Muslims’ practice of praying five times a day is something that any belief system can take a lesson from.

The Quran and the Bible can bring us closer together, rather than divide us, and show us what we share.

— Mandy May, Evanston

Has any one thought to ask all the judges making medical decisions for us about their medical qualifications? That seems like a logical question.

— Thom Day, Chicago

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