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| Monday, May 12, 2008 | |
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Student Art Projects
 Long Live the Mayor Dear Mayor Richard M. Daley, I, as a citizen of Chicago IL, have a few grievances that I would like to share with you. Although you have done a wonderful job on beautifying the city for tourists, I fear you are forgetting the people you represent. You, after all, have been the mayor for quite a long time so I would like to make a few suggestions to help you improve your future years as, if any, as Mayor. Grievance #1: I would appreciate it if you would note that our schools are dangerously under-funded. Although I am positive you are aware of this and are doing everything in your power to change this, I would like to suggest the following: Instead of using countless amounts of money to "beautify" the city, I suggest you use that money to help fund the schools. Just last year my school was in danger of losing several teachers because of budget cuts. Luckily we were spared the loss of many of those teachers. However we did loose a few of the beloved. My feeling is that instead of spending about $470 million on a park next to a park we spend it on the teachers that we could have kept. Grievance #2: In regards to public education, not to long ago you visited my school, and gave a nice little speech about how you plan to better our schools; however, you gave no room for response and questions. It made me wonder; are you afraid to have teens ask you questions? It is understood that teens are sometimes critical and would try to, for lack of a better term, get to you, but it is something that as a mayor you must endure. We, as many other citizens of Chicago, have questions about how you plan to change something so big. We may be confused and are now much more confused thanks to your no response allowed speech. Of course some will seek to challenge you, but it comes with the territory. We only want to understand the confusing details of school budgeting. Grievance #3: Concerning funding, I would like to point out that expanding one of the largest airports in America when so many neighborhoods are suffering from gang violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and various other problems is, well, irresponsible. Not to be disrespectful, because I always try to respect my elders, this is just how I feel. I understand that O'Hare is your greatest creation in a sense; but leave it alone for awhile and turn that enthusiasm on to another project, such as fixing Chicago's neighborhoods, and so forth. Grievance #4: Grievance #4 is more of a suggestion. It is a suggestion about controversy and how to avoid it. For one thing not performing an action that has already stirred controversy just talking about may help. Especially when performing this action in the middle of the night. These things just cause the people's respect for you to crumble. You may not care how people feel about you, and that I can not change, but you should not represent a population that does not respect you. You can not be an effective leader if the people you lead do not respect you. So, I have shared with you my grievances and will be anxiously awaiting your response. Thank you for your time. A teen in need of someone who will listen, X______________________________ |
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