Chicago Sun-Times: Cultural Center already has the perfect name

FEATURED LETTER

A March 6 article indicated that there may be a move afoot in the City Council to rename our Chicago Cultural Center the "Eleanor Daley Cultural Center." Such a move, for various reasons, would be inappropriate.

Our splendid and beautiful Cultural Center, formerly the Central Library Building, should continue to honor in its name the world- renowned cultural reputation of our great city and not a figurehead personality, however well-respected.

Downtown Chicago certainly does not need another Daley Center, which would be a source of exasperating confusion for visitors. Renaming the Cultural Center would also obliterate the memory of various dedicated people who strove long and hard over an eight-year period (1965-73) in a historic and concerted campaign to save the building from proposed demolition.

Mrs. Daley's role in this story was a subsidiary one at best, occurring in 1972 during the climax of the campaign, when she admitted to reporters who questioned her that she had some affection for the old library and did not want to see it torn down.

If there is a need to honor Mrs. Daley, the present fourth-floor "Exhibit Hall" could be named for her, or a plaque of dedication to her memory could be added outside the building, without changing the name of our landmark facility.

Charles G. Staples,

Hyde Park

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Where's rest of the quote?

Anne Bayefsky's dishonest representation ["Rights panel session off to misguided start," Commentary, March 19] of the comments made by the United Nations high commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vieira de Mello, deserves a response. In his speech to the Commission on Human Rights, Vieira de Mello expressed, as he has many times previously, his outrage at terrorist attacks and his determination to confront them, not least in Israel.

Bayefsky says he sought "some middle ground" on terrorism. The line she quotes benefits from its context: "We must all live free from the risk of terrorist attack. Yes, terrorism is a form of political expression. Yes, there are reasons for it, some perhaps better than others. But aren't there ways of justifying everything, every crime or atrocity? The sadist has his reasons and so does the madman." Vieira de Mello went on to compare terrorism to slavery: something which may have its apologists, but concerning which "we drew the line a long time ago." He concluded by saying that "today we must very clearly draw the line at terrorism."

Does this sound like "some middle ground"?

Jonathan Prentice,

executive assistant to the

high commissioner for

Human Rights,

United Nations

Cops MIA in S. Side probe

I was an acquaintance of Nancie Walker ["Landlord's remains found on South Side," news story, March 21]. She was a member of my Buddhist community. I didn't know her personally, but I know that she was a beautiful dancer and dance teacher, that she devoted her life to her own human revolution and world peace, and that her life was one of value.

Again and again, the police were quoted in news articles stating that they did not believe any crime was involved in her disappearance. Every time, I thought how ludicrous that was, and how it indicated they were not taking her disappearance seriously. She was the owner of multiple properties and a business; she was a longtime Chicago resident, and she was close with her family. Yet her sudden disappearance did not alert the police that foul play might have been involved.

Did they consider Nancie not important because of her neighborhood? I really would like to know, and now that her body was found chopped into pieces in trash bags, I believe the police need to be accountable for those statements, for their procrastination in getting Nancie's picture up on the missing persons Web site, and for their apparent lackadaisical attitude toward Nancie's disappearance.

Shame on them! One can only hope that they will treat Nancie's homicide case much more seriously and respectfully than they did her missing-persons case.

Lori McDaniel, Forest Park

Businesses need tax board

I must disagree with your editorial of March 19 about the Property Tax Appeal Board, as a homeowner and self-employed certified public accountant whose home and business are in Cook County. State law set all property assessments, both residential and commercial, at 33 percent of market value. Cook County politicians tinkered with that formula so that residential property is assessed at 16 percent and commercial property at 38 percent.

My office is in Tinley Park, which straddles the Cook-Will County border. My real estate taxes on the Cook County side are $4 per square foot, soon to go up to approximately $7 per square foot. A building three blocks away on the Will County side of the line has a tax of $1.50 to $2 per square foot. The buildings in Will County are taxed at 33 percent of market value.

The Property Tax Appeal Board is the only venue where the application of the equalization factor can be appealed. In Cook County, yes, we can go to court, but you must prove fraud on the part of the county to win.

I would suggest you send a reporter to the south suburbs and look at the development being done on the Will County side of 183rd Street and then look at the Cook County side. Talk to some of the business property owners. When I have a chance, I will move my business and the 15 jobs it generates to Will County.

Raymond J. Busch,

Palos Park

Admit it: Guns can help

Isn't it ironic that most of the senators, congressmen and Hollywood types who are now criticizing President Bush for disarming a mass murderer like Saddam Hussein are the same people who are for disarming the American public? Who is the real threat: your neighbor the duck hunter, or a madman with VX nerve gas?

Marvin Smietana Jr.,

Mount Prospect

Condo the way to go

Re: "Old hospital on most-endangered list," news story, March 13]: An excellent way to save the impressive architecture of the old Cook County Hospital is to develop it into condominiums. If this is done, do not let Cook County government anywhere near the project, they for sure would lose money on it, and then the County Board would rename the building the John Stroger Condominium Development.

Ed Niemira, Niles

Do the math

It is time to re-educate Americans on the size of the world. The United States and its war partners England, Spain and Bulgaria, have populations totaling 379 million.

The five UN members opposed to war--China, France, Germany, Russia and Syria--have populations of 1.589 billion. India, with 1.45 billion people, opposes the war. Mexico and Pakistan total 250 million, and both refuse to endorse war with Iraq. Can the Bush administration count?

James N. Vail, Glenview

Bash with balance

Congressmen have joined a few of their Francophobic constituents on a campaign to rid the world of French references by ordering the congressional cafeteria personnel to change the French fries on the menu to Patriot fries. This, on top of all the French joke-slinging, is all being done, presumably, to punish them for not supporting George W. Bush's war on Iraq.

My question is, why are the French being singled out? The governments of China, Germany and Russia have all expressed a willingness to vote against Bush's war.

I say our xenophobia should at least be consistent. Let's start playing Patriot checkers. Let's eat some Patriot chocolate cake. And, by all means, let's not forget the bullet for our game of Patriot roulette.

Paul Winkelmann, Romeoville

Beware of those blankets

Seeing as how Capitol Hill has all this time to waste with changing french toast and french fries into Freedom toast and Freedom fries, here are a couple of more items: French bread, French vanilla ice cream, French silk pie, French perfume, French kissing, French poodles and, of course, French lace panties.

That being said, there is something far more evil and destructive that many of us own and never realized it. I'm sure most of us own an afghan crocheted by our grandmothers. I have made a couple, and realize how dangerous that is to have in your home. Capitol Hill should vote on this as soon as possible. Who knew that so many of us were harboring Afghans in our closets for years?

And don't get me started on Afghan dogs. I'd hate to see what they may rename these dogs or possibly do with them.

Yvonne B. Garstki, Lombard

MY TWO CENTS

"Congressmen have joined a few of their Francophobic constituents on a campaign to rid the world of French references. China, Germany and Russia have all expressed a willingness to vote against Bush's war. Our xenophobia should at least be consistent." --Paul Winkelmann