This letter is a plea to all automobile drivers, especially those operating hybrid cars. I am almost totally blind and use a white cane to help me get around. On Wednesday, June 9 at about 8:40 a.m., I was nearly struck by a hybrid car at the corner of Wood and Taylor Streets.

The Gazette’s May 7, 2010 story (“Omitted Assessments Law Change Stymied by Illinois General Assembly”) and the accompanying editorial (“Property Tax ‘Omitted Assessments’ Reign of Error”) contained significant errors and omissions. These mistakes could have been avoided had your paper contacted the Cook County Assessor’s Office before running these pieces.

I congratulate your celebration of the 27th anniversary of your publication, the Gazette. Your commitment is a lesson to all who wish to communicate with a print audience. One must have a sense of mission, of relevance to the lives of people. Clearly, you have adopted that mission and have that relevance.

Dear Editor:

On behalf of historic St. Matthew Lutheran Church located at 2108 W. 21st St. in Chicago, I wish to express our deepest gratitude to you and Ms. Miriam Cintron for the excellent article printed in the March issue of the Gazette under the title: “City cites St. Matthew for alleged ‘violations.’

Dear Editor:

I was an avid walker. And every day I would walk the same route to/from work at UIC. On August 5, 2009, at 6:15 p.m., I was hit by a car on the southwest corner of Ashland and Polk. The make/model of the car that hit me is a Honda Accord, maroon in color.

Dear Editor:

God bless you and the Gazette for helping us get the word out about our annual Shamrocks for Kids campaign. Your generous coverage of this year’s outreach effort made it a great success—and will go a long way toward helping Mercy home remain a lasting solution for kids in crisis.

Dear Editor:

All my governmental representatives are Democrats, but blame Republicans for failure of government. E.g. Alderman Danny Solis, Mayor Richard Daley, in Chicago. Robert Steele and (Sales Tax) Todd Stroger at the County and in Springfield Annazette Collins, Rickey Hendon and Governor Pat Quinn. In Washington, Danny Davis is in the House; Richard Durbin and Roland Burris are the Senate, all Democrats. We cannot blame the Republicans for the fact that City of Chicago is bankrupt…

Toni Preckwinkle won the Democratic primary for Cook County Board President. I have known her from my ollege days at the University of Chicago, where I ran in the same track club with her husband, Zeus. I have always greatly admired her as she moved into politics, and know her to be one of those rare birds in public office for the right reasons—to actually try to make people’s lives better, and to do so in a fully ethical way. Plus, she (and her husband) are really intelligent, and she’s also very level-headed and calm and very authentic.

October 2009 – I guess it’s not enough that Mayor Daley gave the whole lakefront to his wealthy developer friends; now he wants to sign over the rest of Chicago to them. Not one building on the lakefront has affordable living.

August 2009 – In last month’s Gazette, a page-one article reported that Alderman James Balcer (11th Ward) ordered a wall to be painted over at 31st and Morgan Streets. This action was taken in response to numerous complaints by neighbors and members of the larger community citing that what had been painted on the wall was graffiti.