Desperate times call for desperate measures. Since political rivals blame each other for the glut of national desperation and anxiety, I’m proposing a “what if” measure sure to alienate both sides.
Imagine electing a Republican president and Democratic vice president, or vice versa. There’s no constitutional rule against it.
In the 1980s, I thought what we needed was either a compassionate Republican president or a Democrat who was stronger on national defense issues than other Democrats.
U.S. Sens. Bob Dole and Sam Nunn, for example: two reasonable leaders who worked across the aisle instead of slinging insults.
Forty years ago, opposing parties talked to each other. If you were born since then, don’t laugh. Bipartisanship (Google it) was once “a thing.”
Since we’re talking desperation, I’ll just blurt it out: Rahm Emanuel and Adam Kinzinger for president and vice president.
I know I’m assuming a lot here. Would the Democratic Party accept Republican Kinzinger on the ticket, and could both men find enough common ground in their differing ideologies to succeed?
I’m betting they’d at least try. Emanuel, a former Chicago mayor and ambassador to Japan, has worked with Republicans before. Kinzinger is a former Illinois congressman who served on the panel that probed the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. He paid mightily for his testimony but never backed down. A Rahm Emanuel-type guy, you might say.
The 2014 shooting of 17- year-old Laquan McDonald will complicate any Emanuel effort. McDonald was shot 16 times by a Chicago police officer. Emanuel was criticized for a lack of transparency in releasing a video of the incident, but the U.S. Justice Department found no wrongdoing.
Some voters will prefer a different candidate.
Like who? A president who incited a coup attempt that left one police officer dead,140 officers injured and at least four responders who died by suicide after the attack? A president whose own lack of transparency on COVID-19 put former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in intensive care for seven days? That’s a heck of a way to treat a fellow Republican.
An Emanuel-Kinzinger ticket might be the devil we don’t know. We DO know what to expect from the current administration. I’m in a gambling mood. Are you?
Jim Newton, Itasca
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Use technology to save water, prevent water damage
Every year, insurance companies pay out $15 billion to customers as a result of water damage, including leaks. Over the next decade, 1 in 6 homeowners in America will file an insurance claim for water damage, contributing to rising premiums and widespread dropped coverage.
Fortunately, there are new innovations on the market that can greatly reduce leak-related damages, save insurance companies from preventable claims and homeowners from associated costs, and protect one of our most valuable natural resources.
These technology-driven solutions can help detect and even prevent leaks from occurring. Artificial intelligence-enabled products monitor water usage, temperature, pressure and other key variables to determine the probability of a water-fail event. Upon detection, these systems can notify the user or automatically shut off the water to prevent the leak from becoming a flood.
A recent study conducted by LexisNexis, found the installation of an in-line water shut off system can decrease water claims by 96%. In fact, many insurers already offer homeowners discounts if they install the devices in their homes, yet it’s not a broadly adopted solution.
Beyond reducing insurance claims, these devices also help conserve water by reducing water waste that occurs from small leaks, empowering homeowners with data on their water usage to compare to their monthly bills.
Recent projections indicate that by 2050, water demand in certain counties across Illinois will exceed available groundwater supplies. In Northeastern Illinois alone, an estimated 26 billion gallons of water are lost annually due to deteriorating infrastructure.
Every drop is precious — and increasingly expensive. The Chicago Water Affordability Analysis found that water bill burden and debt is significant. Chicago’s lowest-income households pay on average almost 10% of their income on their water bill, making any water waste reduction a significant cost savings on top of its myriad other benefits.
To accelerate the uptake and usage of these new water-saving technologies, policymakers across the state should incentivize insurance companies to offer these solutions to their customers. A tech-forward approach will go a long way in protecting our precious resources and the pocketbooks of Illinois residents.
Dave Barry, president, Security and Connected Products for Fortune Brands Innovations Inc., Deerfield
Cut from a different cloth
Abraham Lincoln was known as the “rail splitter” for his log-splitting skills. With his cuts to Medicaid, Donald Trump will be known as the “great pill splitter.”
Kevin Berg, Fox Lake
A call to action for great minds
I puzzle as to how in our society of presumably evolved individuals, we can allow the most ignorant and self-consumed among us to impose their will upon the most brilliant and inspirationally creative among us.
Our dedicated scientific and medical researchers and our supremely talented artists from a broad spectrum of disciplines deserve better.
With our current unenlightened government in place, it is up to us to support these people, whether that be by voice, by written word or by monetary commitment. Our society’s future is at stake.
Vincent Smith, Big Rock