As invasive carp get dangerously near the Nice Lakes, we should transcend rebranding and fishing. Whereas these efforts are appreciated, prevention is required to maintain this invasive fish out of the Nice Lakes. It’s important that the U.S. Military Corps of Engineers and Illinois transfer ahead with constructing the Brandon Highway Lock and Dam mission close to Chicago to stop carp from wreaking ecological and financial havoc on the nation’s largest supply of contemporary water.

Brandon Highway is situated on the choke level for invasive carp touring from the Mississippi River Basin into the Nice Lakes, and the U.S. Military Corps of Engineers have proposed utilizing progressive applied sciences there to maintain carp out of the lakes, together with an acoustic fish deterrent, an air bubble curtain and an electrical barrier.

Congress and the Biden administration made necessary progress earlier this yr after they agreed to fund the federal share of the primary yr of building of the mission. Now it’s Illinois’ flip.

To maintain the mission transferring ahead, Illinois first should signal an settlement with the U.S. Military Corps of Engineers by the top of the yr. And funding the development would require ongoing collaboration between Illinois and the opposite Nice Lakes states.

The well being of the Nice Lakes and our regional financial system are at stake — and present and future generations of taxpayers don’t should reside with the aftereffects of an invasion we all know is coming.

Molly Flanagan, chief working officer & vp for applications, Alliance for the Nice Lakes

Sue Chicago avenue gangs

Gangs don’t observe the regulation, however the authorities should. That is why the federal government should use each authorized means obtainable to defeat criminals, particularly avenue gangs.Mayor Lori Lightfoot is heading in the right direction along with her concept of suing avenue gangs — with a twist.

Cops know what gang leaders do with their income from unlawful drug gross sales. One is to buy actual property, particularly residence buildings.They disguise their possession in shell firms or family’ names.The Asset Forfeiture Unit of the Chicago Police Division has handed off instances of revenue tax evasion by gang leaders to the Inner Income Service.Nevertheless, the IRS refuses to just accept these instances for prosecution as a result of, “They don’t meet our standards.”

Effectively, these instances contain people who homicide youngsters and others. The IRS wants to totally prosecute these instances.When profitable, the federal authorities seizes the offender’s belongings and the informant, on this case the CPD, receives a ten% reward for info offered.These funds would offset the expense of legal investigations.

The most effective instance of this process comes from Chicago historical past. A murderous gang chief was incarcerated in federal jail for a few years, not for homicide, however for revenue tax evasion. His title was Al Capone.

Chicago Metropolis Council and the federal authorities want to totally again Lightfoot’s proposal.

Michael C. Flynn, retired CPD lieutenant, Norwood Park