To be world-class, Chicago must have an intercity bus terminal

It seems inconceivable that Chicago will not have a terminal for all intercity buses, as most other large cities do (“Chicago may soon be largest city in Northern Hemisphere without intercity bus terminal”).

It is also inconceivable that Greyhound Lines Inc. thinks it is OK just to drop people off on the street in a big city with thousands of bus travelers. Where does one wait for a connecting bus, especially in bad weather, with no restrooms or a place to freshen up? Can you envision that happening at O’Hare or Midway?

Moreover, it is inconceivable that the city does not have any plans at this time to build a terminal or purchase the existing depot. I thought it took a lot of assuming for the city to decide that it would be OK to just dump the bus riders off at Union Station and use their waiting room and facilities. Union Station does not want to be used as a bus depot. There used to be signs (maybe they’re still there) that said, in essence, “Bus travelers not welcome.”

When the city built the CTA depot across the street from Union Station, they should have planned better.

I’ve traveled on Megabus several times to Minneapolis/St. Paul and to Louisville because it was convenient, but departures and arrivals were on the street. The Chicago stop was at Polk and Clinton, a very out-of-the-way, dreary location, and you felt a bit uneasy when you had a late evening or midnight run. Besides that, no facilities. It was not very inviting.

You wondered how visitors felt upon their arrival at the big city.

St. Paul has a very nice bus depot. If St. Paul, not a huge city, can have a depot, we surely can and must have one.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s favorite word is “equity.” It has been reported that most of those who ride the bus are low-income travelers. If he wants to practice “equity,” here’s a good place to start. We are just coming off the very successful Democratic convention where the mayor and other politicos touted the greatness of Chicago as a world-class city.

One last thing: If the city does invest in a bus terminal, I would expect that Greyhound, along with all other intercity buses, would contribute to the effort or at least pay a licensing fee as the airlines do because those passengers are their customers.

Mario Caruso, Lincoln Square

Shills for Putin, selling out America

So the Russians continue to use the tools and suckers of the American right to spread their propaganda and undermine our democracy. Sad and alarming as it may be, it’s barely even a news item, after watching everyone from Tucker Carlson to Marjorie Taylor Greene to Donald Trump himself consistently shill for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the last eight years.

If you believe these so-called influencers were truly unaware, that makes them dupes at best.

If, however, they weren’t “deceived,” as they now claim, then they’re effectively Russian agents, which exposes them for the traitors they are. These people have the nerve to call Kamala Harris “comrade” while taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from Russia to spread anti-American lies. Trump’s Republican Party is selling out America.

Dan Witte, Forest Park

Fed up with piping plovers

Can we stop with the piping plover stories? Is this a metropolitan newspaper or a resort town monthly?

Mike Tafoya, Hegewisch

Indigenous blessing for bison had meaning

I recently read a Sun-Times article about Brookfield Zoo euthanizing an ailing bison. The article explained how bison hold a special meaning, through the ages, for Indigenous people. So an Indigenous blessing was given for the animal.

At the time, I thought, what a nice gesture of saying goodbye to the Bison — a long-time zoo resident — and also showing respect to Indigenous people.

Then I learned that not everyone agreed, which reinforces my belief that showing our humanity and understanding of others is the only accepted gesture.

Barb Tomko, Edgewater

Questioning Liz Cheney’s credibility

Why would anybody care whom Liz Cheney endorses for president? The Cheneys have already said too much in leading the U.S. into the useless Iraq War over nonexistent weapons of mass destruction.

Jim Halas, Norridge

Conserving conservatism

Mona Charen’s column on being a conservative these days illuminated well the difficulty many Republicans face with supporting Donald Trump.

Of course, neither liberals nor conservatives have all the answers, and many eventually see the flaws in the social, political, economic and psychological views of both the right and the left. Indeed, it’s difficult to believe that some conservatives do not have mixed feelings about a firm, intransigent pro-life policy.

The truth is that Trump is not the face of conservatism, and those Republicans who fail to get on board with Trump are not surrendering their right to identify as a conservative. At his very best, Donald Trump is an opportunist conservative who will spout any view (conservative or liberal) as long as it advances his interest.

Being a supporter of conservatism should in no way compel one to be loyal to Donald Trump.

Terry Takash, Western Springs

Trump’s material is old

Back in the good old days, when a vaudeville joker kept using the same stale material, continued to miss his marks, lost his timing and, despite cues from his handlers, stumbled through whatever lines he could remember, he would be given the hook.

William Gottschalk, Lake Forest