Economic Discussions and Facebook Fun: Feedback Friday

Thanks to everyone in Chicago Heights, Olympia Fields and South Chicago Heights for another week of support for Chicago Heights Patch! We saw a recent surge of likes on our Facebook fan page, jumping to 327 likes!

Anyone who hasn't liked us already should definitely hop on board. We're constantly posting updates and stories.

Lets take a look at a couple of fan-focused highlights from this past week.

This week we started a new column, in which Heights resident Art Wiggins proposed his idea for how to improved the economic conditions in Chicago Heights. Art laid out a pretty comprehensive plan, leading to an array of responses:

Rusty: We have two major Ford Motor Company manufacturing facilities located at our back door. You would think the Heights would be able to attract at least one new parts vendor to open shop in this area. Someone just opened a large automotive manufacturing facility in the Monee area. The possibilities are out there. The city needs to assemble a task force that can think outside the box, and come up with these ideas. It's time to get creative and market Chicago Heights as the manufacturing hub it once was. This location is geologically convenient to many large cities. It's time to come up with new ways to attract new manufacturing interests to open up here.

Mick: Sorry. High tax rates in Cook County punish businesses. Indiana is five miles away. Will County is adjacent. Chicago Heights crime rates will be factored in. Who wants his company's buildings splashed with grafitti? When you say create jobs, are there any for Chicago Heights residents? Unlike government jobs, which you get by voting for people and putting up signs, companies hire the best, meaning you must have a good resume and valuable experience. Sorry, no shortcuts. Companies hire you if you earn more than they pay you. The Heights will hire you if your uncle voted for them. Everything he asks for is for government to do this and that, but most people, according to recent polls, want government to learn its place. People want government to adopt laissez-faire, and go back to the Constitution. The government should not decide winners and losers, but let the free market do that. The area is great at attracting strip clubs though. The Heights has a reputation for corruption, nepotism, favoritism, and politics. Indiana offers lower tax rates, a favorable business environment, and is far away from Cook County-style politics. If Cook County somehow seems attractive, Lynwood and Glenwood are better options. Government has too much power, and it is nauseating.

We even got a few comments on our Facebook page:

Vicki High: Hope the right people in the Heights read this! It's an interesting idea.

Mame Gammie: Go Art!

Homewood native and Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Laurens Grant brings the thrilling stories of American history to life in the PBS documentary The Freedom Riders. One of readers showed a little love to Grants parents, who happened to be Olympia Fields residents:

: What a well-written article about this super-talented young woman from the Southland! I saw the Oprah show on THE FREEDOM WRITERS and it definitely perked my interest in watching the show on the 16th. Kudos to Nate and Joyce Grant who obviously nurtured and supported their daughter in the best way possible.

Facebook Photo Fun

In light of prom and graduation season, we would like for high school students at Bloom, Bloom Trail, Marian Catholic and Rich Central to post their photos from prom and graduation to our Facebook wall!

We already kicked things off by posting photos from Bloom's prom, but we need your help, folks. Residents can even share their old prom pics and high school photos. Lets have fun with it!

Thanks for another great week! Make sure to tell your friends to "like" Chicago Heights Patch on Facebook!