By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, I’m thankful to former Aurora mayor David Pierce for his input last week about the Hollywood Casino in Aurora, which opened in 1993. The former mayor wrote that the City gave the casino the land, where the casino was built and a small parking lot,
State representative Jed Davis expressed deep concern over Aurora’s mayor raising flags to full staff before the conclusion of governor JB Pritzker’s official half-staff order, which remained in effect through sunset Sunday, Sept. 14. “The Governor’s half-staff directive was clear and carries the force of state law under the Illinois
By Bela “Bill” Suhayda I began writing to The Voice because of the horrific things I came across in the editorial/opinion sections of this publication. I wanted to push back against the hatred, the shameful name calling, the lies and fabrications contained on some of these pages. So I asked
By John & Nisha Whitehead They said it was for safety. They said it was for order. They said it was for the good of the nation. They always say it’s for something good… until it isn’t. Nearly one quarter-century after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we are still living with
September 9, 2025Dear editor; A recent columnist in The Voice got it wrong about incentives given to Hollywood Casino when it came to Aurora in the early 1990s. The writer stated that “Aurora invested a load of money (a gamble) to bring the casino to Aurora.” In fact, the Hollywood
September 6, 2025Dear editor; It’s a hypocrisy that the man who is leading our Nation is a convicted criminal who wants our respect. A man who also attempted to overturn the 2020 election by promoting false public accusations that resulted in violence at the capital, then rewarded those participants with
September 8, 2025Dear editor; As one who served at the Pentagon during 9-11, I was proud to serve under the auspices that I was a defender of our homeland rather than being thought of as one who wages war. By issuing an executive order to rename the Department of Defense
The federal government is choosing to send troops into Chicago rather than focusing on the real threats to our families’ safety and well-being. Our Nation is grappling with the tragedy of yet another school shooting in Minnesota, a cost-of-living crisis and a deterioration of due process. The state of Illinois
Author’s note: Donald Trump’s threat to fire Jerome Powell, head of the Federal Reserve Bank, and the governors of the regional banks, suggests that he would like to absorb the Fed under his watchful eye. This is not the first time the Republic’s method of governing the Nation’s economy has
By John & Nisha Whitehead Donald Trump has always been a master of imagery. From his red MAGA hats to his choreographed rallies, he understands the language of spectacle. Now he has discovered the perfect propaganda machine: AI-generated images. AI allows the creation of endless variations of Trump-as-warrior, Trump-as-enforcer, Trump-as-savior.
By Dr. Glenn Mollette Little children sat in their school mass last week in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The students were at Annunciation Catholic Church which is also home to an elementary school. A shooter fired through stained glass windows into the church where students were attending mass, killing two and injuring
August 25, 2025Dear editor; August 26, 1920 marks the anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing white women the right to vote. Only decades later did black, brown, Asian and Native American women win suffrage. Despite the vote, women still battle to control their own bodies, wages
How are all you The Voice readers this week? Enjoying the 18.9% across-the-board average price increases brought on by the new tariffs? The increases in grocery prices or the $50 or more added on to the cost of major appliances? It’s enough to make you long for the good old
By Bela “Bill” Suhayda Democrats called Donald Trump: “The existential threat to our world.” Americans then elected him president. Trump made liars out of them all! Who could have known? Trump negotiated peace between Cambodia vs. Thailand, Rwanda vs. Congo, India vs. Pakistan, and he brought Middle East countries together
By John & Nisha Whitehead Cancel culture—political correctness amped up on steroids, the self-righteousness of a narcissistic age, and a mass-marketed pseudo-morality that is little more than fascism disguised as tolerance—has shifted us into an Age of Intolerance. Nothing illustrates this more clearly than president Donald Trump’s latest executive order
August 25, 2025Dear editor; I empathize with Karen Christensen and her article in The Voice August 21 on the city of Aurora government’s budget cuts to the Aurora Civic Center Authority. I felt the same emotion when the Paramount Theatre priced out the Fox Valley Symphony from using the venue.
August 24, 2025Dear editor; I would like to begin by expressing my profound appreciation for the amazingly effective piece of satirical humor offered last week by Mr. Bill Suhayda (“Trump Fought Fraudulent Investigations; Now Brings Peace”). I don’t recall having had in recent times so many hearty chuckles generated from
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, The article this week is the second of two parts on how Aurora’s government has altered the downtown over many decades. I’ll start with the public park at 27 S. Broadway. The park, between Galena Boulevard and Downer Place replaced abandoned buildings. They were torn
Musings: •The Sins of Donald J. Trump (chapter 10). He has: Closed the agency which prevents human trafficking; Stripped funds for high-speed rail in California in order to tweak governor Gavin Newsom’s nose; Gutted funding for public broadcasting (PBS and NPR); Stopped enforcing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; Withdrawn the
August 7, 2025Dear editor; Below you will find a letter that I sent to Denise Crosby at the Aurora Beacon News, in response to her column on the Aurora Civic Center Authority. Denise, I wanted to applaud you for your column today about the BOLD series and the future of
