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Paul Sassone
Paul Sassone is a long-time columnist for Pioneer Press and a winner of a first-place award for opinion column writing from the Local Media Association. …
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Why such a rush to raise speed limit?
It doesn’t matter. That would be a normal first reaction to the news that Illinois may raise the speed limit on highways to 70 mph.
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Beer marketers should get a grip
Budweiser will introduce a bowtie-shaped beer can in May. I’ll concede it’s trendy and maybe eye-catching. But have you, or anyone you know, ever complained that a can of beer is too hard to hold?
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SciFi reality: red light camera
Life is like ... What? Today, I’m feeling that life is like a science fiction story. One of those cautionary, twilight-zoney tales about how human beings come to depend more and more on machines as their servants until one day machines take over and human …Read More
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Famous John eats like average Joe
I haven’t encountered many celebrities in my life. But, I am proud to announce that this column today will give you some hot celebrity news. Ready?
Movie saddled with expectations
Don’t pre-judge. People tell me that. Perhaps because I often have an opinion about, say, a movie before I’ve seen it. But it’s hard not to be squeamish about the upcoming film, “The Lone Ranger.”
Pondering the limits of protection
I care about the safety of children. Yet I question the proposal put forth by Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka and the accompanying bill in the Illinois Legislature sponsored by State Rep. Jack Franks (D-63rd) that would prohibit public and private schools from being used as polling places.
No Oscar? Join the incredible cast of folks who didn’t win
I live backwards. Take the Oscars, for instance. They’ve been over for a while. But I’m just catching up to the Oscar-nominated films. What most people do is see the movies nominated before the Oscars are awarded. I see the Oscar-nominated films on DVD after the awards are handed out.
Daylight time really cleans his clock
Daylight savings time is here. It started March 10. I hope you are all happy. The U.S. Department of Transportation says you are. It has a poll to prove it. Americans like that there is more light in the evening. And daylight savings time is …
We’re all in Congress together
There are many things that divide Americans. But congressional districts shouldn’t be one of them. Yet here we have, once again, candidates for a congressional seat complaining about outsiders.
So, are all jobs created equal?
Dear Governor: I am a job creator. I have been reading for a while in the Wall Street Journal how job creators should have their taxes lowered. With lowered taxes, job creators would then hire more people and the economy would be saved. So, let …
Car-repair fear is the wheel deal
My car needed an oil change, so I took it in. I always get the oil changed promptly. I had a car once I didn’t and, well, that’s a story only Edgar Allan Poe could write. So, I take my car in regularly now. But …
No, Virginia, there’s no Saturday delivery
I reached out to Fred Gailey for comment. (By the way, “reached out” is one of the new loaded phrases TV reporters use. They say they reached out to Person X, but that Person X did not respond. This makes it seem as if the …
Appealing to our animal instincts
I could just open the front door and wait for it to happen. Though that’s no guarantee it would. And while it might not happen to me, it did happen to a friend of mine. Maybe I’d better start at the beginning and explain. Since …
We see red, stores see green
Christmas is over. So what are we to spend our money on? But wait, over there on the horizon. That big, red heart. It’s Valentine’s Day, coming into view to help us boost the economy.
‘Rules of the Road’ offers a funny read
It was called “1,001 Jokes,” or maybe it was “Jokes For All Occasions.” I don’t remember, exactly. It did have one of those gray covers libraries glued on books after the original covers had worn out. I would check out that book for two weeks, …
Businesses should keep messages to themselves
I probably should have been annoyed by this sooner. What I was, and am, annoyed about this time is Starbucks ordering its employees to write political messages on the cups of coffee customers purchase.
No need for tiered handicap parking
Who can argue with Illinois’ new disabled parking law? I can, of course. The new law creates a two-tier parking system for disabled drivers: severely disabled and less severely disabled.
Turning an optimistic eye toward 2013 ...
Fiscal cliffs. Mass murder. War. Unemployment. End-of-the-world scares. Glad to see the last of 2012. But will 2013 be any better? We approach the new year warily. After all, it has the number 13 in it.
Evidence of Santa is hard to refute — for kids
I’ve known the truth about Santa Claus for years. I reasoned it out when I was a kid. My brother Mike and I thought it was strange that no matter how hard we tried, no matter how many times we punched each other on the …
Pension fix should start with legislators
It’s like giving matches to a pyromaniac. Expecting the Illinois General Assembly to solve the public pension crisis, that is. The Illinois General Assembly has created the public pension crisis. For years and years and years, Illinois legislators have not provided their share of money …
