Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster

Are handicap parking privileges being abused?

May 22, 2015November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania 1 Comment

Too often, I see people briskly step out of their vehicles parked in handicapped parking zones and displaying handicapped licenses plates or handicapped rear view mirror tags. They just don’t look like they need the plates, but who in government is courageous enough to set this abuse straight? By Ray Hanania Three times in the past…

Baby Boomers, Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Have a Halal of a time at Pete’s Market, and meet women too

May 13, 2015November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Pete’s Fresh Market opened a new store in Bridgeview recently that offers the widest range of fresh deli salads and buffets, the largest I have ever seen. And I love grocery stores. By Ray Hanania I love food, especially from the Middle East. That’s one reason why I spend so much time meandering around grocery stores…

Features, food, Opinion, rayhanania, Recipes, Suburban Chicagoland

Chicagoland stores battle for growing Middle Eastern market

May 13, 2015November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

This week, another major grocery retailer entered the battle for the growing Middle Eastern food market in Chicagoland offering a wide range of Arab food products. The past half century has seen Arab food migrate from the shelves of small ethnic neighborhood food stores to the premium shelves of the largest national chains. Chicagoland has been no exception, just…

Features, food, Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Gorman gives Rauner some added ‘Big Mo’

December 29, 2013November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Gorman gives Rauner some added ‘Big Mo’ By RAY HANANIA Southwest News-Herald Newspaper Friday, December 27, 2013 Winnetka Businessman Bruce Rauner may be new to politics, but he apparently knows more about Republican politics than his rivals. Rauner won the endorsement of the Cook County Republican Party over GOP rivals State Sen. Kirk Dillard and Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford,…

elections, Opinion, Orland Park, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

What’s Peotone’s Impact On Midway Airport?

October 24, 2013November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

What’s Peotone’s Impact On Midway Airport? By RAY HANANIA Southwest News-Herald Newspaper, Friday, October 25, 2013 We hear a lot about the third airport that everyone wants to build in the “South Suburbs.” But we don’t hear enough about Midway Airport. I have been a Southwest Sider almost all of my life, migrating with my…

Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

David Orr and Making Voting Just So ‘Easy’

June 20, 2013November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

David Orr and Making Voting Just So ‘Easy’ By RAY HANANIA Southwest News-Herald Friday, June 21, 2013 Despite the low voter turnout, voting is already easy. But not everyone wants to take the time to vote. In fact, the vast majority of residences who could vote don’t even register to vote. They don’t want to….

elections, Opinion, Politics, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Local governments not responsible for flooding

April 25, 2013November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Local governments not responsible for flooding By Ray Hanania Southwest News-Herald Friday April 25, 2013 When my home flooded in 1997, the Village of Orland Park provided large garbage canisters for each group of homes that had been damaged. They also provided dozens of crates of bottled bleach to kill mold and bacteria, that one…

Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Low turnout in Chicagoland elections reflects hypocritical monitoring systems

April 9, 2013November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania 1 Comment

Low turnout reflects hypocritical monitoring systems By Ray Hanania Southwest News-Herald Newspaper Friday April 12, 2013 Everyone likes to blame the low voter turnout each year on the “low quality” or the “corruption” of elected officials in government, but I like to blame it on something else, the hypocrisy of the monitoring systems. Those “monitoring…

elections, Opinion, Politics, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Time to clean the Water Reclamation District’s political filter

December 6, 2011November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Time to clean the Water Reclamation District’s political filter
By Ray Hanania — For far too long, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Great Chicago has been a reservoir for retired, do-nothing government officials who were rewarded with spots on the board in return for their party loyalties.

Or, it has been a place where ambitious candidates with political clout have tried to launch their power dynasties.

The fact is the MWRD-GC board is unaccountable and a cesspool of wasted taxpayer dollars.

It is a do-nothing board that has spent most of its time spending money lavishly on itself and its members. They have huge salaries yet their impact on our lives has been so un-impactful.

Their primary responsibility is the management of flood water and they do a very poor job of doing that. But they do a great job of blaming everyone else.

The do-nothing chairman of the board Terrence O’Brien spent money on himself like there was no tomorrow, buying very expensive lunches and having a blast. He’s retiring after trying to turn the retirement home into a stepping stone to higher office.

General Topics, Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Bank of America should change its name

October 11, 2011November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Bank of America should change its name
By Ray Hanania — Bank of America really doesn’t deserve to carry that name. They are not very American. Or at least, they don’t seem to care much about the American people.

The bank announced it would impose a $5 monthly fee on its bank customers to use their ATM cards.

For those few out there who don’t know what an ATM card is, it is a Debit Card that takes your money out of your checking account without writing a check.

Why would they do that to their customers, you might ask? Greed? Stupidity. Greed? Greed?

Ironically, the Bank of America decision to impose the $5 fee comes right at the time when the U.S Congress is seeking to limit the outrageous profits the banks have been making off of most Americans. But worse, it comes at a time when most Americans are using Debit Cards as an alternative to credit cards as they struggle to get out of credit card debt.

General Topics, Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Harry ‘Bus’ Yourell Was a Fighter to End

September 28, 2011October 25, 2021 Ray Hanania No Comments

Harry ‘Bus’ Yourell Was a Fighter to End By Ray Hanania The first time I met Harry “Bus” Yourell was in 1978 while writing for the Southtown. At the time, he was the Worth Township Democratic Committeeman. I had written something nice about his Republican rival, Herbert V. Huskey, and “Bus” was giving me a piece…

General Topics, Opinion, Politics, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Floods Bring Tragedy Beyond Any Tragedies

July 27, 2011November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Floods Bring Tragedy Beyond Any Tragedies
By RAY HANANIA — Southwest News-Herald — Fires usually destroy a home. Floods ravage entire neighborhoods and destroy far more lives. This past week we witnessed a series of floods that hit communities from Orland Park to Des Plaines. The floods had much to do with the heavy, record rains — nine inches in July alone, a new record, they said.

Who’s responsible for floods? It’s the question everyone asks because most people do not protect themselves against flooding. One reason is that once a region floods, it floods repeatedly. So you can purchase flood insurance, but then that quickly increases to unreachable insurance premium costs.

Is there an answer to the flooding?

Features, General Topics, Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Gorman attacked by critics jealous of her leadership

November 24, 2007June 4, 2022 Ray Hanania No Comments

Gorman attacked by critics jealous of her leadership By Ray Hanania (Originally published in the Southwest News-Herald Newspaper, 11-21-2007) Liz Gorman is the Republican committeewoman of Orland Township and was elected Chair of the Cook County Republican Organization recently. She’s a tough fighter and while we have had some differences, she has one solid commitment…

Blogger, Commentary, Cook County, Opinion, Orland Park