Daily Archives: May 18, 2007

Over the past couple of weeks I have seen something I really haven’t seen much before, homeless people in the suburbs. I have seen 4 regulars so far.
Two are in Countryside, walking North on LaGrange road in the morning. One man and one woman, each pushing a battered old shopping cart full of the stuff that homeless people collect.
Another I saw tonight, in Oak Lawn, by the Home Depot on 95th street. I have never seen such battered clothes.
Finally, the one that is really heart breaking is a late 30’s early 40’s guy at 87th and Narragansett, with a sign that reads simply, Will Work For Food.
I don’t have the heart to take a photo of him.
One would think after 6 years of ‘compassionate conservatism’ you would not see this.
Think of what that half a trillion wasted on Iraq would of done.
In my 33 years on this earth, I don’t really remember this country looking this bad. Maybe in the late 80’s, early 90’s it was pretty shaky too. The streets are cracked and broken, the people are cracked and broken.
There are empty lots and unmowed lawns and houses for sale everywhere, in even formerly rich areas.
What is going on?

I did a count this morning on the number of banks I pass by on my drive to work.  My drive is about 14 miles, one way. 
I counted:
3 McDonalds
4 Full service grocery stores.
7 drug stores.
15 gas stations
and
21 Banks!
Why do we need 21 banks in 14 miles?  The numbers are actually skewed  a little bit since I drive through about 5 miles of forest preserves.  In a 6 mile stretch of 95th street, there are 17 (soon to be 19) banks!  Why do we need 3+ banks PER MILE?  That means every 0.315 miles there is a bank.  In layman’s terms, you won’t have to walk more than 2 and a half blocks to get to a bank!  I know there are 2 banks (soon to be 3) within 2 blocks of my house.  This is a Google map of a 6 mile stretch of 95th street.  I think I may of missed some as well.

I really think the Chicago market is way over-saturated with banks.  Honestly, with direct deposit I see a bank about once a month, worst case.  Normally it is once ever 2 months that I need to see a bank.  I can understand why there are so many gas stations, everyone needs to get gas once a week.  We are actually a little light when it comes to grocery stores.  I know everyone HAS to go a grocery store or eat out all the time every week, or more.

My younger brother brought up a great point, banks really don’t do much for the community.  They provide a service, but very little tax revenue.  A gas station or grocery store generates a lot of tax revenue for the community it is in and provides a useful service you NEED.  You do need banks, they are much better than currency exchanges or check cashing, but, why so many?  It is really a terrible waste of often prime real estate.