Soapbox: And this time he means it!
When federal Judge Michael Mason again extended the deadline for discovery in the discrimination lawsuit filed against Elgin School District U-46, you could almost feel residents groan. The district has already spent more than $3 million to defend itself and Mason has yet to even rule on whether the suit will become a class action. In June, Mason extended discovery (trading of evidence) until Nov. 1. Now it's been extended to Nov. 29, more than a year after discovery began. Mason told the parties involved that he'd brook no extension after that date. We're pretty certain residents footing the legal bills are hoping he means it this time.
Be certain of windy benefits
Community Unit District 300 is considering a wind turbine at its Ketchum Road campus in Hampshire to help reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and reduce overall energy costs. Not a bad idea, but 13 years seems a long time to wait to break even on the investment. And taxpayers would probably feel a mite more supportive if the district could provide a little more than hope that it'll reduce energy costs overall. With electricity charges only likely to go up, the switch is worth considering. But only if taxpayers can be assured it won't be more of their tax dollars blowin' in the wind at the end of the experiment.
Too good to be true?
Given the number of people who find themselves drowning in debt and bad financial decisions these days, it's not a bad thing that Carpentersville's Morningside neighborhood is a bit skeptical of a home rehabilitation grant program that seems too good to be true to many of them. The grants are available to low-income neighborhoods for interior and exterior repairs and are funded by Federal Home Loan Bank, the Illinois Housing Development Authority and local banks. The loans must be repaid only if the homeowner moves within five years. But only one resident had participated and village staff members were seeking more participants before a funding program ended. Yes, be skeptical. Ask questions. But this program is a good one unless you're planning a move.
Not good enough
In what he apparently considers a magnanimous decision, Kane County Republican Party Chairman Dennis Wiggins has taken a leave of absence from his chairmanship until the day after the Feb. 5 primary. Why? Because he's on the payroll of state Sen. Chris Lauzen, who is running for the GOP nod in the 14th District U.S. House race. Not hard to imagine why other Republicans seeking the same nod -- Jim Oberweis and Kevin Burns -- might not be too happy. But surely Wiggins can't believe a leave of absence is good enough. Money buys loyalty and his loyalty now lies with Lauzen, not county Republicans in general. He should step down permanently.
Silly law spurs silly lawsuit
It takes a highly elastic imagination to fathom just how the constitutional rights of Buffalo Grove atheist Robert Sherman or his daughter might be harmed by a newly required moment of silence in Illinois public schools. Nonetheless, if those who sponsored or voted for this pointless law claim that they never envisioned legal tests, then they really should not be allowed anywhere near a statehouse voting button again. The law and the Shermans' lawsuit compel High School District 214 to waste time and money to defend a law it didn't even seek. One more bit of evidence that state lawmakers really botched matters by refusing to be satisfied with an existing law that allowed, but did not require, a moment of silence to start the school day.