Soapbox: Hallelujah!
Finally, a government faced with a revenue problem that isn't making tax and fee hikes a first resort. Kane County department heads got word this week that they'll have to make do with less next year due to a downturn in housing permit and recording fees and a property tax growth level down by 10 percent from last year. Layoffs. Hiring freezes. Delays in purchases. Reductions in service. All could be part of next year's reality. "The alternative … is going back to constituents who elected us all and telling them we have to raise their taxes," said finance committee member Jan Carlson. "We're not going to do that." Finally, a government that gets it.
Past mistakes cloud future
One investigation wasn't enough. Now, months after St. Charles school district board members admitted they violated the Open Meetings Act regulations, there's another probe by the Kane County state's attorney. These allegations over the conduct of board member Jim Gaffney are again brought to you by former board president Bobbie Raehl, who says Gaffney tried to use his capacity as an elected official to get extra retirement perks for former superintendent Barbara Erwin. Regardless of how this turns out, one thing is for sure: This board won't have to do much to improve on the previous group. Let's hope outrageous secret contract deals and public bickering remain a thing of the past.
Words hardly suffice
Adequate words truly fail in expressing condolences to longtime political fixture Jim Ryan and his wife, Marie, on the death by apparent suicide of their son Patrick. Ten years ago, the Ryans lost 12-year-old daughter Annie to a brain tumor. Jim and Marie have battled serious health issues themselves. We can only echo state Sen. John Millner, who poignantly summed up: "My heart goes out to them. They're just good, honest people who have endured well beyond what any family should have to experience."
Communities need a center
The Elburn and Countryside Community Center on Main Street is a historic building that provides a place for several activities year round. The Elburn residents who saved it from destruction after it closed as an elementary school in 1984 did their community a favor. Check out the "Pamper Yourself Pink" fundraiser from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday. A cost of $35 provides a fun day and helps to buy the center a new roof.
630 dialing certainly no crisis
Citizens Utility Board Executive Director David Kolata last week called the extra dialing now required of all those with a 630 phone number an inconvenience and blames inefficiencies in the distribution of numbers. "It's a totally artificial crisis," Kolata said. Well, yes, that may be true, but it's also no big deal. Electric rates and phone bills need attention. All of us having to dial 10 digits does not. We'll get used to it.
What's the point?
State legislators are having trouble this year producing a budget, resolving pension problems or coming up with badly needed money for transit, roads, bridges and schools. But given a chance to override Gov. Rod Blagojevich's prudent veto of a mandatory moment of silence for public schools, they're all over it. But why? State law already assured that any student who wanted to observe a moment if silence or pray silently could do so.
Another successful weekend
Nice to see the Scarecrow Festival provide another full weekend of family fun in St. Charles. Let's hope for another record-breaking number of scarecrows next year.