Plenty of voters, too few candidates

The election for governor and Congress is over, but more of our tax money is spent by elected local officials sitting on the insatiable school boards, struggling city councils and redundant other public bodies.

They - over 3,800 officials in just the suburbs - are up for election next spring, but by the time most folks start thinking about that, the window to submit papers to become a candidate will have slammed shut before Christmas.

Despite the ridiculously early deadline designed to protect incumbents, it is still very easy to become a member of your local school board, city council, library, park or fire board, but time is short.

For most offices, it takes only 50 signatures on a nomination paper to become a candidate, but only four signatures are needed to run for alderman in a certain ward in West Chicago, only 12 in Warrenville, and 53 percent of all school, city and other local seats up this time were "elected" with no opposing candidate last time.

We have plenty of voters; we need more candidates or else voting is an empty right.

Outraged at spending for heated sidewalks at the two-year College of DuPage and its dozen employees who are paid more than the governor? Tired of your school board trying to keep the superintendent's pay package secret? Download a nomination packet from the DuPage Election Commission, www.dupageco.org/Election/Candidates/48208/, get your 50 signatures over a weekend and return it before the deadline.

For municipal offices, pick up a packet at your city hall; for library, park or fire board.

If you have questions about becoming a candidate, the Citizen Advocacy Center, (630) 833-4080, may be able to help.

Unless you become a candidate, we will continue with more than half our elective offices filled by folks that no one really chose.

Stan Zegel

Winfield