Contortions needed to defend those on wrong side of law

Is it possible that Carpentersville Village President Bill Sarto actually believes his own words?

Or are they evidence of the logical contortions required to defend lawbreakers?

Over his objections, the village board last week voted 4-3 to impound the vehicles of those drivers caught driving under the influence or without a valid license or insurance, and apply a fee of up to $500 to get a towed vehicle back.

Given Carpentersville police issued 983 tickets in the first six months of this year for driving without a license and another 974 for driving without insurance, it's hard to argue the village doesn't have a problem in these areas. But Sarto ignores the risks and costs unlicensed and uninsured drivers present on the road. Nope, this is simply picking on Hispanics as far as he is concerned.

"I see this as targeting Hispanics since they are the ones who are most often on the roads without a license or insurance," said Sarto.

So, while the board majority sees the ordinance as targeting lawbreakers, he sees it as unfairly targeting Hispanics because they, by his own words, are the most likely to be breaking the law in these areas.

Only two possible conclusions can be drawn from Sarto's position. Either he believes Hispanics should be exempt from following the laws of society or he believes that we shouldn't enforce laws that are being violated with impunity.

Either way, that view, coupled with Sarto's intimation that enforcement thus is unfair, divisive and racist is exactly what has stirred a largely apathetic public to life on the issue of illegal immigration. Quite simply, they are tired of being called racists because they expect others to follow the same rules they do.

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Paying a premium: So there's a kid involved enough in drug abuse that he has been placed in a residential treatment facility.

Guess who is likely picking up his education tab? You are.

State law requires school districts to pay for residents of their districts unless it was a court-ordered placement, in which case an appellate court has held the court responsible for paying the tab.

It is a very hefty tab.

"Nowhere else do we spend $135 a day for instruction," said Elgin School District U-46 Chief Financial Officer John Prince. "That's $25,000 a year for one student."

He said the state does reimburse the district to some extent, but that "it doesn't come close" to covering the cost.

Rest assured, if your kid is in a public school, following the rules and not part of some "special" class, he's not getting anywhere close to $25,000 spent on his education.

This issue surfaced after Kane County Court Services refused to pay a $40,000 tuition bill from Gateway Youth Care Foundation, a private drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in Lake County. The county is pushing legislation that would hold the resident school district responsible for the bill instead.

But whether it's a school district or a state court that pays, taxpayers are on the hook.

And all parents must be wondering why they can't get the same sweet deal -- a pricey private education on somebody else's dime.