Age of enlightenment?
Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs says he panicked after crashing his high, high-end car into a light pole at 3 in the morning and left the scene to "avoid a scene." Then he told police a wild tale about his car being stolen, before calling them back to tell them the truth. Why? Because his lie nearly instantly sounded "ridiculous," even to him. He says he's learned from his mistakes. And that he loves everybody. He sounds just like a teenager, caught doing something wrong and trying to wriggle his way out of trouble. Problem is, he's 26, not 16.
More join mania
No municipal government seems immune to the lure of the latest revenue craze -- grabbing people's cars for various traffic offenses and demanding a big glob of cash to give them back. First it was Elgin and Carpentersville, who have a glut of unlicensed and uninsured drivers operating on their roads. But Algonquin? The police chief had no statistics to indicate how many drivers had been ticketed for the various offenses that would lead to such confiscation there. But village officials knew $500 seemed like a nice round number to demand for returning a car. First gambling as a premier source of revenue. Now confiscation. Anybody nervous yet?
Camera cash
If the locals haven't grabbed your car, state and local officials may soon be sending you a camera-generated speeding ticket or other traffic ticket. Yes, it's about enforcement. But it's at least as much about money. Chicago made more than $20 million last year in camera-generated fines for red light violations alone. With that kind of cash as temptation, you can expect more cameras where you live, too.
Getting tough?
If you want ugly real estate signs to disappear from public rights of way, picking them up certainly works. But as Kane County has found out, it can take a lot of manpower, cash and persistence to keep up with the seemingly unending supply of subdivision and home builder signs. Thus, the county board's transportation committee has recommended a $100 per day fine for signs found on public property. Good idea, although if Algonquin (above) is any example, the county may be thinking too small on the fine. Want to change behavior? Make sure it's more painful to do it than to stop doing it.
A lovely gift
When Jake Taylor of Bartlett dropped a pencil, he was pretty much stuck -- until Sable entered his life. Jake is 7, suffers from a congenital muscular and joint disease and spends a lot of time in a wheelchair. Sable is a black Labrador retriever for whom serving Jake became a life's work last week, including the picking up of dropped pencils. Sable was a gift from Dogs for Disabilities, a not-for-profit group run by Dan and Sue Wasilas of Batavia. After training with Sable at TOPS Canine Complex in Grayslake for most of the summer, Jake took her home last week. She's already part of the family, Jake's companion and likely an icebreaker with other kids, who might otherwise be reluctant to approach Jake in his chair. A lovely gift for a kid who faces plenty of challenges each day.
Get rid of the stripes
It's good to see the inmates working on the grounds of the Kane County jail, but their garb of broad gray stripes is reminiscent of the 1932 film "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang." Kane County officials opted to build a new $55.8 million jail, which may be completed next year. Maybe a more modern prison uniform is in order as well.