advertisement

Saturday Soapbox

Anti-corruption call alert:

We're running a series of editorials calling to change Illinois' corrupt ways. If you are fed up, have you called your lawmakers? They need to know "same old" won't fly anymore. Though you'd think they'd have figured it out after two governors in a row were indicted ...

And while we're at it, applause

Here's a victory from the corruption war front. A House majority this week approved a plan to end a pension perk for fellow legislators and judges. The Senate already approved it. Ending a decades-long abuse, lawmakers who move briefly into higher paying state jobs no longer will see state pensions based on that higher salary, if Gov. Quinn signs the bill. Instead, pensions would be calculated like they are for other state workers. Kudos to all for doing what's right. Extra praise to these suburban legislators who were sponsors: State Sens. Dan Kotowski, a Park Ridge Democrat; Chris Lauzen, an Aurora Republican, and state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, a Northbrook Democrat.

20 years of Sass:

While every Chicago sports talk station has rediscovered hockey this season (some used to ban hockey talk), there's one person who's been around the Chicago franchise nearly as long as the legendary Pat Foley, and that's our own Tim Sassone. He has covered the franchise for 20 years, in good times (1992 Stanley Cup Finals) and in bad times (2004, when a coach punched a player). We're definitely biased, but if you've just jumped on the Blackhawks bandwagon, pay attention to Tim's reports. He knows every refrain, and his love for the game still shines brightly.

Just like Rocky:

When Rocky Wirtz took over the Blackhawks, he had to do things differently. The franchise was ranked by some as among the worst in all sports, not just hockey. He put games on television, brought back legends as ambassadors, paid attention to customer service, and allowed changes, even risky ones like firing a coach four games into the season. Now it's time all Chicago owners follow the lead of Mr. Wirtz: sit in the stands, shake hands, and take notes on what customers say. What a refreshing - and successful - approach.

Someone should have checked:

A criminal-background check for a high-profile position like school superintendent seems like a no-brainer. Even if it wasn't, state law makes it a requirement. Every Illinois school district employee hired since 2004 must undergo a "fingerprint-based criminal history records check," according to the Illinois School Code. We're not sure if that should have been the responsibility of the search firm that helped pick Peggy Kaufmann as Mount Prospect Elementary District 57's superintendent, but we believe school board members should have known to ask.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.