The Soapbox

Bad moves, good move:

Gov. Pat Quinn made a calculated political move in removing from the tollway board the one outspoken critic of spending, former Waukegan Mayor Bill Morris. We’re sorry to see Naperville Mayor George Pradel get the boot, too. But we add that the reappointment of watchdog Chairman Aaron Jaffe to the gaming board was a good one.

Staying business friendly:

Despite some concerns of offending nearby residents, the Aurora City Council OK’d allowing the Sonic drive-in on Kirk Road to stay open an hour later, until midnight. They argued the restaurant has not disrupted neighbors and that a “no” vote would send an unfortunate anti-business message of quibbling over a measly hour. That makes sense.

Covering the costs:

Mundelein officials say a change they made to the village newsletter a year ago is paying off in a big way. They turned over the quarterly “Mundelein Matters” to a Wisconsin company that sells enough local advertising to cover printing costs and more. Not a bad idea for other municipalities to consider.

A case of bad timing:

Elgin OCTAVE, a group of businesspeople opposed to the city’s establishment of business licensing fees, protested en masse this week to ask the city council to stop charging them. The problem? The council is trying to cobble together a budget after learning that property value decreases might put them $13 million in the hole.

Remedy for overspending?

With a promised rollback in the Cook County sales tax, board President Toni Preckwinkle’s 2012 budget also includes some tough pills to swallow, including 1,000 layoffs largely in her own office and the health system. Because of the projected $315 million shortfall to fill, however, it may be just what the doctor ordered.

Just wondering . . .

When will the Occupiers settle in Springfield?

Delayed savings:

Lake Villa has a new contract with Fox Lake for emergency dispatch services that was seven years in the making. The change will save Lake Villa, which previously used Antioch’s services, about $50,000 a year. A sensible move, but it does raise the question: What took so long?

Don’t spread it around:

McHenry County reports 25 cases of whooping cough in schools. Pertussis spreads easily through coughing and sneezing, so children who have it should stay home at least five days, experts say. The sniffle season is still young; let’s make every effort to avoid an outbreak similar to that in 2004, when 200 cases were counted in the region.

Big support for small biz:

Last month, Nick Sarillo needed to keep his financially troubled pizza place open long enough to begin reaping the benefits of a Super Walmart opening across the street in Elgin. His email plea to Nick’s Pizza customers led to a 45 percent increase in business that got him through. Such a response speaks highly of both his establishment and the community that helped him out.

A new world record:

On Monday, the United Nations says, the earth’s 7 billionth person will be born. Better check your Halloween candy supply.