This wouldn't fly in private sector

Picture this:

You're the chairman of the board of a company with a $78 million budget. The downturn in the economy has stung you; revenue is way down. You need to find ways to weather the storm - your customers still need you.

You tell leaders of various facets of the company to trim 5.5 percent of their spending so the company doesn't go into the red. You ask them to report their results at the board meeting.

One has already made his cuts and outlines how. One says he'll take care of it but doesn't show his math. One doesn't like the grilling and begins to walk out. One doesn't even show up to the meeting and threatens to sue to prevent the board from forcing her to make cuts. One said since unionized company employees negotiated raises, he wants better pay for nonunion folks.

What's a board of directors to do?

In this case, the Kane County Board can't fire the elected department heads who have either dragged their heels or dug them in on the issue of budget cuts. That's for voters to decide.

But in the corporate world, many of them would already be looking for new jobs.

Over the course of the past couple months, many - not all - of the elected department heads in Kane County government have displayed behavior unthinkable in the private sector, moaning about their inability to cut their budgets when, clearly, cuts are required to balance the books. In one case, Circuit Court Clerk Deb Seyller decided to look into suing the county to prevent her from having to make those cuts. And since the state's attorney represents both the county and its elected leaders, the conflict of interest has forced the hiring of outside attorneys to work the case, wasting more money.

Those who are resistant to making the cuts seem to be oblivious to the realities of the economic challenges the rest of us face in our jobs: with less money you have to sometimes do the job with fewer people. Real leaders find a way to make do with less, to root out the waste, to divide necessary from desired. To think outside the box.

We don't have a specific solution to how to cut but know 5.5 percent is small potatoes.

We know that politics are involved. We know the relationship between the board and its chairman and the people elected at large to be treasurer, recorder, sheriff, etc., is a complicated one. We know that when it comes to police protection, specifically, there is a legitimate concern about fewer people in uniform. But that doesn't excuse Sheriff Pat Perez from walking out when the heat was turned up.

But we also know a lack of management and leadership when we see it. And we've been seeing far too little of either lately.

As county board member Mike Kenyon said at a recent meeting where cuts were discussed: "When somebody says (they can't make cuts) you either think we're the dumbest public, or they're not a manager."