Saturday Soapbox: The clock is ticking
We think the village of Fox Lake did the right thing by dissolving the fireworks committee and taking over planning of this year's show. Time is of the essence here with the calendar turning to March. An entirely new show will have to be planned in the next three months and that may not be enough time, given the legal and funding hurdles the group would face. The result could be no show at all, and that would be a disappointment for thousands of people who enjoy it every year. That said, we think arrangements should be made quickly to form the committee so it can handle future planning of the fireworks show. Elected officials have more critical issues to address, and a separate committee should act as a buffer against politics and other forces that might undercut what is a great show.
Be a good role model
Based on his comments to WGN radio host Spike O'Dell this week, Robert Kadera of Lake Villa doesn't seem to get why it was a bad idea to fly his small airplane and land on Marriott's Lincolnshire Resort golf course because his son was running late for a tennis match. Kadera, 65, told O'Dell it was a mistake to not get Marriott's permission before flying his plane to the golf course near Lincolnshire Club on Route 22, where his 14-year-old boy had an afternoon game that had been scheduled one week ago. Beyond saying he didn't think the public was endangered, Kadera set a poor example for his teenage son. We think Kadera should be teaching his son about proper time management and how it's a bad idea to be selfish in life.
Ironic, don't you think?
State lawmakers voted Tuesday to kick God out of the classroom but put him on special license plates. Within a matter of minutes, the Illinois House first voted to undo a required moment of silence at the start of school days, then voted to create new "In God We Trust" license plates. Other than the obvious irony, the special tags are for a good cause: the money will help families of U.S. soldiers make ends meet while one half is overseas.
Open to the public?
U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve has impeccable credentials. The judge who is overseeing the ongoing political corruption trial of Antoin "Tony" Rezko was a member of the Whitewater prosecution team in the mid-1990s and, more recently, presided over the criminal trial of former Sun-Times and Hollinger CEO Conrad Black. But it'd sure be nice if her no-nonsense court management style was a little more public-friendly. The judge declined to move the highly spotlighted trial to a bigger courtroom, leading to long lines forming hours before court and others being locked out, forced to watch on a closed-circuit TV in another room. We understand the need to firmly manage these proceedings, but can't this be done without restricting public access?
Needed clout
After setting your jaw back in place from the jarring impact of your car hitting a pothole, you might ask, when are these roads going to be repaired? Well, you have someone with clout on your side. Gov. Rod Blagojevich has asked former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard to help build political support for passage of a road improvement plan in Springfield. No doubt Hastert will be reminding legislators that release of billions in federal road construction dollars set aside for Illinois is pending the state providing matching funds. Hastert and the Illinois congressional delegation worked hard to get that federal support. Now Springfield has to do its job.