Feeling our financial pain

In a move rarely seen by government at all levels this year, DuPage County Board members this week decided to freeze their pay for the next four years. They also cut stipends for leading board committees and eliminated mileage reimbursements. Of course, people taking pay cuts in their private sector jobs sure wouldn't mind government officials trimming instead of freezing their pay. But with so many of us feeling pain in the pocketbook, it's refreshing to see elected officials acknowledge that times are tough financially -- and that yearly pay raises aren't guaranteed. Hopefully, other elected leaders will follow DuPage board members' lead of recognizing the economic realities out there.

Only time will tell…

… if a consultant hired by the Naperville Park District board to teach members how to deal with one another will be worth the money. The fractious group has a history of petty infighting and could easily use some tips on group communication skills.

COD secrecy questioned:

Why is it nearly every time a top public official gets ousted from their job the folks who pay the salary are the last to find out why? Case in point: This week's abrupt "mutually agreed upon" decision by the College of DuPage to move COD President Sunil Chand out of the college presidency and into a new role as "president emeritus" -- while also paying for an interim president on top of that. COD Board Chairman Micheal McKinnon said "all actions are done with the best interest of the taxpayers in mind." We suspect taxpayers wouldn't mind knowing exactly why Chand was removed from his job as president -- which remains a secret -- and why they now should have to pay for both a "president emeritus" and an interim president.

This is first class?

We appreciate that to keep prices as low as possible, airlines have suspended meal service and charge you a la carte for snacks. But when did it become de rigueur on a four-hour flight from Chicago to Portland, during which the lunch hour passes, to only provide "snack" service for passengers flying first class and paying $1,840 round-trip for the privilege? Furthermore, when asked whether an 89-year-old man with a heart condition could get some assistance stowing his carry-on suitcase in an overhead bin, a member of the flight crew responded: "Flight attendants are no longer required to assist passengers." For that kind of dough and that little service, you'd think you could take your extra-wide seat home with you.

Diplomas and dilemmas

Every year, area high schools send a new crop of graduates into the world. Their accomplishments are worthy of praise, but now more than ever their future seems uncertain. It's difficult to land a job that pays a living wage without a college degree. Yet rising costs of higher education have put a degree out of the reach of many. Parents and students find themselves signing paperwork on huge loans. To complicate matters, a degree is no guarantee of a well-paying job in a shaky economy. We congratulate the class of 2008 and wish them best of luck, but something tells us they'll need more than luck.

Keep the clothes on

This weekend, bicyclists will once again be competing in Winfield's Criterium races. In the past, some competitors have changed clothes -- in full public view -- to get out of sweaty race gear. But race organizers have warned cyclists not to do that anymore. They don't want an R-rated race.