How 'bout a reform group for DuPage?

When I read the headline for the Daily Herald editorial, "Yes, We Can Clean Government Here," I was hoping that it was in reference to DuPage County. Instead, it was praising Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn's new Illinois Reform Commission, which has volunteered "to take on the herculean task of cleaning up governments in Illinois."

I agree that our state is long overdue for "deodorizing and disinfecting." It's embarrassing to hear Illinois entered into debates over which state is the most corrupt. However, these state politicians did not become corrupt once they got to Springfield. They were apprenticed back home in the arts of shady deals, profiteering and debauchery.

Left unchecked, county cronyism begets a culture of state cronyism. We have some serious concerns of government officials right in our own backyard. Proclaiming that we're better than Cook County isn't saying much. We must require a higher bench mark to cling our pride.

While we demand accountability, transparency and ethics on the state level, we should also demand the same standards on the county level. Why not create a DuPage Reform Commission?

Jean Kaczmarek

co-chairwoman, Illinois Ballot Integrity Project

Glen Ellyn