Opinion
John Rung Publisher
Dan McCaleb Senior Editor
Sunday, February 3, 2013 • Page A11 • Northwest Herald • NWHerald.com 8OUR VIEW
8SKETCH VIEW
Too much of a good thing Executives of companies that start hoarding loads of cash shouldn’t be surprised if their shareholders ask questions. Why isn’t this money being used to grow the business and generate even more profits? Or, why isn’t it being returned to the investors? We think taxpayers should be asking similar questions about local government bodies that also hoard cash. While state and federal governments are going broke, a story in last week’s For the record Northwest Herald might have Local governments need to surprised some keep money in reserve in the readers. The story case of emergencies. But they detailed how some need to be reasonable about it, smaller municipal and remember that that money governments in belongs to taxpayers. McHenry County have been piling up large reserves of cash, even as propertytax bills have risen and property values have declined. State law doesn’t mandate what an individual taxing body should keep in reserves – neither a minimum nor a maximum. But as a matter of policy, agencies should use sound judgment and not build excessive amounts of cash reserves. After all, it is taxpayer money we’re talking about. If government bodies don’t need all the tax revenue they collect in a given year, perhaps they’re collecting too much from their taxpayers. The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada recommends that a minimum of two months of expenses be kept in reserve by governmental agencies. Many governments use three or four months as a guideline. We think that’s reasonable. Having a few months in reserves can protect staffing and services during downturns in the economy, as we experienced recently with the Great Recession. But a glance at some local governmental budgets shows some taxing bodies are keeping reserves up to half or more of their entire annual operating budgets. That’s too much. If a government body is able to keep that much cash on hand, the simple solution in the business world would be to return the money to shareholders. In this case, that’s the taxpayers.
8ANOTHER VIEW
No work, no pay The concept is so simple that even a U.S. congressman can understand it: No work, no pay. On Jan. 23, a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House approved legislation that would withhold the pay of members of Congress if they fail to pass a budget resolution, which is included in their job descriptions. The measure directs both the House and Senate to adopt budget resolutions by April 15. If either chamber fails to pass a budget in that time, members of that body would have their paychecks withheld until one is passed. It also extends the debt ceiling through May 18. That gives Congress and President Barack Obama a few more months to agree to spending cuts – something the Democrats wouldn’t do as part of the deal to avoid going over the so-called fiscal cliff. Yes, the vote means kicking the can down the road a bit longer. But this time, it’s for a good reason. The Democratic-controlled Senate hasn’t passed a budget in four years. That’s inexcusable. It’s also a violation of the 1874 Budget Control Act. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the upper chamber will pass “No Budget, No Pay” fairly quickly. Then both houses can immediately get down to work and approve a budget that reduces debt and is fiscally responsible for the long haul, not one that’s a shortterm fix. Putting members of Congress on the spot – Republicans as well as Democrats – is overdue. Savannah (Ga.) Morning News
8IT’S YOUR WRITE Destructive path To the Editor: The closer the Feb. 26 election gets, the nastier things are for Supervisor Linda Moore. Why must people be so nasty? Shamefully, the four trustees in Grafton Township have been on a destructive path during the past four years. The trustees, not the supervisor, voted to raise the tax levy at every chance they had, even though the economy is so bad. She brought informative speakers to our bimonthly bingo. When the trustees cut bingo funding, she found private funding. They claimed bingo cost $300, when it really cost $80. I guess seniors aren’t worth the cost, yet they spent hundreds of thousands on their lawyers while placing the blame on Moore. People should see through the trustees’ lies and vengeful acts. If the trustees would have paid the loan back in 2010, the township wouldn’t have wasted money on interest charges. Loretta Wuich Huntley
Pro-life movement To the Editor: On Jan. 25, the annual March for Life was held in Washington, D.C. The March for Life is a peaceful protest of the Roe v. Wade decision passed on Jan. 22, 1973. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in America and is responsible for the deaths of at least 55 million babies. Hundreds of thousands of pro-life Americans travel to Washington every January for this event. An estimated 600,000 to 750,000 people participated in the March this year, a record high. However, this powerful, extraordinary, and constantly growing event is very minimally covered by the news, if at all. America needs to know that the pro-life movement is very much alive and thriving in our country. The vast majority of marchers are under the age of 25. My generation will not rest until we see that Roe v. Wade is overturned.
It blows me away that an event of this magnitude is ignored by the increasingly liberal media. I understand why, though. The liberal media and administration running our country are terrified of the power of the pro-life movement. They know that they cannot hide behind a façade of “choice” much longer, and the truth will soon be revealed: Abortion stops a beating heart. The pro-life movement is one of hope, love and healing, and one that will not be silenced. I encourage readers to look into this incredible stand for human rights, for the 55 million, and counting, lives that have been lost. Lizzy Svigelj Crystal Lake
Strangely silent To the Editor: The media, along with many private citizens, are calling on the Obama administration to pass gun control and an assault weapons ban. The Northwest Herald has published many letters from antigun advocates who want the government to take control of guns. They don’t want guns in the hands of killers anymore – a lofty goal. But wait. Where were these same people who abhor violence when the White House Justice Department sanctioned the illegal sale of automatic weapons to Mexican drug cartels? Eric Holder stonewalled the congressional investigation and held his own investigation which, of course, did not hold him responsible. What a surprise. Where has the media been for the past few years while U.S. agents and Mexicans are gunned down by weapons provided by our own administration? Where’s the outrage by those writing the Northwest Herald, demanding more gun control when they discovered this incredible story? It’s been a back-page story, largely unreported by the media, and ignored by those who can’t find any fault with this administration. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
8SPEAK OUT
Q “What is your favorite thing about Super Bowl Sunday?”
SPEAK OUT ON FACEBOOK “I like the Super Bowl for the commercials and the halftime show. And the food and beer.”
“When the Packers win. That’s the only time I like it.”
“When it’s over.” Ed Painter Algonquin
Brian Klinger Cary
Ashley Chrusniak Woodstock
Editorial Board: John Rung, Dan McCaleb, Kevin Lyons, Stacia Hahn, Jon Styf, Kate Schott
8THE FIRST AMENDMENT
Northwest Herald asked this same question on its Facebook page. At right are a few of the responses.
How to sound off We welcome original letters on public issues. Letters must include the author’s full name, home address and day and evening telephone numbers. We limit letters to 250 words and one published letter every 30 days. Elecrtion-related letters are limited to 150 words. All letters
Firearms and Explosives made legal dealers sell guns to murderers and it doesn’t make the news or find outrage in the masses. The slaughter in Connecticut, along with the anti-gun lobby, brought this subject of gun control to our attention. But I ask, where have they been while our agents and innocent Mexicans are being slaughtered every day by guns sold and delivered to drug cartels by the Justice Department? They have been strangely silent. Mark Rehorst Woodstock
Destroying our culture To the Editor: With tears in my eyes and sadness in my heart, I watch and listen to the endless and mindless actions that are destroying the core of our American culture. We have killed more than 55 million babies through abortion since 1973 and the Roe v. Wade decision. Of those, 2 percent are attributed to the mother’s life being in danger, and another 2 percent are due to incest and/or rape. We have successfully purged God from our schools, governments and the town squares. We have totally ignored the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, the supreme law of our land, and our Founding Fathers intentions, and circumvented it with activist judges and executive orders. We have destroyed the American family and all of the values that go along with it and replaced it with a dysfunctional “new normal” We pay absolutely no attention to fiscal responsibility.
“The puppy bowl on Animal Planet ... and they are adding hedgehog cheerleaders this year. How cool is that!”
are subject to editing for length and clarity at the sole discretion of the editor. Submit letters by: • E-mail: letters@nwherald.com • Mail: Northwest Herald “It’s Your Write” Box 250 Crystal Lake, IL 60039-0250
We disregard the Ten Commandments and our faith in a supreme being because they are inconvenient to us or offensive to some people. And yet we the people of the United States dare to debate the cause of tragedies such as Sandy Hook? John J. Smith McHenry
Did nothing To the Editor: This is an open letter to all firearms owners, with apologies to the Rev. Martin Niemöller. When they came for the guns thousands of miles away, I did nothing. They were, after all, many states away, and they had voted themselves into their predicament. When they came for the guns in a neighboring state, I did nothing. They were a blue state, and if members of that constituency felt differently, they should’ve moved. When they came for the guns in Chicago, I did nothing. Surely they had learned from a failed 30-year ban. Besides, that oppressive sinkhole of liberalism deserves what it gets. When they came for my neighbors’ guns, I did nothing. He doesn’t hunt, collect, or sportshoot. His guns are kept for the express purpose of taking a life. When they came for my guns, my fellow gun owners had been registered, taxed and legislated to death. I stood alone because we did not stand united. Adam Lewis Island Lake
“Beer and others.” Jason Nicholas Woodstock
Jan Polep Cary “The gym and mall will be empty. I will enjoy the peace.” Alexis Hoffman, Crystal Lake
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