opinions
Speak Out: How did property tax go down?
Comment on property taxes: I’m reading Linda McDaniel-Hale’s column about her taxes going down 12.4 percent. Who does she know? I don’t know anyone whose taxes went down that far. Our taxes went up, and other people’s taxes went up slightly although their assessed value …
Speak Out: Riled up about road closures
Riled up about road closures: They’ve got Big Timber Road closed in order to fix that itty bitty bridge. It will probably take them all year to fix that. Now I’ve noticed they are working on Tyrrell Road in Gilberts, which is the detour route. …
Speak Out: Second Chance disappointingly about money
Second look at Second Chance Program: Regarding the Kane County state’s attorney’s idea to give second chances to drug offenders, I thought maybe a Republican in the judiciary system finally got a conscience about sending young kids to prison and giving them felonies for life …
Speak Out: Fired up about Elgin fire alarm idea
Fired up about alarm system: I would like a reporter to ask Elgin Councilman Richard Dunne why he feels it is in Elgin’s best interest to force businesses to use the city’s fire alarm monitoring system instead of the private company that I use now. …
Sleepy Hollow finds own alternative to alternative power
In 2010, the Illinois Legislature gave all municipalities the go-ahead to help taxpayers save money. The road to this savings is that cities, villages and counties are now allowed to seek competitive pricing for electric service for their residents and small businesses. When I received …
State throwing local schools under the bus
Let’s ask a fundamental question: Does the Illinois Legislature really care about public education, or must schools be shoved ever closer to the precipice in the name of fiscal balance? We ask because of several odious ideas emanating recently from Springfield regarding public schools. It …
Speak Out: Kudos to Sandy Kaptain
Kudos to Sandy Kaptain: I would like to applaud the first lady of Elgin and mayor’s wife, Sandy Kaptain, for her wonderful letter to the editor about global warming and the arts and crafts program she put on in downtown Elgin last year. I just …
Speak Out: Trains need to blow whistles at night
Don’t complain about trains: I just wanted to talk about the noisemaking railroad trains. I don’t know where anyone gets the idea that the Elgin City Council wants to spend $40,000 to study train whistles and stuff like that. I know the train does blow …
Speak Out: Opportunity to pursue a better world
Pursue a perfect world: Wouldn’t it be nice if the government was honest with its citizens? Wouldn’t it be nice if CEOs were truthful with their employees? Wouldn’t it be nice if banks were honest with their customers and investors? Wouldn’t it be nice if …
Speak Out: Property taxes here are preposterous
Preposterous property taxes: I cannot believe what Illinois charges people in the Chicago area for real estate taxes, especially the $7,000 to $12,000 a year. Yikes! To stop Illinois from taking your house, that’s $700 to $1,000 a month. I come from Colorado Springs. I …
Speak Out: Hat’s off to Ward on Gorbachev column
Kudos to Jeff Ward: My hat is off once again to Jeff Ward regarding his column on Mikhail Gorbachev’s visit to Judson University. Tying biblical references to quotes by Gorbachev and the Paul Ryan budget was spot on. Isn’t it funny how often politicians will …
Speak Out: Kane forest district still paying lots for land
Same price five years later: It sure is good to know that the Kane County Forest Preserve District is still paying the same amount for land that it was paying five years ago when the market was great. Now that the economy’s in the tank, …
2011 property tax bill: A mid-May trick, or treat?
Thanks to our own Courier News, I was tensely awaiting the arrival of our 2011 Real Estate Tax Bill. I knew it would be coming soon, but according to reports I could expect a slight increase over last year’s bill. Rising taxes are something we …
Gems worth mentioning in Elgin preservation awards
Gems worth mentioning in Elgin preservation awards Recently in Elgin was the Elgin Heritage Commission’s 23rd annual Mayor’s Awards for Preservation. The theme was Discovering America’s Hidden Gems. The event was held May 1 in Elgin’s Lords Park historical pavilion, and more than 150 people …
Speak Out: Why free loans if college is so good for income later?
College costs: I see a lot of people advocating for free college or college without all the loans. You know what? I’ve been hearing on television and the radio that the average person with a college degree will make a million more in his or …