The sight of Charles Flowers being led away by police in handcuffs last week told the story of another public official accused of breaking the law.
Flowers is the superintendent of the Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education. He faces theft and official misconduct charges for allegedly stealing about $375,000 in funds.
Many other incidents of government incompetence aren’t as scandalous as the Flowers case is, but they are still rampant.
Last year, the Geneva Community Unit School District 304 Board of Education could issue only a warning to a teacher who made a slur about gay people during some classes. How is it possible that the teacher could say something so offensive and the School Board couldn’t sanction him more severely?
Last month, the DuPage Water Commission had to take out a $30 million loan to pay its bills through mid-February. Officials found last year that potential mismanagement had caused the $20 million emergency reserve fund to become depleted.
I’ve never dreaded an election like the one coming up next month. Will voting for anyone on the ballot make a difference?
Our school districts are broke. Our towns are broke. Our state is broke. How in the world could we be paying so much in taxes and, yet, governments don’t seem to have any money?
It’s vitally important for people to change the system at every level of government. Far too many career politicians are in public office to enrich themselves and their buddies. This goes for members of virtually all political parties.
Yes, voters will have substantial ideological differences. I fully expect them to make their ballot selections on this basis.
But what we all share in common is the need for effective government run by competent leaders. If liberals, conservatives, independents and everyone in between can agree on one thing, it’s to demand that those who serve in public office stop wasting money and become good stewards of the resources we give them.
Some politicians have had their jobs for many years. It’s long past time they get to work.
Jerry Moore is the opinions editor for Suburban Life Publications. Contact him at (630) 368-8930 or jmoore@mysuburbanlife.com. His blog, Suburban Shoutout, can be found at blogs.mysuburbanlife.com/jerry-moore.
