Editorial: Steer clear in Syria
Deplorable seems inadequate to describe how wrong Vladimir Putin is to double-down on Russia’s support for dictator Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s civil war. Still, one bad decision doesn’t warrant another. We think President Barack Obama, after wisely and valiantly resisting pressure for two years to …
Editorial: Cellphone users spending money they don’t have to
Cellphone users long have struggled with unneeded or even fraudulent items hidden in their long, complicated bills. Now, the Citizens Utility Board reports there’s another unexpected category of “wireless waste”: data plans that cost Illinois smartphone users $1.4 billion a year more than they should. …
Editorial: Jail crowding is costly, needs to be fixed
Cook County’s bail system is broken. People charged with nonviolent crimes, but who don’t have money to make bail, spend weeks or months awaiting trial. Costs to the taxpayers are soaring, and they could go far higher if a federal court orders the county to …
Editorial: RICO is effective tool for going after gangs
We can’t arrest our way to a low-crime, gang-free city, but cracking down wholesale on the worst gangs is an excellent part of the solution. On Thursday, charges were unsealed against 23 alleged gang members under the state’s new RICO law, a development that authorities …
Editorial: Congress should jump to fix student-loan hike
Pretty much everyone agrees that America’s $1 trillion mountain of student debt is not only a lamentable burden on young adults but also a significant drag on the economy. But the usual gridlock in Washington threatens to add to all that debt by letting rates …
Editorial: Compromise on pensions
House Speaker Mike Madigan is right. His bill, with some tweaks, offers the only acceptable route out of Illinois’ pension mess. It is the only pension cost-cutting bill that generates enough savings to qualify as a real solution. It is, then, the bill lawmakers should …
Editorial: Drunken boaters beware
Ten years. For drinking too much, and snorting a little cocaine and roaring so recklessly across a crowded lake in a powerboat that a little boy in the water was run over and killed. A stiff sentence, to be sure. But necessary. A Kane County …
Editorial: How CPS got into its financial mess
Mayor Rahm Emanuel this week refused to rule out lifting Chicago’s property tax cap — a move that would pave the way for a school property tax hike larger than the law currently allows. It’s easy to see why. The financial picture for Chicago’s school …
Editorial: Muddy Waters’ old house is worth saving
Chicago gave the world the hard-charging urban blues, which morphed into rock ’n’ roll. We would be smart as a city to play that up a little more, for the sake of tourism and plain old civic pride, beginning with saving Muddy Waters’ old house …
Editorial: Keep Americans informed about details of government surveillance
Setting aside for the moment what price Edward Snowden eventually will pay for leaking information about U.S. surveillance programs, this is something all Americans had every right to know about. The American Civil Liberties Union took a step in the right direction Tuesday by filing …
Editorial: Gov hopefuls need to put state’s pension challenge ahead of 2014 race
Pension reform in Illinois could use a little help from its friends. Gov. Pat Quinn has called legislators back to Springfield for a June 19 special session for another go-around on Illinois’ biggest financial challenge, trimming future pension costs to something the state can afford. …
Editorial: After a year of chaos, a plan for the schools
It’s good to have a plan. In fact it’s essential for the Chicago Public Schools to have a long-term vision, especially after the year we’ve had (you might recall the teachers strike and the vote on closing of 50 schools). But here’s what matters most: …
Editorial: Illinois concealed-carry law needs amendatory veto from Quinn
The bill permitting the concealed carrying of weapons that passed in the closing days of the Illinois General Assembly spring session includes provisions that create a bad legislative precedent and public safety risks. Although the bill sailed through by wide margins, Gov. Pat Quinn should …
Editorial: Immigration reform puts GOP to the test
President Barack Obama is scheduled to give a big speech at the White House Tuesday on immigration reform, but everybody knows the real action is down the street at the Capitol Building. It is there that Senate Republicans must choose whether to finally join with …
Editorial: A pretend fire chief
Why are public employees so furious about any and every effort to cut their pensions? Because they thought they had a promise and they want to live with dignity in retirement and, honestly, wouldn’t you fight to keep every dollar? But there is something else. …
