On Wednesday, a DuPage County jury sentenced Brian Dugan to death for the murder of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico of Naperville, who he abducted, raped and murdered in 1983. Dugan also murdered two other women, along with committing other rapes and crimes. There doesn't seem to be any question of Dugan's guilt, especially since he confessed.
But enforcement of the death penalty has been suspended in Illinois since the end of Gov. George Ryan's term, when a seemingly endless string of exonerations of Death Row convicts threw the state's legal system in doubt. Ryan believed there was too high of a chance of a wrongly convicted person being executed and suspended the penalty until things improved.
Convicts serving long sentences are still being exonerated in Illinois, however, So the question is, should the state bring back enforcement of the death penalty? What needs to be done to ensure there are no more cases like that of Rolando Cruz, who was convicted of Jeanine Nicarico's murder and sentenced to death long before Dugan was a suspect? Or is the system too flawed to risk executing an innocent person?
Gen. Stanley McChrystal has requested as many as 40,000 additional troops for the fight in Afghanistan, warning the U.S. could lose the war without the additional help. But with all indications pointing to a corrupt Afghan national election and a weak and corrupt Afghan government, many critics are wondering if the war is winnable and if the U.S. and NATO forces should cut our losses and pull out now. Eight years into the war effort, the U.S. presence in the country doesn't appear to be near the end of its mission, and the situation actually appears to be worse than it was years ago.
On the other hand, remember why American troops went into Afghanistan. It's Taliban government, besides brutally oppressing its people and forcing them to live a primitive lifestyle without education or culture, was also harboring al-Qaeda and numerous foreign terrorists. Should the U.S. pull out, it seems likely the Taliban would come charging back, punishing all those who dared to embrace the Americans and our democratic reforms. One can imagine the video coming out of the country as Osama bin Laden and other terrorists gloat over their victory over the Western forces. And with Pakistan finally moving against militants in that country, we would seem to be leaving just when there was the possibility of some progress.
Do you think the U.S. should send more troops, maintain troop levels, or pull out before more Americans are lost?
During a meeting Thursday, those for and against a new Muslim center in unincorporated DuPage County just east of Naperville learned about new conditions under which a county committee would agree to a permit. Neighbors to the facility have said the noise, parking and possible late nights would be a burden. However, applicants for the Irshad Learning Center agreed to changes, including an increase in parking, berms to shield the view of the center from neighbors and moving part or all of a septic field.
One member of Irshad did question "Why have we been singled out, as if our activity should be restricted?
What do you think? Are they being discriminated against? Are the rules fair? How about neighbors? What are your biggest concerns?
In a close 5-4 vote Monday night, the Naperville City Council agreed to raise the property tax rate from 0.7167 percent to 0.7367 percent.
The city has in the past approved a property tax rate increase and then lowered it when assessments are released, and officials claim the same thing will happen this time. The city plans to collect more than $50.6 million in property taxes next year and only approved the higher rate in case assessments fall, to ensure city services are funded.
This is necessary because a property tax levy must be approved well in advance of the budget year's beginning.
Councilwoman Judy Brodhead said the assessment was much more important to a person's tax payment than the tax rate, but Councilman Bob Fieseler objected to a tax that is impossible for a struggling property owner to avoid, unlike a sales tax.
Still, for owners hoping a drop in property values would mean a drop in taxes, it would seem the city is planning for a way around that contingency.
What do you think? Is this just business as usual or do you object?
Edward Hospital announced Monday new restrictions on visitors put in place because of H1N1 flu fears.
All visitors under age 18 are prohibited, including those who want to visit a newborn sibling. All others, regardless of age, are asked to refrain from visiting, if possible. You should not visit if you have any upper respiratory signs or symptoms. Patients and visitors with any upper respiratory signs and symptoms such as cough, fever, sore throat or general fatigue will be asked to wear a mask from the time they arrive until they leave or are instructed otherwise.
One can easily imagine a scenario where a parent is dying or facing serious surgery and the family wants to visit one last time, but is denied because of this policy. Of course, one can also imagine a sick visitor spreading an infection that sweeps through the vulnerable hospital population. Do you think this is something that has to be done, or is the hospital overreacting?
For awhile it seemed likely that the swine flu scary would turn out like a few other potential pandemics of recent years, such as avian flu and SARS, in other words, a lot of excitement but little real impact.
But with a second Naperville resident dying at least partially because of the flu on Wednesday, and with another death in Sandwich and more than 900 students sick at St. Charles East High School, it's starting to look like H1N1 may be for real.
Are you more worried about the flu now than a few months ago? Do you plan to get vaccinated?
The Naperville Public Library is consistantly at the top of the list of best libraries in the country. But it has seen a reduction in its tax levy two years in a row, dropping 6 percent in 2009 and nearly 7 percent in 2010.
Officials are being asked by the city to cut $1.1 million from the library budget to help eliminate the city's deficit. The library is proposing to use $500,000 from its operations fund, as well as a request that the city waive the library paying $150,000 into Naperville's IMRF and health insurance fund. Other proposals include cutting Sunday hours, discontinuing 'premium pay' on Sundays, and cutting staff.
Previously the library had been forced to cut many programs, book clubs and other events many residents had enjoyed, along with buying fewer books and reducing time materials can be checked out.
What do you think of the proposed cuts to the library? Can it maintain its quality with all the reductions?
Since the topics being discussed on the open topic forum appeal to some and not to others, I wanted to provide a second option for people who want to discuss something totally different than city or national politics. So this one's for you. So please, no pensions, home rule, Napergate, or pro- or anti- Obama on here.
As we do here on occasion, this is an open topic for whatever is on your mind. But please, not something that's already being discussed elsewhere on a recent board.
We are repeatedly told that public transportation is the wave of the future. As population increases and emissions and pollution become more important in the public consciousness, we will need new ways to cope. Traffic jams are getting more frequent, and road construction is far behind and doesn't appear able to catch up.
However, few people use public transportation. Pace is considering cutting 51 suburban bus routes, including five in Naperville. Most people have never taken or rarely take a bus, though some depend on them. The waiting list for parking spots at the train station takes years to reach the bottom. Besides that, the train is only practical for those who work in Chicago or somewhere else along the rail line, and many towns are nowhere near a commuter rail line.
Planners say the future looks like the area around Naperville's downtown train station, with high density residential and commercial property where everyone lives close to public transportation. But it seems likely most people will continue to live far from such locations.
So what can be done to improve transportation in the Chicago area? Can buses and trains be the answer or do we need another option? What other options would you suggest? Do you ever take public transportation?
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