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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?

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?

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1827046,Library-officials-propose-cuts_NA101509.article

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?

I was never really into politics until I got to college, where my spiritual and moral beliefs started to take shape as I learned more about the world and my place in it. As a traditional Catholic with strong pro-life beliefs, I was attracted to the Republican Party, and the 2000 election took on utmost importance in my life.

I remember watching the returns on Election Night, and the overwhelming sense of disappointment I felt when the cable news networks pronounced Al Gore as the winner in Florida. Then the elation I felt later that night when they reversed the call and gave the win to George W. Bush. Of course, even later that night they reversed the call again, saying it was too close to call. You know what happened next, as the recounts and court fights stretched into weeks and we all just wanted it to be over. I was firmly convinced Bush had won and I was really starting to hate Al Gore and his supporters for not conceding and for drawing the whole thing out.

Of course, Bush was eventually named the president, but some people could never let it go and never missed an opportunity to question his legitimacy. Then the war in Iraq started, and as time went on it started to become more and more unpopular, with widespread protests and criticism. But for many, it went way beyond simple criticism. Bush was an utter moron, many said. Or he and Vice President Dick Cheney were part of a diabolical scheme to help their friends in the oil industry. They were actually behind the Sept. 11 attacks. They lied. They should be immediately impeached.

At first, I would argue with these people, trying to point out how absurd many of these charges were, but arguing did no good because these people were just unreasonable. They knew how things were and there was nothing you could do to change their mind. It's not that I didn't think Bush had his faults, because I did, but these arguments were so over the top it just became ridiculous. Eventually I just became turned off by the whole situation and started to tune out of politics.

Then came Obama's presidency. I didn't vote for him, but seeing how happy everyone seemed to be on election night, I thought this would be a good thing for the country. Give him a chance to try out his ideas and see if he could fix some of these problems in the country.

But instead, politican debate is dominated by the same irrational distractions, only coming from the other side. People were saying Obama is a secret Muslim who wants to destroy the country. He wasn't even born here and isn't really president. He is a socialist/communist and all his communist friends are trying to take over everything and ruin the country. He's going to take everyone's guns. It's the same crazy ranting that has little connection with reality, but millions of people are caught up in it.

I consider myself middle of the road politically, and I am completely turned off by the country's political climate. While some are foaming at the mouth over the encroaching socialist tide, I just can't make myself care anymore. These ideas seem so divorced from reality that they make the whole process ridiculous. I used to love talking politics, but it's harder and harder to do that now and keep it on an even keel.

Time magazine had a cover story this week on Glenn Beck and the rise of the angry voter. Is this the way American politics are destined to work from now on, with one side firmly convinced the other is the embodiment of evil on earth that must be stopped at all costs? Can we ever go back to the days when there was bipartisan cooperation on serious legislation and the two major parties disagreed but still respected one another at the end of the day? Does this kind of angry, fearful debate make you take more interest in the political process, or turn you off, as it does me?

Today is the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. What do you think of the changes in the country since that day? Or did much of what changed quickly change back? What are your strongest memories of that day? What else would you like to discuss regarding the subject?

The most-discussed issue in our nation has been and continues to be health care reform. With many different plans on the table and much misinformation and distrust in the air, it is hard to know what is really in the plan and what is just scare tactics.

What do you think of the proposed reforms? Do you think we need a national plan, or some variation on the current system? If you don't like the current proposals, how would you do it better?

Several public safety surveillance cameras are scheduled to be installed at various locations in Naperville's downtown, with the goal of having them operational by the end of October.

The city plans to install five fixed cameras at the Central Parking Facility, 75 E. Chicago Ave; and four movable cameras at four intersections: Washington Street and Jefferson Avenue, Main Street and Jackson Avenue, Main and Jefferson and Main and Chicago Avenue.

In addition, a public safety camera pod will be placed at the intersection of Washington and Chicago. The camera pod consists of five fixed cameras and one movable camera. While the fixed cameras continuously point in one direction, the movable camera provides the ability to focus on a particular location and record video should an incident take place. The camera pod will be placed at Washington Street and Chicago Avenue.

The city already has cameras at the Municipal Center, the Van Buren parking deck, downtown Metra station (Route 59 has cameras, which are under the jurisdiction of Aurora) and the city's auto test track.

The city says these cameras are needed to prevent crimes and to identify suspects when crimes are committed. What do you think of more government observation of public activities?

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1734740,Naperville-more-downtown-cameras_na082609.article

On Tuesday the City Council was set to consider pursuing a new ordinance that could lead to evicting Scott Huber from his home on the sidewalk in front of the Central Parking Facility on Chicago Avenue.

Huber has been living in that spot for the past eight years, and insists he is not in fact homeless but is living there as a form of protest against actions he feels deprived him of his home and employment.

Though he is not known for bothering passersby, some residents have complained of his presence to the city.

Do you think Huber should be forced to move?

This is an open forum for whatever you'd like to discuss, but please discuss something different than what's on the last open topic.