Yesterday, I started a story on the February 5th Northwest Herald editorial about the McHenry County College Board’s infringement of the First Amendment, but got so worked up thinking about the underhandedness of its minor league baseball scheme that I summarized highlights of its so, so flawed decision-making process.

Today, I finally get to discussing the editorial.

It suggests the MCC Board should “rethink” its policy to limit photography during its meetings.

The editorial notes the limitations were passed “in reaction to Cal Skinner’s coverage of their meetings. Skinner once was a state representative and now is a local blogger. Skinner’s coverage included lots of photos, and board members have found the flashing from Skinner’s camera to be a distraction.”

Continuing,

”’You look up, and we’re looking at our staff people. All of a sudden, there goes a flash bulb in your eye and … you can’t see. It’s annoying,’ College Board Chairman George Lowe said.

“Perhaps it is annoying. But last we checked, annoying speech is covered by the First Amendment.”

The editorial then notes its editorial board’s disapproval of the board majority’s censure of Board President Scott Summers and Finance Committee Chair Donna Kurtz.

It points out that the photography restrictions could be seen as an attempt to silence my criticism of MCC’s taxpayer subsidy of the baseball stadium’s private investors, whose names, I would point out, are still unknown and concludes,

”At a time when MCC is returning to Crystal Lake with a new expansion plan, this is the wrong message to send to the community. MCC should be working to repair trust with the community. Moves such as the photography restriction do the opposite.“

Remember, this comes from a newspaper that has supported the building of MCC’s minor league baseball stadium.

Thanks, Northwest Herald.

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Good thing all images can be enlarged by clicking on them. The Northwest Herald’s summary of its February 5, 2008, editorial surely can be read as it appears. George Lowe’s picture is near his quote. Below appear Scott Summers and Donna Kurtz.