Northwest Herald Takes Down Another of My Comments

Before I went to 11 o’clock church last Sunday, I posted a comment under the Northwest Herald’s editorial entitled,

Recall process for sore losers

It was before 11 AM.

It appears that my comment is gone. There’s no post between 10:17 this morning and 1:14 PM.

So, I’ll post it below to show you how dangerous it was:

“And there is still a day to gather signatures to run for precinct committeeman in the Republican, Democrat, Green and, in the 8th congressional district in northeastern McHenry County, the Moderate Party. 61% of the GOP slots were empty Friday afternoon. Type ‘McHenry County Republican Precinct Committeeman’ into Google and you can link to a petition form you can download.”

I guess the NW Herald, like party leaders, don’t want a lot of people to run for this lowly party office. More power concentrated in fewer hands is probably easier for the newspaper to influence.

It appears that mine is not the only disappearing comment.

The first appearing, by “silence,” refers to “Alan.” I assume “Alan” made a previous comment that was more biting that the first one from “silence:”

“is it april 1st already? i’ve read some insane things in the nwherald before, but those are usually from insane rank amateur halfwits (such as myself), not the paper’s editorial board. well, alan, i guess we have company.”

It really is amusing when newspapers take shots at suggestions that will take power away from them.

And, that certainly is the case the recall proposal.

Here’s a typical comment, from “JustAsking:”

“18 states have the ability to recall state officials. Only twice has a governor been recalled, once in the 1920’s and then recently in California.

“To say allowing it would lead to many recalls does not hold with historical fact.

“For the NWherald to say that giving voters the choice to have an additional vote in cases where an elected official breaches trust disrespects voters right to choose is just plain silly.”

Imagine letting citizens be able to threaten the security of legislators when they really stray from the farm.

Like when they vote to raise taxes—obviously, the “responsible thing to do”—in the minds of many liberal newspaper editorial boards.

And one NW Herald commenter, “casual reader,” even remembers the paper’s usual editorial position on tax hikes:

“NW Herald was oh-for-two in this editorial; term limits are also a good idea.

“If the NW Herald was as interested in good government as it is in endorsing every tax increase that comes down the street, this would be a better place to live.”

But, the NW Herald is not the only newspaper voice against recall.

Columnist Mark Brown of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks recall is an awful idea, too.

Brown argues we knew what we were getting when he was elected.

“We deserve to be stuck with him.”

McHenry County Democratic Party State Representative Jack Franks is the spear-carrier on this idea in the House; Republican State Senator Dan Cronin in the State Senate.

It’s a good gambit for his impending run for some statewide office (governor unless Lisa Madigan wants it).

I have two complaints with the proposed constitutional amendment:

(1) it requires a higher percentage of signatures for legislators and judges than for statewide elected officials (12% versus 20%) and

(2) there is nothing in the proposed amendment to allow the recall of locally elected officials.

Certainly, some readers will be able to think of some local officials they might like to threaten, I’ll bet.

Some people in Cary and probably some people within the McHenry County College district boundaries (virtually all of McHenry County, but District 300, plus the Kane County portion of District 158).

One other thought pops to mind.

Just because citizens have the right to petition doesn’t mean they exercise it.

Franks passed a bill that became law, which allows citizens for vote for single member county board districts. Such a proposal would make it easier for a door-to-door candidate to get elected, that is, one would not have to depend on costly mailings like those financed by former Republican County Central Committee Chairman Al Jourdan.


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