Cut the County Board
This isn't the first time I completely agree with a SJ-R editorial but every time I feel surprised like it never happened before. I thought I was the only one who said the county board resembles a one-party communist politburo.
They argue for a reduction in the size of the county board that Sam Cahnman and others have been talking about for years. I supported this when I ran for county board and everyone who heard the idea was all for it. If Cook County can manage itself with 17 board members then Sangamon doesn't need 29.
The editorial also mentions Sam's reputation for being a publicity hound, but that's to be expected from any aggressive, hard working politician. Every time Sam raised an issue before the county board he was met with heckling and nasty comments from other board members who accused him of "grandstanding." Well, a public official is supposed to communicate with the public and bring issues out into the open.
Republican county board leaders will say they have a different leadership style that involves taking care of things quietly in committee without performing for the cameras. Schoenburg's profile of Andy Van Meter mentioned that he managed to stay "under the radar" despite eight years as county board chairman. The result of that approach is that most people have no idea who their county board member is.
There are many reasons why someone might want to run government "under the radar" (a term heard repeatedly during the Rezko trial) but there are zero good ones.