There’s no way to fully satisfy either camp, underscoring the importance of making sure government functions adequately for enough voters to strike a balance.

"The lead-line water service program offered by the city of Crystal Lake was perfect," Mike Frett of Crystal Lake wrote in a letter to the editor.

It is time for Illinois legislators to act and bring our public defense system into the 21st century. Access to justice cannot depend on wealth or geography. 

As the Illinois General Assembly approaches the critical May 31 deadline to secure funding for its public transit system, let’s be clear that this is not a light switch that can be turned off and on with ease.

Public voting from mid-January to Valentine’s Day revealed an overwhelming preference for the status quo, with about 43% of almost 385,000 votes opting against any change whatsoever. The current flag fared better than the combined total of the next five choices.

With summer upon us, now's a good time to brush up on ways to stay safe and avoid skin cancer while enjoying the long, hot days ahead. The American Cancer Society offers some tips and strategies.

Bringing lawmakers back to Springfield at what might otherwise be a dormant stretch isn’t – or at least shouldn’t be – much cause for concern.

"With a new pope elected who is not conservative, I highly doubt there was much rejoicing in Catholic churches in McHenry County," Ronald Lovatt of Crystal Lake wrote in a letter to the editor.

"One of our greatest fears. Knowing all our hard work falls on deaf ears. Or maybe we believe that there will be one. A shining star who thinks learning is fun," Gina Bilinski of McHenry writes in a letter to the editor.

"Now what I, and I’m sure other readers, would like to see is an article on what EXACTLY the schools did with the portion of the $5.6 million taxpayer money they’ve already used," Linda Yackle of Crystal Lake writes in a letter to the editor.

"No one’s perfect, but people need to be as pleasant as possible while out in public and at the workplace," Travis Hafford of Lake in the Hills writes in a letter to the editor.

"Nurses are the backbone of our health care system, consistently going above and beyond to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our patients and their families," Kara Sankey of Mercyhealth writes in a letter to the editor.

But to hear Harper tell it, the issue isn’t so much inability to reach compromise as unwillingness to negotiate.

"My brother is one of 79 million Americans, one in five that rely on Medicaid. What will happen to all of these people if Medicaid is cut?" Nora Fox Handler of Woodstock writes in a letter to the editor.

"These milestones are a testament to the dedication and commitment of CMS, which has embraced efficiency, innovation and collaboration to improve past hiring challenges."