At the risk of filling something over the weekend that will be outdated when you open the Tuesday newspaper, the first part of the year has witnessed so much goofiness surrounding the Chicago Bears and their never-ending quest to squander any and all goodwill that it seems a reset is in order.

Shaw Local’s Michal Dwojak assembled a timeline of the story published Feb. 11 – find it at tinyurl.com/BearsTimeline – which reminds the whole debacle goes back at least five full years to February 2021, when Churchill Downs announced it was selling the 326-acre horse racing complex in Arlington Heights. The Bears submitted a bid to buy the property, and that September, they signed a $197.2 million agreement.

If we’re only considering this issue with respect to the last five years, that’s the original sin: buying a huge parcel without a financial plan to underwrite development dreams. No one forced Bears’ ownership to make that investment, and every step since has been trying (and failing) to get things back in proper sequence. Exploring a move to Indiana is an inevitable consequence of everyone at the table spotting bluffs.

Of course, true Bears historians know the Lake Forest-based franchise had already been dealing with stadium woes for more than half a century. The recent dalliance with moving to Indiana is not the first time ownership explored leaving the city proper, and if all these concurrent discussions yield no change, it won’t be the last.

The best bet the Bears have in Illinois is if lawmakers approve the so-called “megaprojects” bill, allowing the team to negotiate its property tax obligations with the districts encompassing the racecourse land for up to 40 years. If I’m at that bargaining table, my offer is to freeze any public services involving the development for as much time as the team wants its obligations locked.

While that bill wouldn’t harm taxpayers statewide, it’s hard to see Chicago legislators signing off on shifting sales tax revenue away from their districts. Further, far too many officials seem content to say a projected $850 million in infrastructure needs are the kind of expense government can naturally cover.

It beggars belief how any lawmaker could sign off on transportation projects only necessary in the name of a private development in one tiny part of Illinois, while broader efforts like the School Construction Grant Program have simply gone unfunded since fiscal 2004. Actual capital projects – not expansion wish lists but critical facility repair and classroom space issues – are just ignored, but we can find $850 million for new ramps and train stations?

There will always be a better use for that kind of money in Illinois. Anyone arguing otherwise has blinders or ulterior motives.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.